All buyers know that a monopoly in the electronics market is not welcome. Therefore, it is not surprising that the world-famous Hero GoPro action camera has a worthy competitor, which will be discussed in this article. Chinese mobile technology manufacturer Xiaomi Yi has unveiled its product to the public, which claims to oust the world's best camera for shooting in extreme conditions from the market. It's not for nothing that Xiaomi Yi action cameras are called Hero GoPro killers.
Company pricing policy
It's better to start with the fact that Xiaomi is considered a serious Chinese brand. For comparison: the world-famous manufacturer Lenovo is inferior in quality and price to all products released under the Xiaomi brand. Therefore, the opinion that the digital camera for shooting in extreme conditions, released by the Chinese, is of poor quality, is erroneous.
All Xiaomi products are manufactured at the Foxconn factory. This company produces high quality computer and network equipment. On one of the lines of the enterprise, world-famous Apple products are produced:iPhone, iPad, Iwatch and iPod.
As for the affordable cost of all Xiaomi products, everything is simple here - experts assure that there are no advertising and brand maintenance costs in the pricing of Chinese goods. The company is young (on the market since 2010), so purchasing power is attracted by reducing the cost of high-quality goods.
Xiaomi Yi Action Cameras: First Look
The Chinese somehow strangely decided to remove their competitor Hero GoPro from the market. Having recreated the device in a rugged case, endowing it with huge functionality and affordable price, the manufacturer did not take care of the action camera package. An ordinary gray cardboard box, without any identification marks, causes strange feelings in all buyers. And the equipment is completely capable of upsetting the future owner: a camera, a battery, a monopod tripod, an interface cable and instructions in Chinese.
No mounts or boxes for underwater shooting, not to mention the usual strap for transporting a digital device. Naturally, the manufacturer promises to fix the flaw, but this statement is unlikely to help the owner of the camera. On the other hand, many users believe that additional accessories are unnecessary, because most athletes already have reliable bindings and no one wants to overpay for additional equipment.
Appearance
The Xiaomi Yi action camera, the price of which in the Russian market is 5500 rubles, has a miniature size (twomatchboxes stacked on top of each other). But even such a small device, the manufacturer managed to provide external beauty and create all the conveniences for the user. On the main panel of the camera, the owner will find a built-in lens and a large power button. Just one click is enough to switch photo and video modes. The button is surrounded by LEDs that inform the user about the battery charge.
On one of the ends of the camera there is a button to turn on the Wi-Fi module with an activity indicator. At the bottom, the manufacturer placed a mount that has a threaded connection and is adapted for a monopod tripod. On the back of the device, the user will find a compartment for installing the battery, as well as a panel for installing a memory card and connecting interface cables.
Work autonomy
The built-in 1010 mAh lithium battery lasts for an hour and a half of video shooting. The indicator is small, but, taking into account the physical dimensions of the portable camera, it still commands the respect of others, judging by the reviews of the owners. It's funny that it also takes 1.5 hours to charge the battery. Naturally, in order to extend the shooting, the user will need a spare battery. Only underwater shooting is embarrassing - it will not be possible to replace the battery without rising to the surface, and the gadget does not have a secure interface for connecting additional power.
Create high quality photos
16 megapixel sensor guarantees the future ownermaking decent shots, and the built-in lens' wide-angle lens (155 degrees) is an excellent choice of exposure both outdoors and in a darkened room. In addition, the manufacturer installed a Sony Exmor photosensitive CMOS matrix, which will have a positive effect on photo and video shooting of objects in poor lighting conditions. In fact, Xiaomi Yi camera is a high-quality digital camera, only reduced several times. Matrix, sensor, control buttons and lens - a complete set for creating a regular camera.
Full video shooting
The Xiaomi Yi Sport Action Camera can shoot HD and FullHD videos. This serious statement of the manufacturer is confirmed by all owners of the device in their reviews. However, there are disadvantages that future owners should be aware of. First, the manufacturer kept silent about the frame rate when shooting video. So, in FullHD format, the gadget can shoot at a frequency not exceeding 50 frames per second. For normal shooting of dynamic objects, this is quite enough, but for a photographer who is on the move himself, this frame rate will not be enough to get a high-quality video.
Xiaomi Yi action cameras support H.264 codec and save video in MP4 format. In fact, the manufacturer managed to achieve the golden mean in video stream processing - to get a small file at the output without quality loss. Judging by the reviews of the owners, this is one of the main advantages in this device.
Portable camera display
To many usersit may seem strange that the action camera does not have an LCD screen. At first, it looks wild and from the side it resembles shooting with an old film camera, where you can see the results of the work only after developing the photos. Okay, underwater shooting - you can't see anything through the protective box, but how to choose the right exposure in the bosom of nature?
The whole thing is very simple. Suffice it to recall other products of the company - most of them are controlled using the Android operating system (Xiaomi fitness bracelet, watches, acoustics, headphones). A digital camera is no exception, the user only needs to connect the device via Wi-Fi to any phone. Naturally, for management you will need proprietary software, which can be downloaded from the Play Market for free.
CCTV camera
The Xiaomi Yi product - camera - will be of interest not only to fans of extreme sports, but also to people whose work or hobby is inextricably linked with observation. A miniature camera can be placed anywhere and discreetly observe any living organisms. The footage does not have to be downloaded from a memory card or transferred to a computer via an interface cable. A wireless connection allows you not only to control the action camera and observe the subject, but also to download footage directly to a device running the Android operating system. To solve the issue with autonomous power supply of the device, the camera would generallythere was no price. At least that's what all owners think, judging by their reviews.
System performance
Don't think that a tiny device has a small processor. Xiaomi Yi action cameras are equipped with a powerful crystal, because it requires a lot of resources of the mobile platform to save the video stream in high quality. The same applies to RAM with a video adapter and a wireless module - in terms of performance, an action camera is not much inferior to a modern mobile phone.
It is worth noting that the sound adapter present in the camera has its own sound processor, which has a positive effect on the operation of the entire system. The sound card has a built-in noise reduction system, can automatically adjust the microphone sensitivity and records sound in stereo.
Professional use
The lack of optical stabilization in the Xiaomi Yi device causes dissatisfaction among many buyers. After all, using the camera as a video recorder in a car or when traveling off-road on a two-wheeled vehicle is simply impossible. This is a major oversight by the manufacturer. While testing the camera under extreme conditions (cycling, skydiving, or ice skating) demonstrates acceptable high-definition video footage, camera shake is still noticeable.
The action camera behaves rather strangely even in winter conditions. The plastic case of the device does not protect the battery from the cold. ATAs a result, instead of an hour and a half video, users manage to shoot only 30-40 minutes of video material in a twenty-degree frost. This is a very low figure.
In conclusion
Xiaomi Yi action cameras are a desirable purchase for many users who decide to capture the pleasant moments of their lives in extreme conditions. Low cost, portability, convenient functionality and a wide range of features can attract many buyers to the new product. There are, of course, flaws, but many camera owners simply turn a blind eye to them, because Xiaomi Yi has not so many competitors in the electronics market - the nearest Hero GoPro costs 5 times more and differs little in functionality from the Chinese product.
