Yi Action Camera First Reviews and How It Compares to the GoPro
Mar 17, 2015
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We recently reported the announcement of Yi’s $64 new action camera, (formally Xiaomi YI) and we’re now bringing you the first hands-on reviews and GoPro comparisons.
Two Chinese reviews, one by pcpop comparing the Yi Action Camera to the flagship GoPro 4 Black and the cheap SJ4000, and another by Geekpark comparing it to the GoPro 3 and 4 Black editions, reveal new details regarding the highly anticipated new kid on the block.
Other than sharing new specs and features, the reviews include video, contrast and low-light shooting comparisons.
One of the concerns with such a cheap camera is that cheap often comes at a cost. Does the low price indicate low quality?
Overall the camera seems to give a rather impressive bang for the buck, but will it work in crowded spaces?
Ports, Batteries and Accessories
Starting with the most basic information, it’s been confirmed that the Yi Action Cam has a ¼” female thread. This means the camera can be mounted directly to tripods, quick-release plates, monopods, selfie sticks etc without having to use it in a housing or with an adapter.
We knew it could be mounted without a housing based on the original photos, but the exact mounting method was unknown.
Looking at the back of the Yi Action Cam we see it has the same MicroSD slot, mini-USB and micro HDMI ports. Conspicuous by its absence, however, is what GoPro calls the HERO Port – an expansion port which allows add-ons such as the LCD Touch BacPac or the Battery BacPac.
With no indication at the moment that Xiaomi intends to manufacture tiered cameras like GoPro, it seems the Chinese company believes that most people don’t want/need or aren’t willing to pay for such accessories.
The Yi Action Cam, as is also mentioned in one of the reviews, is not intended to compete against GoPro’s flagship models. While it does give them a run for their money, Xiaomi is able to offer such an awesomely priced camera by not offering the most cutting edge features (4K) and mostly unnecessary bells and whistles such as optional screens and batteries.
Next up is the battery. The Yi has a 1010mAh battery, compared to the SJ4000’s 900mAh and the GoPro 4’s 1160mAh, placing it comfortably in the middle. An optional battery pack would be a welcome add-on for longer shoots, but this battery should be just fine for most uses and it’s a small price to pay in order to pay a small price (for the camera).
One of the main reasons the GoPro became so popular was that the company offers a plethora of mounts and accessories. The company took off thanks to the camera being able to go almost anywhere and film almost anything. Most of the low-tech accessories are compatible with the SJ4000 and so are some of the more advanced ones. There are also plenty of cheap/knock off accessories, making these cameras even easier and cheaper to use.
As of now Xiaomi has only announced it is planning to sell a waterproof housing, pet harness and a Bluetooth remote control; in addition to the selfie stick that comes in the Travel edition of the camera.
That’s a rather poor selection of items but while it is unknown at this time whether the Yi Action Cam will be compatible with GoPro accessories, it’s obvious that a lack of self-branded low-tech accessories such as head and chest straps will not faze potential clients if the products are compatible.
Based on a photo of the waterproof housing, it looks like the quick release buckle and thumb screw of the GoPro accessories will work with the Xiaomi.
Unlike the GoPro 4 Silver edition, the SJ4000 and the GoPro 4 Black with the optional LCD Touch BacPac, the Yi Action Cam does not have a built-in screen and it cannot have one connected to it (no expansion port, remember?).
This means your only way of seeing what the camera ‘sees’ is by connecting to your smartphone via the dedicated app.
While that sucks, this next thing is way worse. If you own one of the other brand cameras you know that other than using the app to turn your phone or tablet into a monitor, you can also use it to control the cameras settings. Well get this – due to the Xiaomi’s lack of an LCD status screen (the front screen), you have to use their app to change any settings on the camera!
The camera’s three buttons seem to only be used to turn the camera on/off, start/stop recording and to turn on/off the WiFi.
Want to change your frame rate? Want to switch to stills? Whip out your phone!
This isn’t a problem if you’re taking a video in your backyard, but it’s an extremely limiting feature in an action camera.
I don’t consider myself a heavy GoPro user and I can think of several situations where I wouldn’t have been able to use my GoPro the way I wanted to had I not been able to control it directly. Diving is the first activity that comes to mind, but there are many others.
Also, I was recently taking a time lapse at a basketball game and took the opportunity to connect my GoPro to the airship flying around the arena. Due to the thousands of people there with me the GoPro and my phone failed to connect via WiFi. For me it meant that I couldn’t show the airship operator what we were filming (we ended up getting mediocre results) and we had to bring back the airship every time I had to change one of the settings. For a Xiaomi user, however, such a problem will mean being stuck on the same mode without being able to change any settings whatsoever.
That being said, if all you want to do is record video and you rarely change your settings – you’re golden. Simply use the start/stop button on the camera itself and you’ll almost never need to connect it to your phone.
I guess this is another one of the compromises that allow the camera to be great in certain fields and still sell cheap.
Friendly Interface
Time for some good news, especially since you might be using the app a lot more than you’re used to with your current camera. Geekpark says the app’s interface is friendly and easy to use. With a straightforward setup process and a detailed step-by-step guide all the way from connecting the camera to shooting, Xiaomi’s app is said to be a lot easier to use than GoPro’s.
Just as important for the local market, and Xiaomi’s bank account, the app offers Chinese support which apparently the GoPro doesn’t.
Not to break the habit of mixing the good with the bad, the app currently supports only Android. Hopefully it will support iOS by the time it reaches the market.
Video Comparison
The Yi Action Cam uses the same video processer manufacturer as GoPro, though it uses an Ambarella A7LS processor compared to the A9 chip in the HERO4 and the HERO3 Black’s A7.
For this review Geekpark set the three cameras to shoot 1080p/30fps and mounted them to a parallel testing device (see top image).
The video below is SOOC and has not undergone any post-processing:
Unsurprisingly the HERO4 wins with the best image quality and reduced shakiness. The previous flagship camera, the HERO3, came in second but Geekpark mentions the Xiaomi did pretty well and is overall pretty much matched with the HERO3.
Contrast
The next comparison is a set of outdoors still images and is testing the Yi’s 16 megapixel Sony back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor.
The top photo is from the Xiaomi Yi Action Cam, next is the GoPro 3 Black and last is the GoPro 4 Black.
Check out the details in the shadows and how much of thy sky is blown out.
Next is a low-light situation. Once again the top photo is from the Xiaomi Yi Action Cam, next is the GoPro 3 Black and last is the GoPro 4 Black.
The HERO4 is once again the winner, but the Xiaomi is described as ‘very good’.
Trailing after the others is the HERO3 with its ‘unsatisfactory’ metering system.
Conclusions
Geekpark concludes that there are significant gaps between the HERO4 and the Xiaomi, in both stills and video, and I don’t think that will come to anybody by surprise. That is to be expected with the GoPro costing almost 8 times as much.
Keep in mind that the HERO4 was ‘handicapped’ for the video comparison, as it’s able to record 4K/30fps, so the gap is even bigger than depicted here.
Overall though the Xiaomi Yi Action Cam is definitely a decent camera and it even outdid the HERO3 Black in certain situations.
GoPro does has a head start of several years leading to it having a very useful Bluetooth remote, plenty of superb accessories and dedicated editing software. These are all points Xiaomi will have to work on, and I have no doubt they will as long as there’s enough money to be made doing so.
Geekpark recommend the Yi Action Cam for beginners and those who want to experiment with it due to its low price and relative convenience of operation. It will also suffice for backyard videos and less demanding situations.
For extreme sports, however, GoPro is still the undisputed king.
Sample Photos
Below are several photos from the Xiaomi website. Follow the link to see more.
Head on over to pcpop and Geekpark for more photos and the full reviews.
Liron Samuels
Liron Samuels is a wildlife and commercial photographer based in Israel. When he isn’t waking up at 4am to take photos of nature, he stays awake until 4am taking photos of the night skies or time lapses. You can see more of his work on his website or follow him on Facebook.
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61 responses to “Yi Action Camera First Reviews and How It Compares to the GoPro”
“Hopefully it will support iOS by the time it reaches the market.” As if an Apple user would be caught dead using this camera. The iPhone’s camera is so much better.
I’m an Apple user and I’ll buy one of these the minute I can!
Why? You’ll get better images and video from an iPhone 4s and a waterproof case and, wait, there’s more, you get a phone too. You already have an iPhone? Then just get a waterproof case. The quality of the photos and videos from this camera suck and you’ll need a phone to change the settings from sucky to less sucky. And since it doesn’t work with iOS, you’ll have to get an Android phone too. And the hits just keep on coming.
Is the iPhone going to take survive half the things that the GoPro is built for? Let’s not forget that the GoPro along with its competitors are made to be used in potentially abusive situations, not just wet environments. Plus does your old iPhone shoot high speed etc? Apple doesn’t do everything, at least not well enough that it can replace everything.
This camera is not a GoPro. It doesn’t shoot high speed but the iPhone can. Lots of super slow mo apps and high speed camera apps out there, many for free. The only advantage this camera has over the iPhone is that if it gets busted, you won’t mind as much. If that’s what really matters to you, then go buy this camera. And don’t forget to buy an Android phone too so you can use it properly. And a tough case for your Android phone too so it survives the conditions you’ll put your camera through.
It does shoot 1080p @ 60fps or 720p @120fps
And you forgot the 2 main differences with an iphone (or any phone), wide angle and stablizer.
This cam seems very good for the price and the result is much closer to a GoPro than any phone on the market
You can add any protection case, an iphone is not an action cam, there is no argument there.
Do you want to risk you 600$ Iphone falling down a ravine as you arr climbing up a sheer cliff?
Do you want to mount your 600$ Iphone on your handlebars as you go down crazy trails?
Would you attach your 600$ Iphone to a weather baloon to get near orbit shots of the curvature of the earth?
I know I wouldn’t.
On the other hand … if I lose a 60$ action cam … oh well.
An iPhone 4s costs $600? You’re getting ripped off if they’re selling you a phone that old for that much. But a phone that old, even at 8 mp, has much better quality and functionality than this camera. Maybe not as cheap but cheaper than some GoPros that went up in some weather balloons. But hey, whatever rocks your boat.
Such an Apple boy… go complain your butthurt somewhere else. phone =/ action camera. deal with it dude.
I read that this App works with the cam: https://itunes.apple.com/ch/app/wetrip-lite/id909569446?mt=8
They say the iOS App will be available in April.
Where did you find that information?
from their website: http://www.mi.com/yicamera/features/
(it’s in Chinese – translated in Chrome Browser)
I found a working iOS app, but it is a litte tricky.
I did a short video about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4zDUVjFj7I
the official iOS App is available. I wrote about how to use it, as it is only in Chinese for now:
http://elproducente.tumblr.com/post/117248753479/official-xiaomi-yi-ios-app
uses are so different. just wait when i see fan boys running around with iphone 6 plusses strapped to their helmets. haha you are so lame. plus anytime i go snowboarding my iphone shuts off because its too cold. so yes any action cam is better than any phone.
What on Earth? It’s nearly £100 on Amazon.co.uk ($130 on Amazon.com). Where can I get one for £50 from?
Amazon is useless for buying Chinese stuff. Try aliexpress.com, ibuygou.com, xiaomishop.com. There is countless others but these are some of the main ones. You will obviously pay a premium as these are all resellers.
I got it here: http://bit.ly/1BTqEhM
There is currently a coupon code: xiaoyi
Also couldn’t find a cheaper price
Have they translated the app to run it into English yet?
According to some Youtube Videos I saw some footage with an English App. My cam was shipped, I hope I can provide more info soon.
Yes, there is an English translation. See en.miui.c0m for the tweaked version.
Hey man, please keep us posted :) I’m interested to hear your thoughts/opinions once you’ve received it.
The reasonable comparison would have been to the $130 GoPro. Sure it doesn’t match a $500 camera but who would expect it to.
Why not compare it with the “best” cam in this segment? I think it es better than the GoPro Hero3 which is currently offered at a way higher price than the Xiaomi.
I found that it can be bought from antelife at $89.99 with the coupon code : XIAOMIYI
I think this method of desigining a device with few or no controls, screens etc and requiring an app to operate the product is absolutely the future. This is good and bad. It has the potential to really bring costs down but it’s not hard to imagine big problems with forced obsolescence.
The display on the GoPro is nice, because you can check the settings. But for many settings you need an App as well. In video mode you probably stick with the best setting possible, so not really a need to change that often. If you are adapting the settings for a specific shot, you need the app for both of them.
“Switching between modes is simple, just hit the power button and the mode switches from photo, to time-lapse to video.” That’s a quote from another review. So I think your part which says switching between modes is only available over the phone is not correct. Can you please check this again?
I believe that the issue was the lack of a monitor/screen so you would have no idea what mode you were in unless you had a phone with you that could work with the camera. Not all smart phones can so if you don’t have one, you’re shooting blind.
the “lack of mounting accessories” is a non existing problem, considering that through an inexpensive tripod-screw to go pro adapter you can use all original and copycat gopro mounts ($ 1.39!! http://goo.gl/zmMh8o)
Yeah, so true. Saw the case is also available for preorder, seems that it has the GoPro mount: http://bit.ly/1MFSO77
Just preordered the case. It was now set form “Alert” to a real preorder process.
It has USB and HDMI which can both port video, so I don’t see why they couldn’t create an external monitor for it. The Hero port is just a proprietary port in order to force you to buy GoPro accessories. If the knockoffs implemented their other ports properly, anyone could potentially create accessories that use USB and HDMI, so potentially the market could be open to anyone to make accessories.
Nice, i am following xiaomi yi spain website ( http://www.xiaomiyi.es ) but there is not enought info
Regarding Unterwater Case:
“we have confirmed with the seller that we are going to have the item you have methioned next month.” Banggood on their Facebook page.
The promo code “xiaoyi” is still available and stated at this package: http://www.banggood.com/Original-XiaoYi-Ambarella-A7LS-BSI-CMOS-WIFI-Sports-Action-Camera-p-969228.html?p=VE13131346819201503H
There are 3 offers in total, one travel kit (= with selfie stick), and one with micro SD card. Don’t know if the code works for them as well.
Banggood has the camera on sale (next 5 days) for 87 EUR: http://bit.ly/1M0F7iG
Price went down again: EUR 85 / USD 90 : http://bit.ly/1M0F7iG
how can I make a timelapse video?
You can set photo intervals on the camera, then put them together to a video
you can get the xiaomi here for 85 dollars http://goo.gl/ta4nrV
NEWS:
The case is finally available for pre-order: http://bit.ly/1MFSO77
and the rubber skin is available for order and shipped within 3 days: http://bit.ly/1CpPG59
i compared it with a friends gopro on a quadrocopter … booth on board at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76nxI59kfUQ
This is really interesting. The fact that they are so much off center makes the vibration a killer. It is possible to get them closer to the center or mounted on a gimbal?
Also would love to see some side by side footage, it is kinda hard to compare when they are sequential. would be happy to post such comparison here.
Вот еще нашел хорошее предложение: Камера xiaomi за 86,99$ + флешка на 16 гигов, надо брать! http://ali.pub/nqlwd
photos compare is fake just see last and 1st pic are same in low light situation zoom and see man sitting in window….
waterproof case for this camera http://ali.pub/t6gur 24 $
here it’s 18 USD: http://bit.ly/1MFSO77
This is a good comparison, also for the best GO PRO cameras. Like a can see in the page of the cam of spain, my city ( http://www.xiaomiyi.es ) they compare it with a go pro hero 3+!
I also did a comparison if you want to read more in my blog:
http://elproducente.tumblr.com/post/117013044279/xiaomi-yi-vs-gopro-black
what would you prefer sjcam5000+ or the xiaomi yi
i got my rubber case (first of the ordered accessories that arrived) and wrote a short review if you are interested: http://elproducente.tumblr.com/post/117512134889/xiaomi-yi-rubber-case
I have ordered yi at BG -they have fast delivery and great price -71$
http://goo.gl/IZhJCS
Official App in English:
Xiaoyi Action Camera by 360Ants
https://appsto.re/us/ZEZz5.i
Here’s a video review of the 5 different underwater cases available for the Xiaomi Yi:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9hCEJyPS6Y
My dive video with Kingma WP Case at Saroz, Turkey
https://youtube.com/watch?v=akS6Ro_SSYs
Yi action camera maybe have a good feedback .I wanted to buy an action camera several weeks ago,and fimally i decide to purchase one from tinydeal or amazon,it seems cheaper from tinydeal.So who can tell me if it’s legit on tinydeal?
its amazing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqUKLE6mGl4
I also made a video to compare goPro hero3 with Xiaomi Yi. I believe GoPro is better
https://youtu.be/9TiFesG8l2o
Excellent, sophisticated review. Thank you for showing me the bigger picture.
Could you guys have a look at our newly launched website http://www.drones-cams.com ? We would love to receive any feedback! Thankss
This sport camera is also very cool and it still can take 4K video.
https://www.chinavasion.com/china/wholesale/Sports-Action-Cameras/2K-4K-Sports-Action-Cameras/SJCAM-SJ5000X-Elite-Edition-2K-Action-Camera/