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Yongnuo to release the YN450M – A Micro Four Thirds version of their Android-powered mirrorless camera

by 25 Comments

Yongnuo’s YN450 was first teased at the end of 2018 and the specs were released a little while later. It was an odd, but interesting camera. An Android-powered mirrorless camera with a Micro Four Thirds sensor but, strangely, a Canon EF lens mount. Visitors to CP+ 2019 managed to see one in person early last year, and it was slated for an April release, but only in China.

Now, though, things have changed. Yongnuo has joined the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group (MFTSSG) and it looks like they’re releasing an update to the camera that’s a little less… Frankenstein. This time, according to images leaked on Photo Rumors, the Canon EF mount appears to have been replaced by a standard Micro Four Thirds mount to match the sensor.

 

I have to admit, I’m not very surprised by this development. As soon as it was announced that Yongnuo had joined the MFTSSG, this was the first thing that sprung to my mind, and I even speculated about it at the bottom of that article. I mean, it’s the most logical course of action if they’re now part of the club and have full unfettered access to all the MFT specifications. They don’t actually have to try to reverse engineer anything anymore.

The full specs haven’t been announced yet, although I would suspect it’s largely the same as the original YN450, except for the lens mount. Photos have leaked on Photo Rumors which show the camera side-by-side with what looks like a Panasonic Lumix GX85. The Yongnuo camera has a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Micro Four Thirds lens attached to it.

As a reminder, here’s how the specs looked before (with a few notes in bold)

  • Sensor: 16MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor
  • Lens mount: Canon EF Micro Four Thirds
  • Front camera: 8MP front camera (oh yes, it has a front camera)
  • Display: 5″ 1080p Multitouch LCD
  • Operating System: Android Nougat 7.1 (Hopefully this is newer now)
  • Photos: Supports RAW format (presumably DNG)
  • Video: 4K video @ 30fps
  • CPU: Qualcomm 8-core processor
  • RAM: 3GB
  • Connectivity: 4G, 3G, WiFi
  • GPS: Yes
  • Storage: 32GB + microSD slot up to an extra 32GB (I really hope this has increased)
  • Mic input: Dual-mic Stereo input
  • Headphones: 3.5mm headphone jack
  • Battery: 4000mAh
  • Flash: Built-in dual LED flash (no hotshoe)

There’s been no official announcement from Yongnuo yet. More than likely, they were hoping to launch it at the cancelled CP+ or MWC this year. Or maybe the also cancelled NAB or delayed Photography Show. Well, I suppose they still have Photokina… For now (I’ll be amazed if this one doesn’t get cancelled, too).

It is a very unique camera. Not just amongst the Micro Four Thirds system, but in any system. The only company that’s really tried to do anything similar was Samsung, with its NX line of mirrorless cameras. Perhaps Yongnuo will suffer the same fate, or maybe Samsung was just a little ahead of its time and people just didn’t “get it” yet?

Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure. I really hope they release this thing outside of China this time. I’m dying to get my hands on one of these for a good play to see what it can really do.

[via Photo Rumors]

Related posts:

Yongnuo’s YN450 has a Micro Four Thirds sensor, Canon EF mount, Android OS and shoots 4K video Hands on with Yongnuo’s weird Android-powered YN450M Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera Yongnuo is releasing a new Android mirrorless camera with built-in 4G Yongnuo’s new Android-powered mirrorless camera is Micro Four Thirds with an EF mount

About John Aldred

John Aldred is based in Scotland and photographs people in the wild and animals in the studio.

You can find out more about John on his website and follow his adventures on YouTube and Facebook.

  • m4/3 sensor with a canon mount 🤦🏻‍♂️
    the dumbest idea out there

    • Duncan Dimanche it’s brilliant! A 600/4L becomes a 1200 mm lens!

    • That was 18 months ago. This is Micro Four Thirds mount. Hence “A Micro Four Thirds version”. :)

    • Michael Estwik the mount has nothing to do with it…

    • John Aldred oh my !!! well i guess they listened !! brilliant

    • I suspect that the original one was simply a proof of concept to demonstrate to the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group that they have some idea what they’re doing now, but stuck with the EF mount because it’s what most of YN’s own lenses were.

      Now Yongnuo’s part of that group (yup, surprisingly, Panasonic and Olympus let them in!), so they have full and complete access to all the MFT communications protocols and whatnot and YN might actually start developing some original design lenses (or they’re relying on Laowa to do it).

      https://www.diyphotography.net/yongnuo-mediaedge-and-venus-optics-laowa-have-joined-the-micro-four-thirds-system-standard-group/

    • John Aldred that’s great news !!! i’m not sure why lumix and oly would do that cause it won’t help their sales…
      license fees ?

    • Paul

      I have an M4/3 camera and an EF adaptor, so it might work for some people. For me , it increases the number of lenses I have to choose from. Yes, I also have a Canon DSLR.

    • Duncan Dimanche – they ‘may’ have listened pity you didn’t read !

    • actually, it’s a pretty good idea. Cavers is cheap and cheerful, Ying ashtray makes canon mount lenses, and anyone with a surplus of EF Mount lenses can continue to use them even after cabin moves over to R Mount completely.
      It’s a win win scenario for everyone

    • AhegaoSteak

      its mft now

  • Now if we can put Google camera algorithm on it I’d be interested.

    • samagon

      there is a version of the apk that works on other phones, I would hazard a guess that it would be ported here.

      although, if you shoot in raw it won’t really matter what algorithm is going on in the background.

      I find it particularly interesting that you could take the photo, edit the photo, and post the photo all from the same device. for influencers, and such, this workflow could really streamline their business.

      • Dave Haynie

        If the Google stuff, like Night Sight, etc. runs on this, it might make for a pretty interesting pocket camera. You might get a decent night shot layering 15 M43 shots into a computational raw output. Or handheld hires (Google SuperRez Zoom). It would probably have to be hacked to use generic sensors, Google’s stuff may be a bit chip-specific.

  • I hope it’s going to be virus free

    • Jolyon Ralph

      Well, if they have a more recent version of Android then it’s probably going to be OK, but 7.1 really isn’t a good idea these days.

  • Leon

    This is super interesting. Although I hope they’d upgraded the CPU to a 2020 spec one. 2 years is an eternity in mobile technology terms.

    Looking at what my Huawei P30 Pro can do in terms of processing there are some very interesting applications that can potentially be realised by such a camera.

    The P30p has a “Light Painting” mode which is essentially a virtual/software ND filter. Similar to the one on EM1.3 and EM1x.

    The always on/ 1 shot HDR and Night node processing etc are all very useful too.

    This thing is an oddball now but I hope this line can continue and be developed into something spectacular.

  • Android os on a camera 🤮

    • Ping Ping

      Android originally was developed an an os for camera.

    • AhegaoSteak

      Why not its the best shooting OS technically, you get real file management unlike iOS and you the AI can be fit to your sensor specific unlike iOS + you get the AI hardware benefits of the SOC.

      • Lol please, AI is for the weak. Just look at the overall photo quality of a smartphone when you let the AI do its work, it’s all CRAP! I’d take total manual control over AI all day tqvm.

  • Samsung Galaxy NX

  • AhegaoSteak

    I hope they update it to the newer 20MP by the time it releases. Or at least give us IBIS + AI hardware acceleration. If they had that in conjunction that would be a killer camera. The new MFT 40mp sensors are coming out soon so hopefully that drops the price enough for yongnuo to produce them with the 20mp sensors.

  • Right now, I’m still using both Nokia Lumia 1020 and Microsoft Lumia 950 because there is still no other Android or iOS smartphone that can match their overall photo quality. Heck, I actually had long left Android since mid-2016 because of its performance.

    With today’s smartphone focusing too much on software computation (I’m looking at you, GCam), I’m worried that even with a M43 sensor, I’m still going to get excessive oversharpening or noise reduction or both together. But that doesn’t mean I’m not interested on trying this Yongnuo out. I actually sold my old Sony NEX-3N Mirrorless camera because I’m actively using both Lumia for photography and videography.

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