Xiaomi Yi Camera Review: Xiaomi vs GoPro
Xiaomi Yi Action Camera Review
After I smashed my Mobius camera in a crash I started doing research for a new camera. I have a GoPro but I don’t trust my skills enough right now to put a $400 on my quadcopter. I want a camera that has good image quality and under $200.
Enter the Xiaomi Yi Action Camera
Xiaomi is better known for their smartphones and is actually the 3rd largest smartphone distributor in the world right behind Apple. The Yi is their first attempt at a action camera to challenge the current king, GoPro. Their main selling point is that it shoots 1080P at 60 fps and costs under $100. The cheapest GoPro that can do that is the Hero3+ Silver which is currently triple the cost of the Yi at $300.
Xiaomi Yi Specifications
- Sony Exmor CMOS 16MP sensor
- 1080p @ 60fps
- WiFi
- Supports up to 64GB Micro SD
- f/2.8 155 degree lens
- 60.4mm x 42mm x 21.2mm
- 72g (2.54oz)
The Xiaomi is a tiny bit bigger than the GoPro but is 2 grams lighter. Not sure why they decided to copy GoPro but didn’t make it the same size so you could use GoPro accessories. Luckily most FPV racing quads don’t use GoPro accessories to mount on the quads so it won’t matter in my case. I’m more concerned about strapping a $400 on the front of the quad and fly 60mph into a tree.
There are only two buttons on the Xiaomi. A power button in the front and a shutter button on top. There’s a LED ring on the front of the Xiaomi that indicates the battery level and two red LED’s (top and bottom) that indicate the mode. Solid red means it’s in video mode and off means photo mode. To change the other settings of the camera such as resolution it needs to be done over the smartphone app.
See the video above for the video comparison. Let’s look at some sample images from the Xiaomi Yi vs GoPro Hero3 White.
Pros
- Very good Sony Exmor CMOS sensor
- Excellent image quality
- Relatively inexpensive, under $100
- Records in 1080P at 60 frames per second
- WiFi
Cons
- Slightly bigger than GoPro so you can’t use GoPro accessories
- No display. Must use mobile app to change settings
- Slow start up time, about 7 seconds.
The images and videos of the Xiaomi Yi have more contrast and saturation than the GoPro. I was surprised the image quality from a $100 camera looks much better than the GoPro. Yeah the GoPro has more features like photo burst mode and a display screen. But for less than $100 and superb image quality, the Xiaomi Yi action camera is a winner!
Buy the Xiaomi Yi Action, and see for yourself!
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