Xiaomi is well-known for invading any technology and coming up with a gadget as great as the dominant king of that technology. One classic example is the Yi Action Camera. GoPro has been the king of action camera technology for many years. Yi has acquired the Yi Action camera and is now releasing photography equipment under their brand. The second generation Yi action camera that supports 4K is now available. The original 2K model is still relevant.
The Yi action camera costs around 80$, significantly less than the 4K model. Yi Action cameras are a good choice if you’re looking for an action camera that is affordable and decent. Continue reading to learn more.
The Box
The Xiaomi square brown cardboard box packaging is the Box. The Box contains the Yi action camera, battery, and cable. The manual is available in Chinese. The international version is recommended for those who live outside China. The international version has a slightly different battery dimension and menu.
Design
The Yi Action camera is tiny. The size of the Yi Action camera will not be revealed by any image you find online, but it can be roughly compared with the size of a matchbox. It is approximately the same size as a medium-sized matchbox. It is incredibly light in weight. It is available in white, Black, and Lemon Green. It is made of plastic and feels soft on the hands. The material does not feel solid, rugged, or premium.
The shutter button, a red LED and a microphone are located at the top. The WiFi button is located on the side with a blue LED. At the bottom is a tripod mount that has mics and another LED. On the front are the power button and the lens. The power button can also switch between video and picture modes. The removable battery is on the back, with two ports for micro USB and AV output. You can protect the ports with a thin plastic cover.
Installation
It was straightforward to set up the Action camera the first time. You must ensure that the camera has enough power before installing the Yi Action camera App from the Play Store. It can be downloaded from the official Play Store. Follow the steps to pair your action camera with your mobile once installed. This is it. Now you can go.
Yi Action Cam Application
It is easy to connect the app and the device. After the WiFi mode has been enabled, the app scans the device for it and links to it. Videos shared by Yi Cam users will be displayed on the landing page. Swiping right brings up the camera mode. We can view the live screen on the mobile by clicking the button. You can also choose other methods such as photo, video, time-lapse, etc. You can also configure the app and the device by clicking the settings button at the top. You can also see the battery level. A second swipe will bring you to the place where you can view all videos and images stored in your device’sdevice’s memory. The preview will show you low-resolution footage, but you can also download full-resolution footage to your mobile. It is easy to use and straightforward. The app is simple to use and has all the necessary features.
The Yi Dashcam is also my favourite but it requires a separate app. The functions of the Actioncam and Dashcam are very similar. I wish they had the same app.
The Action Camera indicators
The Action camera can be used once the memory card and battery are inserted. After a few seconds, the camera is ready for action. It doesn’tdoesn’t have a display, so it can be challenging to use the camera. It is essential to become familiar with the controls and LED light indicators. The key indicator is the led at the top of the camera, along with the shutter button. The camera is in video mode if the red light on the top is always on. To toggle to still image mode, press the front power button. The red led does not always stay on in video mode. You can record video by pressing the shutter button in the video mode. The recording is complete when you hear a single sound, and the red LED blinks intermittently. You can stop recording by pressing the shutter button once more. The red LED will remain on, and you’ll hear a series of beeps.
To pair your device with the app, press the WiFi button and wait a few seconds. The blue led will appear near the router. This will indicate that the WiFi has been turned on. It is best to use WiFi when necessary, as it can drain the battery.
Camera quality
It would help if you were comfortable clicking pictures and shooting videos without using a viewfinder. This lens is exceptionally wide-angle, so you can point and shoot to capture the moment. This device is unsuitable if you care about composition and framing. It produces high-quality images. It can capture high-quality images with good dynamic range and colour reproduction. The Yi Action camera is for more than just clicking pictures but also for recording action videos.
The camera defaults to 1080p videos out of the Box at 30 frames/second. I recommend changing the mode to 1080p videos at 60 frames per second. This setting produces stunning footage. Although the file size is slightly larger, the quality of the video is well worth it. The audio quality is excellent. It doesn’tdoesn’t have a noise-cancelling microphone and can capture every sound. This is what you need in an action cam. This sample footage will show you the quality of the video.
Youtube applied an algorithm to stabilize the footage in the video above. However, the camera doesn’tdoesn’t have any image stabilization.
Batteries
The Yi Action camera’scamera’s battery lasts approximately 2 hours. The Yi Action camera does not feature a display. Its primary function is to record and store the data on the memory card. The battery can get warm and quickly drains. The led light on the front will turn red if the battery level is low. However, no indicator indicates how much battery is left. This is the time to recharge or change the battery. You can still record while your device charges. You can carry a battery pack to attach to your device while recording.
Conclusion
India still needs to be authorized to sell the Yi Action camera. You can purchase it from many Chinese e-commerce websites. It is also available for purchase from eBay India. However, it is a 4th- or 5th-party seller, so that you might pay more. It is worth considering if you are into action sports like biking, vlogging or child videos. Yi Action cameras are only some of the GoPro replacements. GoPro is still reserved for professionals. However, for most everyday use, you don’tdon’t need a costly goPro. Yi Action cameras are stylish, affordable and perform well. If you’re looking for an Action cam, I highly recommend it. You can find many accessories for the Yi Action camera that will suit your needs. Yi Action cameras are affordable, high-quality Action cameras.
