Xiaomi action. Russified user manual for Xiaomi Yi Action Camera. Battery Life

The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi has released another hit - Yi Action Camera, which was immediately nicknamed the "GoPro killer". Lightweight and very compact action camera is able not only to shoot video, but also to do high quality photos. At any time, you can download them via Wi-Fi to your smartphone through a special application. For information on how to work with the Xiaomi Yi camera, read our instructions in Russian.

Appearance Xiaomi Yi

Procedure for turning on the device

Turning on the camera is very simple - just press the button (1). You may hear several beeps during the process.

Around the power button, you can observe a light indicator, the main function of which is to signal the current state of your device. If it glows, the camera is enabled, if not, then it is disabled accordingly.

Additional color indication allows you to determine the current battery level:

• Blue color - high level
• Purple - about half of the capacity left
• Red - about 15% of the capacity is left and it's time to recharge the camera.

Turn off the camera

To do this, it is also necessary to use the key (1), while pressing should last about two to three seconds. Immediately before turning off, the camera will signal it three times with light and sound.

How to start shooting

Shooting both photo and video materials is carried out using the button (2) located on top. In the "photo" mode, pressing it will result in a picture, while the process of its creation will be accompanied by two short beeps.

In video mode, pressing this key starts the recording process (accompanied by one short beep), pressing again stops recording (you will hear two short beeps).

Switching between PHOTO and VIDEO modes

Immediately after turning on, the device enters the "photo" mode (the default mode can be changed in the settings). Changing the current mode is carried out by quickly pressing the power key (2).

Determine which mode is active in this moment you can by looking at the light indicator located next to the above key:

• The indicator is lit - the "video" mode
• The indicator does not light up - the "photo" mode.

Charging the battery

Attention! Before starting charging, make sure that the device is turned off! After that, connect the camera to an electrical power source (UMB, electrical outlet, or the appropriate port on your PC) using the interface USB cable-> MicroUSB and wait. The charging ports are located on the back of your camera body under a removable protective cover. It may take 60 to 80 minutes to fully charge the battery.

Accumulator battery

Resetting the camera to factory settings

To cancel all current settings and return the device to its original state, you must simultaneously hold down the capture, power and Wi-Fi control keys and hold them for five seconds. In addition, you can reset it programmatically through the corresponding menu section.

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Today we offer you to look at the main competitor of GoPro among budget action cameras - the Xiaomi Yi camera. We will also learn how to set up the camera on Xiaomi and how to control it.

Even before the official sale, this unit made a lot of noise among users, because the manufacturer stated that it would receive the same characteristics as the GoPro, but at a very ridiculous price. Previously, the price was announced at $ 60, which, you see, is very, very tempting.

Almost all Xiaomi camera functions are available for control through special applications on a smartphone, which can be pre-installed via links and Remote Video. While there are not very many of them, however, it is possible that with the update of the firmware of the gadget, its functionality will expand. So far, the program allows you to make settings for photo and video modes, choose the quality of shooting and adjust the operation of the camera itself, as well as choose the possibility of visually displaying the image from the matrix.

In the photo mode in the application, we see the following picture: most of the display was occupied by the area for previewing the image from the camera matrix, and the selected resolution for shooting is written below. At the bottom are the keys for controlling the action camera, and even lower is the status bar with the current battery charge of the phone, the camera and the Wi-Fi signal level. In video mode, the program looks almost the same. In addition, there is a Snapshot mode for creating quick shots at a resolution of 640x480.

Parameters and their meanings

Xiaomi Yi Action Camera is configured through a special application, which we wrote about above, but there is an important point here - the application is only available for Android smartphones, and Apple product owners are still out of work. So, let's look at some of the modes with which I set up the camera. They are divided into several blocks.

• video. This is the mode for video settings. There are such items as Quality (video quality), Resolution (resolution), Time Stamp (display time and date on video), Standart (video standard) and Metering Mode (exposure level measurement);
• photo. It is logical to assume that this is a mode that adjusts photography. There are such sub-items as: Resolution (also photo resolution), Default Photo Mode (this option allows you to select the default photography mode, for example, you can select normal, self-timer, burst and time lapse). Also available are the functions of displaying the date and time on the photo and Camera Default Start Mode (selecting the mode in which the camera will turn on by default);

• camera. The camera is configured here: Preview (preview), Loop Recording (endless recording or recording in DVR mode), Lens Rectification (turn on / off Fish Eye), Auto turn on WI-Fi with Device (turn on Wi-Fi with the device), Buzzer Volume (sound volume control), as well as much more, such as Wi-Fi settings, LED indicator mode, setting the time and date, and turning off the camera after a certain period of inactivity;
• devices. This block contains complete information about the device, such as model name, serial number, current firmware version, as well as information about the flash card and the possibility of formatting it. In addition, here you can turn on the camera search function if it is lost somewhere nearby (it starts to make sounds) and reset all settings to factory settings.

Conclusion

In general, we briefly got acquainted with the capabilities of the sensational Xioami Yi action camera and found out what each item in the settings means. In general, the camera shows very good results for its price, but the functionality could be expanded. We hope that the manufacturer will take into account the wishes of users and in the new firmware version will present us with new features of such a small and bright unit.

This review began to be prepared in the spring of this year, almost along with the appearance of rumors about the second generation XIAOMI Action Cameras. More than a year has passed since the start of XIAOMI Yi Action Camera sales, however, during this time this action camera has not lost its popularity and managed to get several major updates, acquire a branded line of accessories, an army of third-party developers and users. For our part, we have gained experience in using this camera, plus we are preparing a review of the second generation (we have retail and engineering samples at our disposal). By the way, by the time this material on XIAOMI Yi Action Camera was released, readers could study in detail Comparison of SJCAM M10 Plus and XIAOMI Yi .

Now there is fierce competition in this market segment, on the one hand, promoted by GoPRO with exorbitant price tags, on the other hand, a good choice from Chinese companies. As shown personal experience use, cameras from the "Chinese" are not inferior to GoPRO, but in some ways even superior. Speaking about accessibility, it is important to note that ordinary users do not actually have the opportunity to directly purchase XIAOMI Yi Action Camera, the purchase always goes through representatives (official and unofficial). The price tag will differ from the recommended one, for Russia the difference is more noticeable, but we will only give it, you can always choose an alternative yourself. The average cost, according to the Yandex.Market service, is 6,000 rubles.

XIAOMI Yi Action Camera review

Equipment

Supplied in a compact unpainted cardboard box. A minimum of design and data on the action camera.

The XIAOMI Yi Action Camera package includes only a micro USB cable and a manual in Chinese. Against the background of competitors' cameras, it's poor. There is a version of XIAOMI YI Action Camera Travel Edition, it comes with a wireless control monopod.

Appearance

XIAOMI Yi Action Camera is made in a classic form factor with a rectangular body. It vaguely resembles the design of GoPRO.

There are two versions of the body color: bright green and white (for the US market). Plus, it is possible to purchase interchangeable front panels, they are the most daring colors and are inexpensive.

The main area of ​​the body with a matte finish, fingerprints do not remain, the camera does not slip out of the hands. Textured sidewall for added grip.

On the front side, a lens protruding above the surface of the body. A high quality glass panel has been used. The outer lens is convex, with careless operation will collect scratches.

XIAOMI Yi Action Camera is controlled by three buttons. On the top side, it starts shooting, on the front, it turns on and switches the photo / video mode. On the side is a compact Wi-Fi power button. The sensitivity of the buttons is high, while wearing it in a pocket, accidental inclusions were noticed.

Circle of the main button with backlight zone. The color changes depending on the current activity. Additionally, there is an LED indicator for monitoring on each side. In movie mode, they are lit in red, in active shooting mode they flash.

This is the only way to get information from the camera. XIAOMI Yi Action Camera is devoid of a display, you will have to use an external smartphone or rely on your experience to make settings and control the shooting angle.

The place of the display was taken by a large battery cover, fastened with a latch. Hot swap is not provided, but the removal is not difficult. I recommend looking at extra batteries and a docking station for charging outside the camera.

Next to this compartment is another plug, under which there is a slot for memory cards micro SD, micro HDMI and micro USB. The video output is always an image, when connected to an external monitor, a streaming image from the camera is displayed. There is an external battery pack with a screen that connects to these connectors.

This small cover is not attached to the main body in any way. It's very easy to lose her.

On the bottom end there is a hole with a tripod thread. Simplified connection to monopods, tripods and mounts.

The assembly of the camera is excellent, XIAOMI Yi Action Camera makes a good impression.

water box

This accessory is sold separately. It not only protects the camera from damage, but also allows you to immerse it to a depth of 40 meters.

Filling

Inside lies the flagship, at the time of release, the Ambarella A7LS platform. Matrix CMOS BSI Exmor R 1/2.3″ 16 MP. There is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

Settings and software

The customization options of XIAOMI Yi Action Camera are limited due to the lack of a display. From the camera itself, you can only change the mode between video and photography. To control, you will need to install a proprietary utility and you can connect to the camera via Wi-Fi.

The original version of the application is in Chinese, but thanks to the user community, there are assemblies translated into Russian. The manufacturer itself should consider this issue, taking into account the distribution of the camera around the world.

The application allows you to view the image from the camera in the stream, switch modes (time-lapse, slow-motion and fast motion), make settings.

It is easy to understand the application, the interface is intuitive.

Testing

XIAOMI Yi Action Camera received a couple of major updates during testing. Since 2016, the ability to shoot in 2K resolution has appeared in the settings, in some updates it is removed, leaving the maximum bar at Full HD with 60 frames per second. There are third-party firmware on the network that support 4K with low bitrate. You can experiment if you wish. In our case, the factory firmware is installed without making manual edits. The videos below are without post-processing.

The camera lacks a full-fledged stabilization system. The rest of the picture looks detailed, the colors are close to natural.

Comparison of SJCAM M10 Plus and XIAOMI Yi Action Camera

Summary of XIAOMI Yi Action Camera

In the final assessment of XIAOMI Yi Action Camera, the first thing to consider is its cost. One of the most affordable cameras that shoots Full HD 60FPS and 2K video. She does it well, videos without noticeable flaws in the daytime. Opportunity offered wireless connection to a smartphone and control from an external remote control. The pluses also include a pleasant appearance and the presence of a built-in screw mount. The main limitation concerns the lack of a display and little things in the form of non-locking covers. The conditional disadvantages include the lack of official localization into Russian. There were no crashes or problems.

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