Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Action Camera Review
Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Action Camera Review
We get hands-on with the Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Action Camera. The budget GoPro alternative.
With a summer of capturing awesome 360 footage from the
Xiaomi MiJia 360 Action Cam behind me, I’m super excited to undertake out the
new Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Action Camera.
Currently, the action camera market is split into two.
There’s GoPro then there’s everyone else.
Trying hard to vary that's Xiaomi with two of its own action
cam ranges, MiJia and also Yi cameras. The camera we’ll be reviewing this point
is that the Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K which looks tons just like the GoPro 4
featuring an LCD viewfinder and shooting in 4K.
It even has its own specific Gimbal that exclusively fits
the MiJia Mini and it’s totally awesome! Link to the complete Xiaomi Gimbal
Review coming soon but you'll inspect some footage in our video below.
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| Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Action Camera Review |
I’ve spent the last 4 weeks touristing around South East
Asia with the Xiaomi MiJia Mini by my side. Why? Because I would like to
ascertain if it can perform also as my trusty steed, the GoPro Session.
Check Out The Newest Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Camera Deals Below
What We Love?
- Excellent Battery Life
- Good Low light filming
- Lightweight (99 grams)
- Amazing Value for Money
- Display + Touchscreen Viewfinder
- Time-lapse, Burst & Timer function
What’s Not so Great?
- Waterproof case sold separately
- Image stabilization without Gimbal
- No lens cap Included
Xiaomi MiJia Mini – Video Quality & Features
They say an image can say thousand words… well a video has
30 pictures a second so. Well you get the purpose. Here’s the Xiaomi MiJia Mini
4K in action (above)!
Shooting Modes
The Sony IMX317 sensor inside the MiJia Mini is in a
position to shoot at 1080p (60fps) with image stabilisation and 4K (3840 x
2160) without.
In bright sunlight, the colors look vivid with the entire
picture showing more contrast than the GoPro. It’s hard to believe this action
cam costs but £100.
There’s a spread of various features you'll fiddle with
including time lapse, movie, burst and loop record. The timer has options of a
3, 5, 10 or 15-second countdown to urge those perfect solo or group shots!
Lens Correction
The MiJia Mini 4K has two options for shooting your footage.
You’ll film using the wide-angle lens for the GoPro effect otherwise you can
activate ‘Lens Correction’ within the settings. Lens Correction works rather
well removing most the distortion although you are doing lose some field of
vision.
Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Vs GoPro Session (Colours, Crispness,
Quality)
To test the video quality I filmed side by side footage with
my GoPro Session and therefore the MiJia 4K Mini to match the general quality.
Ok, so I’d be lying if I said the MiJia had more vivid
colours than the GoPro, but it holds its own all an equivalent and offers a
better level of detail.
In terms of field of view, the MiJia Mini’s is slightly
narrower. I actually prefer this like the GoPro I spend tons of your time
occupation closer to the topic.
It’s only we consider what proportion costlier the GoPro
Session is, that we start to ascertain what excellent value the MiJia 4K Mini
has got to offer.
Night Filming
To test out how well the MiJia Mini 4K films in the dark I
took it to the Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Market and that I was quite proud of
the footage! Normally cheaper camera produce grainy, unusable night footage.
While not perfect the low light footage is obvious and really usable.
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| Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Action Camera Review |
Stabilization
Once I started using the MiJia Mini while running and
cycling, things quickly went downhill. The image stabilization did little to
steady the footage making it unusable. Walking around with the camera or using
in water is ok but the image stabilization isn’t up to the work of utmost
sports.
Xiaomi MiJia Gimbal
While it does increase the initial cost, the companion
gimbal is superb. The build quality is premium, it extends the cameras battery
life and allows you to get your Spielberg on sort of a pro.
Unboxing the Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K
The MiJia Mini 4K comes during a small square white box with
only an image of the camera on the front. Once you’ve managed to satisfyingly
tease the box apart, you’ll only see the small action camera staring back.
Dig a touch deeper and underneath you’ll find an easy
instructions booklet, the battery and a micro USB cable.
Surprisingly, you simply get a black sticker covering the
lens with none hard cover or case to be found. Xiaomi isn’t known for handing
out free accessories with their products, but this looks like an oversight to
me.
There is a politician Xiaomi MiJia Mini waterproof case
which we’ve been testing. But, you’ll got to purchase this separately. It’s an
equivalent case utilized in the video review above.
Design & Build Quality
I love the planning of this action camera! It’s simple, it’s
black and it’s grippe. The metal lens circle feels tough, and that i didn’t
find any weak areas during my few weeks with the camera.
Just having one button for shooting footage makes it a dream
to use, then you've got the touchscreen for once you want to play with the
settings. All the settings are often accessed via the app also.
The fact that it only weighs 99 grams means it won’t get
left behind like your DSLR, although the waterproof case does make it a touch
on the bulky side. So it’s some extent to GoPro for his or her case-free
waterproof cams.
It’d are nice if the charging port cover felt a touch more
sealed, but it doesn’t advertise as waterproof without the case.
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| Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K Action Camera Review |
Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K – Setup & Software
Getting started with the camera is straightforward. Add a
memory card and you’re able to start filming making it suitable for both
beginners and experienced users.
Press down the only power button on top, await the lovable
jingle then you’ll see either a camera or video icon at the highest of the
screen. This allows you to know which mode you’re in.
Swipe Right: and you’ll see all the camera modes like
time-lapse video, movie and loop record.
Swipe Left: to look at all of your video and movie within the
gallery. You’ll view or play these back on the camera itself.
Swipe Down: down to access the settings. From here you'll
hook up with the Mi Home App using WiFi (more info below). Change the cameras
(non-filming) settings and also power off the cam.
Settings Icon: – You’ll find this within the bottom right of
the viewfinder screen and it’ll offer you access to all or any of your filming
settings.
Xiaomi Mi Home App
Rather than messing around with the fiddly Micro-SD card
you'll export all of your footage to your phone via the Mi Home App.
While not a fanatical video editing app, it's some basic
functionality that’s useful. You’ll view all the videos on your MiJia Mini,
download videos and pictures on to your smartphone and access a live stream of
what the camera is viewing.
If you discover the camera display a touch small, you'll
also access all an equivalent setting through the Mi Home app also.
Probably the foremost important reason to use the Mi Home
App is in order that you'll update the MiJia to the newest firmware version.
With each new firmware version comes improvements and enhancements to the
camera.
During testing, I’ve had several firmware updates whenever I
connected to the app. Xiaomi are known for his or her continued product
support.
Battery life
An area where the Xiaomi MiJia Mini Action cam really shines
is in its long battery life!
The worst nightmare for each tourist is when you’re visiting
a once during a lifetime spot, you reach for your camera and its dead…
Luckily, the Xiaomi MiJia features a 1450mAh removable
battery that lasted an entire day of taking both photo and videos without a
hitch! Eventually it’s getting to run out though, so best get yourself a few of
spares.
Turning the WiFi on and connecting to the Mi Home app wasn’t
a battery drain either.
Xiaomi MiJia Mini 4K – The Decision
Overall, the Xiaomi MiJia 4K Mini may be a strong choice for
those trying to find an action camera without the GoPro tag .
While adding a Gimbal and waterproof case makes brings the
worth up, you’re getting a way more comprehensive setup than a GoPro without a
gimbal.
Overall, the MiJia 4K Mini exceeded my expectations of a sub
£100 camera both for daylight and night-time footage. My only gripe is that
would of designed a far better protect the charging port.
Do i like to recommend the Xiaomi MiJia 4K Mini? Yes, it’s
an excellent little action cam that becomes an awesome action cam when combined
with the MiJia Gimbal.
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