At MWC, early 2017 in Barcelona, YI Technology showed a new “HD Action Camera”. Similar to original YI, but within the body of a YI 4K Action Camera. Now the new camera is officially released and called: YI Lite Action Camera.

YI Lite vs Xiaomi Mijia Video Comparison- incl. Giveaway!

Similar price – which one wins?

YI Lite Action Camera

YI Lite Specs

Sensor

YI Lite Action Camera will have the same sensor as original YI, the 16 MP Sony IMX206. Hence it has 16 MP compared to the 12 MP Sony sensor used in Y 4K & YI 4K+, the 16 MP sensor can’t do native 4K. But you can benefit from the higher resolution for photos! Same sensor is also used in Git2 Camera.

Chip

Now here’s a change compared to original YI which featured an Ambarella A7 chip. In contrast the new YI Lite holds a Hisilicon Hi3556V100 processor. (YI 4K features an Ambarella A9 and YI 4K+ the latest Ambarella model H2).

Lens

Yi Lite features a 150 ᵒ ultra wide angle glass lens / F2.8 Aperture with 6 layer. That’s the same original YI offered.

Currently it seems that electronic FOV selection is not available.

Video Resolution & Frame Rates

4K – (3840 x 2160 – 16:9) – 20fps (since Firmware 1.7.9)

1440p – (1920 x 1440 – 4:3) – 30 / 25 fps

1080p – (1920 x 1080 – 16:9) – 60 / 50 / 30 / 25 fps

720p – (1280 x 720 – 16:9) – 120 / 100 / 60 / 50 / 30 / 25 fps

Yi Lite can do 4K, but only at 15fps which is too few for a smooth video. As mentioned earlier the sensor can’t do native 4K at 30fps, hence the main usecase of this camera is not 4K recording, but HD. (There is YI 4K to do that job).

You can switch between PAL and NTCS in the device settings to get either 25fps or 30 fps and a multiple of that.

You can do video time-lapses in 4K with 30fps!

Image Stabilization

YI Lite Action camera will also feature electronic image stabilisation (EIS) up to 1440p 30fps (including 1080p with 60fps). YI 4K features electronic image stabilization up to 2.7 K and 60fps (of course 1080p with 60fps). YI 4K+ furthermore allows image stabilization up to 4K and 30fps!

Recording Format

Format: .mp4 file; Codec: H.264

Photo Resolution



16MP – 4068 x 3456

10MP – 3648 x 2736

File Format is .jpg; It seems that RAW photo is currently not implemented. I hope it will be introduced with a later firmware update hence I’m not sure if processor/chip are capable of doing that.

In Burst Mode YI Lite can shoot up to 10 pictures per second.

Display

In contrast to original YI the new YI Lite features a screen, but it’s not the 2,19″ display known from YI 4K and YI 4K+. It’s slightly smaller at 2″ which also results that the menu is shown on top rather than on the side.

Battery

YI Lite Action Camera will feature the same battery size used in YI 4K and YI 4K+, although the capacity of YI Lite battery 1200 mAh compared to 1400 mAh for Yi 4K and Yi 4K+. Still an improvement compared to the 900 mAh used in original YI and it benefits compatibility. Battery runtime is stated with 130 min.

Connectivity

In contrast to original YI the new camera has no micro HDMI port.

Yi Lite features a microUSB port, which means external microphone won’t be available.

A/V out via USB is also not available.

YI Lite supports microSD cards up to 128GB and class 10 is required.

Of course the new cam features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to connect with remote controller and YI Action app on your smartphone.

Dimensions

Size of YI Lite is: 65 mm x 30 mm x 42 mm (same as YI 4K and YI 4K plus)

Weight is 79 g.

Color

Yi Lite is available in Blue, Green and Black.

YI Action Camera Comparison

In this chart you can find a spec comparison of all YI Technology camera models Yi Lite, YI 4K, YI 4K+ and original Yi Action Camera:

YI 4K+ Action Camera YI 4K Action Camera YI Lite Action Camera YI Discovery Action Camera original YI 12 MP Sony

IMX377 Sensor 12 MP Sony

IMX377 Sensor 16 MP Sony

IMX 206 Sensor 8 MP Sony

IMX 179 Sensor 16 MP Sony

IMX 206 Sensor Ambarella H2

Processor Ambarella A9SE

Processor Hisilicon Hi3556V100

Processor Allwinner V3

Processor Ambarella A7

Processor 4K – max. 60fps

max. 120 Mbps 4K – max. 30fps

max. 100 Mbps 4K - max. 20 fps

- 4K - max. 20 fps

interpolated no 4K resolution

available 2.7K – max. 60fps 2.7K – max. 60fps no 2.7K resolution no 2.7K resolution 2.7K – max. 30fps 1080p – max. 120fps 1080p – max. 120fps 1080p – max. 60fps 1080p – max. 60fps 1080p – max. 60fps 720p – max. 240fps 720p – max. 240fps 720p – max. 120fps 720p – max. 90fps 720p – max. 120fps 12 MP

max. photo resolution 12 MP

max. photo resolution 16 MP

max. photo resolution 8 MP

max. photo resolution 16 MP

max. photo resolution RAW photo RAW photo no RAW photo no RAW photo no RAW photo Display: 2,19″ touch Display: 2,19″ touch Display: 2,0″ touch Display: 2,0″ touch Display: no Battery: 1400 mAh Battery: 1400 mAh Battery: 1200 mAh Battery: 990 mAh Battery: 990 mAh Image Stabilization:

up to 4K 30fps Image Stabilization:

up to 2.7K 60fps Image Stabilization:

up to 1440p 30fps Image Stabilization:

no Image Stabilization:

no wifi: yes wifi: yes wifi: yes wifi: yes wifi: yes Bluetooth: yes Bluetooth: yes Bluetooth: yes Bluetooth: no Bluetooth: yes Remote Control: yes Remote Control: yes Remote Control: yes Remote Control: no Remote Control: yes microSD: up to 128GB microSD: up to 128GB microSD: up to 128GB microSD: up to 128GB microSD: up to 128GB USB-C port micro USB port micro USB port micro USB port micro USB port HDMI port: no HDMI port: no HDMI port: no HDMI port: no HDMI port: yes A/V out: yes A/V out: yes A/V out: no A/V out: no A/V out: yes Mic in: yes Mic in: no Mic in: no Mic in: no Mic in: no Voice Control: yes Voice Control: yes Voice Control: no Voice Control: no Voice Control: no Facebook Live: yes Facebook Live: yes Facebook Live: no Facebook Live: no Facebook Live: no Amazon: Amazon: Amazon: Amazon: Amazon: Amazon DE:

Amazon DE:

Amazon DE:

Amazon DE:

Amazon DE:

Review Review Review Review Review

** might be added later, no confirmation.

Retailer / Price

Aliexpress (official YI store): 99.99 USD – ships worldwide for free

– ships worldwide for free Geekbuying: 119.99 USD

Banggood: n/a

Gearbest: n/a

Amazon:

Check Amazon site for final price, it might be lower than displayed below!

There are frequent promotions and you sometimes get it for 79 USD.











Body, Buttons & Ports

Similar to YI 4K & YI 4K+ the new Yi Lite has just one button on top: To power on / off when long pressing and to start video recording or take a picture when short pressing it. All other settings are done via the touch display. Next to the button there are the microphones – one left and one right. Also on top you can find a speaker, which is used to playback audio when watching the recorded footage on the screen.

Next to the lens on the front side there’s a LED indicating the battery status. (The original YI had a LED around the front button).

The camera has the same height as the the original YI Action Camera, but is a little wider similar to YI 4K and YI 4K+. You can use the same underwater case as the one for YI 4K and YI 4K+.

Functions & Settings

Operating Modes

The camera has 9 operating modes, accessible :

Photo – to take pictures (16 MP or 10 MP).

– to take pictures (16 MP or 10 MP). Timer , where you can set a countdown before a photo is taken. (Intervals available: 3s, 5s, 10, 15s)

, where you can set a countdown before a photo is taken. (Intervals available: 3s, 5s, 10, 15s) Burst , where you can set a a number of photos taken within a timeframe. Max. is 10 pictures within a second.

Intervals available: 3P/s, 5P/s, 10P/s, 10P/2s, 10P/3s, 20P/2s, 30P/3s, 30P/6s.

, where you can set a a number of photos taken within a timeframe. Max. is 10 pictures within a second. Intervals available: 3P/s, 5P/s, 10P/s, 10P/2s, 10P/3s, 20P/2s, 30P/3s, 30P/6s. Video – for video recording.

– for video recording. Lapse Video , where a time-lapse is combined into a video file. Resolution is available up to 4K (16:9) with 30 fps! Intervals available: 0.5s/1s/2s/5s/10s/30s/60s

, where a time-lapse is combined into a video file. Slow Motion , where you can do slow motion recording without editing the footage afterwards. (Slow Rates available: 2x, 4x, 8x)

, where you can do slow motion recording without editing the footage afterwards. (Slow Rates available: 2x, 4x, 8x) Time-Lapse Photo , where individual photos are taken, which you can combine to a time-lapse afterwards. Images up to 16 MP resolution

Intervals available: 0.5s, 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 30s, 60s, 2min, 5min, 10min, 30min, 60min.

, where individual photos are taken, which you can combine to a time-lapse afterwards. Images up to 16 MP resolution Intervals available: 0.5s, 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 30s, 60s, 2min, 5min, 10min, 30min, 60min. Loop Recording , where short video sequences are recorded and overwritten once the microSD card is full. e.g. to use the camera as dashboard camera.

, where short video sequences are recorded and overwritten once the microSD card is full. e.g. to use the camera as dashboard camera. Video + Photo, where there are photos taken in a set interval while a video is recorded. Video resolution is available to to 1440p with photo intervals of: 5s, 10s, 30s & 60s.

One Modes is missing: Live Broadcasting. This feature was introduced to YI 4K and YI 4K+ after the cameras were released. Let’s hope this mode will be introduced to Yi Lite later on.

Video Settings

Video Resolution

available Resolutions are:

4K – (3840 x 2160 – 16:9) – 20 fps (since Firmware 1.7.9)

1440p – (1920 x 1440 – 4:3) – 30 fps

1080p – (1920 x 1080 – 16:9) – 30 / 60 fps

720p – (1280 x 720 – 16:9) – 120 / 60 / 30 fps

You can switch between NTCS and PAL in the device settings. NTCS represents 30 fps and a multiple of that as shown above. PAL will get you 25 fps and a multiple of that. 24 fps frame rates are currently not available.

Metering Mode

To define the area where the camera is measuring exposure: Center, Spot or Average

WB (White Balance)

You can select predefined settings for color correction based on the given light situation: Auto / Native / Tungsten / Daylight / Cloudy.

ISO

is the sensitivity of the sensor and you can set the max. signal gain. The higher the ISO the brighter, but noisier, your image will get. You can set a value if you don’t want the camera to automatically change (adjust) during recording. Available settings are Auto / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600.

Sharpness

You can select High, Medium or Low sharpness. If you want to do color grading in post production, you should set it to low.

EV (Exposure Value)

is the exposure compensation. You can adjust exposure by setting up / down EV in these steps: +- 0.5 / +- 1 / +- 1.5 / +- 2.

Image Quality

You can set video quality to high, medium or low which will influence the bit rate of your video hence the file size as well.

EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation)

You can turn on and off electronic image stabilisation, which is available up to 1440p with 30fps (1080p with 60fps is of course available).

Time Stamp

You can display date and/or time in your video recordings.

Photo Settings

Most settings are the same as for video settings mentioned above. Including: Metering Mode, WB, ISO, Sharpness, EV & Time Stamp.

Photo Resolution

You can choose between 16 MP and 10 MP photos. Since sensor pixel size is 16 MP I would recommend using this option. 10 MP photos will result in smaller resolution photos, hence smaller files.

Shutter Speed

is available with the following settings: Auto, 2s, 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s; which is needed for long time exposure photos.

Device Settings

The most important settings include:

Distortion

If you don’t like the fish eye effect you can electronically correct it. Previously it was labelled Lens aberration correction or lens rectification.

In Housing Mode

In House Mode was adapted for better control when placed inside the underwater case. Long Pressing the shutter will not turn off the camera, it will get you in a sub menu where you can select the operating mode or turn it off. Of course when long pressing the button you can turn on the camera again.

Video Standard

You can switch between NTCS (= 30 fps and a multiple of that) or PAL (=25 fps and a multiple of that). As as side note: 24 fps and a multiple of that are currently not available which was offered on YI 1.

You can expand all available settings which include Wi-Fi and SD-card settings if you want to take a closer look:

all device settings Distortion

If you don’t like the fish eye effect you can electronically correct it. Previously it was labelled Lens aberration correction or lens rectification. WiFi

Where you can set switch wifi on and off, display the settings and switch between 2.4G and 5G. Standard password is 1234567890. SD Card

To see info how much space is used/free and to format your microSD Card. Camera Default Mode

You can set one of the 9 modes in which the camera should power up or set it to “last mode used”. Bluetooth Pairing

To pair with a bluetooth device e.g. the remote control. Brightness

Which is related to the brightness of the LCD screen: Hight / Middle / Low. Higher brightness requires more energy which will result in shorter battery life. Beeps

Which is the volume for the buzzer sound when hitting the button: High / Low / Mute. Video Mute

You can set the mic of your cam to mute for video only recording. LED

You can choose all on, only status – front LED is turned off, record LED on top will light up during recording – and all off. In Housing Mode

In House Mode was adapted for better control when placed inside the underwater case. Long Pressing the shutter will not turn off the camera, it will get you in a sub menu where you can select the operating mode or turn it off. Of course when long pressing the button you can turn on the camera again. Video Standard

You can switch between NTCS (= 30 fps and a multiple of that) or PAL (=25 fps and a multiple of that). As as side note: 24 fps and a multiple of that are not available which was offered on YI 1. Advanced

Screen Auto Lock: when the screen turns off to save battery.

Auto Power Off: When the cam powers down when in standby.

Set Date & Time. Device Info

To display firmware version and serial number. Camera reset

with 3 options: Reset Settings, Reset Wi-Fi and Reset Bluetooth. Location

To select your region. About

Which will show you the internet domains of Yi Technology.

Firmware Updates

best way to update your firmware is via app and phone. But you can also download the firmware on YI’s website and do it manually.

latest Firmware Version 1.8.21 – Change Log:

Added ISO Auto option in video

Add the AGC option to optimize the audio effect

Fixed the problem of APP crash when the memory is full in Loop Video mode

Fixed the problem of frame skip when EIS on

earlier version change logs:

all device settings Firmware 1.8.06 – Change Log Fixes the freeze video issue when playing back 60fps videos Firmware 1.8.04 – Change Log Improves the image quality under low light conditions

Add the switchable Low-light control options

Add addtional ISO option 3200& 6400

Add the recording volume level tagged High, Low and Off

Improves playback experience, support pause & continue

Optimizes EXIF info, Fixes GPS data error, Rename the manufacture “YI Technology”

Changes tutorial

Add “previous step” operation Firmware 1.7.9 – Change Log Changes UI

adjusts the layout Changes the font and position of time stamp for files

Improves the image quality under low light conditions

Optimizes the operation of touch screen

Fixes the SD card unrecognizable issue on Mac OS

Fixes the noise when the indicator becomes purple

Adjusts the resolution from 4K/15FPS to 4K/20FPS

Photo Comparison

These are the first photos I took and I compared it to original YI and YI 4K. Image quality and sharpness improved a lot (the original YI I used was an international version). Still it is not as sharp as YI 4K, but bear in mind, YI Lite offers 16MP resolution, whereas YI 4K only offers 12MP, as it uses a sensor with less pixels. You can download the original files here.

Here’s a comparison of YI Lite Action Camera and Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera. Note Yi Lite has a 4:3 aspect ratio sensor, whereas Xiaomi Mijia has a 16:9 aspect ration sensor, hence the different size in max. resolution. In general YI Lite offers a bit better photo due to the higher resolution (16 MP vs 8 MP sensor), hence Xiaomi Mijia is able to capture RAW photo. You can find the original files here.

Conclusion

Why this camera makes sense: A lot of users complained that the original YI Action Camera lacks a screen. So this model will satisfy users who want a screen, but don’t need 4K resolution to save a little money. Therefore this model is cheaper than YI 4K Action Camera. It also makes sense that this model shares the same body as YI 4K Action Camera as well as YI 4K+. They can share the same accessories such as underwater case, the new YI Handheld Gimbal 2, YI Erida Drone or simpler the underwater case. Price seems to be very similar compared to original YI.

Although there are new competitors in a similar price range, like Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera. Even tough YI Lite has the more advanced Firmware and App, Mijia offers 4K resolution at 30fps and higher frame rates in HD. Another plus for Mijia, it can shoot RAW photos, but is limited in resolution due to its 8 MP sensor. YI Lite offers a higher photo resolution with its 16MP sensor, but only in jpg.

Low entry price Touchscreen great Image Stabilisation high photo resolution due to 16 MP sensor advanced Firmware & App only 20fps in 4K no RAW photo no external microphone waterproof only in case

Retailers / Price Comparison:

YI Lite Action Camera

Aliexpress (official YI store): 99.99 USD – ships worldwide for free

– ships worldwide for free Geekbuying: 119.99 USD

Banggood: n/a

Gearbest: n/a

Amazon:

Check Amazon site for final price, it might be lower than displayed below!

There are frequent promotions and you sometimes get it for 79 USD.









original YI Action Camera









YI 4K Action Camera











YI 4K+ Action Camera











Demo Video