Xiaomi Mijia 4K Action Camera

I’m not easily impressed when new action cams are introduced, but the release of Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera instantly instantly caught my attraction. An action cam for a bit over 100 USD that offers real 4K and a larger touchscreen as well as battery capacity than competitors is imposing. Also the fact that it uses the same sensor as Sony’s flagship action cam FDR-X3000. So is Mijia the new star in the action cam market? Let’s find out:

The Name: This Action Camera is distributed by Xiaomi and manufactured by FIMI. They also produce Xiaomi Mi Drone. Don’t get confused, the action camera known as “Xiaomi YI” is manufactured by Yi Technology (they produce YI 4K, YI 4K+, M1,…) and Xiaomi was their distribution partner in China for the first camera.

Xiaomi Mijia Specs Camera Accessories Camera Handling (Buttons and Ports) Functions & Settings App (Installation & Settings) Firmware (How to Update & Change Log) Comparison with other Cameras Demo Photos and Videos

Xiaomi Mijia vs Firefly 8S vs YI 4K vs GoPro Hero5 – incl. Giveaway!

Xiaomi Mijia Action Cam Specs

Sensor

Xiaomi Mijia 4K Action Camera uses a 1/2.5″ 8MP Sony Exmor sensor, IMX317. That’s the same sensor used in Sony’s flagship action camera FDR-X3000. As the sensor is a little larger than the commonly used 1/2.3″ action cam sensors, I think it benefits low light recording. On the downside it limits photo capabilities, the max. is 8MP in 16:9 whereas the commonly used 12 MP sensors can do 12 MP in 4:3.

Processor

Xiaomi Mijia uses the Ambarella A12 processor, same can be found in many action cameras like SJCAM SJ7, Firefly 8S or Thieye T5. YI 4K Action Camera and GoPro Hero5 use the faster Ambarella A9 processor, furthermore the latest generation Yi 4K+ the Ambarella H2 and SJCAM SJ8 Ambarella H22.

Lens

The lens looks quite large in diameter, larger than on comparable action cameras. It’s a F2,8 7-glass lens with 145° FOV. Field of view is a bit less than for most action cameras (around 170°) which will benefit in less distortion images by compromising on the wide angle. A UV filter is already built in.

Frame Rates & Resolutions

The following resolutions and frame rates are available:

4K – 3840 x 2160p (16:9) – 30 fps (real 4K)

2.5K – 2560 x 1440 (16:9) – max. 60fps

1080p – 1920 x 1080p – max. 120 fps

720p – 1280 x 720p – max. 240 fps

(1080p 120fps and 720p 240 for were added with firmware V0.6.12.05)

Photo Resolution

Photo Resolution will be 8MP, due to the 8MP sensor, Format is .jpg – RAW photo is also available!

Image Stabilization

Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera features 6-axis electronic image stabilisation. The integrated Bosch BMI160 IMU 3-axis-gyroscpe and a 3-axis-accelerometer is combined with software algorithm to achieve digital image stabilization. Image Stabilization is available up to 1080p resolution only.

Display

The camera features a 2.4″ Touchscreen, which is the largest among action cameras. YI 4K features a 2,19″ touchscreen, whereas GoPro uses a 2″ touchscreen. Similar to YI 4K the camera only shows one button on top and the settings will be done via the screen:

Battery

Also the battery is larger in capacity than other action cameras. Xiaomi Mijia holds a 1450 mAh exchangeable battery that should last 2 hrs of 4K video recording and up to 3 hrs in 1080p. YI uses a 1400 mAh battery whereas GoPro uses a 1120 mAh battery. In the video at the bottom you can see that Xiaomi lasts way longer than GoPro Hero5 and also quite a bit longer than YI 4K!

Connectivity & Ports

Xiaomi Mijia features wifi to connect with you smartphone app (iOS or Android – Mi Home App),

and also holds bluetooth (for further accessories like a remote controller).

There is a door for a micro USB port on the side of the camera (very convenient: great to use, no cover to loose),

therefore the use of an external microphone is not possible.

On the bottom there’s a standard 1/4″ photo tripod thread for mounting,

the under water case features the GoPro mount system.

Dimension & Weight:

71.5 × 42.7 × 29.5 mm; 99g.

Included Accessories

There are no accessories included in the standard packaging. Mijia camera comes with battery, USB cable and manual. the underwater case will be an optional accessory but I heard that there will also be kits available.

Retailer / Price Comparison

FIMI, producer of this camera, now has their own official store on Aliexpress, that’s the store I recommend to buy this camera.









Accessories

Here’s a list and review of recommended accessories:

Extra batteries

Extra batteries are a very important item, as you don’t want to miss a shot cause your battery is empty. Seems that Xiaomi Mijia uses their own type of batteries, I haven’t seen them in other cams so far. Please be careful as there are many batteries for YI 4K labelled “Xiaomi”. Batteries for original YI camera, YI 2K, YI 4K, YI 4K+, Yi Lite,… don’t fit! One battery is 9.90 USD, you can get a charger with 3 batteries for 29.99 USD.

Underwater Case

In the initial offer the underwater case is not included. Besides the original Xiaomi Mijia underwater case, there are also 3rd party cases available. I prefer the original case as the locking mechanism seems to be well made. Bit it is more expensive and the 3rd party case is fine as well. Original case is 29 USD



Gimbal

Xiaomi created a gimbal exclusively designed for Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera. The camera is secured using the 1/4″ thread on the bottom of the camera and connected with the gimbal using a micro USB port. This way you can take photos, start/stop video recording and change exposure using the buttons on the gimbal’s grip. Xiaomi Mijia camera can also be powered by the built-in 5000 mAh battery of the gimbal to extend recording time. As mention you can get a camera & gimbal combo for: 196 USD



Remote Control / Selfie Stick

There is a selfie stick with integrated tripod and bluetooth remote controller. You can remove the controller from the stick to use it separately (the Xiaomi phone selfie stick looks very similar but has a different mount on top). Note: the YI Camera Bluetooth controller does not work with Xiaomi Mi Action Camera! The original selfie stick with remote is 33.99 USD

Body, Buttons & Ports

Similar to YI Technology action cameras, Xiaomi Mijia 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 is one microphone, the second one is on the side below the port. The microUSB port is behind a sliding door. 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 light. On the bottom theres a door for the battery and microSD card slot. Next to it is a 1/4″ standard photo tripod thread for mounting Xiaomi Mijia.

Functions & Settings

On the home screen you see the mode and settings on the top left and on the right the battery status. On the bottom right you can click the icon to access the settings for the mode you are in. When swiping right you access the mode selection shown below. Swiping left gets you to the library and swiping down to the quick menu. In this menu you can access device settings, activate wifi, lock the screen or turn the camera off.

Modes

There are 9 operating modes you can choose from when swiping left on your touchscreen:

Video – for video recording.

Time-Lapse Video, where a time-lapse is combined into a video file.

Slow Motion, where you can do slow motion recording without editing the footage afterwards.

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

Video + Photo, where there are photos taken in a set interval while a video is recorded.

Photo – to take pictures.

Timer, where you can set a countdown before a photo is taken.

Burst, where you can set a a number of photos taken within a timeframe. Max. is 10 pics / second.

Time-Lapse Photo, where individual photos are taken, which you can combine to a time-lapse afterwards.

Settings

In this section you can find all available settings and an explanation what they are doing, in the Tipps & Tricks section you find some info on how to use them.

When you are on the home screen you can access the settings by pressing the settings icon on the bottom right. By doing so you will access the settings for respective mode the camera is currently operating in. You can access the device settings by going to the quick menu (swipe down) and pressing the rotary icon. Settings written Italic are only visible when available in combination with other settings.

Video Settings

Resolution

4K – 3840 x 2160 – 30 fps

2.5K – 2560 x 1440 – 60 / 30fps

1080p – 1920 x 1080 – 120 / 60 / 30 fps

720p – 1280 x 720 – 240 fps

(available since beta Firmware 0.6.12.05)

Quality

You can choose super fine, fine and normal which will influence the bitrate, and therefore the image quality and detail, as follows:

ultra fine – 100 Mbps

S.fine – 60 Mbps

Fine – 40 Mbps

(in earlier Firmware Versions the naming was different)

There is a firmware mod which pushes recording to 120 Mbps – check out the firmware section below.

Adjust Lens Distortion (n/a in 4K 30fps)

minimises the fisheye effect – but is not available in 4K resolution.

EIS (available up to 1080p 60fps)

Electronic Image Stabilisation helps you to create non shaky videos – but is only available in 1080p with 60 or 30 fps.

Mic Mute

to switch off audio recording.

Stamp

to display date and/or time in your recordings. Date and time can be automatically synced when connecting with the app.

Auto Record

When switched on the camera will automatically record on power up, but the camera won’t turn on when connected to a power source!

Metering Mode

to select where exposure should be measured on average or in the center of your image.

EV (Exposure Value)

you can manually correct exposure. (+/- 2 EV)

(ISO is not available in 0.6.12.05 beta)

to manually adjust the light sensitivity of the sensor. The higher ISO the brighter the image, but also noise/grain increases. You can limit ISO up to 400, 1600 or 6400.

WB (White Balance)

where you have the option of pre-defined white balance settings: Incandescent, Sunshine, Cloudy, Underwater or Auto. This influences the color of the image depending on the light conditions.

Color

You can select Vivid (with high saturation), normal and F-LOG (a flat profile for color grading while editing).

Photo Settings

Similar to video settings you can access the photo settings when in photo mode and pressing the settings icon on the bottom right of the touch screen.

Aspect Ratio

is basically resolution setting. Available are 4:3 (2880 x 2160) or 16:9 (3840 x 2160). Due to the 16:9 format sensor this 8MP setting is the max. resolution available. I would stick to the 16:9 format and crop if necessary.

Output Format

you can choose between JPG or JPG + DNG for RAW photos.

Shutter

available settings are 8s, 4s, 2s, 1s, 1/2s, 1/4s, 1/15s, 1/30s and 1/60s. Great to see so many options to define your photos incl. long exposure.

ISO

within the photo mode the following ISO settings are available: auto, 100, 200, 400 and 800.

Color

which is basically a photo filter: Standard, Bright, Artistic, Film and Classic are available.

Adjust Lens DistortionStamp, Metering Mode, EV and WB

offer the same options as in video settings

Other Mode Settings

The settings in the other modes are similar to video or photo settings with addition of a setting for respective feature:

Time Lapse Video

you can set the interval to 0.5s, 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 30s or 60s and the desired video length to max (no limit), 6s, 8s, 10s, 20s, 30s or 60s.

Slow Motion

Slow motion mode records the video in a higher frame rate and already sets the meta data to play the video slower

8x (720p) – recorded in 720p 200fps, played in 720p 25fps

4x (1080p) – recorded in 1080p 100fps, played in 1080p 25fps

2x (1080p) – recorded in 1080p 60fps, played in 1080p 30fps

Loop Recording

You can set the length for the recorded clips. They will be overwritten once the SD card is full. This mode is useful when you use your cam das dashcam.

Video + Photo

During video recording, photos will be taken. This mode is only available with 1080p 60 or 30fps and the photo interval can be set to 5s, 10s, 30s or 60s.

Timer

You can set the countdown to 3s, 5s, 10s or 15s before a photo is taken.

Burst

Available rates are 3 pictures/second, 5P/s, 10P/s, 10P/2s, 10P/3s, 30p/6s.

TimeLapse

In contrast to Time Lapse Video where the output is a video file, in this mode photos are taken. Available intervals are 0.5s, 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 30s or 60s. RAW photo is not available.

Device Settings

As already mentioned you can access the device settings via quick menu (swipe down) and pressing the rotary icon.

Video Standard

you can switch between NTSC (30fps and a multiple of that) or PAL (25fps or a multiple of that). 24fps mode is currently not available.

SD card

to check the current status and format the card.

Default Mode

you can choose one of the 9 modes in which mode the camera should power up or set it to last mode used.

Beep Volume

controls the volume of the sound when pressing the buttons. You can also mute it.

LCD Brightness

of the touch screen.

Rotate

which flips the image 180° degrees in case you mount your cam upside down. Actually it would be nice if the accelerometer could to that automatically similar to GoPro.

Auto Screen Lock

which is also auto screen off, which locks and switches off the screen to save battery.

Auto Power off

again to save battery life the cam automatically powers off, Of course only when in standby.

Wi-Fi Auto On

when switched on wifi is active on power up. i wouldn’t recommend so as it also consumes a lot of battery.

Bluetooth Pairing

will be interesting which accessories come up. Remote controller or maybe the gimbal is connected. Here you can change the settings.

In Housing Mode

This mode can be used when the camera is inside an underwater case. Instead of powering off when long pressing the button, it will enter a new menu which allows you to switch modes. Otherwise you can’t switch them with only one button.

User Guide

in case you don’t know how to operate the cam there is a guide that will help you.

Date & Time

watch out to set it before using the stamp. When connected to the app date and time will be updated to the phone automatically.

Language

you can select several languages (more might follow with firmware updates). Currently available: Chinese (traditional and simplified) & English.

Device Info

will show you the data of your camera: serial number, firmware version,…

Camera Default

let’s you reset camera, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth settings.

App

There is currently no dedicated “Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera App”, compared to Mi Sphere for Xiaomi Mijia 360. The app is implemented within Mi Home app, available for

Android: Mi Home – xiaomi smarthome (Google Play Store Link)

iOS: Mi Home – xiaomi smarthome (iTunes Link)

How to connect Xiaomi Mijia and Smartphones?

First of all download the app to your smartphone. You need to register an account (also available via Facebook or Google account) and add a device – the Mijia Action Camera.

On the camera go to the quick menu (swipe down) and activate wifi. On the screen of the camera the wifi name and the password will pop up. In contrast to other cameras there is no standard password.

On you phone look for the camera’s wifi and enter the displayed password. Open up the app and press “connect to camera”. If it doesn’t work on your first try, switch off mobile data on your phone.

After connecting your phone & camera you get to the live view screen. On the top right (three dot icon) you get to the camera and device settings. The two icons above the image indicate lens distortion correction and grit, which you can activate by pressing. Below the love view image there are three buttons: Camera Roll – Shutter/Record – Resolution settings. By pressing the resolution settings a slider will come up to let you choose.

When entering the settings you got all available settings displayed, similar to the menu on the screen. The first screenshot shows the video parameter settings, when the camera runs in video mode. By pressing “camera settings” on top you get to the camera parameter selection and device info.

Firmware

Since the release of Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera there were several firmware updates. Below you can see the latest version. You can expand the list to see each update and change log.

You can download the latest version in the Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera – Facebook Group

How to update?

You can either update via app or do it manually with the microSD card.

Download the firmware

Rename it to “firmware.bin”

Copy it to the root directory of the SD card

Insert it into your camera and power up

LEDs will flash until the update is completed

! Attention: microSD card has to be at least U3 speed and the battery has to be >50%.

How to change to English menu?

The first shipped cameras didn’t have an English menu. It was introduced with a later firmware. Best way to change is to du a manual firmware update, it’s easier than the one via camera/app if you can’t read the Chinese commands. Download the latest Firmware and follow the steps as described above.

Latest version:

Firmware V6.16.02



Download

Firmware V6.16.02i mod – High bitrate modification

by Stephano (you can donate him via PayPal)

4k 30/25 Ultra Fine up to 120Mbps

4k 30/25 S.Fine up to 100Mbps

2.5K 60/50 S.fine up to 90Mbps

Installation: Just download the file “autoexec.ash” and place it in the root of the SD card.

Remember: to let the new bitrate be applied, at the beginning wait a 3-5 seconds before registering video.

Download

earlier firmware versions Firmware 0.6.15.05 – Change Log:

Optimized White Balance, Added Russian Language Optimized Korean Language Optimized Stamp Logic Download Firmware 0.6.14.02 beta – Change Log: This is the only firmware to work with Yi Bluetooth remote! Optimize the image white balance; Add the YI bluetooth remote control adaptation; Fix the problem of the record time not refreshed probably when use the auto record function; The cam will be restore the default settings when upgrade beta version; Download Firmware 0.6.13.03 – Change Log:

Add 100 Mbps bitrate option for 4K recording; Optimize UI display; Improve user experience; Firmware 0.6.12.05 beta – Change Log:

Adding 2.5K/60fps, 1080p/120fps, 720/240fps resolution in video and loop record; Improve firmware upgrading logic; Fix bugs; Firmware 0.6.12.01 beta – Change Log:

Add color menu in video mode: Vivid, Natural, F-LOG mode Improve data rate in 4K / 30fps: ultra-fine, fine and normal stream are 100Mbps, 60Mbps, 40Mbps Optimize camera exposure effects Optimize Bluetooth connection Download Firmware 0.6.11.09 – Change Log:

Add video color menus: natural, vivid, F-LOG; Improve updating logic Firmware 0.6.11.02 – Change Log: Add supporting Mi Action Camera 4K Handheld Gimbal function Release distortion correction function at all modes Optimize some prompt menus Optimize the English description Optimize the user experience Firmware 0.6.9.2578 beta – Change Log:

Loop recording enable EIS function: only available for 1080P / 60fps and 1080P / 30fps. Fix the probable no response problem when clicking screen after clicking cancel button at updating page. Optimize the dynamic display of the upper right corner icons in the preview interface. Solve the problem of not loading guidance page after language reset. Solve the problem of screen lock at time-lapse shooting. Solve the problem of distortion correction auto start when switching resolution to 1080p 60fps in APP. Firmware 0.6.7.2576 – Change Log Loop recording enable with EIS function: only available for 1080p / 60fps and 1080p / 30fps; Optimize the dynamic display of the upper right corner icons in the preview interface; Optimize underwater white balance; Firmware 0.6.7.2541 – Change Log Add Traditional Chinese and English. Add Waterproof case mode: Long press the button to enter after system menu opened. Fix the problem of deleting the first file in media library and showing the final file. Fix the problem of deleting file causing thumbnails display error. Optimize system stability. Optimize user-directed interaction. Optimize Wi-Fi start when power on. Optimize the image white balance. Firmware 0.6.7.2505 – Change Log New – Traditional Chinese language. Optimization – English translation. Optimization – Wateproof case ineraction experience. Optimization – Image quality, include white blance/image latitude.

Join the Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera – Facebook Group for the latest updates!

Conclusion

I don’t easily get excited when a new action cam is released, but the specs seem impressive compared to the price. The results have been great for me up to now. A cam for around 100 USD that offers 4K resolution, touchscreen and a great battery life (in my test Mijia lasted longer than YI 4K and GoPro) seems to be a great deal. There are some downsides, or let’s say, less features than on other cameras. But to me Xiaomi Mijia set a new benchmark for for price/performance ratio. So by this definition it is one of the best action cameras you can get and I can highly recommend it!

Exceptional Price/Performance Ratio 2,44″ Touchscreen (larger than all competitors) excellent battery life (longer than most competitors) RAW photo great image stabilization no external microphone not waterproof without case Firmware & App hardly maintained

Demo Photos

Below you can find photo comparisons taken with Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera: jpg – RAW unedited – RAW edited. You can access the original files here. Photos were taken against the sun to see how much detail I can recover.

Demo Video

Here’s a short clip using Xiaomi Mijia in 4K with Feiyu SPG gimbal (Spot the one YI 4K+ clip in this video)

Xiaomi Mijia vs YI Lite – incl. Xiaomi Mijia Giveaway!

Tipps & Tricks – Best Settings

It’s not possible to state the best settings, as they depend on your shooting scenario, light situation and several other factors. What I can do is give you some ideas on which settings to use when:

Resolution & Quality

I recommend shooting in 4K resolution with 30fps or 25fps. The downsampling within the camera to 1080p is not that great, I would downsize the video to 1080p in post production (editing on y computer) if you need a lower resolution.

As for quality use the highest available setting, the only downside is you need more storage as the files are larger.

PAL vs NTSC

These standards com from analoge video times and are not important in terms of playability on digital devices. There is only one scenario where this should be considered. In Europe the light frequency is 50Hz while in the US it is 60Hz. Therefore in Europe it is recommended to use PAL and in the US NTSC as it compares to light frequency to avoid flickering. This of course is only valid for artificial light.

Frame Rate

Don’t use high frame rates if not needed! Using a lower frame rate allows the camera to use longer shutter which benefits your video in low light scenario. Only use high frame rates if you have very fast action or if you want to do slow motion and only if there is enough light – bright daylight is recommended.

Photo

I would use 16:9 (3840 x 2160) as standard selection as it is the native size of the camera’s sensor. If you just share the photos via smartphone .jpg is enough. I do recommend shooting photos in RAW (.dng) and to edit them on a computer for the best results. As you can see in my Demo Photos I always do it that way.

Metering Mode / EV / ISO / WB

To be honest I run my camera in auto mode most of the time and don’t pay attention to these settings. Most of the times I use my camera in changing light situation and therefore can’t be finetuned with these settings anyway as they are constantly changing.

Metering Mode can be used when you record yourself talking into the camera – use center so the exposure is measured based on the light conditions of your face.

ISO you can limit it down if a high ISO would generate to noisy images – but then of course the image will be darker.

I hope these explanations of settings are enough, if you have further questions, let me know in the comments below!

Retailer / Price Comparison

FIMI, producer of this camera, now has their own official store on Aliexpress, that’s the store I recommend to buy this camera.