Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review | The Best Budget-Friendly Action Camera?
Are you looking for an action camera to capture your next adrenaline rush or outdoor exploration, but without breaking the bank?
The Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera might be worth considering. This compact camera boasts 4K video recording, a touchscreen display, and a price tag that's significantly lower than high-end action cameras.
But is its image quality and feature set enough to compete with the big boys? This review dives deep into the Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera's strengths and weaknesses to help you decide if it's the right action camera for you.
Related: Check out our list of the Latest Xiaomi Gadgets
Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review
Inside the Box
The Xiaomi Mijia 4K Action Camera comes in a standard thick white cardboard box, it is quite sturdy so you don't need to be worried about damage to the device. On the top portion of the box, you'll find an image of the device itself. Inside the box, we can find:
- The Xiaomi Mijia 4K Action Camera itself
- A USB cable for charging
- And an instruction manual
Design
What can you expect from a budget action camera? At this price, a lot of people might think it’s one of those cheap plastic cameras that we give to kids. But, the Xiaomi Mijia 4K Action Camera is something else. And by that, I mean it's absolutely brilliant. Check out Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review for all the details.
- The Xiaomi Mijia 4K Action Camera has a beautiful metal frame with a nice finish - a quality texture plastic of sorts. This texture feels great in your hands and it makes it look premium.
- The overall build quality is pretty damn good. Even the lens comes with a metallic ring finish.
- This camera is very compact, weighing at around 90 grams with dimensions of 71.5 x 42.7 x 29.5 mm. It being lightweight is a good sign as most of the really high-end action camera are lightweight as there is a lot of movement involved.
- The action camera has a record button, a speaker and a microphone on the top.
- There is a charging port is located at the side with a sliding cover. This cover makes it safe even if you decide to take deep dive shots. The only unfortunate thing is that it doesn't have a type-c USB support which is kinda irritating in this day and age.
- And of course, there is a compartment for the battery and the sd card at the bottom. You will also find a mount for tripods at the bottom of the device.
- It comes in one color- Black. But this makes it look super premium, and it can easily blend in any environment.
The display is pretty good, but it does have certain practical issues.
- The display screen of the Mi action camera is quite good because of the quality of the display and because you can control the device and settings through the touch screen. There are no weird lags and it is quite sharp. What I mean is that if you touch the icon on the screen, the device will pick it up. You don't need to keep tapping it, like some of the other action cameras out there.
- But, practically it can get pretty damn annoying. If all great when you in a dark room or in the shadows. But once you step out, the sunlight visibility of this screen becomes bad. you can see stuff but its not super great. Another problem is the viewing angles. if great if you look at it straight on. But it's bad from the sides. Check out Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review for all the details.
These practical issues can get irritating but it's not that big of a problem. Especially, when you can save money. You just need to sacrifice some amount of convenience.
Related: Find out How to Setup a Xiaomi Home Security Camera!
Function and Use
You can shoot videos in various formats that include both 4K and 1080p. You can control and choose the format in the settings.
- The Xiaomi Action camera has a range from 30fps to 200fps. It also has a lens distortion compensation feature and an image stabilization feature that make it a truly useful Action camera. But because it's a budget camera you only get these features in the 1080p modes and not in the 4K mode. Check out Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review for all the details.
The user interface is pretty damn good. The modes are simple and tailored to your every need. For example, the video and photo options, time-lapse video option, slow motion mode and other similar modes can save a bunch of time. These settings are pretty perfect.
- You can also view your videos after you've shot it on the device. you don't need to carry your laptop around or do re-shoots the next day.
- Of course, you can also hear the audio because of the loudspeaker. The only issue is that the sound might get distorted when you crack up the volume. As the action camera’s body is made of plastic, the external sounds are not muffled and can be heard quite clearly. So if you are looking for pristine clear audio for your video, then you’ll need to change it in post-production.
- Yup, everything can't be fine and dandy with a budget camera now, can it? But no need to worry as the audio on the file will be fine. So, it will be perfect once you listen to it on your computer.
- You have complete control over exposure and white balance as the settings have these options, which is pretty great if your picky regarding these things. I personally always shoot in manual, so this a really important set of features for me.
- Now, because it is a Xiaomi product. You do get one amazing feature: You can control the camera through your Mi Home app. Basically you can control the camera remotely. Check out Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review for all the details.
This is always a super useful feature that Xiaomi incorporates in all of their smart products. The only issue is the relay might lag a bit.
Useful Hack
As mentioned earlier the Xiaomi Mijia action camera has electronic image stabilization and lens distortion feature. but the stabilization will only work in 1080p.
So a great way to shoot in 4K and still maintain a stable image would be to invest in a gimbal. Yup, it would be very hard to maintain stillness as it's pretty tiny and even the slightest vibration from your hands can result in a shaky video.
Attaching it to a gimbal can result in seriously amazing videos.
Video Resolutions
- 4K (3840 x 2160p) at 30 fps
- 2.5K (2560 x 1440) at 30fps
- 1080p FHD (1920 x 1080p) from 30 fps up to 100 fps
- 720p (1280 x 720p) from 30fps up to 200 fps
Video Settings
- Control the video quality
- ISO of the Video
- Balance of targets
- Exposition
- And of course, the Lens distortion and
- Stabilizer or video stabilization (ON / OFF)
- Mute
Photo settings
One of the most interesting features of the Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera is its ability to capture images. You can expect to take a really good quality photo with its 8MP camera and 2.2 sensor. The format is 16:9 which is actually pretty good. You can easily click a good picture in bright sunlight and still expect to get a photo with amazing contrast. Check out Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review for all the details.
Most importantly, this Mi action camera comes with cool features like time-lapse, slow motion, loop record and burst. Here's are some of its Photo specs:
- ISO - auto, 100, 200, 400 and 800.
- Exposition
- White Balance
- Image ratio - 4: 3 or16: 9
- Image format - JPG, DNG and RAW
- Image Trigger - 8s, 4s, 2s, 1s, 1 / 2s, 1 / 4s, 1 / 15s, 1 / 30s and 1 / 60s.
- Color settings - with several filters such as Standard, Brightness, Artistic, Film and Classic.
Battery
This Xiaomi Mijia Action Camera has a pretty decent 1450 mAh battery. That's actually brilliant considering it's so small in size. While it isn't as great as a Go-Pro this battery is definitely better than other action cameras such as the Yi 4K+. The battery is removable by the way. You can find the battery at the bottom by opening the waterproof cover.
Although charging the camera might take around 1.5-2 hours, you have the option of having multiple separate batteries that you can use once one runs out of juice. Most Importantly, you can record at 4K for 2 hours at 30fps and up to around 3 hours if you're on 1080p Full HD.
This is certainly not bad. However, it isn't too great either. Obviously, if you are outdoor you'll be out for more than two hours. So, it's highly recommended you get at least two more batteries or a heavy-duty portable charger. Check out Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera Review for all the details.
Key Features
This brilliant action camera comes with various amazing features. For example:
Shooting Modes
- It comes with terrific shooting modes like time lapse, burst shots, loop recording, slow motion and timers. The timer features ranges from 3 to 15 second countdowns. You can definitely experiment with all these fantastic modes to get that perfect shot.
- Most importantly, all these features really bring out the potential of each and every photo. This is because all these shooting modes are supported by a Sony IMX317 sensor that captures images in 1080p at 60fps. Additionally, The images are further elevated by the stabilisation function, making it the best budget action camera.
Lens Correction
- In addition to the fisheye lens, this Mijia Mini 4K action camera has a Lens Correction Option. It basically removes all the distortion in an image. However, the depth of the field will be compromised. So, it has a slightly narrower field of vision and you have to physically move closer to the subject. However, this feature in general is extremely useful when there are blemishes or obstruction you can't control.
Night Filming
- Surprisingly the night mode is actually decent. You can expect clear and high-quality images even in complete darkness. This is definitely of the better features as other action cameras in this price range usually have a crappy night mode that produces grainy and unusable videos.
Other Features
- You can capture amazing perspectives with the 7 glass lens and its 145-degree wide-angle
- It is equipped with a six-axis EIS. Basically, it comes with a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer
- As far as connectivity it supports WiFi single band IEEE802.11 and Bluetooth Version: 4.1
Xiaomi Mijia Compact 4K Action Camera Review - Final Thoughts
Xiaomi never ceases to amaze me. I mean, I review their products for a living and I know what to expect from them. I know it’s about low quality and high features. But they do it time and time again with numerous devices.
- In this case, the Xiaomi Action Camera is pretty awesome. You would think because it’s cheaper than the Go Pro by 1/3rd, then the quality would be bad. But apart from a few differences here and there, there is no major difference between the Xiaomi Action Camera and the Go Pro. It just goes on to show how overpriced the Go Pro actually is.
- Coming to the Xiaomi Action Camera, it’s an amazing device, It looks great and stylish. It can shoot in 4K and in various cool modes like slow motion and time-lapse.
- You also have an amazing level of control over the image and video as this device provides you with super-specific settings. You can also control the camera through the Mi Home app.
- But, it does have its issues. It does have problems with respect to the practicality. For example, the screen is barely visible in direct sunlight and its hard to view the screen for a side angle. You also get a distorted sound if you crack up the volume to the extreme when playing the video on your device.
However, the pros obviously outweigh the cons. Especially at such a budget-friendly price. It does have a few issues that can be fixed with some patience. Hey, at least the tech is good. Overall, this is a super solid product and worth the buy.
| Pros | Cons |
| Amazing price. It’s super cheap that you can buy 3 of this for the price of one budget Go Pro. |
The sound can be distoreted when you play the video on the device |
| Great design |
There is a lag in the video relay from the camera to the Mi Home app |
| A brilliant camera that shoots videos and takes amazing pictures with 4K and multiple other resolutions | Screen visibility in direct sunlight sucks |
| Great image stabilization and other premium camera features |
Screen visibility is too great |
| Can be mounted on drones and other amazing stuff |
|
| You can control it through the Mi Home app |
Xiaomi Mijia 4K vs Yi 4K
| Features | Yi 4K | Xiaomi Mijia Compact 4K Action Camera |
| Video Formats | 4K and2K at 60fps 1080P at 20fps 720P at 40fps 480P at 240fps |
4K (3840 x 2160p) at 30 fps 2.5K (2560 x 1440) at 30fps 1080p FHD (1920 x 1080p) from 30 fps up to 100 fps 720p (1280 x 720p) from 30fps up to 200 fps |
| Sensor | Sony IMX377 | Sony IMX317 |
| External memory | Micro-SD up to 64GB | Micro-SD up to 64GB |
| WiFi | Yes | Yes |
| HDMI | No | Yes |
| Screen Size | 2.1 inches | 2.4 inches |
| Weight | 95g | 99g |
| Price | $399 | $99 |
Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera vs Other Action Cameras Today
The Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera was released in 2017, so it most certainly won't compete with the latest high-end action cameras on the market. However, here's a breakdown of how it measures up:
Strengths:
- Budget-friendly: It was a good value for the price when it came out, and may still be a good option if you find a used one.
- Compact and portable: Its small size makes it easy to carry around.
- Touchscreen display: Makes it convenient to change settings and preview footage.
- Decent video quality: Shoots in 4K at 30 fps, which is acceptable for basic needs.
Weaknesses:
- Outdated technology: Newer models will have better image sensors, processors, and video stabilization.
- Limited low-light performance: May struggle to capture clear footage in low-light conditions.
- Battery life: May not be as good as newer cameras.
- Lacks some features: May not have the latest features like high frame rates at higher resolutions or horizon leveling.
Overall:
If you're looking for a very affordable and easy-to-use action camera for casual use, the Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera might be an option, especially if you can find it at a discount. But, if you want the best possible image quality, performance, and features, you'll be better off looking at newer action cameras.
How do I connect my Mi action camera 4k to my phone?
You can connect your Mi Action camera 4k to your phone by pairing it with the Mi Home app. Install the Mi Home app on your phone before following these steps:
1) First, turn on the camera.
2) Go to the settings on the camera and turn on the Wi-Fi
3) Now open the mi home app and click on "connect to camera" option.
4) Follow the various prompts on the mobile application and the Wi-Fi settings in your mobile phone to connect to the camera via Wi-Fi.
5)Now you can control the camera through your phone.
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