Cameras You Didn't Know Existed (Micro Four Thirds Edition)

[@snappiness]

Did I miss any lesser known M43 system cameras?

[@TDDPhoto]

The Sharp 8K MFT camera. Of course it can be debated if this one really counts because it never was released but they did produce a couple of functional bodies

[@snappiness]

@@TDDPhoto that's a great mention all the same, I totally forgot about that thing

[@benbunch4159]

The first one that comes to mind is the original Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. Uses micro43rds mount but a different sensor.

[@mofuclarisu]

Have you reviewed the Olympus EP series (EP1,2,3,4,5)? not EPL(Lite) they are supposed to be "the high end" from Pen series

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

BMD's broadcast production studio/feild cameras, with SDI and Network based outputs, that use the M4/3 lenses with power zooms.

[@qdaniele97]

Fun fact, not all cameras with MFT lens mounts have a MFT sensor. Most cameras dedicated to video for example use sensors closer to the 16:9 aspect ratio, such as the Super-16mm of the original BlackMagic Pocket Cinema or the Super-35mm of JVC's GY-LS300 (which is actually larger than most APS-C, the camera automagically adapts to the mounted lens, being it MFT, PL or whatever else. They choose MFT simply because it's the most "open" and adaptable lens mounting system).

[@snappiness]

I did not know that, fascinating!

[@MassimilianoPrelli]

​@@snappinessTo add to that, there are two examples of cameras having an MFT mount but larger sensors. The first one is using the MFT mount of a ZCAM E2-M4 (MFT) on an E2-M6 (Super35) (from what I've seen they should be interchangeable), though I don't know if it was designed to be used that way by the manufacturer. The other one is a camera that's been designed exactly for the purpose of using EF/PL mount lenses while retaining compatibility with MFT lenses and that's the JVC GY-LS300CHE (MFT mount, Super35 sensor). It should be noted that some MFT lenses cover APS-C image circles so they might benefit from a Super35 sensor.

[@Peterthethinker]

Yea.. LS300 is a super cool camcorder it's a shame no one has gone beyond that.. 😢 It gives me XL1 vibes...

[@christians.9058]

Industrial cameras can be generally used on many platforms: - fixed - airplanes - satellites … for multiple purposes: - quality control of parts or Food (banana still green or already brown) - earth observation … In common These kind of machine vision systems, where such an industrial camera is part of, is that they have a processing unit (built in camera or a computer) which does a specialised analysis.

[@geimzz]

The confusing part is the interchangeable lens mount, surely for those applications you’d want an all-in one closed solution

[@LoFiAxolotl]

@@geimzz kinda... but also no... productions change and you might need to adapt... lets say in one factory the banana sorting machines belt is 6 ft away from the camera and in another it's only 4ft but the banana sorting machine has a tolerance... if the banana is 10% yellow it goes through but everything over 10% is too ripe... that would require a different focal length or the camera sees too much/too little and mistakes how much yellow a banana is But lets say VW builds all it's production lines for the window buttons the same... then yes you might as well have an "all in one" solution... though you can still use interchangable lens cameras you just slap the same lens on all of them Also interchangable lens cameras have the advantage that you cant just switch the lens.... but also the camera without buying new lenses.... if your super duper new production line requires a certain output from the camera but the old model can't do it... you don't have to buy new lenses just new bodies

[@geimzz]

@@LoFiAxolotl I feel like you’d just get different variants of the same module with different FOVs, you never would need the outright quality of a separate lens anyway

[@LoFiAxolotl]

@@geimzz an interchangeable lens isn't inheritely better... ask Leica about it... the quality of the lens has absolutely no bearing on it whatsoever

[@AlbertScoot]

​@@LoFiAxolotl Yup, it also means you can use the same camera for everything in your company and have all your staff familiar with just one camera for their vision software.

[@StephenStrangways]

Fun fact: the Kodak Pixpro 12-45mm and Yi 12-40mm are the exact same lens, made by Asia Optical, it's just that Yi chose to have the zoom range stop 5mm sooner than JK Imaging did. JK Imaging also made GE-branded (General Electric) cameras, and there is a GE logo image tucked away in the Kodak S-1 firmware, because they just re-used and upgraded their existing firmware for it. The S-1 sensor and IBIS mechanism, and likely the shutter as well, is identical to what was used in Olympus E-PL cameras.

[@snappiness]

Fascinating!

[@compounddavid]

I have that camera and it is fun and simple to use. Pictures with all the available lenses are very good. The biggest issue is battery availability.

[@zackwack]

The “YI” badge on the camera actually stands for “ant “ in Chinese

[@snappiness]

Good to know!

[@qdaniele97]

It's also actually a sub-brand of Xiaomi (the full name is XiaoYI).

[@JohnAldred]

The company themselves said it was "Young Innovators".

[@unbroken1010]

So it stands for the size of their wee wee

[@kalinmir]

2:20 where I work we have a camera scanning a material for marks or damage so it can be discarded instead of processed (pressed into half bearings). The signal trigger is contrast and exposure based (marks are either made by grooves or black paint in previous operations). Not sure about the sensor but the lens has an actual aperture which is odd to see.

[@snappiness]

Interesting application! Makes sense that cameras are used all the time industrially, I just don't really think about that - especially when it is using an interchangeable lens mount

[@bovrilla]

I found a Yi M1 recently for 50 GBP and had to try it out. It's a fun toy, it's not going to upset my G9/GX9 but that doesn't matter much. Plus it looks vaguely like a Leica T Typ 701. If you had to choose between a Yi M1 and a Panny GF3 or something for the same price, dive on the GF3 despite its age.

[@QuicknStraight]

I had the Yi camera for a while (I live out here in Asia). You'll find the features are pretty basic, once you try and dig a bit deeper. And the kit lens had no focus ring, so manual focus trying to use the wheel was a bit of a nightmare. Image quality was ok, nothing special.

[@thomasmacdonough288]

The Yi M1 was the first m4/3 camera I purchased and it introduced me into the ecosystem. Above all else it taught me that I can't stand shooting without a viewfinder, but other than that I use almost exclusively m4/3 now so it was definitely a good gateway.

[@Durio_zibethinus]

I'm from Asia. Those cameras are commonly hated due to so many bugs appeared and the hardware isn't strong enough for practical use. Around 2017 also a golden year from big companies. lightweight class: canon M6, M100, 200D, EM10m3, XE3, etc. Big bois: Lumix G9, GH5, Nikon D850, Sony A9, and many more. The timing was too brutal for newcomer.

[@LoFiAxolotl]

it still is... with Panasonic offering Fullframe cameras for the price of APS-C/MFT consumer cameras with all the bells and whistles the others have makes entry into the camera space crazy expensive... there's a reason that we really haven't seen any new camera brands pop up in really forever... Pana and Sony really are the newest and they've been at it for decades now... with the exception of the Pixii The problem is... why would i buy camera XYZ from not the big brands... unless it has some killer feature the risk of it being not as good as others or just unstable is too big... Pixii did it right they found a niche the market demanded and filled it... for anything but rangefinder in any size sensor we have plenty of options up until you get into actual medium format cameras... just ask Zeiss how it went for them

[@golden4523]

I actually have a Kodak S-1! Its such a cool collectors camera, I always get asked about it when I take it out

[@snappiness]

That's awesome! That's such a unicorn in the system (hard to find!) How do you find it? Better than the initial reviews?

[@golden4523]

I scoured various websites and eventually found one on buyee with original packaging for I think around 400 bucks. I think the camera is fairly easy to use and simplistic as most of these kind of cameras were at the time but I whole heartedly agree that the kit lens is hot garbage. The kit lens does have one neat feature I have never seen done before though which is that it can be kind of collapsed for storage with a little lock switch on the side of the lens.

[@jasperborst3388]

@@golden4523 sounds a bit like the lumix 12-32mm which can (and should) be collapsed while in storage)

[@StephenStrangways]

​​@@golden4523the very first Olympus MFT kit zoom lens collapsed with a little switch on the side, and several models after.

[@AndrewSowerby]

​@@jasperborst3388 I have that Panny 12-32 - so compact and sharp, and dirt cheap! Not MFT, but the Pentax 18-50 is also collapsible and is also pretty good. Pentax SLRs typically have chunky grips though, so there's probably not much point to having such a compact lens.

[@sajatovicz]

YI Technology / Xiaoyi started as a kind of sub brand under the Xiaomi YI label. The YI M1 was the first big thing after splitting from Xiaomi about seven years ago. I still like mine.

[@snappiness]

I did not realize the brand relation, that's cool!

[@FierceSleepingDog]

I have all the latest Pen and OM cameras, but I have been really enjoying the E-P5. Great camera.

[@flagger2020]

The Yi M1 shoots raw DNG which is what I use as the jpg processing is not refined. Output from the Sony 20mpix sensor > my 16mp u43 cameras. Its great for manual focus lens use as the O button brings up magnified view. Replacement batteries are BMX10. The original prime from 2 lens set is actually pretty good optically and light but not small. Its a fun camera, I use an ovf and manual focus lenses with it, good as a casual walkaround or for learning. Also 6 hour time lapse.

[@funtaril]

I believe Yi is one of those Xiaomi's sub-brands they regularly create and then pretend that those have nothing to do with Xiaomi for some reason (probably patent infringements).

[@qdaniele97]

I would't say they pretend they have nothing to do with it, the actuall name of the brand (and their website) is XiaoYi

[@fxckrio]

They actually did split off from Xiaomi a little before this camera launched iirc

[@kiwigreenflame]

I have a YI M1 camera. Quite idiosyncratic. When it works I love it, but every now and then it will just lock up and need to be restarted. On the latest firmware but have never managed to get the wireless app connection to work beyond connecting. But a nice addition to my m43 collection of cameras.

[@garonkiesel1646]

I have the Yi M1 I purchased for a European trip a few years ago. It's the only point-and-shoot digital that I haven't sold. I currently use it with the Artisans 18mm f6.3 pancake lens. If you set the camera to focus peaking it is surprisingly easy to manually focus.

[@wxTVTWC]

The timing for this video is perfect, just got an E-PL6 yesterday and it’s a fabulous camera. Definitely have the S-1 on my wishlist. 🤠

[@AndrewSowerby]

The E-PL6 was the MFT camera that convinced me to take the plunge into the MFT system, although I ended up getting a used E-M10 MkII instead. The image quality really surprised me: the great sooc colours; the lovely image rendering; the sharpness of not only the more premium lenses, but even the kit zooms. Then there's the affordability and really good ergonomics (I normally dislike small cameras for the handling and fiddly controls). Some settings are buried in a labyrinthine menu system, but the quick menu and the option to re-assign button and dial functions has you covered. Happy shooting!

[@deusvult7559]

The EPL-6 was my first m43 and got me fully hooked. I've taken thousands of images with it and it remains my street ninja camera to this day. It's just so sexy and sleek and produces fantastic shots at a price that's just embarrassing. You're going to LOVE that camera...Congrats. 🥳

[@stevekupris4133]

I had 2 Yi Mft cameras, one silver and one black. You could definitely tell it was a first gen. camera, it took pictures but that's being charitable. Sold them both off but kept the 42.5mm macro lens, takes pretty decent shots in a pinch.

[@sharifsalem]

The mount and sensor size is the same between the DSLR and mirrorless 4/3 cameras. The only difference is the flange distance hence you can use 4/3 lenses on m43 cameras with an adapter which is basically an electronic coupled extension tube but not vice versa.

[@Aegarius]

I had a Yi M1 for a while. Bought it as "Parts or Repair" cheap off an auction site and discovered that all it needed was a new battery, which I ended up waiting several months for. For a little more grip and mounting options while out and about, I discovered that the camera fits reasonably well on a knockoff Fujifilm X100V L Bracket. Mount threads are offset from center close to the same distance on a Yi M1 as they are on the X100V.

[@Tensor_7]

Zcam is also a Chinese cinema camera manufacture. Wong Kar-wai and Peter Pau shot the TV series 繁花 on Zcam cameras.

[@Poorgeniu5]

I almost pulled the trigger on this one as my very first proper, interchangeable camera due to being one of the cheapest mirror-less at the time. But I settled on the traditional Canon Rebel T6 as the lack of viewfinder I felt is too big of a trade off.

[@snappiness]

Mmm, yeah. I do like a viewfinder usually.

[@kiwipics]

Yi M43 cameras were reviewed heavily on KZbin, and it attracted attention because the red dot and the body shape made it look like a Leica T ... I certainly wouldn't put it in the "the camera you probably haven't heard of" category. The image quality isn't the best M43 wise, but you can sometimes pick them up cheap on Ebay.

[@nenemydog]

Where I work we sometimes sell video extensometers. We buy them and resell them with our material testing machines. Those machines basically tear apart metal specimens to measure the necessary force. Anyway extensometers can visually measure how much the metal specimen stretches before it tears. And the system we sell uses industral m43 cameras. So that's at least one application of a m43 in a industrial setting.

[@wrenchmonkey3920]

you're talking my world. We have an MTS and Instron in our department. Think our lab in Mainz has the camera unit on their Instron. We use Gom Aramis which is way overkill. Their cameras are M42 screw mount.

[@3217666]

That was my first M43 camera. Takes great photos. But one drawback is that the body is plastic and a bit fragile. I was taking some night shots with a vintage lens while on a tripod. It wasn't balanced properly and flipped forward and broke off the tripod mount and went crashing to the ground messing up the lens pretty bad. Just one issue that can't be fixed with firmware 😊.

[@KobieMC]

The only camera I wasn't aware of was the Kodak. I believe the pronunciation of Yongnuo is "Young-New-Oh". But, maybe I'm wrong and you're right lol.

[@snappiness]

@@KobieMC can't be more wrong than me lol

[@somotrouglino]

I bought Yi M1 years ago. Sensor and build quality were awesome for the money... ui felt unfinished and camera had lots of issues sadly. Many were not fixed by updates

[@overhang88]

Micro Four Thirds is the most underrated system

[@EddieSlabb]

Why?

[@Dariusdd]

will you make a full impressions/review vid on this camera?

[@snappiness]

I'm not sure yet, but I will definitely be posting more about it as I use it on Instagram/threads/Flickr etc just may not be a full YT video

[@Dariusdd]

@@snappiness I will follow those then, I remember now that this cam was in the tech news back in the day, since that's a xiaomi subsidiary it was impossible to find in europe though, so I never got the chance to try it back in the day

[@Poorgeniu5]

Techmoan did an indepth video on this but he isn't an photography channel tho.

[@taylormaine201]

I'm a fan of the M1... for the price of course. It has focus peaking and a good sensor, so it's great for old adapted lenses. I'd rather have a M1 AND a 4K CS-mount webcam than a single camera that can do both things.

[@JimIBobIJones]

The Leica Digilux is a reskinned and rebranded Lumix. Lower end Leicas are mostly just rebranded Panasonic cameras with minor software tweeks and Leica colour science. Lecia still sells M43 cameras because Panasonic continues to make M43 cameras - although nowadays its the compact cameras rather than interchangeable lens models. All of the D-Lux cameras are just Panasonics in disguise. But they aren't really made or designed by Leica (beyond the external aesthetics).

[@KitBetts-Masters]

So glad another reviewer uses scissors to unbox things. Awesome. No need for a massive knife to open a box! Thanks for a really interesting video! Lots I didn't know.

[@snappiness]

Haha, not nearly as cool as whatever pirate knife McKinnon uses xD

[@bmx22c]

As a Yi M1 possessor since 2017, I got the 2 kit lens (42.5mm f/1.8 + 12-40mm f/3.5-5.6) it's a very good camera overall, but the touchscreen/system is a bit laggy. One thing I heavily dislike about this camera is that your manual settings don't reflect in real-time on the screen; you have to take a picture in order to see if it's well lit or not. Also you can't use a lens booster with a camera with electronics otherwise the camera crashes. So you're stuck with manual lenses. The kit lenses have a very cheap manual focus ring, it's very regretable. So it's best to use the autofocus unless you REALLY want to do manual focus. It was an awesome camera back then: 20 mpx, 4k video recording, touchscreen, WiFi... I've shot countless photos with this camera, and while it's starting to show its age, I'm really glad I got it back in 2017 as it's what started this photography rabbit hole of mine.

[@piotr433]

I have a Yi 42.5 f/1.8 lens and it does not have manual focus. I wish it had.

[@bmx22c]

@@piotr433 You're right. Only the zoom lens has... The prime can only do manual focus with the touchscreen, which is even worse hahaha

[@Toad_Hugger]

Woo! National Camera Exchange! Very cool place to visit if you ever get the chance. Lots of goodies that aren't always listed on their site.

[@HazardousEnvironments]

ayy 200th video 🎉 keep up the good videos ❤

[@snappiness]

thank you! 🥳

[@ConnorCiecko]

I have the 42.5mm kit lens that was designed to be sold with the yi camera. I picked it up on ebay a few years ago for like $90 and it's certainly not the worst lens I've ever owned but it is also not good. It does have autofocus, though.

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

Watching through and thinking "He hasn't mentioned the Xaomi Yi,..?" They also did a GoPro competitor that was pretty sweet at the time. The JVC cine camera with the M4/3 mount is worth taking a good look at too. The Industrial cameras are used for things like production line barcodes and QI code readers for stock and parts movements, and for making sure raw parts are seated correctly in frames before machining occurs, or checking labels are being applied correctly.

[@klausyap]

Yi M1 is a very underrated camera. People who shoot only jpg and don't update their firmware to the latest one will say it's bad, and I can't fault them. But if you shoot in raw, update the firmware, it is a good camera, especially if you calibrate the color of raw file in Lightroom using spyder checkr or x-rite colorchecker. I own this M1 along with my GX85 and E-M10 III, and from raw picture quality standpoint, not camera features like IBIS etc, the IQ is on par with the aforementioned two cameras. If you don't mind postprocessing, nothing is better for the price, or even double/triple the price, used, of course.

[@kabaottoemulsion1869]

God demmn! Why the hell you are you finding all those strange cameras!??!?!? I love them all! I have no money left!

[@ArminHirmer]

hehe yeah I am an early backer of the Alice and I fear that I will receive my switch lens earlier :D this YI looks neat. I think we will see a revival of the M43 system in general

[@snappiness]

Good luck, hopefully they ship soon! Those will both be very interesting cameras to try out.

[@LoFiAxolotl]

MFT has really never been dead... maybe on youtube... but Pana and Olympus always have pretty good sales numbers so does Blackmagic... and MFT is incredibly popular in film making... Fullframe being the standard is really only true in the youtube bubble

[@ArminHirmer]

@@LoFiAxolotl and for my architecture, interior work :) for the rest M43 is doing the job

[@LoFiAxolotl]

@@ArminHirmer you can absolutely do that on APS-C or MFT especially on MFT since EF glass adapts absolutely beautifully to MFT... maybe takes a bit more work since you cant use as wide lenses but absolutely definitely possible I've been shooting professionally for over 4 decades... gear has never been what keeps the photographer from the picture

[@ArminHirmer]

@@LoFiAxolotl of course its possible, the things I did with even 1" cameras is unthinkable :) but having the convenience of FF is sometimes nice. And I don't want to limit myself, I have 1", M43, App-C, FF and I am eyeing on an old Leica S2 with medium format CCD :D

[@kart182]

If I hadn’t just bought the S5II from Lumix, your info on the Pentax cameras would have swung me in that direction. Now I have a Lumix to use for advanced projects and settled with a rangefinder to get the same mindfulness I feel from a Pentax

[@snappiness]

The S5II looks like an incredible camera.

[@marcisroaming]

Is there any chance you could hire a hand model to stand in for your product overheads? Thanks!

[@robbristow]

Many will not have heard of the Olympus Air 01 I have had t least one for many years and currently use it on a Canon 400 f4 lens (800 equivalent!)

[@Alsayid]

I wish camera companies were still making premium 1" sensor compact cameras (and that Sony was still designing new 1" sensors).

[@DigiDriftZone]

Great video, but I do wonder what future MFT has. Sure it has a 1.94x the surface area / light gathering potential of 1", but you find 1" sensors on really tiny systems, drones, the Pocket 3, etc while all recent MFT bodies are as big as full frame, while capturing 3.84x less light (and also larger than APS-C that captures 1.64x more light). The larger mount does mean better IBIS which is great, but there's only so much you can do with 3.84x less light. Dynamic range and low light performance suffers. You also don't have lenses to match something like a 24mm f/1.4 on FF (12mm f/0.7), or even a 16mm f/1.4 on APS-C (12mm f/1.05). I get there are some niche options like what you show, but I haven't seen anything that's really competitive in 2024. What would you say are the advantages of MTF?

[@wnose]

Weight and cost of the long zoom lenses means far less fatigue for users. Especially on tough ascents when every lb seems to be double.

[@fxckrio]

As an M1 owner, I really can't say I like it at all - the interface is clunky, the autofocus is terrible, the entire design concept is kind of stupid, mine has a tendency to randomly put itself into flash sync mode and cap the shutter speed at 1/125, it doesn't have any sort of IBIS, and I actually noticed when using an Olympus power zoom lens that it seems to pull too much power and the screen cuts out. I will say though, it is very surprisingly solidly built and the results aren't too bad once you wrangle it. However, given the option again, I'd rather have an older, higher end body like a GX1.

[@stefanvasilev9318]

Please do a fuller review of the YI 📸 I've always found it super interesting for a casual street photo setup, but having seen it ONLY on AliExpress and such sites, I thought it might be a scam. I'd totally buy one if it's legit, and not one of those Chinese things where all the specs are fake, etc.

[@RyanDaum]

The Yuangnow streaming cameras or something like them would be great for amazing photos taken of e.g. bird feeders, if only they weren't indoor-only. I'd love to set some of my favourite M43 lenses up pointing at my bird feeders, and then run image recognition on an attached computer to snap photos.

[@snappiness]

That would be a fun setup

[@LoFiAxolotl]

The Pana BGH1 should do the trick? They're incredibly small and tiny and light and i think pretty weather resistant? Also great for broadcasting with everything you could ever want

[@Localtraveler2376]

I actually heard of this camera. I almost bought one but changed my mind for some reason. Can’t wait to see your results.

[@wongjefx980]

M43 cameras are great as edc pocket shooters. The YoungNuo blending camera lens\sensor and cell phone tech is the future that Samsung could not pull off

[@kamcma1]

I have a Yi M1. I wanted to like it so badly. I hate the idea of proprietary raw image formats and editing software having to "support" individual cameras, and desperately want a M43 camera that shoots DNG raw files, which the M1 does. The image quality is very good, having a relatively modern 20MP Sony sensor. Alas, I find the firmware just too bad to use regularly. I don't trust the autofocus at all, even on the latest firmware. Focus peaking isn't very good. In manual exposure, the histogram seems to be showing perhaps its program exposure recommendation and doesn't actually respond (ie, move left or right) to actual exposure settings changes. In manual exposure with auto ISO, you lose exposure compensation. Really, just too many small paper cuts that add up to me not trusting the firmware enough to go on a trip with it for photos that matter. I also had a Kodak S-1, but it somehow bricked itself. Also it produced weird DNGs (possibly linear/debayered? not sure) that several editing softwares rejected.

[@snappiness]

Ah too bad about the S-1. I am going to play more with this YI M1 and will look out for what you're saying.

[@Randomthoughts944]

Just to add: Kodak now selling TV in India costing 50USD to 300USD. Some days ago a Kodak branded children toy was in market.

[@GABRIEL_CRAFT]

Definitely interested in any and all cameras that have a full version of Android This would be a game changer for my work life

[@nikytamayo]

I wanted one of these when they launched, their price brand new wasn't far off the secondhand prices of Panasonic bodies. Would love to see what you can do with it. Not too bothered if the colors are basic... have Lightroom to fix that... as long as sharpness is comparable and you get the full benefit of the extra resolution.

[@SMGJohn]

Kodak and the YI cameras are interesting gimmicks. But certain sensors in m4/3 world are far more interesting, such as the Panasonic G1 and GH1 uses the first generation Panasonic micro4/3 sensor, this sensor has a very early digital look to it. It also has insane dynamic range in the shadows, you can essentially underexpose 2 stops and pull shadows like no tomorrow, but it has no DR in highlights whatsoever. There also a few oddities in the Olympus Pen E-P2 and the E-M5. In my opinion its such a shame we have not actually seen more m4/3 camera brands popup, here is to hope that Pentax and Sigma joins micro four thirds alliance, imagine a m4/3 Foveon!!

[@tovehenriksson905]

What oddities in the ep2? I just picked one up with a kit lense for $40 on facebook marketplace and am keen to learn more about this little machine.

[@SMGJohn]

@@tovehenriksson905 E-P2 uses the first generation m4/3 sensor but out of E-P1 and E-P3 which also uses the same sensor, the colour filter array is different in the E-P2. And its not in a bad way, its often commented for its good colours both JPEG's and RAW's. To be honest, Olympus are sleeper company when it comes to colours, I find them up there to Fujifilm, if Olympus had Film Stocks like Fuji, it certainly would eclipsed them, you can still config a lot of the picture profiles as close to film stock as possible however.

[@iandownes3130]

Anyone know of any fun mods for sony a6000? It's my backup camera and I'm wondering if there's something fun to do with it

[@sklba632]

You and me both obessed with the S-1.

[@corporalcabbage]

The industrial cameras are for seeing issues in automated manufacturing mostly as far as I am aware. I have not seen them used much outside of that.

[@Moonrakerd]

I hope they will do more, as olympus needs competition, panasonic makes video cams now

[@SMGJohn]

Pentax is rumoured to enter m4/3 market, their reliance on DSLR production lines are starting to age, parts are rare and Sony, Canon sensors are way too expensive. Panasonic themselves are having a hard time getting full frame sensors under a reasonable price, it be pretty cool to see Pentax go m4/3, I find it a bit hard to believe but it really could be a blessing in disguise.

[@Moonrakerd]

@@SMGJohn thats a good rumor, pentax is crazy enough to make interesting cameras, time to revive pentax me in digital format :D

[@yusheng4637]

Yi is from the company Xiaomi, which makes smartphones and a bunch of other tech stuff. This camera was their attempt to get into photography ecosystem but it failed. Xiaomi is famous for bringing price down (see their smartphone business). Today they even make electric cars, SU7. And their whole electronic ecosystem are interconnected.

[@andreasbraun7668]

Sehr interessanter Beitrag, Ich habe durch Zufall dieses Jahr eine Panasonic GM1, eine 16 Mpx Kamera bekommen und ich sehe einige optische Gemeinsamkeiten. Ich finde die Form und Größe der Kamera gut, klein und handlich. Eine sehr gute Alternative zum Smartphone

[@FAKEROONEY]

This was actually the first camera I i bought! Quite the gateway drug if you ask me!

[@snappiness]

Oh nice!

[@Srulio]

Industrial cameras: driving control systems, manufacturing robotics.

[@kareem-mokdad-swiss]

This YI M1 looks pretty much like a Leica T mock up at first sight, interesting, though.

[@Alex-wd4zg]

Hey man can you make a video on 'upgrading' vintage lenses? I saw a video about a guy adding the darkest material inside of a vintage lens, which helped increase saturation. Can remember what it was.

[@snappiness]

I've seen that one. I love his videos. Helped with contrast in projector lenses.

[@dunsunyt]

Actually m43 lenses will always be smaller than all the other 3:2 lenses since it is much closer to an ideal circle or a square format. By the way I love 4:3 format aspect ratio since it's way closer to my beloved square format and also 6:7. Sadly it looks like m43 is in a slow death spiral. They do release only big stuff. There are no more any small and capable cameras. 😞

[@F3nd3r28]

i dont have this camera, but i bouught the YI 42.5 mft lens from this company and it's awsome

[@smalltalk.productions9977]

thanks for the effort and sharing. i'll stick with my panasonic gx85 and call it a day! thumbs up.

[@snappiness]

@@smalltalk.productions9977 the g85 is what I use to film all my videos! What a great cam

[@alfathsayyidina]

Yi M1 actually really crazy back then. Eqquiped with 20Mpix censor, that really sweet and big deal for 350 Dollar.

[@snappiness]

Yeah brand new that's a great price with a lens. Wish they kept going with it.

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Somewhat surprised that MFT is still a thing: I shoot big full-frame mirrorless bodies (R3 and R5) and most of the photonerds I know do the same ... and normal people just use their phones!?

[@halfsourlizard9319]

Well, some of the photonerds I know are still on DSLR ... or film.

[@trevorsneath4665]

The Android version in the Youngnou will be important since Google Play is fussy about that and won't load apps to old versions

[@tonybarrett7557]

There’s a hilariously difficult looking infrared conversion video for the yi m1 on KZbin by Oleksandr Steletskyi

[@numbersix8919]

Good News ! Thanks so much - !

[@mofuclarisu]

in my country, these were called "Xiaomi" Yi M1 but I don't know if that's true or not

[@snappiness]

Sounds like it is from some other comments. I had no idea the brands were related!

[@mofuclarisu]

@@snappiness I found it! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YI_Technology The camera Yi M1 is when Yi still with Xiaomi before they split in 2016

[@taurig]

True

[@taurig]

Original lenses made for this camera is very decent, but camera is not quite good. Reminds me Samsung nx100 (but actually a Leica T ripoff)

[@mofuclarisu]

@@taurig oo I see.. maybe the hardware can't keep up with "touch focused" navigation? but I found from the wiki Yi is backed by xiaomi but in 2016 they split, just few years after Yi M1 come out, that is why some folk call it "Xiaomi Yi" M1

[@brianmckeever5280]

I hope you're right, I just got an OM Systems OM-1 mk ii ;-)

[@qenreblayers5331]

I don't think i missed any tech past 20y world wide.

[@akhyarrayhka4048]

we are at the time where new camera rarely excites us anymore, whether its only for professionals s, or its for enthusiast but hyped to oblivion.

[@avnerbenzvi8757]

there us a link to the camera in Box!!!

[@tonykeltsflorida]

What small fast cheap lenses do you use/like on M43 cameras?

[@snappiness]

Oddly enough, I've owned several Olympus M43 cameras, but only have used Panasonic M43 lenses. For small fast cheap I like the 14mm Panasonic, and the 20mm Panasonic. Both are pretty cheap and fantastic optically.

[@tonykeltsflorida]

@@snappiness So that 20mm f/1.7 would be a good street lens.

[@babaarcuszatir]

Yay, a Leica scissor!🤣

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

the MFT system doesn't seem to go anywhere... but I have the feeling that camera companies that are still releasing cameras in that mount are only releasing cameras and lenses that are mede to be used with a very specific usecase in mind : either profesionnal video and / or wildlife and sports photography / videography. Recently, teh only cameras that are really "new" are the Lumix GH7, GH6, G9ii and the two OM-1 bodies from OM Systems. Those Lumix cameras are all just as big (or bigger, in the case of the GH6/7) than your average full frame mirrorless camera, and they really aren't made for size and weight savings in mind. And while the OM-1 is not a super large camera, it's not a small one either. I really miss the days when micro four thirds meant tiny cameras and lenses paired with a sesnor format that wasn't too small and still capable of high image quality. Where are my Lumix GM1/5 successors? Where is the successor to the Olympus Pen E-PM series? The smallest current MFT camera is the OM-5, and even that camera isn't exactly the smallest body around, and most importantly is basically just an E-M5 mark III with a new processor... the body of that camera already felt dated when it was launched 5 years ago, so I guess you can imagine where that puts the OM-5 today (with its small dinky micro USB port that requires 6 to 7 hours to recharge its tiny battery lol) The whole internet seems to agree on the fact tha MFT cameras are great, but they had their time and the time is now to the compact full frame camera, and therefore MFT is probably on the way out. I do not agree in the slightest. While some full frame cameras can be rather small like the Sony A7C or the Sigma fp, they are all cmpromised in some way that MFT cameras weren't, and even if they had all teh bell and whistles that the MFT bodies had, the most importan part of any system is the lens ecosystem, and if you want a small travel camera with small but good lenses, nothing compares with MFT even today. I just hope both OM System and Lumix can read the room, and the whole hype there is around compact premium cameras right now that make cameras like teh Fuji X100VI or the Ricoh GR3 almost impossible to get, and make them release an actually good, high performing small MFT body that you could pair with small pancake lenses. I'm pretty confident they would be able to sell every last one of them they make.

[@snappiness]

I think you're right on the money about needing a GM line remake, and that compact FF lenses aren't really the same thing. The lenses are a big deal, as you noted. I also think that while people get excited about shallow DoF, the narrow DoF at bright apertures can actually be an easier system and advantage for a lot of photographers. I'm definitely all for m43 moving forward. I think it can exist right along side FF

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

@@snappiness Yeah, in my head there has alwasy been 3 "major" sensor formats, like four thirds / micro four thirds are your smaller option that was nice if you wanted just "good enough" image quality but also had higher standards in other areas, like compactness and lens selection. Full frame that was made for teh ballers that wanted the biggest lenses, the best high ISO performance ect, and APS-C that seems to be more in the middle. Nowadays it feels like the ballers are more going for Fujifilm GFX / Hasselblad X2C medium format cameras, and people that want smaller systems go for APS-C, with full frame being the new "middle", leaving MFT out. Problem being that APS-C systems will never be as small as a real compact MFT setup. That sensor format cannot prove people wrong by releasing huge cameras and not make the one thing it was designed for : create cameras that are actually smaller than your average DSLR.

[@robmay3570]

Hi I bought my yi brand new in the UK for £110 with both the kit zoom lens and the wonderful 42.5mm lens as a package from a Chinese ebay seller the 42.5mm af lens was selling at the time for £90, so I got a real bargain, see Robin Wongs review of the 42.5mm af lens I believe the sensor is made by Sony. the worst thing about this camera is the very small battery and no view finder. It takes very good pictures with great colours and contrast.

[@ohmwai]

happy snappYIng

[@HenryKlausEsq.]

I wonder if this is a new genre of cameras: unknowns that get regular feature/firmware updates. High risk high reward. Plus USD 150 is incredible value, even as a non-US person. Please photog companies -- make this a thing. And look back at old Sony digicams: we should have integrated ND, pass and cut filters. Make photography fun!

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Kai W reviewed the YI several years ago…

[@petepictures]

Short and nice

[@nevertwenty]

cool video. i lost micro four thirds

[@nevertwenty]

*love

[@artphototech]

Any original backers of the Alice camera can hopefully tell you dealing with them is the absolute worst experience. I cancelled my pre-order after all the broken promises and social media blockage.

[@snappiness]

I really hope that works out. Despite some people saying they have one, I've seen no independent content on them from an owner (possible they just aren't the video creating types). I really want to see that!

[@Luka_Film]

Им надо было Олимпус купить а не компании по производству Суши )))

[@soumikhossain-ym9ic]

oh goes the prices

[@ezradja]

It's XIAOMI subsidiary. Xiaomi on which is the brand of smartphone.

[@oldygen2461]

A lot of people telling that this camera has a lot problems with bad soft, this is about photo. But look video test reviews, isn't that cool?

[@tlhunter]

Those scissors!

[@snappiness]

They've seen a lot of things xD

[@RyanDaum]

I know! I want to send him a bottle of Barkeep's Friend to clean those up.

[@RyanDaum]

@@snappiness Admit nothing in writing

[@wnose]

Kodak had a micro 4/3s camera????? 😂

[@colbyfinnigsmier933]

NOOOO NOT MY PRICES

[@beckajaroslav1425]

Please rewiev Samsung 815 pro

[@stmsaiya]

😂😂 hard to find it new , a used yi m1 from few sellers they want $400 did this camera is flop or still future for it

[@backgammonbacon]

Why are all these way more expensive than just buying a Canon 250D?

[@ethanpod8139]

i had a yi m1. i sent it back due to battery issues amongst others though. from my experience, the build quality and overall camera is amazing. Shame they had to put the worlds worst software on it. FYI the mobile transfer on the yi m1 app doesnt work on IOS-only android. The AF is hit or miss. The sensor is great and pumps out good images though.

[@gerhardw.933]

"I had a yi m1. i sent it back due to battery issues amongst others though. from my experience, the build quality and overall camera is amazing." You contradict yourself!

[@ethanpod8139]

@@gerhardw.933 my issues were kinda due to the previous owner-a one off situation.