An unexpected announcement at this year’s Photokina was the new YI M-1 mirrorless camera and it boast two impressive specifications: a 20MP Micro Four Thirds image sensor (Sony IMX269) and 4K video at 30fps.
The camera has a simple design yet elegant design with just two buttons on the rear, a mode dial, control dial, movie button and shutter button on top, and a touch sensitive screen. In fact, many have said that it bears a striking resemblance to the Leica T. It weighs just 280g with the battery and features a scratch-resistant body covered in thermoplastic elastomer skin-friendly materials. It comes in either black or silver.
YI calls the M-1 the “world’s most connected mirrorless camera” for a couple of reasons. First, it utilises both WiFI and BLE bluetooth. The latter allows for a reliable connection to be maintained between the camera and a smart device so that you can quickly download and share images. Second, you can download composition templates onto your phone (or use the ones already provided in-camera) and sync them to the camera’s Master Guide to improve your shooting and posing technique. For these reasons, the company sees the camera as less of a competitor for the other established Micro Four Thirds brands and more of a bridge between mirrorless cameras and smartphones.
Two lenses will be released at the same time as the M-1: the YI 42.5mm f/1.8 and YI 12-40mm f/3.5-5.6 in either black or silver. Of course, being a Micro Four Thirds camera, it is also compatible with over 50 lenses in the Micro Four Thirds range.
The M-1 will be available in October for around $699 for the camera and both lenses, $499 with the 12-40mm kit lens and $599 with the 42.5mm lens. You can find out more about the new camera at the official YI website.