Xiaomi Yi M1 ILC camera still very much alive. Gets a huge new firmware update.

There was a massive commotion last year when Xiaomi released their Mi Y1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (ILC) with the 4K capable 20MP Sony IMX269. I was hoping there would be a follow up 2nd generation release to the brazen Y1, but the very quick calming down of the initial furor pretty much killed that hope off.

Until now. Xiaomi has released a huge firmware update to the Mi Y1, which gives a clue that the Xiaomi ILC isn’t dead at all, just taking a quick rest.

The firmware update to the Mi Y1 addresses a number of problems with the Mi Y1 which plagued its initial release.

The new firmware update means the MFT camera from Xiaomi isn’t dead at all and that we may see a 2nd iteration in the future.

The updates include:

New:

1. Added exposure control in the mode P/A/S/M for video capture
2. Added AF/MF control for video capture.
3. Added RAW+JPG format for still capture
4. Added still image option in Time Lapse
5. Added the option to shoot 1-3 images when using the self-timer function with an initial 2 second or 10 second timer settings
6. Added a histogram in live view mode for both still and video capture
7. Added new focus viewing modes with improved image quality including: 6x, 8x and 10x magnification in MF mode
8. Added 2 ways to show the Metering mode in the UI
9. Added the user guide (Restoring factory settings to view)
10. Added multiple selection of images for deletion.
11. Added 2 new options for the display grid
12. AE algorithm optimization
13. Master Guide template display logic optimized
14. Improved AF speed

Fixed

• Fixed some known bugs, and improved the overall stability of the system.

Changed

• Change the thumbnails on each screen from 9 to 12 images.

To my eyes, the biggest moves are with video, adding manual exposure control and the addition of tap to focus and manual focus during video. These are huge, as while the Mi Y1 has 4K video capabilities, it was very very basic with limited versatility without these new additions.

For enthusiasts who like to shoot RAW, but not necessarily always want to develop every photo, the new firmware update allows shooters RAW + jpg, which gives us the flexibility to quickly share JPGs without any fussing, and/or the possibility of advanced editing with the RAWs.

In a beautiful move by Xiaomi they made the Y1 M1 a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens mount system. This gives Mi Y1 instantly and natively (no adapters needed) the ability to use any of the big selection of MFT lenses already available. That includes excellent lenses from the likes of Olympus and Panasonic.