Yi Technology, Xiaomi’s consumer camera division, has gained itself a considerable following because of their action cameras, which has decent performance, yet at the same time, a largely more affordable option to market leaders, GoPro.
With their line of 4K enabled action cameras, they have offered consumers an alternative choice in the already crowded action camera market.
More recently, Xiaomi dropped another bombshell, by releasing their very first micro 4/3 mirrorless camera to an unsuspecting photography community.
We covered their release previously here, but resigned to the fact that we may never see this camera being made available locally… or so we thought.
Singaporeans Can Get Their Hands On The Xiaomi Yi M1 Now
Well here’s the good news, the local distributor of Yi Technology products in Singapore has the M1 listed on sale right now on their website.
Prices start at $699 for the M1 set with the 12-40mm kit lens. Unlike other markets we will not be seeing the M1 set with only the 42.5mm f1.8 prime lens. If you fancy that lens, you will have to get the dual kit set which costs $979. Both will come with free shipping.
As expected, the price for getting these cameras are at a steep premium as compared to the prices in China which we highlighted earlier. At least there’s a bright side, when checking out prices for the M1 on Amazon, a popular US online shopping site where prices are known to be competitive, our prices are not that far off from theirs, with only a few dollars difference after conversion.
And that price is without shipping, as Amazon doesn’t ship directly to Singapore for this camera, you will have to get your own package forwarder. So in that sense, the price that you will be paying for a local set seems worthwhile.
Of course, if you’d like to take the risk of foregoing warranty, and buying one straight from online Chinese sources, go ahead and save the difference in cost. You can always pick one up too if you happen to be in China or Hong Kong in your travels.
With the introduction of the M1 in Singapore, it will be interesting to see how people will take to it. I am guessing that only photography enthusiasts who are users of the micro 4/3 format, and fans of Xiaomi will be the ones interested in the camera. Singapore as a market for cameras is already somewhat saturated with all the traditional brands ruling the sales, so public perception can be hard to change overnight.
The Yi M1 will most definitely be a niche product, that personally, I hope to get my hands on one. Due to its design, I dub thee, the poor man’s Leica.
Hit the link below to read our coverage of the camera’s initial announcement, with full specifications and sample images.