Tom Calton’s review of the Yi M1 – The Ambitious Chinese MFT That Never Took Off

The Yi M1 is perhaps one of the most underrated and forgotten cameras in the Micro Four Thirds space. Launched in 2016, it boasted a 20MP Four Thirds sensor developed by Sony (same as in the Panasonic GX8 and Olympus PEN-F).

Despite impressive specs and a Leica-inspired design, it failed miserably. Why? Poor launch timing, weak autofocus at launch, lack of features like IBIS, viewfinder, and even basic options like RAW+JPEG initially. It felt more like a smartphone with a lens mount—operated entirely via touchscreen with minimal physical controls.

Over time, firmware updates did improve many aspects including autofocus and UI, but the damage was done. Yi discontinued the camera quietly and never followed up with a successor. Tom Calton still thinks that this camera is a collector’s oddball gem—and proof that even bold entries can fail without polish.