SIYI Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. A8 mini

The SIYI A8 mini is a very small gimbal camera with three stabilised axes for mid-sized multicopters and smaller UAVs. The maker is based in Shenzhen, China. The camera serves observation and simple inspection, not surveying.

The 1/1.7-inch Sony CMOS has 8 megapixels and records 4K video (4096 × 2160) at 25 frames per second. The lens corresponds to 21 mm in 35 mm terms with an aperture of F2.8, so a wide field of view. The zoom is 6x digital: it only enlarges the crop and gains no detail. The picture is output through Ethernet, HDMI or analogue CVBS; control and data run over MAVLink with ArduPilot and PX4. The camera weighs about 95 g.

At only 95 g, the camera also fits small aircraft; the EU classes depend on the total take-off mass including payload, though (250 g for C0, 900 g for C1, 4 kg for C2). A camera that shows people recognisably makes operator registration necessary, and recordings fall under data-protection law.

For surveying, a fixed focal length, a large sensor and a global shutter are missing; digital zoom does not replace optical zoom. Because weight figures differ depending on cable, mount and accessories, the camera should be weighed with its connection. Wear points are the small gimbal motors, the dampers and the connectors; vibration on the aircraft shows in the image at once.