Pro mode in the Xiaomi camera: how to use and configure

Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones today have powerful sensors that often outperform compact cameras, but automation doesn’t always handle the toughest shooting conditions. This is where PRO comes in, allowing the user to take full exposure control. Instead of relying on AI algorithms, you adjust light, color and focus on your own.

Understanding how manual settings work opens up access to taking pictures with a unique atmosphere that you can’t automatically take, making spectacular nighttime photos without noise, blurring water or freezing fast objects. In this article, we’ll take a look at each setting in detail and learn how to make the most of your smartphone’s camera’s potential.

How to activate manual shooting mode

To get started, you need to run the standard Camera app, which is pre-installed on all devices in the MIUI or HyperOS line. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a horizontal menu with a selection of modes where you want to scroll the list to the right to the tab More, and that's where you hide additional features that aren't included in the main interface.

In the list that opens, select PRO or Pro. The interface will change, with sliders and numerical values of the main exposure parameters. If you use new models like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro+, the interface may look a little different, but the logic remains the same.

• 📸 Open the Camera app and find the mode menu.
• 📸 Go to the tab More and select PRO.
• 📸 Pay attention to the regulators at the bottom of the screen.

⚠️ Note: Some budget models Redmi mode PRO can be limited to the main lens only, telephoto or ultra-wire can only work in automatic mode.

Shutter speed setting (S) and light forces

The first and most important parameter is shutter speed, denoted by the letter S (Shutter), which determines how long the camera matrix will perceive light. The smaller the value (for example, 1/1000), the shorter the time period that allows you to freeze movement. Long shutter speeds (1/4, 1 second or more) are necessary for shooting in the dark or creating plume effects.

When you change the shutter speed, the amount of light that hits the array automatically changes. If you lengthen the shutter speed, the frame becomes lighter, but there is a risk of lubricating the image from the trembling of the hands. For values longer than 1/60 of a second, a tripod or stop is already recommended.

The second key is the aperture, but in smartphones it's often fixed. However, in PRO mode, you can simulate the change in aperture through shutter speed and ISO. Understanding the relationship between these parameters forms the basis of the exposure triple.

• 🕒 Short exposure (1/1000) freezes a running man.
• 🕒 Long exposure (2 seconds) blurs the flow of water in the waterfall.
• 🕒 Excerpt. 1/60 It is boundary for shooting with hands without lubrication.

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Use a 3 or 5-second timer when shooting on a long exposure with your hands or a tripod to eliminate the lubrication from pressing the down button.

Adjustment of ISO sensitivity

The ISO parameter is responsible for the sensitivity of the matrix to light. During daytime, the optimal value is the minimum ISO (usually 50 or 100), which ensures maximum detail and no digital noise.

With ISO rising, artifacts known as noise or grain appear in the image. In modern Snapdragon and Dimensity processors, noise cancellation works well, but at values above ISO 1600, quality drops markedly. Professionals try to keep ISO as low as possible, making up for the lack of light with shutter speed or additional lighting.

It is important to note that in some scenarios, such as when shooting a video, raising the ISO may be the only way to get a bright picture without changing the shutter speed, which in the video is limited by the frame rate.

White balance (WB) and color reproduction

Automatic white balance is often mistaken in mixed lighting, making the frame blue or yellow. In PRO mode, you can manually set the temperature in Kelvin (K). Low values (about 3000K) give a cold blue hue, and high (6000K and above) give a warm yellow hue.

To fine-tune your device, use the presets offered by the interface: a sun icon for daylight, light bulbs for artificial lighting, or clouds for cloudy weather, which allow you to get natural skin colors and objects that automation often distorts.

Creative use of white balance creates mood, for example, shifting to the blue zone will add coldness and mystery to the night city, and a warm shade will make the sunset more dramatic. Experiment with a slider, watching changes on the screen in real time.

⚠️ Note: When shooting in format RAW white balance settings can be changed without loss of quality during post-processing, but for JPEG This is a critical parameter.

Manual Focusing (MF) and Macro

Switching to manual focusing mode MF (Manual Focus gives you complete control of the plane of field, and it's especially useful for macro photography, where autofocus starts to scour around without hitting the right object, and the slider allows you to smoothly shift the focus from infinity to the minimum distance.

To get into focus accurately, use Focus Peaking (if available in your model) or just keep a close eye on the contours of the subject on the screen. zooming in before shooting helps make sure the right area is cutting.

Manual focusing is also essential for shooting through glass or in low contrast, where autofocus may not work at all, and by fixing the focus on infinity, you can shoot starry skies or city lights in the distance.

• 🔍 MF It allows you to focus on textures in macro mode.
• 🔍 Autofocus can be wrong when shooting through glass windows.
• 🔍 Focus fixation is useful for serial shooting of static objects.

RAW shooting and post-processing

To get the best quality, it is recommended to activate shooting in RAW format. You can find this option in the top menu of the camera (RAW icon or in the quality settings), This format stores all the information obtained by the matrix without compression and processing by algorithms (beautification).

RAW files take up much more space in the smartphone’s memory, but they contain a wide dynamic range, which means that when processed, you can pull details out of deep shadows or restore over-lit areas of the sky, which is impossible with conventional JPEGs.

To work with such files on a smartphone, applications like Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed are suitable. On a computer, professionals use Adobe Camera Raw or Capture One. RAW-File is an insurance against exposure errors and white balance.

⚠️ Attention: Series of images in mode RAW + Burst can quickly overflow the CPU's clipboard, causing a delay between frames.

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Shooting in RAW is mandatory for professional processing, but requires more time to edit each frame.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)