Why three cameras on a Xiaomi phone: features, modules and settings

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones have become powerful multimedia complexes, where the main camera module plays a major role in the perception of the quality of the device. When you pick up a flagship or even a mid-budget device, you are greeted by an impressive block of three and sometimes four lenses.

In fact, having three cameras is a necessity dictated by the physical limitations of optics. You can't make a single lens that's equally good at capturing panoramic landscapes, blurry portraits, and objects ten meters away. Xiaomi engineers use different sensors to solve specific problems, combining their work through sophisticated artificial intelligence algorithms.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the purpose of each module in a three-camera system, where you will learn how a telephoto lens differs from a wide lens, why you need a depth sensor, and how MIUI or HyperOS software switches between lenses at the time of shooting.

Main module: the heart of the photo system

The first and most important element is the core module, which is responsible for 80-90% of all your images in standard mode. In modern Xiaomi models such as the Xiaomi 13 or Xiaomi 14, this sensor often has optical stabilization (OIS) and a large aperture, which allows you to take high-quality pictures even in low light.

The main camera usually has a focal length equivalent to 23-27 mm, a universal metric that is suitable for document capture, food, group photos and single portraits, and this is where the camera app starts working unless you choose a special mode like zoom or macro photography.

The quality of the final image depends on the size of the main sensor matrix. Flagship models get 1-inch sensors that are physically larger than in budget devices, which allows you to capture more light and create a natural optical blur of the background without software distortion.

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For maximum detail, always try to use the main module (1x), as digital zoom on other cameras often reduces the quality of the picture.

It's worth noting that the core module often works in tandem with HDR algorithms, taking multiple frames with different exposures and gluing them together into one photo, allowing you to save details in both light areas of the sky and deep shadows.

Ultra-wide-angle lens: when there is not enough space

The second camera in triple array is an ultra-wide-angle module, or "width," whose goal is to capture as much space as possible in the frame, and the viewing angle of such a lens is usually about 120 degrees, which is much wider than human vision.

This module is indispensable for shooting in cramped spaces, architectural structures or large groups of people, when it is physically impossible to step back. Unlike the main module, here the focal length is approximately 13-16 mm. The quality of the sensor in the "width" is often inferior to the main, especially in the evening.

When using an ultra-wide-angle camera, you can see the characteristic distortions around the edges of the frame, so-called distortion. Xiaomi software automatically corrects these distortions, aligning the horizon and straight lines of buildings, but it is not always possible to completely remove the effect of the “fish eye”.

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The ultra-wide angle camera sacrifices light for the viewing angle, so at night the pictures on it will always be more noisy than on the main one.

Some advanced models, such as the Xiaomi 13 Pro series, give the ultra-wide macro function, which allows you to bring the phone to the subject almost closely, obtaining detailed pictures of small objects, which is impossible to do on the main camera due to focus limitations.

Telephoto: The magic of optical zoom

The third element that often raises the most questions is the telephoto lens, which distinguishes advanced smartphones from budget models, where it often has a useless depth sensor instead, and the main function of a telephoto lens is an optical approximation without loss of quality.

While digital zoom simply cuts and stretches the image from the main sensor (which leads to a soap), the telephoto lens physically zooms in on the image. Usually, these cameras have a multiple of 2x, 3.2x or 5x, which means that you can shoot a distant object as if you were near it.

The telephoto lens is also ideal for portrait photography, with a focal length of about 50-75 mm (35 mm equivalent) considered classic for portraits, as it does not distort the proportions of the face, unlike the wide angle of the main camera.

Xiaomi’s flagship devices, such as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, feature periscopic telephoto lenses, where the optics are horizontally located inside the body and the light is reflected through a prism, allowing you to create very powerful zoom lenses (10x and above) without increasing the thickness of the smartphone.

It's important to understand the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom, so if you see a 2x or 3x icon on the screen, the optics are working, and if you keep pinching the screen further, you'll get digital zoom, which depends on the resolution of the main or the telesensor.

Depth Sensor and Macro Modules: Marketing or Necessity?

Not all three-camera phones have a full-fledged telephoto lens. In the budget and mid-range, Xiaomi often installs a so-called depth sensor, or 2MP macro camera. Many users are disappointed to find that these cameras are barely used.

The depth sensor is a low-resolution monochrome sensor that doesn't take photos by itself, and its sole purpose is to scan the distance of objects in the frame to help the core module create the bokeh effect in portrait mode, and it determines the contours of a person or object.

A 2MP macro camera is essentially a fixed lens with a very short focal length, allowing you to focus 2-4 cm from the subject, but because of its low resolution and lack of autofocus, the quality of these images is often inferior to that taken on the main module and then framing.

Should you pay too much for a third module if it's just a depth sensor? If you like to take portraits with blurred backgrounds, it's useful. But if you want quality zoom, the phone's specs should clearly indicate the presence of a Telephoto or a Periscopic camera.

Software processing and night mode

Iron is only half the success. The other half is image processing algorithms. Xiaomi is using Night Mode technology to take light images even in complete darkness. The camera takes a series of frames with different shutter speeds and combines them.

When you turn on night mode, the phone can use all the cameras available, for example, the main module collects light, the telephoto lens helps with zooming without noise, and the AI algorithms remove digital noise and restore colors, a process called computational photography.

Also worth mentioning is the Pro mode in the camera app, which gives you manual control of settings like shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus, and in this mode you can make a particular lens work by manually selecting it, which is not available in automatic mode.

Setup of the camera in MIUI and HyperOS

To get the most out of the three cameras, you need to set up the app correctly. Go to the camera settings menu (three bars in the corner), where you can turn on the grid, the horizon level and adjust the behavior of the volume buttons.

For advanced users, Profi mode is available. Switching to it, you will see the parameters WB (white balance), AF (focus) and ISO. By clicking on the lens icon at the top, you can force you to choose which of the three modules will be active, ignoring the automatic switching of the system.

An important feature is "Auxiliary Lines." When shooting with an ultra-wide-angle camera, they help to level the horizon, because distortions at the edges can visually tilt the image, and you can also activate voice control in the settings, which is convenient for group photos.

Remember that updating the Camera app through the GetApps store or Google Play can bring new processing algorithms and fix bugs with switching between modules. Xiaomi regularly improves the performance of cameras with software methods.

Frequent problems and their solution

Users sometimes experience a situation where one of the three cameras stops working or the camera app crashes when switching to zoom. Often it's a software glitch. First of all, try clearing the Camera app's cache through the Settings menu → Apps → All Apps → Camera → Clean.

If the problem persists, the plume of one of the modules may have been damaged after a fall, in which case the phone can only see two cameras or show a black screen when selecting a certain zoom, and a diagnostic at a service center is required.

Another problem is fogging of the lenses, and when the temperature drops sharply, the condensate can form under the glass of the module, and it usually disappears by itself through the glass. 15-20 If the moisture is not going away, the body may be leaky.

⚠️ Warning: Never use magnetic rings to hold a car on the back of a smartphone in the camera area.Magnetic field can damage the optical stabilization system (OIS) main or telephoto lens, which will cause the camera to jitter and hum.

⚠️ Note: When cleaning lenses, do not use aggressive chemicals or alcohol-containing products unnecessarily. Oleophobic coating of lenses (especially ultra-wide) can be erased, and photos will begin to "float" when light hits.

Conclusion

The three cameras on Xiaomi's phone are not just numbers in the spec, they're a complete toolkit of a photographer who's always with you. The core module provides quality, the ultra-wire gives freedom of composition, and the telephoto lens allows you to look into details that are not available to the eye.

Understanding which module is responsible for what will allow you to stop relying on automation and start creating. Experiment with modes, use manual control and don't be afraid to change angles using different lenses of your smartphone.

Mobile photography technology continues to evolve, and the number of cameras may change in the future, but the principle of separating tasks between modules will remain relevant for a long time to come.