Have you ever noticed that photos on Xiaomi smartphones sometimes look too dark in the shadows or over-lit in the bright sun? or vice versa, have you wondered how some images come out incredibly detailed, with both light and dark areas worked out? The secret lies in the technology HDR (High Dynamic Range), which the manufacturer actively integrates into their devices – from the budget Redmi Note to the flagship Mi 14 Ultra.
In this article, we will not just explain what is HDR-We're going to show you how it works at the hardware and software level, how it's different from the standard shooting mode, and why it's sometimes best to turn it off. HDR on different models, including POCO F5, Redmi 12 and Mi 13 Pro, which mistakes spoil the frame, and how to use the technology to take landscapes, portraits or videos, and at the end, answers to the most common questions and tests of your knowledge!
What is HDR in a smartphone camera: in simple words
HDR technology (High Dynamic Range) is designed to solve the main problem of mobile photography: the human eye is able to distinguish up to 20 degrees of brightness between the darkest and brightest parts of the scene, while the smartphone camera is only 5-7. As a result, lights either “flare away” (the sky turns into a white spot), or shadows “fail” (faces in contraure photography become black silhouettes).
HDR compensates for this by repeatedly exposing it: in a fraction of a second, the camera takes multiple images at different exposures (from very dark to very light), and then glues them together into a single frame, storing details in all areas. For example, in a sunset photo with HDR turned on, you will see both the texture of the clouds and the faces of people in the foreground - without loss of quality.
- 📸 No HDR: The sky is overlit, shadows without details, colors are faded.
- 🌅 S HDR: The clouds, the grasses, the faces, the colors are saturated.
- ⚡ Automobile-HDR: The smartphone itself chooses when to apply the technology (at Xiaomi works through algorithms). AI Scene Detection).
It's important to understand that HDR is not just a filter, it's a complex computational process, and Xiaomi is responsible for it in smartphones:
- 🔧 Hardware: Multipixel sensors (e.g. Sony) IMX800 Mi 13, which supports fast shooting of multiple frames.
- 🤖 Software: Qualcomm Snapdragon or MediaTek Dimensity processors with dedicated image processing units (ISP).
- 🎨 Xiaomi Algorithms: proprietary Magic Technologies HDR (in flagships) or Smart HDR (mid-segment).
How HDR works in Xiaomi smartphones: from theory to practice
Xiaomi phones have different HDR implementations depending on the model and price segment, so let's see how this works in three different categories:
| Category of devices | Type HDR | Number of staff | Features of processing | Examples of models |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget (Redmi 10A, POCO M5) | Basic HDR | 2-3 frames | Minimal post-processing, sometimes noise in the shadows | Redmi 9C, POCO C50 |
| Mid-segment (Redmi Note 12, POCO X5) | Smart HDR | 3-5 personnel | AI-Scene Analysis, Improved Detailing | Redmi Note 11 Pro, POCO F4 |
| Flagships (Mi 13, Mi 14 Ultra) | Magic HDR / Dolby Vision | 5-10+ staff | Multithreaded processing, support for 10-bit color, manual settings | Mi 12S Ultra, Mi Mix Fold 3 |
The process of shooting in HDR-mode on Xiaomi can be divided into 4 stages:
- Frame capture: The camera takes a series of images with different exposures (e.g. -2EV, 0EV, +2EV). In flagships, the number of frames can reach 10 or more.
- Alignment: Algorithms compensate for the micro-movements of the hand (thanks to the gyroscope and accelerometer).
- Merger: A special chip (ISP) combines frames, saving the best pixels from each.
- Post-processing: Noise reduction filters, color and contrast correction are used (AI is involved here).
Interesting fact: Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and newer uses Dolby Vision HDR technology, which allows you to record videos with a dynamic range of up to 12 bits – this is 64 times more color shades than in a standard 8-bit video! However, to view such content you need a compatible screen (for example, Xiaomi TV Q2 2023).
💡
If your Xiaomi supports Dolby Vision, check your camera settings: go to Settings → Video Format → Dolby Vision. This mode significantly improves video, but takes up more disk space.
How to turn on or off HDR on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions
In most Xiaomi smartphones, HDR mode is automatically enabled, but it can be manually configured. Let’s look at how to do this with different versions of MIUI (relevant for firmware 12-14).
Method 1: Through the main menu of the camera
- Open the Camera app.
- Touch the icons ⚙️ Settings (or ⋮ older).
- Find the HDR (can be called Smart HDR or Magic HDR).
- Choose one of the modes: Auto-smartphone decides when to use HDR. On. - Forced on (useful for landscapes). Off. - Complete shutdown (required for shooting moving objects).
Method 2: Quick switching in the interface
In some models (for example, POCO F5 Or the Redmi Note 12 Pro.+) icon HDR It's available right on the screen -- it looks like HDR or 🌅. Just tap it to switch modes.
Method 3: For video
HDR for video is included separately:
- Go to Video Mode.
- Press on. ⚙️ Settings → Permission and frequency of staff.
- Select a format marked HDR (e.g. 4K HDR 30fps).
⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI HDR Stopped working, try clearing the camera cache: Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Clear the cache. If it didn't work, you might need to roll back the firmware (but it's risky - you better wait for a patch from Xiaomi).