Xiaomi smartphone owners often wonder how to capture the night star so that it looks not just a white spot, but an object with distinguishable craters. Standard automatic mode often fails to cope with this task due to the high brightness of the moon against a dark sky, which leads to overlights or blur. However, using the built-in camera capabilities and manual settings, you can achieve impressive results even without professional equipment.
Modern models like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro are equipped with powerful sensors and optical stabilization, which greatly simplifies the process. The key to success lies in the correct understanding of exposure and focus. You do not need to be a professional photographer to get a quality shot, you just need to follow a certain algorithm of actions and know what parameters you need to adjust.
In this article, we'll take a step-by-step look at how you prepare, set up your camera, and take direct shots. We'll look at why automation often fails, and how Pro mode allows you to take control of things. Get ready to learn how to turn your smartphone into an astrophotography tool.
Why Automated Mode Cannot Deal With the Moon
The automatic algorithm of the smartphone camera is programmed to average the exposure of the frame. When you point the lens at the night sky, the system sees predominately dark tones and tries to pull them out, increasing the brightness, and as a result, the moon, which is a very bright object, turns into a glowing white spot with no details.
In addition, standard mode often fails to focus properly on infinity in under-light, and the camera begins to search for contrast, which may not be enough for the algorithm on the surface of the satellite, which is why switching to manual mode is a prerequisite for high-quality shooting.
Another problem is digital zoom, where when you zoom in a lot of auto mode, image quality drops, noises and compression artifacts appear, and manual tuning minimizes this loss by controlling the sensitivity of the matrix.
⚠️ Attention: Do not use digital zoom beyond measure without a tripod. Any shaking of the hands at maximum magnification will lead to lubrication of the frame, as the exposure at night increases.
Understanding these limitations helps you realize the need to move to professional tools built into the camera app, so you can trick the automation and get a clear image.
Preparation required before shooting
Before you start setting up the camera, it's important to ensure the stability of the device. Shooting the moon requires the use of maximum optical or hybrid zoom, in which even microscopic hand movement creates a noticeable jitter in the frame, the ideal solution would be to use a tripod or a stop.
If you don't have a tripod, you can point your phone against a balcony railing, a rock, or ask someone to hold the device still. It's also recommended to wipe the camera lens with a microfiber, as greasy spots from your fingers during night shooting create strong glare from light sources.
☑️ Checklist of preparation for the shooting of the moon
It's important to choose the right time. The moon looks most spectacular when it's not at its zenith, but closer to the horizon, or in the incomplete disk phase when you see shadows from craters. The full moon often gives a too flat image without volume.
Set up parameters in Pro mode
Open the Camera app and scroll through the modes to Pro (or Professional) and that's where all the tools are. The first thing you need to do is turn off autofocus and manually turn it on by pressing the AF icon and dragging the slider to the far right (mountain icon).
Next, adjust the shutter speed. To shoot the moon, it usually takes a short shutter speed to freeze the motion and not get a light. Try setting the value in the range from 1/125 to 1/500 of a second. If the moon is still too bright, reduce the shutter speed (make the denominator larger).
The ISO sensitivity should be set to a minimum, usually 50 or 100, which will provide minimal digital noise and maximum surface detail, and a high ISO when shooting a bright object against a dark background will only spoil the frame with graininess.
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If your model has a telephoto lens (3x, 5x, or 10x), be sure to switch to it before setting the settings. Optical zoom will give much more detail than the digital crop of the main matrix.
The white balance (WB) is best set by hand in the area of 4500-5500 Kelvin, so that the moon does not go into a blue or yellow hue, although this is a matter of taste.
Use of zoom and focus
After you have set the parameters basic, go to framing. Use a zoom slider or a lens switch. Xiaomi smartphones with a periscopic camera, such as the Xiaomi 14 Pro or Mi 11 Ultra, can safely use 10-fold and even 50-fold zoom.
Focus is critical. Once you've switched to manual mode (MF), slowly move the slider. On the magnification screen, you'll see the surface of the moon sharpening. The peak of focus is often not at its extreme, but a little earlier.
| Parameter | Recommended value | Influence on frame |
|---|---|---|
| Excerpt (S) | 1/125 - 1/800 sec | Controls brightness and clarity |
| ISO | 50 – 100 | Remove noise, give a clean color |
| Focus (MF) | Maximum (mountains) | Makes the object sharp |
| White balance | 4500K – 5500K | Corrects the shade of light |
Don't be afraid to experiment with zoom. If the image gets too dark on 10x, try adding a bit of shutter speed, but make sure the edges of the moon don't start to "float."
Specificity of shooting on different models Xiaomi
Different smartphone models have different array and lens capabilities. The flagship Xiaomi and Redmi K series often have more advanced nighttime image processing algorithms. In some cases, Night mode can be useful if it allows you to manually adjust exposure.
However, the Moon's classic Pro mode is almost always preferred, as Night tends to over-process the image, creating artificial brightness. Owners of Leica cameras can try switching to a Leica Vibrant or Leica Authentic profile for different color renderings.
⚠️ Note: When using Night mode, the phone can take a series of frames and combine them, while keeping the device absolutely still is critical, otherwise the frame addition algorithm will give an error or a porridge».
For budget models where optical zoom is limited, it is better to take a frame on the available optical zoom, and then crop (cut) the photo in the gallery. This will give a better result than using 30-fold digital zoom directly when shooting.
Processing and improving the images received
Raw file (RAW) if you've shot in this format, or even JPEG, will require minimal refinement. The built-in editor in Xiaomi Gallery allows you to adjust exposure, contrast and clarity. Increasing the contrast parameter will help you better highlight craters.
It is also useful to reduce the "Highlights" slightly to return details to the brightest areas of the moon, if they have been overlit. The "Sharpening" option should be added carefully so as not to increase digital noise.
Should I use third-party applications?
Remember, the goal is to get a natural image, too much color saturation or purple halos can make the photo look unnatural, and it's better to preserve the natural beauty of the night light.
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The main secret of success is the combination of minimum ISO, short shutter speed and absolute immobility of the phone at the time of shutter descent.