How to set up a camera on Xiaomi Mi 8: a complete guide for perfect shots

The Xiaomi Mi 8, released in 2018, is still popular with users thanks to its powerful filling and high-quality dual camera. However, even with a great “iron” the result of shooting depends on the right settings. Many Mi 8 owners do not suspect that the standard camera parameters are far from optimal – they can and should be adjusted for different scenarios, from low-light portraits to dynamic videos on the street.

In this article, we will not only discuss the basic settings (resolution, HDR, AI-The mode, but also hidden features that Xiaomi doesn’t advertise, will teach you how to turn on manual mode for professional shooting, adjust white balance for natural colors, and optimize the camera for shooting at night. Special attention will be paid to the typical mistakes that make photos blurry or noisy – and how to avoid them.

Basic camera settings: where to start

Before diving into the finer settings, make sure the basic camera settings of the Xiaomi Mi 8 are set correctly. Open the Camera app and tap the gear icon (⚙️) In the upper right corner, you'll find some of the key features that affect the quality of your images:

• 📸 Photo resolution: by default is 12 MC, but you can choose to detail 48 MP (interpolated). However, remember that such pictures are taken in the 3-4 more.
• 🎥 Video resolution: the best option — 4K@30fps for stable personnel or 1080p@60fps for dynamic scenes. 4K@60fps on Mi 8 It is supported, but the processor can be warmed.
• 🔄 HDR: Turn on the car-HDR for better working out of shadows and light. 8 This mode works more efficiently than on many flagships. 2026 year-end.
• 🤖 AI-Camera: the function automatically recognizes scenes (food, sunset, portrait), but sometimes it is wrong.

Note the Save Settings option – if it’s active, the camera will remember your preferences (such as disabled AI or manual mode) after the application is closed, eliminating the need to reconfigure everything every time.

Manual Mode (Pro Mode): Full control of the shooting

One of the key advantages of the Xiaomi Mi 8 is the availability of a professional mode (Pro Mode), which allows you to manually adjust the shooting parameters.

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Fly through the shooting modes to the left to Pro (or Manual).
3. On the screen, sliders will appear to adjust ISO, Shutter speed, White Balance and Focus.

Let’s analyze each parameter in detail:

Important: The Xiaomi Mi 8 has manual RAW (DNG) shooting, allowing the later to edit images without loss of quality. To enable RAW, tap the RAW icon in the top Pro Mode menu.

Check the lighting | Set ISO depending on the conditions |Select shutter speed (short for movement)|Tune white balance |Use tripod at long shutter speed-->

Night photography: how to take clear photos in the dark

The Xiaomi Mi 8 doesn’t have a dedicated night mode (unlike the newer models), but that doesn’t mean that high-quality shots in the dark are impossible.

• 🌙 Use Pro Mode: Install the installation ISO 800–1600, exposure 1/10–1/4If you don't have one, you can put your phone against a wall or a table.
• 💡 Additional light: even a weak source (a flashlight, a screen on another phone) will improve detail.
• 📱 Third-party apps: Google Camera (GCam) with ported Night Sight runs on Mi 8 better than the standard app.

If you're shooting from hand, turn on Stabilization in your video settings (not available for photos), and avoid digital zoom, which makes noise, instead, move closer to the subject or crop the photo later.

⚠️ Attention: When shooting in RAW At night, files take up to 20–25MB each. Make sure your phone has enough space, or use a microSD card (up to 256GB).

Portrait mode: how to achieve a blurred background (boke)

Xiaomi Mi 8 dual camera (12 MP + 12 MP) allows you to create a bokeh effect (blurred background) in portrait mode. However, by default, Xiaomi's algorithm often miscalculates the boundaries of objects, especially if hair or clothing merge with the background.

1. Open Portrait Mode in the Camera app.
2. Make sure the object is 1-2 meters away from the camera, and being too close or far away makes blurring worse.
3. Tap the screen to manually select the focus point (for example, in front of a person’s eyes).
4. After shooting, edit the photo: in the Xiaomi gallery there is a tool Blurring the background, where you can adjust the intensity of the effect.

For more accurate bokeh, use Pro Mode with an open aperture (emulated software) and short shutter speed, and RAW shooting with processing in Lightroom or Snapseed, where blur can be adjusted manually, will also help.

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If the portrait mode does not recognize the face, try to turn on the Front flash (even during the day) – the additional light helps the camera better determine the boundaries of the object.

Video shooting: settings for smooth and clear video

The Xiaomi Mi 8 camera supports video recording in 4K, 1080p and 720p with a frequency of up to 60 fps. However, for a stable result, you need to take into account several nuances:

• 🎬 Stabilization: Enable Electronic Stabilization (EIS) It cuts the edges of the frame, but it removes the shaking. 4K EIS Unavailable - use it 1080p@30fps.
• 🔊 Sound: The Mi 8's built-in microphone captures voice well, but picks up the wind noise. USB-C (adapter).
• 🔋 Overheating: With a long record in 4K The phone can heat up if the temperature is over 45.°C, the camera will automatically shut down. To avoid this, lower the resolution to 1080p.

For dynamic scenes (sports, dancing), choose 1080p@60fps, which will make the motion smoother. If you want slow-motion, shoot at 1080p@120fps (only available in Slow-Shoot mode).

Hidden features of the Xiaomi Mi 8 camera

In addition to the standard settings, the Xiaomi Mi 8 has a few hidden features that many people don’t know about:

• 🔍 Macro mode: Although the Mi 8 does not have a dedicated macro camera, you can focus on objects from a distance of 5-10 cm if you manually sharpen the Pro Mode.
• 🎭 Double exposure: In Portrait mode, you can add a second layer (for example, a landscape) through the Xiaomi editor after shooting.
• 📏 Horizon level: Turn on the grid in the camera settings – an additional line will appear to help keep the phone even.
• 🔄 Quick camera switching: Tap the screen twice to switch between the main and front camera (not working in all firmware).

Another useful feature is the Document in Shooting Modes, which is optimized for text scanning and automatically aligns perspective, removing distortion, and is convenient for taking pictures of checks, pages of books or presentations.

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To activate hidden features (such as shooting in RAW or manual focusing), you may need to update your firmware to the latest version of MIUI. Check for updates in Settings → About Phone → System Update.

Typical problems and their solutions

Even with the right settings, Xiaomi Mi 8 users sometimes face problems when shooting.

⚠️ Warning: If the camera fails to connect to the camera, restart the phone. If the problem recurs, clear the Camera app cache in the settings (Settings) → Annexes → Camera. → Memory. → Clear the cache).

If the camera gets worse after the MIUI update (e.g., the detail deteriorated or artifacts appeared), try rolling back to the previous firmware version or installing Google Camera. Also check if third-party apps that use the camera in the background (e.g., spyware) are installed.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions