Setup camera on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T: a complete guide for the perfect photos

Introduction: Why the Redmi Note 8T camera requires fine tuning

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8T is equipped with a quadro camera with a main module at 48 MP, but even this hardware does not guarantee automatic professional shots. The fact is that the factory settings of the camera are focused on versatility, they should “fit” most users in most scenarios. However, for specific tasks (portrait shooting, night photography, video for social networks), these settings often require adjustments.

In this article, we’ll look at all the hidden camera settings that Xiaomi doesn’t advertise on the main menu, but which have a profound impact on the quality of the shots. You’ll learn how to turn on HDR+ for bright scenes, adjust white balance for natural colors, and why Pro mode gives better results than automation — even if you’re not a professional. And we’ll also uncover a unique focus bug in MIUI 12.5-14 versions that spoils 30% of night photos and shows how to get around it.

Important: All screenshots and instructions are up to date for the latest stable MIUI 14.0.6 firmware (Android 12) on the Redmi Note 8T. If you have a different version, some menu items may be slightly different - but the customization logic remains the same.

Basic camera settings: what can be changed without Pro mode

Before diving into manual settings, it’s worth optimizing the options available in the main interface of the Camera application, and many users don’t even realize that key switches are hidden here:

• 🔍 Photo resolution: by default costs 48 MP, but for social networks will be enough and 12 MP (files will be 4 times lighter, and the difference in quality on the phone screen is imperceptible).
• 🌙 Night mode: automatically activated in low light, but it can be forced to activate during the day for a "blurred" artistic effect.
• 🎭 Beauty: even in the off state, the software smooths the skin - it turns off only in Pro mode.
• 📏 Grid: Turn on the Golden Ratio (not the standard ratio) 3×3 lines) for a more harmonious composition.

To open these settings, tap the gear in the upper right corner of the camera screen. Pay special attention to the Watermark item, it is better to turn it off, as it occupies up to 15% of the area of the image and interferes with subsequent processing. AI-Scene recognition: This feature is useful for beginners, but often miscalculates white balance (e.g., makes the sky green at sunset).

Pro mode: full control of the shooting

Pro (or Manual) mode is a Redmi Note 8T "secret weapon" that allows you to squeeze the maximum out of the camera.

• ⚖️ Excerpt (from) 1/1000 before 32 Seconds – critical for night shooting or water blur.
• 🎯 ISO (Light sensitivity, range 100–6400) – the higher, the brighter the picture, but also noisier.
• 🔄 White balance (from) 2500K before 10000K) — Corrects Unnatural Shades in Artificial Lighting.
• 📐 Focus (manual focus from 0 to 0) ∞) — Rescue when autofocus "cannot see" an object.

How to use Pro mode:

1. Open the Camera app and swipe left to Pro.
2. Slip on any parameter (such as S for exposure) and adjust with a slider.
3. To save settings as preset, click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Save.

Tip for night photography: set shutter speeds for 4-8 seconds, ISO for 800-1600, and use a tripod (or stable surface) so you get bright photos with minimal noise, but in the daytime it is better to limit yourself to ISO 100-400 and shutter speeds of 1/500-1/1000 to avoid overlighting.

Set white balance at 5000K-5500K

Disable AI-recognition of scenes

Use the focal length 2x (telephoto lens)

Reduce contrast in post-processing-->

Secret Camera Features: What's Hidden in MIUI

Xiaomi has traditionally hidden some of the camera’s capabilities in the engineering menu or setting depths. Here’s what you can activate on the Redmi Note 8T:

1. Advanced HDR: In standard mode, HDR only works in high contrast. To enable it forcefully, go to Camera Settings → Additional → Improved HDR.
2. Raw files (RAW): allows you to edit photos without loss of quality. Enables in Pro → three dots → Save RAW.
3. 4K@60fps: By default, the video is shot in 4K@30fps. To unlock 60 frames, set to Settings → Video Resolution → 2160p60 (at least 10GB of free space is required).

Another life hack: if your camera “slows down” at launch, clear the app cache (Settings → Apps → Camera → Clear cache) and turn off the AI-recognition of scenes – this will speed up work by 20-30%.

Common Camera Problems and Their Solutions

Even after setting it up correctly, Redmi Note 8T users are faced with typical bugs, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI the camera started to "blink" when shooting a video, reset the application settings (Settings) → Annexes → Camera. → This is due to the conflict between the new stabilization algorithms and the old cache.

• 📸 Blurred night photos: often caused by automatic noise processing. Solution - shoot in Pro mode with the help of the camera. ISO not exceeding 1600 and a shutter speed of 2-4 seconds.
• 🔴 Red on the faces: wrong white balance is to blame. 4500K–5000K.
• 📱 Camera not focusing: clean the lens with soft cloth (fat spots interfere with autofocus.
• 🎥 Video twitches: Turn off Stabilization in video settings – sometimes it works worse than without it.

Particularly noteworthy is the problem with green artifacts in photos when shooting in format. HEIF. It's a codec bug in MIUI 13-14, which is decided by the transition to the format JPEG (Settings → Photo format → JPEG). Also check if the mode is not included. AI-color – it often overdoes with saturation.

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If the camera suddenly stopped running, try removing updates for the Camera app through Settings → Apps → Camera → Remove updates. This will reset it to a factory version that is more stable.

Optimization of the camera for social networks: Instagram, TikTok, Telegram

Each social network has its own content requirements, and Redmi Note 8T allows you to adapt the shooting to them:

• 📷 Instagram: Shoot in 4:5 (vertical photos) to avoid cropping the frame.Use the Clarity filter in the Xiaomi Gallery for a soft sharpening.
• 🎵 TikTok: Video must be at 9:16 (full screen vertical format). Enable Microphone enhanced noise cancellation in video settings.
• 💬 Telegram: Use 12 MP resolution to preview chats, it loads faster. Turn off geotegas to keep your location from being revealed.

For Stories on Instagram and TikTok, it’s helpful to include Live Photos (Settings → Additional → Live Photos) that creates a 3-second video in front of the main frame that can be used as animation.

Important: When you upload photos to social media, they compress them, so that you can minimize quality loss, before you post:

1. Open the photo in the Xiaomi gallery.
2. Tap to edit → Correction → Sharpness and increase the value by 10-15%.
3. Save a copy (Save as a copy) and upload it.

Comparison with competitors: what can the camera Redmi Note 8T

When it was released in 2019, the Redmi Note 8T offered one of the best cameras in its price segment. But what does it look like in the face of modern public sector? We compared it to the Redmi Note 12 and the Samsung Galaxy A34:

The conclusion is that the Redmi Note 8T still holds up, especially when compared to the 2020-2021 models, with its main advantage being flexible manual settings that circumvent hardware limitations, but it automatically loses to new smartphones because of outdated processing algorithms.

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The Redmi Note 8T is still the best choice for those who are willing to spend time on manual settings. In automatic mode, it is inferior to new models, but in Pro mode it can give a head start even to the flagships of 2020.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions