How to set up shutter speed on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9: from the machine to the pro mode

Why shutter speed is important for photos on the Redmi Note 9

Shutter speed is the time the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 camera array captures light when shooting, and its proper setting determines whether you get a clear shot of a moving object or an artistically blurry picture of a nightscape. Unlike flagship models, where manual settings are brought to the fore, the Redmi Note 9 has a deeper hidden pattern — but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be flexibly adjusted.

Basic camera of the smartphone (the main module on the 48 MP) supports the extraction of 1/4000down 32But by default, the phone uses an automatic setup that doesn't always handle the difficult lighting conditions, like when you're shooting a starry sky or a glowing trail at night, the machine will just light up the frame with white noise. In this article, we will discuss how to manually control shutter speed – both through the standard Camera application and using third-party tools.

It's important to understand that long exposures require stabilization of the smartphone, even slight shaking of the hands when you're in the air. 1/10It will lead to a blurred frame, so you can use a tripod or an improvised support for your experiments (e.g. a stack of books folded up).

Method 1: Manual control of shutter speed in a standard camera

The stock app Camera on Redmi Note 9 hides manual settings behind the "Pro" (or "Pro") mode to activate it:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Fly through the shooting modes to the left to the "More" point (three dots).
3. Select "Professional" (the icon with the letter "P").

In the pro mode interface, you'll see the "S" slider, which is shutter speed. You can set the value from here. 1/4000c (for "freezing" traffic) before 32c (for night shooting). When exposure is longer 1/15c on the screen will appear a warning about the need for stabilization - you can ignore it only if you specifically want to get the effect of "wiggle".

Install ISO minimally (100-200) daylight

Turn off digital zoom (it degrades quality when exposed to long exposure)

Activate the grid for the correct composition

Charge your phone at least 50% (long exposure consumes battery)

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Pay attention to the shutter speed and ISO (light sensitivity. Long exposure ISO It is better to keep the values low (for example, 100-400), If you don't, you'll see digital noise in the photos:

⚠️ Warning: When shuttering longer than 4c, the Redmi Note 9 automatically turns off autofocus. To avoid blurring, focus on the subject first and put the focus into manual mode (press the screen and hold your finger until the lock appears). AF-L).

Method 2: Applications for extended exposure control

Xiaomi’s standard camera limits maximum shutter speed to 32c and also doesn’t allow you to save photos in format RAW (This restriction bypasses third-party applications such as:

• 📱 Camera FV-5 — supports shutter speed up to 60c, saving in RAW, histogram and manual focus with picking.
• 🌌 Night Camera – specializes in night shooting with automatic noise correction at long exposure.
• 🎯 ProCam X – offers separate shutter speed settings for the front and main camera, as well as the “Light Painting” mode (light graphics).

Let’s look at the example of Camera. FV-5:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Open it and give access to the camera and storage.
3. Go to the settings (cogs) → Camera API → choose Camera2 API (This will open access to manual settings).
4. Go back to the shoot interface and tap the "S" icon. Pull the slider left to reduce the time or right to zoom in.

In Camera. FV-5 Bracketing is also available, which is a series of frames that are automatically taken at different shutter speeds, and it's useful for later creation. HDR-- To activate bracketing, or to select the best frame:

Settings → Shoot → Bracketing → Shutter speed → Set a step (for example, 1/3 EV) and frame count (3-7).

Xiaomi's Standard Camera|Camera FV-5|Open Camera|ProCam X|Other-->

⚠️ Attention: When shooting in RAW file-in 3-5 more space than JPEG. For example, one shot with a Redmi Note 9 format RAW weight ~40-50 Before the session, check the free space on your phone or use a memory card.

Features of night shooting with long exposure

Night photography is a separate art, where exposure plays a key role. On the Redmi Note 9, you can achieve impressive results if you follow a few rules:

• 🌃 Use a tripod - even when you are holding up 1/2Any holder, including mini-stations for smartphones, will do.
• 🔋 Turn off the power saving -- long-term photography consumes the battery, and the saving mode can interrupt the process. → Battery → Performance mode.
• 📱 Activate the timer, even pressing the screen can cause micromotion. In pro mode of a standard camera, set the delay to 2c or 10c.
• 🌌 Experiment with white balance -- automatic BB at night often gets it wrong. Try hand-held presets. 3200K (warm lights) or 5500K (cold).

To capture the starry sky on Redmi Note 9, use the following parameters:

• Excerpt: 20-30c (maximum to avoid "lubrication" of stars due to the rotation of the Earth).
• ISO: 1600-3200 (higher - too noisy).
• Focus: manual, mounted on the "infinity" (pull the slider focus to the right).
• Format: JPEG (RAW too noisy on the budget matrix).

If you are shooting the glowing tracks of cars, try this trick: set the shutter speed on the 10-15s, ISO on 200, And you can take a series of shots in Serial mode, and later in an editor (like Snapseed or Lightroom) you can combine several shots to enhance the effect.

How to avoid typical errors when setting up shutter speed

Even experienced photographers sometimes make mistakes when working with shutter speed on smartphones, and here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

Another common mistake is ignoring exposure. Even when you shut it down correctly, it can be too dark or too light because of improper exposure. In manual mode, the standard Xiaomi camera, the exposure is controlled by a slider with an icon "±". Try to shift it to -0.3 or +0.7 corrective.

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If you're shooting water (river, waterfall) during the day, use a polarizing filter for your smartphone, which will reduce glare and allow you to use a longer exposure without overlighting.

⚠️ Note: When shooting in format RAW Redmi Note 9 color reproduction may seem flat – it’s normal. RAW-Files require post-processing in Lightroom or Darktable to correct color and contrast.

Shooting with long exposure without a tripod: life hacks

You don't always have a tripod on hand, but that's not a reason to give up on long exposure experiments. Here are some ways to stabilize the Redmi Note 9 in the field:

• 📦 Improvised support - put your phone on a stack of books, windowsill or even attach to a tree branch with scotch tape (carefully!).
• 🧤 Use headphones – connect wired headphones and use the volume button on them like a trigger (so you avoid touching the screen).
• 🏗️ Strengthen the rubber band between two heavy objects (such as stones) and fasten the phone in a loop.
• 🧘 Breathing Technique – Hold Your Breath 2-3 seconds before shooting to reduce hand tremors.

If you want to shoot a timelapse video, but you still have control over shutter speed, use the Lapse It app, which allows you to set shutter speeds for each frame in sequence, such as for a sunset.

• Set the shutter speed. 1/2s.
• Interval between personnel: 5c.
• Duration of the roller: 10-15c (final video).

Remember, when you take timelapse, the phone will get hot if the temperature goes over 45.°C, Redmi Note 9 can automatically reduce performance or turn off the camera.To avoid this, shoot in a cool place and close the background apps.

Post-processing of long exposure photos

Even a perfectly shot shot shot often requires some work, and the following tools are suitable for photos with the Redmi Note 9:

• 📱 Snapseed (free) – convenient for correction of exposure, contrast and noise removal tool "Selective correction".
• 💻 Lightroom Mobile – allows you to work with RAW, adjust curves and use presets.
• 🖥️ Darktable (for PC) – free analogue of Lightroom with support RAW and advanced noise reduction tools.

When processing long exposure photos, follow this algorithm:

1. Cut the frame to remove unnecessary elements.
2. Adjust exposure and contrast – usually these images require increased contrast. 10-20%.
3. Remove noise with the Noise Cancelation tool (but don’t overdo it – it will reduce the detail).
4. Adjust white balance – night shots often have a cold hue that can be warmed to a warmer temperature. 4000K.
5. Add vignetting (blackening of the edges) to accent the center of the frame.

For photos with glowing tracks or stars, it is useful to use camouflage in Lightroom: darken the over-lit areas (for example, car headlights) and brighten the dark areas (sky, shadows).

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Take it down. RAW If you plan to post-process, otherwise, JPEG It will give a cleaner result thanks to the built-in processing Xiaomi.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shutter speed on Redmi Note 9