How to use the camera Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: from basic features to professional secrets

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is still one of the most popular smartphones among amateur photographers thanks to its quadro camera with a resolution of 64 MP. But even owners of this device often use only 20% of its capabilities, shooting in automatic mode. Meanwhile, the right settings and knowledge of hidden features can turn your Redmi Note 8 Pro into an almost professional camera.

In this guide, we will not only examine the basic functions (how to turn on the camera or take a selfie), but also advanced techniques: manual tuning. ISO And excerpts, and you can shoot in format. RAW, Using a wide-angle lens without distortion, and the secrets of night photography that are not written in the official instructions, we will pay special attention to the typical mistakes of beginners - for example, why photos are blurry in good lighting or how to avoid "noise" in indoor pictures.

If you’ve just bought a Redmi Note 8 Pro or have been using it for a long time, but want to learn how to shoot like a pro – this article is for you. We’ve collected everything from the obvious to undocumented chips that even experienced Xiaomi users will discover.

1. Quick start: how to turn on the camera and take the first photo

Let’s start with the basics – how to physically launch the camera on the Redmi Note 8 Pro. This smartphone has 5 ways to quickly access the application “Camera”, and some of them do not know everything:

• 📱 Double pressing the power button (works even on a locked screen if the option is enabled in the settings).
• 🔍 Home screen shortcut – Keep your finger on the blank spot of the screen → "Widgets" → Drag the Camera icon".
• 👆 Gesture up the lock screen (if enabled in Settings) → Lock screen → Gestures).
• 🔘 Voice Assistant – Say “OK Google, open the camera” (requires voice control settings).
• 📲 Notification panel – swipe down from the top edge of the screen and tap on the Camera icon".

When you start the camera, you'll see the standard interface with a large shutter button at the bottom, but don't rush to press it!

• 🔄 Front/rear camera switch (round icon with arrows in upper right corner).
• ⚙️ Settings button (cogs) - here the most important parameters are hidden.
• 📷 Zoom slider – allows you to zoom in / out an object (but it is better to use “legs” rather than digital zoom!).

To take a photo, just press the circular button at the bottom of the screen. To take a series, hold it longer, the smartphone will take up to 20 frames per second (depending on the mode), and if you swipe the descent button left or right, Portrait or Video mode is activated, respectively.

⚠️ Note: By default, the camera saves the photo in format JPEG With strong compression, to get the best quality, go to the camera settings. → Photo format and select High Quality (HEIF) or RAW (We'll talk about it later).

2. Shooting modes: which to choose for the perfect shot

The Redmi Note 8 Pro features a quadro camera with four lenses, each of which is responsible for its own mode, and we'll take them from the most useful to the situational.

The most underrated mode is Professional. Here you can manually configure:

• 📐 Excerpt (from) 1/4000 before 32 seconds) – to photograph stars or luminous tracks.
• 🌡️ White balance (from) 2500K before 10000K) — Avoid yellowness in artificial lighting.
• 📈 ISO (50 to 3200) – the higher the frame, the brighter the frame, but the more noise.
• 🎯 Focus (manual or auto) – useful for macro photography.

For example: to remove the glowing tracks of cars at night, set the shutter speed on the 4-8 seconds, ISO on 400-800, You can manually type your focus into infinity (slider to the right all the way up), you can hold your smartphone on a tripod or put it on a hard surface, and voila, professional shot is ready!

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In the "Professional" mode, you can save photos at the same time in the JPEG and RAW. To do this, in the camera settings, turn on the option "Save" RAW-This is useful for post-processing in Lightroom or Photoshop.

3. Night mode: how to shoot in the dark without noise

The night mode on the Redmi Note 8 Pro is not just a marketing ploy, but thanks to the multi-frame Noise Reduction algorithms and hardware stabilization, the smartphone can take pictures in near-complete darkness without flashing.

First of all, the night mode doesn't automatically turn on, you have to manually select it from the mode list, and secondly, it only works when the camera is completely still, and even a slight shaking of the hand will ruin the shot.

• 📱 Use a tripod or put your smartphone in the wall / table.
• ⏱️ Press the down button and don't move. 3-6 Seconds (timer will appear on the screen).
• 🌃 If an object is moving (for example, a person), turn on the flash or use the "Photo" mode with an elevated ISO.

Secret trick: if you shoot a landscape with your hands (for example, a starry sky), go to professional mode, set the shutter speed. 8-16 seconds, ISO on 800-1600, a white balance on the 4000K. Then press the down button and gently place the smartphone screen down on a flat surface (for example, on the roof of the car). 10-15 In a second, you'll get a picture of the stars that you see!

⚠️ Warning: Night mode does not work with the front camera and in video mode, and it also turns off if the processor temperature exceeds 45.°C (the smartphone will give you a warning).

4. Portrait Mode: How to Make a Professional Bokeh

Portrait mode on Redmi Note 8 Pro uses dual lens (main lens) + depth meter to create a blurry background (bokeh) but often users get unrealistic blur or cropped hair:

• 👤 The distance to the object should be 1-2 If it's too close, it won't blur, if it's too far, it will flow".
• 🌿 The background should be contrasting (for example, green trees behind a person in light clothes.
• 💡 Lighting is better natural (window) or two light sources in front and side.

After the shooting, you can edit the blur:

1. Open the photo in the gallery.

2. Slip on the icon "Portrait" (bottom of the screen).

3. Slide adjust the intensity of the bokeh.

4. Click "Save as a copy."

For portrait mode selfies, use a 20MP front camera (select maximum resolution in the camera settings). But remember: the front camera blurs the background programmatically, so the effect will be less realistic than on the main camera.

Object at a distance 1-1.5 m from the camera|The background is contrasting and not too close|Natural lighting (without flash)|Clean lens (wipe with a napkin)|Unplugged. HDR (camera-setting)-->

5. Video: 4K, stabilization and hidden settings

Redmi Note 8 Pro shoots video in resolution before 4K@30fps and 1080p@60fps, but it's the default 1080p@30fps. To change that:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Switch to Video Mode.
3. Put it on the snare (snare) icon.
4. Select Video Resolution → 4K or 1080p 60fps.
5. Enable Video Stabilization (if disabled).

For professional video shooting, pay attention to:

• 🎥 Mode "Short Video" - automatically mounts videos with music (useful for storis).
• 🔊 External microphone - connect through USB-C pitch-wise.
• ⏱️ Timelapse – accelerated shooting (for example, sunset or construction).
• 📱 Double recording – simultaneously removes from the front and rear camera (included in the settings).

An important point: when shooting in 4K Electronic stabilization is shut down (EIS). To prevent the video from shaking, use a tripod or mode 1080p stabilised.

If you’re shooting long videos (such as a lecture or concert), you’ll have enough battery to keep you busy. ~1.5 hours of continuous recording in 1080p. To save energy:

• Turn off HDR in the video settings.
• Reduce the permit to 720p (unless quality is critical).
• Use the aircraft mode (so that the background processes do not load the processor).

6. Hidden Camera Functions You Didn't Know About

Even experienced users of the Redmi Note 8 Pro often do not know about these chips:

• 🔍 Macrograph: Bring the camera to the 2-5 cm to an object (like a flower) and it will automatically switch to macro mode. 2 MP, but the detail is amazing.
• 📏 Horizon level: In Photo mode, turn on the grid (Settings) → Grid, and you will see a level for even frames.
• 🎨 Color filters: In Portrait mode, swipe your finger across the screen to the left/right to change your style (ch/b, sepia, etc.).
• 🔄 Cloning of objects: Shoot video in "Double entry" mode, and then in the "Gallery" app select "Effects" → Clone".
• 📊 Histogram: In professional mode, tap on the screen - a graph of the distribution of light / shadows will appear.

Another little-known possibility is shooting in format. RAW. This format saves all the data from the sensor without processing, allowing Later to edit the photo like a professional:

1. Go to Camera Settings → Photo format.
2. Choose. RAW (or JPEG + RAW dubbing).
3. Take a photo in the "Professional" mode.

RAW-file-weight ~20-30 MBs are all, so remember to clean the memory. Adobe Lightroom, Snapseed or other devices are suitable for processing them. RAW Therapee (free for PC).

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Shooting in RAW gives full control over white balance, exposure and colors in post-processing, but requires skills in graphic editors.

7.Typical mistakes and how to avoid them

Even with a great camera, you can take bad photos. Here are the 5 most common mistakes on the Redmi Note 8 Pro and how to fix them:

Another common problem is a dirty lens. Even a discreet fingerprint or dust can spoil the frame by adding blur or glare. Rub the lenses with a microfiber wipe (not clothes!) at least once a week. Use a dry brush or compressed air balloon to clean hard-to-reach areas (such as between lenses).

⚠️ Warning: Never use alcohol, wet wipes or rough fabrics to clean the lens, which can damage the protective coating of the lenses and lead to permanent glare in the photo.

8 Post-processing: how to improve the photo directly on the smartphone

A good photo is 50% photo dependent and 50% processing dependent. Redmi Note 8 Pro has built-in editing tools, but we recommend using third-party apps:

• 📸 Snapseed (Google) – Free and Powerful Editor with Support RAW.
• 🎨 Adobe Lightroom Mobile – Professional color correction and presets.
• 🤳 VSCO — stylish filters and fine-tuning of the exposure.
• 📱 Xiaomi Gallery – built-in tools for cropping, turning and basic correction.

Basic rules of processing:

1. Cutting: Remove the extra items at the edges (rule of thirds!).
2. Exposure: Raise shadows, but don't overshadow the light.
3. Color: Increase saturation by 10-15%, But no more (otherwise it would be vulgar).
4. Sharpness: Add carefully (maximum) +20%, or else artifacts will appear.

For portraits in Lightroom, try this recipe:

1. Increase the contrast by +20.

2. Lower the high lights by -30.

3.Add clarity to +15 (for volume).

4. In the section HSL Reduce the saturation of orange tones (so that the skin looks natural).

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Save your processing style as a preset in Lightroom to apply it to other photos in one click. After editing, click on the three dots in the upper right corner. → "Create a preset".

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions