How to set up a camera on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: a complete guide for the perfect photos

Introduction: Why Setup Redmi Note 8 Pro Camera Is Art

Smartphone Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro still remains one of the most popular devices among amateur photographers due to its quad camera with the main sensor at 64 MP. But even the most advanced "iron" does not guarantee great pictures without the right settings. Many users shoot in auto mode for years, not knowing that their phone is capable of much more: from professional shooting in the format of β€œauto”. RAW Nightscapes with minimal noise.

This article isn't about basic tips like "wipe the lens" or "keep your phone straight." Here you'll find deep camera settings, hidden features. MIUI, And we'll also give you practical guidelines for each of the four modules: the main, the ultra-wide-angle, the macro, and the depth sensor, and we'll look at how to get around the limitations of stock software, what parameters affect detail, and why it's sometimes best to turn off the back. HDR, despite the advice of the "experts".

We will pay special attention to the unique feature of the Redmi Note 8 Pro – hardware video stabilization at the level of flagships in 2023, which Xiaomi for some reason does not advertise. If you shoot a lot of videos for social networks or just want to save memories in the best quality, this guide will become your desktop book.

1. Basic camera settings: what to put first

Before you dive into manual modes, make sure the basic camera settings are optimally configured. Go to the Camera app, swipe up or tap the gear icon to open the settings. Here are key points that are often overlooked:

  • πŸ“Έ Photo resolution: Choose 64 MP for maximum detail (but remember that such shots take up a lot of time). ~20 MB each. 16 pixel binning pixels are enough for everyday shooting β€” the quality is almost not affected, and space is saved.
  • πŸŒ™ Night Mode: Activate Auto-Night Mode so that the camera can tell you when to turn on multi-frame photography, which will save you at dusk, but remember to turn it off during the day, otherwise the pictures will be overcast.
  • πŸ”„ Save Settings: Turn on Save camera settings, otherwise after closing the application all your manual edits will reset.
  • πŸ“± For Instagram stories, choose 4:5, for print - 3:4, for YouTube videos - 16:9.

Note the Watermark. Many people turn it off, but if you're taking it for commercial purposes, it's best to keep it, it'll protect your photos from theft. You can customize the watermark: add your nickname or logo through Settings. β†’ Additionally. β†’ Watermark setting.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI missing some settings (for example, manual focus), reset the camera settings to factory: β†’ System system β†’ Resetting settings β†’ Resetting the camera settings, which will bring back all the hidden options.

πŸ“Š How often do you change your camera settings on your smartphone?
Never, ever, ever, ever.
Adjust brightness/contrast in front of important shots
I adjust manual parameters for each photo
I only use third-party cameras (GCam, Open Camera)

2. Shooting modes: when and how to use them

The Redmi Note 8 Pro offers 7 basic shooting modes, but most users only use three: Photo, Portrait and Video. Meanwhile, using the rest of the modes correctly can radically improve your shots.

Regime.When to useHidden chips
Night.In lighting < 50 lux (twilight, evening, dark rooms)Hold the phone still. 3-5 You can use manual nighttime photography to increase the shutter speed to 10 s.
PortraitTo photograph people/animals at a distance of 0.5-2 mPress the badge. βš™οΈ β†’ Bokeh effects to choose blur style: Mode works better in good lighting!
MacroFor objects 2-5 cm away (flowers, insects, textures)Use additional lighting (a flashlight or an external lamp), otherwise there will be a lot of noise.
Wide-angleFor landscapes, architecture, cramped roomsEnable distortion correction in the settings to avoid fisheye.Wide-angle camera resolution is 8 MP.
ProTo have full control over the exhibition, ISO, white-balanceSave the photo in. RAW (setting up in the top menu to allow the later to edit them in Lightroom without loss of quality.

The most underrated mode is the Document, which automatically aligns perspective and removes shadows when shooting papers, books or screens, and if you often have to take pictures of checks, tickets or slides from presentations, this mode will save you hours of post-processing.

πŸ’‘

To quickly switch between modes, add them to the Quick Access Panel: Click More β†’ Set up β†’ Drag the desired modes to the top row.

Manual settings in Pro mode: full control of the shooting

The Pro mode in the Redmi Note 8 Pro allows you to set 6 key parameters, but most users are afraid to touch it. In fact, you just need to understand the basic principles to significantly improve the quality of shots.

  • πŸ”˜ Exposition (EV): It's responsible for the brightness of the image (+1, +2) for shooting against light, reduce (-1, -2) in too bright light.
  • ⏱️ Shutter speed: The time the shutter opens. Use static objects 1/50–1/200, motion-capture (water, cars) β€” 1/1000 You can put it at night. 1–4 c, but only with a tripod!
  • πŸ“Š ISO: Sensitivity to light: 100-400 in the daytime, 800-1600 in the room, 3200 max at night (higher than too much noise).
  • 🎯 Focus: In manual mode, you can focus on a specific point (useful for macro or portraits with unusual blurring).
  • πŸ”„ White balance (WB): Automation is often wrong with artificial lighting. 3200K, for LED β€” 4000K, daylight β€” 5500K.

The most common mistake of beginners is to try to twist all the parameters to the maximum, for example, to increase the parameters at the same time. ISO And exposure in a dark room, and that leads to overlit shots with lots of noise:

  1. First set the minimum. ISO (100).
  2. Choose the shutter speed so that the picture is not dark (but not blurred).
  3. If there is no light, raise it. ISO manageably.

Install ISO 100-200|Excerpt. 1/100-1/200|Exposition -0.3 or -0.7|White balance 5000K|Focus manually on the horizon|Shut down. HDR-->

4 Secrets of Video Shooting: How to Use Hardware Stabilization

Redmi Note 8 Pro is equipped with hardware video stabilization (EIS), which works even in 4K. But by default, it's disabled in some modes:

  1. Open the Camera app and go to Video mode.
  2. Touch the stabilization icon (arm icon) in the top menu.
  3. Choose Ultra-stabilization for maximum smoothing of tremors (works only in Full). HD).

To shoot a video in 4K Stabilization is only available in standard mode (EIS), But it can be improved software. Here's the life hack: shoot in. 4K/30fps with stabilization enabled, and then process the video in the CapCut or Adobe Premiere Rush app using the Warp Stabilizer filter. 30–40% quality-free.

Another little-known trick: if you need to shoot slow-motion videos, use Slow-motion (240 or 960 fps) mode, but remember:

  • 🐒 At 960 fps, the resolution drops to 720p, The duration is limited to 0.2 seconds of real time.
  • πŸ’‘ For the best result, shoot in bright light (preferably outside during the day).
  • πŸ”‹ Slow-motion is very warm processor - after 3-4 takes, let the phone cool down for 5 minutes.

⚠️ Note: When shooting a video in 4K/60fps If you want a clear video with a quick focus (for example, for sports events), shoot in the video. 4K/30fps full HD/60fps.

5 Post-processing: how to improve the photo directly on the phone

Even a perfectly shot can be improved with built-in tools. MIUI. Open a photo in the gallery, click Edit and pay attention to these features:

  • ✨ AI-Improvement: Automatically adjusts exposure, contrast and saturation, works better than Google Photos, but sometimes overdoses with plastic effects on faces.
  • 🎨 Curves: Allows you to spot-tune shadows, lights and color channels, useful for restoring over-lit areas.
  • πŸ” Retouch: In Portrait mode, you can separately edit the background and object, add bokeh effects or change the lighting of the face.
  • πŸ“ Cast: Use the Golden Ratio for compositionally correct frames.

For more serious processing, install Adobe Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed. Lightroom can be imported. RAW-You can edit your camera files without losing quality:

  • Upgrad the exposure to +0.3–0.7 for more lively images.
  • Reduce heights to -20 to soften sudden transitions.
  • Add the brightness of shadows on +30 to 50 to work out details in dark areas.
  • Use Selective Correction (Brush) to locally brighten your faces or darken the background.

If you shoot for Instagram, export your photos in resolution. 1080Γ—1350 (for storis or 1080Γ—1080 (In Lightroom Export Settings, select Quality 90% β€” This is enough for social networks, and the weight of the file will be in 2–3 less.

How to save Lightroom settings for reuse
Create Preset after editing your photo: click on three dots in the upper right corner β†’ Create a preset β†’ Select the options you want to save (e.g. Color, Light, Details) and you can now apply these settings to other photos in one click.

6: Redmi Note 8 Pro Camera Problems and How to Solve Them

Despite its excellent hardware, the Redmi Note 8 Pro’s camera sometimes behaves inappropriately, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

Problem.Possible causeDecision
The camera is not focusing.Contaminated lens or downed settingsWipe the lens with a microfiber. If it doesn't work, reset the camera settings or reinstall the Camera app through Settings. β†’ Annexes.
Photos too darkWrong regime or low regime ISOTurn on the car.-HDR or hand-push ISO before 800–1600. Keep your phone at night at least motionless. 3 seconds.
Video twitches as pannedDeactivated stabilization or weak processorActivate Ultra Stabilization (for Full only) HD). If the phone is overheating, lower the resolution to 1080p.
Colors are unrealistic (too bright)Aggressive handling by XiaomiTurn it off. AI-camera in settings or shoot in Pro mode with manual white balance.
Macro camera's not working.Distance to object >5cmBring the phone closer (2-4 cm) and use the extra lighting to make autofocus work faster.

If the camera started to "glue" after the update MIUI, Try to roll back on the previous firmware version or install alternative software, such as Google Camera (GCam). BSG or Urnyx05. You can download them on the forum. 4PDA (Port GCam for Redmi Note 8 Pro").

⚠️ Note: When using GCam, disable the stock Camera app in settings (Settings) β†’ Annexes β†’ Camera. β†’ Otherwise, conflicts and overheating of the processor may occur.

7.Alternative cameras: Whether to use GCam or Open Camera

Stock camera. MIUI It is well optimized for everyday shooting, but it has limitations: it does not have a full-fledged camera. RAW nighttime, poor video processing, and sometimes even disappear settings after updates. Alternative applications can solve these problems, but not always.

Here is a comparison of three popular options:

AnnexPlusesConsBetter for you.
Google Camera (GCam)Best. HDR, nighttime, detailingNo wide-angle camera, possible bugsPortrait photography, night photos
Open CameraRAW support, manual settings, no advertisingWeak processing, no. AI-functionProfessional photography in RAW
MIUI stock cameraStable operation, all modules are supportedLimited settings, aggressive processingEveryday shooting, video.

If you decide to try out the GCam, here are the best settings for the Redmi Note 8 Pro:

  • Install. HDR+ Enhanced in the module settings.
  • Turn off Motion Photos (they take up a lot of space).
  • In the Advanced section, activate Sabre for better shadow processing.
  • For video, select codecs HEVC (Save space) and bitrate 50 Mbps.

Remember, alternative cameras can drain the battery and heat the processor more, so if you notice that the phone is going down quickly, go back to the stock app or limit the time you shoot in the GCam to 10-15 minutes straight.

πŸ’‘

Stock camera. MIUI It's better for video and wide-angle photography, and GCam is better for low-light photography.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions

How to make a blurred background (boke) in portrait photos?
Use Portrait Mode and make sure: The subject is 0.5-2 meters away from the camera. The background is contrasting (not monochromatic) and is 1.5-3 meters behind the subject. The portrait mode settings select Natural Blurr (not Studio). If the effect is too weak, edit the photo after shooting in Lightroom using the depth mask tool.
Why do photos turn green or purple at night?
This is an artifact of night mode operation in artificial lighting. To fix: Turn off Auto-Night mode and shoot in Pro with manual settings: ISO: 1600–3200, Excerpt: 1/10–1/4 (Use a tripod!), White Balance: 3500–4000K. If the colors are wrong, take them off. RAW Adjust the white balance in Lightroom.
Can I shoot a video in 4K/60fps stabilised?
No, in the Redmi Note. 8 Pro hardware stabilization (EIS) only works 4K/30fps full HD. Primary 4K/60fps Stabilization turns off automatically. If you want a smooth, high-resolution video, shoot it in the video. 4K/30fps with Ultra-stabilization enabled, and then speed up the video in the editor to 1.5x–2x β€” It will look like it visually. 60fps.
How to turn off the camera shutter sound?
In some countries (Japan, Korea) you can't legally turn off the shutter sound, but in Russia it's allowed. β†’ Sounds and vibrations. Scroll down and turn off Camera sounds. If you don't have a point, set up Open Camera, where you can turn off the shutter sound in the app settings.
What is the maximum resolution of a wide-angle camera?
Wide-angle module in Redmi Note 8 Pro has permission 8 MPP (3264Γ—2448 When you shoot in Wide-angle mode, you save wide-angle photos in this resolution. To get a more detailed picture, take a panorama in standard mode and then crop it in the editor.