How to take high-quality photos on Xiaomi: from basic settings to pro-modes

Xiaomi smartphones are no longer “budget compromises” — modern models of the Redmi Note series, POCO and the flagship Xiaomi 13/14 are equipped with cameras that can compete with top brands. However, even the most advanced optics can be “damaged” by incorrect settings or ignorance of the capabilities of the MIUI Camera. This article is not about abstract “photo tips”, but about specific algorithms for shooting on Xiaomi — from portrait mode to night shooting, taking into account the features of firmware and hardware.

We're not just going to look at basic functions like this. HDR or AI-modes, but also hidden chips: how to manually configure ISO And the shutter speed in Pro mode, why Redmi sometimes soaps photos when zoom, and how to get around the limitations of a standard camera app. MIUI Gallery is really useful, and which ones are better to refuse. If you want to stop receiving "lubricated night shots" or "overlit portraits," read on.

1. Preparation of the smartphone: cleaning the lens and checking the software

Before you dive into the settings, make sure your Xiaomi is physically ready to shoot. №1 bad photos, especially on budget models with a small aperture (for example, Redmi) 9A s f/2.2). Dust, fingerprints or greasy divorces scatter light, creating a “veil” in the pictures.

How to clean properly:

• 🧴 Use a microfiber wipe (for glasses, for example) and isopropyl alcohol 70%. Don't take a regular wet wipe - it leaves fibers behind.
• 🔍 Check all the lenses: main, wide-angle and telephoto lens (if any). On the Xiaomi 12 Pro, for example, there are three, and contamination of any of them degrades the quality.
• 🚫 Avoid “folk remedies” like toothpaste or vinegar – they damage the anti-reflective coating.

The second critical aspect is the firmware version, where MIUI 14+ has significantly redesigned its photo processing algorithms, especially for night photography and HDR.

1. Open the settings → About the phone → version of MIUI.
2. If the version is older than 14.0.5, update via Settings → System Update.

⚠️ Note: On some models (e.g, POCO M4 Pro after updating to MIUI 14 may disappear Documents mode in the camera, and you can restore it by resetting the application settings: Settings → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → Reset.

2. Basic camera settings: what to turn on and what to turn off

The standard Xiaomi Camera app is loaded with features, many of which work against you.

Where to find these settings:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Touch the gears (⚙️) top-right.
3. Go to the "Photo Resolution" and "Additional" section.

On models with Samsung ISOCELL sensor (such as Xiaomi 12T Pro), when shooting in.RAW format, the “Ultra HDR” mode is automatically activated, which stores up to 4 exposure steps in a single file. This is useful for later processing in Lightroom, but the files take ~30 MB each.

Shut down. AI-camera|Turn it on. HDR (motor-car)|Set maximum permit|Check the purity of the lens|Choose a 4:3 aspect ratio-->

3. Shooting Modes: When and How to Use

Xiaomi offers more than 10 shooting modes, but most users are limited to "Auto".

📸 Portrait mode

Perfect for shooting people, but requires the right focus:

• 👤 Distance to object: 1-2 meters. On the Redmi Note 11, when shooting closer than 50 cm, portrait mode automatically turns off.
• 💡 Lighting: natural light is better than lamps. If you don't have enough light, use a flash with a diffuser (you can make it out of paper).
• 🎨 Bokeh effects: choose "Natural" or "Studio" mode "Circle" often looks artificial.

🌙 Night mode.

Xiaomi’s algorithms for night shooting are some of the best in the segment, but there are nuances:

• ⏱️ Exposure time: on Xiaomi 13 Ultra you can put up to 30 seconds, but without a tripod it is pointless.
• 📱 Hold your smartphone absolutely still. Even micromotion leads to lubrication».
• 🔋 Battery charge: Night mode consumes up to 15% of the charge in 10 minutes of active shooting.

🌄 Pro-mode (Pro Mode)

For those who want complete control, key parameters:

• ISO: Xiaomi has the optimal range of 100-800. Above 1600, noise appears.
• Shutter speed: for moving objects - 1/500c, for static - 1/30c (but you need a stable hand).
• White Balance: Hand-expose "Cloud" in cloudy weather - automation is often wrong.

Example of settings for shooting sunset on POCO F4:

Mode: Pro


ISO: 200




Excerpt: 1/125c




White Balance: Daylight




Focus: Manual (infinity)




Format: RAW+JPEG

Zoom Shooting: How to Avoid Soap and Loss of Details

Many Xiaomi users face a problem: when you zoom, the photo becomes blurry or pixelated, the reason is a software zoom that just stretches the image. Even on flagships like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the optical zoom only works up to 3.2×, and everything else is software.

How to get the zoom right:

• 🔍 Use the optical zoom (if any). on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 2.× (50 MP sensor with crop).
• 📏 Don't come any closer than 5.× — Then comes the severe loss of quality.
• 🖼️ For distant objects, it is better to shoot without zoom, and then framing in the editor.

⚠️ Note: On models with MediaTek Helio G (e.g. Redmi) 9C) zoom >3× The camera interface can hang, and that's because the processor doesn't have enough performance to handle the magnification algorithms, so you can either restart the app or lower the photo resolution to 12 MP.

5. Photo processing in MIUI Gallery: what can be fixed

The Gallery app on Xiaomi offers basic editing tools that are enough for 80% of tasks, the main thing is not to overdo it.

• ✨ «Magical Improvement: Automatically adjusts exposure and color. Works well, but sometimes overstates saturation (especially at sunsets).
• 🎨 «Color correction: allows you to manually adjust temperature, hue and saturation, useful for correcting the "yellow" light of incandescent lamps.
• 🔪 «Cutting and Turning: Supports non-standard aspect ratios (e.g. 1:1 for Instagram).
• 👁️ «Retouch: removes pimples and wrinkles, but when used strongly, the face becomes "plastic».

What you can’t do in a standard gallery:

• 🚫 Correcting the noise in the high-pitched photo ISO.
• 🚫 Remove blurry from hand shaking (only manually in Photoshop or Lightroom).
• 🚫 Maintain changes in.RAW — editing applies only to JPEG.

💡

If you need to quickly remove an object from a photo (such as garbage on the street), use the Cloning feature in Google Photos. It works better than the tools in MIUI Gallery, and is free.

6. Video Shooting: Settings for a stable result

Videos on Xiaomi often suffer from "twitching" (due to weak stabilization) or "soap" (due to codec compression).

• 🎥 Permission: 1080p 60fps or 4K 30fps. 4K 60fps Available only on flagships (Xiaomi) 13/14), but heats up the processor.
• 🔄 Stabilization: Enable "Ultra-stabilization" (if any). POCO X5 It works better than the standard one.
• 🎤 Sound: For clean audio, use an external microphone (connects via a USB-C 3.5 mm on older models).

For dynamic scenes (sports, dancing):

• 🏃 Put the shutters on. 1/250c or higher to avoid "lubrication».
• 📱 Keep your smartphone horizontally, so stabilization works better.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi with Snapdragon processor 6xx (For example, the Redmi Note 11 when shooting 4K Video can be interrupted in 10 to 15 minutes because of overheating. Solution: lower the resolution to 1080p Or use an external cooler.

7. hidden camera chips Xiaomi: what not everyone knows

MIUI Camera has features that don’t lie on the surface, but can greatly improve shooting:

• 🔍 «Supermoon: Mode for shooting the moon, available on Xiaomi 12/13/14. Automatically adjusts exposure and focus to detail craters.
• 📄 «Documents": scans text and tables with perspective correction, useful for photographing checks or pages of books.
• 🎭 «Cloning: allows you to take multiple pictures with one object in different poses, and then combine them into one photo (available on the site). MIUI 13+).
• 🔄 «Double exposure: superimpose two frames on top of each other (e.g. portrait) + It works best on models with AMOLED-screen.

How to Enable Hidden Modes:

1. Open the Camera and swipe up the screen (on some models, swipe to the left).
2. Click on “More” (three dots or plus).
3. Select the desired mode from the list.

💡

Supermoon mode only works with manual focusing. If autofocus can't catch the moon, tap it on the screen and hold your finger for 2 seconds to lock the focus.

FAQ: Frequent questions about shooting on Xiaomi