Extract on Xiaomi: how to set up manually for night photography and lighting

Smartphone photography has long ceased to be a simple point and take a picture. POCO They allow you to control shutter speed, which is a key parameter that determines how much light will hit the array, and this opens up possibilities for shooting in the dark, creating motion blur effects, or even light painting. But how do you activate that mode when you don't have it in the standard camera interface? And why is it that on some models, shutter speed is limited to 30 seconds, and on others, it's limited to 32 seconds?

In this article, we will discuss all the ways to configure shutter speed on Xiaomi, from the basic functions in the Camera app to hidden features through Pro mode and third-party applications. And also find out which models support shutter speeds up to 32 seconds without root (spoiler: it’s not just flagships).

If you've never shot long exposure, imagine a night city with blurred car lights, a starry sky with satellite tracks, or a lantern-drawn inscription in the air, all of which you can do on your smartphone -- you can set the settings right and lock your phone, but in order.

Why shutter speed is important for photos on Xiaomi

Shutter speed is the time the camera shutter stays open, letting light into the sensor, and the longer the shutter speed, the more light will hit the matrix, but the higher the risk of getting a blurred frame due to the shaking of the hands or movement of objects.

Xiaomi smartphones use automatic shutter speeds by default, which algorithms select based on light, but in some scenarios, automation will do worse than manual adjustment:

• 🌃 Night photography – without long exposure, city lights will be dim and the sky black.
• 💫 Light painting – drawing with light (such as a flashlight) requires exposure of 5 seconds.
• 🚗 Blurring of motion – for the effect of “smooth flow” of water or traces from cars.
• 🌌 Astrophotography – shooting stars or the Milky Way (requires exposures of 10–30 seconds).

But there are pitfalls, too: For example, most Xiaomis have a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds in standard mode, and some budget models (Redmi). 9A, POCO M3) You can get around this, but you'll need additional settings or third-party apps.

What Xiaomi models support manual shutter speed

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equally useful for long exposures. MIUI, And that's the difference between hardware platforms and even regional firmware:

If your model is not in the table, check for Pro mode in a standard camera:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Scroll through the shooting modes to the left until the end.
3. Look for the inscription Pro or Manual (on Russian firmware).

⚠️ Note: On some models (Redmi) 8A, POCO C31) Pro mode is hidden. To activate it, go to the camera settings. → Additionally. → Shooting modes and turn on manual settings.

How to set up shutter speed in a standard Xiaomi camera

If your smartphone supports Pro mode, you can set up shutter speed without third-party applications. MIUI 12–14:

1. Open the Camera app and select Pro (or Manual) mode.

2.At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a bar with the settings.Look for the icon of the watch (suspension) - usually located to the right of the icon. ISO.

3. Touch the icon and move the slider to the left (short shutter speed) or right (long speed speed) and the values will be displayed in seconds (for example, in seconds, 1/1000, 1", 10").

4. For exposures of more than 1 second, be sure to use a tripod or stable surface. Press the down button and wait for the timer to end.

On some models (Xiaomi) 12T, POCO F4 GT) There's a separate Long Exposure mode, which automatically combines multiple frames to reduce noise, but is limited to 10 seconds.

Use a tripod or support|Disable stabilization in camera settings|Charge your phone at least 50 times%|Remove the cover (can block cooling)|Select the format RAW post-processing-->

If the shutter slider is inactive or the maximum value is 4 seconds, then your model has a software limitation, in which case one of the solutions below will help.

Bypass the shutter speed limit: 3 working methods

What if you have a maximum shutter speed of 4 or 10 seconds in Pro mode and you need 30?

1. GCam (Google Camera) application

Google’s ported version of the camera often supports long shutter speeds even on budget smartphones. For example, on the Redmi Note 10 Pro, you can shoot up to 30 seconds via the GCam, whereas in a standard camera, the limit is 10 seconds.

How to determine:

• 🔍 Download the GCam version for your model on the forum 4PDA XDA-Developers (look for the topics by smartphone name).
• 📱 Install. APK-file by allowing installation from unknown sources.
• ⚙️ In GCam settings, activate Night Sight or Astrophotography Mode.

⚠️ Warning: Some versions of GCam may overheat processor on Xiaomi with Snapdragon 6xx. Watch the temperature of the phone – if it gets hot, interrupt the shooting.

2. Manual photography applications

If GCam is not suitable, try specialized apps:

• 📸 Manual Camera – Supports shutter speeds up to 60 seconds, RAW, histogram.
• 🌓 Camera FV-5 — Professional interface with aperture control (on supported devices).
• 🎥 ProCam X – there is a Light Painting mode for light painting.

Example of settings in Manual Camera:

1. Open the app and allow access to the camera.
2. Go to Manual mode.
3. Find the Shutter Speed setting and set the desired value.
4. Activate the timer or use an external descent (headphones with a volume button).

3. Light Painting mode in MIUI (covert)

On some models (Xiaomi) 11T Pro, POCO F3) The firmware has a hidden mode of lighting to activate it:

1. Open the Chamber and go to Additional (three dots in the upper right corner).
2. Select Shooting Modes → Long exposure.
3. If you don’t have a paragraph, try typing the command ##4636 into the engineering menu## → Information on ROM → Select Light Painting Mode

Optimal settings for different scenarios

Long exposure is not just about time, you have to set the right setup to get a good shot. ISO, White balance and focus. Here are some recommendations for popular scripts:

1. Night City (car lights, skyscrapers)

• 📏 Shutter speed: 10-20 seconds.
• 🌡️ ISO: 100-400 (the lower the noise, the less).
• 🎯 Focus: Manual focus on infinity (icon) ∞).
• 🔄 White balance: 3,500–4000K (warm-colored).

Light painting (painting with light)

• ⏱️ Shutter speed: 15-30 seconds.
• 📸 Format: RAW (post-processing).
• 🔦 Light source: Lantern with constant glow (not flashing).
• 📱 Stabilization: Turn off in camera settings!

3. Starry Sky (without a telescope)

• 🌌 Shutter speed: 20-30 seconds (at the latitude of Moscow / Peter).
• 🌡️ ISO: 1600-3200 (you have to suppress the noise in the Lightroom).
• 📐 Focus: Manual, the brightest star.
• 🌍 Location: Far from the city light (use the Light Pollution Map).

For all scenarios, it is mandatory:

• 🔋 Battery charge > 50% (long exposure time can drain your phone).
• 🧊 Ambient temperature > 0°C (in freezing temperatures, matrix may “noise").
• 📵 Do Not Disturb (vibration from notifications will blur the frame).

💡

If shooting is interrupted after 10 seconds, even though you have set 30, check the power saving settings. Add the camera app to the exceptions: Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → Select a camera → No restrictions.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even with the right settings, you can get a corrupted frame. Here are the typical errors and their solutions:

1. Lubricated image

Cause: Telephone shaking or object movement.

Decision:

• Use a tripod or improvised support (stack of books, parapet).
• Activate the descent timer (2-10 seconds) or control the shooting from the headphones.
• For moving objects (cars, people) reduce shutter speed to 1-5 seconds.

2. Too noisy photo

Reason: High ISO matrix.

Decision:

• Install. ISO ≤ 800 and increase shutter speed.
• Take it down. RAW and process it in Lightroom or Darktable.
• Let the phone cool between frames (especially relevant for Snapdragon) 7xx/8xx).

3. Overlights (lit areas)

Reason: Too long exposure for bright light sources.

Decision:

• Reduce the shutter speed to 5-10 seconds.
• Use it. ND-filter (for example, lens nozzle).
• Take pictures in damp weather – the clouds scatter the light.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with AMOLED-screens (for example, Xiaomi 12, POCO F4) If you're exposed to long exposure, you can have a "burn" effect, where bright pixels are printed on a matrix, so to avoid this, turn the phone down or minimize the brightness.

💡

For perfect lighting, use the Slow Shutter Cam (Android) app – it allows you to overlay multiple frames with long shutter speed in real time, creating brighter and clearer light traces.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions