How to take a picture of the moon on a Xiaomi smartphone: a complete guide from preparation to processing

Taking a picture of the moon on a smartphone is a task that seems easy only at first glance. In reality, even owners of flagship Xiaomi often get blurred spots instead of a clear crater of Quiet or the Sea of Tranquility. The problem is not the camera, but the wrong approach: shooting a night star requires taking into account the phase of the moon, atmospheric conditions and fine-tuning professional mode. In this article, we will learn how to circumvent the limitations of a smartphone and get a shot that is not ashamed to share on social networks – even if you have a budget model of the Redmi Note.

It's important to understand that the moon is a moving object (due to the rotation of the Earth), and its brightness is deceptive. Xiaomi's auto-click camera almost always over-lights the picture or makes it dark, losing details. We will learn how to control shutter speed, ISO and focus manually, select the optimal time to shoot and tell how to process the photo to look like a telescope. No need to buy expensive optics, just follow our recommendations and practice a little.

Why is the moon blurred or over-lit?

The main mistake of newcomers is to take an automatic picture of the moon, Xiaomi's algorithms are designed to take pictures of Earth objects, and the night star requires a different approach.

• 🌕 Incorrect exposure: The moon appears bright, but in fact its surface reflects only 12% of the sunlight. ISO or the stain, which causes the parts to burn out".
• 📱 Lack of optical stabilization: even slight tremors in the long exposure lead to blurring. Budget Redmi and Poco have little or no stabilization.
• 🌫️ Atmospheric distortion: the closer the Moon is to the horizon, the more its image is distorted by the layers of the atmosphere (the effect of "shaking").
• 🔍 Imaculate focus: Smartphone autofocus is not designed for infinitely distant objects. With manual focus, many people miss the moment of perfect sharpness.

Another nuance is the moon phase, and the full moon seems like the best time to shoot, but in fact, it's better to choose when the moon is in the first or last quarter phase, when the shadows from the craters are longer and the surface relief is clearer, and the full moon, on the contrary, looks flat because of the uniform lighting.

Which Xiaomi models are better for shooting the moon?

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equally good for astrophotography, but the key options to look out for are:

• 📸 The size of the sensor: the larger the physical size of the sensor (e.g., the sensor, 1/1.28" Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs. 1/2.55" redmi 10), The better he catches the light.
• 🔭 Telephoto lens: models with 50x or 100x With digital zoom (such as the Mi 11 Ultra or 13 Pro) you can zoom in without losing quality.
• 🖥️ Firmware mode: in flagships (Xiaomi) 12S Ultra, 13T Pro) has manual shutter speed settings up to 32 seconds and ISO 6400, which is critical for night photography.
• 🔋 Stabilization: optical systems (OIS) POCO F5 Pro or Xiaomi 12 compensate for hand tremors better than electronic (EIS) budgetary.

If you have a budget model (like Redmi 9 or Poco) M4), Don't despair! You can get a good shot even with them, if you use external lenses (we'll talk about them below) and shoot in the same way. RAW-The main thing is to set the parameters correctly.

⚠️ Attention: Digital zoom higher 10x In budget smartphones, Xiaomi is almost useless — it just stretches the pixels, adding noise.

Preparation for shooting: time, weather and accessories

A successful photo of the moon depends on preparation for 70% of the time.

1.The timing and phase of the moon

• 🌓 Optimal phase: first or last quarter (the moon is 50% illuminated) during which time the shadows from the craters are as contrasting as possible.
• 🕒 Shooting time: The best shots are when the moon is high above the horizon (after 22:00 and until 3:00). The lower the moon, the more atmospheric distortions are.
• 📅 Lunar Calendar: Use apps like Moon Phase Calendar or Star Walk 2 to find out the exact sunrise/set time and phase.

Weather conditions

Even the perfect camera settings can't help if the atmosphere is unstable.

• ☁️ Clear sky: clouds and haze scatter light, making the moon cloudy.
• 🌡️ Low temperature: cold air is less turbulent, so the image is more stable (ideally lower) +10°C).
• 💨 Lack of wind: gusts of wind shake the smartphone, even if it is fixed to a tripod.

3. Photography accessories

Minimum set for high-quality images:

• 📷 Status: mandatory for longer exposure 1/10 This is a good idea for Xiaomi Mi Portable Tripod.
• 🔍 Telephoto lens for smartphone: for example, Xiaomi Lens 2x Optical Zoom or Kase’s Universal Lenses.
• 🎛️ Remote control: to avoid shaking when pressing the screen (you can use Xiaomi Bluetooth Remote).
• 🔋 Powerbank: Shooting in the cold quickly puts the battery down, especially in flagships Xiaomi.

Install your smartphone on a tripod|Check the battery charge (>50%)|Clean the lens of dust/fingerprints|Disable autofocus and auto exposure|Set up a timer or remote control-->

If you don't have a telephoto lens, you can use a "afocal" approach: you put binoculars or a spyglass in front of your smartphone camera, and you focus on the eyepiece image, which takes practice, but allows you to get detail that even flagships can't.

Xiaomi camera settings for shooting the moon

Moving on to the most important thing, you can set up a professional mode (Pro Mode) in the Camera app. If you have a budget model Xiaomi, where there is no Pro Mode, use third-party applications like Open Camera or Manual Camera.

Basic parameters to start with

These settings will be suitable for most models (from Redmi Note 10 to Xiaomi 13):

• 📸 Format: RAW (if supported) or JPEG maximum-resolution.
• 🔄 White Balance: Daylight (5500K) — Automation is often wrong with color temperature.
• 📐 Focus: Manual (MF), set infinity (∞).
• ⚡ Exposition: Excerpt: 1/100–1/200 Sec (for full moon), 1/50–1/100 sec (for crescent). ISO: 100–400 (No higher, otherwise there will be noise!..... diaphragm: if there is an adjustment, set up f/2.8–f/4 deep-field.

Fine tuning for a specific model

A critical nuance for Xiaomi: most models, when manually focusing, first aim at the moon automatically, then switch to manual focus and adjust the sharpness. If you set the focus on ∞ right away, the moon often turns out to be blurry.

💡

If the moon is overlit, try using it. ND-filter (e.g. smartphone billboard) will reduce the amount of light that hits the array and allow longer shutter speeds without overexposure.

Shooting in the mode "Moon Algorithm" (for flagships)

Some Xiaomi flagships (starting with the Mi 10) have a hidden feature called "Lunar Algorithm" that automatically improves detail.

1. Open the camera → More → Settings → More
2. Find a point. AI-The camera and turn on the Moon Improvement Mode).
3. Point the camera at the moon – the algorithm will work automatically at zoom from 10x.

Please note: this mode only works in good lighting and stable holder (statio is a must!).

Practical tips for the perfect frame

Theory is good, but practice is essential, and here are some specific techniques to avoid common mistakes:

1. How to avoid camera jitter

• 📱 Use a timer: even when shooting from a tripod, pressing the screen causes microvibrations. Set the delay to 2-3 seconds.
• 🎵 Turn off shutter sound: vibration speaker can move smartphone.Path: Camera settings → Sounds. → No sound.
• 🧲 Magnetic holder: if there is no tripod, attach the smartphone to a metal surface (such as the roof of the car) with a magnet.

2. Focus on the moon

Xiaomi autofocus often misses the moon.

1. Switch to Pro Mode and set up a manual focus.
2. Increase the zoom to maximum (even if the moon is out of frame).
3. Slowly rotate the focus ring until the craters are clear.
4. Reduce the zoom to the desired level without changing the focus.

3. Shooting through a telescope or binoculars

If you have optics, you can get amazing shots:

• 🔭 Afocal method: Place binoculars on a tripod and point to the moon. Bring your smartphone camera to the eyepiece (1-2 cm away). Turn on Macro Mode in Xiaomi's camera and focus on the image in the eyepiece.

projection

⚠️ Warning: When shooting through a telescope, never use a digital zoom smartphone - it will only worsen the quality.

4. Photography of the moon during the day

Yes, you can take pictures of the moon in the sky.

• ☀️ Choose when the moon is high and the sun is over the horizon (morning or late evening).
• 🌁 Use it. HDR-The system to work both the moon and the sky.
• 🔍 Reduce. ISO 50–100, as the moon is brighter during the day.

💡

The most stable result is shooting in RAW format and then processing. Even budget Xiaomi (for example, Redmi 9) can surprise with detail if you adjust the exposure and edit the picture correctly.

Processing of Moon Photos

Raw footage from Xiaomi almost always needs to be reworked. Here is a step-by-step plan for processing in free apps:

1. Basic correction in Lightroom Mobile

• 📊 Exposure: Reduce by 0.3–0.7 EV, if the moon is overlit.
• 🌓 Contrast: Increase to +20–30 for the study of craters.
• 🎨 Clarity: add +15-25, but don't overdo it (there'll be noise).
• 🔍 Noise reduction: in the Details section → Noise suppression set up +10-15 for luminance.