How to take a photo of the sun on a Xiaomi phone: from basic rules to professional tricks

The sun is one of the most difficult objects to photograph, especially when it comes to shooting on a smartphone. Too bright lights, overlights, loss of detail and the risk of damage to the matrix, all this awaits inexperienced photographers. POCO) With the right settings, we can take amazing images of the sun, from sunsets to sunspots. In this guide, we'll take a look at the physics of shooting, the camera settings. MIUI, Safe tech and even budget accessories that will turn your Xiaomi into an astrophotography tool.

It's important to understand that photographing the sun directly is not the same as taking a landscape with the sun in the frame. In the first case, you risk damaging the camera matrix by focusing direct sunlight, in the second, you risk just getting the sky overlit. We'll teach you how to distinguish these scenarios and choose the best options for each, and also tell you why even the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra or Redmi Note 13 Pro.+ Require a special approach to shooting the sun – and how to get around the limitations of budget models.

Why the sun “poor” photos on Xiaomi: physics and limitations of smartphones

The main problem with shooting the sun on your phone is dynamic range, and even the best Xiaomi smartphones can't properly display bright sun and dark objects in the frame at the same time.

• 🔥 Sun turns into a white spot with no details, and the sky around it “burns out».
• 🌑 Shadows are lost: if there are trees or buildings in the frame, they become silhouettes without working out.
• 📱 Autofocus goes crazy: the camera tries to focus on a bright source and floats».
• 🔍 Artifacts on a matrix: Cheap lenses can create glare and rainbow spots (called lens flare).

The second critical issue is the risk of damage to the matrix: if you keep the camera facing the sun for a long time (especially with zoom), the sensor can overheat, and in extreme cases, this leads to a burn-in effect, where the pixels burn out and remain dark spots. This is not a myth: these cases were recorded in users who tried to capture a solar eclipse without protection.

⚠️ Warning: Never look at the sun through a camera viewfinder (even on a smartphone screen) for more than 10 to 15 seconds in a row. This can cause temporary blindness.

The third feature is the optical limitation, and even the flagship Xiaomi Leica lenses have small matrices compared to DSLRs.

• 📏 Less detail in the frame (sunspots or prominences will be blurred).
• 🔎 Zoom works worse: Digital zoom only worsens quality.
• 🎯 Auto exposure is often mistaken when choosing the wrong settings for bright objects.

Preparing Xiaomi phone for shooting the sun: camera settings

Before you take a picture of the sun, you have to turn off the automatic modes that spoil the shot. MIUI:

1. Switch to Manual Mode (Pro):

Turn it off. HDR

In manual mode, find the icon. HDR and deactivate it. HDR Trying to pull out shadows, but when shooting the sun, it leads to unrealistic artifacts.

Lock the focus.

Touch the screen in the area near the sun (not on the sun itself!) and hold it until the inscription appears. AF Lock (focus fixation).

Set the exposure manually

In manual mode, reduce the value EV (fork-fork) up to -1.0 or -1.5. It's gonna prevent the lights from coming out.

If your Xiaomi supports shooting in RAW (for example, Xiaomi 13T pro POCO F5 Pro, be sure to activate this mode. RAW-The files store more data about the light, which allows Later to pull out the details in the editors:

1. Go to Camera Settings → Photo format.
2. Choose. RAW or RAW + JPEG.
3. Keep in mind that RAW-Files take up 3-5 times more space.

Safe shooting techniques: how not to burn the matrix

Directly shooting the sun without protection can irrevocably damage your Xiaomi matrix.

• 🕶️ Use a Solar Filter: The Most Reliable Way to Buy ND-filter (neutral gray) with a density of at least ND1000 Or a solar filter for phones like Kase or HoYa, which reduces the amount of light that comes in by 1,000 times.
• 📱 Don’t use digital zoom: When zooming in, Xiaomi’s camera just stretches the pixels, which increases the noise and risk of sensor damage. If you need zoom, use an external lens (like Xiaomi Telephoto Lens), but also with a filter.
• ⏱️ Limit your shooting time: Don't point your camera in the sun for more than 20 to 30 seconds.
• 🌅 Shoot at dawn/sunset: The sun is less bright at this time and the atmosphere scatters light, creating beautiful shades. The ideal time is the first hour after sunrise or the last hour before sunset ("golden time»).

⚠️ Warning: If after shooting the sun, there are purple or green spots on the camera screen that do not disappear, this is a sign of damage to the matrix. Stop shooting immediately and contact the service center.

For budget models (Redmi) 10A, POCO M5) It is recommended to use indirect methods of shooting:

• 🌳 Photograph the sun through the foliage of trees – it creates a natural filter.
• 🏙️ Include in the frame the silhouettes of buildings or mountains so that the sun does not occupy the whole cad.
• ☁️ Use clouds as a natural diffuser – they scatter light.

Install ND-filter or sunglasses in front of the lens

Switch to Manual Mode (Pro)

Focus on the area near the sun

Reduce exposure to -1.0 EV

Shut down. HDR flash

-->

Xiaomi’s best models for shooting the sun: comparison of opportunities

Not all Xiaomi smartphones are equally good at shooting the sun, and flagship models with large arrays and optical zoom provide more features, but even budget devices can perform well with the right settings.

For owners of flagships (Xiaomi 14 Ultra, 13 Pro) are available additional features:

• 📸 Moon Mode: Although it’s designed for the moon, it can be adapted for the sun by reducing exposure.
• 🔍 Telephoto lens: optical zoom allows you to zoom in without loss of quality (but be sure to use a filter!).
• 🎥 Shooting in LOG-Format: More flexibility in color correction.

For budget models (Redmi, POCO) You'd better focus on the composition, not the details of the sun:

• 🌇 Sunlight through windows or foliage.
• 🌊 Reflection of the sun in the water.
• 🏜️ Silhouettes in the background of sunset.

💡

If your Xiaomi is not supported RAW, shoot at maximum resolution (e.g. 50 MP instead of 12 MP in pixel binning mode) and this will give more post-processing parts.

Post-processing: how to "save" the illuminated photos of the sun

Even with perfect settings, photos of the sun on Xiaomi often require revision. Here is a step-by-step guide for Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed editors:

1. Reduce exposure: In Lightroom, go to Light and lower Exposure to -0.5...-1.5. It'll bring the details back to the sky.
2. Restore the shadows: Shadow slider move to the right (+50...+80) to show objects in the foreground.
3. Adjust white balance: Set the temperature in the range of 4500–5500K, scavenge.
4. Add contrast: Increase the contrast on +20...+30 to make the sun look brighter against the sky.
5. Remove Noise: In the Details section, use Noise Reduction (values 20–40), but don’t overdo it – it will blur the details.

For RAW-Files are available with additional tricks:

• 🎨 Local correction: In Lightroom, use a radial filter to darken the area around the sun and highlight it.
• 🌈 Color profiles: Try the Landscape or Live profile for more saturated sunsets.
• ✂️ Cut the photo so that the sun is at the intersection of lines according to the rule of thirds.

⚠️ Note: If the sun in the photo turned out to be completely white (without details), do not try to "pull" it in the editor - this will only increase the noise.

Previous articleSunshine Shooting Accessories on Xiaomi: What Really Works

To take photos of the sun to the next level, consider these accessories (from budget to professional):

For owners. POCO F5 Pro or Xiaomi 13T It makes sense to consider astronomical adapters (like PhoneSkope) that allow you to attach your phone to a telescope, which makes it possible to shoot sunspots or prominences (but only with a mandatory solar filter!).

Budgetary alternative ND-The filter is sunglasses (preferably polarized) and just put them on the lens and tape them, which will reduce the amount of light, but it won't give you the same protection as a professional filter.

💡

The most important accessory — ND-Without it, the risk of damage to the matrix when shooting the sun is extremely high, especially on budget models Xiaomi.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced photographers make mistakes when shooting the sun on their smartphone, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to correct them:

• 🌡️ Shooting at noon: At this time, the sun is high, the light is hard, and the shadows are short. Solution: take pictures at dawn/sunset or in cloudy weather, when the sun is covered with light clouds.
• 📱 Using digital zoom: Digital zoom only degrades quality. Solution: get closer to the object or use an external lens.
• ⚡ Shooting without a filter: Even 5 seconds of direct sun can damage the matrix. Solution: always use ND-filter or remove the sun through obstacles (folios, buildings).
• 🎯 Focusing on the sun: Autofocus will float. Solution: focus on or near the edge of the sun, then block focus (AF Lock).
• 🌈 Ignoring glare: Sun glare on the lens spoils the frame. Solution: use a visor (lens hood) or cover the lens with your hand (without closing it!).

Another common mistake is shooting in the JPEG. This format compresses data very tightly, and it's not going to be possible to pull details out of the red-lighted areas. RAW, If your Xiaomi supports it.

If you're shooting a sunset, avoid using artificial lights (lights, car headlights) that have a different color temperature, which will spoil the white balance.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions