Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro smartphone often wonder if it is possible to capture the night light with this device. Despite the fact that the device is not a specialized astrophotographic tool, its 64 MP core module allows you to get quite decent results with the right approach. The key to success lies not only in the hardware, but also in the competent software configuration.
The optimal time to shoot is the phase of the waning or growing moon, when the surface relief is visible.
In this article, we will discuss the technical nuances necessary to obtain a sharp frame, and consider the possibilities of manual mode. You will learn how to circumvent the limitations of optical zoom and what exposure parameters to set for the perfect frame.
Technical capabilities of the Redmi Note 8 Pro camera
The smartphone is equipped with a quadrocamera, where the main role is played by the Samsung GW1 sensor with a resolution of 64 megapixels, this module provides the detail required for digital cropping of the frame. However, it should be borne in mind that the device does not have optical zoom, and all the increase is due to the matrix crop and software interpolation.
The primary lens has an aperture of f/1.8, which allows a lot of light to pass through, but creates challenges when shooting bright objects against a dark background. HDR algorithms at night can work incorrectly, trying to illuminate shadows where they shouldn't be. So understanding the limitations of the Redmi Note 8 Pro is critical.
The image stabilization in this model is electronic, which means that the quality depends on the hardness of the hands or the use of a tripod. When you maximize the digital zoom, any microconcussion turns into strong lubricants. Software stabilization can sometimes "pull" the frame trying to level the horizon, which interferes with prolonged exposure.
📊 What camera mode do you use most often?
Automatic (AI)
Professional (Pro)
Portrait
Video
Preparation of equipment and shooting conditions
The first and most important condition is stability. It's almost impossible to get the moon off your hands at maximum zoom because of the shaking, you'll need a tripod or a reliable support to put your elbows around, and even using a shutter timer won't help if the phone itself vibrates from the wind or an unstable position.
Clean the optics before shooting. Fat spots on the lens of the main module will create a halo effect around the bright object, which will spoil the frame. Wipe the camera with a soft microfiber, avoiding the use of aggressive chemistry. It is also recommended to turn off the flash, as it is absolutely useless for shooting distant objects.
Choose the right place. Shooting from the window of an apartment often leads to glare from internal lighting or dirt on the glass. Go to the balcony or the street to avoid unnecessary reflections. If you shoot through the glass, press the lens close to it to exclude reflections in the room.
Set up a standard Camera application
The standard MIUI Camera app has several modes worth trying, most notably Night or Night Shooting, which algorithms take multiple frames of different exposures and glue them together, which can help pull out details on the surface of the satellite, but sometimes lead to a relight of the center.
The second option is to use Pro mode, where you have full control of the parameters, you have to manually set the ISO to a minimum value (usually 50 or 100) to reduce digital noise, shutter speed (S) should be short to freeze movement and avoid grease, but long enough for normal exposure.
Focus is always manual (MF) and slides the slider to infinity (mountain icon). A focus on the night sky often "walks" and can not catch a clear edge of the disk. Zuming is better done with a pinch, but not go beyond the 10-fold zoom, as then begins a strong digital degradation.
⚠️ Note: Do not use digital zoom above 10x in standard mode, as the interpolation of pixels on the Redmi Note 8 Pro after this mark turns the image into an unreadable porridge.
Secret mode of the telephoto lens
In some versions of the firmware MIUI When you turn the phone horizontally and turn on the zoom, an additional slider appears, activating crop mode with less noise than the standard digital zoom.> Pro Mode is your main astrophotography tool on this smartphone. There are no automatic crutches trying to make it beautiful at the expense of reality. The interface allows you to customize the white balance, focus, shutter speed and sensitivity of the sensor separately. RAW, if such option is available in your firmware version or through third-party applications. RAW It's actually storing raw data from the matrix, which is a huge post-processing opportunity, and you can pull shadows and remove lights without losing quality, which is not possible when you're shooting in a camera. JPEG. Set the settings as follows: ISO set 50, shutter speed is selected experimentally in the range of 1/100 - 1/400 seconds. White balance (WB) is better set manually about 4000-4500 Kelvin to remove the yellowness, or leave the car if the background is black. Focus torque until the appearance of characteristic peaks (if there is a histogram) or visually on the screen. Use a timer or voice control to lower the shutter. Pressing a finger on the screen makes a micro-vibration that will lubricate the frame with a large magnification. Voice command to the camera X allows you to access the device, if you want to access the camera to open the camera or the camera to open. They support manual focusing with greater precision and allow you to disable noise cancellation. Particularly noteworthy is the Google Camera (GCam) app. GCam ports for the Redmi Note 8 Pro work wonders with dynamic range. Google's HDR+ algorithms better cope with the contrast between the bright moon and the dark sky, keeping details in lights that a standard camera simply whitewashes. Installing the GCam requires finding the right version (port) for the MediaTek Helio G90T processor installed in your phone. The wrong version may work with the contrast between the bright moon and the dark sky, or need to be set up or setup. Parameter Recommended value Influence on the image ISO 50 - 100 Reduces digital noise, makes the sky black) 1/125 - 1/250 SEC Removes lubricant, preserves details of craters Focus (MF) Infinity provides maximum sharpness of the disc White balance 4000K - 4500K Remove the yellow, give the cold tone, and the processing and improvement of the images that you get is only half the story. To get an impressive result, you have to process the photo. RAW Redmi Note 8 Pro can look flat. Use apps like Snapseed, Lightroom Mobile, or VSCO So, you can do the final work, first of all, work with contrast and light, slightly reduce the "light" to show the texture of the craters, and lower the "blacks" to make the sky deep, and increase the clarity and structure will add to the relief of the surface of the satellite. ⚠️ Warning: Don't overdo it with sharpness. Excessive sharpness will create artifacts and halos around the moon, which will give you a digital origin of the photo. If the picture is noisy, use noise reduction functions, but carefully. It's better to keep a little grainy than to have a plastic surface without any detail, and you can also try framing the image by cutting the extra black space around the object, leaving only the moon close-up. 💡The quality of the final photo depends on 70 percent of the correct post-processing, not just the camera settings during the shooting. Typical errors and their solution One of the most common mistakes is trying to shoot the moon in the conditions of urban lighting near bright lights. Light pollution reduces contrast and makes the sky gray. Try to find an angle where there are no artificial light sources behind the moon, or wait for it to rise higher above the horizon. Another problem is fogging of the lenses. When you leave a warm room into cold air, optics can become condensed. Let the phone lie in a case for 5-10 minutes to acclimatize before you start shooting. Wiping a cold lens with a cloth can damage the oleophobic coating. Ignoring the battery charge can also play a cruel joke. Shooting with a screen on maximum zoom and processing algorithms working on the phone without a hardening the phone to the surface, can you use the device to remove the camera 8 from the device. But with zoom, more 5x The probability of getting a blurred frame without a tripod is 95%. You can take a risk for a single shot, but you have to take a stand for a series of photos. Why does Night make the moon a white dot? The night mode algorithm tries to average the exposure to the dark sky, which causes the bright object to overlight. Solution: use manual mode (Pro), lowering the exposure. ISO And you can shut it down, or you can put your finger on a part of the lens to artificially reduce the amount of light, but it takes a lot of exercise. What's the maximum zoom that's real for a good photo? 8 Pro comfortable and relatively high quality is zoom to 8-10 Everything above is a strong digital interpolation that blurs the details. 10x and then additionally framing in the editor than using the built-in zoom 30x. Do I need to update the camera for the best photos of the moon? Yes, MIUI updates often include improvements to image processing algorithms (ISPs). Check for updates in the Camera app through the GetApps store or in the general system settings to use optimizations for night shooting.