How to take a picture of the moon on Xiaomi Mi 11

Xiaomi Mi 11 has one of the most powerful cameras in its class, equipped with a main module at 108 MP, which opens up a wide range of possibilities for mobile photography. However, automatic shooting mode is not always able to properly handle a complex scene with high contrast, such as the night sky with a bright object on a black background.

The problem is that standard image processing algorithms tend to illuminate dark areas of the frame, which leads to the re-light of the brightest object, the moon. To get around this limitation, you need to switch to manual exposure control mode, which allows you to independently control the amount of light entering the matrix and capture details of the lunar surface.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the process of preparing equipment, setting up camera parameters and post-processing the resulting image. You will learn what ISO values and shutter speeds are optimal for different phases of the moon, as well as how to use a telephoto lens to maximize the approach without loss of quality.

Preparation for night shooting: stability and cleanliness

The first and most important step is to keep the smartphone still, and even the minimal shivering of hands with optical zoom will lubricate the frame, as the camera's viewing angle becomes very narrow, and using a tripod is a must for sharp images, especially at long exposures.

It is also critical to wipe the camera's optical lenses before shooting. Fat spots from the fingers, invisible in daylight, create halo and glare around bright light sources at night. Wipe the glass with soft microfiber in circular motions from center to edge.

To minimize vibrations when pressing the down button, it is recommended to use a timer or voice control. This will eliminate the shaking of the smartphone body at the most critical moment.

• 📸 Use a tripod or wrap your phone around a stationary object.
• 🧼 Wash all the camera lenses with microfiber.
• 🌬️ Make sure there are no heat sources or steam at the shooting location.
• 🔋 Check the battery as the cold and screen consume energy.

And you have to consider that the optics of your smartphone are sensitive to temperature changes, and if you take a cold phone out into a warm room, it can condensate your lenses, and it can completely damage your frame, and you can give it time to adapt to the environment.

Using Pro mode and zoom settings

For best results, the standard Photo mode is not suitable. You need to open the Camera app and switch to Pro mode, which is where all the necessary tools for manual exposure management are available.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 uses a periscopic telephoto lens that allows for optical approximation. Unlike digital zoom, which just cuts and stretches the image, optical zoom uses physical movement of the lenses, retaining detail. To shoot the moon, you need to use the maximum optical approximation.

Click on the zoom icon in the camera interface and select a value of 5x or higher if the model allows a hybrid approximation without loss of quality. Digital zooming above 10x-20x on this device will lead to artifacts and "soap", so it is better to take a shot with less zoom, but in high resolution, and then crop it.

Once you zoom in, the image in the viewfinder can become dark or too bright. Don't worry, because the automation hasn't yet adjusted the settings to suit your needs. Now, your task is to adjust the exposure manually.

Key parameters: ISO and exposure

The most important thing about taking pictures of the moon is to set the sensitivity of the matrix and the exposure time correctly. The moon is a very bright object illuminated by the sun, so you need to shoot it in the same way as the dayscape, not like the night sky.

ISO is responsible for the sensitivity of the sensor to light, and for nighttime moon photography, it needs to be set to a minimum, usually ISO 50 or ISO 100. High ISO values will add digital noise, which will destroy the detailing of the satellite's surface.

Shutter speed (denoted S or T) determines how long the matrix will collect light. Since the moon is bright, the shutter speed must be very short to prevent overlighting. Start at 1/200 or 1/250 of a second and experiment.

White balance (WB) also plays a role. Automatic balance can give the moon an unnatural yellow or blue hue. Set a value manually in the range of 4500K - 5500K to obtain a neutral gray surface color.

Table of recommended settings for different conditions

Optimal settings can vary depending on the phase of the moon and atmospheric conditions.The full moon is brighter than the growing sickle, so requires a shorter shutter speed. Below is a table with the base values for the launch.

Use these values as a starting point. Take a test shot and rate your histogram or just visually check the result. If the moon is too bright, reduce the shutter speed. If it's dark, increase the ISO or exposure time a little.

Remember, the Earth's atmosphere makes its own adjustments. In nights with high humidity or dust, light can scatter more, requiring adjustments to adjust the settings. It is critical to avoid shutter speeds longer than 1/30 of a second, since the Earth's rotation at a large zoom will blur the image.

Focusing and stabilizing staff

In manual mode, autofocus often turns off or is not working properly due to low contrast in the night sky. You need to switch focus to manual mode (MF).

On smartphones, however, infinity may not be in the extreme slider position. To achieve perfect sharpness, turn on a magnifying glass or zoom in viewfinder (if available in your version of MIUI) and slowly move the slider until craters on the moon's surface become as clear as possible.

⚠️ Warning: After setting the focus, try not to touch the lens area with your fingers, as hand-heating can cause a micro-shift of focus due to thermal expansion of materials.

Image Stabilization (OIS) in the Xiaomi Mi 11 works great, but when shooting with a tripod it is sometimes better to turn it off so that the system does not try to compensate for non-existent movements by applying microsmears.However, in most cases, Leave it on (leave it on) if the tripod is not perfectly stable.

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For precise focus, point the camera at the bright edge of the moon, fix the focus, and then frame again without changing the slider’s position.

RAW shooting and post-processing

For maximum quality, shoot in RAW. This format saves all the information from the matrix without compression and processing by image enhancement algorithms. RAW files take up more space, but give you a lot of freedom when editing.

You can turn on RAW in the professional settings (RAW icon at the top of the screen). After shooting, the file will be saved to the gallery. With standard viewers, it may look pale and contrast, but that's okay.

To process, use applications like Lightroom Mobile, Snapseed or the built-in Xiaomi editor. RAW-You can file it:

• 🎨 Recover details in lights and shadows.
• 🌑 Increase contrast and clarity (Clarity/Structure).
• 🔍 Remove the digital noise (Noise Reduction).
• 🌡️ Accurately adjust the temperature and shade.

⚠️ Warning: Don't overdo it with Sharpening, too sharp will create artifacts and halos around craters, making the photo unnatural.

JPEG processing is also possible, but the dynamic range is smaller. If you don't plan on deep editing, you can shoot in high resolution (108 MP), but for the moon, the standard 12-27 MP mode often gives you the best noise reduction result.

Frequent problems and their solution

Even if you follow all the rules, you can have difficulties, and one of the common problems is that the image in the viewfinder shakes at maximum zoom, and this can be caused by wind or vibration from passing vehicles.

Another problem is fogging of the lens, and if you're shooting in the cold season, breathing or just the temperature difference can create a fog, like a silica gel bag next to you, or preheating your phone.

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The main secret of success is not so much the camera of the smartphone, as the immobility of the device and the correct manual adjustment of the exposure.

If autofocus is walking, tape the distance sensors (if they are near the camera) or use the method of fixing the focus to infinity before shooting. Also check if macro mode is on, which prevents focusing on distant objects.