Photo of stars on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro: secrets of night shooting

Starry sky is one of the most fascinating subjects for a photographer, but it seems almost impossible to shoot it on a smartphone, especially if we are talking about a budget model like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro. However, with the right settings and technique, even this device is able to catch the flickering of distant stars. The main thing is to understand the limitations of its 64-megapixel camera and correctly circumvent them.

In this article, we will discuss not only the basic parameters of the survey (excerpt, ISO, The focus is also a little bit of a nuance, which is rarely talked about: how to deal with noise on the Redmi Note 8 Pro, what applications will help in post-processing, and why sometimes it is better to take a picture of not the starry sky itself, but its reflection in water or in snow. You’ll learn how to turn blurry dots into clear constellations, even if you don’t have a tripod or an external lens.

Spoiler: The key to success is not so much technique as patience and preparation, but everything in order.

Why the Redmi Note 8 Pro is a good fit for astrophotography (and where are its weaknesses)

On paper Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro looks promising for night shooting: the main camera on the 64 MP (Samsung) GW1) aperture f/1.89, Support for manually adjusted Pro mode, even a separate night mode, but in practice there are three critical limitations:

• 📱 Small physical size of the matrix (1/1.7") — It is a little light, which leads to noise at high altitude. ISO.
• 🔍 Lack of optical stabilization – any tremors of the hand when held more 1/4 second-wise.
• 🌡️ Autofocus is not optimized for infinity – in the dark it often misses, and the stars are blurred.

However, the model has pluses:

• ✨ Startrack mode (hidden in manual settings) - allows you to make shutter speeds up to 32 seconds.
• 🎯 The ability to save photos in RAW — It gives more room for post-processing.
• 🔋 A large battery (4500 mAh) – enough for a few hours of shooting in the cold.

Importantly, if you're planning to shoot the Milky Way or the nebula, you'll have to accept that without an external lens and a full-length camera, you can't, but you'll have enough of the Redmi Note 8 Pro to capture the star tracks, constellations or moon.

Preparation for shooting: what to take with you and how to choose a place

Even the perfect camera settings won’t work if you choose the wrong place or time. Here are 5 criteria for successful astrophotography:

1. Distance from cities. Light pollution clogs up stars. Use the Light Pollution Map to find dark areas (grey or blue areas).
2. Clear weather, no clouds. Check the forecast on Clear Dark Sky, which has special tags for astronomers.
3. The moon phase. The full moon shines out stars. The best way is a new moon or a narrow sickle. Look at the moon calendar on MoonCalc.
4. Filming time: Best of all, 22:00 to 4:00, when the sky is darkest.
5. The terrain. The mountains or the hills will give you an interesting foreground. Avoid open fields, because the footage will be boring.

What to bring with you:

Charger (cold quickly puts the battery down)

A tripod or improvised stand (for example, a stack of books)

Remote Descent Remote (or use a timer in the camera)

Warm gloves (smartphone screens don’t work well in the cold)

Red light flashlight (does not blind the eyes or spoil the adaptation to the dark)-->

⚠️ Warning: Don't rely on autofocus in the dark. On the Redmi Note 8 Pro, it's best to manually turn it off and focus on infinity (on how to do this, see the next section).

Camera settings: step-by-step instruction for shooting stars

Moving on to the most important thing, camera setup, we will use Pro mode, as the automatic night mode is not suitable for astrophotography (it suppresses noise too aggressively and blurs stars).

Open the Camera app, go to Pro (or Manual) mode and set the following settings:

How to set the focus on infinity:

1. Switch to manual focusing (icon) MF pro).
2. Smoothly move the slider to the right to the stop.
3. If the stars are smaller and sharper, you've got the focus. If you're not, you've got to push the slider back a little bit.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi Note 8 Pro can display a purple hue in the corners of the frame when shuttered for more than 10 seconds. MIUI, which is only corrected by post-processing (this is discussed in the section on editing).

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If you don’t have a tripod, place your phone on a flat surface (like the hood of a car) and use the folded scarf as a shock absorber to dampen the vibrations.

Shooting Star Trek: Secret Mode on Redmi Note 8 Pro

Few people know, but Redmi Note 8 Pro has a special mode for shooting star tracks — long glowing lines that are formed due to the rotation of the Earth.

1. Open Pro mode in the camera.
2. Set shutter speed to a maximum value of 32 seconds.
3. Press the badge. ⋯ (three points) in upper right corner.
4. Choose the Long Exposure (Long Exposure)
5. Lock the phone on a tripod and press the down button.

The result: in 30-60 minutes of continuous shooting (no camera touching!), the stars will turn into arcs. To get circles, point the lens at the North Star.

⚠️ Warning: When shooting tracks Redmi Note 8 Pro strongly warms. if the temperature of the body exceeds 40°C, the camera will automatically shut down:

• 🧊 Take it off at below air temperature +10°C.
• 📴 Remove the phone case for better cooling.
• ⏸️ Take breaks every 15 minutes.

Post-processing: how to save the frame from noise and purple glare

Raw photos of stars with Redmi Note 8 Pro almost always require processing.

• 📱 Snapseed – for basic exposure and color correction.
• 🌌 Lightroom Mobile – to work with RAW noise-removal.
• ⭐ StarStaX (on PC) – for gluing star tracks from a series of frames.

Step-by-step instructions for Lightroom:

1. Import. RAW-lightroom.
2. In the Light section, increase the exposure to +1.0–1.5 and reduce the black dot to -30.
3. In Details, set Noise Reduction by 30–50 (for luminance) and 10–20 for color.
4. In Optics, turn on Remove chromatic aberration - this will remove purple glare.
5. Export to JPEG with 90% quality.

If you’ve shot star tracks, glue the series of frames into StarStaX:

1. Move the photo to the PC.
2. Open them in StarStaX, select Lighten mode.
3. Click Start Processing – the program will automatically combine tracks.

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RAW-Redmi Note 8 Pro files contain 30% more data than JPEG. Always take a picture in RAW, If you plan to process the photo.

Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced photographers make mistakes when shooting stars on a smartphone. TOP-5 Failures and How to Correct Them:

Another common problem is overheating. If the Redmi Note 8 Pro turns off the camera with a warning, "Temperature is too high," try:

• 🍧 Place your phone on a cold surface (such as a metal jar).
• ❄️ Use it. USB-Fan (connected to powerbank).
• ⏳ Shoot in series of 5-10 frames with breaks.

Alternative ways: when the stars do not want to shoot

If the weather is not good, or you live in a metropolis with light smog, do not despair. Here are 3 creative ways to "cheat" the starry sky:

• 🌊 Reflect stars in water. Take a picture of the night sky reflected in a lake or puddle. Use a low angle and exposure of 5-10 seconds to make the water smooth.
• 🏙️ Smog is like a background. In cities, you can't see the stars, but you can take the silhouettes of buildings against the orange sky with a long exposure (1-2 seconds, ISO 400).
• 🎆 Artificial stars. Use garlands or lanterns hanging from trees. Take 3 to 5 seconds of exposure to make glowing dots.

⚠️ Warning: If you are photographing the reflection of stars in water, never use a flash - it will spoil natural light and create glare. Instead, illuminate the foreground with a red filter flashlight (does not spoil the adaptation of the eyes to the dark).

To shoot silhouettes in the city, set the camera as follows:

• Mode: Pro
• ISO: 200–400
• Excerpt: 1/2–2 sack
• Focus: Foreground (not to the sky!)

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions