How to make photos on Xiaomi clear and bright: the secrets of professionals

Are you disappointed with the quality of your Xiaomi photos? Are the shots blurry, noisy or too dark despite the many megapixels in specs? The problem isn't hardware - 90% of users don't use even half the capabilities of their smartphone's camera. In this article, we will discuss practical methods of improving photos without buying a new phone: from hidden settings. MIUI pre-professional photography techniques.

Modern Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi Note line) 12 Pro+, Xiaomi 13 Ultra and POCO F5) equipped with advanced cameras with support RAW, HDR10+ They're also night-time, but they're defaulting to "automatic" mode, optimized for speed rather than quality. ISOCELL HPX (200 MP) real resolution is only used when shooting in format RAW, JPEG The camera automatically reduces it to 12-50 MP to save space. We'll show you how to get around these limitations.

So the important thing to understand is that image improvement is a complex process that starts before you hit the downhill. There's no magic "do cool" button, but there's a proven technique that professional photographers use even on flagship smartphones. Are you willing to spend 10 minutes setting up to get SLR-level images later?

1. Optimize Xiaomi’s camera settings by default

The first thing to do is to disable all the “improvements” that are included in the default MIUI. These algorithms often spoil the detail by adding artificial sharpness or blurring textures. Go to the Camera app and open Settings (⚙️) → Camera parameters.

Here's what we need to change:

• 🔍 Turn off Improvement. AI" — This mode aggressively smooths the faces and adds unnecessary effects (such as artificial glare in the eyes).
• 🌙 Activate Night Mode manually, rather than trusting automatic switching. MIUI 14+ Night mode works better if you turn it on in advance (even during the day indoors).
• 📏 Set the 4:3 aspect ratio instead of 16:9, which will increase the sensor area used for shooting and reduce the edge trimming.
• 🔄 Turn off the car.-HDR" and use HDR only in high contrast of the scene (for example, against the sun).

For supported models RAW (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or Redmi K60 Ultra) enable shooting in this format through Settings → Format → RAW+JPEG. RAW-file 3-5 more, but allow you to correct the exposure and white balance in post-processing without loss of quality - this is critical for shooting in difficult conditions (concerts, sunsets, night scenery).

⚠️ Warning: After changing these settings, the first pictures may seem worse - that's OK. 2-3 Do not return to factory settings before the time!

2. Proper focusing: how to avoid blurred pictures

One of the most common disappointments is the slurring photos, not because of the hand shaking (though that’s important too), but because of the autofocus malfunction. Xiaomi smartphones use hybrid autofocus (laser). + phase), but it is often mistaken when shooting small objects or in low light conditions.

Here’s how to get the camera to focus properly:

• 👆 Touch the screen: Before shooting, touch the exact object that should be in focus. Wait until the yellow square turns green, this is a signal that the focus is fixed.
• 🔒 Focus lock: Keep your finger on the object 1-2 It's good for taking pictures of moving objects (children, animals).
• 📏 Manual focusing: in professional mode (PRO) Use the focus slider to fine-tune it, especially for macro photography.
• 🚫 Avoid digital zoom: if you increase more than ×2 the camera starts to crop and enlarge the pixels, which leads to loss of detail).

For motion photography (such as video or sporting events), turn on the Sport mode in the camera app, which increases shutter speed and autofocus frequency, but can add noise in low light, in which case it is better to use a tripod or stabilize the phone against surrounding objects.

Make sure the camera lenses are clean (wipe with microfiber)

Disable all "improvements" in the settings

Choose the right regimen (PRO for static objects, Sport for movement)

Touch the focus on the screen

Check the lighting (avoid shooting against bright light)

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3. Lighting: The main secret of good photos

Even the most advanced Xiaomi camera won’t save a shot if the light is not enough or it falls wrong. Basic rule: the light source should be in front of the object or side, but not be LETTER. For example, if you take a picture of a person in the background of a window, turn on additional light in the room or use a flash (but not built-in!).

Here’s how to work with lighting in different environments:

For indoor photography, avoid the yellow light of incandescent lights, which spoils color reproduction. Use white balance in mode. PRO:

1. Open professional mode.
2. Touch the icons WB (white-colour).
3. Choose an incandescent lamp for warm light or a cloud for cold.
4. If necessary, adjust the temperature manually (values). 3500-4500K warm-light, 5500-6500K day-time).

⚠️ Attention: The built-in flash on Xiaomi smartphones almost always spoils the picture, creating hard shadows and highlights. Instead, use external light sources (for example, an annular lamp) or shooting with a long shutter speed on a tripod.

4 Post-processing: how to save even a failed photo

Even professionals process their photos, and on a smartphone, it's even more important because of the limitations of the small sensor.

• 📱 Snapseed (free, from Google) is the best choice for beginners. It allows you to tonally adjust individual sections of a picture.
• 💻 Lightroom Mobile – if you are filming in RAW, It's a must-have tool that supports presets and sync with the desktop version.
• 🎨 VSCO — for quick color correction and use of stylish filters.
• 🤖 Google Photos – Automatic enhancements (the magic wand icon) often work better than Xiaomi’s built-in tools.

Basic processing algorithm:

1. Pruning and alignment – remove the extra elements at the edges, align the horizon.
2. Exposure – First raise the shadows, then reduce the lights if necessary.
3. Color correction – increase saturation 10-15%, Adjust the temperature (for warm tones) +500, cold-hearted -500).
4. Sharpness – apply only to fine details (eyes, textures) with radius 0.5-1.0.

For the filming in RAW Use this processing checklist in Lightroom:

Set white balance on a gray card (or manually)

Raise the exposure to +0.5...+1.5 EV

Restore details in lights (-30...-50)

Raise the shadows to +50...+80

Add contrast (+10...+20) and clarity (+15...+30)

Reduce noise in the shadows (Luminance) +20...+40)

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If the picture is noisy (for example, when shooting at night), use specialized tools:

• Topaz Denoise AI (paid but better quality)
• Remini (free but adds watermarks)
• NeuralCam (only for iOS, but can be processed on another device)

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Save the originals! Before processing, make a copy of the photo to the cloud (Google Photos, Mi Cloud) or to your computer. Many applications overwrite the original file, and it will not be possible to return it.

5. Hidden Xiaomi Camera Features You Didn't Know About

In the firmware MIUI Hidden tools that can radically improve your images:

1. Document Mode (Document Mode)

Perfect for text, checks or whiteboards, automatically removes perspective distortions and increases contrast, activates swipe in the camera mode menu or through Settings → Additionally. → Treatment of the document.

2. Double Exposure (Dual Exposure)

It allows you to take two pictures with different exposure and combine them into one. HDR-Useful for high contrast scenes (e.g. sunset at sea) PRO long-pressed HDR.

3. The filming in the format of "Super Moon"

Available on telephoto lens models (e.g. Xiaomi 13 Ultra) to increase detail on the moon and other distant objects. To activate, zoom to ×10 and above – the camera will prompt to turn on the mode automatically.

4. Sound shutter descent

Useful for shooting without shaking hands. → Shutter sound → Voice command. Now you can say "Cheeze" or "Cheese" (yes, that's right!) to take a picture.

5. shooting with a long exposure (up to 32 seconds)

Available in mode PRO It allows you to create effects of water blur, light tracks from cars, etc. Be sure to use a tripod!

6 Accessories That Will Turn Your Xiaomi Into a Professional Camera

Even with perfect settings, the physical limitations of the smartphone remain. Fortunately, there are inexpensive accessories that solve most of the problems:

If you're on a budget, start with a ring lamp, which solves 80 percent of the problems with lighting. For macro photography (flowers, insects, food), magnification nozzles are indispensable. ×10-×15 Remember: Even the flagship Xiaomi 14 Ultra can’t capture small details without a macro lens.

For video bloggers, sound quality is critical. The built-in microphone of a smartphone records all extraneous noises, so an external microphone (such as Boya) is critical. BY-M1) Type-C or Lightning Connected Accessory.

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The most efficient accessory is a tripod, even a cheap 500-dollar model. ₽ let you use long shutter speeds, night mode without blurring and shoot stable video.

7. Update firmware and modifications for advanced users

If your Xiaomi is older than 2 years, chances are that the camera is not working at full power due to outdated software. MIUI 14 Add Dolby Vision Support for Video).

How to update the firmware correctly:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click "Check Updates." If a new version is available, download it.
3. Before installation, make a backup copy (via Settings) → Additionally. → Backup).
4. Connect your phone to charge – the process can take up to 30 minutes.

For enthusiasts willing to go further, there are two options:

1. Install custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience)

These firmwares are replacing the standard MIUI It's a clean Android with a Google camera that often works better on older models, but the process requires unlocking the bootloader and can be insecure:

2.Using GCam (Google Camera)

The ported version of the camera from Google Pixel often gives the best results on Xiaomi smartphones, especially in low light conditions.

1. Download the compatible version of GCam for your model (e.g, BSG or Wichaya from celsoazevedo.com).
2. Install. APK-file (allow installation from unknown sources).
3. Configure a config file for your model (you can find them on the forums). 4PDA).
4. Turn it on. HDR+ Enhanced and Night Sight in GCam Settings.

⚠️ Note: Not all Xiaomi models work well with GCam. For example, on the Redmi Note 11, all lenses may not work, and on the Redmi Note 11, all lenses may not work. POCO X3 Pro: Create artifacts when zooming. Before installing, check the reviews for your specific model.

8 Practical tips for different genres of shooting

There's no universal settings, you have to tailor your camera to a specific scene, and here are some proven recipes for popular genres:

Portrait photography

• 👤 Use the main camera, not the front camera (even if it is 32 MP).
• 🌟 Enable Portrait Mode and manually adjust background blur level.
• ☀️ Shooting in natural light (window, shadow) will give a better result than with a flash.
• 📏 Position the model at a distance 1-1.5 Meter from the camera for proper operation of the bokeh algorithm.

Macro-filming.

• 🐞 Use Macro mode (available on models with dedicated macro camera).
• 🔍 If there is no macro mode, remove the nozzle from the main camera (carefully!) and bring the phone as close to the object as possible.
• 💡 Light the object from the side – this will emphasize the texture.
• 📱 Turn on the grid in the camera settings to avoid tilting.

Night photography

• 🌃 Always use a tripod or lean your phone against a stable surface.
• ⏱ Set the shutter speed. 2-4 second-on PRO (Or activate the Night Mode).
• 🔋 Charge your phone by at least 50% – night shooting severely drains the battery.
• 🌌 For the starry sky, use the shutter speed. 20-30 seconds, ISO 3200 format RAW.

Videotape

• 🎥 Set the permit. 4K@30fps or 1080p@60fps video-setting.
• 🎤 Connect an external microphone – the built-in record too much noise.
• 📐 Include stabilization (Super Stabilization in new models).
• 🔄 Shooting in LOG-Profile (available on flagships) will give more options for color correction.

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Always use horizontal orientation (album mode) to shoot videos, even if you're shooting stories for social media, so it's easier to crop material for any format later.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions