The Redmi Note 7 came out a few years ago, but its 48-megapixel main camera still captures decent images when approached correctly. Many users underestimate the device’s potential, relying solely on automatic mode, which often involves excessive noise cancellation and unnatural color reproduction. To get really high-quality shots, you need to understand how the MIUI image processing software works.
In this article, we’ll look at not only standard settings, but also advanced techniques, including using third-party software and manually adjusting exposure settings. You’ll learn why algorithmic pixel combinations sometimes fail and how to fix them.
The first step to improving photos will be to break the habit of shooting “as it happens.” Xiaomi camera requires attention to light and composition, and understanding the technical limitations of the Samsung GM1 matrix installed in this model.
Basic setup of the built-in Camera application
Before you go into complex manipulations, you need to configure the standard application correctly. Go to the settings menu by clicking on three bars in the corner of the screen, and select the appropriate item, and here are the parameters that directly affect the final image.
First of all, pay attention to resolution. By default, the camera can operate in 12 MP mode, combining groups of pixels to improve light sensitivity. However, for landscapes with good lighting, it makes sense to activate 48 MP mode. This will allow you to capture as many details as possible, although it will increase the file size.
- 📸 Include a framing grid to follow the rule of thirds and align the horizon.
- ⚡ Activate the Improved Portrait mode for more natural background blur.
- 🎞️ Set the video frame rate to 60 fps for greater smoothness if lighting allows.
It's also worth experimenting with HDR. In automatic mode, it often over-glows the sky or makes shadows too light by removing volume. Try switching it to off or on mode (forced) to control dynamic range yourself.
⚠️ Attention: 48MP only works in good lighting. At dusk or indoors, switching to full resolution will cause digital noise and lubrication of parts due to short shutter speeds.
Remember to wipe your lens regularly. Fat finger marks create a soapy image and glare from light sources that no amount of settings can fix, a banal but critical recommendation for smartphone owners with a glass back cover.
Using the Profi mode for manual control
For those who want to take full control of the shooting process, the camera app has Pro mode, which allows you to manually adjust shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus, an indispensable tool for shooting in difficult conditions where automation fails.
ISO is responsible for the sensitivity of the matrix to light. The lower the value, the cleaner the picture, but the more light is required. For daytime shooting, try to keep the ISO at a minimum (50 or 100), increasing this value inevitably leads to the appearance of a "grain" in the photo.
Shutter speed (S) determines the time the matrix "sees" light. Long shutter speed allows you to shoot (nightscapes) without flashing, but requires the phone to be stationary. Short shutter speed is necessary to "freeze" movement, for example, when shooting a running child or athlete.
- 🌊 For water photography, use the shutter speed around 1/1000 seconds to freeze the drops.
- 🌃 Night shooting with hands requires exposure no longer 1/30 seconds to avoid lubrication.
- ☀️ White balance (WB) adjust the light source: "Incandescent lamp" for warm light, "Cloud" for cold.
Focus in pro mode is better translated into manual mode (MF), which allows you to focus on objects that autofocus ignores, or, conversely, to defocus the frame for artistic effect.
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For macro photography in Profi mode, move the phone away from the subject by 5-7 cm and use manual focus, as autofocus at this distance often “walks”.
Third-party applications: GCam and Open Camera
If you don’t like the standard camera, installing Google Camera ports (GCam) is a great solution, which is taken from the flagship Pixel smartphones and uses more advanced processing algorithms, especially in HDR+ and Night Sight modes.
For the Redmi Note 7 (codenamed lavender), there are many stable versions of the GCam.The main advantage is better dynamic range and natural colors. Google's automation often copes with contrast light better than the standard MIUI algorithm.
| Annex | Advantages | Deficiencies | Difficulty setting up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard camera. | Stability, all modes are working | Aggressive noise cancellation | Low. |
| GCam (Port) | Best HDR, Night Sight | Zoom/shire may not work | Medium |
| Open Camera | Full manual control, support for RAW | A complex interface | Tall. |
| ProCam X | Convenient interface of the pro | Fees paid | Low. |
Another alternative is the Open Camera app, which is completely free, open, and provides access to bitraid video, external microphone support, and DNG (RAW) shooting, a choice for those who plan to do serious photo processing on a computer.
Where to download the secure version of GCam?
RAW shooting and post-processing
For maximum quality, it is recommended to shoot in RAW format (in camera settings this can be called DNG). Unlike compressed JPEG, RAW stores all the information obtained by the matrix without using compression and improvement algorithms.
RAW files look faded and gray immediately after shooting, because they don't have color and contrast profiles, but they do contain a huge amount of data to reconstruct redlights and pull shadows in editors.
Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed are great for processing such files on your smartphone, where you can adjust curves, work with color pointwise and eliminate noise without losing detail, which is impossible with a conventional JPEG.
⚠️ Attention: Files RAW occupy 5-10 more space than JPEG. One shot can weigh. 20-25 Make sure your drive has enough free space before the series shoots.
Use of the RAW-It turns a smartphone into a full-fledged tool for a photographer, and you get control of every image parameter that's comparable to working on SLR cameras, even though it requires color correction skills.
☑️ Checklist for shooting in RAW
Impact of lighting and accessories
No amount of adjustments will help if there is not enough light. The Samsung GM1 matrix is physically small in size, so it is greedy for light. Try to always place the subject closer to the light source or turn it face to the light.
In low light, use stabilization, elbow against your body, elbow against a wall, or use a mini-station, and even microshifts of your arms at long exposures produce a lubrication that is virtually impossible to fix software.
- 💡 Use an external LED panel or even another smartphone screen to illuminate your face.
- 🧹 Polarization filter (nozzle on the clip) will help remove glare from windows and water.
- 🔦 Avoid using a built-in flash, it gives a hard flat light and over-lights the foreground.
Also worth mentioning is the purity of the optics, if you're shooting in a dusty environment or in nature, check the lens before every important shot. Micro-scratched glass can give off characteristic beams from bright light sources.
Frequent mistakes and their solution
One of the common problems is digital zoom. The Redmi Note 7 camera doesn't have optical zoom. When you pinch the image on the screen, you just crop the center of the matrix, losing resolution. You'd better take the whole frame and then frame it in the gallery, and the result will be better.
Another mistake is to have the exposure locking bent on, and you press the screen at the point where the main object is, and hold your finger until the lock icon appears, and you can rearrange the frame, and the brightness of the image will not change, which is especially important in counterlight.
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Digital zoom always degrades quality. Use "legs" (close physically) or subsequent framing in the editor to save detail.
Don’t forget to update the software. Xiaomi periodically releases patches that improve the algorithms of the camera. Check for updates in the Settings → About the phone → System Update.