How to turn on and configure shutter speed on Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro features a powerful 64MP camera core module that allows detailed images in most scenarios. However, standard automatic mode often fails to cope with difficult lighting conditions, especially at night or when shooting moving objects. This is where the ability to manually adjust exposure settings comes to the rescue, and shutter speed is the key one.

Activating manual shutter speed control opens up new creative horizons for photographers: you can freeze a fast-moving object, capture light plumes from car headlights, or take a shot in low-light conditions without excessive digital noise. Understanding how this works is critical for those who want to make the most of their device hardware.

In this article, we will take a look at the algorithm for moving to professional shooting mode, not only where the adjustment sliders are located, but also how to combine shutter speed with ISO sensitivity to get the perfect result. Get ready to turn your smartphone into a full-fledged tool for mobile photography.

Transition to professional shooting mode

To start, you need to run the standard Camera app, which is pre-installed on the MIUI shell. By default, the device operates in automatic mode, where artificial intelligence makes its own decisions about white balance, focus and exposure time, and to access hidden control tools, you will need to switch the interface.

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a horizontal menu with different shooting scenarios, like Video, Portrait or Night, and you'll have to scroll through that list to the right, and there's Pro, and clicking on that icon activates the extended interface, where you have additional controls.

This is where you can access manual optics settings, where you can independently adjust focal length, white balance, ISO and, of course, shutter time, and the interface will become more complex, but it's necessary for precise control over the image creation process.

Configure shutter speed parameters (S) and ISO

After activating Pro mode, look at the top of the screen or the sidebar (depending on the firmware version and orientation of the smartphone), there will be sliders with letter designations. We are interested in the S (Shutter) parameter, which is responsible for shutter speed, that is, for shutter speed.

Click on the shutter speed to expand the adjustment scale. You'll see the range of values available to your sensor. 8 This range usually varies from 1/4000 second 30 seconds 1/8000 And you move the slider, you change the time that the matrix takes in light.

As you change the shutter speed, you'll probably have to adjust the ISO setting, which is the sensitivity of the matrix to light. If you increase the shutter speed (make the frame longer), the amount of light increases, and the ISO needs to be reduced to avoid over-lit images. And vice versa: short shutter speed requires a high ISO.

⚠️ Note: When installing shutter speeds longer 1/30 seconds, for example, 1/10 or 1 Any tremor of the hands will cause the frame to be lubricated. For such values, it is critical to use a tripod or to point the phone against a stationary surface.

Table of exposure values for different scenes

The right exposure time depends on what you're shooting, and it's hard for newcomers to figure out the numbers, so we've prepared a helpsheet that will help you quickly pick up the starting values for different shooting conditions on your Xiaomi.

Remember, the numbers in the denominator of a fraction represent a fraction of a second. The smaller the number in the denominator, the longer the shutter speed. For example, 1/5000 is very fast, and 1/4 is relatively long.

Using a histogram to control exposure

In Pro mode, the screen often displays a histogram, a pixel brightness graph, which is more accurate than just evaluating the image with the eye, since the screen of a smartphone can have high brightness and distort perception.

The histogram shows how many dark, medium and light colors are in the frame. If the graph is shifted to the left and rests on the left edge, there are many black dips in the frame (underlight). If the graph is flooded to the right, the frame is overcast, and the details in the lights are lost irretrievably.

Try to keep the tone distribution in the center or slightly shift in the right direction, avoiding cutting the graph at the edges. By adjusting the shutter speed S, you will see how the histogram lives in real time. This is the best way to learn to understand exposure.

Manual focusing and its connection to shutter speed

Next to the shutter speed setting is a manual focus slider, marked with a mountain or flower symbol, and in automatic mode, the camera itself looks for contrasting boundaries, but in manual Focus, you decide what will be in sharpness.

When shooting with long exposure (night shooting), autofocus often cannot find objects due to darkness, in which case you need to switch the focus to manual mode and move the slider to the position of “infinity” (mountain icon) so that distant objects (buildings, stars) become clear.

And manual focus is also essential for macro photography, and when you get close to the subject, autofocus can go for a walk, and if you lock the focus manually and you pick up the shutter speed, you get a steady result, and remember, when you take macro, the depth of field is minimal.

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Tip: For accurate focusing in the dark, turn on Peaking in your camera settings, which will highlight the contours of objects that are in focus, with a red or blue line.

Photography of light plumes and long exposure

One of the most spectacular techniques available to owners of the Redmi Note 8 Pro is to capture light traces from cars or the starry sky. To do this, you will need a shutter speed of 2 to 30 seconds. In normal mode this is not possible, but the Pro mode allows you to set the value of 30s (30 seconds).

The technique is simple: set the phone on a tripod, select a minimum ISO (50 or 100) to make the matrix the least sensual. Then set the shutter speed for 2-4 seconds to start. Press the descent button. The camera will think for a few seconds, at which time you can not touch the device.

The result is a picture where static objects (roads, buildings) remain clear, and moving lights (lights) turn into beautiful bright lines. Experiment with time: 30 seconds will allow you to take even a Milky Way away from the city, if light conditions allow.

⚠️ Attention: The countdown timer (3 or 5 seconds) in this mode works differently. It counts down the time before shooting, not the duration of the exposure itself.

Frequent errors and ways to fix them

Novice users often find that photos are too dark or completely white, because of the wrong combination of ISO and shutter speed. If the frame is black, increase the shutter time or raise the ISO. If white, reduce these values.

Another common problem is motion blur, which occurs when the shutter speed is longer than it allows you to hold your phone still. The rule is that the shutter speed denominator should be greater than the focal length. For the wide angle of the Redmi Note 8 Pro, try not to go below 1/30 - 1/15 without a tripod.

Also worth remembering is white balance (WB), which is not automatically adjusted in manual mode. If the photo goes blue or yellow, find the WB slider and move it until the colors are natural. For street lamps, values are about 3000-4000 K, for daylight, 5500-6000 K.

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The main secret of high-quality night photos on the Redmi Note 8 Pro is a combination of minimum ISO (50-100), long exposure (from 2 seconds) and the mandatory use of a tripod.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions