When choosing a new smartphone, users often wonder: how many pixels does a camera have in a particular model? Marketers put a huge emphasis on the megapixel race, bringing the numbers 50, 108 or even 200 MP to the front of the package. However, simply knowing the number of pixels does not give a complete understanding of the quality of the images you will get in the end.
The resolution of the matrix is just one of the parameters that affect the detail of the frame. Xiaomi devices use a complex image processing system, where software algorithms are often more important than the physical size of the sensor. Understanding how the pixel grille works and how it interacts with the processor will help you choose a truly high-quality camera phone.
In this article, we will explore in detail why the 200-megapixel camera in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Redmi Note 12 Pro+ can shoot in different ways. We will also touch on the topic of interpolation, real resolution when zooming and how the number of pixels affects detail when framing a photo.
Evolution of sensors: 13 to 200 megapixels
Until a few years ago, the standard for Xiaomiβs flagship smartphones was 12 or 13 megapixels, enough to make it comfortable to shoot on social media, but with the big magnification or printing of large-format images, details were lost. With the release of new sensors from Samsung and Sony, the industry stepped forward, offering high resolution as the new standard of quality.
Today, Redmi and Xiaomi have a wide variety of options; budget models often feature 48MP or 50MP modules that combine pixels to produce a great picture in low light; flagship devices like the Xiaomi 14 series use Leicaβs advanced 50MP sensors, but with an increased physical size of each pixel.
π Which camera resolution is more important to you?
50 MP (standard)
108 MP (details)
200 MP (maximum)
I'm more interested in zoom.
The pixel growth has enabled the lossless zoom function, which is digital zoom without loss of quality. When you use a 2x zoom on a 200 megapixel camera, the smartphone simply takes the center of the array (about 50 megapixels) and produces a picture that is as detailed as optical zoom, which is made possible by the huge resolution of the main sensor.
β οΈ Attention: High resolution (108 MP and 200 MP) is available only in the special High Res mode in the camera app. By default, the smartphone will always shoot in 12 or 50 MP mode, using binning technology to improve color reproduction and light sensitivity.
Binning Technology: How 200MP Turns into 50
Many users are surprised to see a picture in the gallery with a resolution of 12 or 50 megapixels, although the characteristics are claimed to be 200 MP. Here comes the technology of pixel binning.
In Xiaomi sensors with Samsung HP1 or HP3 arrays, which have a resolution of 200 MP, the combination can occur in groups 4 in 1 or even 16 in 1. This allows you to dramatically increase the area of the light sensitive zone. As a result, instead of 200 million tiny pixels that do not catch light well, we have 50 or 12.5 million large ones that can take bright and clean pictures even at night.
How to turn on the full 200 MP mode?
To activate the mode 200 Open the Camera app, click on the menu (three bars) and select "More." Find the icon"200MP" or "High resolution." Remember, this mode turns off nighttime footage and HDR, a) the file size can be as large as 40-50 The benefits of binning are obvious: π Improved Detail in Shadows by Reducing Digital Noise. π A wider dynamic range (HDR) artifactless. π Natural color reproduction, because each "big" pixel captures more color information, but it's worth noting that hardware zoom works differently when you use binning. 50 Mm, then digital zoom 2x It's just a cropping, but if you switch to mode, it's just a clipping. 200 Mm, zoom. 2x will be optical in quality, as it uses the physical region of the matrix. The variety of Xiaomi models requires a detailed consideration of the sensors used. Depending on the price segment, the manufacturer installs different modules. Let's see how many pixels and what kind of sensors are used in current devices. - Xiaomi's flagship lineup 13 and 14 It is traditionally the best sensors from Sony. IMX and LYTIA). These matrices have resolution. 50 MP, but their physical size (1 lens 1/1.49 inch) allows them to bypass in quality 100-The big thing is the size of the pixel, not just the number of pixels. The Redmi Note series, the king of the mid-range, often offers Samsung sensors on the market. 108 MP 200 This is a great choice for those who like to crop pictures or print large format photos. However, in low light, they can be inferior to the flagship 50 MP sensors due to the smaller physical size.Smartphone model Main sensor Resolution (MP) Features Xiaomi 14 Pro Sony LYT-900 50 MP 1-inch matrix, floating lens Redmi Note 13 Pro+ Samsung HP3 200 MP OIS, 4x lossless zoom Xiaomi 13T Sony IMX707 50 MP Large pixel 1.22 ΞΌm, Leica POCO X6 Pro Omnivision OV64B 64 MP Optical stabilization, good balance As you can see from the table, Xiaomi does not blindly chase numbers. In top models, the preference is given to the quality of light flux, and in the middle segment β high-resolution versatility. The choice of the matrix directly affects how many pixels the camera will effectively use in different shooting scenarios. Night photography is the Achilles heel of many smartphones, and here the number of pixels plays a dual role. On the one hand, more pixels are more detail. On the other hand, the smaller the size of each pixel on a matrix of the same size, the less light it can capture. - Xiaomi devices with high-resolution sensors (108 MP, 200 MP) at night, automatically activates the pixel merge mode, the smartphone sacrifices resolution for the sake of sensitivity. 200 At night without a tripod and good lighting, the result is likely to disappoint: a lot of noise, lubrication and loss of colors. π‘For night shooting on Xiaomi, always use the standard Photo mode or the special Night mode (50/108/200 MP) intended exclusively for daylight and static objects. Night Mode Algorithms in the Shell MIUI (HyperOS takes multiple images with different exposures and glues them together, so it's important that the data from each pixel is as clean as possible. Therefore, a 50-megapixel sensor with a large physical pixel size often gives a cleaner and more natural result at night than a 200-megapixel sensor, which is forced to loudly suppress. However, if you take a cityscape from a tripod, high-resolution mode can give you a great result, detailing the lights, textures of buildings and signs will be at the level of professional cameras. The main thing is to ensure that the device is still, since the shutter speed in 200 MP mode can be longer than usual. Video shooting: high-resolution limitations Many people wonder why when switching to 200 MP or 108 MP mode, you can not record video in a video format. 4K or even the quality drops to FullHD. It's related to the bandwidth of the processor and the processing speed of the data. 200 million-pixel 30 or 60 It's too big for mobile chipsets once a second without losing quality or overheating. 4K 60fps or 8K Xiaomi smartphones switch to reading data from a line-patch matrix or use a sensor area with lower resolution (for example, 12 or 50 This ensures smoothness and stability of the image. βοΈ Settings for better video shooting 4K 60fps in video settings:Disable stabilization when using a tripod:Use Mode "Film" for cinematic effect:Check free space on the disk (video) 4K It takes a lot: 0 / 1 If video is important to you, pay attention not to the number of megapixels, but to the presence of optical stabilization (OIS) Support for Dolby Vision. Xiaomi's flagships 13 and 14 They are excellent at video because of the balance between the sensor resolution and a powerful image processing processor (ISP). β οΈ Note: Recording video in maximum resolution (8K or 4K 60fps) Do not cover your smartphone during long recordings and avoid direct sunlight to avoid emergency shutdown of the camera (FAQ) Why Xiaomi Camera Takes Photos 12 MP, if in characteristics 200 MP? By default, the camera uses pixel-combination mode (4-into-1 or 16-into-1) To get a full resolution photo, you need to manually turn High Res on the camera menu. Does the number of pixels affect the camera's speed? Yes, processing images with a resolution of 108 or 200 MP requires more time and CPU resources. High resolution can be observed shutter lag and longer frame processing after pressing the down button. Can you change the resolution of the video on Xiaomi? Yes, in the settings of the camera application (cog icon or three strips) you can choose the resolution of the video recording: from 720p to 4K or 8K, if this supports a particular smartphone model. Which camera is better: 50 MP or 200 MP? For everyday shooting and night photos, it is often better than 50 MP from a large array, and the size of the landscape depends only on the number of the photos.