The question of how many parrots the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra counted is one of the most talked-about memes in the mobile photography community, a phrase that wasn’t born out of nowhere, but was a reaction to the incredible results of testing the GN2 sensor in DxOMark labs. When the French lab published its reports, the image detail was so high that the Internet community jokingly began counting feathers and birds in test images.
In fact, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra camera is really capable of discerning the smallest details that are often lost on other smartphones. The high resolution of the 50 MP core module, combined with an advanced image processing algorithm, allows textures to be preserved even with strong digital zoom. It is this ability to “see more” that gave rise to the parrot legend, although in standard DxOMark tests birds are not used as a reference object.
In this article, we will look at the specifications of the photo module that allowed the smartphone to take the leading position in the rankings, you will learn how a periscopic telephoto lens works and why night shooting on this device is still considered a reference. We will analyze the real possibilities of zooming and answer the question whether the number of parrots is so important for the average user.
Technical characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
At the heart of the system is the Samsung GN2 sensor, measuring 1/1.12 inches. It is one of the largest arrays ever installed in smartphones. The huge size of the pixel allows you to capture much more light, which directly affects dynamic range and noise level. Xiaomi engineers have equipped this module with optical stabilization (OIS), which is critical for low-light shooting.
The second module is a 48-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens, and it's also based on the Sony IMX586 sensor, which is rare for ultra-wide angles, because it's usually a simpler array, which provides great detail around the edges of the frame and minimizes distortion. The third module is a periscopic telephoto lens that provides 5x optical zoom.
⚠️ Note: Despite the stated 120x digital zoom, the use of maximum values leads to a severe loss of quality.
The software deserves special attention. The HDR processing algorithms in the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra work aggressively, pulling shadows and controlling. This allows you to take balanced images even in difficult contrast lighting conditions. The Laser AF and PDAF focusing system works instantly, clinging to objects even in the dark.
The secret of the big sensor
DxOMark Test Analysis and the Legend of Parrots
DxOMark's lab runs hundreds of tests to assess camera quality, which check exposure, color reproduction, autofocus, textures and noise levels, and the phrase "how many parrots" has become a metaphor for exorbitant detail. Users joke that a smartphone camera sees so well that it can count all the parrots in a zoo a few kilometers away.
In reality, tests have shown that the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is excellent at preserving textures. Test tables and real-world images of urban architecture show the smallest irregularities of brick, leaves on trees and textures of clothing, and this is the “parrot effect” where the image does not turn into soap porridge when zoomed in.
- 📸 Details: The camera keeps the clarity even when 100% framing the shot.
- 🌈 Color Rendering: Saturated but natural colors that do not require deep post-processing.
- 🌙 Night Mode Algorithms Efficiently Remove Noise by Keeping Details in Shadows.
- 🔍 Zuming: Hybrid zoom up to 10x gives excellent results thanks to high resolution sensors.
It's worth noting that DxOMark also evaluates video capabilities, where the smartphone shows great stabilization and microphone performance, but photography has become the model's trademark, and the parrot meme has only highlighted how far mobile photography technology has come by 2021.
Zoom Opportunities Comparison: Optics vs. Numbers
One of the key features of the model is the periscopic telephoto lens, which allows you to do 5-fold optical magnification without loss of quality, which means that the lenses inside the housing physically move or use a prism system to change the focal length, the result is a clear image of distant objects.
When you go beyond optical zoom, digital zoom comes into play. A smartphone uses data from the main 50MP sensor and telephoto lens, applying artificial intelligence algorithms to improve the picture. At a multiplicity of 10x, the image still looks very decent, preserving the contours and basic details.
Below is a table showing the differences in image quality at different zooming stages:
| Type of zoom | Conciseness. | Image quality | Sensor use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optical | 1x | Perfect. | Basic 50 MP |
| Optical | 5x | Excellent. | Periscope 48 MP |
| Hybrid | 10x | Good. | Crop + AI |
| Digital. | 120x | Low. | interpolation |
For users who often shoot concerts, architecture or nature, having high-quality optical zoom is a huge advantage. The ability to quickly switch between wide-angle and TV mode opens up new creative perspectives. However, it is worth remembering that "parrots" in the background are better shot with a tripod for maximum stability.
Night shooting and low light work
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra night mode deserves a separate section. With its large f/1.95 aperture and large sensor, the smartphone is able to take pictures in conditions where other devices simply show a black screen. Shutter speed can be extended to several seconds, combining many frames into one.
The image processor effectively suppresses noise, which usually manifests as colored porridge in dark areas. Light areas, such as lights or neon signs, do not "knock" into white spots, but retain color and shape, which allows you to obtain atmospheric night photos of the city.
⚠️ Warning: When shooting in the “Night” mode, try to keep your smartphone still during the shooting. 2-4 Any shaking can lubricate the contours of objects.
Night video has also been improved, with stabilization systems making up for hand tremors and noise-canceling algorithms running in real time, and while video may seem a little twitchy in extreme dark environments due to electronics, the results are impressive for a mobile device.
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Use a tripod or elbow against a hard surface when shooting at night, which will allow the smartphone algorithms to use longer shutter speeds and get the cleanest possible shot without digital noise.
Video capabilities and stabilization
The smartphone supports 8K video at 24 frames per second and 4K at 60 frames. For bloggers and content creators, it is important to be able to shoot in high resolution with subsequent cropping. Stabilization works along axes, compensating for step tremors and fine vibrations.
The AI Cinema mode is particularly noteworthy, offering filters and effects that are applied directly to the moment of recording, eliminating the need to mount video on a computer, and noise-canceling microphones that clearly record voice, cutting off the background hum of wind or traffic.
- 🎥 8K Video: Support for ultra-high resolution recording for professional crop.
- 🤳 Front Cam: Front camera writes video in front of camera 1080p supportive HDR10+.
- 🎙️ Audio Zoom: A function of amplifying sound in the direction of zooming the object.
- 🎬 Pro Video: Manual Shutter Speed Settings, ISO and white balance for video.
Tests show that when lighting changes dramatically (e.g., leaving a dark room for a bright sun), the auto exposure works quickly and smoothly, without noticeable brightness jerks, which makes videos pleasant to watch.
☑️ Settings for the perfect video
Programmatic features and camera modes
The MIUI shell (and its successor HyperOS) offers a variety of shooting modes. In addition to the standard Photo and Video mode, there is Portrait mode with adjustable depth of field. The algorithms for separating the object from the background work fairly accurately, although complex hair or transparent objects can sometimes cause artifacts.
Professional allows you to manually control all settings. You can set ISO, shutter speed, focal length and white balance. Supports RAW (DNG) shooting, which provides a huge post-processing opportunity in Lightroom or other editors. It's a choice for those who want to have full control over the process of creating a shot.
There is also a "long shutter speed" mode for shooting light traces of cars or "freezing" the movement of water. The smartphone automatically takes a series of pictures and glues them together, simulating the work of a professional camera with a neutral gray filter.
⚠️ Note: When shooting in format RAW The files take up much more space (around) 25-30 Make sure your device has enough free memory.
For selfie enthusiasts, the 20MP front camera offers beautification modes. However, unlike many competitors, Xiaomi tries to preserve the texture of the skin without turning the face into a plastic mask.
Next Next post: Should I Buy for a Camera?
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra remains one of the best camera phones of its time. Despite the release of new models, its main sensor still competes with the flagships of this year. The meme “how many parrots” will forever remain in history as a symbol of the triumph of detail in mobile photography.
If you’re looking for a device with a universal camera that shoots well day, night and zoom, this smartphone is a great choice, especially in the secondary market, and it’s out-of-the-box for 95 percent of users, including the demanding enthusiasts.
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Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has proven that a large sensor is more important than the number of megapixels, setting a new standard for the mobile camera industry for years to come.
The technology is moving forward, but the performance and quality of the optics in this model is enormous, and it can keep the owner happy with high-quality images for years to come, and the key is to adjust the camera to your needs and understand the limitations of digital zoom.