Xiaomi Redmi Note 12: an honest camera review – is it worth buying for a photo?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 is one of the most popular budget smartphones of 2023, which promises a “flagship camera” for a modest amount of money. But is it true? In this article, we will examine all the nuances of shooting on the Redmi Note 12: from technical specifications to real photo examples in different conditions, you will learn how the smartphone copes with portraits, night shooting and video, as well as what hidden settings will help improve the quality of shots.

We tested the Redmi Note 12 against competitors (including the Samsung Galaxy). A34 And the Realme 10 Pro, they looked at the features of its 50MP core module, and they found out where it loses and where it suddenly jumps ahead. If you're choosing a smartphone for a photo and you're wondering whether to overpay for more expensive models, this review will help you make an informed choice.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 camera specs: what is hidden behind the numbers?

On Redmi Note paper 12 It looks impressive for its price segment. 50 Samsung's MP sensor JN1 (1/2.76 inch, pixels 0.64 μm), which supports pixel integration 4-into-1 It's about improving quality in low light?

Here are the key parameters of the camera:

• 📷 Main camera: 50 MPP, f/1.8, phase-focus (PDAF), Optical stabilization is not available
• 🌃 Wide-angle module: 8 MPP, f/2.2, angle 118°, fixed-focus
• 👤 Macro camera: 2 MPP, f/2.4 (It is practically useless, but it is technically)
• 🎥 Front camera: 13 MPP, f/2.45
• 🔦 Flash: Single LED without temperature correction

It's important to understand: 50 MP in Redmi Note 12 — It's a marketing ploy. By default, the smartphone saves pictures in resolution. 12.5 MP (thanks to binning) 4-into-1), a full-size 50-MP photos need to be manually included in the settings, and the detail in these images is often worse due to noise and artifacts post-processing.

Comparatively, competitors like the Samsung Galaxy A34 The main module is also 48 MP, but with optical stabilization (OIS), And that's critical for video and motion. The Redmi Note 12 has electronic stabilization (EIS), which cuts the frame and degrades the detail.

Real photo tests: daylight, portraits and macro

So let's move from theory to practice, and we did a series of test shots on the Redmi Note 12 in typical scenarios: street photography in bright sun, people's portraits, and macro shots, and the results were mixed.

Daytime photos are the smartphone's strength. In good light, the Redmi Note 12 delivers bright, contrasting images with natural color reproduction.

• 🌞 HDR It's very aggressive, because the sky is often overlit and the shadows are obscured.
• 🎨 The colors are slightly cooler than Samsung’s, but more realistic than Realme’s (which tends to be over-saturated).
• 🔍 Details at 12.5 MP are good, but when you zoom in, you can see the noise reduction software.

The portrait mode is worse. The object boundary recognition algorithm is unstable: hair and complex contours are often eaten away, and background blur looks artificial. In comparison, even the budget Redmi Note 11 Pro did better.

The 2MP macro camera is a bogus function, the images are blurry, with low detail, and the main module is better used in close-up mode (up to 2).×), despite loss of quality.

⚠️ Note: If you plan to shoot portraits or macros frequently, consider alternatives.The Redmi Note 12 loses even older Xiaomi models like the Note 11 Pro+ with his 108MP camera.

Night photography: where is the line between “dark” and “noisy”?

The night mode in Redmi Note 12 is a lottery. On the one hand, the smartphone tries to brighten the frame, but on the other hand, the lack of a single game. OIS And a small sensor leads to two problems:

1. Without a tripod, the pictures are blurred (exposure to the 1/4 seconds).
2. Increase ISO Colored noise appears, which algorithms try to cover up by losing details.

For the test, we took a series of night photos in urban settings (street lighting, neon signs).

• 🌃 Light objects (such as storefronts) are well transmitted, but dark areas are “drenched” with noise.
• 🚦 Moving objects (cars, people) are lubricated even in the “Night” mode».
• 🌌 The sky on night landscapes turns into a “porridge” of artifacts.

Comparison with Samsung A34 (which is cheaper by 2-3 thousand rubles showed that the Korean better cope with noise due to the fact that the Koreans are more comfortable with the noise. OIS But the Redmi Note 12 is a winner in color reproduction, because Samsung often has a green tint in dark areas.

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For the best night shots on the Redmi Note 12 Use Pro mode: install the ISO hand-on 800–1600 and endurance 1/10–1/4 Hold your smartphone on a stable surface or use a mini-station.

Videotape: 4K vs Full HD and hidden limitations

Redmi Note 12 Can shoot video in resolution 4K@30fps full HD@60fps, but with reservations:

• 🎞️ V 4K There is no electronic stabilization (EIS) — Video trembles as it moves.
• 🔊 Full HD@60fps It stabilizes better, but loses in detail.
• 🎤 The microphone records a lot of noise, the voice sounds deaf (better to use an external microphone).

We tested the footage in different conditions:

For comparison: Realme 10 Pro in the same price segment offers 4K@60fps s EIS, If the video is critical to you, Redmi Note. 12 — not the best choice.

⚠️ Attention: When shooting in 4K The smartphone is very warm. After 10-15 minutes of continuous recording, the body temperature reaches 45.°C, and the camera starts to "brake».

Hidden camera settings: how to squeeze the most out of Redmi Note 12

Many users are unaware that Redmi Note 12 has hidden modes and settings that can improve the quality of shots.

Enable Pro mode for manual settings ISO and excerpts|

Disable "Face Improvement" in the front camera (artificial smoothing)|

Activate saving in format HEIF (Save space without loss of quality)|

Disable the Auto-HDR» and use it only when necessary.|

Include a composition grid (rule of thirds)-->

Let's take a closer look at this.

1. Pro mode (Camera) → More. → Pro: allows you to manually adjust ISO, It's good for night photography or difficult lighting conditions.
2. Format HEIF (Camera settings → Photo format → HEIF): The images take up 2 times less space at the same quality, but not all programs support this format.
3. Facial Improvements Disable: By default, the front camera aggressively smooths the skin, which looks unnatural. → Beauty. → Improving the face → 0.

Another lifehack: if you need full-size 50-MP photos, go to the camera settings → Permission → 50 MP, but remember that these are photos:

• Occupying. ~20-30 MB each.
• They have more noise in low light.
• Requires lightroom (Snapseed) for an acceptable result.

Comparison with competitors: who shoots better on a budget?

To understand how good the Redmi Note 12 camera is, we compared it to its main competitors in the price range of 20-25,000 rubles:

1. Samsung Galaxy A34 (22-24 thousand rubles.)

• ✅ Pluses: OIS, more natural HDR, night-time.
• ❌ Cons: 48 MP (versus 50 MP in Xiaomi), less detailed images in good lighting.

2. Realme 10 Pro (19-21 thousand rubles)

• ✅ Pluses: 108 The main camera (although the real quality is comparable to the main camera). 50 MPP), 4K@60fps.
• ❌ Cons: strong smoothing of details, unnatural colors.

3. POCO X5 Pro (23-25 thousand rubles.)

• ✅ Pros: 108 MP sensor (Samsung) HM2), OIS, fine-tuning.
• ❌ Cons: more expensive, but slightly better in the photo (video - much better).

The Redmi Note 12 is mid-range among competitors. POCO X5 Pro and Samsung A34 It's a good camera for a lot of money, but it's bypassing the Realme 10 Pro in terms of color realism. If you don't want a picture first, you just want a good camera for a lot of money, it's a good smartphone.

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The Redmi Note 12 is a good option for daytime shooting and social media, but not for professional tasks, and its main advantage is the balance of price and quality, not the revolutionary capabilities of the camera.

Frequent Redmi Note 12 Camera Problems and How to Fix Them

Redmi Note 12 users often face typical shooting problems, and here are the most common ways to solve them:

1. Blurred night photos

• Reason: Absence OIS + high-end ISO.
• Solution: Use Pro mode with shutter speed 1/10 c ISO 800–1600, lock up your smartphone.

2. The illuminated sky in landscapes

• Reason: aggressive HDR.
• Solution: Turn off the "Auto"-HDR» in the settings or remove in RAW post-processing.

3. "Soap" video in 4K

• Reason: Absence EIS + compression.
• Solution: Film in Full HD@60fps To stabilize or use Gimbal.

4. Green hue in the photo under artificial lighting

• The reason is that there is an incorrect white balance.
• Solution: manually set the white balance to an “incandescent lamp” or “fluorescent lamp”.

5. Slow focusing in macro mode

• Reason: 2MP macro camera with fixed focus.
• Solution: Use the main camera with approximation (up to 2)×) and manual focus.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI the camera began to "lag" or give green pictures, reset the camera settings to the factory (Settings) → Annexes → Camera. → Warehouse → It often solves software glitches.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions about the Redmi Note camera 12