Camera Setup Xiaomi Redmi Note 8

Review of Xiaomi optics settings for all models

Are you the lucky owner of a brand new device from a Chinese manufacturer? Then after the first launch of the smartphone and entering the necessary data, your next step is to configure the Xiaomi camera. Factory averaged parameters give the same average result. If this is not your option, then go ahead to overclock the camera and optimize the optics.

Camera resolution

The parameter is available for adjustment. The frame size can be set both in full format and in truncated form. The aspect ratio of the camera matrix is ​​4: 3, therefore, choosing this format, we get a photo in the maximum resolution. 16: 9 is presented as a photograph with a tapered top and bottom, the sensor is partially used.

You will need adjustment if you want:

• Get detailing of image fragments;
• View photos and videos in 16: 9 format on a widescreen device such as TV;
• To have a complete picture of the object, the 16: 9 option is convenient for the human eye;
• To process the frame later, the easiest way to do this is with maximum use of the matrix, that is, in the 4: 3 format.

Settings options

It seems that there is nothing easier than setting up the camera on Xiaomi smartphones, however, you should not rush. To achieve the desired result and get a high-quality photo or video, you need to be a little photographer and understand some of the basic elements of photography, which you cannot do without and that willy-nilly you will have to regulate yourself.

Exposure is a cornerstone, a set of basic camera parameters such as light sensitivity, aperture, shutter speed. Correctly selected exposure gives a quality product at the end.

First of all, it is light sensitivity or ISO. The sensor of the matrix, depending on the value of the sensitivity of the light sensor, receives as much light as specified. The range is very wide, from 100 to 3200.

If you set the ISO parameter to maximum on a bright sunny day, you get a blurry photo. It’s all about the notorious “noises”, which are warned about everywhere and everywhere. A pixel, a single element of the matrix, under the influence of a large amount of light, begins to give part of the charge to its neighbors and blur formation occurs in the frame, and mixing tones of different shades distorts the image. With an increase in ISO, the pattern only intensifies, and at the set maximum, a blown photo is obtained.

If there is a lack of light in the evening, in cloudy weather, increasing the ISO, on the contrary, will allow you to collect all the available light and get a clearer image. Therefore, ISO adjustments are always based on the specific shooting conditions and time of day.

Example of increasing ISO in a dark room.

White balance

By default, it is always set to auto, however, it is useful to make changes in relation to the type of lighting of the environment, the location of the photograph. The frame takes on richness and originality, sparkles with colors. In some cases, you just need to add a certain background and change the tone in the frame, you cannot take pictures of the same parameters day and evening, night and morning, in cloudy and sunny weather.

Example for white balance setting.

Focusing

This element of changing the distance to the subject and adding clarity and contrast in detail is found in all Xiaomi main and front cameras. This functionality cannot be turned off. It can only be made either continuous or by touch. That is, point the camera at the subject and press the screen with your finger. Then, without stopping, to take video. Autofocus often works, however, it takes some time to fully detail the picture and not trembling hands, a tripod will help.

Aperture

Further. The diaphragm or aperture in the English manner. This is the “neck” through which the light is “poured” onto the matrix. The aperture value is expressed in the formula: f / X, where the lower the X number, the more light will enter the camera. Here we come to the main difference between a smartphone camera and a real camera. Due to the small size of the camera, this value cannot be controlled. It is impossible to “twist” the lens, as it is built into the phone body.

The alternative in this case is the fashionable modern tendency of “hanging” external lenses on the camera eye, with the subsequent adjustment of the aperture ratio. Phone makers have taken a different path. Installation of dual cameras with different aperture values ​​allows you to superimpose two images from different cameras on the same frame, which increases the contrast and detail of the main subject of shooting, blurring the entire background.

In addition, the aperture ratio changes digitally, when individual areas of the matrix are adjusted depending on the selected exposure by the user. Even in the budget line of Xiaomi Redmi, in the system settings of the camera, you can find settings for the exposure mode, which regulate the aperture ratio over the area of ​​the matrix, which replaces the aperture adjustment.

Redmi 5 Series camera settings

Moving on to the best line of budget phones from Xiaomi to date. And they became the best, because of the upgraded cameras, with more advanced software. True, the progress of this series did not immediately touch.

For example, to customize Xiaomi Redmi 5A, you do not need to delve into the topic of parameters, they are quite standard and recognizable. This is non-automatic HDR and the absence of any stabilization. A low aperture value “makes” pictures taken in the dark, pretty “noise” In the following models, Xiaomi decided to make a breakthrough. And released a pair of high-end smartphones.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime especially stands out, which has a super-powerful 16MP front camera, enhanced by LED flash. The camera setup is standard, as in the fourth series, and does not contain anything original. In general, this entire line, which announced advanced optics, did not reassure users on stock applications from Xiaomi. All the same disadvantages, but at a higher level. The video quality on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus was improved only by using the Cinema FV-5 application, which allowed us to add stabilization to video recording. The user is required to install this application on the phone and make settings in the shell of this program.

• The first is to enable stabilization.
• Video format. Full HD.
• Set the maximum bitrate (the video stream processed by the camera during shooting is measured in bits per second), the higher the bitrate value, the higher the video quality. High-quality video starts at a minimum threshold of 60 MB / s. The program allows you to set the value to 84 Mb / s.
• There is an opportunity to increase the audio bitrate, since this camera writes sound of rather low quality, due to the low bitrate value.

Camera settings Redmi 4 series

For the review, let’s take the Xiaomi Redmi 4 Pro, an average-quality optics model from the line. Let’s describe the camera setup in as much detail as possible.

• We tap on the camera and enter it, select the modes and find ourselves in a place where everything that is needed for adjustment is collected. There is a gear in the upper right corner. It is filled with basic and advanced customization options. Do not forget that the settings will be for the selected shooting mode. To switch from photo to video settings, switch to video.
• Anyone who does not want to bother with a huge selection of options can SIMply go to the “Improve” option and set a high level. For this user, the camera setup process is over, the camera parameters are working at maximum.
• In the gear we activate the “Grid lines”, this will help those who have a blocked horizon and lack spatial coordination. The frame is divided into regular squares, which, however, will not be reflected in the final image.
• Automatic enhancement of dark photos. Activate the option, it will help in extreme conditions.
• Frame format, or resolution. Here you decide what is more important to you, use the entire matrix (4: 3) or use a truncated widescreen 16: 9 version.
• The photo quality is, of course, high.
• Let’s move on to additional settings. Turning on the option for face recognition by age and gender is not for everybody, the camera shamelessly deceives, depending on the degree of illumination. Suitable for those who want to look younger, the camera is mistaken for the smaller side.
• Flicker elimination offers several options, but it’s better to choose auto mode, for all occasions.
• Exposure mode, or which part of the matrix to use to the maximum. The main indicator here is brightness, it is measured by the camera. Without getting tired of complex physical calculations, we can advise the weighted average exposure mode, when the brightness is measured in the center of the matrix, and only partially at the edges. We have, as it were, the central object of the photograph.
• Contrast, saturation, sharpness. There are many tips, but everyone sees this world in their own way. The only universal recommendation is to bring sharpness to a minimum, oddly enough. Excessive sharpness so highlights the smallest grains of detail that it only spoils the overall impression of the frame.
• Manual mode. Allows you to manually set the white balance and ISO. There are many criteria, how and what to choose, indicated at the beginning of the article. There is no exposure setting, only an advanced user can extract it from the bowels of the phone.
• Alignment. From hand tremors, puts the subject on a flat surface.
• The panorama will produce a multiple-frame shot during a 360-degree rotation. You just need to press the shutter and turn the phone around you. At the output we have a full-fledged volumetric image.
• Timer and sound. This turns on the shutter automatically. In the first case, after a given amount of time, in the second, by voice. Relevant for those who want to take a selfie using the main camera.
• Plots, night photography, all sorts of tunnels and fisheye. For those who like to exercise with the camera and take photos with any effect. You can deal with this variety of possibilities day and night.
• Let’s not forget about the video. We switch, and in modes there is only one option! Acceleration. How to adjust it and what is it? Go to the gear and find the option “Interval in acceleration mode”. You can set video recording in accelerated mode by choosing one of the options you like. Then you get a fun carousel on the screen. You find yourself in the era of silent films.
• Video quality. Full HD. This is the maximum that a phone camera can give. He must be chosen.
• Focus Mode. There are two options, continuous and touch. Continuous is better for video. No need to worry about focus.

Opportunities not included in the settings related to the Bokeh effect (blurred background) are not typical for the described device.

Let’s turn to the model that has this option. There is no need to describe how to improve the camera of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, everything is stated above. But a smartphone with a dual main camera allows you to achieve this effect, you just need to go to the “Modes” and select stereo.

Summing up this series, it is worth mentioning the leaders and outsiders. All cameras in the line are very SIMilar, the differences are extremely insignificant. Only the aperture of the Xiaomi Redmi 4X is slightly higher, which makes the photo a little brighter, but this is all subjective. We put a small plus.

The Chinese version for the domestic market Xiaomi Redmi 4A, as the cheapest of the line, also took its rightful place, however, the camera received just as much attention as for other models. Separate complaints about the poor quality of filming in the dark from the few Russian users of the device still put this model down the list.

Max Series Camera Setup

The list of camera parameters for this model takes up a whole page of small text. The functionality is impressive, there is stabilization, even the front camera writes 4K video.

For inquisitive minds, another modification is offered: Camera 2 API, which allows you to shoot RAW video formats inaccessible to a standard camera, and also greatly enhances the effect of a person’s presence in the settings.

Adjustments to light sensitivity, shutter speed, white balance, focusing expand the range, increase the capabilities of the camera. Change the number of frames while filming, compress raw video formats, all this becomes available.

I will give just one example of what the optical system of a smartphone is capable of. Only when using the Camera 2 API is the wow effect achieved. For those who are not in the know: an unforgettable quality element, in general “wow”!

• Go to the program settings.
• Activate Low Light Mode and Auto Light Mode options.
• Set a value from 3 to 5 for Low Light Frames.
• The camera must be stationary.
• After a while, we have some super high-quality photos in the wow-effect style!

Xiaomi Redmi Note is an extremely popular line of low-cost smartphones. Redmi Note 7 has become one of the sales leaders this year in Ukraine. But the competition in this segment is very high and we have to surprise with something. Recently, the new Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro went on sale, in which the company has installed a main camera with four modules, a new “gaming” processor and NFC for contactless payment, which has long been awaited in the available Redmi line. Sounds interesting. And we’ll see how everything is in practice.

Display

The Redmi Note 8 Pro has a large 6.53-inch display with a drop notch for the front camera. Used IPS-matrix with FullHD resolution (2340×1080), aspect ratio 19.5: 9 and pixel density

395 ppi. The screen has good viewing angles and pleasant natural color reproduction. The stock of brightness is sufficient for comfortable use in any conditions, including in the sun.

The set of settings is standard: scale, font size, color tone adjustment, dark mode and two options for hiding the top cutout.

In natural mode, the maximum brightness is 396.062 cd / m², and the static contrast is 731: 1. At the same time, the color rendering is quite natural, the color error ΔE does not exceed 8, which is very good. The color gamut is almost the same as sRGB:

In bright mode, the brightness and contrast indicators remain practically unchanged: 398.973 cd / m² and 733: 1, respectively. But in terms of color rendering, the screen noticeably goes into cold shades:

Interface and software

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro runs on the current Android 9 Pie OS with MIUI 11 shell, version. 11.0.1.0. MIUI 10 was installed out of the box. There are no cardinal changes compared to the 10th version. Mostly they relate to the appearance and animations and all sorts of little things such as an updated look for sound settings and various sliders. A separate application menu is expected to appear in MIUI 11 later, with future updates. The shell works traditionally very quickly and is quite convenient.

There are already familiar navigation options with buttons or gestures, and various additional little things are also provided. For example, the reduced screen mode and additional gestures on the screen for more convenient smartphone control.

Even in the previous version of MIUI, an add-on for games appeared. Now almost all smartphone manufacturers have their own version, although they are all SIMilar in functionality. There is memory cleaning before starting the game, disabling pop-up notifications, screenshots, video capture, and so on.

Traditionally, a very impressive number of proprietary applications are preinstalled.

Camera Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro camera consists of four modules. The main one is 64 megapixels with f / 1.9 aperture, 26 mm, 1 / 1.7 ″, 0.8 µm with phase detection autofocus. In standard mode, it works SIMilarly to Sony’s Quad Bayer sensors: four pixels of the same color are combined into one, resulting in images of 16 megapixels. Additionally, there is an 8 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide-angle camera, a separate 2 MP, f / 2.4 macro camera and a two-megapixel depth sensor. Despite the updated version of MIUI, the camera application is familiar and practically does not differ from previous versions.

The camera is quite good considering the class of the smartphone. During the day, the photos are detailed, with natural color reproduction and good dynamic range. Night photography is more difficult for a smartphone, but you can take a decent photo. There is a night shooting mode.

Also, the camera can take wide-angle photos, there is 2x zoom and portrait mode with background blur. The latter did not work on our test unit. On a wide-angle camera, decent photos can only be taken during the day:

The macro camera also does not do miracles, the detail is so-so.

Smartphone review Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro. Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro design and materials

Visually, Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro is a typical modern smartphone with a large display. The screen occupies almost the entire front panel, there is only a teardrop-shaped cutout for the front camera, above which is the earpiece mesh and a small LED indicator. The gaps around the perimeter of the screen are small, but not a record.

The frame is made of glossy plastic, which looks pretty good, but it gets scratched very quickly. All buttons and connectors are placed as usual. On the right side are the standard power and volume buttons. On the left is a tray for SIM cards and MicroSD. Speaker, microphone, Type-C and 3.5 mm headphone jack are on the bottom. Above. An additional microphone and IR transmitter for electronics control.

The back is made of 5th generation Gorilla glass (just like the screen protector). The back panel has curves on the sides, the smartphone fits comfortably in the hand. What is important given the impressive weight of 200 g. It is produced in four colors: white, blue, green and black. “Classic” black looks nice.

The camera is placed vertically in the middle on a kind of dais. The fourth module is slightly on the side, next to the flash. The fingerprint scanner was decided to be placed together with the main cameras, from the same round shape. It looks aesthetically pleasing, but not very convenient. It is not so easy to find it, and the finger regularly gets into the camera.

Unlocking

As we wrote above, the fingerprint scanner in the smartphone is located on the back, under the cameras. It works quickly and accurately. Although it would be strange to expect something else: “classic” scanners have long been working well even in budget smartphones. Face recognition is also formally present, but it does not work very well.

Platform and performance

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro has received a fresh MediaTek Helio G90T processor, which is positioned by the company as a gaming one. It is made using a 12-nm process technology, includes two ARM Cortex-A76 cores at 2.05 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0 GHz. Responsible for the graphics accelerator Mali-G76 MC4. The processor was equipped with liquid cooling for stable operation. In fact, the performance in benchmarks is just a little higher than that of the Snapdragon 730 in the middle price segment. In general, it is more than enough for fast operation of applications and the shell. Games also run confidently, including demanding ones. But only for not too long gaming sessions.

The processor turned out to be very “hot”. In a stress test, it overheats and throttles up to 78%, while the body next to the camera heats up very noticeably. Demanding games also warm up the smartphone well. Liquid cooling doesn’t help much.

Wireless interfaces include dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC (with Google Pay support), FM tuner and IR transmitter for electronics control. Navigation module: GPS (A-GPS), GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo. Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro comes with 6 GB of RAM and 64/128 GB of internal storage. The tray is hybrid, instead of a second SIM card, you can install a MicroSD up to 256 GB:

Autonomy

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro has a 4500 mAh battery. There were concerns that the large IPS-screen and the new MediaTek processor would not have the best effect on battery life. But in fact, everything is very good: in the usual “everyday” mode (if you do not force it with a large number of games) the smartphone works on a single charge for 2 days. There are various power saving and Digital Wellbeing modes for monitoring smartphone usage time.

Supports fast 18 W (Quick Charge 3), the corresponding power supply is included. In half an hour, the smartphone charges up to 40%. Fully charged. Just under 2 hours.