Table of contents:
- Use the volume buttons as camera buttons
- Record videos with better quality
- Remove Xiaomi watermark on photos
- Enable (or disable) the Beauty effect for Portrait mode photos
- Or resort to study effects
- Stabilize photos before taking them
- No night mode? So you can take photos in the dark
- Apply Instagram and TikTok style filters on your videos
- Take photos with the palm of your hand
The Xiaomi Camera application is not characterized by being one of the most intuitive in the Android world. This is partly because it mimics the aesthetics of Apple iPhones. Fortunately, the application that we can find in MIUI 10 and 11 is much more complete than that of iOS, and it is generally the same in all Xiaomi models. For this reason we have made a compilation of several Xiaomi camera tricks to take full advantage of mobile photography.
Given that we will use the native MIUI 10 application, most of the camera tricks that we will see below are compatible with a good part of the Xiaomi mobile catalog. Xiaomi Mi A1, A2, A3, A2 Lite, Redmi Note 4, Note 5, Note 6 Pro, Note 7, Note 8, Mi 8, Mi 9, Mi 9T, Mi 9T Pro, Redmi 5, Redmi 6, Redmi 7…
Use the volume buttons as camera buttons
Although nowadays no mobile phone has buttons dedicated to the camera, MIUI makes it possible to use the volume buttons to perform different actions within the application.
If we click on the hamburger style menu that appears in the upper right corner and then on Settings we will see an option with the name of Actions of the volume buttons. Within this we can configure the buttons as a zoom wheel, as a trigger and as a countdown trigger.
Record videos with better quality
Changing the recording quality of a video is as simple as clicking on the indicator that is shown in the top bar of the Camera application. The latest MIUI 10 updates include, however, an option that allows us to further improve the final quality thanks to the new H.265 encoding protocol.
In this case, just access the camera application settings in Video mode and click on Video encoder. In the menu that will appear below we will select H.265 High performance.
Remove Xiaomi watermark on photos
By default, Xiaomi stamps its particular watermark on photos taken with the brand's mobiles. To remove the mark in question we will have to refer again to the camera settings, and more specifically to the Watermark option.
Within the latter we will deactivate the Watermark option of the device. We can also choose a watermark with date and time or a custom mark.
Enable (or disable) the Beauty effect for Portrait mode photos
The Portrait mode of the Xiaomi camera applies a Beauty effect by default that smoothes out the imperfections of the face. Luckily, we can deactivate or make this mode more noticeable by clicking on the magic wand icon.
Then we can adjust the level of beauty to apply, as well as the image filters that modify the color of the photograph.
Or resort to study effects
A novelty that some Xiaomi phones have recently included in Portrait mode is the so-called “studio effects” or “studio filters”. Roughly, it is a series of effects that plays with the lenses of the phone to change the lights of the photographs and simulate a professional studio.
To apply these effects, just click on the circular icon that will be shown in the lower right corner of the application next to the Beauty filter. Once the photo is taken, we can adjust the effects to our liking.
Stabilize photos before taking them
If our pulse does not allow it or we do not have enough photography knowledge, MIUI includes an option that stabilizes and straightens the photos automatically. We just have to click on the hamburger menu and select the Straighten option.
The application will then enable a box that will automatically adjust the photograph even if it is displayed outside the frame.
No night mode? So you can take photos in the dark
The Night mode is an option that unfortunately is not included in all the mobiles of the Chinese firm. A camera trick that we can resort to is based on making use of the Pro mode by sliding between the available camera modes.
In this mode, we will click on the S parameter (exposure time) and we will alternate between values according to the light level of the photograph. The normal thing is to opt for times greater than one second: 2, 4 or even 8 seconds.
If we want to capture the stars in the sky, we can even opt for exposure times of up to 32 seconds. During the time of capture, however, we will have to keep the mobile as stable as possible, although it is best to use a tripod or flat surface.
Apply Instagram and TikTok style filters on your videos
With the popularization of Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat filters, Xiaomi has recently integrated a new mode called Short Video that includes a multitude of real-time video filters.
If we click on the face icon that is shown in the lower left corner we can see a list of filters to apply. Many others can be downloaded from the application itself.
Within this camera mode we can change the speed of the video (slow, fast, super fast…), the color of the image through the respective photo filters and the music that we want to be played while we record the video.
Take photos with the palm of your hand
Do we usually take selfies day in and day out too? A curious function that integrates the Xiaomi Camera application allows us to capture images with the front camera through the palm of the hand.
With the front camera active, click on the sandwich menu in the upper right corner and activate the option Take with the palm. To activate the capture, we will only have to raise the palm of the hand to the frame of the photograph: a 3-second countdown will automatically start that will take a photograph of our face.
