Digital Trends
TheXiaomi 14 Ultrahas one of the best cameras I ’ve used on a smartphone ever , but Xiaomi also betray something that could potentially make it even good . It ’s yell the Photography Kit , and it ’s a pricy set of supplement that put the emphasis on the phone ’s camera element to an even greater arcdegree .
I ’ve been using it , and although I started out feel underwhelmed , I shortly key the one thing that wee the Photography Kit unique , exciting , and incredible . It ’s so different , in fact , that it ’s poised to interchange the fashion I think about phone tv camera accessories in the hereafter .
A phone accessory unlike any other
The Xiaomi Photography Kit comprise of a case for the phone , a grip that fits on one close and plugs into the USB - C port , and a pair of rings that gird the monumental camera mental faculty . The grip has a 1,500mAh battery inside , a two - microscope stage forcible shutter release , a zoom level selector , a quick - accession video release , and an adjustment bicycle . On the side is a curl to insure the grip does n’t incidentally slide off the phone .
Initially , it seems like a fashion to impart more size and weight to an already monolithic phone , as it abruptly becomes at least three times thicker and the weightiness jumps from 220 grams to 340 gram . The two - stage shutter is vaguely interesting as it helps identify what the photographic camera is focalise on , but I ’ve not found a situation where it was getting the focus wrong . The zoom picker is set to advance the zoom by .2 with every twist , so you go from 1.0 to 1.2x , 1.4x , 1.6x and so on . It ’s a bit slow , and considering the ocular zoom is found at 3.2x and 5x , it takes ages to get there .
I love the quick admittance to the camera when you press the shutter button , and the 1,500mAh battery is very helpful . I took pic and used the phone for several hours on one good afternoon , and the earphone ’s barrage hadmorecharge when I get home than when I went out .
But neither of these things are transformative . I could use any battery pack to keep the battery charged while I ’m out taking photos , and a double press of the power clitoris on the telephone quickly launches the camera app already .
It costs how much?
The Xiaomi Photography Kit cost 180 British pounds , or about $ 227 , and that ’s on top of the already expensive Xiaomi 14 Ultra — which be the same as theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultrain the U.K. That ’s a lot to spend for a glorified case , a couple of button , a very small battery large number , and quite a lot of extra girth . It also does n’t really make the photography feel any better .
It did better when I looked into the setting for the Camera Grip . you’re able to alter the soar focussing selector to skip between 1x , 2x , 3.2x , and 5x , which makes it a spate more useful . The adaptation roulette wheel geological fault the EV by default , but it can be switch over to aperture , shutter , ISO , white balance , bokeh , and — interestingly — focalize . These things help tailor the camera experience around your preferences , so it does become more helpful .
But I was begin to feel it was n’t going to meliorate the already fantastic television camera on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra in any meaningful way . It did n’t change the exposure or the originative process , only the work flow . But using forcible buttons rather than the touchscreen and sliders comes at the disbursement of portability and convenience . I wondered if the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s photographic camera had already hit its crown , and the Photography Kit was little more than a fancy font for it . But I was about to get word how haywire I was .
Filters forever
There are two mob in the Photography Kit that screw into the case ’s camera module surround . One is cosmetic , but the other is an adapter for a 67 mm filter designed for full - size cameras to be fitted to it . These crank or plastic discs vary the way light enters and interacts with the television camera , and are commonly used on DSLRs . But they are n’t common for smartphones at all , where the word filter means something quite unlike .
Smartphones really introduced me to the pleasure of photography , and while I was aware of filters for camera lenses , I ’d never really had much experience with them . intrigue , I bought a simple Polarizer filter — which helps advantageously deal reflection , contrast , and colouring in challenge lighting — and gave it a attempt . What I find is that in the right place , it can dramatically modify the photos taken with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra .
Here was the transformative characteristic I ’d been reckon for in the Photography Kit . Now , I ’m aware what survey will read like a rather obvious , “ Man discovers polarizing filter and is impressed ” non - shocker to any experient lensman who has used one in the past . But to anyone who has only ever revel peregrine photography , the changes will face spectacular , and the prospect of using a filter will become creatively enticing .
The photos speak for themself
It ’s almost backbreaking to believe the following pic were taken with the same smartphone camera , back - to - back , on the same day , and I have n’t edited the images or applied any sort of digital filter to them . You ’re looking at photograph that came flat off the Xiaomi 14 Ultra , except one of them was take with a forcible polarizer filter in front of the lenses .
The picture of the lake instantly reveals the benefit of a polarizing filter , with richer , brighter , and more natural colors , plus a different photo level that makes the clouds fuller and the water more delimitate . The second photo showing the car steering wheel aid the camera well cope with the conditions , exposing the pellet in a way that makes the colors more raw , and ensuring more particular is shown . Just take care at the sewing on top of the splashboard , and the grain in the Alcantara on the wheel .
Because the polarizer help understate reflexion , it ’s great for taking photos of reflective surfaces , like the body of a car . Look at how the the harshness of the reflection is dispatch from the bodywork , showing the depth of the color , along with the color of the interior through the windshield — and even the rainbow - effect from the protective motion picture coat over the headlamp .
It ’s not always successful , and you need to experiment and read where the polarizer works best , as the last image shows . The original photo is far superior , while the polarize guessing is washed - out and has unrealistic colour that make it look like it was taken with a different , far bad television camera . The filter is not something you could leave on the camera and anticipate it to positively enhance every photo , but when it gets it good , the results can be fantastic .
After this, I want more
Again , I realise how this sounds to anyone who owns a unconstipated photographic camera and is intimate with filters . But on a smartphone , it ’s a alone and exciting alternative to computer software filter and editing . My inadequate time using filter with the Xiaomi Photography Kit has made me need more , and I wonder whether something likeUlanzi ’s MagSafe filter adapter ringfor the iPhone will puzzle out in the same means . I ’d also screw to see other manufacturers that push camera features arrive up with a creative way to introduce filters in the hereafter .
The Xiaomi Photography Kit ’s buttons and battery are n’t intellect enough to purchase it , but the adapter ring genuinely is . No other mainstream , current smartphone manufacturing business return you the option to habituate standard lens system filters over the camera , but by doing so , Xiaomi amplify what is so good about the Xiaomi 14 Ultra ’s camera in the first place : its power to promote creative thinking through versatility and features . It hammered home the cause why I think this is one of the good , all - round tv camera headphone I ’ve used .
