Thoughts about the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra Cameras... By SuperSaf Speaks

Xiaomi me 11 ultra, so this is a device that I've had for um a couple of weeks now, and I dropped a camera comparison recently on the main channel, and that was controversial, because I want to say straight away that this is a very interesting device, and they've really gone out there in terms of the hardware right and there was a lot of promise in terms of the cameras and I went ahead, and I did an extensive test, as I always do, and the hardware is pretty amazing: we've got a really large size sensor and that does result in a very natural looking shallow depth of field, and we also have you know low light capabilities are extended as well, because we can let in a lot more light here as well. So again, perfect in terms of hardware. However, there's a few things, because we know it's not all about hardware, so I was talking about the shallow depth of field. The issue that we've always had with shallow depth of field is on a small sensor like that, when you do bring things close, there's very little of it in focus right, so I actually did this test where I actually bought something over close to the camera, and it's just half of it's out of focus now. Samsung had this issue as well. Yes, the sensor is not as big but on the s20.

One of the issues that we had was uh the focus issue in terms of not getting everything in focus. So what Samsung did this year with the s21 is uh that they included a focus enhancer mode. So when you do get close to a subject, it can actually switch to the ultra-wide camera and use software to actually give you a shot. That's fully in focus now. This actually works pretty well, because it means that you can, if you want to have more things in focus, but if you do want to go for that creamy depth of field, you can do that as well.

So that's something that I mentioned in the camera comparison the low light shots, although they were brighter, they still had a bit of a yellow tin. So that was another thing right now. One of the things I really like is the fact that you can use the re-facing cameras as front-facing cameras thanks to that display, and you get some really high quality. Detailed selfies from the me11 ultra also ultra-wide shots, which is amazing. You know having that option there.

I really like that, but again, there's a few issues here, because sure you can do that. But if you want to record video, you can only record a quick 15-second bursts, and you have to hold down the volume key for that. You can't record proper video if you want to record video from the selfie camera, guess what it's 1080p and the quality is really not that good. So um sure some of this stuff can be improved with software, so we can get better low-light images um, not so on the yellow side, and I'm not sure if they can update the software to be able to film proper video from the rear-facing cameras. While that screen is active, but there are certain things that software updates can't fix right.

So the selfie camera is 1080p, I'm sorry but 1080p from a flagship device that costs 1200 in 2021, especially in the day of tick, took e. How many people you know that have tick-tock and will exclusively use the front facing camera to film tick, rocks or reels or shorts yeah I mean to a lot of people exactly, so then you've got a 1080p front-facing camera. That's number one! Okay! So I'm like okay. What is with that sure? Even if you got the re-facing camera to me, there's no excuse. I don't think that can be updated with software, because it's already pretty cropped in as it is.

So I'm not sure if that can be done. Yes, it's a 20-megapixel sensor, but I don't think you can do um a 4k on there. So that's something that software can't fix: I'm confused the rear camera. What's the max resolution for video the rear camera is 8k on all cameras. Okay, all right.

Okay, all right! Okay, so you've got AKS all cameras right and that's something that I like that you have the option of going ultra-wide you've got the primary, and then you've got the zoom as well that you could do 8k on the s21. Unfortunately, the s21 ultra, you can only do 8k from the primary camera, and it crops in quite heavily as well, which is something that I don't like right. But here's another thing: let's talk about the zoom, because you know this there's this big promise of 120x zoom, and we talked about this last time. It's like it doesn't make any sense, because you've got five times optical zoom, which you're extending to 120 times right now, if you compare that to the s21, which has 10 times optical zoom, and then you're extending that to 100 times fair enough, but the results that 120 times are comical they're, actually not as good as the s21, but they are just bad right, and it's just like. I said this in my camera comparison.

It's like 100 times looks bad, and 120 times is just bad enlarged right. It just doesn't make any sense right and- and what I don't like is they've plastered this on the camera module. It says: 120x like you right, dude, you remember how much stick I gave Samsung for having 100x2 on the thingy, because the meat me 11 ultra can shoot good zoom at five times, even at 10 times it'll be okay, I wouldn't say it's as good as the s21, but it's okay, even at 20 times, you'll, probably get something okay, but then why plaster 120 times right? So I wanted to address a few of these things with the Xiaomi. Yes, some things can be improved in the software, but you can't make five times optical zoom go to 120 times digital zoom and make it look good with software. Sorry, that's just not going to happen right, um, so, so yeah.

I know I've gone on for a bit you've kind of seen, some things online as a result, uh I'll, I'll. Let you talk for a second, I think one of the things I've seen, so I'm getting my device uh shortly, and I will spend more time doing more gaming on there uh looking at some stuff and even seeing how you game with a device that has a lot of weight on one side with that camera module. That's another thing to actually think about, but one of the things I I I've noticed with Xiaomi this year is the selection of choice within their devices, so uh the me11, the me11 ultra. You look at it. It's its some decisions in it.

It seems. Like you know, half of the company is like okay. We want all these specs in here right and everybody's, like yep. We can do that and then, when it's time to actually go ahead and drop something, and then it goes. Let's take this out.

We don't have the CBR ready and things like that, because for one thing that rear camera shoots it I'm sorry the front-facing camera shoots at 1080p, even though it's a what's the size of the megapixel, it's 20 megapixels, it makes work.20, megapixels uh depends on the sensor. It could be changed, depends on what the sensor is. If it's one of the standard sensors that can, I think it's possible, but that there's again there must be something limiting it as well. Physically, I think, like you said so, that's something to take note, uh, the other half of not being able to only shoot in 15 seconds with the rare camera uh if you're using a selfie with the rear camera yeah makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, because that, literally, even if it's because my mindset is once you said that my mindset is okay, fine, I would give them I'll cut them. Some slack.

If you could do everything on the rear, they could do the cell phone, which almost negates the selfie camera, because then everybody would just go. You know what I can see myself while I'm shooting I've got that um. You know viewfinder there. I can shoot my tech talks and do whatever I want to do. I'm cool you know it may be a little hassle just for me.

Turning around and making sure the settings are right, you know, but I've got the ability to do it on the right camera 15 seconds. I don't understand that. So again, it's one of those things now with the software, and you know, watch your video. The yellow tint was quite visible, especially for the nighttime photos. Those things can be fixed, but it can only.

They can only be fixed so much from where it is now. That's what people have to understand. It cannot be completely fixed because you still have to work under the software template you're using for processing right now. You can't, unless you're, going to literally dump your camera and then reload a full um ISP. You know program for it.

Next year, yeah you can do a better job. That's that's the thing we have to think about. This goes back to what I was when we were talking about the the sensor, because it's got the Samsung sensor right, but Samsung haven't used their in their own devices yet so this is what goes back to Samsung's, actually giving it to Xiaomi. First, it's like you. Do the trial and error we'll see the results, and then we'll tweak whatever we need to before we put it in our own devices.

That's what it seems like to me right and um. I mean this is the thing, but I want to emphasize that look. Some of these things, hopefully, can be improved with software. Maybe you know: Xiaomi will see the camera comparison and kind of look at some of those results and see how they can improve it going forward in software, but software can only improve so much. Software cannot make five times optical zoom go to 120 times digital zoom and make it look good.

Just keep that in mind, right, um and obviously, as you know, e I do these camera comparisons completely. On a know, balanced view um in my s21 camera comparison, a lot of people were like you're, an iPhone fanboy uh in this one, I'm being called the Samsung fanboy, I'm a fanboy of tech right. I enjoy lots of different tech, and I'm going to give you my I'm going to give the results that I get right and what's interesting is now that we're seeing some other reviewers kind of bring uh some more Xiaomi mi 11 ultra reviews we're seeing those similar results. So I've had a look at a few, and you are getting the same, very limited, uh depth of fields for close-up subjects, you're getting um, uh, dynamic range isn't as consistent, especially with the ultra-wide camera uh, the zoom everybody's, saying that the s21 ultra has better zoom. It's just something: that's kind of standard, so you're getting this from other people as well.

But then again in my camera, comparison, like you know, I tested out everything in quite a lot of detail. Um 1080p from the front-facing camera is something that I've not heard. Many people talk about, and I was quite surprised. This was a similar case that we had on the OnePlus devices as well, and I give them a lot of stick for that as well um. There is definitely room for improvement, but it's an interesting device.

There's lots, that's good about it as well. It's its got a very premium build. The display is magnificent. You know very, very bright, 67 watt charging out of the box, that's included, you know what I mean there is. There is a lot of good on this device.

So don't get me wrong, but when it comes to the cameras, personally speaking from the expectations that I had a lot of other people had um. It didn't meet those expectations. Yes, some things will be improved, hopefully with software. But again I'm not like writing the device off in any way. I still think it's a perfect device, and it takes a lot of boxes.

The speakers I mean I'm very interested to hear what you think of the speakers, because to me, they sound very, very good, like they are loud um, and you know just overall as a package, it's a very, very good device. There is a, as I said, there 's's always room for improvement and there definitely is some room for improvement on the m11 ultra. I hope you enjoyed that clip. If you want to hear the full podcast episode, then that will be linked down below and if you want to see more clips like this, then be sure to subscribe and hit that bell icon. So you don't miss them thanks for watching.

This is SAF on Superman speaks I'll, see you next time.

Source : SuperSaf Speaks