Xiaomi’s brand new 14 Ultra flagship cam phone is creating quite a buzz, thanks in large part to its revamped camera system. With four rear lenses and a host of advanced specs, Xiaomi is promising professional-grade photography in a smartphone package. But how much of an upgrade do these new optics really offer? Let’s take a closer look at the 14 Ultra’s camera hardware.
The star of the show is the main 50MP wide-angle lens, featuring a large 1/1.02-inch image sensor and Sony LYT-900 sensor, enables 16-bit RAW capture, 4K video at 60fps, and Xiaomi’s new 50MP “UltraRAW” mode for maximum detail. The three supporting lenses include another 50MP Sony IMX858 for 2x optical zoom, plus a 75mm portrait lens with floating focus, and a 120mm periscope lens for 5x optical zoom. All three boast improvements like faster apertures and OIS.
SONY LYT-900 Sensor:
- 1/1.02″, 50MP
- 1.6µm single-pixel size
- OctaPD focus
- 16bit 50MP UltraRAW
- 4K60p Dolby Vision and 4K120p
Rounding out the new camera kit is a 12MP ultra-wide lens with a very wide 120-degree field of view. Xiaomi says distortion is minimized despite the extreme wideness. So the hardware looks strong on paper, but what about real-world performance? Early reviews suggest the 14 Ultra lives up to the hype in photo and video quality. The various lenses and sensors combine to deliver excellent sharpness, color, and dynamic range across all common shooting scenarios.
The upgraded lenses allow features like lossless zoom, shakey-free long exposures, and creative bokeh effects. So if you want pro-level control and image quality from a smartphone, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s camera upgrades look extremely promising. Just don’t expect DSLR-beating quality – the laws of physics still apply. But for many buyers, this camera array could be the tipping point to upgrade from an older Xiaomi model.
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