Except for hitting all the right design notes to get this modern look, we learned from Xiaomi’s camera chief that this particular model will be well tuned for street photography, where camera speed is of crucial importance. Imagine trying to catch a glimpse of someone you’re getting on the street, or in a crowded subway station. These are just moments that require an immediate reaction. You can’t waste time setting up the camera or even focusing.
Optimized for street photography just like … a Leica camera!
“You don’t have to focus is the fastest focus”
This is where the company’s collaboration with Leica helped them include Hyperfocal Distance technology on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
But what is Hyperfocal Distance? This term refers to a point where everything on the camera is in acceptable focus and that’s what you need to capture those precious impromptu moments of street photography.
Xiaomi Mi 13 Ultra street photography interface
By default, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra starts with a 35mm focal length, but you have a toggle switch to go from 23mm to 50mm. The aperture is set to ƒ/4, which helps keep everything in focus.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra sample photos
The Xiaomi team also exaggerated the 13 Ultra’s camera on the Chinese microblog Weibo, and definitely Xiaomi is going for a completely different look from the current smartphone treatment as we have a lot of excessive sharpening of the images.
Colors on the 13 Ultra are definitely more lifelike, with an almost cinematic movie quality.
Xiaomi 13 Ultra camera specifications are detailed
Xiaomi’s camera chief has published the specifications of the beast 13 Ultra’s camera system
We’ve also now learned the final details of this exciting new camera phone, so let’s take a look.
- 50MP Wide (Sony IMX 989 sensor, 1in): 23mm Summicron lens with variable aperture (f/1.9 – f/4.0)
- 50MP Ultra Wide (Sony IMX 858, 1/2.51″ sensor)
- 50 MP 3.2X zoom (Sony IMX 858): 75mm, f/1.8
- 50MP 5X Periscope Zoom (Sony IMX 858): 120mm, f/3.0
- 32 MP front camera
The focus here is certainly on that massive 1-inch sensor for the main camera, but for the first time, it’s paired with a variable aperture lens that can go from f/1.9 to f/4.0 depending on your needs. Xiaomi also uses the highest optical quality Summicron lens on its phones to date, which is another element that contributes to the quality of the photos.
The company also talks about other sensors that it will use in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and we think it did the right thing by betting on the same Sony IMX 858 sensor for its ultra-wide and zoom cameras.
While the IMX 858 sensor is not the largest in size at 1/2.51″, camera experts say that previous testing of this sensor showed that it offers better image quality compared to last year’s Xiaomi 12S Ultra, and adds the advantage of having consistent colors at every focal length, which is something Also important.
Will the Xiaomi 13 Ultra be launched outside of China?
Yes! While the Xiaomi 13 Ultra comes first in China, company executives have confirmed that this is the first camera phone from Xiaomi that will be available globally.
What we still don’t know is if this particular version of the phone with grip support and screw-on filters will come globally, or if it will remain a China-only thing.
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