Smartphones & Tablets | December 19, 2023
If you’re considering buying the Redmi Note 12, you might wonder how the phone’s camera performs.
Does the Redmi Note 12’s camera have good quality? Can you take good photos with the Redmi Note 12’s camera? To answer these questions, let’s take a look at the camera setup and some photo examples to evaluate what Xiaomi’s proposal can offer.
If we set aside the rest of the Redmi Note 12 5G’s configurations and focus solely on its cameras, there are no major surprises. Spoiler: the photographic section is not one of its strong points.
It follows the formula we’ve seen tirelessly in mid-range phones of 2023, with a trio of sensors where the main sensor takes center stage. Taking a look at its specifications, we find a 48-megapixel JN1 Samsung main sensor with an aperture of f/1.8, a sensor size of 1/2.76″, and a 5-element lens.
It is accompanied by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.2, a sensor size of 1/4″, and a 118° field of view, along with a 2-megapixel macro sensor with f/2.4 and a 3-element lens.
As for the front camera, there’s a 13-megapixel sensor with f/2.45, a sensor size of 1/3.0″, and a 5-element lens.
How does this photographic section translate into practice? In scenarios with good natural light, the main sensor of the Redmi Note 12 5G performs well and delivers good results in terms of quality and details.
However, as is the case with most phones in this price range, some issues arise when there is less sunlight or when taking photos indoors.
Yes, nighttime photography can be problematic, and even when using the Night mode, you’ll notice that details become blurred. You can see some examples of photos taken with the Redmi Note 12 5G in different scenarios in the analysis shared at this link.
As for the macro sensor, as we’ve seen in most mid-range phones that opt for this three-sensor formula, it contributes very little.
While it’s not the best combination of sensors, you’ll have an added advantage in the quality of photos you can take with the Redmi Note 12 if you take a closer look at the camera functions and understand what each of the options can achieve.
Keep in mind that it’s not necessary to always use the automatic settings; you can switch to Pro mode and manually adjust some of the available options, such as focus, ISO, white balance, and shutter speed.
For example, using Pro mode can help you avoid oversaturation that is often applied when capturing landscapes in automatic mode. However, don’t blindly rely on these settings either, as even with the best configuration on the Redmi Note 12, you won’t be able to avoid some issues, such as noise in photos taken in low-light conditions. In that case, you’ll have to apply other tricks to overcome these problems.
On the other hand, it’s true that you also have HDR in the camera settings, although most of the time, it achieves a counterproductive effect on the result. It’s also not advisable to use filters when capturing your photo if you want to have the most natural result possible.
In any case, if you want to apply a special filter, you can do it in the photo editing process. And no, don’t use the zoom (2x) on this phone, as you will lose quality and details.
In summary, if you’re going to use the Redmi Note 12 to take casual photos or to share on social media, you won’t have any problems. As we’ve seen, the main sensor performs its role well as long as it stays in good lighting conditions.
And if you come across a scenario that the automatic mode can’t solve, you can use the Pro mode settings to achieve better results.
On the other hand, if you want to use the cameras of the Redmi Note 12 to create professional-looking content for social media, it’s not the best option, as you’ll be limited to certain scenarios to obtain good results.
