Can Xiaomi 17 Ultra manage work of a proper camera? Largely yes

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a flagship phone promising stellar photography performance through its Leica-tuned hardware. Xiaomi believes it can match a dedicated camera for day-to-day photography. But can it? Take a look at the image samples.

In Short

• The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a flagship phone
• A major focus of the 17 Ultra is photography
• The 17 Ultra hopes to match a regular camera performance

A couple of days ago I reviewed the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The full review is worth reading if you have an interest in high-end phones. You can check that out here. But as I used the phone, exploring its features and hardware, I also clicked hundreds of photos with it. The idea was to see just what the Xiaomi 17 Ultra could do in terms of photography. And as I went through these images recently, I thought why not share some of them with the rest of the world. Yet again because most of these are also part of the review. But this with some more thoughts and observations on them.

Now, a fair warning at the outset: the time I have spent with the phone has not been enough to explore all parts of its camera in detail. For example, I have not gone deep into the Pro mode, which allows control on aspects such as shutter speed. I did click a few photos in this mode, partly to set exposure compensation for sunset photos. But I haven’t explored it in detail. Similarly, I did not click photos in RAW mode. Macro photography, which Xiaomi calls Super Macro, too was something I did not explore in detail. In fact, the Macro was one area of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra that I found little finicky in my limited use.

Additionally, as I started reviewing the device one of my aims was to also use the Xiaomi 17 Ultra as a companion camera on my bird photography excursions. On these trips, my camera gear is Nikon Z8 and Nikon 180-600mm. This is a weighty combo, a little over 3 kgs. And quite large. It also limits me to a minimum of 180mm focal length. And 180mm is extremely long for landscape photography. I had hoped that I would use the 17 Ultra as a companion camera for landscape photos. Sadly, I have been unable to travel in the last few weeks.

Irrespective, I used the phone’s camera plenty in Delhi. Xiaomi bills the 17 Ultra as a device that can perfectly act as a mid-range — think Sony RX100 VII — street photography camera. And in that role, as a point-and-shoot camera, I used the 17 Ultra fairly extensively. So, what do I think of it? Can it replace a regular point-and-shoot camera? Largely yes. But with some caveats.

Before I jump to photos, here are a few overall observations on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra photography performance:

— The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a 1-inch main sensor. Although Xiaomi brands it as Light Fusion 1050L sensor, it is more or less OmniVision OV50X50, fine-tuned by Xiaomi and Leica. In terms of its hardware it is an extremely capable sensor, as good as what one would get in medium-range cameras.

— The three rear cameras, including the telephoto with its varied zoom (75mm-100mm) are largely excellent.

— The telephoto sensor is capable of clicking 200-megapixel images. The other two cameras click 50-megapixel photos. Honestly, I don’t get the obsession with megapixels. It is largely unnecessary, except for extremely specialised photography that either demands diamond-sharp details or freedom to crop. And when those are the requirements, a sensor smaller than full-frame is not going to work anyway. By default the Xiaomi 17 Ultra clicks 12-megapixel images and I prefer it that way.

— In good light all three Xiaomi 17 Ultra cameras capture superb colours and plenty of details. This observation is based on my experience with the 17 Ultra using its Leica Vibrant colour setting.

— Of the three cameras, the main 50-megapixel camera is the best. No surprises there. The ultra-wide camera is the least impressive in my opinion, particularly due to softer edges.

— Among everything that the Xiaomi 17 Ultra cameras do, I love the colours the most. The main camera in particular captures these brilliant colours.

— When used with the accompanying Photography Kit, which is sold separately, the 17 Ultra provides a good camera grip. Although, compared to a dedicated camera it is still ergonomically a little unbalanced.

— Compared to a dedicated camera, I find the Xiaomi 17 Ultra to be easier to use due to its software and camera app. This is good because for most people it works better.

— Compared to a dedicated camera, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has inferior lenses. But in terms of versatility, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra offers a wider zoom range from around 14mm to 100mm optically. And then additional around 250mm with optical quality.

— Overall, I would describe its performance around 80 per cent of what a camera like Sony RX100 VII can put in. That is because in the shadows, the 17 Ultra still struggles with details and noise. At the same time, the dynamic range is on the lower side compared to what a dedicated camera can offer. This, I believe, can be mitigated by shooting in RAW. But I think the gap will still remain.

— Another area where a dedicated camera scores on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is speed. Any smartphone camera, however good, will struggle with fast-moving subjects or lighting fast photography where focus needs to be managed in a few milliseconds.

— Having said this, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is an utterly fantastic gadget for photographers and hobbyists. It offers convenience and versatility that only smartphone cameras can do. And while the quality is still not the best compared to a dedicated small camera, for most people — even the demanding ones — it is mostly up there.

Now, the photos. Do pay attention to captions. And one more caveat: images have been downsized for use on the web, and the resolution is lower.

- Ends