We analyze the cameras of the Xiaomi 13T and 13T Pro to compare their characteristics with the previous generation and with the Xiaomi 13
They were one of the most anticipated phones at the end of the year and, finally, Xiaomi has presented the Xiaomi 13T and the Xiaomi 13T Pro. At an event in which we also had the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and the global launch of the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, the Chinese company surprised with two mobile phones that differ in some aspects, but that in design, screens and cameras are identical.
In fact, it is rare for an event for a mobile phone of this range to start talking about cameras, but the company spent a good amount of time detailing both its relationship with Leica and its vision of cameras for this generation. And, precisely, We are going to analyze the cameras of these Xiaomi 13T comparing them with their older brother and, obviously, with the previous generation.
Specifications of the cameras of the Xiaomi 13T and its rivals
First of all, let’s go with the table to see, On paper and in a simple way, what the cameras of the different models are like. The ones we have chosen for this comparison are the new Xiaomi 13T (identical in performance), the Xiaomi 13 from a few months ago and Xiaomi 12T Pro.
Left out of this comparison is Xiaomi 13 Pro for obvious reasons: 50 megapixel triple camera with a very long zoom and a one-inch main sensor. The rest of the family has nothing to do (unless you are the Xiaomi 13 Ultra clear).
That being said, let’s go with the camera characteristics table of these Xiaomi 13T:
| Xiaomi 13T/13T Pro | Xiaomi 13 | Xiaomi 12T Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major | 50 Mpx
f/1.9 24mm focal length 1/1.28 inch sensor 1.22 micron pixel OIS |
50 Mpx
f/1.8 23mm focal length 1/1.49 inch sensor 1 micron pixel OIS |
200 Mpx
f/1.7 1/1.22 inch sensor 0.64 micron pixel OIS |
| wide angle | 12 Mpx
f/2.2 15mm focal length 1/3.06 inch sensor 1.12 micron pixel |
12 Mpx
f/2.2 15mm focal length 1/3.06 inch sensor 1.12 micron pixel |
8 Mpx
f/2.2 1/4 inch sensor 1.12 micron pixel |
| Telephoto | 50 Mpx
f/1.9 50mm focal length 1/2.88 inch sensor 0.61 micron pixel OIS |
10 Mpx
f/2.0 75mm focal length 1/3.75 inch sensor 1 micron pixel OIS |
– |
| macro | – | – | 2 Mpx
f/2.4 |
| Video recording | 8K24
4K60 HDR10+ 10-bit LOG |
8K24
4K60 HDR10+ 10-bit LOG Dolby Vision |
8K24
4K60 HDR10+ |
Starting with the main sensor, we have very interesting details. It is very similar to the one used in the Xiaomi 13, although both have differences and, on paper, the new Xiaomi 13T wins.
Both have 50 megapixels and a very similar aperture in practice, but the Xiaomi 13T sensor is larger, which allows for better light capture and larger pixels. From the micron of the Xiaomi 13 we go to 1.22 microns of the Xiaomi 13T.
This is interesting because in low light scenes we will have an improvement and also, although the difference is minimal, it will be easier to blur a close subject on the Xiaomi 13T without resorting to portrait. The focal length also varies a little, being wider on the Xiaomi 13, but The two systems are very, very similar in general terms.
And, obviously, They are a huge leap compared to the Xiaomi 12T Pro. The previous generation gained in megapixels, yes, but the sensor was not larger than that of the two Xiaomi 13s and, with a sensor of that size and so many megapixels, the pixel size is reduced considerably.
The wide angle seems identical between the Xiaomi 13 and the Xiaomi 13T (and, again, ahead of the Xiaomi 12T Pro sensor) and it was not the strong point of the Xiaomi 13’s photographic set, but with a launch price of 649 euros, this new model is not badly positioned.
And in the telephoto we have to wait to see how it works in the analyses, but Xiaomi’s decision seems interesting. The Xiaomi 13 has a focal length of 75 mma 3.2x optical, wow, and it is a very interesting camera because it is a pure and simple telephoto lens: few megapixels so that the pixels of a not particularly large sensor have a larger size.
- Specifically: 1 micron pixels on a 1/3.75-inch sensor.
The lenses have been tuned by Leica.
The Xiaomi 13T is committed to something different. The focal length is 50mm, a 2x optical, and it has 50 megapixels. They are five times more, but the sensor, although larger than the 13, is not large enough to maintain those one-micron pixels.
- Specifically: 0.61 micron pixels on a 1/2.88 inch sensor.
The main and telephoto camera lenses have OIS.
With 50 megapixels we will see to what extent it allows us to make a digital crop with good conditions to achieve a 4x or 5x without too much loss of quality, but it will also be interesting to check the overall quality of that zoomed image taking into account the size of the pixels.
In any way, Even though the pixels are small, this telephoto doesn’t look bad and you have to see how it performs in portraits thanks to its f/1.9 aperture. It is the portrait lens par excellence and can give a lot of play.
But there are not only improvements in the physics of the cameras compared to the previous generation, but also in video processing. We are not going to go into resolutions because they are identical in all three terminals, but Both the Xiaomi 13 and 13T are capable of recording in 10-bit LOGa flat profile with a great depth of color that we can take advantage of in editing
It’s not just physics, there’s also Leica
At the presentation of the new Xiaomi 13T, Pablo Acevedo came out to talk about both the cameras and the Leica integration. He is the Head of Development & Engineering Mobile Leica Camera AG (head of mobile photography development at Leica, wow) and We were able to chat with him a few months ago. It was a quite interesting interview and we recommend you take a look.
Continuing with the theme of this article, Pablo began by talking about Leica’s philosophy and commented that The goal of Leica processing is to create natural imagesbut with character so that they are recognizable, and that is what they have tried to bring to their collaboration with Xiaomi.
The collaboration between the companies ranges from the design of the optics to the fine-tuning of the image -the processed- and the Xiaomi 13T have the same ‘Vibrant’ and ‘Authentic’ modes that we already saw in the Xiaomi 13.
When we talked about these modes, both my colleague Ricardo Aguilar and I – who analyzed the two Xiaomi 13s – pointed out that the ‘Authentic’ mode was not so “authentic”. In addition to implementing some greenish colors, he added a vignette that shouldn’t be there. The ‘Vibrant’ was much prettier and, oddly, natural.
In the end, it is something that depends on taste and you can use the Xiaomi processing or any of those special processes created by Leica, but what matters is that the two Xiaomi 13T are adding elements from the highest series of the Chinese company , but at a much lower price.
And what matters is that, that The Xiaomi 12T Pro was a very, very fair mobile phone when it came to photography. It had a 200 megapixel sensor, yes, but the experience with the other two cameras was not up to par and the photos with the main camera were easy to find annoying.
With the Xiaomi 13T, the company improves in all sections, but it makes the cameras go up a level, and that is something that this family was crying out for. We will see when we do the analysis of the Xiaomi 13T, but they point out ways.
