Like Motorola a little before it, Xiaomi is offering a 200 megapixel module for the first time. A new step in the world of mobile photography, which already made good progress in 2019 when 108 megapixels arrived on the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro. An ultra-wide angle of 8 megapixels is glued to this highly defined module. Unfortunately, the 12T Pro doesn’t make room for a telephoto lens, which is a shame.
Main module: 200 megapixels, f/1.7, eq. 23mm
The transition from a 48 Mpx to 108 Mpx definition was quite impressive and we had plenty of expectations for this new 200 Mpx gap. Especially for *pixel-binning* by 16, which consists of merging 16 pixels into one. Enough to hope for standard images (12.5 megapixels) of excellent quality. But the reality is very different. Unfortunately, the results with 12.5 megapixels are quite disappointing. For more details, we’ve dissected this module into a lab article:
Very saturated colors and a blatant lack of detail, this is more or less what we can remember from the default mode of this Xiaomi 12T Pro. Fortunately, the 50 and 200 megapixel modes save it, as they allow you to take advantage of much more detailed shots – even if the colorimetry is still questionable. As it stands, it’s best to shoot in 50 megapixels, the mode that offers the best compromise. Indeed, in 200 megapixels the shots are heavy and the memory of your phone threatens to fill up too quickly.
Ultra wide-angle module: 8 megapixels, f/2.2, eq. 11mm
While the ultra-wide angle on the Xiaomi 12 Pro showed 50 megapixels, the 12T Pro lowers its ambitions with a “only” 8 megapixel module. It is therefore one of the elements that undergoes the compromises imposed by the integration of this famous 200 megapixel main sensor. It is impossible here to compare the Xiaomi smartphone with that of Motorola, the Lenovo brand that equips its Edge 30 Ultra with a 50 megapixel sensor, far from the definition adopted by the 12T Pro.
The lack of sharpness is certainly evident in the photos we took in the lab, but it is clear that the Xiaomi smartphone gives a rather soft treatment to its images during the day. The result is therefore more pleasant than that of the Reno 8 Pro, characterized by largely accentuated contrasts. At night, on the other hand, there are some artifacts in addition to a general flattening of the image.
Front module, portrait and video mode
At the front, the smartphone has a 20 megapixel module whose lens opens at f/2.2. In general a pretty good front sensor, but which flattens the lines quite a lot and offers a little too strong exposure. In portrait mode, the cutting is a bit too sharp, but the software knows how to remove a subject from the background very well. Fortunately, it is possible to correct the background blur afterwards for a smoother result.
In video, the 12T Pro can shoot in 8K at 24 fps or in 4K at 30 or 60 fps. The main module has optical stabilization (OIS) to limit the effects of shaking.