Tips and tricks for the Xiaomi 14 Ultra camera

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the camera hit of the year, and I’ve been using it as my daily driver since launch. The camera has so many settings that it can quickly overwhelm you. At the beginning I felt like I was holding a Ferrari that I didn’t know how to handle. Here are ten tips for getting the best out of the camera.

1. Use ready-made filters and settings

The camera has a Pro mode in which you can set a lot manually. For professionals that’s great, but for ordinary users it can be overwhelming, and the moment you turn around, the exposure is already off. This is where the Leica filters come in: Leica has a hand not only in the hardware but also in the software.

• Photo mode: At the top right, you choose between Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant, which makes the colors look more vivid. It’s a matter of taste. My photos are always set to Vibrant.
• Portrait mode: I like it more than I can say. With the presets, portraits look like they’re from a studio at the touch of a button. At the top right, you choose between Master Portrait and Leica Portrait. The latter enhances light and shadow, without any lighting at all.
• Focal lengths: With the small lens icon, you choose different focal lengths, not physically, but by software. They are divided into scenarios: 23 mm is the standard focal length, 35 mm is suited for documentation, 50 mm for a very strong bokeh effect, 75 mm for the standard portrait and 90 mm for a slight blur in the background. You don’t have to stick to them rigidly and can find out for yourself what you like when. You just don’t have to turn the dials yourself in Pro mode, you tap on the preset.

This is by far the coolest thing about this camera, because you can take pictures with a lot more depth without fiddling around in Pro mode.

2. Auxiliary camera

You can use a second smartphone as a viewfinder and still use the main camera of the 14 Ultra. That’s handy for self-portraits or shots from a distance. In the camera, you pull down into the settings and tap Auxiliary camera. The second smartphone has to be from Xiaomi, so a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO device, and be on the same Wi-Fi. Alternatively, you pair the two via hotspot. The second device is displayed, you pair it, see what the camera sees there, and can trigger the photo.

3. Teleprompter in video mode

For a longer video, such as a Reel or a YouTube video, you don’t have to memorize the text. You paste it in, set the size and scrolling speed and read comfortably. It still looks like you are looking into the selfie camera. With third-party apps you have to pay or watch annoying ads. We Xiaomi users get this for free, included.

4. Turn off the automatic macro mode

Macro mode switches on automatically, which is great, but sometimes it produces a completely different picture. You turn off the automatic switching by tapping the flower on the screen or in the settings. There you can also turn it back on.

5. Burst shot and short video via the shutter button

Slide the shutter button to the left or right for a burst shot. Hold it down to create a video that is 15 seconds long at most. This probably dates from the time when Insta Stories were 15 seconds long at most.

6. Additional shutter button

In the settings, you can turn on an additional shutter button that you can move anywhere on the display. That way you hold the smartphone the way that is comfortable and secure and can still reach the shutter button. Alternatively, you trigger it with the volume-up button.

7. Triggering with your palm

Hold your palm up to the camera to trigger it when you’ve set the 14 Ultra down somewhere and want to take a photo or video with the main or selfie camera. You don’t need a timer, you decide when it starts, namely when you’re ready.

8. Recording with the screen off

For time-lapses of sunset or sunrise or of yourself: Camera plus a switched-on display is a big challenge for the battery, and a sunset easily takes an hour. In the settings, you activate that the recording keeps running even when you turn the screen off. That saves battery and nerves.

9. Short film mode

Two highlights I use constantly as a content creator. You’ll find the first in the camera under More and then Short film. Unlike normal video recording, you can film directly with different speeds, filters or animations, without editing afterward. Or you use one of the presets: You record sequences of different lengths one after another, which are automatically put together into a film at the end. For each sequence there is a suggestion for what and how to film. That saves an enormous amount of time because you don’t have to cut anything. You’ve never shot cool Insta Stories and Reels so fast.

10. The hidden video editor

This is my personal highlight, I use it nonstop. When you’ve recorded a video and go to the small scissors in the Photos app, you have a small video editor for trimming. There it also says Pro. No paid features are hidden behind it: A really comprehensive Advanced Editor opens, with which you can use filters and add text and music. You don’t need an additional app for editing anymore. It’s also very clearly laid out, which I can’t say about every video app.