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1 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a triple-camera setup with a large 1-inch type camera sensor at its heart. It’s a potent camera setup and I was keen to put it to the test. I’ve taken hundreds of images in my testing time so far, across multiple countries and even in the Arctic.
Here’s a selection of my favorites and be sure to check out the full Xiaomi 15 Ultra hands on for a lot more information on the phone.
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2 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Taken with the main camera, this image is colorful and sharp.
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3 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I love the contrast and colors on this shot from the main camera.
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4 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Using the telephoto zoom, I’ve been able to get closer up on this street performer in Edinburgh. The details look great.
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5 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I love using this phone’s high-contrast black-and-white mode. It gives a punchy look that’s great for street photography. This one was taken with the telephoto lens.
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6 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Even with a high zoom level, the details still look nice and sharp.
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7 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I love the black-and-white look the phone provides using any of the lenses. This time, it’s the main camera.
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8 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
And here it’s using the ultrawide.
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9 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Using the zoom and focusing on this person’s phone gives a nice out-of-focus background to this scene.
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10 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
This JPEG looks gloomy…
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11 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
But I was shooting in Pro mode so I had the DNG raw file to work with. After a bit of Lightroom work, I’ve been able to craft a much more pleasing image that shows off the lovely sunset colors. The 15 Ultra’s files capture a lot of information.
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12 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
This edited raw file of my sweet ball of orange fur has come out nice. I love that the phone has kept the shadows nice and deep rather than trying to artificially lift them as many phones do.
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13 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
This night-time edited raw file was taken with the telephoto zoom. It’s pin sharp.
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14 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Another night time scene, this time taken with the main camera in JPEG. The exposure is good and details are crisp.
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15 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I also like this night shot taken in the arctic.
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16 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
While the phone does a great job at night, it lacks the variable aperture of its predecessor so the street light here doesn’t have the attractive starburst that I’d have hoped for.
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17 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Good exposure, good colors. Nice work.
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18 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Another good night shot taken with the main camera lens.
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19 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The wide aperture and big sensor helps capture sharp details in indoor low light scenes, too.
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20 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
The telephoto zoom has helped create a nice out-of-focus area behind this couple.
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21 of 21Andrew Lanxon/CNET
I love monochrome street photography and the 15 Ultra remains one of the best phones for it.