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| The Xiaomi 17 Ultra by Leica was designed in partnership with the Leica team, drawing inspiration from the iconic M-series cameras. Photo credit: Xiaomi |
Xiaomi has officially launched its new flagship smartphone, Xiaomi 17 Ultra, in the Chinese market. This device comes with major changes, particularly in the camera department, to better compete with other flagship smartphones. Xiaomi partnered with Leica to produce their first Leica APO-certified device. That is why Xiaomi 17 Ultra camera features a red Leica dot logo on its back panel.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra camera
Xiaomi 17 Ultra is equipped with a triple rear camera in a large circular camera
island. The brand has focused on improving true optical zoom performance and
better sharpness instead of relying on digital cropping. This is evident from the use of a 200MP telephoto sensor with a large 1/1.4" size true optical zoom from 75mm to 100mm.
The primary sensor features a 50-megapixel 23mm 1-inch Light Fusion 1050L sensor, which the brand claims to handle complex low-light and night photography. While it continues to uses 1-inch sensor from previous models, the LOFIC HDR will provide better highlight and shadow control. As part of the main sensor, there is also a 50-megapixel 14mm fixed focal length ultra-wide sensor, which the brand keeps to complement it as all-rounder camera gear.
In terms of the selfie camera, Xiaomi 17 Ultra claimed to have a 50-megapixel selfie snapper, but no official information was found regarding this.
As mentioned earlier, Xiaomi 17 Ultra is their first-ever Leica APO-certified device. This is why they have additional camera features on this flagship device. On the Ultra by Leica model, they have put special Leica modes such as Leica M9-style color rendering and Leica M3-style black-and-white film look. This is something that many professional photographers would find useful.
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Xiaomi's joint move with Leica strengthens Xiaomi's position among other flagship devices. It is clear that Xiaomi is targeting mobile and travel photographers who care about zoom and night shots. So the brand has put additional camera features on the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Notably, the Leica APO optical lens, which uses 3 special glass elements, will help to reduce chromatic aberration and minimize purple and green edges in high-contrast images to some extent. Also, the unique G+P (glass + plastic) lens structure might help reduce ghosting and flare problems in strong lighting conditions.