Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra 48mp GCam samples

[zxu10]

Which GCam version you used? Was it a clean version or you applied a specific .xml settings file as well?

 

[Droo]

Yeah, this issue is not really fringing, but a very small bright spot being interpreted as bright green etc rather than white. It seems to depend a lot on the sensor. The P30 Pro had it a little, The P40 Pro much worse and the Mi 10 Ultra seems even worse. Defringing is just a pretty good way to get rid of it in RT.

I would agree that RT has a total overkill in features. With LR I never really had to think about what something is used for. But LR does not work very well with the P40 Pro, so I switched over. RT just has a solution for all the issues of the P40 Pro.

 

[melodika]

Which GCam version you used? Was it a clean version or you applied a specific .xml settings file as well?

Mostly trCamera, this one: https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/f/changelog1518/

It is based on Nikita's NGCam 7.4 which I think provides the best IQ, even better than more recent versions based on Google Camera 8.1. trCamera provides handy shortcut to quickly change the number of HDR+ Enhanced frames. However new Gcam 8.2 is coming soon although current versions do not yet work with this configuration (48mp GCam; 12mp without magisk already works).

I created my own XML as well but RAW samples I posted here should be unaffected by xml that mostly define how JPG is rendered. For JPEGs I lowered Luma Denoise to .125 which produces quite natural look but still by developing RAW I get a bit nicer output.

 

[ClausG76]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

 

[melodika]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

I think the most obvious reason to use GCam is the possibility to shoot 48mp RAW. This is not possible with the stock cam that only allows 48mp JPGs. And with Mi 11 Ultra GCam 50mp (or 48mp) is not still available, and we have to see whether someone from the GCam community is able to unlock the high-res RAW stream. That's exactly what happened with Mi 10 Ultra. Before that happens (if...), I think the benefits of GCam for Mi 11 Ultra are more limited.

Moreover, GCam in both RAW and JPG use multiframing which greatly reduces noise and is essential particularly in lowlight conditions. GCam also offers endless possibilities for fine-tuning the JPG output which is not possible with the stock cam.

If you shoot in daylight in ideal conditions then the stock camera app is perfectly fine. It's only when you want that extended flexibility where GCam starts to shine. After all, it's about small things like detail rendering but also those factors that have major impact on the photo (such as highlight/shadows preservation etc.) When you have the multiframe RAW, possibilites for post-processing are greatly expanded.

Moreover, countless of GCam mods are being developed with new versions appearing nearly every week. It's tough to find the best one for your device so it certainly needs some commitment, trial and error. Luckily usually you have lots of users with the same device sharing photos and that way you could find ideas for the best GCam version and settings. With Mi 10 Ultra the user base is more limited, but some key settings still produce comparable look.

 

[_vlad]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

I think the most obvious reason to use GCam is the possibility to shoot 48mp RAW. This is not possible with the stock cam that only allows 48mp JPGs. And with Mi 11 Ultra GCam 50mp (or 48mp) is not still available, and we have to see whether someone from the GCam community is able to unlock the high-res RAW stream. That's exactly what happened with Mi 10 Ultra. Before that happens (if...), I think the benefits of GCam for Mi 11 Ultra are more limited.

Moreover, GCam in both RAW and JPG use multiframing which greatly reduces noise and is essential particularly in lowlight conditions. GCam also offers endless possibilities for fine-tuning the JPG output which is not possible with the stock cam.

If you shoot in daylight in ideal conditions then the stock camera app is perfectly fine. It's only when you want that extended flexibility where GCam starts to shine. After all, it's about small things like detail rendering but also those factors that have major impact on the photo (such as highlight/shadows preservation etc.) When you have the multiframe RAW, possibilites for post-processing are greatly expanded.

Moreover, countless of GCam mods are being developed with new versions appearing nearly every week. It's tough to find the best one for your device so it certainly needs some commitment, trial and error. Luckily usually you have lots of users with the same device sharing photos and that way you could find ideas for the best GCam version and settings. With Mi 10 Ultra the user base is more limited, but some key settings still produce comparable look.

How much frames GCam takes and how long the actual shooting of 1pic last? (I mean you press the shutter button and then? Waiting? Camera exposes other frames? or how actually camera works (in terms of timing)?

With HUA (M40/P40) you either get 50 MPix RAW + 12.5 MPix no processed JPG. And this is snappy. However with 50MPix AI - which gives you "only " JPG - the process will take roughly 4-5 secs to shoot and then another couple of seconds to process the output (AI processed, contrast, sharpening de-noising, HDR etc.) Slightly restraining, however you get the quality level which cannot be achieved with RAW - because it is multi frame shooting/processing.

So could you describe it?

 

[melodika]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

I think the most obvious reason to use GCam is the possibility to shoot 48mp RAW. This is not possible with the stock cam that only allows 48mp JPGs. And with Mi 11 Ultra GCam 50mp (or 48mp) is not still available, and we have to see whether someone from the GCam community is able to unlock the high-res RAW stream. That's exactly what happened with Mi 10 Ultra. Before that happens (if...), I think the benefits of GCam for Mi 11 Ultra are more limited.

Moreover, GCam in both RAW and JPG use multiframing which greatly reduces noise and is essential particularly in lowlight conditions. GCam also offers endless possibilities for fine-tuning the JPG output which is not possible with the stock cam.

If you shoot in daylight in ideal conditions then the stock camera app is perfectly fine. It's only when you want that extended flexibility where GCam starts to shine. After all, it's about small things like detail rendering but also those factors that have major impact on the photo (such as highlight/shadows preservation etc.) When you have the multiframe RAW, possibilites for post-processing are greatly expanded.

Moreover, countless of GCam mods are being developed with new versions appearing nearly every week. It's tough to find the best one for your device so it certainly needs some commitment, trial and error. Luckily usually you have lots of users with the same device sharing photos and that way you could find ideas for the best GCam version and settings. With Mi 10 Ultra the user base is more limited, but some key settings still produce comparable look.

How much frames GCam takes and how long the actual shooting of 1pic last? (I mean you press the shutter button and then? Waiting? Camera exposes other frames? or how actually camera works (in terms of timing)?

With HUA (M40/P40) you either get 50 MPix RAW + 12.5 MPix no processed JPG. And this is snappy. However with 50MPix AI - which gives you "only " JPG - the process will take roughly 4-5 secs to shoot and then another couple of seconds to process the output (AI processed, contrast, sharpening de-noising, HDR etc.) Slightly restraining, however you get the quality level which cannot be achieved with RAW - because it is multi frame shooting/processing.

So could you describe it?

It could be set to your liking. Because video tells the story way better, here's one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10tAieiXAps7vFf0AtecPp6F8ruLE88RC/view?usp=sharing

I set it to 15 frames in this example. I clicked the shutter when it flashes orange. And yes, as you can see, there is a small delay (possibly refocusing?) before the photo is being taken. But overally taking the photo in bright daylight is quite fast even if 15 frames is overkill for these conditions. You can see the green thumbnail on the right – when it turns normal the processing is ready. You can take more photos even if there's processing going on, it's just the initial stage (circle in the center) when the photo is actually being taken. It's very flexible this way. And remember this was 48mp processing, with 12mp it's obviously much much snappier even with 30+ frames. So to summarize, the actual time used for photo taking depends mostly on shutter speed, obviously quite fast in daylight coniditons. The processing stage (green thumbnail) greatly varies, it can be quite fast with 5 frames but with 15 it is already roughly 5-6 seconds.

You can also disable HDR+ Enhanced any time you wish and shoot just with normal HDR+. You do get some shadow noise with 48mp even during daytime, but it's actually not too bad. And you still do get that 48mp DNG to do your post-processing. That way taking 48mp photos becomes instant.

 

[fuego6]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

Personally - I don't see the need.. the standard camera takes some amazing photos and with modern day software - you can manipulate JPG's very well without much loss in VISUAL quality.

I'm thrilled with my standard Mi10 Ultra .... I would recommend fully exploring and using the camera before playing around with GCam mods, etc... you may be happily surprised (Like I am!)

 

[melodika]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

Personally - I don't see the need.. the standard camera takes some amazing photos and with modern day software - you can manipulate JPG's very well without much loss in VISUAL quality.

I'm thrilled with my standard Mi10 Ultra .... I would recommend fully exploring and using the camera before playing around with GCam mods, etc... you may be happily surprised (Like I am!)

I absolutely agree that it's a good idea to explore the stock cam first. It works quite flawlessly for most situations. But whenever I want DSLR like rendering quality I prefer GCam. Here's another example (slightly cropped from 48mp):


Mi 10 Ultra 48mp GCam

 

[_vlad]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

I think the most obvious reason to use GCam is the possibility to shoot 48mp RAW. This is not possible with the stock cam that only allows 48mp JPGs. And with Mi 11 Ultra GCam 50mp (or 48mp) is not still available, and we have to see whether someone from the GCam community is able to unlock the high-res RAW stream. That's exactly what happened with Mi 10 Ultra. Before that happens (if...), I think the benefits of GCam for Mi 11 Ultra are more limited.

Moreover, GCam in both RAW and JPG use multiframing which greatly reduces noise and is essential particularly in lowlight conditions. GCam also offers endless possibilities for fine-tuning the JPG output which is not possible with the stock cam.

If you shoot in daylight in ideal conditions then the stock camera app is perfectly fine. It's only when you want that extended flexibility where GCam starts to shine. After all, it's about small things like detail rendering but also those factors that have major impact on the photo (such as highlight/shadows preservation etc.) When you have the multiframe RAW, possibilites for post-processing are greatly expanded.

Moreover, countless of GCam mods are being developed with new versions appearing nearly every week. It's tough to find the best one for your device so it certainly needs some commitment, trial and error. Luckily usually you have lots of users with the same device sharing photos and that way you could find ideas for the best GCam version and settings. With Mi 10 Ultra the user base is more limited, but some key settings still produce comparable look.

How much frames GCam takes and how long the actual shooting of 1pic last? (I mean you press the shutter button and then? Waiting? Camera exposes other frames? or how actually camera works (in terms of timing)?

With HUA (M40/P40) you either get 50 MPix RAW + 12.5 MPix no processed JPG. And this is snappy. However with 50MPix AI - which gives you "only " JPG - the process will take roughly 4-5 secs to shoot and then another couple of seconds to process the output (AI processed, contrast, sharpening de-noising, HDR etc.) Slightly restraining, however you get the quality level which cannot be achieved with RAW - because it is multi frame shooting/processing.

So could you describe it?

It could be set to your liking. Because video tells the story way better, here's one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10tAieiXAps7vFf0AtecPp6F8ruLE88RC/view?usp=sharing

I set it to 15 frames in this example. I clicked the shutter when it flashes orange. And yes, as you can see, there is a small delay (possibly refocusing?) before the photo is being taken. But overally taking the photo in bright daylight is quite fast even if 15 frames is overkill for these conditions. You can see the green thumbnail on the right – when it turns normal the processing is ready. You can take more photos even if there's processing going on, it's just the initial stage (circle in the center) when the photo is actually being taken. It's very flexible this way. And remember this was 48mp processing, with 12mp it's obviously much much snappier even with 30+ frames. So to summarize, the actual time used for photo taking depends mostly on shutter speed, obviously quite fast in daylight coniditons. The processing stage (green thumbnail) greatly varies, it can be quite fast with 5 frames but with 15 it is already roughly 5-6 seconds.

You can also disable HDR+ Enhanced any time you wish and shoot just with normal HDR+. You do get some shadow noise with 48mp even during daytime, but it's actually not too bad. And you still do get that 48mp DNG to do your post-processing. That way taking 48mp photos becomes instant.

Thanks for info. I was mostly interested in those processing times - because those distinguish the fake marketing and real situation. One cannot expect multi-frame shooting with/from 50MP RAW + post optimization to be as swift as in normal shooting. Even simple DNG will take roughly 1 sec. to shoot and transfer to memory (M40/P40). (well max frame rate in DNG is roughly 1sec between the shots). The whole processing pipeline seems to be similar to HUA - apart from the fact, you cannot do those special settings you mentioned - and it is HQ JPG only. Frankly - I was heavy RAW user before, nowadays I nearly completely quit from this workflow - this multiframe 50MP shooting is just in a league of itself - however it shines only when scene is more or less still and you do not have shaky hands LOL.

And how about something moving in a frame? (e. highway with fast driving cars) Is GCAM clever enough to eliminate it somehow - or you have a chain containing object in different positions? HUA is clever enough to eliminate it completely - don´t ask how they did it

What I wonder still, whether these camera process some AF stacking (at least essential) because with std. DNG and fast lens/big sensor DOF is very flat - and all 3d scenes (objects) are problematic when you ask for bigger DOF (macro or so). It seems to me that DOF with MULTI 50MPAI (HUA) does something like this, because DOF is bigger. But I may be mistaken - have not tested that thoroughly.
Your insight on XIA GCam AF-stacking?

Thanks once more for detailed description.

 

[melodika]

Those are very nice pictures.

I'm wondering the need to use gcam. Is it because the default camera app doesn't work properly? I'm asking because, I'm about to receive Mi 11 Ultra, and I would like to get the best out of it. But I'm wondering why a camera application designed for a completely different sensor and lens system, would be better

Did someone fine-tune or calibrate it to be used for the Xiaomi phones? Just asking to learn something

I think the most obvious reason to use GCam is the possibility to shoot 48mp RAW. This is not possible with the stock cam that only allows 48mp JPGs. And with Mi 11 Ultra GCam 50mp (or 48mp) is not still available, and we have to see whether someone from the GCam community is able to unlock the high-res RAW stream. That's exactly what happened with Mi 10 Ultra. Before that happens (if...), I think the benefits of GCam for Mi 11 Ultra are more limited.

Moreover, GCam in both RAW and JPG use multiframing which greatly reduces noise and is essential particularly in lowlight conditions. GCam also offers endless possibilities for fine-tuning the JPG output which is not possible with the stock cam.

If you shoot in daylight in ideal conditions then the stock camera app is perfectly fine. It's only when you want that extended flexibility where GCam starts to shine. After all, it's about small things like detail rendering but also those factors that have major impact on the photo (such as highlight/shadows preservation etc.) When you have the multiframe RAW, possibilites for post-processing are greatly expanded.

Moreover, countless of GCam mods are being developed with new versions appearing nearly every week. It's tough to find the best one for your device so it certainly needs some commitment, trial and error. Luckily usually you have lots of users with the same device sharing photos and that way you could find ideas for the best GCam version and settings. With Mi 10 Ultra the user base is more limited, but some key settings still produce comparable look.

How much frames GCam takes and how long the actual shooting of 1pic last? (I mean you press the shutter button and then? Waiting? Camera exposes other frames? or how actually camera works (in terms of timing)?

With HUA (M40/P40) you either get 50 MPix RAW + 12.5 MPix no processed JPG. And this is snappy. However with 50MPix AI - which gives you "only " JPG - the process will take roughly 4-5 secs to shoot and then another couple of seconds to process the output (AI processed, contrast, sharpening de-noising, HDR etc.) Slightly restraining, however you get the quality level which cannot be achieved with RAW - because it is multi frame shooting/processing.

So could you describe it?

It could be set to your liking. Because video tells the story way better, here's one: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10tAieiXAps7vFf0AtecPp6F8ruLE88RC/view?usp=sharing

I set it to 15 frames in this example. I clicked the shutter when it flashes orange. And yes, as you can see, there is a small delay (possibly refocusing?) before the photo is being taken. But overally taking the photo in bright daylight is quite fast even if 15 frames is overkill for these conditions. You can see the green thumbnail on the right – when it turns normal the processing is ready. You can take more photos even if there's processing going on, it's just the initial stage (circle in the center) when the photo is actually being taken. It's very flexible this way. And remember this was 48mp processing, with 12mp it's obviously much much snappier even with 30+ frames. So to summarize, the actual time used for photo taking depends mostly on shutter speed, obviously quite fast in daylight coniditons. The processing stage (green thumbnail) greatly varies, it can be quite fast with 5 frames but with 15 it is already roughly 5-6 seconds.

You can also disable HDR+ Enhanced any time you wish and shoot just with normal HDR+. You do get some shadow noise with 48mp even during daytime, but it's actually not too bad. And you still do get that 48mp DNG to do your post-processing. That way taking 48mp photos becomes instant.

Thanks for info. I was mostly interested in those processing times - because those distinguish the fake marketing and real situation. One cannot expect multi-frame shooting with/from 50MP RAW + post optimization to be as swift as in normal shooting. Even simple DNG will take roughly 1 sec. to shoot and transfer to memory (M40/P40). (well max frame rate in DNG is roughly 1sec between the shots). The whole processing pipeline seems to be similar to HUA - apart from the fact, you cannot do those special settings you mentioned - and it is HQ JPG only. Frankly - I was heavy RAW user before, nowadays I nearly completely quit from this workflow - this multiframe 50MP shooting is just in a league of itself - however it shines only when scene is more or less still and you do not have shaky hands LOL.

And how about something moving in a frame? (e. highway with fast driving cars) Is GCAM clever enough to eliminate it somehow - or you have a chain containing object in different positions? HUA is clever enough to eliminate it completely - don´t ask how they did it

What I wonder still, whether these camera process some AF stacking (at least essential) because with std. DNG and fast lens/big sensor DOF is very flat - and all 3d scenes (objects) are problematic when you ask for bigger DOF (macro or so). It seems to me that DOF with MULTI 50MPAI (HUA) does something like this, because DOF is bigger. But I may be mistaken - have not tested that thoroughly.
Your insight on XIA GCam AF-stacking?

Thanks once more for detailed description.

I don't think there's AF stacking happening, at least I haven't noticed any evidence supporting that. Movement in a frame is usually surprisingly OK, but sometimes you get artifacts. Here's an example with 15 frames and movement:


Mi 10 Ultra HDR+E DNG ediy

 

[fuego6]

To be honest - I'd be hard pressed to tell that photo from a stock JPG...

 

[_vlad]

And how about something moving in a frame? (e. highway with fast driving cars) Is GCAM clever enough to eliminate it somehow - or you have a chain containing object in different positions? HUA is clever enough to eliminate it completely - don´t ask how they did it

What I wonder still, whether these camera process some AF stacking (at least essential) because with std. DNG and fast lens/big sensor DOF is very flat - and all 3d scenes (objects) are problematic when you ask for bigger DOF (macro or so). It seems to me that DOF with MULTI 50MPAI (HUA) does something like this, because DOF is bigger. But I may be mistaken - have not tested that thoroughly.
Your insight on XIA GCam AF-stacking?

Thanks once more for detailed description.

I don't think there's AF stacking happening, at least I haven't noticed any evidence supporting that. Movement in a frame is usually surprisingly OK, but sometimes you get artifacts. Here's an example with 15 frames and movement:


Mi 10 Ultra HDR+E DNG ediy

I would say it is good - looking for artefacts at this size seems to be bit nitpicking - we are talking about 60x90cm print sizes(roughly), and taking a loupe and trying to find some - is - well - at least funny. However chains with individual "pearls" are immediately recognizable, distracting and make the pic hardly usable but for fun.

--
Vlad

 

[melodika]

Here's additional low light samples.


Mi 10 Ultra DNG edit, 1/10s


Mi 10 Ultra Slightly cropped DNG edit, 1/10s




Mi 10 Ultra DNG edit, 1/10s

 

[melodika]

Just to add some observations:

-The biggest downside of full resolution files is the excessive moiré. Once it is removed, pixel level quality is very nice. I think this might be an issue with all QB sensors.
- Another flaw is the sharpness of the left edge.

Sample with lots of small details, moiré removed:


Mi 10 Ultra 48mp Gcam

 

[JWMP]

The sample looks good and crisp. You were saying that you did this with magisk to enable the 48MP. Hope you can share how it is done? Is there a method without using magisk since the ROM wont be updated after doing this. Pls share.

Btw, which Gcam version used here and also you are saying HDR+ can set how many times it take. Where is the settings.

Sorry newbie here.

 

[powertune]

I had used Redmi K20 Pro for a long time, and eszdman's 48mp module is really stunning. It improves the details effectively and provides less noise in night, comparing to the stock apps. Now I'm using Mi 10 Ultra. Would you send me a copy of magisk module for Mi 10 Ultra? It will be grateful.

 

[melodika]

I had used Redmi K20 Pro for a long time, and eszdman's 48mp module is really stunning. It improves the details effectively and provides less noise in night, comparing to the stock apps. Now I'm using Mi 10 Ultra. Would you send me a copy of magisk module for Mi 10 Ultra? It will be grateful.

Hi and thanks for interest! I still use the module daily and am still impressed by the results. All the instructions and needed files can be found from here: https://techinbermudas.com/thread-magisk-full-res-raw-jpeg-cas

It involves rooting your device and beware that using Magisk module will prevent you from using other camera apps.

I'll share one more sample:


Mi 10 Ultra 48mp GCam

 

[powertune]

Thank you so much for your marvelous effort for the module, and your new night picture is gorgeous! I hardly believe that picture was taken by smartphone.

But I have a issue that the module could not work properly in my Mi 10 Ultra. Could you tell me about your Miui version? I'm still using Miui 12(Android 10) for now, and maybe that's the reason why couldn't I use this module.

 

[melodika]

Thank you so much for your marvelous effort for the module, and your new night picture is gorgeous! I hardly believe that picture was taken by smartphone.

But I have a issue that the module could not work properly in my Mi 10 Ultra. Could you tell me about your Miui version? I'm still using Miui 12(Android 10) for now, and maybe that's the reason why couldn't I use this module.

The module is a bit sketchy as it only works with certain configuration and there's only one GCam that currently supports it. But there's another version of the mod that could be used with some other GCam versions (NGCam for example). I sent the link by PM.