Xiaomi 14 Ultra Makes My Phone Camera Dreams a Reality

In its complete overview, I mentioned the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is “the most efficient digital camera telephone I’ve ever used.” Big phrase, positive, nevertheless it earns that reward because of its massive symbol sensor, which will seize shocking pictures in each daylight hours and at evening. It’s some of the absolute best telephone cameras you’ll be able to purchase in 2024 however I believe it could have its roots in a telephone that introduced virtually 10 years in the past. 

Back in 2014 I reviewed the Panasonic CM1. At the time it used to be the head of smartphone pictures, packing a 1-inch sort sensor that dwarfed the tiny sensors of different telephones on the time. It had a lens made by way of Leica and it took pictures that no different digital camera telephone may start to compete with. It used to be necessarily a compact digital camera that came about to even be a telephone. 

As a qualified photographer myself, the CM1 used to be, in some ways, my dream telephone. Its digital camera used to be just right sufficient that I did not desire a devoted digital camera in my bag always. And whilst the era round that fab digital camera tech wasn’t rather as much as the similar prime usual, with restricted uncooked beef up and out of date device, I used to be sorely disenchanted that the telephone did not hang out.

But Xiaomi turns out to have picked up the place Panasonic left off, giving the very good CM1 a 2024 makeover. There are a large number of similarities within the telephones. Both have huge 1-inch sort symbol sensors (which do not if truth be told measure an inch diagonally), each have Leica-engineered optics, each have variable apertures and each have bodily digital camera buttons (if you are the use of the Xiaomi’s digital camera grip).

Read extra: Is Technology Bad or Have I Reached Grumpy Old Man Status?

When the Xiaomi is dressed in its pictures case I even assume they appear an identical, with textured black backs, silver rails at the most sensible and backside and a large central circle the place the digital camera gadgets sit down. 

There are such a lot of similarities that it virtually looks like Xiaomi checked out this long-obsolete telephone and concept, “Hey, let’s resurrect that!” 

And I’m so satisfied it did for the reason that Xiaomi 14 Ultra is each bit as thrilling as a digital camera telephone as I discovered the CM1 to be in 2014 and I’ve been in reality inspired on the pictures I’ve been in a position to take with it. It is helping that the broader era has stuck as much as make it a a lot better enjoy general. The Xiaomi’s trendy processor makes running the object a breeze and the 6.73-inch show is gargantuan in comparison to the CM1’s 4.7-inch display screen. 

And DNG uncooked beef up is now just about usual around the business, permitting me to procedure my uncooked information from the telephone in an enormous number of Android apps. When I reviewed the CM1, there have been virtually no Android apps that supported uncooked pictures which supposed taking pictures, processing and sharing the ones pictures used to be frustratingly convoluted. It’s truthful to mention the CM1 used to be forward of its time, providing specifications and lines that were not particularly suitable with the broader era that supported them. 

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is, in some ways, the religious successor to the Panasonic CM1, choosing up the place it left off in a time the place its era and lines will also be correctly put to make use of.

And all I needed to do used to be wait 10 years.