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Xiaomi 12T Camera test

OTHER AVAILABLE TESTS FOR THIS DEVICE

We put the Xiaomi 12T through our rigorous DXOMARK Camera test suite to measure its performance in photo, video, and zoom quality from an end-user perspective. This article breaks down how the device fared in a variety of tests and several common use cases and is intended to highlight the most important results of our testing with an extract of the captured data.

Overview

Key camera specifications:

  • Primary: 108MP 1/67-inch sensor, 0.64μm pixels, f/1.7-aperture lens, AF, OIS
  • Ultra-wide: 8MP sensor, 120° field-of-view, f/2.2-aperture lens
  • Macro: 2MP sensor, f/2.4-aperture lens

Scoring

Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.


Xiaomi 12T
115
camera
120
photo
90

117

81

119

89

116

94

114

101

115

75

81

65
bokeh
65

80

63
preview
63

91

67
zoom
33

116

85

117

127
video
95

115

94

117

92

117

112

115

102

118

78

86

109

117

Use cases & Conditions

Use case scores indicate the product performance in specific situations. They are not included in the overall score calculations.

BEST 165

Outdoor

Photos & videos shot in bright light conditions (≥1000 lux)

BEST 151

Indoor

Photos & videos shot in good lighting conditions (≥100lux)

BEST 122

Lowlight

Photos & videos shot in low lighting conditions (<100 lux)

BEST 142

Friends & Family

Portrait and group photo & videos

Pros

  • Fairly good detail in most test conditions
  • Noise generally well-controlled in indoor and outdoor conditions
  • Relatively fast and repeatable autofocus
  • Pretty accurate depth estimation in bokeh mode

Cons

  • Very limited dynamic range in high-contrast scenes
  • Occasional skin tone inaccuracies and frequent color casts in low light
  • Unnatural detail rendering on faces
  • Glare and low contrast in flash shots
  • Ultra-wide and tele: limited dynamic range and low texture-noise trade-off

With a DXOMARK Camera score of 115 the Xiaomi 12T doesn’t get close to the top devices in our High-end segment ranking, but compared to last year’s 11T model, it shows significant improvements in many areas. For example, the 12T comes with a much better photo texture/noise trade-off than its predecessor and many competitors in its class. Detail is especially good in low light in terms of texture, even though image noise is noticeable as well in such conditions. We also quite liked the 12T’s preview image on the display, which came quite close to the final capture, except in low light high-contrast scenes. On the downside, dynamic range is very limited, resulting in frequent highlight and shadow clipping in difficult high-contrast scenes. Our testers also observed some unnatural skin tone rendering, in terms of both texture and a reddish color cast.

In video mode, the Xiaomi does quite well in low light conditions, with good target exposure and accurate color rendering. Fine detail is very well rendered across all lighting conditions, but some noise tends to be noticeable, especially on moving elements in low light. In bright outdoor light, the camera has a tendency to overexpose, which results in inaccurate colors. To make things worse, white balance is unstable. Like for photo, dynamic range is limited. However, highlight clipping is less pronounced than on some rivals in its class. The video autofocus performs overall very well. It’s stable, with quick reactions and smooth transitions.

Test summary

About DXOMARK Camera tests: DXOMARK’s Camera evaluations take place in laboratories and in real-world situations using a wide variety of subjects. The scores rely on objective tests for which the results are calculated directly by measurement software on our laboratory setups, and on perceptual tests in which a sophisticated set of metrics allow a panel of image experts to compare aspects of image quality that require human judgment. Testing a smartphone involves a team of engineers and technicians for about a week. Photo, Zoom, and Video quality are scored separately and then combined into an Overall score for comparison among the cameras in different devices. For more information about the DXOMARK Camera protocol, click here. More details on smartphone camera scores are available here. The following section gathers key elements of DXOMARK’s exhaustive tests and analyses. Full performance evaluations are available upon request. Please contact us  on how to receive a full report.

Xiaomi 12T Camera Scores
This graph compares DXOMARK photo, zoom and video scores between the tested device and references. Average and maximum scores of the price segment are also indicated. Average and maximum scores for each price segment are computed based on the DXOMARK database of devices tested.

Photo

120

Xiaomi 12T

152

Huawei Mate 50 Pro
About DXOMARK Camera Photo tests

For scoring and analysis, DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2,600 test images both in controlled lab environments and in outdoor, indoor and low-light natural scenes, using the camera’s default settings. The photo protocol is designed to take into account the main use cases and is based on typical shooting scenarios, such as portraits, family, and landscape photography. The evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images against a reference of natural scenes, and by running objective measurements on images of charts captured in the lab under different lighting conditions from 1 to 1,000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.

Xiaomi 12T Photo scores
The photo tests analyze image quality attributes such as exposure, color, texture, and noise in various light conditions. Autofocus performances and the presence of artifacts on all images captured in controlled lab conditions and in real-life images are also evaluated. All these attributes have a significant impact on the final quality of the images captured with the tested device and can help to understand the camera's main strengths and weaknesses.

Exposure

90

Xiaomi 12T

117

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Color

81

Xiaomi 12T

119

Google Pixel 7 Pro

Exposure and color are the key attributes for technically good pictures. For exposure, the main attribute evaluated is the brightness of the main subject through various use cases such as landscape, portrait, or still life. Other factors evaluated are the contrast and the dynamic range, eg. the ability to render visible details in both bright and dark areas of the image. Repeatability is also important because it demonstrates the camera's ability to provide the same rendering when shooting several images of the same scene.
For color, the image quality attributes analyzed are skin-tone rendering, white balance, color shading, and repeatability. For color and skin tone rendering, we penalize unnatural colors but we respect a manufacturer's choice of color signature.

 Xiaomi 12T – good level of detail, well-controlled noise, skin tones too orange
Xiaomi 11T – Good level of detail but slightly unnatural textures, slight noise, acceptable colors
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G – slightly limited level of detail, slight noise, faded-out colors

Autofocus

89

Xiaomi 12T

116

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Autofocus tests concentrate on focus accuracy, focus repeatability, shooting time delay, and depth of field. Shooting delay is the difference between the time the user presses the capture button and the time the image is actually taken. It includes focusing speed and the capability of the device to capture images at the right time, what is called 'zero shutter lag' capability. Even if a shallow depth of field can be pleasant for a single subject portrait or close-up shot, it can also be a problem in some specific conditions such as group portraits; Both situations are tested. Focus accuracy is also evaluated in all the real-life images taken, from infinity to close-up objects and in low light to outdoor conditions.

Autofocus irregularity and speed: 1000Lux Δ0EV Daylight Handheld
This graph illustrates focus accuracy and speed and also zero shutter lag capability by showing the edge acutance versus the shooting time measured on the AFHDR setup on a series of pictures. All pictures were taken at 1000Lux with Daylight illuminant, 500ms after the defocus. The edge acutance is measured on the four edges of the Dead Leaves chart, and the shooting time is measured on the LED Universal Timer.

Texture

94

Xiaomi 12T

114

Oppo Find X5

Texture tests analyze the level of details and the texture of subjects in the images taken in the lab as well as in real-life scenarios. For natural shots, particular attention is paid to the level of details in the bright and dark areas of the image. Objective measurements are performed on chart images taken in various lighting conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different kinds of dynamic range conditions. The charts used are the proprietary DXOMARK chart (DMC) and the Dead Leaves chart.

DXOMARK CHART (DMC) detail preservation score vs lux levels for tripod and handheld conditions
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC detail preservation score with the level of lux, for two holding conditions. DMC detail preservation score is derived from an AI-based metric trained to evaluate texture and details rendering on a selection of crops of our DXOMARK chart.

Noise

101

Xiaomi 12T

115

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Noise tests analyze various attributes of noise such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, structure on real-life images as well as images of charts taken in the lab. For natural images, particular attention is paid to the noise on faces, landscapes, but also on dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Noise on moving objects is also evaluated on natural images. Objective measurements are performed on images of charts taken in various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different kinds of dynamic range conditions. The chart used is the Dead Leaves chart and the standardized measurement such as Visual Noise derived from ISO 15739.

Visual noise evolution with illuminance levels in handheld condition
This graph shows the evolution of visual noise metric with the level of lux in handheld condition. The visual noise metric is the mean of visual noise measurement on all patches of the Dead Leaves chart in the AFHDR setup. DXOMARK visual noise measurement is derived from ISO15739 standard.

Artifacts

75

Xiaomi 12T

81

Google Pixel 6

The artifacts evaluation looks at lens shading, chromatic aberrations, geometrical distortion, edges ringing, halos, ghosting, quantization, unexpected color hue shifts, among others type of possible unnatural effects on photos. The more severe and the more frequent the artifact, the higher the point deduction on the score. The main artifacts observed and corresponding point loss are listed below.

Main photo artifacts penalties

Preview

120

Xiaomi 12T

152

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Preview tests analyze the image quality of the camera app's preview of the image, with particular attention paid to the difference between the capture and the preview, especially regarding dynamic range and the application of the bokeh effect. Also evaluated is the smoothness of the exposure, color and focus adaptation when zooming from the minimal to the maximal zoom factor available. The preview frame rate is measured using the LED Universal Timer.

Xiaomi 12T, preview – stronger highlight clipping than capture, similar exposure
Xiaomi 12T, capture

Zoom

67

Xiaomi 12T

151

Honor Magic4 Ultimate
About DXOMARK Camera Zoom tests

DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 400 test images in controlled lab environments and in outdoor, indoor, and low-light natural scenes, using the camera’s default settings and pinch zoom at various zoom factors from ultra wide to very long-range zoom. The evaluation is performed by visually inspecting the images against a reference of natural scenes, and by running objective measurements of chart mages captured in the lab under different conditions from 20 to 1000 lux and color temperatures from 2300K to 6500K.

Xiaomi 12T Zoom Scores
This graph illustrates the relative scores for the different zoom ranges evaluated. The abscissa is expressed in 35mm equivalent focal length. Zooming-in scores are displayed on the right and Zooming-out scores on the left.

Wide

85

Xiaomi 12T

117

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

These tests analyze the performance of the ultra-wide camera at several focal lengths from 12 mm to 20 mm. All image quality attributes are evaluated, with particular attention paid to such artifacts as chromatic aberrations, lens softness, and distortion. Pictures below are an extract of tested scenes.

 Xiaomi 12T – accurate target exposure, limited dynamic range, loss of detail, noise
Xiaomi 11T – slight underexposure, loss of detail, noise
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G – accurate target exposure, limited dynamic range, loss of detail, noise

Tele

33

Xiaomi 12T

116

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

All image quality attributes are evaluated at focal lengths from approximately 40 mm to 300 mm, with particular attention paid to texture and detail. The score is derived from a number of objective measurements in the lab and perceptual analysis of real-life images.

 

Xiaomi 12T - Low level of detail, visible noise, strong bright clipping
Xiaomi 12T - Low level of detail, visible noise, strong bright clipping
Xiaomi 11T - Low level of detail, strong noise, low target exposure
Xiaomi 11T - Low level of detail, strong noise, low target exposure
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G - Details are lost, visible noise, bright clipping
Samsung Galaxy A22 5G - Details are lost, visible noise, bright clipping

Video

127

Xiaomi 12T

149

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
About DXOMARK Camera Video tests

DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2.5 hours of video in controlled lab environments and in natural low-light, indoor and outdoor scenes, using the camera’s default settings. The evaluation consists of visually inspecting natural videos taken in various conditions and running objective measurements on videos of charts recorded in the lab under different conditions from 1 to 1000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.

Xiaomi 12T Video scores
Video tests analyze the same image quality attributes as for still images, such as exposure, color, texture, or noise, in addition to temporal aspects such as speed, and smoothness and stability of exposure, white balance, and autofocus transitions.

Exposure

95

Xiaomi 12T

115

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Color

94

Xiaomi 12T

117

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Exposure tests evaluate the brightness of the main subject and the dynamic range, eg. the ability to render visible details in both bright and dark areas of the image. Stability and temporal adaption of the exposure are also analyzed.
Image-quality color analysis looks at color rendering, skin-tone rendering, white balance, color shading, stability of the white balance and its adaption when light is changing.

Xiaomi 12 T – unstable white balance, inaccurate fair skin tones, slightly limited dynamic range but good contrast

Xiaomi 11T – scene integrity artifacts (local movement of texture on floor and door at beginning of video), focus instabilities, limited dynamic range

Samsung Galaxy A22 5G – sharpness difference between frames, inaccurate color rendering, very limited dynamic range.

Texture

112

Xiaomi 12T

115

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

Texture tests analyze the level of details and texture of the real-life videos as well as the videos of charts recorded in the lab. Natural videos recordings are visually evaluated, with particular attention paid to the level of details in the bright and areas as well as in the dark. Objective measurements are performed of images of charts taken in various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The charts used are the DXOMARK chart (DMC) and Dead Leaves chart.

DXOMARK CHART (DMC) detail preservation video score vs lux levels
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC detail preservation video score with the level of lux in video. DMC detail preservation score is derived from an AI-based metric trained to evaluate texture and details rendering on a selection of crops of our DXOMARK chart.

Noise

102

Xiaomi 12T

118

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

Noise tests analyze various attributes of noise such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, structure, temporal aspects on real-life video recording as well as videos of charts taken in the lab. Natural videos are visually evaluated, with particular attention paid to the noise in the dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Objective measurements are performed on the videos of charts recorded in various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The chart used is the DXOMARK visual noise chart.

Spatial visual noise evolution with the illuminance level
This graph shows the evolution of spatial visual noise with the level of lux. Spatial visual noise is measured on the visual noise chart in the video noise setup. DXOMARK visual noise measurement is derived from ISO15739 standard.
Temporal visual noise evolution with the illuminance level
This graph shows the evolution of temporal visual noise with the level of lux. Temporal visual noise is measured on the visual noise chart in the video noise setup.

Stabilization

109

Xiaomi 12T

117

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Stabilization evaluation tests the ability of the device to stabilize footage thanks to software or hardware technologies such as OIS, EIS, or any others means. The evaluation looks at residual motion, smoothness, jellow artifacts and residual motion blur on walk and run use cases in various lighting conditions. The video below is an extract from one of the tested scenes.

Xiaomi 12 T – pretty effective stabilization, slight sharpness differences between frames

Xiaomi 11T – effective stabilization when walking, camera motion noticeable when running,  sharpness difference between frames

Samsung Galaxy A22 5G – ineffective stabilization when walking and running, sharpness difference between frames

Artifacts

78

Xiaomi 12T

86

Xiaomi 12S Ultra

Artifacts are evaluated with MTF and ringing measurements on the SFR chart in the lab as well as frame-rate measurements using the LED Universal Timer. Natural videos are visually evaluated by paying particular attention to artifacts such as aliasing, quantization, blocking, and hue shift, among others. The more severe and the more frequent the artifact, the higher the point deduction from the score. The main artifacts and corresponding point loss are listed below.

Main video artifacts penalties

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