We subjected the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G to our rigorous SBMARK Camera test suite to measure its performance in terms of photo, video and zoom quality from an end-user perspective. This article analyzes how the device performed in a variety of tests and several common use cases and aims to highlight the most important results of our tests with an excerpt of the data captured.
Overview
Main camera specs:
- Main: 200MP 1/1.4″ sensor, f/1.65 aperture lens, OIS
- Ultra Wide Angle: 8MP, 120˚ field of view, f/2.2 aperture lens
- Macro: 2MP sensor, f/2.4 aperture lens
- Video: 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30/60fps, 720p at 30fps
Pros
- Good exposure
- Wide dynamic range and decent white balance in low light
- Pretty good details in photos in bright light
- Low noise levels in bright light
- Precise and fast video autofocus
Against
- Exposure entering the video
- Excessive sharpening and loss of fine details in the video
- Slight distortion and chromatic aberration in ultra-wide-angle photos
- Unwanted artifacts such as color quantization, ringing, ghosting, and blending artifacts under indoor conditions
- Slow photographic autofocus, especially in high-contrast, indoor and low-light scenes
- Decent video stabilization but walking motion is still noticeable
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G delivered appreciable performance for a device in the high-end segment in our SBMARK Camera tests. Good target exposure and accurate white balance were the camera’s main strengths. Photo rendering was especially nice in low light, but autofocus had issues in extreme low light.
Our testers found the camera’s zoom capabilities to be generally poor, with high levels of noise, texture loss, and aberrations in ultra-wide-angle and long-range tele shots. Video stabilization left room for improvement but was decent for the price. Overall, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is an ideal device for capturing static portrait scene photos and video portraits in most light conditions.
Trial summary
About SBMARK Camera Tests: SBMARK’s camera evaluations are conducted in labs and in real-world situations using a wide variety of subjects. Scores are based on objective tests for which results are calculated directly by the measurement software on our lab setups and perceptual tests where a sophisticated set of metrics allows a panel of image experts to compare aspects of quality of the image that require human judgment. Testing a smartphone involves a team of engineers and technicians for about a week. Photo, zoom, and video quality are rated separately and then combined into an overall score for comparing cameras from different devices. For more information on the SBMARK camera protocol, click here. More details on smartphone camera scores can be found here. The following section compiles the key elements of SBMARK’s exhaustive testing and analysis. Full performance evaluations are available upon request. Please contact us on how to receive a full report.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G camera scores
This graph compares the SBMARK photo, zoom and video scores between the tested device and the references. The average and maximum scores of the price segment are also indicated. The average and maximum scores for each price segment are calculated based on the SBMARK database of tested devices.
Photo
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
SBMARK camera photo test information
For scoring and analysis, SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2,600 test images in both controlled laboratory environments and outdoor, indoor, and low-light natural scenes using camera presets. The photographic protocol is designed to take into account the main use cases and is based on typical shooting scenarios, such as portrait, family and landscape photography. Evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and by performing objective measurements on laboratory-acquired graph images under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1,000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300 K to 6,500 K.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G Photo scores
Photo tests analyze image quality attributes such as exposure, color, texture and noise under various lighting conditions. Autofocus performance and the presence of artifacts are also evaluated on all images acquired under controlled laboratory conditions and on real-life images. All of these attributes have a significant impact on the final quality of the images captured with the tested device and can help you understand the main strengths and weaknesses of the camera.
Exposure
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
99
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Color
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
91
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Exposure and color are key attributes for technically good images. For exposure, the main attribute evaluated is the brightness of the main subject across various use cases such as landscape, portrait or still life. Other factors evaluated are contrast and dynamic range, e.g. the ability to make details visible in light and dark areas of the image. Repeatability is also important because it demonstrates the camera’s ability to provide the same rendering when taking multiple images of the same scene.
For color, the image quality attributes analyzed are skin tone rendering, white balance, color shading, and repeatability. With regards to color rendition and skin tone, we penalize unnatural colors but respect the manufacturer’s choice of color signature.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Precise target exposure and low light white balance, slight highlight clipping
Honor Magic 4 Lite – Underexposure, highlight clipping, yellow cast
Xiaomi Redmi 12 5G – Accurate target exposure but low contrast, highlight clipping, yellow cast
Auto focus
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
100
Huawei P40Pro
Huawei P40Pro
Autofocus tests focus on focus accuracy, focus repeatability, shutter lag, and depth of field. Shutter lag is the difference between when the user presses the capture button and when the image is actually taken. It includes the speed of focusing and the ability of the device to capture images at the right moment, the so-called “zero shutter lag” capability. While a shallow depth of field can be nice for a single-subject portrait or close-up shot, it can also be a problem in some specific conditions like group portraits; Both situations are tested. Focus accuracy is also evaluated in all real-life images taken, from infinity to close-up objects and low-light to outdoor conditions.
Autofocus Ruggedness and Speed: 100Lux Δ7EV TL84 Handheld
This graph illustrates focus accuracy and speed, and also zero shutter lag capability by showing edge acuity versus shooting time measured on the AFHDR setup over a series of images. All photos were taken at 100 Lux with TL84 illuminant, 500 ms after blurring. In this scenario, the backlit panels in the scene are set to simulate a fairly high dynamic range: the luminance ratio between the brightest spot and an 18% reflective gray spot is 7, which we denote by an exposure value difference of 7 The edge sharpness is measured on the four edges of the Dead Leaves graph and the shooting time is measured on the Universal Timer LED.
Structure
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
85
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Texture tests analyze the level of detail and texture of subjects in images taken in the lab as well as real-life scenarios. For natural shots, special attention is paid to the level of detail in the light and dark areas of the image. Objective measurements are performed on map images taken under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The charts used are the proprietary SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.
SBMARK CHART (DMC) Detail Retention Score vs. Lux Levels for Tripod and Handheld Conditions
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score with lux level, for two retention conditions. The DMC Detail Retention Score is derived from an AI-powered metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendition on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.
Noise
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
83
Vivo X50Pro+
Vivo X50Pro+
Noise tests analyze various noise attributes such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture on real-life images and lab-captured graph images. For natural images, special attention is paid to noise on faces, landscapes, but also dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Noise on moving objects is also evaluated on natural images. Objective measurements are performed on chart images captured under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The graph used is the dead leaves graph and standardized measurement such as visual noise derived from ISO 15739.
Evolution of visual noise with illuminance levels in portable conditions
This graph shows the evolution of the visual noise metric with lux level under palmar conditions. The Visual Noise metric is the average of the Visual Noise measurement across all patches of the Dead Leaves graph in the AFHDR configuration. The SBMARK visual noise measurement is derived from the ISO15739 standard.
Artifacts
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
86
Huawei P40Pro
Huawei P40Pro
Artifact assessment examines lens shading, chromatic aberrations, geometric distortion, ringing edges, halos, ghosting, quantization, unexpected color tone shifts, among other types of possible effects unnatural on photos. The more serious and frequent the artifact, the greater the deduction of points from the score. The main artifacts observed and the corresponding loss of points are listed below.
Preview
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
The preview tests analyze the image quality of the camera app’s image preview, with particular attention to the difference between the capture and the preview, especially regarding the dynamic range and the application of the bokeh effect. The uniformity of exposure, color and focus adaptation when zooming from the minimum to the maximum available zoom factor is also evaluated. The preview frame rate is measured using the Universal Timer LED.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Preview – Depth artifacts, lower blur intensity than capture
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Capture
Zoom in
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
About SBMARK Camera Zoom Tests
SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 400 test images in controlled laboratory environments and natural outdoor, indoor, and low-light scenes using camera presets and pinch zoom at various zoom factors from ultra wide to very long zoom. Evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and by performing objective measurements of lab-captured map images under varying conditions from 20 to 1000 lux and color temperatures from 2300K to 6500K.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G Zoom Scores
This graph illustrates the relative scores for the different zoom ranges evaluated. The abscissa is expressed in focal length equivalent to 35mm. Zoomed scores appear on the right and zoomed scores on the left.
Wide
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
53
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
These tests analyze the performance of the ultra wide angle camera at different focal lengths from 12mm to 20mm. All attributes of image quality are evaluated, with particular attention to artifacts such as chromatic aberrations, lens softness and distortion. The images below are an excerpt from the tested scenes.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Distortion on the edges of the frame, slight noise
Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G – Yellow tint, strong distortion
One Plus Nord CE 5G – Loud noise near frame edges
tele
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
All image quality attributes are evaluated at focal lengths from approximately 40mm to 300mm, with an emphasis on texture and detail. The score comes from a series of objective laboratory measurements and perceptual analysis of real-life images.
SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.
SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.
SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.
SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.
video
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
About SBMARK Camera Video Tests
SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2.5 hours of video in controlled lab environments and low natural light scenes, indoors and out, using the camera’s default settings. Evaluation consists of visually inspecting natural video taken under various conditions and performing objective measurements on lab-recorded graph video under various conditions from 1 to 1000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G video scores
Video tests analyze the same image quality attributes as still images, such as exposure, color, texture or noise, as well as temporal aspects such as speed, exposure uniformity and stability, white balance and autofocus transitions.
Exposure
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
99
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Color
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
91
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
Exposure tests evaluate the brightness of the main subject and the dynamic range, e.g. the ability to make details visible in light and dark areas of the image. The stability and temporal adaptation of the exposure are also analysed.
Image quality color analysis examines color rendition, skin tone rendition, white balance, color shading, white balance stability and its adaptation when the light changes.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+
Structure
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
85
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Texture tests analyze the level of detail and texture of real-life videos as well as graphics videos recorded in the lab. Natural video recordings are evaluated visually, with particular attention to the level of detail in bright areas and dark areas. Objective measurements of card images taken under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux are performed. The charts used are the SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.
SBMARK CHART (DMC) video score for detail retention versus lux levels
This graph shows the evolution of the video DMC detail retention score with the level of lux in the video. The DMC Detail Retention Score is derived from an AI-powered metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendition on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.
Noise
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
83
Vivo X50Pro+
Vivo X50Pro+
Noise tests analyze various noise attributes such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture, temporal aspects on real-life video recording, as well as graph videos taken in the lab. Natural videos are evaluated visually, with an emphasis on noise in dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Objective measurements are performed on graph videos recorded under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The graph used is the SBMARK visual noise graph.
Evolution of spatial visual noise with level of illumination
This graph shows the evolution of spatial visual noise with lux level. Spatial visual noise is measured on the visual noise table in the video noise setup. The SBMARK visual noise measurement is derived from the ISO15739 standard.
Time evolution of visual noise with level of illumination
This graph shows the evolution of visual noise over time with lux level. Temporal visual noise is measured on the visual noise table in the video noise configuration.
Stabilization
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
The stabilization rating tests the device’s ability to stabilize footage using software or hardware technologies such as OIS, EIS, or any other means. The evaluation looks at residual motion, smoothness, yellow artifacts, and residual motion blur in walking and running use cases under various lighting conditions. The video below is an excerpt from one of the tested scenes.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+
Artifacts
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G
86
Huawei P40Pro
Huawei P40Pro
Artifacts are evaluated with MTF and ringing measurements on the SFR graph in the lab, as well as frame rate measurements using the Universal Timer LED. Natural videos are visually evaluated by paying close attention to artifacts such as aliasing, quantization, blocking, and pitch shifting, among others. The more severe and frequent the artifact, the more points will be deducted from the score. The main artifacts and the corresponding point loss are listed below.
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