The triple camera system on the Mi 9T Pro looks qualified to compete, but I did note - worryingly - that none of the lenses have OIS, a definite sign of cost cutting by Xiaomi. Understandably, given the cost of the phone, but how much will this impact results, especially against the still competitive Lumia 950?
As before, I've deliberately thrown in some tricky shots and zoom 'asks' in the scene selection, to test the USPs here, all photos were taken on full auto and handheld, as a regular user would do. No tripods or RAW editing sessions needed!
Notes:
- I've also shot at the default output resolutions on each, leaving headroom for lossless PureView zoom on the Lumia and also getting the advantages of oversampling and noise reduction, in an attempt to match the extra lenses on the Xiaomi!
- The 8MP shot from the Lumia 950 (at 16:9) and the 12MP shot (at 4:3) from the Mi 9T Pro, added to field of view differences, especially when I start throwing in zoom tests, do mean slightly different crops below, but you'll still be able to compare what each phone camera has achieved.
Let's pit the results against each other, using our Famed Interactive Comparator (FIC). All 1:1 crops are at 900x500 for comparison, though I've put up the originals on my own server, for you to download if you want to do your own analysis.
| Note that the interactive comparator below uses javascript and does need to load each pair of images. Please be patient while this page loads, if you see a pair of images above each other than you've either not waited long enough or your browser isn't capable enough! You ideally need a powerful, large-screened tablet or a proper laptop or desktop. This comparator may not work in some browsers. Sorry about that. On Windows 10 Mobile, use the 'AAWP Universal' UWP app, which handles the comparator very competently (see the tips in the app's help screens) |
Test 1: Sunny detail
A sunlit church scene. Here is the scene, from the Mi 9 (because I was shooting it at 4:3, this give more of an impression of more of the set-up):
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Much as expected, the Lumia wins by a nose with lower levels of edge enhancement, though (also as usual) the Lumia has a very slight 'warmth' to its colour handling. Still, the sun was out and low in the sky, so why not? The Xiaomi camera over-exposed by half a stop, I'd say, though it's worth noting that - as on the Lumia - there's a 'Pro' mode where you can tweak everything as you like it. Still, you have to live with the edge enhancement and that's a little ugly at the pixel level, even if not as obnoxious as on the Huawei phones.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro: 8 pts
Test 2: Sunny detail, 2x zoomed
The same scene, but 2x zoomed on the Mi 9T Pro and roughly 2x on the Lumia (hard to be exact, given the UI!) You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
I'd expect the 2x telephoto to beat the 950's 1.5x PureView zoom plus extra lossy digital zoom, and it does, but only by a whisker. The edge enhancement again plays a part in the Xiaomi image, such that its zoomed shot is only marginally better the the 950 XL's.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 8 pts; Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro: 9 pts
Test 3: Greenery (nature)
One of the ways of showing how much detail is actually captured is to shoot a scene with plenty of greenery, i.e. nature. Can the algorithms cope with leaves and almost infinite detail? Here is the scene, from the Mi 9:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
As with the church scene with artificial detail, again the Mi 9T Pro struggles, with edge enhancement effectively blurring out the most intricate natural details. Mind you, even the Lumia 950 isn't without blame here, compared perhaps to early PureView masterpieces like the Lumia 1020. Still, a definite win for the Lumia 950 XL here.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro: 7 pts
Test 4: Nature take two!
Because it's me and I'm obsessed with Image Quality (IQ), I've gone for another shot which includes loads of detail. Here is the scene, from the Mi 9, both photos taken here in portrait format to suit the scene:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
As with the previous photo test, the extra edge enhancement is all too obvious - see the mortar between the bricks in the crop, for example. Though the mass of leaves and flowers don't suffer quite as much as I'd expect. Still a win for the Lumia, but only by a single point here.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro: 8 pts
Test 5: Macro time
Let's try something very close up, less than 30cm. We should also get great natural bokeh at this distance. Here is the scene, from the Mi 9:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Both came out very well, with the Mi 9T Pro's edge enhancement working to sharpen up macro detail. The Lumia crop looks 'softer' - and it is - but it's also more natural. Top marks all round though.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 10 pts; Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro: 10 pts
Test 6: Low light
Let's move out of sunlight and head indoors. Part of my daughter's toy shelf in a gloomy, unlit bedroom with curtains closed. Here is the scene, from the Mi 9:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Even though the Mi 9T Pro camera feigns sharpness here, there's clearly dramatically more digital noise in its 1/20s exposure, while the Lumia uses its OIS to achieve a 1/7s exposure and its PureView oversampling to virtually eliminate noise. The Mi 9T Pro is unusual among flagships in not having OIS at all, but then again you have to consider the price, I guess.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro: 6 pts
Test 7: Night time
Dead of night and raining hard to boot - how much harder could I have made the test?! Here is the scene, from the Mi 9:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Simply no contest between the 1/5 exposure with OIS and PureView on the Lumia 950 and the 1/15s exposure with no OIS and truly horrible noise and artefacts from the Xiaomi phone camera. Best not take the Mi 9T Pro out after dark then. And this is probably the biggest nail in the coffin of the phone as a possible Lumia 950 replacement.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro: 5 pts
It's worth noting that the Mi 9T Pro has a 'night mode' too, so let's try that on the same scene. Here's the comparator again, you can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Just terrible. No real comment and no bonus points!
Verdict
For the record, the scores add up as:
- Lumia 950 (2015): 63 pts (/70)
- Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro (2019): 53 pts
It's becoming abundantly clear that if you want to get remotely close to a Lumia 950 in terms of phone imaging then you need to turn to a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy flagship in the Android world, or to the (even more expensive) iPhone 11 range in the iOS world. The one inexpensive option that compares is the camera in the budget Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL, so £350 upwards - this doesn't match the Lumia across the board, but it's at least in the same league and without huge expense.
The Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro has terrific specs as a smartphone generally, but the camera set up is hugely disappointing once the sun goes down. Oh well.