In an era where the line between phones and traditional cameras blurs, the quest for the perfect shot persists for photography nerds who demand more from their device’s camera capabilities.
There’s a reason why traditional cameras, particularly those with specific dimensions and forms, are still in demand: nothing compares to the tactile feel of genuine buttons, dials, and strong grips.
These are features that most phones lack, however, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is an exception.
Unlocking the photographer’s arsenal
What truly makes this phone a camera is the optional accessory bundle for Xiaomi’s flagship, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra photography kit.
It consists of a few parts: a leather phone case, a 67mm filter adapter ring, a couple of decorative non-functional replacement rings, a wrist strap, and most importantly a camera grip with a shutter and video buttons.
It has a female USB-C port of its own for passthrough charging, and it plugs into the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s bottom via USB-C.
To fully charge the 14 Ultra, the grip also has a 1,500mAh battery.
When the grip is fastened and locked, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra genuinely has the sensation of an exceptionally thin point-and-shoot camera.
The grip protrudes just far enough for your fingers to have a firm one-handed hold without being so large that it becomes difficult to fit in your pocket. The bottom edge fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.
And everything on the grip is super handy.
What’s the grip all about
On the top of the grip, there’s a two-stage shutter button with a zoom lever surrounding it, a dedicated video button, and a programmable dial. By default, the dial is set to exposure compensation.
I really enjoy that I can adjust the brightness of an image without having to touch the screen. Not just manual, but also the standard camera shooting mode is compatible with this.
The only thing I have to complain about is how simple it is to bump it and accidentally adjust the zoom lever without realising it.
The video button is equally useful as it is designated for functions such as focus peaking or white balance settings.
The dial can also be used to alter the standard camera characteristics, including aperture control, as the main camera of the 14 Ultra contains a variable f/1.6-4 lens.
Besides, switching to video recording doesn’t require me to glance at the screen as I can just click the shutter button.
Every one of these input methods is customisable. Most importantly, you can programme the zoom rocker to move between lenses sequentially instead of utilising continuous digital zoom between lenses.
The shutter button also works really well. As with a normal camera, you may half-press it to trigger autofocus, which highlights the subject in the viewfinder by bringing up phase-detection points. Holding down the half-press button allows you to capture many shots with the same focus fixed in, which is very helpful when taking pictures of people.
Finally, even with the phone locked, pressing the shutter button provides a convenient method to open the camera app straight away.
Next-level upgrades
Based on my research, Xiaomi released a similar photography kit for the 13 Ultra last year, but the 14 Ultra version makes a few significant improvements over that model.
The 13 Ultra model requires a second 330mAh battery for charging and can be operated only with a Bluetooth connection.
However, the 14 Ultra kit now offers a more reliable and responsive connection with the USB-C switch. Even when the phone runs out of battery, it can also be charged simultaneously with the phone.
On the other hand, the larger internal battery has the ability to charge the phone in the reverse direction, which can significantly impact how long it lasts on days when you shoot a lot.
The only drawback is the battery does add a little weight, and it’s enough to notice the difference when you have the phone balanced in one hand with the grip.
Leica lens magic
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which was co-developed with the well-known German camera company Leica, is said to be jam-packed with cutting-edge optics, a flexible camera setup, the greatest hardware available, intricate computational photography software, and illustrious Leica colour profiles.
It uses a 1-inch-type main camera sensor and is one of the largest sensors available for a smartphone.
The phone’s rear has a quad-camera system with a 50MP resolution that includes an ultra-wide angle, a wide angle, a telephoto, and a periscope camera.
The main highlight is that the camera builds on the dual aperture architecture of the 13 Ultra by offering an f/1.63-f/4 step-less variable aperture.
The majority of phone cameras that you have ever used have a fixed aperture; very few have ever had multiple aperture settings. To capture more light, you would have to choose the widest fixed aperture setting possible as most of the phone cameras have tiny sensors and lenses.
As mentioned, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is not like most phone cameras. This is because the 1-inch sensor format is large enough, and having the option to stop down to a lower aperture is useful in a few ways.
After about a week of shooting with the 14 Ultra, I still feel like I’m only beginning to explore all that this camera is capable of.
Thus far, the image quality is pretty impressive.
The only downside is that the segmentation in portrait mode lacks the sophistication of a Samsung phone.
Despite the large size of the 14 Ultra’s camera sensor, if your subject is closer than a foot away and you want an extremely soft backdrop, you’ll still need to use portrait mode. While it’s not the greatest in the game, it’s undoubtedly a decent portrait mode.
Verdict
Overall, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is still good as a daily driver, too, with stellar performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a glorious display, and good enough battery life.
At the moment, many online reviews are comparing the Xiaomi 14 Ultra to Samsung’s Galaxy Ultra S24. Much of this has to do with both cameras’ specifications being quite similar.
When it comes to pricing, Xiaomi seems to beat Samsung with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s starting price at RM5,199 (16GB + 512GB). However, the optional photography kit costs an additional RM799.
| Xiaomi 14 Ultra | |
| Memory & Storage | 16GB + 512GB |
| Display | 6.73″ AMOLED display |
| Battery | 5,000mAh internal battery, which supports 90W HyperCharge, claimed to be 100% in 33 minutes |
| Weight | 219.8g |
| Colour Variants | Black & White |
To be clear, I do not believe that phones should or can take the role of traditional cameras.
Regardless, I’m glad to see a phone manufacturer learning from the successful conventional camera industry.
I personally think the Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit will be a game-changer for photography enthusiasts like me who rank a smartphone’s camera as one of the most important considerations when making a purchase.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great camera system | Battery life below average |
| Impressive image quality and vibrant display | Portrait mode lacks sophistication |
| Unique camera grip transforms it into a compact camera | Expensive, camera grip is a pricey extra |
- Learn more about Xiaomi 14 Ultra Photography Kit here.
- Read other articles we’ve written about Xiaomi here.
VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion to our Facebook page.
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