Xiaomi 15T Pro: See how the latest flagship shoots in combination with Leica optics

Xiaomi continues its collaboration with the legendary optics manufacturer Leica, and the result is the Xiaomi 15T Pro camera system, which on paper promises quality close to flagships. The combination of a 50MP main sensor with a periscope 5× telephoto lens creates a combination that has few competitors in this price category. Let’s take a look at how the phone shoots in practice.

Technical specifications of the cameras

The Xiaomi 15T Pro features a trio of rear cameras and one selfie camera. Here are the complete specifications:

Parameter	Main Camera	Telephoto Lens	Ultrawide	Selfie
Sensor	OmniVision Light Fusion 900	—	—	—
Resolution	50.3 Mpx (12.5 Mpx output)	50 Mpx	12 Mpx	32 Mpx
Sensor Size	1/1.31″	1/2.76″	1/3.06″	1/3.44″
Pixel Size	1.2 µm (2.4 µm binning)	0.64 µm	1.12 µm	0.64 µm
Aperture	f/1.6	f/3.0	f/2.2	f/2.2
Focal Length	23 mm	115 mm	15 mm	21 mm
Optical Zoom	1×	5×	0.6×	—
Field of View	~85°	~21°	120°	~90°
Optical Stabilization	Yes (OIS)	Yes (OIS)	No	No
Autofocus	Multi-directional PDAF	PDAF (10 cm – ∞)	No (fixed focus)	No (fixed focus)
Lens	Leica Vario-Summilux	Leica Vario-Summilux	—	—

All cameras support Ultra HDR, the phone also features a Color spectrum sensor for more accurate color reproduction and laser focusing for faster autofocus in challenging lighting conditions.

Main Camera: OmniVision Light Fusion 900

At the heart of the camera system is the 50MP OmniVision Light Fusion 900 sensor, which is among the larger sensors in this price category. The 1/1.31″ size is not as impressive as 1″ sensors in flagships, but in combination with an aperture of f/1.6 and optical stabilization, it provides a solid foundation for quality photos.

The sensor works with pixel binning – four physical pixels (1.2 µm) are merged into one output pixel (2.4 µm), which improves light sensitivity and reduces noise. The resulting photos thus have a resolution of 12.5 Mpx, which is more than sufficient for most scenarios. You can also shoot in full 50 MPx, but you will lose the benefits of pixel merging, so I would only recommend it in excellent lighting conditions.

In practice, the main camera excels in daylight. Colors are vibrant, detail is excellent, and the dynamic range handles even high-contrast scenes. The Leica Vario-Summilux lens adds a characteristic rendering – sharpness in the center of the frame, gentle blurring towards the edges, and a pleasing bokeh effect in portrait shots.

In low light, the camera performs well, but it’s no miracle. Night mode helps, but noticeable noise starts to appear at ISOs above 3200. However, it’s sufficient for casual night photos.

Periscope Telephoto Lens: 5× zoom in practice

The telephoto lens with 5× optical zoom is the main advantage of the Xiaomi 15T Pro over cheaper competitors. The periscope design allows for a focal length of 115 mm in a compact phone body, while optical stabilization ensures sharp images even with longer exposure times.

The 1/2.76″ sensor with 50 Mpx resolution is not particularly large, but in combination with optical stabilization and an aperture of f/3.0, it provides usable results. Detail is very good up to 5× zoom, and with digital zoom up to 10×, the quality is still acceptable for sharing on social media.

Where the telephoto lens truly shines is in photographing distant objects – animals, architectural details, portraits from a greater distance. Autofocus works from a minimum distance of 10 cm, which surprisingly makes the telephoto lens usable even for macro photography.

Ultrawide Lens: the weaker link

The 12MP ultrawide camera is the weakest link in the camera system. The 1/3.06″ sensor with an aperture of f/2.2 provides usable results in good lighting, but detail and dynamic range significantly lag behind the main camera.

The biggest problem is the absence of autofocus – the lens has fixed focus, which limits its use. It’s sufficient for group photos or landscape shots, but forget about close-up details or macro photography.

Color rendition also differs from the main camera – shades are cooler and less vibrant. Xiaomi tries to compensate for the differences with software, but it doesn’t fully succeed. The change is noticeable when switching between cameras.

Leica Profiles: Natural vs Vibrant

Collaboration with Leica brings not only quality optics but also two color profiles that fundamentally change the character of photos.

Leica Authentic focuses on faithful color reproduction and natural scene rendering. Colors are milder, contrast is lower, and the overall impression is more realistic. You will appreciate this profile when photographing nature or architecture.

Leica Vibrant, on the other hand, significantly enhances color saturation, contrast, and sharpness. Photos are more vibrant and look better on a phone display or social media.

In the camera app, you can switch between profiles directly while shooting. Personally, I prefer Authentic for most scenes and Vibrant for shots I want to share online. The difference between the profiles is noticeable but not exaggerated – Xiaomi and Leica have found a reasonable compromise.

Photo Test: Svatý Linhart in Karlovy Vary

The practical camera test took place in the Svatý Linhart game preserve in Karlovy Vary, where I had the opportunity to try out the telephoto lens in real conditions. The preserve offers live forest animals and observation decks, which is an ideal environment for testing zoom and focusing speed.

Photos of distant animals – here the periscope telephoto lens showed its strength. Deer, fallow deer, or wild boars could be photographed from a safe distance without disturbance. The 5× optical zoom provided sufficient detail of fur, faces, and other details. Optical stabilization worked reliably even when shooting handheld.

Autofocus speed was surprisingly good. The phone was able to focus on and track moving animals, although not as reliably as top flagships. Laser AF helped in wooded parts of the preserve where contrast was lower.

Leica Vibrant profile proved to be a better choice for nature photography. The colors of leaves, tree bark, and animal fur looked natural. The Vibrant profile sometimes overshot the saturation of green, which gave an artificial impression.

I used the ultrawide lens for shots of the entire preserve from the observation decks. Here it did a solid job – it captured a wide landscape view, but the detail was significantly worse than with the main camera.

Limitations were evident primarily when photographing in the forest undergrowth, where there was little light. Here, the main camera performed better than the telephoto lens, which requires more light at an aperture of f/3.0. Night mode helped, but at the cost of a longer exposure time, which is not ideal for moving animals.

Video: up to 8K at 30 fps

The Xiaomi 15T Pro can record video in a wide range of resolutions and frame rates:

• 8K at 30 fps
• 4K at 30/60/120 fps
• 1080p at 30/60/120/240/960 fps

Video supports 10-bit recording in Rec. 2020 color space and HDR10+, which provides greater dynamic range and smoother color transitions. Electronic stabilization (gyro-EIS) works well at 4K 60 fps, but is not available at 8K.

In practice, 4K at 60 fps with HDR10+ is the best choice for most scenarios. You get smooth motion, good detail, and functional stabilization. 8K only makes sense if you plan to crop footage in post-production or play it on an 8K TV.

When recording video, you can switch between all three cameras, which provides flexibility. Transitions between lenses are relatively smooth for Android standards, although the color rendition of the ultrawide lens again deviates slightly.

Who is the Xiaomi 15T Pro camera for?

The Xiaomi 15T Pro camera system is built around two strong cameras – the main and the telephoto lens. If you shoot often and appreciate quality zoom, this is the phone for you. Leica profiles add a characteristic rendering that distinguishes photos from generic competition. It’s not just a marketing gimmick – the difference is noticeable.

The ultrawide lens remains a weakness, significantly lagging behind the rest of the camera system. If you frequently shoot wide-angle architectural shots or group photos, this might bother you. However, for most common scenarios, the main camera with the telephoto lens will cover your needs.

Do you often take photos with your phone? Is a telephoto lens important to you?