The Xiaomi 13 Pro makes its debut in Europe after formalization in China at the end of 2022. The smartphone differs from previous encrypted series by one element: it proudly displays the Leica stamp on its photo block. This translates into different settings that we dissect in the following lines.
First of all, it should be noted that the 13 Pro is not really the first smartphone from Xiaomi to benefit from the partnership concluded between the Chinese smartphone giant (but not only!) and the German photography expert. Before him, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra took advantage of what the two stooges refer to as a “joint development”, the red Leica dot adorning the one-inch sensor integrated into the smartphone. However, this one – we were able to try it – benefited from a marketing limited to the Chinese market.
Leica is not at its first attempt. While Huawei was on the rise in the smartphone market, the Chinese firm also partnered with Leica in 2016 for the launch of the P9 series. The partnership in question lasted until the beginning of 2022, the Mate 50 Pro being the last Huawei smartphone to have benefited from it.
Vibrant or Authentic, user choice
At Huawei, however, the approach was different. On the Xiaomi 13 Pro, the user is offered to choose a shooting mode when the Camera application is first launched: Leica Vibrant Look or Leica Authentic Look. Leica specifies that the Authentic mode, developed by itself, aims for colorimetric rendering and natural contrasts, but also limited vignetting, all aimed at reproducing the image that could be captured using a Leica Summicron optic. The Vibrant mode, for its part, was co-developed by Leica and Xiaomi, indicates the German, so that photographers can “use this style to perfectly capture the emotions of the moment in vivid, yet realistic colors”. However, it is possible to switch from one mode to another on the fly from the Camera application.
Differences in colorimetry
With these considerations in mind, it’s time for the lab. We have properly tested the Xiaomi 13 Pro in the two configurations it offers. Difficult, in fact, to choose the most relevant mode when opening the camera according to the uses.
To the naked eye, the Vibrant mode seemed to us to offer a more accurate colorimetry, or at least more flattering. We therefore proceeded, using our usual target, to check the delta E of the shots, taken during the day in Authentic or Vibrant mode. Although the results remain contained in both cases, we immediately observe that the Vibrant mode limits color drifts more than its friend, with a delta E of 4.53, against 7.56 in Authentic. If said colors are more flattering to the eye, they are no less accurate – in any case in the center of the image, since it is at this level that our reference target is located.
These observations remain valid on the ultra wide-angle, while at the longest focal length, the results are practically identical.
| Vibrating Mode | Authentic Mode | |
|---|---|---|
| wide-angle module | 4.53 | 7.56 |
| deE ultra wide-angle module | 5.34 | 6.64 |
| of telephoto module | 4.83 | 4.08 |
day detail
What must first be noted is that whatever mode is chosen, the level of detail remains unchanged, the difference being mainly at the level of contrast and exposure. As you can see in the images below, the Authentic mode favors a very – or even too – frank exposure in the center of the photograph, while there is a little vignetting on the edges of the image. On the contrary, the Vibrant mode offers a more homogeneous result, with vivid colors whatever the area of the image observed. See our scene below, which uses clips taken from all areas of the image.
Does this mean that Vibrant mode is better than Authentic mode? Of course, it all depends on your tastes and expectations. The Vibrant mode is more consistent, in our opinion, with the type of rendering that competing smartphones offer. Like them, for example, he favors skies of a particularly intense blue when you capture shots outdoors; the results are therefore flattering to the eye, but sometimes at the expense of a certain naturalness, as you can see in the images below. We therefore cannot encourage you too much to switch from one capture mode to another depending on the type of scene you intend to photograph, since a shortcut is offered from the photo application, without it being necessary to go in obscure sub-menus.
A mode authentically faithful to Leica?
As the Leica teams confirmed to us during our visit to their laboratories, the Authentic mode is designed to offer an appearance close to that obtained using equipment entirely designed by the German brand. Having under the elbow an SL2-S hybrid body, equipped with a full-frame sensor of 24 megapixels, and accompanied by the optics APO-Summicron-SL 1:2/90 ASPH, we indulged in the game of comparison ; it is of course to be taken with tweezers, this system being only one possible example of the “Leica rendering” that it is possible for photographers to obtain. It should be noted that in the laboratory, we noted a delta E of 4.86, much lower than with the Authentic mode of our smartphone.
Let’s put aside the level of detail, which does not allow the comparison between the SL2-S and the Xiaomi 13 Pro. Above all, we note that the colors are richer, especially in the center of the image, which does not suffer from the slight overexposure visible with the smartphone. In short, the Leica teams – which, it should be remembered, do not supply lenses to Xiaomi – have made an aesthetic choice oriented towards a softer rendering than the usual mobile treatments: it is up to everyone to decide whether or not it suits their use.