This video shows what the main camera on Xiaomi 18 Pro Max really differs from compared to 18 Pro

On paper, Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have the same main camera. Two hundred megapixels, Leica optics, aperture f/1.67. In Chinese specs, though, their sensors are named differently, and Xiaomi didn’t explain why at the unveiling.

Light Hunter 960 versus Light Hunter 960L

In the specs for the Xiaomi 18 Pro model, the main sensor is listed as Light Hunter 960. On the 18 Pro Max, it’s Light Hunter 960L. The bigger model includes an extra line in its specifications about high dynamic range, which the smaller one doesn’t have. When we compared both phones after the launch, nobody explained the difference in the naming.

The letter L at the end stands for LOFIC. Each pixel has an extra capacitor that holds additional charge at the moment the pixel fills up under bright light. The sensor keeps the image detail even where it would otherwise turn into a plain white blob.

Weibo video: they went with neon signage

Both phones have already been tested in the field by a Chinese reviewer who posts on Weibo under the name Xiaobai Reviews. In his comparison video, you can see exactly the situation where LOFIC shows the most: dark scenes with bright neon lights.

The Light Hunter 960L sensor blows out these lights far less. The text stays readable and colored. On the smaller model, it merges into white blotches.

The rest of the optics are the same

The other cameras don’t differ between the models. Both come with a periscope telephoto lens with 200 Mpx resolution, a 1/1.56-inch sensor, and an f/2.4 aperture. The main sensor has a 1/1.28-inch diagonal. For its periscope camera, Xiaomi claims 280% higher light intake than in the previous generation. That applies to the Pro model; on Pro Max the increase is 83%.

Also the focal length 23 mm listed by Xiaomi in official samples is the same. Both models shoot the same. The difference shows up only in high-contrast scenes.

Which one should you buy?

If you mainly take photos during the day, a more compact 18 Pro with a 6,4-inch display is enough. For the night city, concerts, and lit shop windows, 18 Pro Max is better. The larger model has a 6,9-inch display, a 8 500 mAh battery instead of 7 000 mAh, and a more powerful chip.

Product comparisonsAlso read · Product comparisonsXiaomi 18 Pro vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max: The difference is in eight things, but one of them can make the deciding factorRead article

In Slovakia, the Xiaomi 18 Pro series is not officially sold yet, and you can only buy it via import from China. Xiaomi has confirmed the global versions, though. But they’ll come with smaller batteries, and you’ll still have to wait for those. If you don’t want to wait, you can choose the Chinese version of 18 Pro Max.

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