It was already late afternoon when I arrived at Pradera Verde. The sun started to dip below the horizon, and the sprawling grounds of the field were already getting dense with people arriving for the concert. Dust kicked up slightly everywhere as the eager event-goers made their way to claim their viewing spots near the stage, while the smoky scent of food stalls mingled with the afternoon breeze. Upon showing my media pass to the security, I walked towards the stage, and I instantly felt thrilled as I looked around. After days of constantly seeing Facebook promotions about this, the highly anticipated Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival 2026 was suddenly right in front of my eyes.

I was there for the concert, of course–Kamikazee and Bamboo in particular (bless my millennial heart)–but I had one distinct purpose in mind. Nestled securely in my bag pocket was the new Xiaomi 17 Ultra, the newest (and thinnest) smartphone from Xiaomi co-engineered with Leica. I was given the immense favor of using this phone to officially document the night. (Thank you, Sir Ton!) Since the balloon festival would be the perfect venue to try out how this phone performs, I intentionally arrived a few hours early, specifically wanting to see exactly how the Xiaomi 17 Ultra would handle low exposure and the chaotic, blinking event lights that usually give photographers a massive headache.

 

As the daylight faded and the concert officially kicked off, I pulled out my dedicated device for the evening. Right out of the bag, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra felt incredibly handy in my palm. What truly elevated my experience was the detachable photography kit firmly attached to its sleek frame. With this accessory snapped on, the smartphone instantly felt like a premium mirrorless camera, only notably slimmer (as it says in its product features) and significantly lighter. 

 

I also liked the phone’s (and its kit’s) textured finish. It provided me with that extra grip one would desperately need when sneaking through a tightly packed crowd. More importantly, I absolutely loved how the physical shutter buttons felt. Every press gave me a satisfying, tactile feedback, somehow briefly tricking my brain into thinking I was holding a real, mirrorless camera. Honestly? It immediately gave me the confidence to move around, spot-to-spot, and take the best shots without worrying about accidental screen taps.

 

Test to the Limits: Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s Low Exposure Capabilities

 

Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s true test began when the stage lights flared to life, and the artists started singing set by set. The concert lineup was absolutely stacked (I think, the millennials really loved Day 1), featuring thrilling performances by Jikamarie, Illest Morena, Hev Abi, Flow G (with Skusta Clee’s surprising collab), Kamikazee, IV of Spades, and Bamboo. As a five-foot-something woman wearing wedge Korean shoes to add a few height boost, I realized that covering a concert of this magnitude was no easy feat. Artists constantly darted across the sprawling stage, and the event lighting changing at a fraction of a second, constantly affected the registered camera exposure. 

 

 

I wanted to see how the camera’s professional mode would hold up under this intense pressure. What struck me immediately was not just the quality of the photos, but how remarkably user-friendly the  Xiaomi 17 Ultra was (and still is!). I was genuinely impressed by how quickly I was able to navigate the phone’s professional camera mode. With the stage’s high platforms, I had to stretch my hands all the way up just to get the best angle. Swiping through the aperture, adjusting the shutter speed, and tweaking the ISO felt incredibly intuitive–and I had to do all of these while the artists stood a few meters away, right in front of me. To be honest, this allowed me to put my creativity to the test, capturing artistic photos at split-second intervals. Did I enjoy doing so? Definitely! I played around with the  Xiaomi 17 Ultra’s diverse camera settings and quickly found myself entirely familiar and comfortably in-sync with it.

 

 

Whilst the event was ongoing, I took some moments to review the gallery and every time, became completely blown away. Looking at the vibrant screen of the phone, I was impressed with the RAW and JPEG quality of the captured images. The colors produced were ultra-vibrant, flawlessly rendering hues of the stage lights. The camera’s focus delivered sharp images even when I took challenging long-range shots from the far front of the stage. I also really liked the turn-out of the wide-angle shots I took, which perfectly encapsulated the crowd against the stage setup. I’d have to admit, most smartphones struggle heavily when one zooms in in low light. But lo and behold, even when I pushed the zoom capabilities to get tighter shots of Flow G, Jay Contreras, and Bamboo singing mid-song, the images produced sharp and dramatic outputs nonetheless.

 

 

Because a modern festival experience, like the Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival 2026, is never truly complete without dynamic video clips for social media posts, I made sure that I captured enough videos for my online reels. Upon recording a few clips during the sets of Flow G, Kamikazee, and Bamboo, I was impressed at the 4K quality of the footage. The shots translated flawlessly into motion, showing an above-par resolution that made every frame look undeniably cinematic. Quick movements from the hyperactive performers were captured with great stability (hindi talaga mauga tingnan!), and I meant totally eliminating the disappointing micro-jitters you’d typically expect from a run-of-the-mill handheld smartphone.

 

After watching Bamboo’s best song from the set, I packed up my gear to head home. I’d have to be honest, other than enjoying singing along with the artists and the crowd, I felt incredibly satisfied with how the Xiaomi 17 Ultra performed that evening. As ironic as it seems to traditional purist photographers, in my heavily biased, but surprisingly and also humble, technical, and objective opinion, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is definitely your ultimate creative assistant. 

 

 

When it comes to incredibly fast-paced events like the Lubao International Balloon and Music Festival 2026, this modern and stylish smartphone truly shines. It is handy, exceptionally easy to use, and most of all, it consistently produces high-quality outputs that can easily be compared side-by-side with some of the mirrorless cameras on the market today.