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Posts Tagged ‘tele’

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra comes with 120mm optical tele, 120Hz display and more

12 Aug

Electronics manufacturer Xiaomi is celebrating its 10th anniversary with an event in China today and to mark the occasion the company has launched a new top-end-phone, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra.

The Ultra shares quite a few specifications with its sister model Mi 10 Pro which was released in February, but, at least in terms of specifications ups the camera game considerably. Both devices come with a quad-camera setup, including short and long tele cameras as well as an ultra-wide. However, the Mi 10 Ultra comes with improvements in several key areas.

The long tele now offers a 120mm equivalent focal length (approximately 5x) versus 94mm on the Pro and comes with a larger 48MP sensor (1/2-inch versus 1/4.4-inch). The lens is stabilized and features a F4.1 aperture.

Wide-angle performance has been boosted, too. The Mi 10 Ultra ulta-wide camera features one of the widest fields-of-view in the market at 12mm (16mm on the Pro), making it an interesting option for mobile photographers with a focus on landscape and architecture. The ultra-wide uses a 20MP 1/2.8-inch sensor and comes with a F2.2 aperture and PDAF.

The short tele provides a 2x zoom factor (50mm) and is also used in portrait mode. Light is channeled through a F2 aperture and onto a 12MP 1/2.56-inch sensor. This module features a Dual-Pixel AF.

The primary camera offers a 25mm equivalent field-of-view and uses a 48MP Quad-Bayer sensor instead of the 108MP variant in the Mi 10 Pro. The large sensor (1/1.32-inch) combined with a fast F1.85 aperture and OIS should make for very decent low light image quality, though. In addition the camera array features a multispectral color temperature sensor to support the auto white balance system.

In video mode the Mi 10 Ultra is the latest device capable of recording 8K video at 30 frames per second. When shooting at 4K the frame rate can be increased to 60fps which should make for smooth panning and motion. At the front a 20MP selfie shooter hides under a ‘punch-hole’ cutout.

Non-camera specs and features are flagship-worthy, too. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s top-end chipset Snapdragon 865, including 5G modem, and features the latest generation LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage for swift data transfers and overall performance.

Images and videos can be viewed on a 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED display with a high 120Hz refresh rate for smooth and responsive operation. In the battery department the Xiaomi offers 120W fast-charging, with the compatible charger provided in the box. The company claims the system can charge the 4,500mAh battery to 100 percent in only 23 minutes, or to 41 percent in five minutes. 50W wireless charging and 10W wireless reverse charging are available, too.

The Mi 10 Ultra also comes with in-display fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, NFC and stereo speakers. The display is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 5. The back is covered with Gorilla Glass 6.

Pricing has so far only been released for Xiaomi’s home market. In China the Mi 10 Ultra starts at 5,299 yuan (approximately $ 763) for the 8GB/128GB version but you’ll also be able to pick up 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB and 16GB/512GB options in either Obsidian Black, Mercury Silver or as a Transparent Edition.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Periscope tele cameras are coming to iPhones in 2022, according to Analyst

22 Jul
The iPhone 11 Pro Max camera relies on a 54mm (2x) tele lens.

Space constraints in thin smartphone bodies mean it’s challenging to design and use camera lenses with long focal lengths, significantly limiting the tele capabilities of even the best smartphones when compared to conventional cameras.

In order to bridge this gap, manufacturers like Huawei, Samsung and Oppo have been using vertically installed periscope-style camera modules that use prisms to divert incoming light onto the image sensors. In its current state, this technology allows for 35mm-equivalent focal lengths of up to approximately 240mm, for example on the Huawei P40 Pro+.

The Huawei P40 Pro+ camera array includes a periscope tele with a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 240mm.

However, one manufacturer has notably not yet jumped on the periscope-bandwagon: users of Apple’s current top-end iPhone 11 Pro Max still have to make do with a 2x optical tele (52mm equivalent).

This is not expected to change with the upcoming 2021 generation, but according to new reports the 2022 models are likely to feature periscope tele lenses and therefore improved zoom power.

Oppo periscope tele lens design

According to a new report by Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, Korean lens supplier Semco and the Chinese company Sunny Optical will be providing iPhone lenses in the coming years. They will replace the current Taiwanese supplier Genius Electronic Optical.

More interestingly Ming Chi Kuo also believes that in 2022 a large proportion of the lenses supplied by Semco will be of the periscope variant.

Apple design for a ‘folded’ lens with mirror

With its major competitors going down the periscope lens route it was arguably only a question of time before Apple would follow suit.

The company already filed a patent for a periscope lens design in 2016. The documents describe a design that channels light into the camera through a primary lens and bounces it off a mirror into a secondary lens that moves up and down to provide zoom functionality. Apple calls the design a ‘folded telephoto camera lens system’.

This concept is quite similar to the design presented by O-Film earlier this year. Unlike the currently commercially available solutions which all combine a fixed-focal-length periscope lens with computational processing to provide zoom, the O-Film and Apple solutions offer true optical zoom which should provide a boost in zoom image quality.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Oppo launches Find X2 Pro with periscope tele and calibrated 120Hz display

07 Mar

The Chinese smartphone maker Oppo isn’t as well known in the western world as rivals Huawei or Xiaomi, but the brand is renowned for its camera-centric approach to smartphone design and has been responsible for quite a number of innovations in mobile imaging. For example, Oppo introduced swiveling camera modules in its N-series, the first sensor-based image stabilization system on a smartphone and the first periscope-style 5x zoom on a smartphone.

Now, the company has launched its latest flagship, the Oppo Find 2X Pro, and, at least on paper, the new model has everything it needs to take on the flagship competition from Apple, Samsung, Huawei and other more established rivals.

The below video is the entire launch presentation from Oppo:

Triple camera with ultra-wide and 5x tele

The Find X2 Pro comes with a triple camera setup, that covers focal lengths from a 16.5mm ultra-wide-angle to a 5x tele with a whopping 129mm equivalent lens, making it one of the most versatile mobile cameras in the market.

The primary camera uses a 48MP Sony IMX689 Quad-Bayer sensor that produces 12MP output files. At 1/1.4″ it’s almost as large as the main sensor in the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro (1/1.33″) and larger than those of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro (1/1.7″) and Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (1/2.55″). In combination with the fast F1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization this should make for very decent low light performance.

The 5x tele camera offers more reach than most rivals in the high-end bracket of the market and is only matched by the Huawei P30 Pro and Oppo’s own Reno 10x Zoom. The 1/3.4″ sensor size in this camera is in line with other high-end tele cameras. OIS is on board on this module as well but with an F3 aperture zooming in low light conditions is likely not recommended. The tele module uses image fusion and other computational methods to achieve a 10x ‘hybrid zoom’ and offers a 60x maximum zoom factor.

Like the primary module, the ultra-wide uses a 48MP Quad-Bayer sensor albeit a smaller model. Still, at 1/2″ it’s one of the currently largest sensors in an ultra-wide and only topped by the 1/1.54″ sensor in the Mate 30 Pro. The F2.2 aperture is not the fastest we have seen but in line with most rivals.

In addition, the Find X2 Pro is the first smartphone to offer a PDAF system with 100 percent focus pixels and comes with a dedicated night mode that works on all three camera modules.

4K HDR video

On the video side of things, the new Oppo comes with an upgraded image stabilization algorithm that works on both the ultra-wide and primary cameras. Unlike on some recent flagships, there’s no 8K video but the Oppo can record 4K footage at 60fps and is one of the very few devices to support HDR video.

Top-end processing power

Non-camera specifications and features are all worthy of a true flagship as well. The new device is powered by Qualcomm’s brand new top-end chipset Snapdragon 865 which supports UFS 3.0 for fast read and write speeds, as well as 5G connectivity and uses OPPO Smart 5G technology to navigate between 4G, 5G, and WiFi network environments.

The 4260mAh battery supports SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging which, according to Oppo, can deliver a full charge in only 38 minutes.

120Hz color-calibrated AMOLED display

Images can be viewed and other content consumed on a color-calibrated 120Hz QHD+ AMOLED display with a whopping 3168 x 1440 pixels. Oppo says the new screen offers, ultra-low screen reflectivity and improves smoothness as well as operation feedback, thanks to a 240Hz high touch sampling rate. To deliver adequate audio output, the Find X2 Pro comes with dual speakers and Dolby Atmos which can automatically adjust to applications, such as music playback, movie watching or gaming.

Flagship pricing

As you would expect, this innovative tech comes at a price. The Find X2 Pro with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage will set you back 1,199 EUR in Europe (approximately $ 1,355). If that sounds a little bit rich for your taste Oppo also offers the Find X2 at 999 EUR (approximately $ 1,130). It comes with the same chipset and display as the Pro version but only 256GB of internal storage and a very slightly smaller battery.

In the camera, the primary and ultra-wide are the same as for the Pro but the tele lens is a more conventional variant that offers a ‘5x hybrid’ zoom factor. Oppo has not provided much detail on this camera yet but presumably, the reach is achieved using a 2x or 3x lens in combination with super-resolution and image fusion algorithms.

Both devices will be available globally in the coming months.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sandmarc brings its anamorphic, tele, wide-angle and macro lenses to iPhone 11 devices

07 Dec

Smartphone accessory manufacturer Sandmarc has launched its new line of cases for Apple’s iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max smartphone that enables its collection of lenses to work with the latest iOS devices. The new lineup works with Sandmarc’s anamorphic, telephoto, wide-angle and a macro lenses.

The anamorphic lens is a 1.33x anamorphic lens that offers a 2.4:1 aspect ratio once the footage is de-squeezed from the 16:9 video the iPhone captures. The telephoto lens offers 2x magnification on the iPhone 11 and 4x magnification when paired with the telephoto camera module on the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

The Macro lens will work with any of the camera modules on Apple’s latest iPhones and a protective translucent lens hood will both protect the front element and diffuse light on the subject matter.

The wide lens seems a bit unnecessary considering all of the iPhone 11 models feature both a wide-angle and super-wide-angle lens, but much like Moment’s new wide-angle lens, using Sandmarc’s wide-angle lens atop the standard wide-angle lens on the iPhone 11 devices means you can get ultra-wide-angle shots with Apple’s Night Mode capture mode, as it’s limited to the ‘standard’ wide-angle camera onboard the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max devices.

All of these lenses are compatible with Sandmarc’s collection of filters, including their hybrid filter, circular polarizer filter, ND filters and others. They are constructed of aluminum and feature multi-coated elements to reduce flares and ghosting. The anamorphic lens costs $ 159.99, the macro lens costs $ 89.99 and the telephoto and wide-angle lenses cost $ 99.99.

When you purchase a lens, you will have the option to choose an accompanying case for your iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11 Pro Max device that the lenses will mount to (in addition to receiving a clip mount for more versatile shooting). If you already have a Sandmarc lens (or a whole kit, you can purchase just the cases as well. You can find all of the new cases, lenses and filters on Sandmarc’s website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung is getting ready to test the Galaxy S11 periscope tele camera

08 Oct

The South Korean tech publication The Elec reports that Samsung will soon receive test sockets for periscope-style tele camera that is expected to make its debut in at least one of the Galaxy S11 models early next year.

The test sockets are used for final hardware-checks before shipping the components and are manufactured by fellow Korean company MecaTech Systems which also produces smartphone camera and time-of-flight (ToF) modules.

Test socket produced by MecaTech Systems, image: The Elec

MecaTech has been in the module-testing industry for the past 15 years and has been gaining recognition as smartphone manufacturers have increased reliability testing of their modules which is particularly key for multi-cam modules with multiple lenses and zoom capability.

According to rumors the upcoming Samsung flagship will feature a 5x optical tele lens, matching the current king of zoom Huawei P30 Pro. The main camera will allegedly come with a 108MP Quad-Bayer sensor, with the module manufactured by Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung starts mass-production of 5x tele smartphone camera module

23 May
Image: etnews/Samsung

Huawei started the trend for longer zoom reach on smartphone cameras with the 5x periscope-style tele camera in the Huawei P30 Pro. OPPO followed soon after with a similar system in the OPPO Reno 10x.

It’s only a question of time before we’ll see 5x teles from the other major manufacturers and everything points towards Samsung being next in line. Samsung Electro-Mechanics (SEM) has kick-started mass production of a new camera module with 5x optical tele and if the rumors can be trusted we will see the new module in the upcoming Galaxy Note device generation.

Image: etnews/Samsung

According to a report by Korean publication etnews the camera module will have a very slim 5mm profile which eliminates the need for a ‘camera hump’ on the back of the device. Like in the Huawei solution, a refracting prism is used to channel incoming light onto the sensor. The module will be aligned vertically in the device.

Sample shots from the new system show off magnifications at standard, 2x and 5x settings but we’ll have to wait for the final product to see if the Samsung module’s image quality can compete with the Huawei and OPPO solutions.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The OnePlus 7 Pro comes with 3x hybrid tele, ultra-wide-angle and pop-up selfie cam

15 May

Chinese manufacturer OnePlus has announced its latest flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 7 Pro. The new model comes with a completely new triple camera module that features a 48MP Quad-Bayer sensor, F1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization in the primary camera. The 16MP ultra-wide-camera offers an equivalent focal length of 17mm and an F2.2 aperture.

The stabilized tele puts out 8MP image files and has an F2.2 aperture lens. It combines a longer focal length with digital zoom for an 78mm-equivalent focal length (3x). The AF-system combines PDAF and laser methods and there’s also an improved night mode.

By default the primary camera produces 12MP image files but can be set to capture at full 48MP resolution. In video mode the OnePlus is capable of recording 4K footage at 60 frames per second. In super-slow-motion mode you can shoot 1080p video at 240 fps or 720p at 480fps.

The 16-megapixel f/2.0 front selfie camera is built into a pop-up mechanism, eliminating the need for a camera notch in the display. OnePlus says the mechanism has been tested for more than 300,000 actuations.

The device is powered by Qualcomm’s high-end chipset Snapdragon 855 and UFS 3.0 storage should help increase operating speeds. The 4,000mAh battery supports fast charging. The OnePlus 7 Pro will be available from May 21st. Unfortunately it’s not quite the same bargain as its predecessors anymore. It the US is will start at $ 669 for a 6GB RAM / 128GB storage model. There also an 8GB / 256GB version for $ 699 and the top-of-the-line 12GB / 256GB model will set you back $ 749.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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OPPO launches Reno smartphone with periscope tele lens

25 Apr

OPPO had been teasing its new flagship for quite a while but now it’s official: The OPPO Reno has been launched globally and will be available as a version with periscope-style tele lens, making it only the second current device with this technology, after the Huawei P30 Pro.

The top-of-the-line model is called ‘OPPO Reno 10x Zoom’ and comes with a 6.6” OLED display and, thanks to a pop-up 16MP selfie-cam, does away with the dreaded display notch. Of course, from an imaging point of view the device’s key feature is the periscope-style tele lens.

Despite the official model name the lens offers ‘only’ a 6x optical magnification. A 10x factor is achieved using computational methods to generate a hybrid-zoom. Both primary and tele camera come with optical image stabilization. Below are a few sample photos provided by OPPO:

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OPPO says the ultra-wide lens comes with a ‘0.6x zoom factor’ which is an unusual way of describing things but we are assuming the equivalent focal length is around 16mm.

Thanks to a Snapdragon 855 chipset there is enough processing power to allow 4K video recording at 60 frames per second. 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage are on board as well. Other interesting features include Audio Focus, which uses multiple microphones to keep video and audio in sync as you zoom in, an in-display fingerprint reader and stereo speakers.

The standard OPPO Reno 10x zoom will be available in Europe in June for €800 ($ 890). You’ll be able to get your hands on a 5G version through certain carriers one months earlier. Be prepared to shell out €100 ($ 110) more than for the standard device, however.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Huawei P30 Pro video teardown lets us peek inside the 5x periscope-style tele lens

22 Apr

We have already seen reports on the components used in the Huawei P30 Pro’s innovative multi-camera setup. Thanks to a new video-teardown by Youtuber JerryRigEverything we are now getting a very detailed look at the camera and especially the periscope-style 5x tele lens and its internal components.

Looking at the video it is quite impressive how Huawei has managed to squeeze this much technology into the P30 Pro’s thin smartphone body, particularly considering that the huge 4200 mAh is taking up a large proportion of the available space.

The only way to achieve a 5x optical zoom factor was to install the tele-module sideways inside the phone, using a 90-degree mirror to divert incoming light into the lens and onto the sensor. The Huawei is the first phone to use this technology but most certainly not the last. Unfortunately the tele-lens is being sacrificed in the process of recording the video but given the close looks we are getting at the internals it’s all worth it.

Fast forward to 5:36 in the video if you want to jump directly to the section about the camera module.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Huawei P30 Pro to come with periscope-style tele lens and updated night mode

06 Mar

Huawei will unveil the successor of its P20 series smartphone at an event in Paris on the 26th of March. However, the company has already revealed a couple of interesting details about the P30 Pro camera to Android Central during a meeting at MWC in Barcelona.

According to Huawei’s VP of Global Product Marketing, Clement Wong, the top-of-the-range model in the P30 series will feature a periscope-style tele camera, similar to what we’ve seen on OPPO’s 10x prototype that is expected to make an appearance in a finalized product any day now.

Huawei hasn’t provided any information about the exact magnification the module will provide but given the P20 Pro already offered a 3x optical and 5x optical zoom last year, we’d expect an improvement over that. So maybe, the P30 Pro will beat OPPO to the line and be the first smartphone on the market to come with a 10x optical zoom.

A photo of the moon that was recently captured with the device in question by Huawei CEO Richard Yu would certainly indicate a zoom factor that is not available on any current smartphones.

Photo: Huawei

In addition to the powerful zoom, Huawei engineers have also been working to improve the previous generation’s low light capabilities. The company did not provide any detail but suggested the next version of its night camera will be major upgrade over the already pretty impressive existing one. Despite the current lack of detail, it seems there’s a lot to look forward to for mobile photographers at the Huawei launch in a few weeks time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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