Smartphone Camera Tips: What Shutterbugs Must Know Before Buying a Phone
Owning a smartphone is essential in our daily lives – from letting us connect with loved ones (and even strangers online) to entertaining us with mindless games. Many people buy smartphones as two-in-one devices for communication and photography, in which photography is a huge part of the smartphone. However, understanding smartphone cameras is complex and complicated.
Worry not; we’re here to help!
Here’s what you need to know to understand your smartphone camera better!
Types of Cameras and Lenses
All these dual, triple, and quad cameras can be confusing. Do more lenses equal better quality? Not necessarily. Many flagship smartphone cameras that range from RM3,000 to RM6,000 take pride in having triple lenses.
But what do these lenses do? Generally, there are six types of camera: Main camera, ultra-wide, telephoto, macro, monochrome, and depth sensor.
The main camera is a mainstay in mobile phones as it captures images without any zooming, which is why it’s also called the standard camera. The ultra-wide camera incorporates a wider field of view, fitting in more in a single frame. Next, the telephoto camera takes 2x to 3x zoomed-in shots, while the macro camera takes extremely close-up images suitable for seeing little details like flower petals. Additionally, a monochrome camera is quite rare in today’s smartphone cameras as they specialise in taking authentic black and white photos. Finally, a depth sensor focuses on the subject and is often used for portrait mode.
Megapixels
When browsing for the perfect smartphone cameras, you will stumble upon the many MPs in the camera specifications section. Now, what do these MPs mean?
MP stands for Megapixel, which refers to a million pixels. So, 12MP simply means the camera can capture about twelve million tiny squares of information per inch. Therefore, more pixels result in bigger images.
But, smartphone cameras don’t need bigger pictures. Decent flagship smartphone cameras range from 12 to 21 Megapixels.
Aperture
Aperture is the opening of a lens in which light enters the camera; the bigger the opening, the more light can enter.
Aperture is expressed in f-numbers (e.g. f/2.0). Now, this is where it gets tricky – the bigger is always better, except when it comes to aperture; in this case, the wider the aperture, the lower the f-stop.
Current smartphone cameras have about f/1.5 to f/2.8, but those with depth cameras might have higher apertures beyond f/3.0.
Display
The display might not be considered part of smartphone cameras, but it sure is critical in determining good shots. Smartphone cameras need an excellent display to depict what the camera sees as they capture in live mode.
For example, you would struggle to take good pictures in a bright environment if the phone has a poor display as you won’t see what you are taking clearly. So, find out the phone display before purchasing.
Video
Another vital aspect of smartphone cameras is the video quality. More high-end smartphones offer 4K video at 60fps, capturing video in the highest quality. Still, remember that higher quality videos take up more storage. Lastly, consider bumping smartphone cameras with video features like slo-mo or time-lapse higher on your list than others that don’t.
Final Say
Different smartphone cameras offer various features. Whether they have triple lenses, high Megapixels, or fun filters, it’s important to know what they all entail. Good marketing can seduce anyone, except the few who really understand what they’re after. Doing thorough research prior to purchasing smartphone cameras can save you from burning a hole in your pocket.
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