I don’t want a zoom lens on the next phone, but I do want two zoom lenses

smartphone zoomSince the introduction of a 2x Telephoto Camera in 2016, the iPhone 7 series has seen great improvements. Modern standards make a 2x Telephoto camera seem a bit odd, considering we have 3x-5x and even 10x cameras in our pocket today.

However, the problem with smartphone zooms is still the lack of consistency in zooming through choppy levels. The solution? Dual telephoto cameras are the answer.

The main argument for dual telephoto camera is the loss of quality when you are not using the camera’s native optical zoom length. This means that you’ll get great image quality with the primary camera, 1x camera, and better images with the single telephoto (eg a 3x/5x camera). Any zoom factor beyond these two cameras is based on hybrid or digital zoom techniques. Hybrid zoom almost always results with a lower quality image than an optical lens that is dedicated to the same zoom factor. See the difference in detail between hybrid zoom and optical lenses. Galaxy S22 Plus3x Telephoto camera, 10x, 20x, and 30x hybrid zoom. A phone can’t do all the things with just one telephoto zoom.

As we mentioned, the zoom quality between the 1x lens and the telephoto camera on the phone is not very good. Google Pixel 7 ProThis leaves a large space between the lenses. The phone uses Hybrid Zoom/Super Res Zoom for shooting between 2.5x to 4.9x. This is a combination of image merging techniques. Google uses data from both the 1x and 5-megapixel cameras to create mixed results with different zoom levels. This results in a high level of detail in central areas of the image, but a significant loss at the edges where the 1x camera is used for filling in the gaps.

Check out this comparison between the Pixel 7 Pro at 3x hybrid Zoom vs. iPhone 14 Pro MaxOriginal magnification: 3x The Pixel snap shows the pumpkin on the left side compared to the iPhone photo. However, the Pixel captures the pumpkin with greater detail on the right side (which is the center of original image).

Dual telephoto camera will reduce the gap in image quality between native zoom factor and reduce the need to upgrade powerful software. This can also improve the Super Res Zoom edges on a Pixel instance. It’s like having several, well-paced water breaks during a run instead of just one or two.

Smartphone brands can also use this dual lens approach to zoom long-range. For example, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy S22 UltraInstead of having a single 3x/5x or 10x camera, offer dedicated 3x and 10-x cameras. This gives long-range zoom a significant advantage over short-range and mid-range single lens phones.

The dual telephoto cameras could also be used to make Better picture shotsIt is a great short-range zoom camera for portraits, as it can be used in place of a 1x crop lens or a 5x or 10-x lens.

Two dedicated telephoto lenses mean more flexibility in video recording. We have I’ve already seen thisSamsung Ultra phones also offer 10x better video quality than phones with the original 10x camera.

Samsung’s two-pronged approach still leaves a large gap in paper quality between 3x-10x. This is because it doesn’t have the dedicated camera to fill that gap (say, a 5x camera). However, this option is better for both short- and long-range telephotos than a single 4x/5x camera.

A dual telephoto system is not the only way to achieve consistent image quality at various zoom factors. Variable Telephoto Cameras have also been developed in the last few years. Sony Xperia 1 IVIt was the first smartphone with a variable telephoto lens and continuous zoom levels. This allows you to maintain a consistent image quality of 3.5x to 5.2x because the mechanism physically moves your optics to achieve true magnification.

However, this approach comes with its limitations. in our reviewThe Xperia 1 IV’s variable-camera lags behind other imaging software in terms of overall image quality. You still have to rely on hybrid zooms at 3.5x and 5.2x for the native zoom range. Future applications should offer a wider zoom range.

Huawei and Xiaomi were among the first to offer dual-telephoto cameras on smartphones. Vivo, Samsung and Vivo are now following suit. Sony’s variable telephoto camera tech is another example of innovation. It offers powerful and flexible zoom options.

It’s not surprising that some of the top-name players like Oppo, OnePlus and Apple aren’t as ambitious when it come to zoom capabilities for high-end devices. Oppo fans are particularly disappointed as the company was the first to introduce a Periscope camera design.

These brands should consider adopting the dual camera or variant smartphone approach next year. We’d love to see these brands implement high quality periscope zooms. It appears that Apple is the only one in the group. To upgrade to Periscope ShooterIn 2023.