Weekly poll results: when it comes to zoom, more is better

03 November 2019
High-res image sensors are making 2x optical zoom obsolete. Things start getting interesting at 3x, but even higher magnification is preferred.

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[deleted post]Amount of data is the same if you want hdr from multiple exposures, not just look alike, its just that in high res quad bayer sensor you can cut down time as it can do more than one exposure at once.
Think it was shown with p20pro long ago already, less lag, more hdr.

    [deleted post]Though I would welcome low res big sensor as option for better colors, in the end hi res sensors are way more better from smartphones as it cuts down noise and time to do hdr stacking.
    But even on full frame / apsc size new sensors comes with higher res, not because smaller pixels are better, but because technology bringing out better quality from smaller size get better. The same is happening in smartphone space, 3layer tech, ryyb,..

      [deleted post]If it comes to quality, optical is better solution than just trying to make hi res using few pixels in the middle. Of course low light is bad on optical as they are new kind of fovs in phone made to at least be, not be the best, normal fov is here for some time already.
      As for 2x-3x on 108mp the answer is obvious with the current tele lens in comparison, but if you use smaller sensor optical is better, not to mention mate got better hw for low light than the rest, so is processing. Its also not only low light that matters.

        [deleted post]By perfecting I did mean the old, not the new tech. Of course its better.

          [deleted post]I second this. I am looking forward to 10x optical/lossless zooms, with at least 12MP detail.

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            • Anonymous
            • qJ}
            • 03 Nov 2019

            we all want 10mm eq, 35mm eq and 200mm eq lol

            obviously the 200mm one is the hardest to get right

              [deleted post]Perfecting may not be the best choice if we got hi res sensors capable of better results in any lightning conditions. The same goes for main camera, not perfected hi res sensor is more capable than sticking to the same one, trying to do what it cannot. Sure its different if compared between brands and categories, it depends.

                I can use camera without zoom in because for the old time the single lens is nothing problem, but for people who always rely on zoom in they definitely needs a Optical zoom. It depends on how often you use it.

                  • G
                  • Grt
                  • xJN
                  • 03 Nov 2019

                  Samsung can prepare, when there is already p30 with 5xzoom

                    [deleted post]IMO 5x zoom can be only truly useful when there's another intermediate telephoto zoom (e.g. 2x or 3x) that fills the gap between 1x and 5x. When I take zoomed photos with my P30, I shoot them at 3x magnification most of the time, then 2x, then 5x. There are occasions where 5x zoom can be useful such as when capturing a bird walking several meters away from you, but for taking snapshots of keynotes or presentations you rarely need 5x zoom let alone 3x one. And usually super resolution algorithms start showing quality degradation from ~2x magnification so 3x digital zoom won't yield a favourable result on any devices. 3x is better suited for portrait shots as well, whereas doing the same with 125 - 130mm lens would be... well, a bit odd on a phone camera.

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                      • Anonymous
                      • gBV
                      • 03 Nov 2019

                      5x isn't really 5x as it's just 8 or 5 megapixels currently. When you compare it with 12 megapixels, then 5x is equivalent to 4x and 3x is equivalent to 2.4x

                      For portraits a 2x camera is definitely the best for smartphones. A 3x camera has worse image quality, the field of view is also a bit too narrow for my taste, so 2x or 1.5x is the best choice for portraits. So smartphones need to have a 2x camera AND a super tele, apparently that's exactly what Xiaomi is doing.

                        [deleted post]No need to find excuses, mate is just so much better than some offering 2x zoom not working so good in low light. 5x or 10x is great wishful thinking, real use is different though, be it for design or quality of output. Even galaxyS4 was with 1-10x zoom but where is it in users eyes. More is not always better if you care about quality overall, its not everyone though that think so.

                          AnonD-731363, 03 Nov 2019While Xiaomi may be the first to launch a phone with a 108M... moreYouve articulated this point brilliantly. Except for sheep, the majority of phone users are looking for more features at a better price.
                          While there is absolutely no doubt that the S and Note Deries offer some of the best bang for the buck with the largest memory, waterproof rating, great accessories in the box, expandable storage, headphone jack etc, Samsung needs to actually have a superb mid range lineup, better than all other Chinese OEMs. It should do this by saving costing on the screen (LEDs instead of AMOLED), and mass scale purchase of Snapdragon or Meditech processors. It could keep the bodies plastic, or metal if the costs are fine. And have multiple cameras thrown in.

                          Samsung Imaging Sensors are improving substantially and Samsung should make the most of its lead in this department. And cut corners in hardware wherever possible.

                            Akinaro, 03 Nov 2019wow! What a discovery! When people where asked if they wan... moreIronically, I saw Pixel 4 users in another blog DEFENDING smaller batteries and lower endurance.

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                              • Anonymous
                              • Nj1
                              • 03 Nov 2019

                              [deleted post]P30 pro has 4 cameras

                                [deleted post]the poll did NOT make clear that 5x zoom is "beneficial", just than the public perception is that a higher zoom capability is "better". unfortunately technically it is not necessarily so..... like in many other aspects of life bigger (specifically in this case zoom, mega pixels numbers, etc...) NOT equal better....

                                  2mp, 5mp, 13mp, 16mp, 40mp, 48mp, 64mp, 108mp/0.1Gp,... Its inevitable we may see 1Gp soon. Some may be excited for a next year, but its not the end for competition. All thx to non 12mp brands for a push.

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • Nue
                                    • 03 Nov 2019

                                    Akinaro, 03 Nov 2019wow! What a discovery! When people where asked if they wan... moreAbsolutely we would like to have a better battery life in our phones!

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                                      • TKXX
                                      • Le%
                                      • 03 Nov 2019

                                      It has to be noted that the more optical zoom you wish for the less image quality (softness) higher f number (less light) you get. IMO 3x zoom with additional 2x optical zoom is a good compromise between magnification and image quality. With higher focal length additional problems with camera size and image stabilization will come up. No wonder Mate 30 has a reduced zoom compared to P30

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • XF$
                                        • 03 Nov 2019

                                        nitesh57, 03 Nov 2019One reason why people have voted for 5x zoom instead of a 2... moreOne reason why people have voted for 5x zoom instead of a 2x or 3x is that they.... Wait I can't even think of a single reason to prefer 2x\3x over 5x

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