Realme 12 Pro+ review

A proper triple-camera setup with a telephoto

The Realme 12 Pro+ is a camera-centric midranger as it's the only handset in this price range with a 3x telephoto, let alone a periscope telephoto. Sure, the sensor isn't big, but it's a huge upgrade over any other numeric Realme in the past.

• Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; 2160p@30fps
• Telephoto: 64 MP, f/2.8, 71mm, (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; 2160p@30fps
• Ultrawide:8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 112˚ (ultrawide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm; 1080p@30fps
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, 22mm (wide); 1080p@30fps

We do miss the 200MP main shooter, though, as it's proven to produce nice, crisp stills. Perhaps Realme had to compromise on something, so the 12 Pro+ settles for a slightly smaller 50MP sensor.

The ultrawide and the selfie camera, however, are the same as last year. Oh, and there's no macro camera this time around. It won't be missed.

Daylight photo quality

Main camera

The daylight photos taken with the main camera are pretty sharp and detailed, with plenty of contrast and conservative colors. This gives the images a bit of a grim-looking vibe, and it's not because of the overcast in some photos. In general, the camera tends to go for darker shadows. We have no other complaints, though; the photos are solid.

Daylight main camera samples

2x zoom

Overall rendition is the same, which is expected since it's a 2x zoom crop from the main sensor. On the surface, the stills seem adequately sharp and detailed, but upon closer inspection, you start to see the jagged edges around the buildings.

Daylight 2x zoom samples

3x telephoto camera

This is where the 3x telephoto camera kicks in, and we are mostly delighted with the quality. Realme did a pretty good job matching the main camera's rendition and post-processing. This means you get the same gritty look with the telephoto, but you will also enjoy sharp, clear and detailed images.

Daylight 3x telephoto camera samples

Portrait mode with 3x telephoto camera

Some slight fuzziness can be observed in poorly-lit areas, but it's nothing to be concerned about. Another thing to note is that the software crops from the 3x telephoto camera in portrait mode, so they come out with 80mm focal length, as opposed to the default 71mm.

6x zoom

We suggest taking your time when shooting in this mode due to the additional post-processing running in the background. Keep your hand steady, and don't rush the shutter button. Quite a few samples turned out blurry.

Daylight 6x zoom samples

Still, you can get some decent-looking images, but a bit fuzzy most of the time and with visible noise in the shadows. The highest chance of getting a usable photo is to use this mode in ideal lighting conditions.

Ultrawide camera

We were skeptical at first, but the 8MP ultrawide camera seems all right for the most part. Rendition is still quite similar to the main camera's, while sharpness and detail are satisfactory. Maybe even considered "good" since the usual 8MP ultrawide photos from competitors are unimpressive, to say the least.

Daylight ultrawide camera samples

Low-light photo quality

Main camera

The software does a pretty good job of opting for the Night mode when needed, but it tends to use it more often than not. Either way, the samples with the main camera are noise-free, with a wide dynamic range, plenty of detail, and a good level of sharpness.

Low-light main camera samples

2x zoom

We have definitely seen better 2x zoom shots at night. We found the Night mode to be almost always active, but that doesn't seem to help much with the overall quality.

Low-light 2x zoom samples

3x telephoto camera

The 3x zoom camera at night is very inconsistent - some shots look decently sharp and detailed, while others are just fuzzy and out of focus. But we do notice a better contrast (more natural, at least), compared to the main camera and with more lively colors too.

Low-light 3x telephoto camera samples

6x zoom

Since the 6x zoom shots weren't all that good during the day, it's obvious that it's going to be a stretch to use that mode at night. Even with the Night mode active almost all the time, it's hard to get a decent-looking shot of a night scene.

Low-light 6x zoom samples

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide shots are mostly fuzzy, but some decent shots are a bit on the brighter side. The camera adequately renders light sources and even offers plenty of detail in the shadows.

Low-light ultrawide camera samples

Selfies

The selfies are largely unimpressive - muted colors, not very sharp, often noisy, but with plenty of detail.

Selfies

Video recording

The Realme 12 Pro+ can go up to 2160p@30fps with its main camera and 3x telephoto camera, while the ultrawide maxes out at 1080p@30fps. The same goes for the selfie camera.

The software offers standard EIS on all cameras (as long as it's 1080p) and a dedicated Ultra Steady mode that mimics action camera stabilization. This mode caps at 1080p@60fps and has considerably narrower field of view due to the more aggressive EIS.

The main camera's footage isn't something to write home about, though. It lacks contrast and color, but manages highlights and shadows quite well. Sharpness is okay and the level of detail is satisfactory.

The 3x telephoto camera seems to struggle with videos - it has mostly the same issues as the main camera but is less sharp and even fuzzy.

The ultrawide camera is just unusable for video recording. The footage is just abysmal.

Surprisingly, the low-light footage with the main camera looks more than decent. There's no noise, the dynamic range is good, the colors are close to natural, and the contrast is just right.

You can watch all sample videos in the playlist embedded below.