Push Admin

In smartphone zoom race, it's image bending without breaking

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- The specs war for Android kings has shifted to camera zoom after trying to outdo each other with computational photography. </p><p>Huawei&#x27;s P40 Pro+ combines artificial intelligence with its twin zoom lenses that max out at 10x optical zoom to deliver a hybrid 100x. The challenge is how much AI can bend the hardware without breaking image quality.</p><p>Samsung was first to market with 100x &quot;space zoom&quot; on the Galaxy S20 Ultra as it sought to outdo the excellent 50x zoom on 2019&#x27;s P30 Pro.</p><p>Huawei stuck with its timeline and unveiled the P40 Pro+ in the middle of 2020. How does the new penta camera array fare? We spent 2 weeks with a review unit and here are some sample shots.</p><div><strong>IT GOES REALLY FAR</strong></div><p>Perched on a rooftop, we shot photos of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach (coincidentally, a P Series influencer) on EDSA.</p><p>Without zoom, you wouldn&#x27;t know Queen P was on the billboard unless you are familiar with the area. Zoom 10 times and it&#x27;s clearly Pia. Zoom 100 times to see the smouldering gaze that elicited a fangirl tweet from &quot;smize&quot; creator Tyra Banks.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/pia.jpg"/><figcaption>A billboard of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach is shown in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/pia-10x.jpg"/><figcaption>A billboard of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach is shown in this photo taken using 10x zoom on the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/17/20/5-cameras-with-100x-zoom-huawei-p40-pro-review">5 cameras with 100x zoom: Huawei P40 Pro+ review</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/04/09/20/huawei-p40-pro-review-camera-champ-gets-fuselage-to-match">Huawei P40 Pro review: Camera champ gets fuselage to match</a></li></ul><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/pia-100x.jpg"/><figcaption>A billboard of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach is shown in this photo taken using 100x zoom on the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>IT CAN GET BLURRY</strong></div><p>The 100x zoom is powerful and fancy but images can get blurry. The P40 Pro+ captured the chairs and the ferry station signage on the Pasig River, but it will look out of place in a carefully curated Instagram feed.</p><p>Try the 50x zoom and images are much better, like the shot of barges at dawn. The P40 Pro+ captured the soft waves on the water, the uneven paint on the watercraft and the man in a yellow shirt on the pier.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/ferry.jpg"/><figcaption>A river ferry station is seen from the top of a building in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/ferry-100x.jpg"/><figcaption>A river ferry station is seen from the top of a building in this photo taken using 100X zoom on the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/barge.jpg"/><figcaption>A barge on the Pasig River is seen in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/barge-50x.jpg"/><figcaption>A barge on the Pasig River is seen in this photo taken using 50X zoom on the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>THE SWEET SPOT IS 10X</strong></div><p>As in relationships, bending too far risks breakage. For the P40 Pro+ the happiest compromise is 10X, the maximum optical capacity of the Leica lens array.</p><p>The shot of buildings at sunrise captured much detail of rooftop construction sites as well as the outline of mountains and the Laguna Bay.</p><p>The sunset shot captured the amber hue of the sky while preserving details of the houses below.</p><p>Without zoom, the scene is just empty restaurant tables. Zoom 10 times and the neon signage is whole new image. It&#x27;s a new perspective with just one tap on the screen.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/mountains-10x.jpg"/><figcaption>Mountains are seen in the foreground of BGC skyscrapers in this photo taken using 10X zoom on the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/sunset-10x.jpg"/><figcaption>The sun sets with buildings in this foreground in this photo taken using 10x zoom on the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/resto.jpg"/><figcaption>Tables and chairs are shown in a pancake restaurant are shown in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/resto-10x.jpg"/><figcaption>A neon light display in a pancake restaurant is shown in this photo taken using 10x zoom on the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>WHAT ABOUT THE ULTRA?</strong></div><p>We had a commercial Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra unit for a few weeks as well and tested it against the P40 Pro+. Like the Huawei flagship, the sweet spot is 10x zoom and the 100 &quot;space zoom&quot; also gets blurry.</p><p>Both Huawei and Samsung offer users a viewfinder within the viewfinder when using 100x mode to guide users as to where their camera is pointed at.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/ultra-10x.jpg"/><figcaption>Makati buildings at dusk are shown in this shot using 10x zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/ultra-100x.jpg"/><figcaption>The moon is shown in this photo using 100x zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div><strong>IT TAKES FOOD, NIGHT SHOTS TOO</strong></div><p>Take out the monstrous zoom, the P40 Pro+ is right up there with the iPhone 11 Pro Max, S20 Ultra and Pixel 4XL when it comes to food and night shots. And for those who prefer rich, Instagram-ready colors, it could be the best choice.</p><p>Colors pop in shots of lockdown food, even if the subject is a plain pancake. Leftover pizza and beer looked better than it tasted.</p><p>At night, the P40 Pro+ captured varying shades of yellow and orange glows on the streets and faint cloud formations in the sky.</p><p>The rear module has a 50 megapixel wide angle camera with OIS and f/1.9 aperture, a 40 megapixel ultra-wide with f/1.8, an 8 megapixel 10x optical zoom with f/4.4 and OIS, and 8 megapixel 3x optical zoom with f/2.4 and a 3D depth-sensing camera.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/eat.jpg"/><figcaption>A plate of pizza and noodles and a can of beer are shown in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/pancake.jpg"/><figcaption>A plate of pancakes is shown in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/night.jpg"/><figcaption>The Makati cityscape at night is shown in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/business/06/25/night-2.jpg"/><figcaption>The Makati cityscape at night is shown in this photo taken using the Huawei P40 Pro+. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div>

<p>The specs war for Android kings has shifted to camera zoom after trying to outdo each other with computational photography.</p>

The specs war for Android kings has shifted to camera zoom after trying to outdo each other with computational photography.