For some people, best camera in smartphone is probably one of the most important aspects before they decide to buy a smartphone. We use it to take videos and photos when we have silly or even important moments with our family and friends. But not only that, camera is also integrated to the augmented wave of reality apps which mix the real and digital worlds. Since camera is important for a lot of users, many manufacturers try to make their phone stand out among similar devices.
In this article, we will give you several technical terms you are familiar with when you hear advertisement in order to help you choosing the best phone.
The first term: resolution
If you are observing the current brands of smartphones, you will find the similarity between one to another. They usually have resolution with 12-megapixel or more. That 12-megapixel means that there are around 12 million small sensors of light which collect the data’s image which later translated into a photo.
If you compare to a pro camera like DSLR, camera in smartphones have tiny sensors. But, even though higher resolution sounds better in producing photos, 12-megapixels camera resolution is probably the right camera you need. Facebook image, for example, only needs 4-megapixels meanwhile Instagram needs 2-megapixels in order to get an Instagram photo in a full resolution. 12-megapixel camera resolution is even enough to make a quality print of magazine. Just remember, the higher camera resolution is, the larger the file sizes will be. So, it means that the camera will take longer time to process and it can taxes your storage, slow down the burst rate, and raise the time in uploading.
The second term: Aperture
Aperture is the opening through that a lens of camera lets the light from outside in. The bigger aperture in the camera, the more light is able to get through. Even though it sounds simple, it actually has several complicated implications especially when you do Math of it. You use an f-number as the representation of aperture lens’ relative size. You cannot use a diameter of an actual aperture since the same size of opening will let less light in through a lens’ telephoto than it will through a lens of wide-angle. This f-number is the representation of lens’ focal length (that is always constant) divided by the aperture’s physical diameter. It is complex, but the bottom line is that the more light lets in through the lens, the lower the value of f-number.
So, when you hear a certain brand of smartphone released the widest aperture among the others, with f/1.5 lens, you will see no difference between those photos taken with that camera with f/1.5 lens and DSLR with f/1.8.
The third term: focus
Smartphone camera actually doesn’t have room like DSLR’s focusing sensors. That is why it put certain pixels to focus right on the sensor’s image. If you compare to the older sensors which do not have these pixels, the recent models have more accurate and faster focus especially in dark area. But, almost each camera in smartphones especially high-end brand has this kind of technology. And if there is any difference in real-world, maybe it is only about the focusing speed. Google, for example, figuring out the objects’ distance and applying effects of fake blur by using dual pixel.
The fourth term: portrait mode
Nowadays, lighting effects and fake blur are the biggest aspects in smartphone photography. They are meant to look our photos more professional. A camera that has a bigger sensor actually is able to bring that look. Many manufacturers do their best to produce smartphones with the best fake blur. In the end of the day, portrait mode has not there yet. You will find a tiny scraggly in the edges of your photos. A certain brand like iPhones even has difficult portrait mode to be used especially in the dark.
The fifth term: quality of overall image
Since many smartphone manufacturers become more serious in producing high-quality camera, now it’s the right time for you to think that your photos actually come as raw material. The phone is actually the one who does a lot of work to make such a good finishing picture that is technically correct and looks consistent. However, editing photos also controls the photo’s aesthetic and helps your photos look more finished. There are many apps you can try to edit your photos like Filmborn or VSCO.
The sixth term: flash
Generally, the flashes of smartphone cameras are bad because actually they are not the actual flash. A dedicated camera uses a tube of flash which can emit white and bright burst light in very tiny fraction. The flash that we usually see in smartphone camera is actually just a small LED flashlight. It plays havoc and has short range with skin tones of people. You should better get a dedicated camera if you compare the camera in smartphone based on the flash reflects in the photo’s quality.
The seventh term: resolution of the video
At the moment, 4K video is the standard resolution of a video. However, it is not the best result when you shoot everything using that resolution especially about its storage, performance, balancing quality. The quality of 1080p is probably the best one that several smartphone cameras allow you to shoot footage in slow-motion in HD.
So, those are the terms that you may familiar with but still do not know what actually they are. The most important thing is that, no matter how best camera in smartphone is, if you don’t work on your skill, your camera will be useless. Try to learn how to catch good light and compose a photo that can make your scene stands out. You can start watching tutorials on YouTube to make you inspire how to take good photos. You can also subscribe article that will make you adding more knowledge every single day. Working on your skill is needed to support the camera you have no matter how small the resolution is. Even though you have a professional camera like DSLR but you don’t know how to shoot good angles, your pro camera won’t help you producing a good photo.
