5 Smartphone Camera Functions That Make You a Better Photographer

When buying a smartphone, what features do you prioritize? Chances are, camera quality is high on the list. Most people, even some professionals, now use their smartphones as a replacement for “traditional” digital cameras. Indeed, tech companies often boast that their phones’ specs can rival even elite camera brands. The future of photography, if not the present, may lie with the smart device.

You might then ask: what’s the best phone camera? A specs comparison could leave you counting megapixels and judging how many cameras you can squeeze next to each other. But whether you’re using a mid-range option or the latest Hasselblad Camera for Mobile, a more pertinent question might be: what smartphone camera functions make me a better photographer? After all, specs DO matter, but it’s also how you use them.

Smartphones now come jampacked with a bunch of methods to optimize your snaps anytime, anywhere. So, check out these five key camera functions that could elevate your photos and videos.

1. The power of three

Take a look at most tech brands – their higher-range smartphones feature two, three, or even four rear cameras, not including the front lens. Sure, they look cool, but what are they all for? It may seem like companies are just one-upping each other, but there’s a method behind the multiplication.

Take the OPPO Find X5 Pro, featuring three rear cameras. Its 50MP Ultra-Wide-Angle lens is perfect for capturing sweeping landscapes, group photos, or a banquet of ‘grammable food.

The 13MP Telephoto lens lets you focus on a far-away subject with an eagle-eyed 5x hybrid optical zoom. It’s the ideal camera when the background isn’t as important and you want to highlight something specific.

The 50MP Main Camera handles everything else, boasting its own image optimization tools (more on them later).

2. No light? No problem

Some of the best things happen at night - and some of the best photo/video ops. A wondrous firework display, a moonlit walk on the beach, or the dazzling lights of the cityscape, to name a few. However, it’s difficult to capture the magic with limited light sources or when overexposure distorts the subject. This type of shoot requires more attention. But luckily, with a few tweaks in your camera settings, you can get your photography to pop like a pro.

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Firstly, make sure Night Mode is activated if you're in a low-light environment. Flagship-level OPPO phones offer night modes that optimize your picture quality by enhancing colors, brightness, and sharpness to produce crystalline clarity. You can also play around with the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings to tailor the light exactly how you want it.

The OPPO Reno8 series even optimizes night shooting for Portrait Mode, which brings into focus a subject in the foreground and makes use of the stylish Bokeh effect. Perfect for dimly-lit restaurants.

What about night-time videography you say? The OPPO Find X5 and Reno8 series utilize the powerful MariSilicon X NPU chip for supremely-detailed 4K video shoots in darker conditions - so you can upload Reels or TikTok vids with professional-level image quality.

3. Color coordination

Lighting issues aren’t only a night-time problem, however. Sometimes cloudy days, too much shade, or even shooting indoors can cause photos that appear mismatched or lack the true vivid nature of the subject. There’s subjectivity as well - different phones can produce different-looking images of the same shot, sometimes drastically, so it’s crucial to find the right setup.

Thankfully, OPPO’s flagship Find X5 Pro utilizes an array of features to enhance or customize your snaps. The camera system, co-developed with industry leader Hasselblad, uses their intuitive Natural Colors feature which, as the name suggests, adjusts the photos to make them look as realistic as possible.

Turn on AI Scene Enhancement for more color optimization, where the focus is pleasing the eye. Skies become bluer, apples become rosier, and leaves become greener, leaving the viewer with a more impactful and emotive experience.

If that’s still not your cup of tea, you could apply one of the many filter options. No need to go to Snapchat or IG for those - just swipe on your camera app and find the perfect fit.

4. Poetry in motion – Optic Image Stabilization

There’s another photography nut to crack, and that’s capturing movement. Whether it’s a bird taking flight, a dog running in the wind, or a motorbike zooming down the road, when it comes to motion blur, the struggle is real. Despite that, these photos can be the most rewarding, so it’s essential to do them justice.

A lot of smartphones now adopt Optical Image Stabilization or OIS. Essentially, OIS reduces unwanted blur when you're shooting in action-packed situations. Along with 5-axis OIS, ICE 2.0 on the OPPO Find X5 Pro freezes moving moments in time so you can appreciate the memories with superb clarity.

5. Classic Panoramic

When the majestic vista is even wider than the wide-angle lens, and square photos just won’t cut it, there’s always the panoramic shot. They’ve been a staple of smartphone cameras for years now, and they can produce some awe-inspiring results. Of course, OPPO smartphones come equipped with the pano mode, but they’ve got something retro tucked up their sleeves as well.

Meet the classic XPan, a revolutionary format in the camera industry. A photo taken in XPan mode first turns into a negative before being rendered into its final form, mimicking how photos were traditionally developed. This, in addition to the 65:24 aspect ratio and two shooting options that emulate a 45 mm lens, recreates a vintage shooting experience and gives your shots artistic flair. Modern, with a nostalgic twist.

Now you've discovered just how much your smartphone camera can offer - and there's still more to come. But there's no time like the present, so get snapping, and make sure to post your glorious pics in the OPPO Global Community! If you need inspiration, there's no better place.

https://community.oppo.com/thread/1209358395577466888
https://community.oppo.com/thread/1213490254041317377
https://community.oppo.com/thread/1206777835000692741