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How dual cameras work differently on flagships smartphones




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Having a dual camera setup is the new norm among flagship smartphones. Over the last two years, we’ve see more and more phone manufacturers adopt the technology and implement it in their latest flagship devices. There is no doubt that having a dual camera can improve picture quality drastically, but the actual benefit you get out of them depends on the type of dual camera used on the smartphone. Not all dual camera systems work in the same way. Almost every brand has its own take on the technology and here is a quick guide to help you understand how each of them help in taking great pictures.  

Apple iPhone X, 8 Plus and 7 Plus 

Apple’s dual camera setup comes with two advantages, providing zoom and more detail in images. They have stuck to that religiously ever since they announced their first dual camera smartphone; the iPhone 7 Plus. Currently, the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X also feature dual cameras. Not much has changed though. All the iPhones features two 12MP sensors. However, the focal length on each of the lenses is different. The primary camera features a standard lens, while the secondary sensor features a zoom lens. The 2X optical zoom lens helps you get closer to the action. Unlike digital zoom, there is no quality loss in close-up images. The other benefit of dual camera on iPhones is great portrait photos. iPhones with dual cameras generally come with a Portrait mode. On this mode, the secondary camera is also used to capture a good depth of field, which helps blur out backgrounds and add a more professional look to your photos.


Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and S9+

The Galaxy Note 8 is one of the first Samsung flagships to carry dual cameras at the back. The camera setup here also features two 12MP sensors with both a wide-angle and telephoto lens. This allows the camera to provide a 2X optical zoom, in order to capture every detail possible. The Samsung camera app also features a ‘Bokeh’ mode where you can blur-out the background and isolate your subject to stand-out in the image. You can also adjust the intensity according to your preference, before clicking the picture so your photos just look right. The dual cameras on the Samsung S9+ are designed to do the same thing as the Note 8’s. However, the 12MP sensors used here are better adept in handling low light conditions. The primary sensor also carries a lower aperture, not only adding to its low light capability but also to its performance in Bokeh mode.


LG G6 and V30+

Unlike other manufacturers on this list, LG uses a combination of a standard and a wide-angle lenses, in their dual camera setup. The primary lens here offers a standard 71 degrees field of view, while the secondary camera offers a wide-angle view of 125 degrees. So in theory, the dual camera setup here works in opposition to the ones featured on the iPhones and the Note 8. The idea here is to help the user fit a wide landscape in one frame without much difficulty. Both of LG’s flagships, the G6 and the V30+ feature this kind of a dual camera setup. However, the basic specifications are different. The G6 comes with dual 13MP sensors, while the V30+ comprises of a 16MP primary sensor packed alongside a 13MP sensor. This of course has some effect on picture quality, but the benefit of having two cameras is the same.


Huawei Honor 8

Instead of having a two different lenses, the dual camera on Huawei Honor 8 features two different kinds of sensors. The primary sensor is a standard RGB (colour) one, while the secondary is monochrome; meaning it can only shoot in black and white. When taking photos, each of these sensors capture an image respectively. The two images are then merged together, offering the crispness of the RGB sensor, with the exceptional detail taken off the monochrome sensor. These dual camera setups generally offer great colour accuracy and intricate detail.


Vivo V9 

The Vivo V9 is one of the few budget smartphones that offers dual cameras. You get 16MP sensor tagged alongside a 5MP secondary sensor. The use of the secondary camera is to measure the depth of field and help blur the background in the image, while providing complete focus on the subject at the front. This kind of camera setup can also be found on other budget smartphones that offers dual rear cameras. Besides the few mentioned here, there are plenty of other smartphones boasting of the same feature in our assortment at Reliance Digital. Some of the other phones that are worth considering are the Moto X4, Redmi Note 5 Pro, and the Lenovo K8 Plus.