EXPLAINER: Why does your phone have multiple cameras and what does each do?

MANILA, Philippines — In the not-so-distant past, mobile phones were nothing more than sleek communication devices, with cameras appearing as humble add-ons on the back. Fast forward to the early days of smartphones, a single tiny camera lens and a modest flash were the standard. 

However, today's smartphones have transformed, boasting multiple lenses that serve diverse photographic functions. Why did it evolve this way and what does each camera do? 

To better appreciate this, let’s take a closer look at the ultra-clear portrait camera system of the OPPO Reno10 Series 5G with triple camera setup: an Ultra-Clear Main Camera, a Telephoto Camera and an Ultra Wide-angle Camera. 

Main camera

The main camera is the workhorse of the smartphone camera system. It is designed to provide a balanced and versatile shooting experience for everyday users. 

It offers a standard field of view, making it suitable for a wide range of subjects and settings in the most common usage scenarios.

Ideally, the main camera closely replicates what the human eye sees. OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G does this with its 50-megapixel primary shooter using the Sony IMX890 large-format sensor,  ensuring that users can capture people, objects, or scenes with intricate details, textures, colors and contrast in a variety of conditions.

Telephoto camera

The Reno10 Series 5G lineup features the first-ever telephoto portrait camera in the Reno series, but what’s the fuzz about this camera? Well, according to OPPO, the Reno10 Pro+ 5G’s Pro-Level Telephoto Portrait Camera is the highest-spec periscope telephoto camera available on any smartphone, ever! 

What’s good about this? Let’s dissect the term. 

First, telephoto. A telephoto camera is a camera that excels in optical zooming into far-away objects, allowing you to capture distant subjects with greater clarity and detail, as compared to digital zoom which uses software to crop and enlarge the image.

In the Reno10 Series 5G, the Reno10 5G and Reno10 Pro 5G have 32MP telephoto while the Reno10 Pro+ 5G has 64MP telephoto portrait camera, which has a periscope design that enables a 3x optical telephoto configuration. This periscope design also can visually compress distant elements within a scene, such as landmarks, structure and peaks, effectively drawing them nearer to your subject, resulting in shots with better composition without having to be super close to the subject. 

Second, portrait. The Reno10 Pro+ 5G’s 64MP periscope telephoto lens can capture stunning photos by zooming in on the subject while keeping a comfortable distance, and this capability often contributes to those delightful smooth bokeh backgrounds in your portrait shots. 

The telephoto lens typically induces background blur due to its shallow depth of field, which is further intensified by the wider aperture often featured in telephoto lenses. 

This combined effect ensures that the subject remains sharply in focus while creating an aesthetically pleasing separation between the subject and its surroundings. The result is a DSLR-like portrait quality that many users find visually captivating.

TLDR: what the telephoto camera in the OPPO Reno10 Series 5G achieves is providing users with greater creative freedom for capturing stunning portraits with improved compositions—making it an invaluable tool for those aiming to capture pro-looking, Instagram-worthy photos.

Ultra-wide camera

The Reno10, Reno10 Pro and Reno10 Pro+ 5G all come equipped with a 112° 8MP ultra-wide angle camera. 

The ultra-wide-angle lens, as its name suggests, empowers users to capture photos with an expansive field of view. It truly shines when you're framing a larger group photo, Gen Z selfies or when you need to capture the full grandeur of a towering subject, such as a skyscraper.

With its 8MP resolution and OPPO's advanced imaging technologies, the ultra-wide-angle camera on each device in the Reno10 series delivers impressive image quality without compromising on clarity. 

But why do phones today have multiple cameras?

The systems required for adjusting camera lenses and sensors, such as those found in professional cameras, simply cannot fit within the confines of a smartphone's slender profile.

This is why smartphones have multiple cameras, each with its specific purpose and tailored to excel in different scenarios. These multiple cameras work and switch between them to deliver the best possible results while maintaining the sleek and ergonomic design that has become a hallmark of modern smartphones.

Experience OPPO Reno10 5G Series camera wonders

Discover the power of mobile photography with “The Portrait Expert”—the Reno10 Series 5G!

You can choose from the OPPO Reno10 Series 5G lineup: the OPPO Reno10 5G at an attractive price of P23,999, the OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G for P29,999, and the flagship-grade OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G at P39,999. Elevate your photography experience with these cutting-edge smartphones and discover a world of possibilities.

Exclusive benefits such as limited-edition photobook featuring Bea Alonzo and Nadine Lustre and 100GB Google One Subscription (exclusive for Reno10 Pro+ 5G) can still be availed at the MyOPPO App. 

Moreover, the OPPO Reno10 Series 5G is available via Globe postpaid plan starting at Plan 1799 without cash-out. The Reno10 5G and Reno10 Pro 5G are also available via Smart postpaid plan starting at Plan 999 with cash-out.

All postpaid plans come with a free OPPO Enco Buds2. Home Credit offers 0% installment options for 6/9/12/15/18 months across OPPO stores partnered with Home Credit. The OPPO Reno10 Series 5G is also available with 6- and 12-month 0% interest installment plans for all credit cards.

Lastly, you can pread holiday cheer and enjoy exclusive promos when you purchase OPPO smartphones this Christmas. Make the most out of special discounts and freebies, exclusive benefits and gifts and exciting festivities until January 7, 2024 for a merrier, more meaningful celebration.

For more about OPPO’s Reno10 Series 5G, visit www.oppo.com.ph or the official Facebook page, OPPO Philippines.

Editor’s Note: This #BrandSpace story is created with OPPO. It is produced by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.