OnePlus 5 Dual Cameras

[James Falconer]

What do you think of the new dual camera setup on the OnePlus 5? They're claiming it's one of the best (if not THE best) camera you can get on a smartphone today. Do you agree? Does the camera system make it a must buy?

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Sorry, but I can't see how that camera going to be one of the best cameras out there. Not that it's bad but because that is an immensely tall order.

The OP5's main camera is a 1/2.8" IMX398 with 1.12-micron pixels with a 16MP resolution, behind a lens featuring a f/1.7 aperture that doesn't feature hardware stabilization. That is augmented with a secondary camera with a 1/2.8" IMX350 with 1-micron pixels with a 20MP resolution, behind a lens featuring an f/2.6 aperture, a longer 40mm equivalent focal length and also no stabilization.

I'm pretty sure the camera is indeed capable of good to very good photos. But if they really did claim that it's one of the best, it's up against the Pixel, known for stellar HDR+ processing and great hardware, the iPhone 7, known for conservative processing, the Galaxy S8, arguably one of the better all-rounders and the Huawei P10+, with exceptional stills performance.

Again, I'm sure the 5 is very capable of stellar shots. Just that any claim that it's one of the best cameras is rather extreme.

Is it a good camera? Of course. But is it one of the best out there? That's a tall order.

 

[anon(661246)]

actually from the reviews it sounds as if the camera falls well short. too noisy and missing optical stabilization

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

I literally couldn't care less about the dual camera, it's just... There.

I can tell you pretty much for certain it won't be a better all round camera than phones like he pixel or S8 though.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I literally couldn't care less about the dual camera, it's just... There.

I can tell you pretty much for certain it won't be a better all round camera than phones like he pixel or S8 though.

Really, why would they think so?

$480 phone with a camera that's competitive against phones that's twice the price which arguably feature better hardware and more advanced software processing?

Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[anon(661246)]

Really, why would they think so?

$480 phone with a camera that's competitive against phones that's twice the price which arguably feature better hardware and more advanced software processing?

Doesn't make sense to me.

Yeah it's silly to think there 5 would be on the same level as pixel or s8. I expected this camera to fall a step below those phones but it appears it may be worse.

I mean the main advertisement for this phone was the camera. It looks like they haven't got there yet. I would have rather they placed a good single lens in there instead of two mediocre ones.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

Really, why would they think so?

$480 phone with a camera that's competitive against phones that's twice the price which arguably feature better hardware and more advanced software processing?

Doesn't make sense to me.

I dunno why they would, I'm just responding to the OPs comment

Yeah it's silly to think there 5 would be on the same level as pixel or s8. I expected this camera to fall a step below those phones but it appears it may be worse.

I mean the main advertisement for this phone was the camera. It looks like they haven't got there yet. I would have rather they placed a good single lens in there instead of two mediocre ones.

They're certainly putting too much emphasis on the camera. The marketing is writing cheques the phone probably won't be able to cash...

They just don't have the resources to do the kind of technological magic companies like Google do.

Luckily, as I eluded to, I don't really care. As long as the camera is good, it's good enough.

 

[dannyar11]

I think we can all stop pretending this camera is going to be great. All the reviews have all been pretty consistent in saying the camera is sub par and very hit or miss. Not having OIS is a big fail when you consider that the 3T had it at a cheaper price. I get some phones that don't have OIS like the pixel has a great camera because of the software stabilization but the OP5 doesn't seem to be on the same level. This would be passable for a sub $400 phone but they are now getting into the $500 territory of the upper echelon phones. The LG g6 has been $500 for a month now and is a better overall device when you factor in camera, screen, design, waterproofing etc. The s8 is a way better phone and can be had now brand new from Samsung for only $424. They really failed big time with the OP5. Throwing more RAM and the latest processor doesn't make a phone.

 

[ben55124]

OnePlus should have skipped the complicated dual camera setup and just did what the Blackberry KeyONE did - use the Sony sensor from the Pixel. Instant Pixel equivalence for a couple hundred less (including lack of waterproofing).

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

OnePlus should have skipped the complicated dual camera setup and just did what the Blackberry KeyONE did - use the Sony sensor from the Pixel. Instant Pixel equivalence for a couple hundred less (including lack of waterproofing).

A camera is more than just the sensor.

OnePlus has to spruce up post-processing even more.

 

[j4ee]

The worst part is the camera doesn't have OIS. Almost every camera/phone camera has it nowadays, even 3T had it. OP just wants to cut cost even with what they try to promote! So if you don't have perfect non-shaking hand, don't buy this phone, you can never take a clear photo except you put it on a table and remove control it to take a photo. In the official forum everyone is talking about this. Just this one factor is worse than almost all budget phones out there.

 

[fuzzylumpkin]

The worst part is the camera doesn't have OIS. Almost every camera/phone camera has it nowadays, even 3T had it. OP just wants to cut cost even with what they try to promote! So if you don't have perfect non-shaking hand, don't buy this phone, you can never take a clear photo except you put it on a table and remove control it to take a photo. In the official forum everyone is talking about this. Just this one factor is worse than almost all budget phones out there.

Well, much as it's not going to be pixel quality, that phone taught us OIS isn't a necessity anymore.

With the 835 and the right software, EIS can be rock solid.

 

[j4ee]

Well, much as it's not going to be pixel quality, that phone taught us OIS isn't a necessity anymore.

With the 835 and the right software, EIS can be rock solid.

You are wrong
https://petapixel.com/2016/10/11/google-explains-pixel-doesnt-optical-image-stabilization/
Pixel doesn't use OIS because it has big sensor. OIS should be still helpful but Google should want to cut cost for an already very expensive sensor.
For OP5, the sensor is super small, and without OIS as well? LOL I am waiting for real people complains in official forum after people receive their phones. Those youtube reviewers or big phone review websites have marketing deal with OP for sure so look at those photos mean nothing.

EIS is nothing close to how OIS physically work. If you like OP5 go ahead and buy it, I would not buy a phone that I cannot even take an OK photo with it.

 

[ben55124]

A camera is more than just the sensor.

OnePlus has to spruce up post-processing even more.

Really??? To clarify my point, that software could have been a lot simpler if they skipped the complicated setup and took the KeyONE approach. Reviews are generally positive on that camera and the KeyONE development resources are likely similar to OP.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

Really??? To clarify my point, that software could have been a lot simpler if they skipped the complicated setup and took the KeyONE approach. Reviews are generally positive on that camera and the KeyONE development resources are likely similar to OP.

The OP5's camera app seems to be a blend of the Google Camera app with some elements from the iOS camera app and the Samsung app.

My issue is the software processing. It usually gets the job done well enough, but you sometimes see quite a bit of processing artifacts, especially on the secondary camera. The portrait mode is also somewhat inconsistent.

 

[Shaprack]

I found the OnePlus 5 Dual camera performance pretty great in good lighting condition not sure about low light but still picture are sometimes oversaturated and its struggle with colors specially the red one also in detailing of the picture are pretty weak but its create very nice bokeh effect, this features works pretty good on human being not on objects as per the several reviews. Here some sample shots

https://www.dpreview.com/news/8971241957/oneplus-5-camera-samples

 

[coase]

I don't understand why the two cameras have to have so many MP. With fewer MP the sensor can have larger pixels and better light capture and lower noise. Since people aren't going to process the pics after the fact this would have worked better. For photogs though, the system that OP 5 chose might work better since they can downsize pics to 12 or 10mp, lower the observed noise, and improve the subjective quality of the OP5 pics when seen at the same matched size as the pics from IP7 or S8.

If I get my hands on some good RAWs for comparable pics in mid low light for OP5 and S8, I can process some pics to see how this works out.

 

[JnCaprio]

It's good but not the best. Might be after some software updates but now it's struggling to get some in-depth portrait pics.

 

[coase]

All fake blur anyway. The portrait mode is a non feature to me. If I want good bokeh I'll use a serious camera.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

All fake blur anyway. The portrait mode is a non feature to me. If I want good bokeh I'll use a serious camera.

Did someone say bokeh?