Sony imx sensors table. Lead camera engineer for Sony Xperia on the development of mobile photography, Sony technologies and the future. The main criteria for choosing phones with a good camera
(Caution, lots of letters!)
Once again for those who are always right by nature and, without reading many letters, begin to broadcast their undeniable miserable truth. I’m not a fan of Lumia, I understand perfectly well that this is a dead-end branch and there can be no prospects for development. But what has been achieved on this platform in the past is objectively (based on comparison of real photographs) to this day ahead in all respects (sensor, high-quality light glass, color, sharpness throughout the frame, WB, depth of field, lack of movement due to the optical stabilizer , the presence of well-developed post-processing software and excellent 4K video, evaluated on high-quality 4K TVs, replaceable batteries, and last but not least when used extensively for photography) when compared with any “photo flagships” on Android with all their sophisticated dual cameras with zooms and pseudo-bokeh...
Whenever I get my hands on a new smartphone, positioned by the manufacturer as a device with certain “steps forward,” I compare its photographic properties and 4K video with the Lumia 950XL smartphone, an unrivaled standard so far (it appeared on the market in October 2015). Previously, the standard was the Nokia Lumia 1520 (announced back in October 2013), but it met an untimely end, although I’m sure it could have remained so in the future. Images from both devices have been successfully and repeatedly used for printing in magazines and other glossy printing publications.
Microsoft became the “flagship killers” of the Lumia 950XL, Lumia 950 and Lumia 1520. They buried not only Nokia, but also Windows Mobile, and with them advanced technologies in the field of mobile photography...
If you didn’t know that there is a standard...
For several years now I have been trying to find at least something comparable in the camp of devices on the Androd platform. But, making comparisons, I come to the same disappointing conclusion that There is not a single decent smartphone on Android that can compare in photo and video quality with Lumia 950XL. Moreover, it seems that everything is only getting worse. Especially these marketing biases towards dual cameras with pseudo-telephoto, pseudo-bokeh or (sort of) variable aperture (Samsung Galaxy S9+)! Manufacturers are trying to advertise their “achievements” with data on increasing the aperture (up to f/1.7 and even up to 1.6) or the pixel size of the sensor, while hiding other important parameters, such as the quality and resolution of optics or the sophistication of processing algorithms, and, often, and the type of sensor used. By the way, “mobile” concepts of focal length and aperture are ambiguous. It’s simpler in DSLRs: there are only a few manufacturers of “bodies” and “glasses,” mostly full frame or APS-C. Based on these things, you already understand the rest. In mobile photography, everything is very complex in presenting and comparing concepts such as aperture, sensor size/type, ISO, focal length, etc. “Mirror” skills and ideas can be forgotten here...
What kind of sensors are used on Android?
Almost all cameras on Android devices are based on numerous and very mediocre Sony sensors. There are also sensors from Samsung (ISOCELL) and OmniVision, but by and large they are also very dull in quality.
Formats
It's important to understand that some sensors are designed to shoot in a basic 16:9 format, while others are designed to shoot in a 4:3 format, although both will provide the same resolution, say 16 megapixels. At the same time, you can shoot in non-main formats, but the resolution will be only about 12 megapixels, obtained with a crop from 16 megapixels, which phone manufacturers usually do not report.
By the way, in the Lumia 1520 sensor, shooting in these formats is arranged somewhat differently. Here the 4:3 format is 4992 x 3744 pixels (18.7 MP), and the 16:9 format is 5376 x 3024 (16.25 MP). Thus, the Lumia 1520 sensor has a usable size of 5376 x 3744 pixels (20.1 megapixels). This is the so-called multidimensional sensor Similarly in Lumia 950/950XL: 4:3 - 4992 x 3744 (18.7 MP) and 16:9 - 5344 x 3008 (16.1 MP). The name of the sensors in these Lumia (and who produces them) is not known; they are made using PureView technology developed by Nokia and Carl Zeiss (f/1.9 aperture, 1/2.4-inch matrix diagonal). Then this business was continued (buried) at Microsoft and now the Chinese are picking it up again in collaboration with Carl Zeiss...
Based on the “best of the worst” principle
According to Chip magazine as of November 2017, the next five are considered the best in camera testing - HTC U11 (color Here and further in the text the most acceptable devices on Android are marked - "best of the worst"; there will be practically no reviews of Samsung due to their price politicians), Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Google Pixel 2 XL and Apple iPhone X. The popular rating of the resource kimovil.com for the same period produced the following list of smartphones with the best photographic properties (in descending order): ZTE Nubia Z17, Apple iPhone 8 Plus , Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Sony Xperia XZs, HTC U Ultra, Oppo R11s Plus, Oppo R11s, Samsung Galaxy S8 Active, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Vivo Xplay 6, OnePlus 5T, HTC U11, Xiaomi Mi Note 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy Note 7, OnePlus 5, Apple Iphone X, Apple iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, Google Pixel 2 XL, Google Pixel 2, Nubia Z17S, Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom ZE553KL, Xiaomi Mi6 , HTC U11+ , Apple iPhone 7, Apple iphone 8, Nokia Lumia 1020, Nubia Z17 Mini S, Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Oppo R9s, Oppo R9s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+, HTC 10, LG G5, LG G5 SE, Google Pixel XL, Sharp Aquos S2, Nubia Z17 Mini, Nubia Z17 Lite, Archos Diamond Alpha, LG V20, HTC 10 Lifestyle, Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe, LG G6, etc. Meizu is not on the lists at all.
Many smartphones have sensors with a default shooting aspect ratio of 4:3. Thus, the sensor is used on OnePlus 3/3T, Xiaomi Mi5, Asus ZenFone 3, ZTE Nubia Z11, Nubia Z11 mini, Nubia Z11 Max, LeEco Le Pro 3, Huawei Mate 8, Oppo R9 Plus and others Sony IMX 298 Exmor RS, from which, by default, shooting is done in the specified 4:3 format with a size of 4640 x 3480 pixels (16.1 MP), and 16:9 frames are obtained by cropping the 4:3 frame - 4640 x 2610 (12.1 MP). The diagonal of this sensor is 6.521 mm (1/2.8 inch). The total number of pixels of the sensor is 4720 x 3600, effective - 4672 x 3520, active - 4656 x 3496. Perhaps only the ZTE Nubia Z11 (f/2.0 hole) has good pictures, although this model is already becoming outdated and disappearing from the shelves. A positive point is the 4-axis optical stabilization. Despite the fact that the same sensor is installed on the other smart phones listed above, the footage from them is not so acceptable.
Relatively new sensor Sony IMX 398(release - October 2016) “16 MP class” is installed so far only on smartphones from BBK Electronics (it owns the brands OPPO, OnePlus and Vivo; it is this company that “holds” the Chinese market, not Xiaomi or Meizu). Sensor resolution is 4608 x 3456 pixels. The default is 4:3 frames. Sensor diagonal is 6.4 mm (1/2.8″), pixel size is 1.12 microns. Used in cameras Oppo R9S/Oppo R9s Plus (f/1.7, no optical stabilization), OPPO F3 Plus (f/1.7, OIS), OPPO R11s Plus (f/1.7, no optical stabilization) and OnePlus 5/5T (dual camera - main with Sony IMX 398, f/1.7, no optical stabilization). In addition, in June 2017, the OPPO R11 and R11 Plus smartphones were presented, which have high-resolution cameras in both the selfie modules and the main module. In particular, a dual main camera module is used - 16 MP (Sony IMX398, wide-angle lens, f/1.7, PDAF) and 20 MP ( Sony IMX350, telephoto lens, f/2.6, 1/2.8″, 1 µm). The front camera with a resolution of 20 megapixels is equipped with an f/2.0 aperture lens.
On the contrary, if the main shooting format on the phone is landscape (16:9), then the 4:3 frame format is obtained by cropping the 16:9 frame. For example, on smart phones such as LG G5, LG G4 (H815) or ZTE Nubia Z9 /Max/mini with a sensor Sony IMX 234 Exmor RS The main frame in 16:9 format has a pixel size of 5312 x 2988 (15.9 MP), and in 4:3 it will already be cut on the wide side - 3984 x 2988 (11.9 MP). The full size of this matrix is 6.433 x 4.921 mm, and the diagonal of the working area is 1/2.8 inches, which is equivalent to 6.521 mm, the pixel size is 1.12 microns. In this case, the full sensor resolution is 4720 x 3600 pixels, i.e. - 16.99 megapixels, some of them are used, apparently, for electronic image stabilization, etc., so the so-called effective resolution is 4672 x 3520 (16.44 megapixels), and only 4656 x 3496 is available for shooting (number of active pixels) or 16.28 megapixels, however, not all of them are used. Of the entire line of smartphones with this sensor, only LG G5 and LG G4 (H815) can be considered good in terms of photographic properties. However, the G4 is practically no longer on sale, and the G5 is not super new. Frames with the G5 when shooting with the main camera (f/1.8) have good color rendition and white balance, average dynamic range, sharpness is too high (in software), focusing is not always confident and fast. For some reason, LG decided to shoot wide-angle shots with a second 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 dark hole, although it is clear that there should be more information and more megapixels in a wide-angle shot.
A smartphone with a sensor may be a good choice Sony IMX 318 Exmor RS on board. This sensor has a 1/2.6″ format (which is slightly smaller than the IMX 260 - 1/2.4″, used, in particular, in the Galaxy S7). This sensor model was introduced at the beginning of 2016 and was one of the first to feature fast hybrid autofocus (0.03 s) and a built-in three-axis digital video stabilizer. Pixel size 1 µm. The basic format is 4:3, i.e. when shooting in 16:9 format, the “information content” of the frame in pixels will be lower (crop). Such sensors are used on Asus ZenFone 3, Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (f/2.0, OIS), Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra (f/2.0, OIS), Nubia Z11 mini S, Nubia Z17, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and others. The important thing here is the availability of high-quality lenses and well-developed software. Examples of photos show that the best option on this sensor in terms of sharpness, detail, color and dynamic range is the Nubia Z17, and the worst is the Asus ZenFone 3. On the Nubia Z17, the main one in the dual module is a camera with a sensor Sony IMX 362(seemingly) 12 megapixels with f/1.8, and telephoto Sony IMX 318 with 23 megapixels and f/2.0. The cameras are identical to the frameless Nubia Z17S - also Sony IMX 362 with 12 megapixels (f/1.8) and Sony IMX 318 with 23 megapixels (f/2.0) for 2x optical zoom. This approach is not entirely clear - it would be more logical to use a higher-resolution camera in wide-angle mode; in telephoto, 12 megapixels will be enough. This is not an isolated case. Both devices do not have optical stabilization. You can also get good footage on Xiaomi Mi Note 2. It uses one Sony IMX 318 sensor. The maximum resolution of the resulting photos in 4:3 format is 5488x4112, which corresponds to 22.56 megapixels. Aperture f/2.0. There is no optical stabilization. Everything would be fine, but the device itself, unfortunately, has several significant unpleasant properties (rounded screen, specific firmware, etc.).
Disadvantage of the CMOS sensor Sony IMX 362 is low resolution - only 12 megapixels. Otherwise it's quite good in terms of color, sharpness and dynamic range. Of course, a lot depends on the aperture ratio and quality of the optics, as well as on the diligence of the software writers. The following smartphones have it: Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2, Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom ZE553KL, Lenovo Moto G5 Plus, Lenovo Moto Z2 Play, HTC U11/HTC U11+, Sharp Aquos S2, Meizu M6 Note, Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL, Coolpad Cool M7, above described Nubia Z17/17S and Archos Diamond Omega. It is the HTC U11 with f/1.7 that shows good results in the camera test (otherwise it is terrible, especially in design). Even the budget Meizu M6 Note, with not the best glass (but f/1.9) and the absence of optical stabilization, shows acceptable results. You can take it. The only mystery for me is why they pulled the microUSB connector out of the dust again and didn’t install USB-C. And the gold Chinese colors are unnerving... The Sharp Aquos S2 (according to the version) has good daytime photos. It has a dual camera: the main one with IMX 362, f/1.8 glass (reported f/1.75) and optical stabilization; the second camera is 8 megapixels. But in low light - poor watercolor. In March 2018, a balanced “mid-range” of the new Meizu E3 line was presented with a dual main camera - 12 MP (Sony IMX362 sensor, Dual Pixel, f/1.9, no OIS) + 20 MP module ( Sony IMX350, f/2.6). It has double zoom - 1.8x (optical) and 2.5x (without loss of quality). On the plus side - finally USB Type-C, screen - 5.99″ LCD IPS, stone - Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, battery - 3360 mAh, AnTuTu - 112.478. It’s worth taking a closer look and waiting for the tests of this smartphone.
On relatively old “bodies” Meizu MX6 (f/2.0, no OIS), Meizu Pro 6s (f/2.0, OIS), Meizu Pro 6 Plus (f/2.0, OIS), Meizu M3X (f/2.0, no OIS) , Huawei Honor 6X and Huawei Nova, as well as on the latest Huawei Mate 10 Pro (f/1.6, OIS), Motorola Moto Z2 Force (f/2.0, no OIS), Meizu Pro 7 (f/2.0, no OIS), Meizu Pro 7 Plus (f/2.0, no OIS), Xiaomi Mi Max 2, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, Xiaomi Mi6 and Xiaomi Mi Note 3 uses a 12 MP CMOS sensor (3968 x 2976 pixels) Sony IMX 386 Exmor RS, announced in the summer of 2016. The standard aspect ratio here is 4:3. None of the smartphones with this sensor can be recommended as acceptable in terms of photographic properties. The lack of optical stabilization at the f/2.2 hole on the Xiaomi Mi Max 2, introduced in May 2017, gives very mediocre results in all modes. Xiaomi Mi Note 3 seems to be equipped with light glass with an f/1.8 aperture (the second camera is worse - f/2.6) and optical stabilization, but is practically no different from Xiaomi Mi6: they both produce mediocre frames, both in sharpness and color and dynamic range. Especially in low light. There are also chromatic aberrations. So, the camera from Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is praised in vain... Meizu Pro 7 Plus shows slightly better photos during the day due to good glass, but when the light decreases (especially in the evening or indoors), “watercolor” begins. Introduced September 2017 Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 about equipped with the same sensor (the only rear camera on the device) with optical stabilization and f/2.0 optics. It is no better than its “sensor brothers”. Good color and accurate exposure, but the frames lack detail, too much sharpening, noise and watercolor in low light.
The flagship smartphone LG G6, released at the beginning of 2017, turned out to be quite a compromise. Together with the innovative FullVision 5.7″ screen (with a diagonal of 18:9 or 2:1), which occupies almost the entire surface of the front side of the smartphone, the device received a far from new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and a dual camera with a 2015 sensor - Sony IMX 258 at 13 MP. This sensor has a diagonal of 5.867 mm (1/3.06″), a total number of pixels of 4224 x 3192, effective pixels of 4224 x 3144, active pixels of 4208 x 3120, while the actual image in 4:3 format is even smaller - 4160 x 3120, and in 2:1 (18:9) - 4160 x 2080 (test frames from the LG G6 US997 version have a size of 4160 x 2340 pixels). One camera provides wide-format shooting with an angle of 125°, the second - with an angle of 71°. The main camera has f/1.8 aperture, the second camera has f/2.4 aperture. The photographs do not shine with detail - instead they are “watercolor” with significant oversharpening, and the night shots are very dull and noisy. The budget smartphone LG Q6 /Q6/Q6+ with a FullVision screen, presented in the summer of 2017, has a single rear camera, apparently with the same 13 MP sensor (LG does not disclose the brand, although some sources indicate the installation of a sensor of LG’s own production) and optics with f/2.2 aperture. In 4:3 format, frames have a similar size of 4160 x 3120 pixels, and 18:9 images are also obtained by cropping a 4:3 frame (9.7 megapixels in total). The G6 has optical stabilization, the Q6 does not.
It was a disgrace to put such a sensor on the flagship G6, of course, the footage from it does not cause any delight. By the way, on the very successful but budget Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, the same Sony IMX 258 sensor looks more logical and is quite sufficient, so users rate the quality of photos from its camera much higher than owners of the LG G6.
The same sensor is also found in smartphones Sony Xperia XA, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus, ZTE Nubia z17 mini (f/2.2), ZTE Nubia z17 miniS (f/2.2, has OIS), UMIDIGI S2 (dual - 13 MP on Sony IMX 258, the second at 5 MP) and, apparently, in Nokia 8.
Sony IMX 351 Exmor RS. The sensor has a resolution of 16 megapixels, a diagonal of 5.822 mm (1/3.09″), the total number of pixels is 4688 x 3648 (about 17.1 megapixels), effective - 4688 x 3512 (16.46 megapixels), active - 4656 x 3496 (16.28 MP), grain - 1 micron. Installed on Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro (one main camera, f/2.0, no OIS) and LG V30/V30+. In the new LG V30 and LG V30+, the dual main camera module has the following composition: a standard camera based on Sony IMX351 with a coverage of 71° (f/1.6, OIS), a second camera of 13 megapixels with a Samsung S5K3M3 sensor (1/2 size ,9″, wide-format camera with 120° coverage, f/1.9). By the way, Samsung S5K3M3 is also used in the Xiaomi Mi6 photo module (together with the main camera with a Sony IMX 362 sensor). Frames from the LG V30/V30+ leave a strange impression: it feels like wide-format photos (the S5K3M3 is used here) were taken with a 12-megapixel sensor, and then “inflated” by interpolation to 13 megapixels - watercolor everywhere and soap around the edges. It's a pity that LG is moving along with the fickle and intrusive market, like many other smartphone manufacturers with “good” cameras, in the wrong direction. The last very decent one was the LG G4, and the subsequent LG G5, LG G6 and LG V30/V30+ became, by and large, failures and disappointing hopes in terms of photographic properties. The same Sony IMX351 Exmor RS sensor is also used on other variations of the family - LG V30S and LG V30S Plus (f/1.6, OIS, announced in February 2018).
Sensor Sony IMX 378. It has large grains. It was introduced in September 2016. Size - 7.81 mm (1/2.3″), pixel - 1.55 microns. The aspect ratio is 4:3, allowing you to take frames of 4048 x 3036 (4056 x 3040) pixels, which is about 12.3 megapixels. In general, the sensor is one of the most acceptable in the Sony line, but only 12 megapixels, which is not enough! Installed on the pretentiously expensive Google Pixel and Pixel XL (with OIS), as well as on Xiaomi Mi5S (without OIS), BlackBerry KEYone, Huawei P10, Huawei Honor 9 and HTC U Ultra (f/1.8, OIS). The HTC U Ultra smartphone produces photos that are slightly below the quality of the Google Pixel. The colors are normal, there is little noise, the sharpness is good, you can shoot with manual settings in RAW. At night the footage is not as good, but acceptable. Xiaomi Mi5S: color, dynamic range and sharpness are excellent. A good alternative to the overpriced Google Pixel. A significant disadvantage is that there is no optical stabilization, so when shooting in low light conditions, the automatic system raises the ISO to reduce shutter speed, which results in strong noise and watercolors. Frame resolution is exactly 4000 x 3000 pixels. Huawei Honor 9 has a dual camera - 20 MP in b/w mode (monochrome) + 12 MP color (with IMX378 sensor, f/2.2, OIS, frame size for some reason 3968 x 2976 pixels - apparently “eats” the stabilizer) . Phase + laser autofocus. Such techniques are traditional for Huawei, similar to the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus. Two sensors are used for color shooting with a final resolution of 20 megapixels (“synthetic” image using the technology of combining data from a black-and-white sensor and data obtained from a color sensor), as well as for zoom and “portrait”. An evaluation of the images shows that “chemistry” with color and resolution does not give a positive result.
Sony IMX 380- the next Google sensor. Only available on Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL (frames have a size of 4032 x 3024 pixels). Sensor resolution - 4096 x 3040 pixels (12.4 megapixels), standard size - 7.81 mm (1/2.3″), pixel - 1.55 microns. Announced in October 2017. I won’t talk in detail about the pictures - they seem to be quite good, f/1.8 hole, but their “12 MP class” resolution, as noted above, does not provide wide opportunities for post-processing, which often involves alignment and cropping, which further reduces the frame size. Well, the price tag is unfriendly (XL - almost 60,000 rubles at the end of 2017 and will not get cheaper), Google phones are the “apples” of Android devices...
Sony IMX 377- another “large-grain” sensor “12 MP class”. Its resolution is about 12.35 megapixels, the sensor size and pixel size are still the same - 1/2.3″ and 1.55 microns. Installed on expensive LG Nexus 5X, HTC 10 and Huawei Nexus 6P. They produce frames measuring 4032 x 3024 pixels. The quality of the photos is good for its time, but the cameras are already obsolete and only used ones are available...
More pixels are better!
There are few offers in the segment of smartphones with high-resolution sensors. But in vain. Previously, “multi-pixel” sensors were used more widely - this applies to Sony IMX 318 Exmor RS (23 MP), which was discussed above, and Sony IMX 230. However, their time is running out. More or less modern Sony IMX 300 and Sony IMX 400 sensors are installed only on Sony devices. This is bad.
An interesting, high-quality and inexpensive device at one time was the LeEco LeMax 2 (X820), presented in April 2016. It is equipped with a 5.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 or 6 GB of RAM , 32, 64 or 128 GB of internal memory, 3100 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging, USB-C connector and 21.5 megapixel main camera with sensor-based optical stabilization Sony IMX 230 Exmor RS(hole f/2.0). The sensor is not new at all - it was released in April 2015. It has the following parameters - CMOS, diagonal 7.487 mm (1/2.4″). The total number of pixels is 5408 x 4112 (about 22.24 MP), effective - 5360 x 4032 (21.61 MP), active - 5344 x 4016 (21.46 MP). Pictures of LeEco LeMax 2 (X820) have a size of 5312 x 3984 pixels (21.16 megapixels) in 4:3 format and 5312 x 2988 in 16:9 format (crop, almost 15.9 megapixels). Good color and detail, quite acceptable pictures at ISO values up to 800. There is HDR and a panorama with a height of 2512 pixels. 4K video at 30 fps with a stream of only 41 megabits (from experience I can say for sure that this is not enough; you need at least 51 megabits!). The downside is that there is no optical or digital stabilization when recording video (in the standard application). Unfortunately, LeEco has gone bust and the smartphone is not being updated. Many other smartphones were released with the same “ancient” sensor: Sony Xperia Z3+, Huawei Honor 7, Sony Xperia XA Ultra, Sony Xperia M5, Meizu Pro 6, Meizu Pro 5, Lenovo Vibe X3, Lenovo Moto Z Force, BlackBerry Priv, BlackBerry DTEK60, Blackview P6000, Motorola Droid Turbo 2, Motorola Moto X Play, Motorola Moto X Force, Motorola Moto X Style, LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 Pro, LeEco (LeTV) Le Max X900, LeEco (LeTV) Le Max Pro X910 , LeEco (LeTV) Le S3, as well as a lot of “Chinese” little-known on the Russian market.
Unfortunately, the sensor Sony IMX 300(5984 x 4144 pixels, ~25 MP, diagonal 7.87 mm - 1/2.3″, pixel size - 1.08 μm), which was released in September 2015, is available only on smartphones of the same company - unique and expensive Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, Sony Xperia Z5, Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, Sony Xperia X Performance, Sony Xperia X, Sony Xperia X Compact, Sony Xperia XZ, Sony Xperia XA1, Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra, Sony Xperia XA1 Plus. The sensor is interesting because it is multidimensional, similar to the sensors in the cameras of the Lumia 1520 and 950/950XL smartphones. Neither when shooting in 4:3 nor in 16:9 format are the dimensions of the sides of the frames in pixels repeated (not obtained by cropping). For example, on the Sony Xperia XA1, frames have the following dimensions: 5520 x 4144 pixels (22.9 MP) in 4:3 format, 5984 x 3376 pixels (20.2 MP) in wide format. The glass is quite dark - f/2.0, but there is also no optical stabilization. Lots of movement. The screen is only 5″ (1280 x 720): Sony probably thinks that this is convenient for viewing high-resolution images. Color: lacks warm shades. Detailing is excellent due to the sensor resolution. In poor lighting, as always with Sony, watercolor and soap are used. Processor - MediaTek. Battery - 2300. This is a masterpiece of February 2017, and not some old thing! The price tag is infuriating. In comparison, the “old man” Sony Xperia Z5 with the same sensor still looks better, however, it also does not have optical stabilization and has a “darkish” f/2.0 hole. The price tag is even more infuriating... Sony Xperia XZ shows the same parameters as XA1; no optical stabilization and only f/2.0.
Sony IMX 350. 20 MP sensor. Diagonal - 6.475 mm (1/2.78″). Pixel size - 1.0 μm, 4:3 format, active pixels - 5184 x 3880. Smart OnePlus 5 is equipped with a dual main camera, consisting of a wide-angle module with a 16-megapixel Sony IMX 398 matrix and a telephoto module with Sony IMX 350. Front camera - 16 MP with a Sony IMX 371 sensor. According to rumors, the Xiaomi Mi 7 device could have a dual camera with 19 MP (f/1.7) sensors; it was further reported that the main camera would have a 12-megapixel Sony IMX 380 sensor and a 20-megapixel Sony IMX350. The ZTE Axon M was planned to have one module with a Sony IMX 350 sensor (f/1.8, no OIS). OPPO R11 and R11 Plus smartphones have a dual main camera module - 16 MP (Sony IMX398, wide-angle lens, f/1.7, PDAF) and 20 MP (Sony IMX350, telephoto, f/2.6, 1/2.8″ , 1 µm). Introduced in March 2018, the smart Meizu E3 is equipped with a dual main camera - 12 MP (Sony IMX362 sensor, Dual Pixel, f/1.9, no OIS) + 20 MP module (Sony IMX350, f/2.6), implemented zoom 1.8x (optical) and 2.5x (lossless).
Sony IMX 376- a rarely used sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels (4:3 format, 5120 x 3840 pixels). It is installed mainly in the selfie modules of such Chinese smartphones as Vivo V5, Vivo V5 Plus and Vivo V5S (f 2.0), Vivo X9 and Vivo X9 Plus (there are dual front cameras, one of which has Sony IMX 376, f/2, 0). The sensor is included OnePlus 5T- there is a dual main camera: 16 MP (Sony IMX398, 1.12 micron, f/1.7) + 20 MP ( Sony IMX376K, 1 µm, f/1.7, monochrome module for shooting in low light). No OIS!
Relatively new sensor Sony IMX 400 also received high pixel resolution. It is multi-aspect and is also used only on Sony Xperia XZs, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Sony Xperia XZ1 and Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact. In particular, the best of the worst in this series, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, has “glass” with optical stabilization and an f/2.0 hole. The frames taken under standard conditions seem quite good at first glance, but due to optics with insufficient resolution and/or flawed software, the quality of the pictures is very poor - watercolor with sharpening. Dynamic range is narrow. In low light there is strong noise. The maximum resolution in 4:3 mode is 5056 x 3792 (19.2 MP), and in 16:9 it is 5504 x 3096 (about 17 MP), while the IMX 400 itself contains 5504 x 3792 pixels (20.9 MP). The Sony Xperia XZ1 and Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact also do not have optical stabilization. In general, as follows from the statements of Sony officials, doing the wrong thing is their credo, which they are proud of and promise to continue to follow: do not install OIS, make terrible plastic housings and on-screen control buttons if there is simply a huge beard on the bottom of the body.
Omnivision
The not-so-well-known company Omnivision also produces high-resolution sensors. They are not widely distributed.
A year ago, the company introduced new 20-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors - OV20880 And OV20880-4C (5184 x 3888 pixels) and OV16885 And OV16885-4C (4672 x 3504 pixels), made with second-generation PureCel Plus-S technology with less noise and low-light capabilities, as well as HDR support. There is no information yet about the use of these sensors in smartphones. Previous version OV16880 was used in LeEco (LeTV) Le S3, Xiaomi Mi Mix, LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X520, Xiaomi Mi Max, Oukitel K6000 Plus and the new Vivo V7+ (f/2.0, without OIS). Judging by the available photographs taken with Xiaomi Mi Mix and Xiaomi Mi Max, the “masterpieces” turn out to be very average in all respects.
Previously, the company offered the Omnivision sensor OV23850. It was announced at the end of 2014. Its resolution is about 23.8 megapixels (when shooting video - 5632 x 4224, and the working resolution when shooting photos is 5648 x 4232 pixels or cropped 5648 x 3184 pixels, i.e. 17.9 megapixels ). Captures images in an aspect ratio of 4:3, size – 1/2.3″. The only smartphone with it on board is the unknown “Chinese” Gionee Elife E8 (released in May 2015), which has OIS and an aperture of f/2.0.
Another 21.4 megapixel photosensor OV21840, intended for high-end smartphones. The release states that “the sensor features proprietary PureCel-S technology, which allows it to capture photos and videos with quality comparable to DSLR cameras.” However, to date there is no evidence that it has been installed on at least one smartphone. The sensor uses proprietary technology, thanks to which the sensing and processing elements are located separately, one after the other. The sensor supports phase detection autofocus, photo and video recording in HDR mode. Sensor size 1/2.4″. The number of active pixels is 5344 x 4016. The sensor is capable of recording video with a resolution no higher than QHD at a frequency of 30 frames per second in HDR mode.
OmniVision announced at the beginning of 2017 two sensor models - OV12A10(color) and OV12A1B(monochrome). True, “12 megapixel class”. These 1/2.8-inch sensors with a resolution of 4096 x 3072 pixels and a pixel size of 1.25 microns are designed for use in dual cameras. Omnivision sensor OV12A10 found application in the newfangled Xiaomi Mi A1, released in September 2017, and in its “twin” - Xiaomi Mi5x. They have a dual camera - the main one with an f/2.2 aperture and a focal length of 26 mm, the second with f/2.6 and 50 mm. This enables 2x optical zoom. There is HDR. No optical stabilization. Daytime photos are of surprisingly acceptable quality, considering that they were shot with OmniVision. Good dynamic range. You can take it. The Omnivision OV12A10 sensor is also found on the Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus smartphones presented in December 2017 (both with f/2.2 and without OIS), also possibly in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (announced in February 2018). ). Examples of photos from them are also quite good in daytime conditions, in poor lighting - mess and movement (because there is no stub and a dark hole).
From the line of high-resolution sensors from this company that would be installed on “non-Samsung” smartphones and would be worthy of attention, I know of only one type - S5K2T8. He stands (it seems to be he) only on ZTE Axon 7. This is not officially advertised. Resolution – 20 MP, size – 1/2.6″. The aperture on the ZTE Axon 7 is f/1.8, there is OIS. The frames have a resolution of 19.9 megapixels (5952 x 3348 pixels), although the resolution of the sensor itself is 5976 x 3368 pixels. For some reason, the smartphone was positioned as a music flagship. For me, he is more of a photo flagship among other “androids”! Good detail, color and white balance. In normal lighting conditions, the frames are of quite acceptable quality - without nasty soap, noise or shabby watercolors. In poor lighting it is no longer a masterpiece. There is blurring at the edges of the frames due to the presence of a wide-angle lens and a light hole (= shallow depth of field). In my opinion, the downside may be the standard aspect ratio for this sensor - 16:9. This ratio is more suitable for landscape photography. The installed sensor is not multi-aspect and 4:3 pictures will be cropped from 16:9: example photos show that they have a size of 4352 x 3264 pixels, about 14.2 megapixels (strange, why was it necessary to “crop” both on the narrow and wide sides ?!)…
The S5K2T8 sensor is not listed anywhere in Samsung’s lists and is possibly a version of the S5K2T7 sensor, which, however, has an aspect ratio of 4:3 and a resolution of 5184 x 3880 - 20 megapixels.
A weak non-removable battery can greatly limit the duration of “field” use of a smartphone for filming—you definitely need a power bank.
It’s a pity that the smartphone was very expensive “during its lifetime” (released in May 2016); is now somewhat outdated, although it is still on sale - as of December 2017, it was selling from 23 rubles for the 4/64GB version. I can recommend purchasing for lack of something radically better on Android! The purchase and use of this smart device showed that the phenomenon of significant soap/blurring on the left side of the pictures, which was repeatedly complained about in the ZTE Axon 7 thread on w3bsit3-dns.com, is apparently endemic; was also present in the purchased copy. This may be due to incorrect factory installation of the camera module - the same thing previously happened on other smartphones, including some MS Lumia 950XL (single SIM version).
Sony is a leading manufacturer of digital photographic equipment. In the world of smartphones, its camera matrices are supplied to many companies both in finished form (in a housing) and in the form of a “semi-finished product” - the sensors themselves, the assembly of modules on the basis of which is carried out by another company (like O-Film). One of the flagship matrices of 2016 is the Sony Exmor IMX298, which was liked by several manufacturers and used by them in their top smartphones. A review will help you learn more about the capabilities of this sensor.
Specifications Sony Exmor IMX298
The technical description of the Sony Exmor IMX298 is publicly available for potential customers, so it was not difficult to get acquainted with the official characteristics of the matrix. According to the document, Sony Exmor IMX298 is a CMOS sensor and belongs to the BSI (back illuminated) type. Matrices of this type have improved light sensitivity compared to conventional CMOS. The camera supports phase detection autofocus technology, but it is not a full-fledged DualPixel.
The full size of the matrix is 6.433x4.92 mm, the diagonal of the effective area is 1/2.8 vidicon inches, which is equivalent to 6.521 mm. This standard size is standard for 16 MP mobile matrices, so the pixels have classic dimensions of 1.12x1.12 microns. The real resolution of the Sony Exmor IMX298 sensor is 4720x1600 pixels, that is, almost 17 MP. Some of them are used for official needs (such as electronic image stabilization), so only a resolution of up to 4672x3520 pixels or 16.44 MP is available for shooting.
Since smartphone camera software is designed for shooting in two formats, with frame aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9, the resolution of the resulting frames will be even lower. In theory, video shooting can be carried out by the matrix even in full resolution with a frequency of 30 FPS, and the bitrate of the camera system bus reaches 1.5 Gbit/s. But since the camera’s capabilities are in the most common video format (16:9), only 4K resolution (up to 4096x2160) with the same 30 FPS is actually available for use. When using FullHD resolution, the maximum frame rate increases to 60 frames per second.
An interesting feature of the Sony Exmor IMX298 is support for dual sensor synchronization. But despite its presence, there are currently no dual cameras with this sensor inside on the market.
Smartphones with Sony Exmor IMX298 camera
Since the launch of the Sony Exmor IMX298 matrix, many smartphones have been equipped with it. One of the first was Huawei Mate 8, released in November 2015. Other well-known smartphones with a camera based on Sony Exmor IMX298 are Xiaomi Mi5, OnePlus 3 and 3T, ZTE Nubia Z11 in all modifications, Asus smartphones ZenFone 3 series, LeEco Le Pro 3 and the best-selling Chinese smartphone of 2016 – Oppo R9. Less well-known devices that use such a camera sensor are Vivo Xplay 5, Vivo X7.
One of the latest devices that uses the Sony Exmor IMX298 matrix is the LG V20. Some sources report IMX234 (as in the LG G5), but this is not true: the specified matrix has widescreen proportions and its height is limited to 2988 pixels. Since the LG V20 is capable of shooting photos with a height of 3492 pixels, there is no way it could have IMX234.
Most of these smartphones are equipped with a basic version of the matrix produced by Sony. Therefore, they use optics with an aperture ratio of F/2, and the module contains an optical stabilization mechanism. However, it seems that some Chinese decided to save money and used a simplified version of the matrix: Vivo and LeEco devices do not have an optical stabilizer.
The capabilities of the Sony Exmor IMX298 camera are determined (and sometimes limited) by the quality of the software optimization. For example, DXOMark experts rated the LG V20 at 85 points, Xiaomi Mi5 received 79 points, and ZTE Nubia Z11 - 78. If we consider the potential of the camera from the perspective of an ordinary user, then the Sony Exmor IMX298 is a high-quality flagship sensor that takes good photos. Only the flagships of Samsung or Apple can surpass it in terms of shooting quality.
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It should be noted that Sony is a blunder in optimizing smartphones for MediaTek chipsets, so the Xperia M5 has been annoying customers with various “glitches” for a long time; by today’s standards, the Helio X10 processor is slow, and it does not work at its maximum capabilities in the M5. The case heats up with or without reason, autonomy leaves much to be desired. But the proprietary shell is comfortable, the cameras are high-quality, the display is bright and clear, and the prestige of such a smartphone in “glamorous” circles is much higher than that of any Huawei or Xiaomi. Official distributors have gone crazy and are asking a completely ridiculous 25 thousand rubles for the old Sony, but “gray” sellers price the Xperia M5 Dual at 15-16 thousand - a completely fair price for such a model.
ZTE Nubia Z11 mini S
ZTE has a luxury division, Nubia, and it, in turn, has the flagship Z11 series, which has a simplified version of the Z11 mini, which recently underwent an update in the house that Jack built. We should pay tribute to the Chinese - the Z11 mini S differs from the Z11 mini radically and only for the better.
A very agile smartphone with a brutal body and red accents. You can’t really find fault with the characteristics: fast Snapdragon 625, 4 GB of RAM, 64 or 128 GB of internal storage. It’s also nice that ZTE (whose “hands are sharpened” more to adjust the audio path than camera algorithms) made a broad gesture and equipped the Z11 mini S with a 22-megapixel rear camera based on the Sony IMX318 sensor. The much more expensive ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe and Xiaomi Mi Note 2 are equipped with the same sensor, if you are not aware.
Sony has a lot of matrices for smartphone cameras in its arsenal, and the range is constantly being updated. Along with radically new solutions (like the IMX400, which supports video shooting at 960 FPS), matrices are also being produced that are modified (improved or cheaper) versions of previous models. One of them was the Sony Exmor RS IMX386, which is actually an updated variation of the IMX286, released six months earlier.
Sony Exmor IMX386 is a photographic matrix, according to marketing ranking, located on the border of the middle and flagship price categories (closer to the flagships). It found application in smartphones priced at $250-$500, released in late 2016 and early-mid 2017. The Sony Exmor IMX386 review will take you closer to the technical specifications and capabilities of this camera.
Specifications Sony Exmor IMX386
The basis of the Sony Exmor IMX386 is a CMOS matrix, made in 4:3 proportions, standard for photographic equipment. Its size is 1/2.9", the physical diagonal is 6.2 mm. The full sensor resolution is 3968x2976 pixels or 11.8 megapixels. There is a phase detection autofocus system with selective placement of the corresponding sensors (there is no Dual Pixel technology).
Due to the increased diagonal (compared to the most popular 1/3.06") and reduced resolution (versus 13 megapixels), the camera has an increased pixel size. The dimensions of the pixel cell are 1.25x1.25 microns, which gives a 25% larger light-absorbing area than cameras with 1.12x1.12 microns: 1.56 microns2 versus 1.25 microns2. In theory, this should give higher quality and detail in photos in low light conditions, but we’ll see how it works in practice later in the review.
Not all camera modules based on Sony IMX386 are equipped with an image stabilization system. Flagships have it, while mid-range models are equipped with sensors housed in a simpler housing. The optics of the cameras are also different: based on Sony IMX386, modules are created whose lenses contain 5 or 6 lenses, with an aperture from F/1.6 to F/2.2. Therefore, the final quality of photos and videos may vary on different devices.
Video recording from the camera can be recorded in resolution up to 4K. The maximum frame rate when recording video in Slow-Mo, with a reduced resolution, can reach 240 FPS, but is limited by the capabilities of the chipset. Therefore, in existing smartphones with Sony IMX386, the video recording speed is usually lower.
Smartphones with Sony Exmor IMX386 camera
As of the end of August 2017, the Sony IMX386 matrix was of interest only to leading Chinese smartphone manufacturers. Companies from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan have not yet released their devices with such a camera, but Xiaomi and Meizu liked this sensor. Companies have created a number of mid- and high-end devices with such matrices.
In , the flagship of 2017, the main camera is based on Sony IMX386. It is made as part of a module with a 4-axis optical stabilization system and a six-element lens. The lens aperture is F/1.8. In the middle class, Xiaomi equipped phablets and . The main camera of both differs from the flagship in a simplified module system and cheaper optics. These smartphones do not have optical stabilization, the lens consists of 5 lenses, and the relative diameter of its pupil is F/2.2.
Meizu also did not ignore the Sony IMX386. The first device with this camera was , released in the summer of 2016. Its matrix is made in a body without OIS, with optics with an F/2 aperture. The same configuration is used in the fashionable glass mid-ranger Meizu M3X. But Meizu Pro 6S and Pro 6 Plus use a more advanced main camera configuration. The lens aperture has not been improved, but the module received a 4-axis optical stabilization system and laser autofocus.
The latest Meizu devices with this camera are the flagships Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus. They use a dual camera based on color and black and white Sony IMX386 sensors. Their optics have an F/2 aperture and consist of 6 lenses.
Huawei and AGM each have one device with Sony IMX386 matrices. The first equipped it with a mid-range phablet, which is equipped with a dual camera. The main one of the pair is precisely the object of review. The module configuration is simple, without a stabilization system and five-lens optics with an F/2.2 aperture.
The latest smartphone presented, equipped with Sony IMX386, is AGM X2. He has two of these matrices, color and black and white. The smartphone is not yet on mass sale, so there is no detailed verified information about its cameras yet, but since the company is not the most famous, most likely, a simple module configuration is used, without OIS and improved optics.
Examples of photos from a camera based on Sony IMX386
To evaluate what the Sony IMX386 matrix is capable of in mid-range smartphones and flagships, we offer a selection of photographs taken from it. To take examples, we used Xiaomi Mi6 and Mi Max 2 equipped with this matrix. The photographs were taken in approximately the same lighting conditions so that you could look and see how the quality and aperture of the optics affects the quality of the pictures.
Flash shot on Xiaomi Mi6
Night, dark, photo with flash (Mi MAX 2)
Daytime, cloudy, shot in the shade of trees on Xiaomi Mi6 (1300 lux)
Daytime, cloudy, shot in the shade of trees on Mi MAX 2 (1300 lux)
During the day, cloudy& Shot on Mi6 (2000 lux)
Daytime, cloudy. Mi MAX 2 (2000 lux)
Daytime, cloudy. Mi6 (5000 lux)
Daytime, cloudy. Mi MAX 2 (5000 lux)
As you can see, despite the same IMX386 matrices, Xiaomi Mi6 is slightly superior to Mi MAX 2 in image quality. In addition to the matrix, the chipset, software, optics, etc. play an important role.
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