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| OPPO launches true continuous zoom lens for mobile phones |
After launching its next generation off-screen selfie camera earlier this month, OPPO hosted an upcoming online conference on imaging technology and made some camera related announcements.
The company is known for showing off its camera technology in prototypes long before it was even released to the market.
For example, the company has pioneered the introduction of periscope telephoto lenses and sub-screen cameras, which are becoming increasingly common in high-end devices.
The new announcement concerns a telephoto lens with continuous optical zoom. Unlike the pop-up telephoto lenses in use today, the lens element moves in the 85-200mm zoom range, which means the image should be clear at any focal length without digital zoom or cropping.
Vivo has announced similar products as the Apex 2020. However, the range is limited, around 130-195mm.
OPPO modules start at 85mm, which is a common focal length for portraits, which makes them more versatile. The company noted that using a single camera with more focal lengths also ensures more consistent performance in terms of color and white balance.
However, the company has not specified when the camera will be able to be shipped via commercial devices.
The next ad is about a five-axis optical image stabilization system that uses lens shift technology and shift sensors, as well as motion data from cell phone gyroscopes.
OPPO launches true continuous zoom lens for mobile phones
Lens offset is used for more gradual stabilization while sensor offset is used for more dramatic situations. It includes gyro sensors and the ability to move along the X and Y axes.
The company claims it's three times better than the stabilization achieved with the traditional OIS camera module, which Vivo said about the gimbal it shipped since last year.
Unlike the zoom lens, Oppo has confirmed the plan to launch OIS as it will appear on its phones from the first quarter of 2022.
The company's latest big announcement is a new RGBW formatted image sensor. This adds extra white sub-pixels and the company claims it increases light sensitivity by 60%.
The company understands that previous attempts with RGBW sensors have their limitations. However, she believes that due to more advanced manufacturing processes and improved decoding algorithms, the new efforts should have a significant impact.
Sensor will also be available soon. The company said it will appear in mobile phones shipped in the fourth quarter of 2021.