Smartphone brands like OPPO are constantly striving to create powerful and smart features that turn users into master photographers. This includes hardware breakthroughs in lens technology and sophisticated image processing algorithms. OPPO has also been conducting in-depth research on professional photography and collaborating with renowned experts in areas such as portrait photography, lighting design, and post-production effects. Through ongoing discussions and detailed studies of their masterpieces, OPPO has uncovered insights that have led to the creation of its own timeless photography aesthetic. The latest edition of the OPPO Reno series, Reno10 Pro+ 5G, offers a professional-level portrait photography experience across every aspect of the imaging chain, from image capture and processing to image display. This sets a new benchmark for professional portrait photography on a smartphone.
Setting a new standard for professional portrait photography on smartphone
The rise in computational power on smartphones has led to the introduction of image optimization or ‘beautification’ effects to enhance the subject’s brightness and reduce background brightness. This approach can create visually appealing images, but they are not photographic masterpieces. Light and shadow play a crucial role in good photography, transforming face contours into more three-dimensional and lifelike shapes. A comparison of two images – one with minimal processing to preserve natural light and shadow, and another heavily utilizing algorithmic optimization – reveals that these two approaches significantly compromise spatial and three-dimensional textures, compressing the person’s contours into a two-dimensional flat surface.
Smartphone image processing algorithms can improve photography, but overreliance on these can also destroy natural information, particularly the relationship between light and shadow. This results in a flat 2D representation of the 3D world, creating a cookie-cutter aesthetic that lacks depth and true beauty. To create timeless masterpieces, OPPO aims to combine computational photography with traditional photography, which has remained an innate human instinct despite advancements in camera technology. Traditional photography requires complex equipment and extensive training, but it still appeals to many people who are willing to spend hours in the darkroom or in front of an SLR to capture real-life beauty in their photos. OPPO aims to combine this knowledge with smart computational photography techniques to build an imaging system capable of reproducing the ultra-realistic interconnection between light and shadow, space, and true-to-life colors.
OPPO has a team of over 1,000 dedicated imaging specialists and an annual investment of over 1 billion yuan (approximately US$156 million) to build the technology needed to help millions of users shoot enduring and beautiful works of photography on their mobile phones. The company collaborates with acclaimed photographers, lighting engineers, and post-production specialists to incorporate their insights and expertise on what defines good portrait photography into its products. OPPO has determined what it believes to be the fundamental standard for excellent smartphone portrait photography: professional-level images with clear details, natural colors, and ultra-realistic light and shadow effects.
End-to-end upgrades bring pro-level portrait photography to smartphone on Reno10 Pro+ 5G
The said brand has enhanced the Reno10 Pro+ 5G camera’s image experience, from shooting to processing and display, to deliver SLR-standard portrait photography capabilities. The camera lens, the first component in the image capture chain, plays a crucial role in determining image quality. OPPO has introduced an independent, professional quality telephoto lens for the first time in Reno history, enhancing image clarity and quality from the root.
Behind this lens sits a large 64MP, ½ inch sensor capable of capturing more light with greater color sensitivity. The camera features a 3x optical zoom with a large f/2.5 aperture and a minimum focusing distance as little as 25 cm, offering more freedom of composition when using optical zoom with 71mm equivalent focal length. By enlarging landscapes in the distance without magnifying the subject in the foreground, viewer attention can be drawn to both subject and background, merging them into one. If additional magnification is needed, Reno10 Pro+ 5G also offers a new optical quality 6x zoom built on OPPO’s In-sensor Zoom Technology.
On top of these features, the lens is coated with an ALD anti-reflective optical coating and BG spin-coating process to reduce color glare and lens flare caused by complex lighting, like point light sources. It also includes cutting-edge Prime floating OIS to improve image stabilization for clearer photos.
As the last stage in both shooting and reviewing photos, the screen is in many ways just as important as all the other steps that come before it: without a high-quality screen to view photos on, all other improvements are made in vain. So, to give the fantastic photos and videos shot on Reno10 Pro+ 5G the stage they deserve, another fresh innovation has been brought to a 2772 × 1240 resolution Ultra-clear Display in the form of ProXDR Smart Display Control.
OPPO has developed a new image exposure strategy for the Reno10 Pro+ 5G, which aims to display light and shadow information during the shooting stage. The strategy uses over 20 types of lighting, including backlight, side light, top light, bottom light, and mixed light sources, to redefine the relationship between light and shadow. The Reno10 Pro+ 5G generates a frame of grayscale information with up to 12 million pixels during the shooting stage, which is converted using 4-in-1 pixel binning technology to create a 3 million-pixel grayscale image with rich light and shadow information. This data allows the device to locally adjust screen brightness by up to 1100 nits when displaying HDR photos, using a high-precision image recognition algorithm called ProXDR Smart Display Control. This process provides up to 8 times higher dynamic range than standard SDR, allowing users to relive the moment when viewing photos on the device.
Putting professional masterpieces in the hands of everyone
OPPO is introducing a Portrait Expert Project to enhance the Reno series of portrait cameras. The project will involve a global Portrait Expert Group of professional photographers, who will optimize the technologies of the Reno series. The improvements will include subject recognition, character-scene separation, facial feature and skin tone protection, face clarity optimization, and expert-level tunning of light and shadow. The Reno10 series will also feature enhancements to subject recognition, character-scene separation, facial feature and skin tone protection, face clarity optimization, and expert-level tunning of light and shadow. OPPO is also seeking feedback from its global users through the OPPO imagine IF Photography Project, a global image creation platform designed to help users push the limits of expression through the latest photo and video technology. The 2023 imagine IF Photography Contest aims to encourage users to explore artistic expression and inspire each other to unleash the infinite possibilities of imaging. OPPO continues to evolve its camera offerings to create the most professional experience on smartphones, focusing on end-to-end improvements that put professional masterpieces in the hands of everyone.
