Best smartphones for photography in India

Sep 7, 2021, 14:57 IST

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Smartphone cameras have evolved a lot over the years. With upgrades in hardware and software optimisations, it’s possible to take really good photos and videos with just a smartphone camera. There are still a few gaps to fill especially in hardware specifically with telephoto lenses which isn’t available in most smartphones. Telephoto lenses help in taking photos of things that are at a further distance and in good quality. Digital zoom does help but the photos turn out to have too much noise which you won’t find with optical zoom. So it’s important to have a telephoto lens in your phone’s camera setup.

If you’re trying to find one, here’s a list of the best smartphones with telephoto lenses.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

The Galaxy S21 Ultra has two telephoto cameras which are both 10-megapixel sensors. One has an f/2.4 aperture and supports 3x optical zoom, while the other has an f/4.9 aperture and supports up to 10x optical zoom. The smartphone also offers up to 100x digital zoom. Accompanying these two cameras are a 108-megapixel primary sensor and a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens. It is equipped with optical image stabilisation (OIS), and autofocus. You can also record 8K videos at 24 frames per second (fps) with the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The smartphone houses a 40-megapixel front camera for selfies and video calling.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is one of the best smartphones you can get for photography. It has a triple camera setup with a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. The iPhone 12 Pro Max supports 2.5x optical zoom in and 2x optical zoom out with a 5x optical zoom range. It also supports digital zoom up to 12x. You also get a LiDAR Scanner for night mode portraits. More camera features on the iPhone 12 Pro Max include dual optical image stabilisation, Deep Fusion, Apple ProRAW, and portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control. For selfies, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel front camera.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro

The iPhone 12 Pro is an alternative to the iPhone 12 Pro Max for a slightly lower price. It has the same set of cameras as the iPhone 12 Pro Max which include 12-megapixel ultra wide, wide and telephoto cameras. You get 2x optical zoom in and 2x optical zoom out on the iPhone 12 Pro. It also offers up to 4x optical zoom range and digital zoom up to 10x. Other features like night mode portraits, portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control, and dual optical image stabilisation are also available on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. You also get the same 12-megapixel front camera with features like night mode, Animoji and Memoji, and portrait mode on the iPhone 12 Pro. There isn't much that you miss out on with the iPhone 12 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is another camera phone you can go for. It features a triple camera setup with a 108-megapixel primary sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra wide angle lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. The smartphone offers optical zoom at 5x and digital zoom up to 50x. You can also shoot 8K videos with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and in Pro Video mode by adjusting the ISO, shutter speed, focus and more. It also offers slow-motion video recording at 120 frames per second. More camera features include portrait mode, Single Take, super steady and more. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra also features a 10-megapixel punch-hole camera for selfies.

OnePlus 9 Pro 5G

If you’re a OnePlus fan then the OnePlus 9 Pro 5G is your best choice for photography. It has a quad-camera setup with a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel ultra wide angle lens, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor. The telephoto lens on the OnePlus 9 Pro supports up to 3.3x optical zoom, and it has optical image stabilisation as well. The smartphone’s camera features include 8K video recording, night mode, super macro mode, portrait mode, video portrait, focus tracking and more. For selfies, you get a 16-megapixel front camera on the OnePlus 9 Pro.

Vivo X60 Pro

The Vivo X60 Pro is a smartphone you can consider if your budget isn’t very high. It has a triple rear camera setup featuring a 48-megapixel primary sensor, 13-megapixel ultra wide angle lens, and a 13-megapixel telephoto lens. The smartphone offers up to 2x optical zoom and up to 20x digital zoom but through the primary sensor. The Vivo X60 Pro actually stands out for its built-in Gimbal stabilisation to prevent camera shakes. The smartphone also features a Zeiss lens for bokeh photography. For selfies, the Vivo X60 Pro features a 32-megapixel front camera.

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