Mobile phones have different components that have improved over the years, such as the zoom in the cameras of the terminals . It is well known that this has been with mobile phones practically since their origins, although each time it has become more and more sophisticated.
When we talk about this technology that the cameras of the devices have, we can see that there are three types: optical, digital and hybrid . Digital is the first to appear alongside mobile phones, and for a few years the optical has also been incorporated. The last to join was the hybrid, although these three are similar in terms of design, the truth is that they are very different in terms of execution and the quality that they can offer us.
How the zoom works
Before being able to enter to distinguish each of the types that exist, it is important to understand that it basically consists of increasing the image that we are going to capture with the camera of our mobile, that is, we can zoom in on the image without having to move. Although, today, the ways to do it could vary, since each phone has different chips that help it achieve some results or others, apart from the characteristics of its sensors.
Three types of zoom for the smartphone
Digital zoom, the first to arrive
All terminals have fixed lenses on their cameras, which is why the only way to enlarge an image is to zoom, which is achieved by taking a piece of the photographic sensor that will then be stretched, resulting in an enlarged image. .
That is to say, so that we understand it in a simpler way, what this type does is cut some areas around the scene to give the feeling that we are even closer to the object to be photographed. But in reality, what it causes is that the rest of the image is enlarged using algorithms, which is why it is called digital. That’s why digital has limits, depending on which manufacturer builds the camera and the software. It is the manufacturer who decides how much a photograph can enlarge without losing so much quality that the result is useless.
Optical zoom, the traditional
This type began to be exploited by mobile manufacturers as a result of the appearance of dual cameras. This is because it requires a variation in the focal length of the lens. In addition, this works in the following way, the greater the focal length, the closer it is.
And, in this case, the glass can move through the lens to zoom in or out of the image. So it can provide us with the best results, giving a more realistic image enlargement sensation. Therefore, if our terminal has an optical one, we will not lose quality when taking an enlarged image, since what the mobile device does is switch between one camera and another to take the picture.
For example, if our mobile has a 108 megapixel sensor with a focal length of 26 millimeters, its telephoto lens is 103 millimeters, so the maximum optical that we will get will be 3.9X (103/26).
The hybrid zoom, the most “deceptive”
The last to join the types that we can find in the terminals has been the hybrid, as its name suggests, it is a mix between the optical and the traditional digital . Therefore, to have the hybrid, or for the manufacturer to offer it to us, we will have to have an optical one first. With this type, the digital is achieved but of higher quality, in addition to reaching a greater distance.
This type works in a similar way to digital, since to achieve an enlargement in the image, more than what the lenses of the mobile allow, the software has to ” invent ” the pixels to be able to bring the image closer and for our brain to interpret it. as a real picture.
So, to be able to talk about the hybrid in mobile phones, we must have several lenses, including a 3x or 5x optical . This allows the terminal to have many sources of information to obtain those pixels that it has to place. That is, they use different software enhancements and computational photography to create a better image from multiple photos.
Don’t be fooled by brands
One of the main doubts that arise when looking at the specifications of the mobile camera is when terms such as 2x, 5x, 10x begin to appear … This basically refers to the increases that we can achieve with the camera of our mobile to take a picture enlarged.
The problem with this is that many confuse the optical and the hybrid as they use this. But to know how many increases can be achieved with the camera of our mobile, it must be clear that the maximum that we are going to see in the optical is a 3x or 5x increase, while in hybrids we can go above 10x . So you should pay attention if the mobile you are going to buy has an optical or hybrid zoom.
Zoom issues
If we look at the more technical terms of these types, when we take a photo with a digital one from the mobile, and as we had explained previously, it is something like a cutout of a part of the sensor . The mobile uses fewer megapixels to take said photo, and then they are scaled to the size of the original photo. So we must be clear that when we expand the view in the photos from your Android, it is practically like not doing it, unless your terminal has an optical one.
Which has better results?
In the first place, we find the digital one, which basically consists of bringing the image closer virtually or inventing the parts that we need to capture, giving a worse image quality. Instead, the optical zoom has to do with the focal length and the variation that we exert on it, so if we increase the focal length, we will get closer in a more realistic way. And consequently, we will be able to obtain a more real image and not so “invented” as with digital.
Finally, the hybrid is the one that comes out of the mixture of both, allowing us to go further, to enlarge the image more , but we return to the same thing. We will lose a great quality in the image we capture in the case of increasing it in abundance, although we will not lose as much quality as with digital.
In short, with digital we will obtain an unreal image, while with optical we will have increases without loss of quality, but it must be taken into account that this will vary depending on the limitation of the lens. If we have 2X it is a maximum of two increases and there will be no more. And with the hybrid we will have more magnification capacity at the cost of having false pixels , although, as we have said, with higher quality than that offered by digital.