Oppo is exhibiting its smartphone prototype with retractable camera at MWC 2022. The opportunity to see how it works and understand what this innovation can be used for.
Oppo’s retractable camera // Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
This MWC 2022 will have been the opportunity to discover a little more closely certain products and technologies presented some time ago. We think in particular of the Mi Mix Fold that we were able to take in hand just like the Honor Magic V. This time, it was the turn of some Oppo prototypes which notably exposed its retractable camera system.
Indeed, by pressing the “R-Cam” button (for “Retractable Camera”) in the camera application, the camera on the back unfolds thanks to a motorized mechanism. Note also that the system retracts automatically in the event of a fall to avoid breakage, it is good to specify.
Intuitively, one would be tempted to believe that this camera is used to offer a real zoom. To understand: the possibility of taking advantage of a variable focal length as with a lens from a box. However, this is not at all the case here.
Just fixed x2 improved
On this prototype, Oppo’s camera is only used to take advantage of a better x2 magnification. We therefore remain on a fixed focal length and the mechanism does not allow a smooth transition between two focal lengths – for example from a 27 mm equivalent (wide-angle) to a 52 mm equivalent (telephoto). Contrary to what one might think, this camera is not usable when folded.
Thus, the “R-Cam” option on the prototype that we tested simply claimed to improve the rendering of the image. How? ‘Or’ What ? By moving the lens away from the sensor, the retractable camera allows light to pass through the optical system with a straighter path. The light received by the sensor is therefore less scattered and the latter can therefore extract more information from the photographed scene. In theory, this therefore influences the management of dynamics and the restitution of details and allows an optical x2 shot of better quality than a conventional magnification.
In practice, on the Oppo stand, the photos taken with the retractable camera indeed had a different colorimetry, notably creating a kind of vignetting where the contours of the image were darkened compared to the center. This notably reinforces a certain “photo portrait” effect.
Foundations for the future
However, it is difficult to see a marked contribution for the general public. Let’s say that the proposed improvement does not really seem to justify the integration of a retractable camera which is, casually, a relatively complex system for a smartphone. For this innovation to make sense, it must offer great added value to the user experience. However, the differences observed on the images during our tests could certainly be managed with software processing (example: a filter).
No real zoom yet (varifocal) with Oppo’s retractable camera // Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
However, optimism remains. Indeed, this retractable camera could certainly be better exploited in the future to offer a more relevant use, such as a variable focal length to finally have a real zoom on a smartphone. On the other hand, given the complexity of the thing, it is not for tomorrow.
Either way, Oppo’s prototype lays a solid foundation for exploring these avenues of improvement to create smaller, but more versatile smartphone photo modules. We believe in.
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