I examined the 4 greatest digital camera telephones to crown a long-range zoom champion

If there’s one factor I should have in my smartphone camera, it’s a sturdy long-distance zoom that brings me nearer to the motion. At present’s greatest Android telephones supply a variety of zoom choices, with totally different zoom ranges, lens apertures, and sensor sizes contributing to some moderately totally different capabilities. Simply because it has a 5x periscope digital camera doesn’t imply they’re all the identical.

To check what this implies for precise images, I’ve grabbed the Pixel 9 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra, OPPO Find X8 Pro, and Xiaomi 15 Ultra to showcase the variations these sensor specs could make. The latter has an enormous variety of megapixels to work with, whereas the Discover X8 Professional has the longest optical zoom. Flagships from Google and Samsung sit someplace in between.

Right here’s a fast rundown of how every of those telephones’ longest-range zoom choices examine.

On paper, the Xiaomi 15 Extremely seems to have a major benefit when it comes to key specs. It has by far the largest sensor (albeit cut up amongst a larger variety of smaller pixels) and the widest aperture of the bunch. The opposite three have fairly equally sized picture sensors, however the Discover X8 Professional has the narrowest aperture, presumably making it the weakest of the group. Maybe its 6x zoom issue can bridge that hole at lengthy vary?

However we’ll let the images do the speaking. For at present’s take a look at, we’re eyeballing the effective particulars through 100% crops to essentially assist separate the nice from the perfect.

A “modest” 10x zoom

Our first semi-macro shot in vibrant outside lighting shouldn’t stress these cameras an excessive amount of, but it surely does already reveal a couple of limitations of pushing these lenses out to 10x. First, word the Galaxy S25 Extremely has a slight halo across the flower’s edge, hinting at both poor lens aberration or multi-frame processing that isn’t stitching collectively fairly proper. The digital camera’s particulars already look slightly splotchy right here as effectively, and there’s some slight noise seen within the transitions between gentle and darkish. The Pixel 9 Professional XL additionally exhibits a small quantity of noise on the darker parts of our crop, probably the place the cellphone’s HDR algorithm has brightened the shadows, which additionally explains the dearth of distinction. Nevertheless, there’s nothing too untoward right here.

OPPO’s consequence will not be nice on shut inspection. There’s clearly some denoise occurring even in these well-lit circumstances, which causes the grass and the pot dude and plant bristles to be over easy.  The cellphone does an excellent job of offering vivid coloration saturation and distinction, although, one thing I can’t say for Google or Samsung, however its white steadiness isn’t spot on. However something the OPPO does effectively, Xiaomi does higher. In reality, it’s the one cellphone to precisely seize the effective bristles on the middle blade of grass and plant stems. There’s no discernable noise within the darker elements of the scene both, and there’s no apparent oversharpening. It’s important to look intently, however that is hands-down the perfect picture of the 4.

Take their 10x zoom capabilities to seize extra distant particulars with trickier gentle and shadow, and the variations change into far more evident. The tiny sensor of the Galaxy S25 Extremely, specifically, struggles to extract a lot element from the scene beneath and in addition exhibits extreme edge aberration. The Pixel 9 Professional performs higher when it comes to element, but it surely’s nonetheless not precisely crisp, significantly within the distant timber, and there’s one other notable lack of dynamic vary.

The OPPO Discover X8 Professional performs fairly effectively right here, with strong dynamic vary regardless of the restricted aperture. It additionally captures much more effective element than the Galaxy and even the Pixel. Nevertheless, there’s a heavier reliance on sharpening right here, which produces some artifacts alongside the rooftop tiles. This leaves the Xiaomi 15 Extremely because the clear winner in my estimation; particulars are sturdy throughout all elements of the scene, a superb stage of distinction and coloration retention, and there’s no actual signal of processing. Once more, it’s slightly underexposed, however that makes it all of the extra spectacular that there’s such a robust stage of element on supply. The truth that it comes out on prime, given the 4.3x optical zoom stage, is equally stunning. Nevertheless, the cellphone is nearly definitely pulling 50MP straight from the sensor for an 8.6x “optical” crop moderately than counting on digital upscaling, identical to Google does for its 10x photographs.

Let’s flip the lights down slightly to see how the telephones carry out with much less gentle, however definitely not something approaching darkness. As we anticipate, the Discover X8 Professional’s mixture of a small aperture and sensor produces fairly doubtful outcomes right here, and the cellphone is closely reliant on sharpening and multi-frame processing to make the textual content barely legible. It’s not a terrific look. That stated, the Pixel 9 Professional XL solely seems marginally higher; its faults fall on the opposite aspect of the noise downside. There’s a excessive stage of noise and grain, which makes a lot of the smaller textual content simply as illegible because the over-processed consequence from the OPPO. Even Google’s mighty algorithms can’t make up for the sheer shortfall in gentle right here.

Samsung’s outcomes are noisy, too, however the distribution is far more even, leading to a extra film-grain look than pure digital noise. The textual content isn’t far more legible than the Pixel’s, however the Galaxy S25 Extremely has redeemed itself after the outside image. Once more, the Xiaomi 15 Extremely comes out on prime because of that bigger sensor and large aperture. It’s not completely clear, however many of the textual content is legible, there’s minimal noise, and definitely no indicators of aggressive sharpening or denoise. That’s three for 3 for Xiaomi, however what about at extra prolonged vary?

True lengthy distance

I took our 4 telephones out all the way in which to 30x to see simply how far these moderately brief optical codecs can stretch, and, as you would possibly anticipate, the outcomes aren’t nice. Why smartphones nonetheless try and market enormous zoom distances stays misplaced on me.

Our first 30x shot seems totally at element with out pushing the telephones with an excessive amount of distinction between gentle and shadow, however the Pixel 9 Professional XL nonetheless actually struggles. The smaller textual content within the shot beneath is totally illegible, and the remainder of the small print are actually fairly sof. The Xiaomi 15 Extremely is barely slightly higher right here when it comes to studying the textual content, however the particulars of the remainder of the scene are additionally very smooth. Nevertheless’s the one cellphone to precisely present the embossing on the phrase “HOUSE.”

Surprisingly, the OPPO Discover X8 Professional and Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely are the perfect two at choosing out the textual content right here. OPPO’s extra aggressive sharpening move works out effectively, capturing the perimeters of the signal effectively sufficient and including some further refinement to the stone edges. The textual content continues to be a bit wonky-looking although. The Galaxy S25 Extremely’s textual content can be very legible, however its presentation is in any other case overly smooth and, once more, considerably washed out. I’m positive you’ll be able to see that the black paint of the gate is much too vibrant, whereas the white of the signal can be barely clipped, once more showcasing the zoom digital camera’s restricted dynamic vary.

Let’s flip again to our higher-dynamic vary shot of the church to essentially push these cameras. As earlier than, the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL and Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely are the softest and most washed out, even in vibrant outside lighting. Samsung’s lack of edge sharpness rears its ugly head once more, however detail-wise, there’s not quite a bit to inform it aside from the Pixel. Each are dangerous on shut inspection, however the XL is probably marginally higher.

OPPO’s result’s higher, however not by a lot. Its heavy reliance on software program processing palms in further particulars, however the consequence seems extra cartoonish and virtually flat than reasonable when peering at our 100% crop. Nonetheless, the result’s an image with a lot better-defined edges and minor particulars than the Pixel or Galaxy, which supplies the cellphone the nudge. Xiaomi’s result’s higher nonetheless, with a extra pure look to particulars, strong colours, and never an excessive amount of distortion. Once more, sharpening and denoise are saved to a minimal.

The Xiaomi 15 Extremely isn’t flawless right here, although. There’s clearly some multi-frame processing at play, which ends up in elements of the picture containing extra element than others, as you’ll be able to see throughout the church and within the tree branches. Nonetheless, you’ll solely discover this when zooming in, and its 30x result’s extra naturally sharp than the opposite three.

Undoubtedly, the Xiaomi 15 Extremely is the perfect of our 4 telephones at long-range zoom. It produces essentially the most constant leads to vibrant and dim lighting and captures essentially the most vivid element when working at excessive ranges. It’s not a hands-down win in each shot I took; a number of its outcomes come out under-exposed, but it surely’s by far the perfect at producing long-range images you would possibly truly need to share. Given its sturdy on-paper specs, it’s no shock to declare this handset the winner, however the cellphone’s 30x capabilities are fairly spectacular from a modest 4.3x lens.

The OPPO Discover X8 Professional can be higher than anticipated, not less than in good lighting circumstances. Why does the OPPO Discover X8 Professional appear to carry out higher at lengthy distances than the Galaxy S25 Extremely and Pixel 9 Professional, regardless of its seemingly inferior aperture? Nicely, a wider aperture would possibly assure extra gentle, which explains the OPPO’s weak spot in low gentle, but it surely doesn’t essentially end in extra resolvable element. A digital camera’s actual resolvable decision relies on aberration and diffraction attributable to the lens aperture, which might trigger the sunshine to unfold out over a wider space than a single pixel. This unfold is known as an Ethereal disk, and the precise resolvable decision of a digital camera is named its Angular decision or “Rayleigh criterion.” One of many drawbacks of a wider aperture is that it typically leads to extra diffraction and, subsequently, a bigger ethereal disk and decrease precise resolvable decision. Knowledgable photographers will typically step down their lens’ aperture slightly when aiming for the sharpest doable particulars.

That is the rationale why the trade’s 200MP cameras hardly ever truly seize vastly extra element than their 50MP and even 12MP rivals, and it’d clarify why the Discover X8 Professional’s digital camera captures extra element in good lighting circumstances than the Galaxy S25 Extremely and Pixel 9 Professional XL. Plus, OPPO seems to depend on aggressive multi-frame processing to infuse further element into photographs on the expense of a extra processed look.

I’m torn between whether or not the Google Pixel 9 Professional XL or Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely is the worst of the group. Samsung’s noticeable fringing and aberration are clearly fairly dangerous, however the Pixel performs fairly poorly in low gentle. Nevertheless, Samsung’s lack of element at 10x seals its destiny as at present’s loser.

Now, long-range zoom isn’t every thing. In case you’re primarily taking footage of pals, household, and pets, then a zoom lens with a focal size someplace within the area of 70mm is right, which is often round 3x on most smartphones. Plus, you’ll need a strong foremost digital camera to suit extra in. Fortunately, the Discover X8 Professional, Xiaomi 15 Extremely, and Galaxy S25 Extremely have you ever coated right here as effectively.