From continuous zoom to RGBW sensors: Oppo reveals plenty of camera innovations

Oppo is no stranger to showcasing new camera features, highlighting selfie cameras under the display, zoom technology, and more over the past few years. Now the company has decided to present its next generation of camera innovations.

The company used its Future Imaging Technology conference to announce a range of camera features, including a new generation RGBW camera sensor, a continuous lossless optical zoom module, a 5-axis optical image stabilization solution, and its next-generation selfie camera under the display .

A new RGBW sensor

Traditional camera sensors have an RGB color filter (red, green, and blue), but both Oppo and Huawei have used RGBW filters in the past. This adds white sub-pixels to the mix to enhance the low-light shot (hence the ‘W’). However, this differs from pure monochrome cameras as they still produce color images. In other words, RGBW camera sensors can be used as a primary camera rather than a secondary shooter.

Now Oppo has unveiled a new generation RGBW sensor, claiming that it captures 60% more light and 35% less noise than previous RGB sensors. There’s no word on the specific RGB sensor that Oppo compares to its new RGBW camera, and we also asked the company how this new sensor compares to previous RGBW sensors. We will update the article as soon as it reaches us.

Read more: Top tips for improving low-light photography with smartphones

Still, Oppo also claims improved color performance and better pixel crosstalk isolation technology. The company adds that the new RGBW sensor enables better photo and video portraits thanks to improved skin, texture and contrast sensing.

We won’t have to wait too long to see the first Oppo phone featuring this technology as the company says it will be commercially available in new devices from the fourth quarter of this year.

Interestingly, BBK stable mate Vivo announced last year that they were also working on a new RGBW sensor. This should hit the market in 2021. It is also believed that Samsung could bring a 50 MP RGBW sensor into one of its Galaxy S22 phones next year. So it looks like some big players might agree that RGBW technology should see a revival.

Continuous optical zoom

Telephoto and periscope cameras are undoubtedly important, but they have one major drawback. They generally stick to a fixed zoom factor, forcing manufacturers to use software and other methods if they deviate from the native zoom factor. Image quality degradation is therefore quite common.

By now we’ve seen Sony offer a telephoto camera that can switch between two zoom levels, but all medium zoom levels again require software cleverness. Fortunately, Oppo now has an answer in its new continuous optical zoom module.

The company’s new camera module offers a zoom of 85 mm to 200 mm, which is roughly 3.3 times or 7 times the zoom. In fact, this system works by moving the lenses in the module accordingly (see above). Oppo adds that this system also avoids problems such as “jumping”, inaccurate white balance and “chromatic aberration” that occur with traditional multi-camera zoom setups.

An improved OIS system

Optical image stabilization (OIS) is one of the most important functions of a smartphone camera, which enables a more stable video and allows the camera shutter to remain open longer in poor lighting conditions with reduced blurring. Oppo is also bringing an improved OIS system called the 5-axis OIS to its Future Imaging Technology event.

This solution uses sensor shift image stabilization (as seen in the iPhone 12 series) as a key technology and offers a “maximum stabilization angle” of three degrees. According to Oppo, this number is three times that of traditional OIS solutions. Expect the launch of the first commercial products with 5-axis OIS in the first quarter of 2022.

We’re not entirely sure how this compares to micro-gimbal stabilization systems found on Vivo phones, but it should still be a significant improvement over most flagships if it works the way Oppo intended.

New generation under display cameras

After all, under-display selfie cameras are the hot new thing these days, with ZTE actually being the first to launch a commercial device a year ago. But we’ve since seen Xiaomi and Samsung launch devices as well. And what about Oppo?

Well, the company showed off its new generation of selfie camera technology under the display earlier this month and showed that technology at its event this week. In case you missed it, the new solution offers a sharper display area above the camera (400 PPI) as well as transparent screen wiring. These changes should result in a reduced “haze” effect for the screen area above the camera sensor, so that the area blends in with the rest of the display.

Image quality is another major challenge for these cameras, but Oppo says it has developed several algorithms to reduce diffraction, combat condensation, and improve HDR and white balance.

Unfortunately, Oppo has not confirmed when we will see a phone with this technology. It’s a shame too, because in 2019 the company showed selfie cameras under the display for the first time. On the other hand, the first efforts on the market have resulted in a significant loss of quality compared to conventional cameras. Hopefully the latest solution actually addresses image quality concerns.