march 2015 Better PhotograPhy
and retaining the dynamism of the subject.
The metering, on the other hand, is not
so perfect and on sunny days, the camera
tends to create blown-out highlights.Emulating the Find 7
The R5 uses the same 1/3.06-inch Sony
Exmor CMOS sensor as the Find 7 and
the Find 7a and shoots 25MB RAW files in
the DNG format. It takes just as long as the
Find 7 did to process RAW files (4–5sec).
It also has the same Ultra HD mode which
lets you create 50MP photos.
But what the R5 has that the Find 7 does
not is the exposure compensation option.
Other features include Audio Photo, GIF,
Double Exposure, After Focus, and the
other usual suspects. Also, the R5 lets
you customise your camera palette to the
features that you’re most likely to use.
Another new addition was the VOOC
charging technology, which charges
the phone to 100% in less than an hour!
This was great because its battery depleted
quick, after using it to shoot and edit
images continuously.Missing the Crucial Mark
On the whole, the Oppo R5 has not
been a let down photographically.However, feature-wise it is not all that
different from the Find 7, with the
exception that it does not have 4K video and
expandable storage.
I find it quite strange actually, that a phone
which offers RAW does not have expandable
memory, and hence I cannot help but feel
that its Rs. 29,999 price tag to be on the
steeper side. This is keeping in mind that
the OnePlus One has a RAW mode, 64GB
memory, 4K video, and is much cheaper.
Unfortunately, the R5’s good camera
performance and features are simply not
enough to give it an edge. In conclusion, if
your primary aim is photography then you
should look elsewhere.aT a glaNCE
specificATiONs 13MP, f/2 lens, 5MP front camera, 16GB inbuilt memory, Android 4.4.4, RAW
mode, 2GB RAM, Qualcomm 1.5GHz processor, LED flash, Rs. 29,999
whAT we like VOOC technology, good AF, RAW shooting capability
whAT we dislike Non-expandable memory, lack of 4K video option
why Buy iT? If you’re an Oppo fan who does not have the budget for the N3 or even
the Find 7, then this one’s for you
FINal RaTINgS 80%
cAMeRA feATuRes 50MP Ultra HD mode, the same sensor as the Find 7 22/25
iMAGe QuAliTy Good colour reproduction, decent low light image quality 25/30
VideO QuAliTy 1080p at 60fps, 720p at 120fps 11/15
hANdliNG Its slippery metal exterior does not feel sturdy when held 11/15
speed & RespONsiVeNess Slow RAW processing speed 11/1561testJust after spending
an hour shooting with
the phone, I saw how
vibrantly it interpreted
skies, giving it an almost
dreamy feel. However,
I do wish it would handle
highlights better.All photographs by Conchita FernandesI was quite pleased
with the R5’s autofocus
speed, which was always
quick and responsive.INSTaFollow Now
Evolution is a
central theme in
National Geographic
photographer
Robert Clark’s
(@robertclarkphoto)
photographs.
His Instagram is
filled with interesting
photos of the human
brain, portraits of
dogs and birds and
perfectly preserved
human mummies.