The Realme Ultra introduces a smartphone with a 1-inch sensor and interchangeable lenses, aiming to enhance mobile photography. While it offers impressive technical features, such as a 10x telephoto lens, practical challenges arise, including poor ergonomics, lack of autofocus, and stabilization issues. Users may struggle with image sharpness at high zoom levels due to manual focusing requirements and the device’s design. Despite its potential, the Realme Ultra’s combination of features may hinder an optimal user experience in photography.
Exploring the Realme Ultra: A Unique Smartphone with Interchangeable Lenses
Introducing a groundbreaking smartphone that allows you to attach camera lenses, similar to professional equipment. Unlike Xiaomi, which has developed a complete camera module for its devices, Realme is taking a different approach with the Realme Ultra.
Innovative Features and Practical Challenges
The Realme Ultra, revealed at the Mobile World Congress, showcases an intriguing concept: a smartphone equipped with a 1-inch sensor and interchangeable lenses. On paper, this idea sounds innovative and practical; however, my hands-on experience revealed a different story. While the technical capabilities are impressive, the practicality of this setup leaves much to be desired.
At the heart of the Realme Ultra is a robust 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor, designed to capture more light and deliver intricate details in photographs. This sensor is prominently exposed at the back of the device, highlighting its significance.
To enhance your photography, Realme has developed an adapter that allows the attachment of various lenses, including a remarkable 10x telephoto lens that can achieve zoom levels up to 60x. During my testing, I found that when everything is aligned perfectly, the resulting images are indeed breathtaking. However, several underlying issues complicate the overall user experience.
One major concern is the ergonomics of the device. The concept of interchangeable lenses on a smartphone is certainly enticing, but the execution raises several practical questions. Unlike conventional cameras that feature grips for stable handling, the Realme Ultra requires users to hold the entire unit by the lens, which is often heavier than the phone itself. This can lead to discomfort, particularly during extended use or when stability is crucial for capturing shots.
Additionally, the design lacks a dedicated grip, which is vital for a secure hold. Without a tripod, achieving sharp images at high zoom levels, such as 30x or 60x, becomes exceedingly difficult due to instability. This could deter users who prefer not to invest in supplementary equipment like tripods.
Shifting gears to the technical side, another significant drawback is the absence of autofocus. Users must rely on manual focusing, adjusting sharpness and aperture using rings on the lenses. While it is possible to use lenses from different brands, compatibility issues arise frequently.
Furthermore, the lack of stabilization poses a challenge for capturing steady images. Stabilization is crucial for countering hand movements, especially when using long zoom lenses. The absence of this feature results in blurry photos, particularly at zoom levels above 10x, leading to frustration for many photographers.
In photography, the compatibility of sensor size and lens size is critical for optimal results. The 1-inch sensor of the Realme Ultra, measuring 13.2 mm x 8.8 mm, is considerably smaller than a 4/3 or Full Frame sensor. This discrepancy can lead to issues when pairing lenses designed for larger sensors with the 1-inch sensor.
For instance, attaching a Full Frame 35 mm lens to the 1-inch sensor alters the image significantly due to the “crop factor.” The 1-inch sensor’s diagonal is about 2.7 times smaller than that of a Full Frame sensor, resulting in a cropped image that zooms in naturally. To illustrate, multiplying the lens’s focal length by the crop factor of 2.7 means that a Full Frame 35 mm lens effectively behaves like a 94.5 mm lens on a 1-inch sensor, transforming a standard wide-angle into a medium telephoto.
This artificial zoom effect comes with its own set of problems. First, users lose much of the intended field of view, eliminating the captivating wide perspectives typically offered by a 35 mm lens. Second, the quality of the image is compromised, as the Full Frame lens, with its impressive aperture and sharpness, is not fully utilized, since the sensor only captures a fraction of the image.
Ultimately, the Realme Ultra’s combination of a large sensor and heavy, non-stabilized lenses creates a challenging user experience. The result is an artificially zoomed effect that lacks both practicality and optimal performance.
Despite these hurdles, the concept behind the Realme Ultra is commendable. Testing DSLR lenses on a smartphone platform is a valuable exploration that expands our understanding of technical limits and fosters innovation for the future. Even if the current product doesn’t meet all expectations, it contributes valuable insights for future advancements in smartphone photography.