How To Zoom Google Pixel Camera

Google Pixel 5 camera macro 8 - Super res zoom

David Imel / Android Authority

The Pixel 5 is the latest showcase for Google'due south mobile photography prowess, boasting cutting-edge HDR and depression-light capabilities. Only the telephone has also made a central camera hardware change this twelvemonth. Information technology has dropped the 2x 16MP telephoto capabilities from the Google Pixel 4 in favor of a 16MP wide-bending lens. In an attempt to sidestep the absence, Google in one case once more turns to software chicanery. Super Res Zoom uses multi-frame capture techniques to extract extra item from an image, assuasive for a digital crop without the usual loss in quality.

This isn't a new mobile photography technique. Huawei, Oppo, and others have used it for years now as well. Google itself used the idea as far dorsum equally the Pixel iii. Super-resolution results aren't as flawless as true optical zoom, but can you notice whatever differences over typical zoom distances? Is the Pixel 5's Super Res Zoom good enough for most use cases? I took the camera for a spin to find out.

Deep swoop: Camera zoom explained: How optical, digital, and hybrid zoom piece of work

Super Res Zoom vs optical zoom

To get-go with, let's highlight some of the differences between optical and Super Res Zoom. A quick comparison with last year's Pixel four seems similar a logical starting point. Click here for full-resolution samples.

At 2x total-frame, there's very little divergence between the Pixel 4's telephoto lens. Exposure is very similar if not identical, although colors are a little more bright from the Pixel 4. Still, cropping to 100% reveals a larger deviation to fine particular. Y'all may find the odd halo antiquity from the multi-frame nature of the engineering science (see the flower petals). The Pixel 4 is definitely cleaner, equally you'd expect, simply there's really not a lot in information technology.

The Pixel 4 doesn't have an optical zoom sensor for 3x and 5x, and so I've compared Google'south phones to the Sony Xperia five II'south 3x lens and Huawei P40 Pro's 5x periscope lens for longer zoom ranges.

Once more, the Pixel 5 looks decent at full-frame for 3x, especially on a small telephone brandish. Information technology's certainly usable, but details fail to concord up when cropping in. While color and exposure are practiced, the telephone'south small 12MP primary sensor can't excerpt fine details at this range. Impressively, the Pixel 4 looks as skilful every bit the Xperia 5 II at 3x, showcasing that Super Res Zoom is dandy for small zoom extensions.

Also read: The best mobile photographic camera lens add-ons

Pushing the zoom to 5x widens the quality disparity. While neither Google phone produces swell results at this distance, the Pixel five really struggles. In add-on to the lack of item and increased noise, colors and dynamic range as well suffer, owing to the lack of pixel information at this zoom level. The Pixel four is somewhat passable for full-frame shots at 5x, but the Pixel 5 is a no go in virtually all situations.

In summary, the 100% crops above don't really do the Pixel 5's Super Res Zoom justice. The handset performs comparably to optical zoom at 2x. It even hands in a decent operation at 3x for quick snaps. Provided you don't pay as well much attending to fine details and won't be cropping and editing much. The farther you lot extend the zoom, the worse the results, as we look. 3x is really the limit before Super Res Zoom displays noticeable artifacts, even at full-frame. The Pixel five struggles much more at 4x and beyond, especially compared to optical zooms.

Real-globe "bullheaded" shots

Cropped comparisons are good for reference, just nosotros seldom worry about exact zoom factors and 100% details when trying to snap a quick shot in the real earth. To spice things upwardly a bit, I took the second batch of pictures a picayune differently.

I framed each shot how I wanted without looking at the zoom factor alee of time, so took a comparison shot on a rival phone. These images are taken at all sorts of odd zoom factors, like ane.8x and three.2x. This is much more than reflective of existent shooting scenarios and doesn't favor any optical zoom sweet spots found on some phones.

The Pixel 5'due south pictures wait pretty adept, bar the 7x example. The general rules from before apply: the longer the zoom the more than noticeable the quality gap between the Pixel 5 and the Pixel iv, as well as other optical zooms. Details don't hold up at 3x and beyond, but even at smaller zooms, similar our 1.8x instance, the Pixel five produces more processed-looking results.

Related: The best Android camera phones you tin become

On the plus side, Google'due south zoom tech has a consistent whorl-off in quality. Unlike Sony'due south Xperia 5 II or the Huawei P40 Pro where quality jumps back up once the optical lenses kick in. Quality differences aren't equally obvious at these intermittent zoom levels away from optical zoom sweet spots below 5x. Google'south software zoom is 1 of the best around, just information technology tin can't brand upwards for the lack of a proper zoom lens at longer ranges.

Super Res Zoom is impressive, but it's articulate that telephoto cameras look better.

Even at small zoom distances, details are a trivial oversharp and blacks can be likewise nighttime, producing somewhat artificial-looking results compared to other phones. Likewise, colors and white rest can change slightly compared to the Pixel 4, owing to the different sensors at longer zooms. Despite this, you have to know what you're looking for to notice these issues. Without a side-by-side comparing, the Pixel 5 produces good-looking images upwards to 3x. But information technology's articulate that the Pixel iv and other telephoto cameras look better.

Super Res Zoom and ultra-broad: Was the Pixel 5 photographic camera bandy worth it?

My overall impression of the Pixel five and Super Res Zoom is that they're passable for your average snap but will disappoint more demanding photographers. The quality difference with terminal twelvemonth's Pixel 4 is pocket-sized when zooming up to 3x, but fifty-fifty then the Pixel v'due south results are more heavily processed. Beyond 3x and the Pixel 4 actually pulls alee, maintaining passable details up to well-nigh 5x.

Our verdict:Google Pixel 5 review — The best premium Pixel

Whether the Pixel five is the correct phone to capture your photographs depends on whether this drop in zoom quality is worth the added flexibility of the new broad-bending lens. I've been experimenting with that lens likewise and my feelings are mixed.

Wide-angle lenses free from distortion and with excellent focus are hard to build. Google Pixel 5's implementation has some mutual flaws. Details are lacking owing to a fixed focal length, there are some signs of distortion, and the dynamic range doesn't seem quite as good as the Pixel 5's chief sensor. The actress width can be nice, although it's not a particularly wide lens either. Overall, the Pixel 5's broad-angle pictures are fine just non game-changing.

I've always been a fan of zoom capabilities, so the Pixel five falls short of my photography needs. I'one thousand non convinced the new wide-angle photographic camera offers good plenty quality or flexibility to justify the motion away from telephoto either. Super Res Zoom is OK, but the Pixel four's telephoto zoom was better.