In a previous post, we introduced to you 3 basic features of your mobile camera: megapixels, sensor size, and aperture. In this second part, more insights are about to come, so you have a better understanding about smartphone cameras.

Mobile cameras: OIS, Shutter speed, and ISO

Together with aperture, ISO and Shutter speed are the three main pillars affecting the quality of your pictures. First, let’s come to ISO! ISO indicates the sensitivity of your mobile camera to the light. The bigger the ISO number, the more sensitive camera is to light, and the faster it captures images. For instances, at ISO 100, it takes 1 sec to shot the photo. But at ISO 800, the time is reduced to only 0.125 sec. However, the drawback of high ISO level is more noise on the captured photo, since it infuses sufficient lightings. Shutter speed is the time the cam lens opens to capture. The longer it opens, the more light it will shot. However, the long shutter can cause the camera easy to shake and blur.

If you’re are a photography lover, you must have heard about image stabilization (IS). There are two IS types: digital/electronic image stabilization (EIS) and optical image stabilization (OIS). EIS will use software to keep the image stable and to adjust the slight shakes. On the other hand, OIS makes the image stable by keeping the lens still. Though we can’t technically pick a better one, EIS is used much more common in smartphones nowadays. Megapixels are used to measure images. HD and 4K are used for videos. HD (high definition) is 1080 x 1920px while 4K (Ultra HD) is 3840 x 2160px. The great thing about 4K is that now matter how much you zoom, the photo qualities are still HD.

Next is RAW format. Most images taken by smartphones are saved in JPEG format. JPEG photos are adjusted and compressed to save the room. Pictures in RAW format are different. They are not optimized or adjusted. They are basically what cameras see and capture. That’s why professionals love RAW photos. In addition, you can easily convert a RAW image to JPEG one. You can’t do it the other way around.

Your mobile camera: That’s all you need to know

Above are 5 features you usually see on your mobile camera. The combination of these features will decide whether your mobile camera is good or not. I hope our explanation articles gave you a little more insights about smartphone camera, and can be useful for you when choosing a suitable device.