Is the Oppo Reno 5 Pro 5G a Camera God?
Why should DSLR owners have all the fun?
This may sound a bit controversial but bear with me: You don’t need to own a DSLR to be called a ‘photographer’. Shocking, I know. You don’t even need to own an iPhone to get some good shots of the street, the beach, a garden, or sun-kissed portraits during the golden hour. When the whole world uses its phone for literally everything, it makes sense that ‘serious photography’ can be done on Android smartphones as well.
Oppo released its new camera-centric smartphone, the Oppo Reno 5 Pro 5G (whew, that’s a mouthful!) last month and the reviews have been trickling in. I talked about it a little bit in my last blog but now let’s really delve into its camera capabilities. From what I can gather so far (from both online reviews and in-person reviews), the Reno 5 is a desirable smartphone in the premium segment (yet costs less than 40K rupees).
Let’s get technical for a bit. The Reno 5 has a noteworthy spec sheet. It comes with a 6.55-inch display, a 64MP quad-camera setup, a 4,500 mAh battery with 65W fast charging, a 90Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ processor, and an attractive design with its flashy but subtle back cover.
Oppo has put in some high megapixel sensors in the front as well as the rear cameras which help in catching the light in stunning ways. The dynamic range offers a significant boost to the video element, especially during the daylight. The primary shooter is 64MP which is a great performer in both photos and videos.
You can get a full-resolution photo quite easily but the pixel binning helps in getting great final results in most lighting scenarios. This smartphone also has quite a few fun modes like the AI Colour portrait in video. The 8MP ultrawide lens can shoot in 4K video, which is pretty impressive. There is a 2MP depth sensor which helps in getting some really pleasing portrait shots with vibrant yet realistic colour production. Finally, it comes with another 2MP lens, a macro lens this time in case you like shooting really close to your subject.
Oppo has really gone all-out in developing the video mode in this smartphone. The much-talked-about AI Highlight video mode is really helpful in taking videos in low-light conditions. There is a lovely dual-view mode in which the focal length of the front-facing camera is actually quite perfect if you like taking vlog-like shots for your YouTube videos or Instagram Reels. The Mediatek Dimensity 100+ processor that it comes with pretty much gels very well with the camera optimization in this smartphone to offer a pretty great experience.
For the overall experience that it provides, in my eye, the Reno 5 isn’t really priced as high as some social media comments would suggest. For the price of Rs. 35,990, it is aptly priced keeping in mind the flagship chipset that it comes with. The Oppo Reno line is one that has undergone many evolutions over the years. It went from introducing certain innovative features to becoming a great example of what a mid-range smartphone can be, and has now come out with an excellent flagship smartphone in the Oppo Reno 5 Pro 5G.
