Oppo resurrects 10x zoom: a camera feature we thought was gone
Oppo is poised to shake up the smartphone camera landscape with the upcoming Find X9 Ultra, and it's not just about raw megapixel count. The company is bringing back a feature many believed had faded into obsolescence: a dedicated 10x optical zoom lens. This isn’t just a marketing gimmick; it's a significant technical achievement, particularly given the industry’s recent trend towards sacrificing zoom capabilities for sleeker designs.
The return of the periscope lens
For years, smartphone manufacturers have chased thinner profiles and more streamlined aesthetics. A casualty of this pursuit has been the optical zoom, with many high-end devices opting for 5x or even 3x zoom lenses. Oppo, however, is bucking this trend, partnering with Hasselblad to deliver a 50-megapixel 10x optical zoom telephoto lens. The announcement, made during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, signals a renewed commitment to long-range photography on mobile devices. This marks the first time this level of zoom will be available in Spain, a market previously deprived of previous “Ultra” models like the Find X8 Ultra.
The implications are considerable. Users can now capture distant subjects with remarkable clarity and detail, avoiding the distortion often associated with wide-angle lenses when attempting close-ups. Portrait photography, in particular, stands to benefit, enabling photographers to isolate subjects and achieve pleasing bokeh effects without needing to physically move closer. The Find X9 Ultra’s lens promises to deliver sharp, vibrant images even at significant distances.
But here’s the nuance: this isn’t a completely novel invention. Oppo themselves pioneered the periscope lens Technology with the Reno 10x Zoom back in 2019, offering a 6x optical zoom and a hybrid 10x. Samsung followed suit with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, boasting dual telephoto lenses, including a 10x optical zoom. Huawei's P40 Pro+ and the Realme X3 SuperZoom also entered the fray, showcasing varying degrees of zoom capabilities. The industry’s apparent abandonment of 10x zoom, favoring shorter focal lengths, left many wondering if the Technology was deemed commercially unviable.
The Find X9 Ultra's return to the 10x optical zoom suggests Oppo believes there's still demand for this level of magnification, and it’s a bold move in a market where incremental upgrades often overshadow genuine innovation. The question now is whether other manufacturers will follow suit, rekindling a feature that once seemed destined for the history books. The gamble, however, could pay off handsomely, potentially redefining what’s possible with smartphone photography.