Little Known Facts About Dual Camera

Quantity doesn’t always mean quality, unless you’re talking about dual cameras. This year, smartphone companies have been incorporating this feature into all the latest designs, giving users a better photography experience.

So, what is a dual lens camera? The idea behind this feature is to have a secondary lens that captures extra information to deliver a better photo. The secondary camera can also take a slightly different image, sometimes at a different angle. The two snaps are then ‘stitched’ together using the software of the phone to create a 'picture perfect' image.

The dual camera pioneers

Although dual cameras are firmly in focus right now, the first smartphone to have this feature was released back in 2011. HTC’s Evo 3D used dual cameras to create a 3D image that was meant to be viewed with 3D glasses. That said, sticking to the main principles of the tech used today, the 3D element of the capability ended was quite short-lived.

The iPhone 7, LG G5 and Huawei 9 all incorporate a dual lens camera in their design. For LG, an 8 megapixel wide-angle camera sits next to the main 16 megapixel module, making it easier to shoot architecture, landscape and bigger group shots for example. With the Huawei 9, the smartphone has one monochrome and one colour sensor that is said to captures three times the light of an ordinary camera. The idea is to give better clarity and sharpness.

iPhone 7 cameras

The iPhone 7 was the biggest smartphone release this year, with one of the improved camera functionality highlighted in the model's marketing. Two 12 megapixel cameras are built in to the device, one with a wide-angle lens and one with a telephoto lens. The company also describes ‘sophisticated technology’ that enables a depth-of-field effect that separates the background for the foreground – amazing for portrait images.

All in all, the new iPhone 7 is said to produce brighter, more detailed photographs and videos compared to previous models.

Best for...

If you find yourself using your camera phone more regularly, or you place great importance on having the ability to capture a moment wherever you are (and without your whole camera kit), the dual lens camera is for you. Advantages include better landscape imagery, greater detail for portrait shots, the ability to capture vibrant colours as they are, as well as the means to take a better photograph overall.

Now, when you’re considering your next canvas print, you can include some of the images taken from your phone. Safe in the knowledge that you are taking the best image possible from a smartphone, with two cameras working together to produce the best light, colour, depth and angle possible.

If you are considering a career in photography, why not check out the Parrot Print guide? We also have a post dedicated to photojournalism too if you wish to make your living from documenting life.