realme X3 SuperZoom: Seeing things that are invisible to the naked eye

This post is brought to you by realme.

The realme X3 SuperZoom has just been launched in Malaysia, and as per its name, realme has clearly put a lot of emphasis on the zooming capabilities of its new premium smartphone. Of course, the X3 packs a tonne of other impressive features, including a flagship processor, a 120Hz Ultra Smooth display, NFC support, and a strong combination of device internals as a whole. 

But with a name like that, the capabilities of the realme X3 SuperZoom were always going to come under the spotlight—and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. A quad-rear camera setup is made up of a macro lens for close-up photography, an 8MP f/2.3 ultra-wide angle lens, a 5x periscope telephoto lens, and an impressive 64MP main camera.

All of that combines to offer a hybrid zoom of 60X, with 5x optical zoom enabled by the periscope zoom lens. And with realme Malaysia saying that the X3 SuperZoom’s camera capabilities help you to spot things that wouldn’t have been visible to the naked eye, let’s talk about the camera setup, and what it means for users.

64MP Quad Camera with 60X Super Zoom

realme’s latest smartphone has some serious tech under the hood (or rather, on the back of the device). The main camera uses a 1/1.72-inch Samsung GW1 64MP sensor which, according to Samsung, has been designed to take “bright and sharp photographs in any lighting”. This is done with the help of Tetracell and 3D HDR technology, along with ISOCELL Plus technology for light sensitivity. 

By deploying Quad Bayer 4-in-1 intelligent pixel binning technology, the sensor combines four pixels into a large 1.6μm pixel to enhance the resolution and quality of images—even in low light settings. 

You also get an 8MP ultra-wide angle shooter with an f/2.3 aperture, which adds to the versatility of the realme X3 SuperZoom’s camera capabilities as a whole. Say you’re taking a group photo, and you’re in a fairly small room; the idea behind the ultra-wide angle here that you can simply switch lenses with a single press, and you’re good to go. 

Plus, with a 119° field of view, you can use the ultra-wide shooter to capture landscapes, architecture, and big groups in tight spaces. And if you want to do the opposite, and take some close-up photography? The realme X3 SuperZoom features a macro lens, which you can use to take photos at a distance of 4cm.

Yes, and of course, SuperZoom. 

realme has gone with a 5x periscope telephoto lens for zooming, which gives the realme X3 SuperZoom a focal length from 16mm to 124mm. This means that users can seamlessly go from 0.5X (in ultra-wide camera mode) all the way to 60X hybrid zoom. This is a seriously impressive figure, and the setup offers you zooming capabilities that weren’t seen on smartphones until very recently. 

If you’ve used devices with high zooming capabilities before, you’ll know that it can be difficult to actually take a good shot when the camera is zoomed to such a distance. And this is where optical image stabilisation comes in. When you’re fully zoomed in at 60x hybrid zoom, the preview is automatically stabilised so you can still capture the shot in focus—even if you’re 100m away, according to realme.

Seeing stars that you weren’t meant to see

realme has also developed a new mode, Starry Mode, to take advantage of the realme X3 SuperZoom’s capabilities. This relies on Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to “intelligently enhance” the sharpness and brightness of stars. Basically, the AI algorithm utilises ultra-long exposure and multi-frame synthesis to help you capture “professional starry photos”.

According to the team, various tests and photo analysis led realme to focus on four main photography elements—shutter time, ISO sensitivity, focusing distance, and white balance—for the mode. 

So, how does it actually work?

When taking starry photos in the mode, the AI algorithm brightens the stars in the sky that were otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Then, the image is run through intelligent alignment, which uses multiple photos  to automatically remove ghosting or moving tracks of stars. Finally, the algorithm implements intelligent multi-frame noise reduction, so that the dark spots in the sky are automatically improved.

The best part? Starry Mode isn’t just limited to the realme X3 SuperZoom’s main 64MP camera. Instead, you can also use the mode with the 5X periscope lens, which means that you can take advantage of the zooming capabilities of the device to capture some really interesting astrology-themed shots. It’s worth noting that Starry Mode support for the periscope lens is only available via an OTA update in the future.

To wrap things up, realme has also improved on its Nightscape mode with the new Nightscape Pro Mode found in the realme X3 SuperZoom. And for selfies, you’re looking at a dual-camera pairing of a 32MP Sony IMX616 and an 8MP super-wide angle camera—ideal for those group selfies. 

The realme X3 SuperZoom is now available in Malaysia at a starting retail price of RM1,999 & RM2,299 for the two variants respectively. Meanwhile, you can take advantage of a Lazada promo where you can pick up the realme X3 SuperZoom for RM1,799 on the 2nd of June 2020 while stocks last. To find out more, click here for realme Malaysia’s Facebook page.