26/08/2022
Asus Zenfone 9 cameras: steady on
Small phone, big camera – literally; we’ve already highlighted the Zenfone 9’s massive camera bump, and the reason for its size is the gimbal system living within.
The main camera uses a 50MP Sony IMX766 sensor with an f/1.9 lens. This is the same sensor found in the Realme 9 Pro+ and the Oppo Find X5 Pro, so our hopes are high. It’s flanked by a 12MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide, which also doubles up as a macro camera. Both of these pack phase detection autofocus, which is great out of the gate.
Surprisingly, we were more impressed by the ultra-wide and 12MP selfie camera than the main snapper. It has everything needed to be excellent (a decent sensor and advanced stabilisation), but Asus seems to drop the ball a bit on photo processing. Pictures are reliably fine, and occasionally very good, but they are never excellent – though the same can’t be said for its video capture, which is generally brilliant.
Challenging, high-contrast scenes are handled well, but sharpening and contrast are overly aggressive. Shoot in RAW and you can work wonders with it, but the out-of-the-camera photos taken in automatic mode don’t do the Zenfone 9’s hardware justice. Shadow detail and overall nuance are lacking.
