How optical stabilization works in a smartphone camera. Not everyone still has it

Smartphones have evolved by leaps and bounds in recent years and have absolutely changed the photography game.

Manufacturers now have a wide array of options at their disposal to dramatically improve the quality of shooting thanks to the world’s professional camera.

From generation to generation, “higher” class technologies appear in mobile devices, but one completely invisible The rules of the game have been completely changed.

From a mechanical point of view, the result of the finished frame is divided into 4 factors:

Matrix size and resolution

Quality and type of lens

Signal Processor

Product type.

And the last point turned out to be, oddly enough, not mentioned, the most difficult for high-quality implementation, since it is the most difficult to make universal.

Let’s figure out how the most popular type of trend works, why it develops and, finally, how it greatly influences wedding photos and videos.

Why we shoot video examples

Comparison of images taken with the main and ultra-wide-angle cameras of the Infinix ZERO 40 5G

The comparison between optical and electronic stabilization is done in a new way. Infinix ZERO 40 5G for 39,990 rubles.

This is the new mid-budget smartphone from Infinix that was launched on September 24, 2024. His camera places great emphasis not only on photography, but also on video.

▸ Matrix basic module with development 108 MP comparable in size to current flagships for 100,000+ rubles, which allows it to capture a lot of light and produce a clear picture.

Built-in optical stabilization Allows you to take clearer photos and smoother videos without cropping. More on this with technical points below.

▸ Matrix ultra wide angle the module has a resolution of 50 MP and three types of supports electronic energy (no smoothing, high high And MAXIMALAN).

Thanks to the high image density, it was convenient to trim the video shot with an ultra-wide-angle camera without noticeable loss in clarity in order to see the difference in saving with the main module.

Why cameras without saving do not take good pictures

Example shot with intentionally independent image shake

Under normal conditions, you can use small sensors and not the brightest lens, but poor stabilization creates problems for even the best photographers.

Hands are always shaking, objects are constantly moving, and it is necessary to compensate for this.

Or, no matter how clear, contrasting and crystal clear the picture in the video is, it smoothness has always been a defining quality. When everything in the frame is shaking, watch any unpleasant video and you immediately want to turn it off.

In cinema, for smooth movement, the camera uses massive structures that are placed directly on operators, rails and even mechanized robots, the movement of which is programmed in advance.

However, no one will use them to shoot video from a smartphone. And therefore, engineers need to rely on the two most popular types of indicators: electronic And optic.

Electronic stabilization is retained on some smartphones. She cuts the frame a lot

In the early years, camera modules in smartphones were small. Moving components were complex and expensive, so popular were electronic stabilizationIt is also called EIS or Electronic Image Stabilizer.

It works by converting information from the gyroscope and accelerometer into shake data.

During recording, video algorithms heavily crop the edges and drop to the center of the finished footage. At the same time without a physical definition to calculate the result, approximately 40% of the removed material from the entire area matrix may be lost.and the end result is a blurry mess. with a mobile camera, where and without special lighting.

The disadvantages of the first smartphones were also strong “jelly” effect And unnatural inhibition with a sudden change of frame.

It is for this reason that most Android smartphones a few years ago (budget ones still) were capable of shooting video.

It was necessary to come up with a more effective solution, and it was found in the interchangeable optics of “adult” cameras.

Optical stabilization ensures natural smoothness.

Camera lenses are expensive because, in addition to glass of varying complexity, they contain a mechanism that compensates for shake, shaking and vibration.

The lens receives information from motion sensors inside the camera and moves in the opposite direction using springs, magnets and metal rings to compensate for smearing.

The same is done on smartphones. The mechanism differs only in that The movable optical transmission element in the mobile area is located not objectively inside, but outside. It is surrounded by a set of magnets that move up, down, left and right, rotating on the smartphone’s accelerometer and gyroscope.

Interestingly, the larger the module, the less noticeable the effect, since the scale of movement increases.

This is how a camera with optical stabilization works.

With this effective surface, the sensor will not fall due to existing regulations.

The lens asked so that its movement would always completely cover the sensor. The correct objective idea with such a garment is precisely one of the challenges for engineers.

The result is smoother video and sharper photos that take less time to catch the light and avoid blurry images.

❗️ Exception you’ve typically used the ultra-wide-angle cameras used by smartphone manufacturers. optic No stabilization is required, as shaking is not so noticeable due to the wide angle. But due to the use electronic You can achieve record smoothness than by leaving one of the modes in the Infinix ZERO 40 5G.

There is a third type, but with certain disadvantages

In recent years, a new technology has emerged called sensory stabilization. It works due to the fact that it is not the lens that moves, but the matrix. The main advantage is that it is easier to change the position of the sensor due to the lighter weight, so this stabilization works faster.

However, there are two disadvantages at once, and both values ​​​​are with the size.

The magnets of the touch bracket are attached to the tabletop, thereby increasing the size of the module up to two times.

Not only does this keep you close to microphones, flashes, antennas and other equipment, but it also protects the camera for the future. If the sensor becomes larger, you will have to install larger magnets, and this will instantly increase the size of the module.

This also increases the thickness of the modulation, which causes the camera to stick out even more from the body.

For example, this is precisely the reason why Apple has not increased the sensor size for the third year in a row, while almost all Chinese competitors have overtaken the company.

Optical stub gets the best of both worlds

iPhone 15 pro max. Download the fragment and comparison yourself: here (30.7 MB)

Infinix ZERO 40 5G. Download the fragment and comparison yourself: here (43.1 MB)

Look at the example above. Pay attention to the flow, not the color.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max uses touch stabilization, the Infinix ZERO 40 5G optics.

There is a difference; on an Apple smartphone the transition is smoother, but you can’t see it right away. In addition, the iPhone has a head start in the form of a wider shooting angle, and this, as I ordered about ultra-wide-angle modules, always makes the picture smoother.

As a result, the price difference between the models is about 100,000 rubles, and the “exhaust” is noticeable by 10%.

You can find out what else is visible about the difference between typical Apple and Infinix smartphones with our look.

Optical support is compact and available as a technology. Therefore, it is easier to improve the quality of shooting with it.

Stabilization is integrated objectively, allowing it to occupy the same footprint as a sensor camera base. Therefore, the entire module with the same social matrix turns out to be smaller and thinner than with a sensor stand.

This creates more space for the battery and other components, while still providing a completely effective and natural stroking experience in videos.

Space savings also allow engineers to store cameras with larger sensors in mid-budget models.

Moreover, taking into account the use of an additional electronic source along with an optical one, less cropping of the frame is obtained and thus the original quality is preserved.

Infinix ZERO 40 5G actually has a top-end camera module

The size of the sensor in the camera determines how clear and bright the photos will be and how little noise they will have. The larger it is, the better.

The Infinix ZERO 40 5G has a 1/1.67 sensor. This 95% According to the indicator in flagships, which allows you to capture more light and therefore get more details without loss of image clarity compared to smartphones in the same price segment.

To succeed high smoothnessIn the main camera, you can optionally enable the enhanced anti-aliasing mode. Due to the high resolution of the 108 MP sensor and its large physical size, there is minimal edge trimming and clarity remains high.

Plays an additional role three foreign policy regimes: “without external”, “maximum” and “super stabilization”.

In addition, the Infinix ZERO 40 5G has a large 6.78-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, 12 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of internal memory, a 5000 mAh battery and even support for 20 W wireless charging using the new magnetic standard. Qi2. For more information about the user experience, see the review.

While large Chinese manufacturers are trying to improve their reputation and are starting to put price tags on more than a hundred thousand of their best models, Infinix continues to tread the path of a “people’s” brand.

Let me remind you that the new product is worth from 39,990 rubles. And in terms of its characteristics, Infinix ZERO 40 5G has few competitors.