Nothing Phone (2) First Shots - Better than expected!
The new Nothing Phone (2) promises to improve upon the small wins of its predecessor. One of them is in the camera department.
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| Nothing Phone (2)'s camera setup |
Unlike most mobile players opting for 3 or more cameras, Nothing retains a dual-camera configuration for the Phone (2). But those two cameras are loaded with features that you see on other phones with more cameras.
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| The full-back design of the Nothing Phone 2 |
In particular, the device uses an upgraded 50MP f/1.88 Sony IMX890 with OIS and EIS paired with a 50MP f/2.2 Samsung JN1 114-degree ultra-wide-angle with 4cm macro at the back.
This camera setup can do up to 2x lossless zoom, ultra-wide shots, 4cm macro, and Portrait modes just like other phones with more than 3 cameras.
It also has a dual LED flash and a Glyph interface that acts as a "soft light-like" flash when needed.
Not to be left behind, the company also upgraded its selfie camera from 16MP to a 32MP f/2.45 Sony IMX615 sensor.
Nothing also said that it is now using an 18-bit Image Signal Processor (ISP) that is capable of 4,000 times more camera data than the Phone (1).
The company also recently updated its software to further optimize its camera performance.
So, a few weeks after getting the phone, here are the first shots we got.
Nothing Phone (2) First Shots - Better than expected!
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| Daylight 1x |
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| Daylight ultra-wide |
The first thing we noticed with its cameras is its consistency. The colors are very similar from the primary camera to the ultra-wide camera. This means that Nothing has properly tuned both of its sensors.
In terms of sharpness, the primary camera is a little better as it is using a high-end type of camera sensor. But, the ultra-wide is also very good for a secondary shooter.
There is also some distortion on the ultra-wide shooter. But, it is just minimal.
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| Slightly against-the-light 2x zoom |
We also tried its 2x lossless zoom in the mountain ranges of BuDa (Bukidnon-Davao) and while it has some noise, this is still quite impressive. Note that this is a slightly against-the-light shot.
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| Well-lit indoor close-up |
For well-lit indoor close-ups, we have no issues as well. It can take high-quality images and it may even have a DSLR-like background blur effect even if you won't use its Portrait mode.
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| Indoor food shots |
Indoors, the performance is consistent. It is highly detailed without overdoing things. Dynamic range is good and shots won't look overexposed. Of course, noise is minimal as well.
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| Night 1x |
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| Night ultra-wide |
At night, we liked it doesn't make overly processed images. The exposure is just right and night shots still look like they were taken at night.
Its software automatically detects when it needs to use the Night mode, but you can always choose not to use it when not needed.
Again, colors are consistent from the primary cam to the ultra-wide cam.
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| Night mode 1x |
The difference in overall picture quality is minimal when the Night mode is on. This means that Nothing is really trying to balance the shots properly.
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| Night mode ultra-wide |
Even for moving subjects, the Night mode sometimes works just fine.
Overall, images in the dark are fairly crisp with minimal artifacts. Again, the exposure is just right to my eyes.
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For selfies, the "Retouching" mode is off by default. The result? The Nothing Phone (2) takes some of the most natural-looking selfies right off the bat. Your imperfections will be visible and you won't look that fake. And oh, it has a pretty nice Portrait mode with clean-looking edges.
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| More selfies |
Even indoors or in the dark, the selfies we took are decent. In the dark, it will have a bit of noise, but it is manageable, especially at this price point.
Quick thoughts
The cameras of the Nothing Phone (2) are better than expected for casual photography so far.
It is near flagship grade and this will definitely satisfy even some demanding users.
Probably, my only tiny issue here is it doesn't have a periscope super-zoom camera that could take even more impressive telemacro and Portrait shots. But other than that, this handset is a solid everyday photography buddy.
In general, it has very few weak points and it is highly impressive for a device with a PHP 38,990 starting price.
We have yet to try it for videos, but it can take 4K 60fps at the back and 1080p 60fps for selfies.
Watch out for our full review.
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