Weekly poll: are macro-enabled ultra wide cameras useful or useless?

Many of you think it’s useless – the dedicated 2MP macro module that is there to pad out the camera count on cheaper phones. But if the phone has autofocus on its ultra wide-angle camera, then it can produce far higher quality photos.

Is this a feature that you use regularly? Or ever? Note that we’re asking specifically about macro photography with AF-enabled ultrawide cameras, not about dedicated modules like the aforementioned 2MP units or even the higher quality telemacro modules.

High-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro/14 Pro Max do have autofocus on their ultrawide cameras to enable macro photography. Other flagships and high-end phones don’t, including the Galaxy S23/S23+ and iPhone 14/14 Plus.


Macro photos with iPhone 14 Pro Max's ultra wide camera
Macro photos with iPhone 14 Pro Max's ultra wide camera
Macro photos with iPhone 14 Pro Max's ultra wide camera
Macro photos with iPhone 14 Pro Max's ultra wide camera

Macro photos with iPhone 14 Pro Max’s ultra wide camera

For whatever reason Samsung and Apple see this as a premium feature. They are not alone, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has an AF ultrawide lens, the Xiaomi 13/13 Lite do not.

But this doesn’t actually have to cost premium. For example, the Motorola Edge 30 neo (available for €300 or so right now, €400 MSRP) has a 13MP ultrawide camera with 120° lens complete with autofocus. The Nothing Phone (1), which was €470 at launch and closer to €350 now, has an even better 50MP 114° ultrawide with AF.

Another interesting option is to use in the telephoto camera instead – that’s what the Xiaomi 13 does, thanks to its floating lens that allows its 50MP 75mm tele camera to focus at just 10cm/4in distance.


Macro photos with Xiaomi 13 Pro's telephoto camera
Macro photos with Xiaomi 13 Pro's telephoto camera
Macro photos with Xiaomi 13 Pro's telephoto camera
Macro photos with Xiaomi 13 Pro's telephoto camera

Macro photos with Xiaomi 13 Pro’s telephoto camera

Are good quality macro photos something that the industry should focus on? Or is this a feature that you rarely if ever use?

Source

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