Just how good is the OPPO Reno 5G camera?

OPPO's latest flagship smartphone - the Reno 5G - is about two things: 5G and photography. 5G coverage is still very much a work in progress, but you don't need no fancy next generation network to get the most out of the Reno 5G's camera. So how good is it? We've taken the OPPO Reno 5G out and about to find out. 

This time around, you'll find three cameras on the back of the Reno 5G. The setup includes the following:

• A 48MP primary lens, with an aperture of f/1.7 (equivalent to 26mm or 1x zoom)
• A 8MP ultra-wide angle lens with an aperture of f/2.2 (equivalent to 16mm or 0.6x zoom)
• A 13MP telephoto lens with an aperture of f/3 (equivalent to 130mm to 5x zoom)

Using thes cameras and some software trickery, the Reno 5G is able to achieve up to 10x hybrid zoom. There's also a purely digital 60x zoom. 

On first impression, the Reno 5G is OPPO's strongest camera effort to date. While that's to be expected, given that it's the company's newest phone, it's a surprisingly meaningful improvement on the R17 Pro - especially when it comes to low light. The zoom doesn't quite live up to what Huawei achieved with the P30 Pro - photos are harder to stabilise and can lose detail easily - but it's nonetheless a welcome addition that makes the Reno 5G a little more versatile than the typical smartphone camera. 

If you're after a plan, the Reno 5G is exclusively available through Telstra right now, and through JB Hi-Fi if you'd prefer to go outright. You'll also find the 4G version (which has an identical camera setup) at Woolworths Mobile later this month. 

But anyway, here are some of our favourite photos so far: 

The Blue Mountains sure are pretty. This photo came from the Reno 5G's primary camera lens.

This photo was taken from the same spot, using the Reno 5G's 10x hybrid zoom.

The Reno 5G camera app has four suggested zoom factors: 1x, 2x, 6x, 10x. The above image compares the four. 1x is the standard primary lens and 2x is a digital zoom. 

Here's where it gets tricky. The Reno 5G's telephoto lens has an equivalent focal length of 130mm, which makes it a 5x lens. Instead of using the lens' optical focal length, the Reno 5G punches into 160mm using software technology; this makes it equivalent to having 10 factors of zoom between the wide angle lens and the telephoto lens. You can access standard 5x zoom via pinch to zoom. 10x zoom is also software assisted. 

Given the comparatively slow aperture on the telephoto lens, it tends to work better in well lit environments. If you're trying to get the best results possible from it, you'll definitely want a tripod.

While the 10x hybrid zoom doesn't quite live up to the Huawei P30 Pro, you can still get some lovely results.

Here's another shot from the Reno 5G's primary camera.

And here is the same image from the Reno 5G's wide lens. While there's some distortion toward the edges of the frame, it isn't overly pronounced.  

For good measure, here's another wide-angle comparison. Above is the standard shot.

And here's the wide-angle equivalent.

Photography "night modes" are all the rage now, and there are no exceptions when it comes to the Reno 5G. Night modes take multiple images over a longer period of time to stitch them together into a brighter image. This photo was taken without night mode.

And this photo was taken with night mode on.

Night mode is off here.

And on here.

Lowlight photography on the Reno 5G is pretty good across the board. It shoots faster than previous OPPO smartphones, which is especially useful if you're trying to capture photos of moving objects in dark rooms. Like metal bands, for example.

But as the above image proves, not every shot will turn out. Nonetheless, the Reno 5G felt more reliable than other OPPO devices I've had with me at concerts.

This ramen photo is mostly here because it was really good.

The dynamic range in this photo is excellent. Despite shooting against the sunset, there's very little blowout, and you can still see a good amount of green foliage in the foreground.

Just a close up of a flower.

Obligatory.

<3

100% pure filth.

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The OPPO Reno 5G is now available for pre-order through Telstra, and if you get in before June 11, you'll score a bonus pair of Bose QC35 noise-cancelling headphones valued at $499.95.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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