Modern smartphone camera systems often include quite just a solitary primary snapper. You’ll likely see phones across the pricing range with ultra-wide angles and telephoto snappers. But if you had to settle on only one, which might it be?
Results
We saw over 2,400 votes on this poll, and therefore the results are pretty close. The slim majority of readers (54.2%) would choose a periscope or telephoto camera over an ultra-wide shooter.
Despite this, ultra-wide cameras only received ~200 fewer votes. These readers opted for ultra-wide cameras’ versatility for video. Some even use theirs as a makeshift macro shooter. Overall, several readers note they only use their telephoto cameras more often.
Ultimately, the fine margins between the two camera philosophies suggest there’s no clear winner. Different equipment appeals to different people, while each camera is best suited to pick scenarios.
Here’s what you had to say
- Rahul Pai: Ultrawide. My main cam is high res enough that I can crop for “zoom.” My phone has a 2x telephoto, but the cropped version of most cameras is better quality (galaxy s10, the telephoto only really works in bright lighting). Ultrawide is useful to urge multiple people/ an entire scene insight without stepping backward 10 meters. Also, sometimes there isn’t space to maneuver backward.
- Wongwatt: Why should I even have to choose? There’s no reason why any decent phone shouldn’t have a minimum of an ultra-wide and a 5x periscope — modern phones with high prices that lack both are inexcusable.
- Shizuma: Telephoto without even a reconsideration; I’ve never once visited take an image with the already wide standard lens and thought I wish this was wider; however, I frequently wish for zoom, on my old note 8, I used the 2x telephoto lens more often than the regular lens.
- The One: I prefer the ultra-wide, but that’s because I understand what proportion 2x telephoto kind of sucks on phones. If it had been 3x or better, then I’d prefer it. I find that most average users pinch to zoom WAY an excessive amount so that they probably prefer telephoto.
- Ali Marwan: I even have owned my 7 Pro for two years and only took like 3 ultra-wide images. I honestly don’t have any use for it.
- MM_Rafez: I might choose telephoto any day. I wish some manufacturer gave us a big sensor with a telephoto/periscope lens at a wider aperture to get portrait shots with natural bokeh.
- mattc: I do know that I exploit the telephoto far more regularly. It’s great for portraits. Said using P30 Pro.
- stephan cevallos: Telephoto. for a few reasons, the ultra-wide on my note 20 ultra sucks. It needs bright light, or it doesn’t work.
- DBS: Ultra-Wide. Not even an issue. It’s far more useful to possess a lens that allows you to fit more into round AND is additionally good to use as a macro lens. Telephoto/periscope is OK, but it seldom produces anything worthwhile. and therefore, the number of times you would like it’s on the brink of zero.
