Realme 3 Pro packs camera features like Nightscape, Chroma Boost and Ultra HD mode. (Express Photo: Mohammad Faisal)When Realme announced its flagship smartphone Realme 3 Pro, the company made it clear that the device was ready to take on another much-hyped smartphone– Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 Pro. While Realme did not use a high megapixel count camera, it tuned the camera software to offer a number of features.
The Realme 3 Pro sports a 16MP Sony IMX519 sensor with f/1.7 aperture clubbed with a secondary 5MP sensor with f/2.4 aperture at the back. The phone features a 25MP (f/2.0) camera sensor at the sensor for selfies. Realme 3 Pro has offered camera features like Super slo-mo, Nightscape, Chroma Boost and Ultra HD mode. We’ll be discussing what these features and modes do and how efficient they are in practical use.
Realme 3 Pro AI scene recognition and Portrait mode
Realme claims that the Realme 3 Pro’s rear camera can recognise 16 independent scenes and 100 scene combinations. In my test, I found the AI recognition handy and working well with the camera identifying most of the scenes like clouds, buildings, portraits, to handle the exposure levels, contrast, colours and overall dynamic range.
The portrait mode on the Realme 3 Pro is a hit and miss. While portrait shots taken in daylight have good colour reproduction and carry good details, the edge detection often struggles to differentiate between the subject and the background. Realme has promised an OTA update to improve the bokeh effect. Check our Realme 3 Pro review for the camera samples.
Realme 3 Pro super slo-mo
With the latest OTA update, the Realme 3 Pro started supporting 960fps slow-motion video recorded at 720p. The super slo-mo mode requires ample light to work well. In low light, the video shows flickers. While it is good to see 960fps super slo-mo at this price range, the recorded video does not carry details and colours are washed out.
When I compared it with 960fps slow-motion video recorded on a Snapdragon 845 powered device, the difference was more visible, with the latter retaining more details. But, that is the case with a Snapdragon 845 powered smartphone. It would be unfair to expect the same standards on a device, which is priced under Rs 15,000.
Realme 3 Pro Nightscape mode
The real steal in the Realme 3 Pro’s camera is not its ability to capture 64MP shot, but its Nightscape mode. Photos captured on Nightscape mode are brighter have less noise and carry enough details. The phone uses multi-frame synergy to combine data from multiple shots to produce a better image.
Realme 3 Pro normal shot vs Nightscape shot (Image resized for web, photo by Mohammad Faisal)Realme 3 Pro Chroma Boost mode
Images with vibrant colours are always preferred over dull images. Chroma Boost mode on Realme 3 Pro is a shortcut to capture pictures with better colours and better exposure levels. The mode can also be used to click better pictures under foggy or cloudy weather conditions. However, often times, it oversaturates the images.
Realme 3 Pro Chroma Boost shot vs normal shot (Image resized for web, photo by Mohammad Faisal)Realme 3 Pro Ultra HD mode
Realme 3 Pro uses multi-frame synthesis to produce 64MP images from its 16MP camera sensor. Realme says that the phone synthesises multiple 16MP pictures to form one Ultra-HD picture with bigger size and more details. In my usage, I found the 64MP picture carrying lesser details than the 16MP shot.
However, since the Ultra-HD picture is bigger in size, it might be good to use if you want to take a print out. Also, since these high pixel count images on Realme 3 Pro are produced by the software, the company might roll out a software update to improve the same.
Also read | Realme 3 Pro review: Impressive performance, good camera
Turning on the Ultra-HD mode is sort of a task on the Realme 3 Pro. Unlike the other modes, you have to tap on the Expert mode from the menu option under the camera app and then tap on the Ultra HD mode button on the top.
Realme 3 Pro front camera modes and features
The 25MP front camera on the Realme 3 Pro supports features like AI beauty, Group selfie beauty mode, and Portrait mode. With AI beauty mode, you have the option to not only activate or deactivate the beauty filters but also set the levels. With group selfie, you have the option to tap on each face individually and select beauty levels for each person separately.
The Portrait mode on the front camera works better than the rear one. After the OTA update, it rarely messes up the edge detection. If you want, you can also activate the AI beauty mode and portrait mode simultaneously.
