The rumors about the LG G5 are already spreading like wildfire. According to the leaked information on the web, we are looking at a 20MP Sony 1/2″ (custom-made) sensor for the rear-facing camera and a 5MP FFC. An article on techradar.com mentioned a 21MP rear camera and according to many photos and an image of Spigen case for LG G5, we are looking at at dual-camera setup.
If this is indeed the case, we are looking at quite a big jump from the 16MP of the LG G4. It also seems that Samsung is taking another direction by lowering the resolution toe 12MP in its upcoming Galaxy S7 smartphone. All seems pretty clear, but keep in mind that the LG G5 is rumored to come with a 1/2″ sensor – so how big iis it?
We are talking about a 6.40 x 4.80 mm dimensions. The 1/2″ sensor is therefore larger than the 1/2.3″ sensor (6.30×4.72mm). Here is a list of some of the most popular smartphone and their camera sensor sizes:
- 1/3.0-inch (4.89×3.67mm) — iPhone 6 Plus , iPhone 6s Plus
- 1/2.6-inch (5.79×4.01mm) — galaxy S6 edge, LG V10, Galaxy Note 5
- 1/2.3-inch (6.17×4.55mm) — Google Nexus 5X, Google Nexus 6P Xperia Z5 Premium
Don’t expect a 1-inch in this one, but 1/2-inch is a better choice for a 20MP sensor than 1/2.3″, but it has to be the sensor’s technology that should have the biggest impact. Samsung is, most probably, going to introduce the Galaxy S7 with its 12MP BRITECELL sensor, and rumors are suggesting a 1/2″ sensor.
It seems that the phone manufacturers really want to push image quality up and low-light performance up, and the best way to do so is wither a newer sensor technology and large sensor (inc. larger pixels). My problem with the specs is that 20MP is very high resolution, even for 1/2″ sensor. A new sensor technology might bring the 20MO image quality to that of a 16MP with a smaller sensor (e.g. 1/2.3″). This would be quite a bummer, because those phone manufacturers always leave us with that feeling of what if they have decided to go with a 10MP camera, what the image quality would have been like?
One of the latest leaked images of what it seems like the LG G5, suggests that the G5 will come with a Dual camera setup at the back. After viewing the leaked image, it really seems that we are indeed looking at a dual-camera (take a look yourself). So if indeed this is the case, what the LG G5 would be capable of doing that a single camera setup won’t?
There are several options, including among others: Virtual Reality (VR) / 3D video recording, create a more prominent shallow depth of field effect, or multi focal length (wide angle and telephoto) to provide an optical zoom (check this article on gizmag.com). For me it seems that the second or third ones are more likely to happen. It would be amazing to have a something that resembles an optical zoom, and one that can provide much clearer zoomed image than the destructive zoom that digital zoom offers. If it’s indeed the case, I think that LG G5 will have a big advantage over its competitors (as long as the image quality is there as well).
Let’s hope that the LG G5 camera will indeed have those great features (not sure about the resolution though). What do you think or expect the LG G5 camera to be? share your thoughts in the comment section below, Thanks.