Single camera, multiple cameras: What works better and what doesn’t

Almost all flagship smartphones these days come with multiple cameras and most of them integrate those cameras in such a way that gives them a unique look. The cameras in Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are placed in such a way that they get lost in the unique black horizontal Pixel strip. While other smartphones like iPhone 13 Pro, Galaxy S21 Ultra, and Nokia 9 PureView also look good with triple, quadruple, and quintuple camera systems, respectively.
Although in most cases the camera bumps are well designed, the number of camera holes terrifies people who suffer from trypophobia who are afraid to look at them properly. Even if we don’t consider aesthetics aside, multiple camera systems do enable photographic flexibility, yet there are other limitations that can’t be totally ignored.
However, it doesn’t look like the single camera phones won’t be back for some time and even if they are successful in making a comeback, there will be both pros and cons. Let us discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of going “backwards” and using a single camera in smartphones.
Early Single-Camera Smartphone
Before 2021, the last mainstream flagship smartphone with a single camera on the rear was launched in 2018. The Pixel 3 looked weak at that point in time when phones like Huawei Mate 20 Pro, P30 Pro, Apple’s iPhone XS and iPhone 11 series were ruling the camera segment smartphones. Users complained that the Pixel 3 lacked an ultra-wide-angle camera and didn’t even offer any optical zoom.
However, Google’s Pixel 3 and 3XL managed to produce some really appealing point-and-shoot images with a single and a bit older camera sensor. Although, the triple camera was starting to become a standard norm for flagship phones at that point in time and 2018’s Pixel’s flat design and disappointing battery life couldn’t make it a huge hit. Google has not used a single camera in any phone that came out since then.
Single camera flagship of 2021
Japanese tech giant Sharp decided to introduce a smartphone with a single camera on the back named Sharp Aquos R6 in May 2021. It was an Asia-exclusive device and its single-rear camera had futuristic features as it came with a 1-inch sensor.
The availability of this was limited to a handful of countries like Japan and Indonesia, yet this smartphone was a beacon of hope for smartphones with single cameras making a comeback. However, multi-camera systems are not always bad as there are some advantages that three or more cameras bring to the fold but there are some disadvantages of having more than one good camera on a phone.
Drawbacks of a multi-camera system
Some attributes of a multi-camera system make smartphones work and feel unfamiliar to a “real camera”. Lens-switching is one of the major problems with multi-camera systems. The triangular camera system in the iPhone has proved to be successful in handling some of the challenges of switching between multiple lenses. The switching seems to work seamlessly and it even keeps the colour profile somewhat consistent across the lenses.
However, there are reports that pictures taken by different lenses of the iPhone aren’t consistent in quality. The primary sensor seems to have the upper hand in most cases, while the ultra-wide-angle lens and the zoom lens seem to fall apart in mid-low light conditions.
The ultra-wide-angle shooter in the Pixel 6 Pro is also criticised by many for its low light performance. The 4X zoom lens on the Pixel 6 Pro claims to be the biggest and the best zoom lens to be ever available on a smartphone, but reports reveal that it also starts gathering noise and grains when the light is low. So, most flagships often go back to cropping from the main cameras when the shooting conditions get difficult.
One of the major issues with Android flagship cameras is abrupt lens switching. Moreover, the exposure and the colour scheme of the various lenses is quite inconsistent among most Android phones. Whenever you try to close in with a zoom lens it is able to gather even lesser light, but a bigger sensor has a better chance of getting back some of the lost light.
Low light conditions affect almost everything in a picture which includes — sharpness, colours, dynamic range, noise control, etc. You start noticing its effect on the final output when the same granular elements of a picture differ.
Importance of multiple-camera system
Ultra-wide-angle cameras
Nowadays, almost all mid-range and even budget devices come with an ultra-wide-angle lens. The quality of these lenses are not always at par with the primary lens of the phone, but an ultra-wide shooter offers a unique perspective.
Zoom cameras
Another feature that modern multi-camera phones made possible was being able to get closer to the subject. A telephoto lens usually adds a more “real camera-like” perspective to anything starting from street photography to portraits (without using “Portrait Mode’)’.
Portrait Mode
Apple has managed to find the perfect solution for its portrait mode and this wouldn’t have been possible without its 2-3x telephoto lens, available on the modern iPhones. Some users prefer the natural bokeh that is obtainable using the primary camera with big sensors that provide plenty of depth-of-field. The Pixel 6 Pro uses its 4x zoom shooter that produces portraits using natural subject separation, compression and sharpness.
Eliminating Ultra-wide Angle lens
Some users think that removing the ultra-wide-angle camera might be the first step to give the smartphones a feel of a “real camera”. To resolve this issue phone makers can make the primary camera a bit wider than usual that will allow you to digitally zoom in and out. The Sharp Aquos R6 uses this mechanism and is also able to retain a consistent exposure and colour profile. Although it won’t be able to be as wide as 120-degrees, in most regular situations users can take a few steps back and capture more of the subject.
Variable smartphone zoom
Sony has already proved that optical zoom is something that can be achieved with a single camera, as the Sony Xperia 1 III can get from 2.9x to 4.4x optical zoom with a single lens. Although it is important to note that this is not a continuous zoom as two lenses are fixed where the zoom values are between 2.9x and 4.4x. Sony was able to fit two focal lengths into one without using an extra camera.
Oppo has also introduced the first concept of smartphone optical zoom in August 2021 during the “Future Imaging” event. The Chinese company even teased a phone with a retractable camera that was introduced during the Inno Day event. Oppo is expected to release a phone with that tech in 2022, but the present version of the retractable lens doesn’t seem to offer variable focal length.
Oppo claims that this allows the camera to capture more and clearer detail compared to normal telephoto lenses. Retractable cameras will also be able to produce better bokeh, with natural subject separation and without any software-enhanced Portrait Mode.