“Mobile phone cameras are already recording entire films”

While battery performance or display size used to determine the purchase decision for a smartphone, the camera system is now increasingly coming into focus. “For many people, the camera system is the decisive factor when buying a smartphone”says Oliver Schindelbeck, who is responsible for smartphone technology at the German optics group Zeiss and is also driving this area forward in view of the approaching Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Founded in 1846 as a small workshop, the company originally made a name for itself with photographic lenses, telescopes and reflecting telescopes. Zeiss has also played a role in smartphone development for more than two years. There is a cooperation with the company Vivo, founded in 2009, which focuses on research and development of smartphone optics and the merging of hardware and software.

The development of cell phone cameras “remarkable”, say Schindelbeck and Daniel Götz, Vivo product managers in Europe. Smartphone cameras are now able to record entire films. On the one hand because of the product quality, but on the other hand also for cost reasons: “If car stunts are filmed from the driver’s cab, a mobile phone is almost always used instead of the 10,000 euro camera”, says Schindelbeck. Meanwhile, Vivo and Zeiss are working hard to keep up with the fast-moving developments in smartphone photography. Three trends would stand out this year: firstly, recordings that can also be made in poor light conditions or at night without any problems. The one-inch sensor developed enables a better signal-to-noise ratio and thus improves imaging.

Secondly, artistic image design and emotionality played an increasingly important role. “People no longer just want a sharp and crystal clear picture, they also want an emotional one”says Schindelbeck.

color spectrum of the eye

And third, it’s about more realistic and natural photos, especially portrait photos. The entire color spectrum of the eye should be exploited, says Vivo Manager Götz. The “perfect photo” but always lies at the discretion of the photographer and in the eye of the beholder, says Schindelbeck. However, one can assume that the development on the smartphone market will be even faster in the future.