Google’s Pixel 10 phones are among the best camera phones on the market, and this generation marks the first time in a while that the entire series offers a telephoto camera. The Pixel 10 ships with a 10.8MP 5x camera, while the Pixel 10 Pro phones pack a great 50MP 5x periscope camera.
There’s one big feature missing from Google’s telephoto cameras, though, and I really hope to see it on the Pixel 11 Pro line. Of course, I’m talking about telephoto macro capabilities.
Do you use macro photo mode on your phone? 0 votes Yes, via the telephoto camera NaN % Yes, via the ultrawide camera NaN % Yes, via the main camera NaN % Yes, but I'm not sure which camera is used NaN % No, I don't use it NaN % I'm not sure NaN %
Why move closer to get closer?
Xiaomi 15 Ultra 3x macro vivo X300 Pro 3.5x macro vivo X300 Pro 7x macro vivo X200 Ultra 3.7x macro vivo X200 Pro 3.7x macro Nothing Phone 3 3x macro
For what it’s worth, the Pixel 10 lets you use the ultrawide camera for macro photography. This requires you to move your phone virtually on top of whatever you’re snapping, which has various downsides, from lackluster bokeh to potentially ruining your photo’s lighting.
Instead, I love the ability to take macro photos with a telephoto camera; it’s great for grabbing a close-up shot without physically moving closer to the subject. That’s handy if you’re capturing a skittish subject (e.g., insects, little animals) and are worried that you might chase it off.
Telephoto-based macro photography also has picture quality benefits compared to macro mode on ultrawide cameras. For one, you don’t have to get so close that your shadow falls onto the subject itself. You also don’t have to deal with a very distorted field of view, as seen from ultrawide cameras, although many phone makers crop the image from the ultrawide camera to limit this issue.
Macro mode telephoto lets you get close-up snaps without being on top of the subject.
The ability to focus up close with the telephoto camera also has ramifications for general photography. This feature gives you more flexibility if you’re taking photos in tight spaces or in situations where the tele camera would ordinarily lose focus.
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