Moto Z Hasselblad True Zoom Mod: Camera Shootout
by Matt Humrick on September 10, 2016 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- camera
- Motorola
- Mobile
- Moto Z
Camera Hardware
If you were hoping for an upgrade to a larger format sensor, you’ll be disappointed. The Hasselblad True Zoom Mod still uses a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor. This is a large sensor for a smartphone but a smartphone sensor nonetheless, with specifications similar to the HTC 10’s rear camera. Moving to a larger sensor would require increases in thickness and cost, so this is not necessarily a bad choice. Based on its size and features, the True Zoom’s main competition is point-and-shoot compact cameras like Canon’s PowerShot or Sony’s Cyber-shot lineups that also use 1/2.3” sensors in cameras that cost up to $450, which is the entry price for a camera with a larger 1” or APS-C format sensor, so it’s not like the True Zoom is at a disadvantage here.
The True Zoom’s 12MP backside-illuminated CMOS sensor uses 1.55µm pixels and captures images with a 4:3 aspect ratio at its native resolution. We cannot pin down the source for the sensor, however. Both Sony and OmniVision make sensors that fit this description and Motorola has sourced parts from both before.
Moto Z Rear Camera Details | ||||
Hasselblad True Zoom | Moto Z Play Droid | Moto Z Droid | Moto Z Force Droid | |
Resolution: Photo | 12MP | 16MP | 13MP | 21MP |
Resolution: Video | 1080p30 | 1080p30, 4K30 | 1080p60, 4K30 | 1080p60, 4K30 |
Sensor | ? (1.55µm, 1/2.3") |
OmniVision OV16860 (1.3µm, 1/2.4") |
Sony IMX214 Exmor RS (1.12µm, 1/3.06") |
Sony IMX338 Exmor RS (1.12µm, 1/2.4") |
Focal Length | 4.50-45.00mm (25-250mm equivalent) | 4.68mm (27mm equivalent) | 3.68 (27mm equivalent) | 4.51mm (26mm equivalent) |
Zoom | 10x optical 4x digital |
8x digital | 8x digital | 8x digital |
Aperture | f/3.5-6.5 | f/2.0 | f/1.8 | f/1.8 |
Image Stabilization | OIS / EIS | EIS | OIS / EIS | OIS / EIS |
Autofocus | PDAF/Contrast | PDAF/Laser/Contrast | Laser/Contrast | PDAF/Laser/Contrast |
Flash | Xenon | dual-color LED | dual-color LED | dual-color LED |
Dimensions | 152.3 x 72.9 x 9.00-15.10 mm 145 grams |
156.4 x 76.4 x 6.99 mm 165 grams |
153.3 x 75.3 x 5.19 mm 136 grams |
155.9 x 75.8 x 6.99 mm 163 grams |
Launch Price (No Contract) | $250 (Verizon) / $300 (Moto) | $408 | $624 / $674 | $720 / $770 |
The True Zoom includes optical image stabilization (OIS) for still photos and electronic image stabilization (EIS) for videos. It also uses a combination of phase detect autofocus (PDAF) and standard contrast autofocus. Laser autofocus is not included but the focus assist LED fills a similar role, improving focus performance in low-light conditions over short distances.
The 10x optical zoom lens has a variable 35mm equivalent focal length of 25-250mm with an aperture that varies from f/3.5-6.5. This gives the True Zoom an aperture area smaller than any smartphone camera we’ve tested at 1x zoom; the HTC 10, which also has a 1/2.3” sensor and 1.55µm pixels, has an aperture area that’s nearly 4x larger. This is a byproduct of using a variable aperture zoom lens, which tend to be slower than fixed aperture prime lenses, to reduce cost and weight. We’ll see what effect this has on low-light performance in the next section.
Video Quality
The True Zoom will record video, of course, but unless you specifically need to shoot video of something at a distance, you’re better off using the phone’s camera. For starters, it will not record 1080p60 video like the Moto Z or Moto Z Force nor will it record 4K video like all three Moto Zs can. It does record 1080p video at an average bit rate and using the high profile, but only at 24fps. I do not think I’ve reviewed a phone that could not do 1080p at 30fps, assuming it could record 1080p at all. I’m not sure if this is a bandwidth limitation from the Moto Mod connector or a cost saving measure, but the camera sensor is more than capable of recording up to 4K at 30fps.
Hasselblad True Zoom Mod: Video Modes | ||
Video Mode | Video | Audio |
FHD 1080p | 1920x1080, 17 Mb/s, H.264 High | 128 Kb/s, 48 KHz AAC |
HD 720p | 1280x720, 10 Mb/s, H.264 High | 128 Kb/s, 48 KHz AAC |
VGA 480p | 640x480, 6 Mb/s, H.264 Baseline | 128 Kb/s, 48 KHz AAC |
Between the lack of recording options and the choppy looking 24fps video, it’s best to pop off the True Zoom and use the phone’s camera if the subject of the video is reasonably close, which is not ideal. However, its optical zoom makes the inconvenience of carrying around the True Zoom and taking it on and off justifiable. It allows you to take videos of things that just are not feasible with a regular smartphone camera because they’re too far away.
Video quality is pretty good overall. White balance, exposure, and noise are similar to video taken with the Moto Zs. The less than fluid 24fps 1080p video (both the 720p and 480p modes record at 30fps) and lack of HDR are the biggest negatives. The True Zoom’s electronic image stabilization works wonderfully, though, completely eliminating hand shake. This is especially important for a zoom lens because the large distance between camera and subject can turn even the smallest movements at the camera into large shifts in the captured image. Even at 10x zoom, however, the True Zoom’s video remains steady, deftly soaking up small vibrations from your hands.
In the video sample above, motor noise while zooming is clearly audible. And by clearly audible, I mean it’s very loud. Another issue is that the zoom speed is not variable and not very precise. It’s more of an on/off button, so you will not be able to do any slow, cinematic zooms or zoom precisely to a specific point. For these reasons, it’s better to select the desired zoom level before recording or edit out the periods while zooming.
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alfredska - Monday, September 12, 2016 - link
How upsetting. A dedicated camera module with such a beautifully simple connector (magnets only and simple metal contacts) should have made this a winner. Too bad Moto and Hasselblad didn't take this project seriously. It seems like you'd actually have to _try_ to make a full size camera like this produce worse photos and support so few video options. Bummer.AnotherRegistrationEyeRoll - Monday, September 19, 2016 - link
I guess it's early days on the module front. Nothing to tempt thus far.What I'd like to see is the establishment of standards for module attachment/data transfer across different manufacturers, so that I can convert my work mobile into something that I can use for much more. That would be an encouragement for 3rd party development and for the creation of specalist tools e.g. laser distance measures, bat detectors, damp sensors (make up your own) etc that can make use of the processing and data recording/analysis capabilities of modern phones and enable this to be transmitted to wherever.
Camera modules? It would seem better to improve interactions between mobiles and cameras (and to make it easier to plonk better lenses/converters on the backside of phones).
Failing that, perhaps carriers might be persuaded to let us have accounts to permit switching of active devices so I might use a skinny phone in the office and one with better battery life, other capabilities and all the storage I need for use out in the hills without needing to keep switching the SIM around. Technology, eh?
darwiniandude - Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - link
Not keen that by 10x 250mm equivalent its sitting at f6.5. That's just too slow. I have a Fuji F550EXR, 15x, from Jan 2011. Five and a half years ago. Len is 28-360 f3.5-f5.3 lens. So at 360mm it's at f5.3.It also shoots RAW, 1080p video, and weighs 225 grams. Has GPS. I'd rather carry that with an Eye-Fi card inside.
darwiniandude - Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - link
Do you folks have access to a 7 Plus? Would be keen to see how it's 10x digital based on 2x optical compares to the others in the group.NoSoMo - Saturday, September 17, 2016 - link
Why a whole add-on? Seems a MFG Like samsung could standardize on say a removable lens assembly that's on the back of all of their phones that allows a variable zoom lens to lock on if wanted? Apple's solution is no better -- adding a 2nd 2x cam? We don't need thinner phones, or bigger screens. Stick to a 4.9" max screen, thicken the thing up, give us features, a decent battery, etc....gupidechouxiaozi - Friday, January 13, 2017 - link
May I know how we can view each photo side by side by opening them in new tabs? I tried opening a Z Play photo in a new tab, followed by Z Force photo of the same scene and both loaded the same image.