The company’s latest OnePlus 15R is positioned as a performance-centric phone. However, this doesn’t mean that the firm has completely sidelined the photography experience. In fact, the software processing has leaped forward. Instead of chasing big numbers or adding multiple lenses, OnePlus has focused on strengthening the main camera and improving image processing through its new DetailMax engine. However, the main question is – Can the software alone compensate for the lack of hardware?
In terms of specifications, the OnePlus 15R packs a dual rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX 906 primary wide lens with ƒ/1.8 aperture, 23mm equivalent focal length, and Optical Image Stabilization support. The secondary camera is an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with an equivalent focal length of 16mm. As for the selfies, the device packs an upgraded 32-megapixel autofocus-supported lens with an aperture value of f/2.0. It has a 25mm equivalent focal length.
Well, that was it for the camera hardware. Unlike the predecessor, the OnePlus 15R doesn’t have an optical zoom telephoto lens. Yes, many will argue that a 2X telephoto without OIS is useless. But it’s a fact that digital zoom can never replace optical zoom. The primary sensor is the most important part of this setup and is heavily supported by the DetailMax engine. The company relies on advanced computational photography and digital zoom to handle different shooting scenarios. Anyway, let’s talk about the actual camera performance of the device.
OnePlus 15R main camera performance – both daylight and low-light
The primary camera is the strongest part of the device’s camera setup, as it should be. In daylight conditions, the main camera performs really well. The image output becomes sharp, detailed, and well-managed. The credit for the improved image output goes to the all-new DetailMax engine. It does an excellent job of improving texture clarity without making images look artificial. This also means that the digital zoom algorithm of the gadget holds fairly well.
Colors look natural, contrast is pleasing, and exposure is handled well in most situations. Dynamic range is also reliable, meaning the camera can balance bright highlights and dark shadows effectively.
However, low-light photography is not the strongest suit of the OnePlus 15R. The built-in Night Mode in the camera app does help by enhancing highlights and controlling the brightness, but fine details are often lost in darker scenes. The noise control algorithm of the device is good, too. But you may sometimes end up getting softer images.
The night images are still usable and good enough for social media, but they don’t match the strong daylight performance. The camera struggles to retain sharpness in very dark environments, making low-light photography an area that needs improvement.
Ultrawide camera performance – why does it even exist?
Unlike the main camera, the ultrawide lens is the weakest part of the setup. OnePlus could have at least added a 50-megapixel high-resolution ultrawide sensor. But all we get is a mediocre 8-megapixel sensor. In daylight, ultrawide shots look soft and lack detail compared to the main camera. Color consistency is also not great, and images often appear flatter. The DetailMax engine doesn’t help here.
In low light and night conditions, the ultrawide camera performs poorly. Photos suffer from heavy noise, weak exposure, and poor sharpness. In most situations, it’s better to avoid using the ultrawide camera at night and rely on the main camera instead. This also brings an answer to the earlier asked question. No, the DetailMax engine or any software processing algorithm cannot yet compensate for the hardware imbalance.
Portrait mode and missing telephoto lens – is it a big problem?
The OnePlus 15R uses the primary camera to capture portrait images. However, the user can adjust the focal length from anywhere between 28mm to 48mm. Regarding the main output, the edge detection is decent, the background blur looks natural, and skin tones are handled well. However, as said earlier, a telephoto lens could’ve completed the overall camera performance in a much better way.
Compared to its predecessor, which offered a telephoto camera, this change feels like a downgrade. Digital zoom cannot replace optical zoom, especially for portraits. Further, the absence of a telephoto lens reduces creative flexibility as the images start looking softer beyond a threshold on digital zoom. This company’s decision to skip the telephoto lens is difficult to justify, especially for users who value portrait photography and zoom performance.
Selfie camera – the unspoken hero
The selfie camera is one of the strongest features of the OnePlus 15R. The image output it provides is sharp, detailed, and well-exposed. HDR works effectively by helping balance bright backgrounds and facial details. Skin tones look natural, and there’s no unnatural skin smoothening or brightening.
Even in indoor and low-light conditions, the selfie camera performs better than most phones in this price range. Focus is reliable, and details remain consistent, making it a great choice for selfies, video calls, and social media use. Another good thing about the lens is that it has a focal length of 25mm. This means that it can capture a really wide FOV, making it a perfect choice for group selfies.
Video performance – it is really impressive
OnePlus has really upped its video performance on the latest flagships. And the same is followed on the OnePlus 15R as well. The video performance is among the main highlights of the gadget. It can capture up to 4K resolution videos at a whopping 120FPS, which is rare for the price. Videos from the main camera look sharp and stable, with good colors and dynamic range. Stabilization works well, making handheld footage smooth. The zoom transition is also very smooth.
The selfie camera also records high-quality videos at 4K 30FPS, making it suitable for casual vloggers and content creators. In low light, video quality drops slightly, but recording at lower frame rates helps improve detail. As expected, the ultrawide camera delivers poor video quality, especially in night conditions.
Final Verdict
The camera division of the OnePlus 15R is a mixed bag. For a performance-centric phone, it does a very good job. However, the same cannot be said if you are considering a camera phone. The primary camera does an amazing job. Most people won’t have any complaints with it. However, the ultrawide lens is below average and useless for most. And the lack of a telephoto lens, especially for optical zoom, is frustrating.
However, the DetailMax Engine does a very good job. In a nutshell, it takes amazing photos from the main and the selfie. The ultrawide is useless, but the video performance is appealing. If you prioritize performance, selfies, and video recording, the OnePlus 15R is a strong choice. But if you are someone who relies heavily on auxiliary lenses, such as ultrawide or telephoto, for photography, then you will find its camera setup limiting.
Final Rating – 3.9/5
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