Tecno Camon 50 Ultra Review: A Camera Setup with Mixed Results
The Tecno Camon 50 Ultra, released in 2026, offers a camera system that's a step down from the Camon 40 Premier, but still packs a punch with its triple rear camera and impressive selfie shooter. Here's a detailed breakdown of its performance.
Camera Setup and Features
- Rear Cameras: The Camon 50 Ultra features two 50MP sensors for the main wide and telephoto lenses, and an 8MP sensor for the ultrawide lens. The main camera replaces a Sony sensor with another of the same optical format, while the telephoto lens uses a slightly smaller OmniVision sensor, maintaining the same focal length of 70mm. The ultrawide lens, however, is a downgrade, losing autofocusing capability and resolution.
- Selfie Camera: The front-facing camera is a 50MP sensor with a wider 20mm lens, offering better low-light performance and autofocus compared to the 24mm lens on the 40 Premier. This setup delivers excellent detail and vibrant colors, making it a standout feature.
Daylight Photography
In daylight conditions, the Camon 50 Ultra's main camera excels, producing images with great dynamic range, accurate white balance, and vibrant colors. Human subjects are captured with well-judged exposures, lively skin tones, and excellent facial detail. The 50MP shots, however, exhibit heavy sharpening without adding extra detail.
Zoom and Portrait Modes
- Main Camera: The 2x zoom level provides decent close-up shots, while the 35mm mode adds a touch of softness. The 50mm portrait mode is suitable for portraits, but the background blur could be improved.
- Telephoto Camera: The telephoto camera's 3x zoom offers decent results, but it can be a bit hit-or-miss. The 5x zoom is usable but not high-quality.
- Ultrawide Camera: The ultrawide camera captures decent 8MP shots, but it can be too contrasty, and shadows may appear soft and grainy.
Low-Light Performance
In low-light conditions, the main camera delivers good photos with accurate white balance and vibrant colors. The telephoto camera's low-light performance is shaky, with desaturated and blurry images. The ultrawide camera's low-light photos are soft and not ideal for close examination.
Video Recording
The Camon 50 Ultra supports 4K30 video recording with the wide and telephoto cameras, and 1080p60 with the selfie camera. The ultrawide camera maxes out at 1440p30. Electronic stabilization is available and works well, creating smooth pans and reducing walking shake. However, the video quality from the ultrawide camera is soft and not ideal for detailed analysis.
Verdict
The Camon 50 Ultra's camera system has its strengths and weaknesses. The main camera and selfie camera excel in both daylight and low-light conditions, while the telephoto and ultrawide cameras have mixed results. The video recording capabilities are adequate, but the ultrawide camera's footage is soft and not highly detailed.