Asus Zenfone Zoom S - Low-light Photography Camera Review

One of my favorite scenarios to test a smartphone camera is low-light condition. This time I took the Asus Zenfone Zoom S out for a spin to put its camera capabilities to test and to check how it performs after the sun goes down. So I decided to carry this 12MP f/1.7 smartphone to Rashtrapati Bhavan located in New Delhi and capture the beautifully lit North Block and South Block.

ISO performance of Asus Zenfone Zoom S

When I am testing the camera of a smartphone in the evening hours, I try and shoot photos in auto mode to check the ISO performance. I do so because not all smartphone users would use the manual mode to choose a lower ISO.

During the camera test of Asus Zenfone Zoom S in low-light condition, I found the ISO performance to be really impressive. If you have a look at the image shown below, this was shot at ISO 1200 which is way too high. But if you look at the shadow areas, you will witness less grains that too at such high ISO value. One of the major reason why you witness less noise in the photos in low-light condition is the 1.4µm pixel size, which is bigger than what some of the smartphones in the same segment offers.

The Asus Zenfone Zoom S features the SuperPixel™ technology which uses a powerful image processor known as the SuperPixel™ Engine which further enables it to intelligently control the senor’s light sensitivity and process low light images rapidly to reduce noise artifacts that occur in photos clicked in low light condition.

Now If you look at another image shared below, this one was clicked at manual mode as I wanted to check the ISO performance of this smartphone camera at ISO 50. Using the manual mode allowed me to choose ISO 50 and thus increasing the shutter speed.

At ISO 50 which is the lowest the Zenfone Zoom S camera allows you to go, you can easily make out how sharp the image appears and the grains can hardy be spotted.

Low-light Focusing Speed and Accuracy of Asus Zenfone Zoom S

The focusing ability of smartphone cameras is drastically improving year on year, and the same can be observed while using the Zenfone Zoom S at night. First I tried the automatic focusing ability of this smartphone camera to check how fast and accurately it can lock focus on near as well as far subjects. Trust me, the focusing ability of this smartphone is shockingly swift and spot-on, that too when the available light is not that great.

Then I went ahead and tried focusing on different subjects placed at a distance by tapping on the screen. This shooter by Asus is not only a great performer when it comes to focusing speed but also ensures that the focus is locked exactly where you tap. There were slight misses, but that happened when I was tapping on the areas which were almost completely dark.

I am pretty sure that because Asus used the TriTech+ technology in this Zenfone Zoom S smartphone camera, the user is going to love clicking photos in low light without any hassle. To further elaborate, the TriTech+ technology combines a Dual Phase Detection AF, a 2nd Gen Laser AF, and a Subject tracking AF, allowing you to focus on your subject in just 0.03s. Though the brand claims 0.03 sec focusing speed, it may vary depending on the lighting conditions and some other factors as well.

To conclude, I simply fell in love with the focusing speed and accuracy of the Asus Zenfone Zoom S while I was testing it in late hours of the day. Talking about the focusing ability, I would rate the Zenfone Zoom S smartphone as one of the best in this segment.

asus zenfone zoom s camera review — Panorama shot using the Asus Zenfone Zoom S

Is Asus Zenfone Zoom S the Best Low-light Camera Smartphone under Rs.25,000?

As per my camera tests, I would go ahead and tag the Asus Zenfone Zoom S as the ideal low-light camera smartphone under Rs.25,000 price range. I came to this conclusion after putting this smartphone to test in various lighting conditions and under different scenarios in low light. I am highly impressed with its low light ISO performance, be it on automatic mode at high ISO value or the manual mode at ISO 50. The focusing speed and accuracy is one of the major reasons why I am inclined towards the Asus Zenfone Zoom S and have tagged it as one of the best low-light camera smartphones.