Graduate from mobile to mirrorless, become a video star, or capture all the action from surface to air with the Stuff guide to taking the scariness out of proper photography

PRESSURE DROPLET

The Pro+ doesn’t have the P40’s Super Macro mode. For close-ups of details like water droplets, you’re relying on its ultra-wide lens. This means photos taken from less than 8cm away will be blurred unless you dip into Pro mode and adjust your settings manually.

Words Amy Davies, Amateur Photographer Magazine ]

A.I. PHOTO TIPS

Use your judgement

AI is certainly very clever - but you’re (probably) smarter. If colours look weird, don’t be afraid to knock it off.

Bring on the night

Low-light snapping is where AI has made huge leaps. Dedicated night modes make the most of the onboard algorithms.

Put a brave face on

AI can work magic when photographing people. Expect artistically blurred backgrounds and cool lighting effects.

THE BRAIN GAIN

Modern smartphones packing software smarts are outmuscling the compact camera competition… as long as your budget’s up to it

HUAWEI P40 PRO+

£1300/ stuff.tv/P40ProPlus

Here’s a Huawei of a dilemma for you. Blocked from Google’s services and pushed out of a starring role in the UK’s 5G show, the Chinese company has just launched the best 5G camera phone in the world and the first with a 10x optical zoom equivalent lens… but it costs £1300.

The P40 Pro+ sports the same main 50MP camera as the ‘basic’ Pro, complete with its 1/1.28in 50MP RYYB sensor - huge for a smartphone. There’s also a 40MP ultra-wide lens and a time-of-flight depth-sensor, and not one but two telephoto cameras. The first features a 3x equivalent zoom, but the second goes all the way to a 10x equivalent, trumping the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

The main camera delivers the best dynamic range we’ve seen from a phone, handling challenging subjects like backlit black cats better than the rest. In low light it excels, brightening up scenes while retaining clarity and keeping noise at bay - and outdoing high-end compact cams like the Sony ZV-1.

And then there’s the 32MP front camera that takes the best selfies of any phone. Despite its sky-high resolution it still manages to flatter while retaining detail… and if the snaps are too pore-tastic for your tastes, simply dial up beauty mode for added facial flattery.

Combining all that with a smart interface that ranges from totally automated to full-blown manual and smooth 4K video with framerates climbing to 60fps, the P40 Pro+ is currently untouchable for phone photography.

[ Words & photo Basil Kronfli, shot on Huawei P40 Pro+ ]

ALTERNATIVELY…

Samsung S20 Ultra 5G from £1099/ samsung.comAn impressive camera count is the main reason to buy an Ultra over the vanilla Galaxy S20, with a whopping 108MP main snapper joined by a 48MP telephoto good for 100x hybrid zoom and a 12MP wide-angle, plus a 40MP front-facer for selfies. There’s even a depth sensor for giving portraits a bokeh blur, and 8K video.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Key specs

• 6.58in 2640x1200 HDR10 OLED

• 50MP primary, 40MP ultra-wide, 8MP 3x zoom, 8MP 10x zoom, ToF

• 4K @ 30-60fps

• 512GB + NM SD slot

STUFF SAYS Pooh-poohing the politics with best-in-class camera smarts, Huawei has delivered the new gold standard in mobile phone photography

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

MANUAL DEXTERITY

Ditch the auto settings, take off the software stabilisers and try a smartphone with professional settings to rival a ‘proper’ camera

Words Amy Davies, Amateur Photographer Magazine ]

DEEP DIVE PHONE TIPS

Let out a RAW

Switching on RAW shooting (if your phone has it) lets you make finer tweaks in editing apps such as Photoshop.

Leave it to the pros

Lots of phones have more advanced ‘pro’ modes. Use them to tweak settings, especially if you’re a seasoned snapper.

Go in low

A low ISO setting will preserve more detail. If you find your shots are smudgy, head into the pro settings and try adjusting it.

Words & photo Tom Morgan, shot on Sony Xperia 1 II ]

NOW APP THIS

Moment Pro Camera

£3.59/Android £4.99/ iOS

Take your phone camera further with this manual settings app. Includes controls for shutter speed, ISO, white balance and focus, plus a viewfinder with focus peak highlights to ensure a shot is on point before taking the picture. And how have you managed until now without anamorphic de-squeezing?

SONY XPERIA 1 II