A few days after receiving the OnePlus 10 Pro 5G, a stable if not completely exciting Android smartphone that offers Pro-level features at a top price, I started looking for the capabilities of the camera app. I have long been a fan of OnePlus and its great camera swings. It was the first smartphone I ever used, for example, to deliver a macro photo. I loved taking close-up photos of flowers, bugs and water droplets inside. Not everyone liked it, however the OnePlus 10 Pro does not include a macro camera. However, it has long-term exposure.
OnePlus 10 Pro Long Exposure Steps (Image Credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Most smartphones now offer some form of night photography or long exposure settings since Google started the trend in 2018 with Night Sight on the Pixel 3. Today’s wide variety of long exposure, night shooting options include presets and, sometimes, some level of control for extend the exposure (more if you place the phone on a tripod). Previous OnePlus phones would allow you to create large exposure shots by adjusting the camera settings manually (shutter speed, ISO). The OnePlus 10 Pro 5G makes the shooting style predefined (slightly hidden under the Camera app More menu). Although I’m happy to use manual settings to try to capture stars (I do a lot of DSLR photography), I like it when smartphone makers combine the best they can offer with lenses and sensors with software and algorithms to do what they normally would. it was complicated simple. And, to be honest, I’m trying to get some types of high-exposure shots on every smartphone I’ve tried in recent years, with varying degrees of success. Here’s what I want: roads with nothing but car lights running. People blurred as they passed me while the rest of the world is still there. Bright art. With the OnePlus 10 Pro Long Exposure setting, I achieved all three.
Street photo of OnePlus 10 Pro Long Exposure: The mobsters transformed into ghosts (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) As I mentioned, the setup is quite easy to find, but the most impressive thing is that it is very simple to use (and limited for the same reason). You can not select the lens or zoom. The default is the 48MP main camera, which as far as I’m concerned, is fine. Also, you can not select the duration of the exposure. The default is 5 seconds. I know, that doesn’t sound like much, and I had no illusions about catching stars spinning at night. That said, a lot can happen in five seconds and I was hoping I could capture it all in pictures. I could not think of a better place to try this theory than the busy streets of Manhattan at night. Five seconds is not a long time, but it is enough for your arms and body to tremble or move. To capture the action, I had to stop, plant my legs, and hold on steady. I do not remember if I held my breath or if I exhaled slowly. I started by pointing the camera at other night passengers running towards me. In the above shot without treatment, everything has been turned into ethereal blur that looks like ghosts barely. However, the result is enchanting. Next, I targeted the OnePlus 10 Pro in motion. For these shots, I stood on the sidewalk near the road and, on one occasion, leaned on a pole to stabilize more. Looking for more traffic, I headed to an intersection. Five years ago, I could not imagine taking such pictures with a smartphone camera. Picture 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Picture 2 of 3
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) I tried other experiments. At a party with a lot of wall lights and a party, I tried to wipe the phone next to them and get the attendees to turn on the lights. I would say that the results are interesting and artistic, although not absolutely useful. Like I mentioned, you do not need a tripod to take these pictures, but using one introduces another cool photo feature. Picture 1 of 3
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Picture 2 of 3
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Picture 3 of 3
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) The next morning, I grabbed a tripod, another smartphone and OnePlus 10 Pro and headed for my dark basement. I mounted the OnePlus 10 Pro on the tripod and turned on the flashlight on my iPhone 13 Pro.
You can not see me, but I painted this word with a phone light. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) I set the timer on the OnePlus to 10 seconds and then ran to stand in front of the camera. I could hear the OnePlus10 Pro counting down 10 seconds, but unlike an iPhone, it does not flash the LED back light to show you that it counts down. That was a little annoying. My goal was to move the iPhone as fast as possible, in the hope that the OnePlus long exposure would immortalize the full light path. I figured out how to write “hello” backwards and when the countdown was over, I wrote it down quickly. The results are not bad at all (I cut the image a bit).
It’s harder than it looks to make this design with light. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) Then I made a spiral. That was wonderful too. Next time, I’ll use a different color of light. If I have a broad critique of the OnePlus Pro 10 5G long exposure default, it is that image processing seems to do multiple long exposures and compile them into one image. You can see it by how the light breaks at regular intervals in the coil or how the car lights almost seem to stutter. I hope future software updates smooth this out a bit. I can, of course, dive into Pro mode and open the shutter for up to 32 seconds. This also means adjusting the ISO and focus, however. For consumers, this long-exposure default is enough and they should be able to create their own wild images with minimal fuss.
