Beyond the alphabet
Beyond the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the world of technology inside and outside the confines of Mountain View.
Following our initial review of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, I was prompted to see how the phone fared when taking photos in the rain. Part of the reason for this is that this is the first Samsung foldable to sport an IP rating, as the Fold 6 has an IP48 rating.
I tend to wait for the “perfect” conditions to take photos. This applies to both product shots and camera samples, because I simply like how photos look in the sun. But the phone’s new IP rating gave me another opportunity.
Since I’ve been complaining about Samsung’s inability to do anything with the cameras, this was the perfect storm to try and compare the Z Fold 6 to the OnePlus Open. There’s a certain irony in that previous sentence, and you’ll soon understand why.
| Category | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | OnePlus Opening |
|---|---|---|
| Rear camera 1 (main) | 50 MP, ƒ/1.8, 1.0 μm, 85 degree FOV, OIS | 48 MP f/1.7, 1.12 um pixels, OIS, Dolby Vision video |
| Rear camera 2 (ultra-wide) | 12 MP, ƒ/2.2, 1.12 μm, 123 degree field of view | 48 MP f/2.2, 0.8um pixels, 114 degree field of view |
| Rear camera 3 (telephoto) | 10 MP, ƒ/2.4, 1.0 μm, 3x optical zoom, OIS | 64MP f/2.6, 3x optical zoom, 6x in-sensor zoom, OIS |
Using the main cameras
As I mentioned earlier, the original idea was to try to see how the Z Fold 6 held up in the rain, but Mother Nature decided to hold out for a bit. Thankfully, the skies didn’t clear up, providing cloudy backgrounds for the majority of the photos I took.
To start, it’s important to note that I didn’t make any adjustments to the photos, using only the default settings in each device’s camera app. From there, it looked like the Z Fold 6 gave a slightly blueish tint to its photos, while the OnePlus Open offered a bit more “life.”
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This is reflected in many photos taken between these two foldable phones. But I don’t necessarily think it’s a downside for the Fold 6, it’s more of a personal preference. However, I do think there’s a bit more detail in the images taken by the Open.
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There are a few key differences, like in the first image in the gallery above. In my opinion, the Z Fold 6 takes more “moody” photos, but for some reason the roles are reversed in the photo of the birds flying away. I actually prefer the Z Fold 6 here, as it looks more natural, whereas the Open slightly oversaturates the rocks on the shore.
Telephoto lenses
If there’s one thing I’m partial to, it’s having a good telephoto lens. For reference, my favorite “big camera” lens is the 100mm, which allows me to take close-up product shots without having to get in close. Both of these cameras offer telephoto lenses with 3x optical zoom, but the Open has an extra ace up its sleeve with the 6x “on-sensor” zoom.
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Unfortunately, in the bird photo above, it’s pretty obvious that the Z Fold 6 takes the better photo. I’m not sure what happened here, because not only is the image darker, but it lacks detail when looking at the bird. However, I commend the Open, as it managed to capture a heron flying in the background.
With the image above, comparing the Fold 6’s 10x preset to the Open’s 6x preset, it doesn’t take long to notice a big difference. No, I’m not talking about the Open’s image being darker. It’s Samsung’s processing starting to rear its ugly head, and in a big way.
The water is very inaccurate, as it looks mostly smoothed out. Needless to say, I would rather have the Open photo and would just make a few adjustments in Lightroom to make it a bit brighter.
Ultra wide angle and macro
Admittedly, I didn’t give much thought to the ultra-wide cameras between these two devices. This is partly due to placement, as it didn’t really matter, but in reality, it’s just not something I personally use that often.
That being said, we have another role reversal, as the Fold 6 provides the darker photo of the two, while the Open is brighter. It’s almost as if there’s a sort of haze over the Fold 6’s image, while the Open is punchy and vibrant.
Another advantage of the ultra-wide cameras on both of these devices is that they can also double as macro lenses. You just have to get your phone as close to the subject as possible, but it’s still a pretty cool option.
In the image above, I think it’s a bit of a toss-up. The colors are slightly more vibrant with the Fold 6, but the Open counters by offering more detail. If you look Really Up close you can see a cameo made by an ant in the middle of the Open image.
30x Super Zoom
It turns out that this little trip to Point Lookout State Park presented an unexpected opportunity. There was a massive cargo ship just off the coast, which allowed us to test out the super-fast zoom capabilities of these phones. Seriously, the ship was so huge that we could see it with the standard 1x zoom, which is not always the case.
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The first thing I would like to point out is that it is incredibly annoying to try to use the 30x zoom without a tripod. I was simply standing on the beach using both hands for stability and holding my breath just to try to focus on the ship. That being said, none of these photos are good, and it is more of a sleight of hand than anything else.
Stuck in the rain
The initial goal of this comparison was to see how the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would hold up to the elements. Mother Nature had other plans in mind when the weather started to clear up and I hopped in the car to head home.
However, as I approached the house, I saw that a storm system was heading my way, so I decided to make one last effort to take some photos in the rain. Unfortunately, as I got out of my car to head towards the coast, I quickly realized that I had locked my keys in my car.
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So I spent an hour and a half in the pouring rain trying to use a coat hanger to unlock the car. After getting some help from a family who were sitting in the parking lot waiting out the storm, I managed to get back into my car. Unfortunately, by this time the park was closing, meaning I couldn’t get the photos I had in mind.
What I learned is that despite being soaked from head to toe, the Fold 6 and Open were not fazed at all. Honestly, I was a little worried about what was going to happen, but I was pleasantly surprised.
So the moral of the story is this: don’t listen to Jerry Hildenbrand and quadruple-check that your keys are in your pocket. Otherwise, you may find yourself stuck in a thunderstorm in a park with no shelter from the elements.