Review comparing ASUS "ZenFone Zoom" 's capability packed with 3x optical zoom with competing models and digi - itch

The latest work of ASUS ZenFone series which built an optical zoom mechanism inside the main body sideways and enabled high zoom quality which can not be achieved with digital zoom is "ZenFone Zoom"is. Since I was able to borrow the high end model of this series this time, I tried reviews with opposing machines focusing on the image quality that I care about.

ZenFone Zoom (ZX551ML) | Phone | ASUS Japan
https://www.asus.com/jp/Phone/ZenFone-Zoom-ZX551ML/

"ZenFone Zoom" is a SIM free smartphone with enhanced 3x zoom and optical image stabilization function on the main camera and enhanced camera function. All 8 models are available in processor and storage capacity, Intel Atom processor "Z3590" operating at 2.5 GHz with quad-core for processor of higher model is installed, and Intel Atom processor "Z3580" with 2.33 GHz operation is installed for lower model , And the main memory has 4 GB for 8 models in common.


◆ Body photo review
The box that arrived from ASUS was so big that I could not believe that only smartphones were inside. On the front side is the letter "See The World Up Close (let's get closer to seeing the world)" written with foil stamps.


When taking out the contents of the slide type, there was a paper with a message written to the user.


When I took out the paper, inside it was a mascot of the official character of ZenFone series "Zentaro" along with a small box. Also, the "Zencredible card" beside it seems to have cards to play with the camera.


There was a white card and a black card in the box of the Zencredible card.


Terms for applying random commands to black cards and white cards are written, and you can enjoy playing by creating a command by combining one by one, taking pictures. An image photographed in accordance with this command has a hash tag "# ZencredibleIf you upload it with "OK" it is OK.


I will put my eyes back on the ZenFone Zoom body. In the box containing the terminal, this is also written "Zenfone Zoom" by foil stamping, and a good atmosphere is felt.


Open the lid and you will see the ZenFone Zoom and accessories. What is visible across the terminal is a rare strap on Imadoki's smartphone.


When contents are expanded like this. Strap, ZenFone Zoom main body, instruction manual and earphones, USB cable, charger etc are included.


ZenFone Zoom with 5.5 inch display size is 158.9 x 78.84 mm larger. It is only in adult men that you use with one hand to use.


The back is like this. This model is the highest grade model (ZX 551 ML - WH 128 S 4) to wear a leather panel. While also looking at the real leather cover with grainy texture, the most prominent is the large round camera part.


A camera unit that incorporates an optical zoom mechanism sideways. A dual color LED flash and a sensor for laser focus are laid out next to the lens.


The genuine leather cover with the ASUS logo has a smooth texture and texture that seems easy to use. It is a place to wonder about how you change by using it.


The logo of "Intel inside" casually beside the camera.


The control terminals are arranged all together on the right side of the main unit.


On the side closer to the home button, camera start / shutter button and recording start / stop button. By holding down the shutter button for a long time in the standby state, it has a convenient function of directly activating the camera, and it is possible to use the same way as a digital camera, such as shutter keeping can be done by half pressing. The surface is provided with non-slip groove machining.


On the other side of the same side there is a button which also controls volume control and zoom in / out and a power button.


At the top of the main unit is a terminal for microphone and earphone.


There is nothing on the left side.


Microphone and Micro-USB terminal are equipped at the bottom of the main unit.


There is a hole for the strap that I have not seen all by the side, and it is a pleasing place for the strap favorite. When considering it as a camera, there were many stereos with parts to attach such straps so as not to fall out of the slip during shooting, so it should be possible to use it like that.


From the side, you can see that the camera part is greatly raised. The thickness is 5 mm in the thinnest part and 11.95 mm in the thickest part.


Looking side by side with iPhone 6s Plus like this. Although the side part is almost the same thickness, you can see that the camera part is excited anyway. An optical zoom mechanism is built in this part.


The lid on the back can be removed, inside has microSIM card slot and microSD card slot, the battery can not be removed.


The premium model equipped with this leather cover has two colors of white and black available.



◆ I first took a picture
First of all, after all it has taken ZenFone Zoom and took pictures of the scenery of the town corner as it is camera performance. I compared using the iPhone 6s Plus equipped with a 12 megapixel camera and the Panasonic digital camera "GH 4 + 14-140 lens" in some pictures. In shooting, the camera is shooting in the default state (P mode) of each device. ZenFone Zoom has an image aspect ratio of 16: 9, but please be aware that you can actually shoot with 4: 3 in practice.

【Cityscape and Ferris Wheel】
I put in a huge Ferris wheel seen from Osaka station and tried to shoot. The time of shooting was in the evening, so the shade of the building is clearly seen in any of the buildings.

· ZenFone Zoom
A picture of ZenFone Zoom finished in a slightly contrasted state. Although the blue sky is reproduced brilliantly, there is a feeling that it is somewhat emphasized than it actually is.


· IPhone 6s Plus
Compared to ZenFone Zoom, it is a picture of iPhone 6s Plus finished in a pale touch. If you change viewpoint, you can say "natural", but in fact, I felt that this one is close to the impression of appearance. The HDR function is turned off.


【Ferris wheel up】
I focused on the same Ferris wheel and enlarged it to where I can fill the zoom.

· ZenFone Zoom
As expected it is only optical three times zooming and it succeeds in zooming while maintaining sharpness. Rare images such as digital zoom are rarely seen, you can also check the overlapping condition of the arms of the Ferris wheel well. On the other hand, the noise is slightly blue sky and the noise looks like flicker and the enlargement ratio is lower than the next iPhone 6s Plus is minus. However, if it comes to that, digital zooming is possible further from here, so in terms of zoom performance it is still the place where ZenFone Zoom victory.


· IPhone 6s Plus
Since one iPhone 6s Plus has only to expand digital images software-wise, comparing it with ZenFone Zoom is cruel in the first place. It is a place where there is no way for the silhouette of the Ferris wheel to become soft (= blurry) by all means. On the other hand, it is said that it is a beauty point that the noise is hardly noticeable in the solid part of the blue sky.


[Osaka Station's Large Roof]
I shot a large structure with a backlit feeling. The degree of reproducibility of the large roof of the truss structure and how to add shading is a point.

· ZenFone Zoom
Like the photo of the Ferris wheel, the bright part is bright and the dark part is reproduced dark ZenFone Zoom picture. It is a contrasting picture of the following iPhone 6s Plus picture, but this may be a part where individual likes and dislikes split. Compared with the iPhone, it is a weak point that the graininess and roughness are noticeable.


· IPhone 6s Plus
The image of the iPhone 6s Plus is not too dark in the dark place, the impression that the facial expression is firmly reproduced. Although it can not be said unconditionally because there is a feeling that the whole image is taken brightly, it is felt that iPhone 6s Plus has characteristics that are finished to be brighter overall compared with ZenFone Zoom. There are few tsubu of the details of the building such as handrails and window frames, and the place that is solid is a good impression.


[Up the large roof of Osaka station]
· ZenFone Zoom
It is not too much to say that the charm of ZenFone Zoom is summarized in this zoom function anyway. There is a difference that can not be overturned regardless of how the zoom function with clearer that can not be achieved at all with a camera of a general smartphone at all can do the best in principle. Although inferior to the digital camera · compact digital camera can be seen, it is totally amusing level even if you feel sufficient charm just by packing the optical 3 × zoom in the size of the smartphone.


· IPhone 6s Plus
Regarding the zoom function, the curtain that iPhone 6s Plus comes out is a place like pear, but this can not be helped.


【Objects in the Plaza】
Next time I will decide the objects and compare them. Two snowmen placed in the square are the main characters of this time. From here, we will also compare it with GH 4 of Digital Leica Camera (Digiichi).

· ZenFone Zoom
It is like this when shooting with 1x zoom.


· IPhone 6s Plus
It is like this even on the iPhone 6s Plus. The angle of view is almost the same for both. However, the shade of the roof is a natural impression.


· GH 4 + 14-140 lens
A photograph of GH 4 that has a lot of information amount and can see all the details better. Although it is a slightly brighter picture, the overall image of the two smartphones that I thought as "pretty pretty" so far is inevitable to realize that it will not comply with a full-scale digiichi I will.


[Up of objects in the plaza]
I will zoom in on a snowman.

· ZenFone Zoom
It seems that the situation is zooming in while keeping clear. Even so, it seems like I still feel a little directing the way color appears clearly, but I can not help feeling the existence of correction after shooting. In addition to color correction, sharpness is applied, or the intensity of the edge portion of the image feels rather unnatural.


· IPhone 6s Plus
IPhone 6s Plus says "Well it can not be helped".


· GH 4 + 14-140 lens
The degree of reproduction of Digi - Ich is truly. Although it is impossible to compare with smartphones in the first place, this time it is appearing as a kind of benchmark.


【UP of building plants】
I tried to shoot the plants in the air garden on the roof of the building with full zoom.

· ZenFone Zoom
Thanks to the image creation with edge feeling, the appearance of branches of tree can be felt as it is. The texture of the glass of the building also has a transparent impression and good impression. However, I am concerned with some noise as well.


· IPhone 6s Plus
I worked hard on iPhone 6s Plus.


· GH 4 + 14-140 lens
It's like GH4. I feel sorry to compare with the equipment I use on the professional, but if you compare it as an example showing that there is an upper on the top.


【Scenery from airplane】
I tried shooting the landscape from the window of the airplane.

· ZenFone Zoom
Fascinating the moment where Mt. Fuji can be seen beyond the main wing. ZenFone Zoom's personality seems to be wrong with making the image which the blue is dark and the shade is clearly clear. Maybe some people receive the impression that the red color of the Hinomaru of the main wing is oozed out in gray part somewhat owing to the effect of Sharp. I can understand this better than the next iPhone photo.


· IPhone 6
This picture is taken with iPhone 6. It is a good impression that Apple is such a drawing making, it seems natural that it is not applied much because it is close to the side. You can see that the expression on the upper surface of the main wing is quite different from ZenFone Zoom.


· GM 5K + 12-24 lens
The impression which is close to the picture of the iPhone is felt is a photograph of compact digiichi "GM 5 K". Although the overall lightness is felt, the shading is faithfully reproduced, but the apparently easy-to-understand "smartphone cameras rise in smartphone cameras.


· ZenFone Zoom
Zoom Fuji. The area around the top of the mountain where convex and concave is transmitted is truly the optical zoom. However, it is also a common feature that the noise stands out as well. The feeling that the sharpness is totally applied may also be anxious for some people.


· IPhone 6
Digital Zoom iPhone 6, there is not much to say anything anymore ....


· GM 5K + 12-24 lens
Although I could not get closer to Mt. Fuji than the ZenFone Zoom, please try to compare it with the lack of stepped feeling in the color change from the blue sky to the cloud and the noisy feeling.


◆ Up the cityscape
· ZenFone Zoom
Zoom the cityscape below. This is a picture of Aomori shooting from the sky, but it seems like the appearance of fine roads is sharp. Even if you choose ZenFone Zoom alone, you will not feel strange.


· IPhone 6
Digital zoom iPhone 6. The result is inevitable. Nonetheless, I understand well that the images of the iPhone series tend to feel a high "real feeling" overall.


◆ Control panel, camera UI, various others
The UI during camera operation was intuitively usable. By tapping the gear icon at the bottom left of the screen, the menu is overlaid with the image being shot. Even when you change the image quality, such as white balance and brightness, it will be immediately reflected in the display, so there is no troubles like going back and forth between the menu and the actual screen.


By tapping the manual / auto switching icon on the right side of the screen, you can change the white balance and ISO etc. Also in this case, the image of the camera is still displayed, so it was very convenient for setting.


There is a shooting mode switching icon at the lower right of the screen, and when tapped it is possible to select a number of modes as below. Among them, "Smart Remove" in the lower right was a pretty interesting mode.


Smart Remove allows you to take pictures of 5 photos automatically when you press the shutter and erase the moving objects in them. When shooting is completed, a white frame is displayed like this on the screen, but in reality here ...


As shown below, the person walking around was reflected, but by combining images it is possible to erase it. In fact there was something that remained without disappearing, but it was a mode that seemed quite easy to use.


You can check the appearance of the camera UI which is translucent and overlaying, and the state of the optical zoom, which moves slightly behind the operation, with the following movie.

The movement of ASUS ZenFone Zoom camera UI and the state of optical zoom look like this - YouTube


Also, the one convenient with ASUS's unique function is what is called "one-handed mode". As the screen of the smartphone is shrunk to the lower left as follows, it is easy to operate with one hand without forcibly extending the thumb. As the scale can be changed freely, even people with small hands can use it as much as possible.


I was a little worried about the fever when shooting a camera. Measuring the temperature of the movie during shooting, the temperature has risen to about 42 degrees in the hottest place, unexpectedly surprisingly "hot!" Apparently it seems that the periphery of the lens also functions as a metal heat sink considering heat dissipation.


◆ Summary
As you can see, ZenFone Zoom with optical 3x zoom is said to have its own unique charm that is not found in other models. While being a SIM-free machine, this model with high camera performance is not a cheap terminal price, but it is a perfect model for those who want to make full use of high machine specifications and camera performance while keeping daily traffic low That's right.

ZenFone Zoom article The lowest price at the time of writing is the high end model of the storage capacity 128 GB · premium leather with Intel Atom quad core processor Z 3590 on CPUTax inclusive 74,293 yen, The CPU downgraded to the Intel Atom quad-core processor Z 3580, the storage capacity will also be 64 GB Premium leather modelTax inclusive of 60,573 yenSold on. In addition, from February 13 (Saturday) the back cover will become plastic The standard cover model is 32 GBTax inclusive of 53,779 yen, 64 GBTax inclusive of 6259 yenIt is scheduled to be released in.