As a new generation discovers the joys – and challenges – of shooting with old school SLR cameras, Sharp has employed tech from German company Leica Camera to bring a new Android handset to market.
The Aquos R9 Pro – with a large circular camera bump – comes with the Vario-Summicron camera system, which consists of triple rear cameras (standard, wide-angle, and telephoto) supervised by German company Leica Camera AG.
The standard camera is equipped with a 1/0.98-inch image sensor, allowing users to take “bright and beautiful photos of night scenes”.
The telephoto camera supports 2.8x optical zoom, and Sharp says that when used in conjunction with digital zoom, it is possible to zoom up to 20x. “The 1/1.56-inch image sensor allows users to capture distant subjects clearly without darkening when zooming.”
There is also a front camera for selfies, and the phone supports Dolby Vision for shooting videos.
The large shutter key is on the side of the main unit, and Sharp says users can “quickly launch the camera app by pressing and holding the shutter key, and fix the focus by pressing it halfway”.
A camera ring attachment that allows mounting commercially available lens filters will be sold alongside the phone.
Sales of the Aquos R9 Pro start in Japan in early December 2024, followed by sequential release as a global model in Taiwan, Indonesia, and Singapore, Sharp says.
According to the specifications for the Japanese version of the phone:
- The standard camera has an effective pixel count of approximately 50.3 million; CMOS F1.8 lens [wide angle 86°; focal length: 23 mm equivalent]; and optical image stabiliser.
- The wide-angled camera has an effective pixel count of approximately 50.3 million; CMOS F2.2 lens [super wide angle 122°; focal length: 13 mm equivalent].
- The telephoto camera Effective pixel count of approximately 50.3 million; CMOS F2.6 lens [36°; focal length: 65 mm equivalent]; optical image stabiliser.
The front facing camera has an effective pixel count of approximately 50.3 million; CMOS F2.2 lens [wide angle 84°; focal length: 23 mm equivalent].
The handset comes with Sharp’s Phone Assistant generative AI function, which it says can summarise and display voicemails as text and extract keywords from conversations and save them as notes.
The phone weighs 229g and has a 6.7-inch Quad HD+ (3,120 x 1,440 pixels) Pro Igzo OLED display.
A recent story published on film and camera website Art By Pino said film photography “is enjoying a resurgence, and one clear sign of this is the introduction of new film stocks and the revival of discontinued films by manufacturers”.
“For example, Kodak discontinued its Ektachrome film in 2013, but reintroduced it in late 2017. CineStill 400D film was introduced in 2022 in both 35mm and 120 medium format. Kodak also introduced the Kodak Gold 200 in 120 format.
“Ilford, after years of success with its Kentmere 100 and 400 films in 35mm, introduced these films in 120 format as well. ORWO Wolfen, on the other hand, surprised the world by announcing its first Color C41 film in 50 years, the NC500, and also introducing the NC400 in 35mm. Harman Photo (owner of Ilford and Kentmere) introduced the Phoenix 200 colour film in 2023.”
