\n<\/p>\n
\u201cPixel\u2019s approach to zoom is one that combines state-of-the-art hardware, a bunch of awesome software and then a lot of AI on top of that,\u201d says Alexander Schiffhauer, a Pixel Camera & AI Group Product Manager. \u201cThis means the quality works well throughout a range of zoom settings \u2014 not just one specific setting, like 5x or 10x.\u201d Here are a few ways hardware, software and AI come together to make Super Res Zoom.<\/p>\n
While all Pixel 3 and newer phones have Super Res Zoom, I was using the Pixel 7 Pro on my recent trip, and Alex explained why the camera\u2019s architecture was so useful for me. \u201cPixel 7 Pro has a pro-level camera, which is actually composed of three<\/i> rear cameras: a .5x ultrawide camera, a 1x camera \u2014 the main camera when you open the camera app \u2014 and a 5x telephoto camera,\u201d he says. A telephoto camera is one you can use to zoom in on subjects in the distance, and Pixel\u2019s kicks in once you zoom anywhere between 5x and 30x.<\/p>\n
All of that zooming potential comes in a surprisingly small package, especially compared to typical telephoto camera lenses, which are pretty large. To capture images from far away, you need a lot of light, bent in the right way. Traditional telephoto cameras use a stack of lenses to accomplish this \u2014 those lenses capture a lot of light and then bend it just so before it hits a sensor in the camera. The sensor’s job is to take that light and turn it into a signal that the phone\u2019s software reads and translates into photo pixels you see on the phone\u2019s screen.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve likely noticed that the Pixel 7 Pro doesn\u2019t have a gigantic, tube-like lens that sticks out, though. \u201cThat’s because we used a mirror that allowed us to stack our lenses sideways, and we built that horizontally right into the camera bar,\u201d Alex says. The light enters the camera and hits the mirror, which redirects the light horizontally toward the sensor. Once that light hits the sensor, software and AI algorithms start doing their work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n