The laser-assisted auto-focus system has suddenly become a big deal. But, just how fast can this system be?
When LG launched the laser-assisted auto-focus camera last year, not many took notice. But that was last year. Fast forward one year, and companies like OnePlus, Asus etc. have noticed the laser assisted auto-focus technology. You have the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser, which brings this focusing mechanism to the budget range, while the OnePlus 2 also boasts of a laser-assisted auto-focus in the mid-range segment. On the flagship side is the LG G4, which costs a bomb, but has arguably the best camera in the market today, thanks, in no small part, to its laser assisted auto-focus system.
So, as things go here at Digit, a comparison was in order. While the objective was to determine just how fast the laser-assisted auto-focus system can be, it doesn’t hurt to compare the laser autofocus systems of the three phones, does it? The video shows all the tests being performed.
Rocking Test
In this test, we took a stationary object and rocked the phone in front of it, allowing the camera to lose and gain back focus. The idea here is to figure out which camera takes the shortest time to focus on the object.
While all the three cameras advertise less than 1/30th of a second focus time, the LG G4 seems to be slightly faster than the other two. That said, neither the OnePlus 2, nor the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser, can be called bad.
Distance Test
In the distance test, we placed three objects in different distances, while the phone(s) were kept at one standard position. This allowed us to analyse how the laser auto-focus performs when it is kept still, while the object is changing distance.
Like the above test, the LG G4 came out slightly ahead of the OnePlus 2 and the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser on this test as well. The f/1.8 aperture on the G4 allows for a better bokeh effect. Clearly though, all three cameras do their best in close-up shots, which is where the laser assisted auto-focus is most effective.
Moving object test
In this test, the camera was kept still at one point, while the object was being moved back and forth towards and away from the camera. This required the camera to keep focusing again and again, based on the changing position of the object.
Like the last two tests, the LG G4 seems to be the fastest here, but that could also be for the faster camera processing engine on the G4.
Bottomline
So, while the LG G4's laser auto-focus system seems to be the fastest, one has to consider the difference in pricing as well. All three phones can focus really fast and the differences are difficult to discern even when the phones are placed side by side. In addition, the difference in processing power may also make a difference. So, while the LG G4 is a step ahead, you can't take anything away from the OnePlus 2, and especially the Asus Zenfone 2 Laser, which costs a mere Rs. 9,999.
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