Partnerships
Three Photographers Get Their Hands On The New OPPO Find X2 Pro
By Ellen Clipson - 6 min read
Summary: We challenged a group of EyeEm Photographers to take the new OPPO Find X2 Pro and capture their world. The new smartphone certainly proved itself, but we’ll let the photographers tell you more.
Three Unique Approaches To The #shotonOPPO Challenge
Designed to push the boundaries, the Find X2 Pro from OPPO is said to awaken your senses. Sounds good right? To discover what this stylish piece of gear, with three built-in specialist camera lenses and it’s ultra-vision display, had to offer we put it into the hands of three professional photographers. Keep reading to learn how the smartphone proved itself when the pressure was on.
Got some amazing photos #shotonOPPO? Upload them to EyeEm now via our app or your EyeEm profile with the hashtag tag to show us your best images!
Sarah Koester
Tell us about your experience shooting with the OPPO and your final selections of images?
Shooting with the OPPO Find X2 Pro was a really great experience. I tried to experiment as much as possible with the different features and it was loads of fun getting creative.
What did you find most surprising about shooting with the phone?
I was really impressed by the camera quality and the variety of possible setting modes.
When buying a new phone, what is the most important thing you consider as a photographer?
I always look for a phone with a great camera so that I can capture the moments that I don’t have my camera with me. A lot of storage space is also very important to me. The Find X2 Pro covers both of these pretty well!
What sort of scenes do you usually capture on your phone?
Usually I capture everyday moments and authentic moments when I’m out with friends & family. I’ll also capture behind-the-scenes at photoshoots that I’ll then share on my social channels.
What sort of person would you recommend the phone to?
I’d recommend it to anyone that cares about style as the phone comes in a really nice looking shape and color. Besides the look, it’s also amazing for someone who wants to capture moments in a great quality but doesn’t want to buy a camera.
What’s your favorite feature with the Find X2 Pro and why?
My favorite shooting mode was the wide angle mode. I was impressed by how good it worked. I don’t have a wide angle lens for my camera so without the Find X2 Pro I wouldn’t have been able to have had such fun playing around with the wide angle mode!
In which situations would you prefer a strong smartphone camera like the Find X2 Pro from a professional camera and why?
It’s ideal for when I need to go light equipment-wise like on a short vacation or a location where it’s forbidden to take ‘professional photo equipment’ with me like events for example. It’s those moments where the Find X2 Pro would make a great alternative.
What other smartphone features besides the camera are important to you to deliver great results and why?
I’ve already mentioned how important storage space is also important for me but that’s something that the OPPO already covers!
I also loved the ‘OPPO Share’ feature as I will often compare how my edit looks on different devices. It would be even better if it was possible to have a direct connection with my MacBook. I’m excited to see if that’s a possibility soon!
Marta Pang
Tell us about your experience shooting with the OPPO and your final selections of images?
Switching out my bulky camera gear for the Find X2 Pro was a fascinating experience! I did experience a few things I had to adjust to as I headed out to shoot with a completely different gear set-up, however, I also discovered some amazing features that my pro-gear is lacking.
When shooting I found that the focus did an amazing job for the majority of the time. The only time it took a little more adjusting was when the focus would shift onto other things beside the main subject as there were elements too close to the subject or backlight.
When shooting with the Expert Mode Raw, both a jpeg and a raw version of the image is saved. This is a great feature, however, the display would preview just the jpeg version. This took some adjusting too, as I prefer to shoot my images underexposed and darker than expected, I would often have to double check the raw file to stay on track.
This being said, the function of shooting raw is awesome! It gives you full control of the camera. The raw also saves lots of details on both the dark and very light area of the image which enabled me to do post-production to bring out certain details.
Selecting final images is always not an easy job for me, especially when I take photos with a phone. Composition, posture, lighting, facial expression are, no doubt, the aspects I consider most when choosing final photos. This time however, I also wanted to make sure each photo really showed the specialization of the phone’s capabilities to capture the details and the use of the ultra-wide-angle lens or the tele lens.
What did you find most surprising about shooting with the phone?
I was impressed that there were different lenses in one small phone. Before getting the Find X2 Pro out myself, I was considering installing an external camera app for shooting. I soon realised that I didn’t need one as the original camera functions are so good. The ultra wide lens surprised me the most as it creates some sort of abnormal feel to the image which makes the result really interesting.
When buying a new phone, what is the most important thing you consider as a photographer?
Mobility, weight, and good camera functions are critical for me as I will want to take it everywhere I go. The Find X2 Pro isn’t the smallest phone out there and I wouldn’t be able to fit it in every clothes pocket, and at times I need two hands for total control. That being said, when it comes to the camera functions, it definitely passes the test!
What sort of scenes do you usually capture on your phone?
I mainly use my phone to capture everything in my everyday life.
What sort of person would you recommend the phone to?
For camera users anywhere on the scale. For amateurs who don’t capture photos for major productions and for professional users, the phone is great as it can be carried for 24-hours. It means that any photographer will miss less spontaneous moments or can keep improving skills even if they don’t have a camera with them.
What’s your favorite feature / shooting mode with the Find X2 Pro and why?
As I mentioned before, I loved the ultra wide lens with the expert mode. It’s not a common lens on phones and it creates a unique style which we might not often see in life. Infact, most of my pictures captured on the phone were taken using this way!
In which situations would you prefer a strong smartphone camera like the Find X2 Pro from a professional camera and why?
When the photos are not designed for big prints or where major post-production is required. I personally prefer shooting all kinds of pictures on a phone when it’s not commission work and I’m able to be more experimental. For this, the Find X2 Pro’s functions are very powerful and there’s no need to carry a professional camera everywhere.
What other smartphone features besides the camera are important to you to deliver great results and why?
I’ll always consider the hold and size of the phone. I’m pretty sensitive to how my gear feels when I’m shooting. I’d love to keep using the Find X2 Pro to discover for myself if it still feels easy to hold after a long time.
Araí Moleri
Tell us about your experience shooting with the OPPO and your final selections of images?
The Find X2 Pro was easy to use, and had a very intuitive interface with quick access to all the options. For example, after each shooting I marked the photos that I liked the most with heart icons in order to generate the first filter before diving the final selection.
What did you find most surprising about shooting with the phone?
The colors that are captured by the camera as well as the effects you can use to enhance those colors was great.
When buying a new phone, what is the most important thing you consider as a photographer?
For me I consider the camera capabilities, the memory capacity, and the size of the phone. The Find X2 Pro covers the first two considerations brilliantly! I would, however, love to see a smaller version one day!
What sort of scenes do you usually capture on your phone?
It’s difficult to be specific about just one. In general, I’ll use my phone to capture everything that catches my attention, whether it’s whilst I’m working or personal experiences with family and friends, or updating my instagram stories. When I’m travelling I’ll always use my phone though.
What sort of person would you recommend the phone to?
I would recommend it to anyone who wants to generate content for social media but don’t have a professional camera, the time to do it with their camera, or they don’t have time or knowledge to process the images they do capture on their camera. All of this can be covered by the Find X2 Pro. I can also see professionals with a sense of aesthetic or brand image that aren’t able to hire a photographer but can use it to generate their own content.
I can also see senior people, like my mother or parents in law, using it because it’s an easy-to-use phone with a great camera that would allow them to greatly improve the photos they take. (Just a thought for xmas…)
What’s your favorite feature / shooting mode with the Find X2 Pro and why?
I think the normal mode was my favorite, although I also really enjoyed the wide angle and the macro.
In which situations would you prefer a strong smartphone camera like the Find X2 Pro from a professional camera and why?
In the moments where I need to capture something quickly or I am not prepared with my professional equipment. The best example of this is when I’m travelling and on the move!
What other smartphone features besides the camera are important to you to deliver great results and why?
Storage space is something that I pay a lot of attention to. I don’t want to spend all my time emptying my phone because I have filled the memory, transferring to other devices or cloud, and taking care of having back-up space on other devices. Of course I make backups but I don’t want to be worried about this all the time.
Learn more about the Find X2 Pro from OPPO. We can’t wait to see what you decide to capture, simply upload it to EyeEm with the tag #shotonOPPO to share!