Oppo has recently extended its collaboration with the renowned photography company, Hasselblad. To commemorate this partnership, I had the opportunity to visit Hasselblad’s hometown in Gothenburg, Sweden, where I spent a week capturing photos with Oppo’s most powerful camera phone, the Find X8 Ultra.
Although the phone was initially released in April, it was only officially accessible in China. This limited availability prevented me from fully exploring its capabilities until now. With claims of being the best camera phone on the market, the competition from major players like Google, Samsung, and Apple is intense. So, how does the Oppo Find X8 Ultra stack up against its rivals?
### The Camera Hardware
The Oppo Find X8 Ultra boasts a 1-inch type sensor for its main camera, which is the largest sensor found in a modern smartphone. In comparison to popular flagship devices like the iPhone 16 Pro Max or Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, this sensor is approximately 30% larger. This larger sensor enables better performance in low-light conditions and the ability to create more background blur in close-up shots, akin to what you would expect from a mirrorless camera or DSLR.
The phone features a 15mm-equivalent ultrawide lens, a 70mm (3x) periscope telephoto lens, and a 135mm (6x) telephoto lens. Additionally, there is a dedicated color spectrum sensor to ensure accurate white balance, even in challenging lighting situations. All these lenses sport a 50Mp resolution sensor and utilize larger sensors compared to mainstream competitors. The front camera is a 32Mp selfie shooter with autofocus.
Despite the impressive array of lenses, the camera bump on the Oppo Find X8 Ultra remains surprisingly slim when compared to phones such as the Xiaomi 15 Ultra and Vivo X200 Ultra. This design showcases the intricate engineering that went into creating this handset.
The collaboration with Hasselblad has resulted in a Hasselblad-tuned Master Mode, film simulations, and comprehensive manual control options to enhance image processing and deliver exceptional results.
### The Results
During my time in Gothenburg, I was consistently impressed by the quality of photos captured on the Oppo Find X8 Ultra, regardless of the lighting conditions or subject. Whether zooming in on distant objects or capturing intricate details up close, the cameras on this device excel in bringing out all the nuances with a visually appealing color palette.
The phone tends to lean towards cooler tones, especially when using the Hasselblad film simulations. While this aesthetic complemented the Swedish architecture during my trip, it sometimes deviated from accurately portraying the warmth of the summer sun. The phone’s filters and film simulations didn’t always convey the true temperature of the surroundings, requiring manual adjustments for a more realistic representation.
The 3x telephoto lens is exceptional for close-up shots of food and nature, while the 6x telephoto lens allows for digital zoom of up to 20x with minimal loss in quality. The AI image enhancement kicks in for further zoom levels, providing decent results but falling short for serious photography enthusiasts.
The main camera performs admirably in low-light conditions, making it ideal for indoor settings and nighttime photography. The 3x telephoto lens also delivers impressive results in challenging lighting scenarios.
While the selfie camera may not be the main highlight of the phone, it produces excellent skin tones, sharp details, and handles low-light situations effectively. For portrait photography, however, the rear cameras remain the preferred choice.
The ultrawide lens, while decent and well-matched with the other cameras, didn’t stand out as exceptional. This is a common scenario with ultrawide lenses, with only a few manufacturers pushing boundaries in this area.
### Is the Oppo Find X8 Ultra the Best Camera Phone?
While I hesitate to crown the Oppo Find X8 Ultra as the ultimate camera phone, it certainly competes strongly with other top contenders like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, Vivo X200 Ultra, and Huawei Pura 80 Ultra. Unfortunately, these devices are not readily available in Western markets, with limited options for purchase outside of specific regions.
The potential international launch of the Oppo Find X8 Ultra presents an exciting prospect, especially considering the ongoing collaboration with Hasselblad. Despite the current dominance of Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market, the latest batch of Ultra flagships from China offers unparalleled camera capabilities for serious photographers.
In conclusion, while Apple and Samsung may continue to dominate the smartphone landscape, the emergence of ultra-flagships from China, including the Oppo Find X8 Ultra, showcases a new wave of innovative camera technology that could challenge the status quo.
