Motorola Z3's Triple Camera Setup: Why The Extra Lenses?

The Motorola Moto Z3 has dual 12-megapixel cameras on the rear and an 8-megapixel camera on the front. The primary 12-megapixel shooter features an f/2.0 aperture and laser autofocus, while the secondary sensor is a monochrome camera for true black-and-white photos, better detail capture, and portrait mode photography. The front-facing camera is capable of software-based portrait photos and has a screen flash feature. The camera hardware is unchanged from the Moto Z2, which also has dual cameras.

The monochrome lens

The Motorola Moto Z3 features a monochrome lens as one of its three camera lenses. This lens is designed for true black-and-white photography, capturing images in monochrome rather than colour. The lens is also useful for improving detail when capturing still images and for portrait mode photography. The monochrome lens is one of the two functions of the Moto Z3's secondary 12-megapixel camera sensor. The other function is to shoot portrait photos with a synthesized bokeh effect.

The Motorola Moto Z3's camera hardware is largely unchanged from its predecessor, the Moto Z2. However, the camera app has been updated with a new interface and shooting mode features. One notable addition is the cinemagraph mode, which allows users to create GIFs with focused areas of movement. The colour splash mode is another new feature, emphasising a single colour in photographs.

The Motorola Moto Z3's monochrome lens is a unique offering among smartphone cameras, providing users with creative opportunities in black-and-white photography and improved performance in low-light conditions.

The camera's low-light performance

The Motorola Moto Z3 has been described as having a poor low-light camera. The camera is said to falter in low-light settings, which is unsurprising given its lack of OIS. Once the sun sets or you move into a dimly lit room, the quality of the images decreases rapidly. Images become very soft and muddy, and the colours are washed out. Depending on the subject, the camera struggles to focus in these low-light scenarios.

The camera does, however, perform well in good lighting or bright outdoor situations. Images are sharp, detailed, and colourful. It works well for close-ups of food, for example, as well as wide outdoor landscapes. The dynamic range is good, and highlights rarely appear overblown or shadows too dark.

The Moto Z3 has dual 12-megapixel cameras on the rear. The primary 12-megapixel camera features an f/2.0 aperture and laser autofocus. The secondary camera is a monochrome sensor, which captures true black and white photos, better details when capturing stills, and enables portrait mode photography.

The Z3's camera hardware is unchanged from the previous model, the Z2. The Z3 has a fully monochrome mode for scenes with very high contrasts. The second camera can also be used to shoot portrait photos with a synthesized bokeh effect. The Z3 also has an 8MP front-facing camera, the same as the Z2, but without the dedicated dual LED flash.

The front-facing camera

The Motorola Moto Z3 has an 8MP front-facing camera. This is the same camera as the one on the Z2, but the dedicated dual LED flash for the front camera has been removed to make room for the taller 18:9 display. Instead, the Z3 offers an on-screen flash feature. The selfie camera was well-received, with reviewers noting that selfies are well exposed and the fixed focus is well calibrated. There is also a portrait selfie mode, which makes the bokeh with a single lens, so the subject detection is a bit less accurate. The selfies still look great with the blur effect, although it doesn't work as well with hair.

The rear camera hardware

The Motorola Moto Z3 has dual 12-megapixel cameras on the rear. The primary 12-megapixel camera features an f/2.0 aperture, 1.25-micron pixels, and laser autofocus. The secondary sensor is a monochrome camera with both phase-detection and laser-assisted autofocus. The monochrome camera allows users to take true black-and-white photos, capture better details in still images, and utilise portrait mode photography. The monochrome mode is ideal for scenes with very high contrasts.

The rear camera setup includes a dual-LED flash, known as the Color Correlated Temperature (CCT) dual LED flash, to illuminate scenes in low-light conditions. The camera also features Zero Shutter Lag (ZSL) technology, ensuring that there is no delay between the time the shutter button is pressed and the image is captured.

The Motorola Moto Z3's rear camera hardware provides users with various shooting modes and features. These include cinemagraph mode, colour splash mode, portrait mode, and manual mode. The camera interface offers easy access to these modes, with toggles and shortcuts on either side of the viewfinder.

The camera app interface

The Motorola Moto Z3 has a revamped camera app interface with new shooting mode features. On one side of the viewfinder, you'll find a range of toggles, while the other side features the shutter button, a gallery shortcut, and a Google Lens shortcut. In the same area, you can switch between the front and rear cameras and choose from three camera icons: camera, video, and a grid that displays all available shooting modes.

The interface also includes a dedicated video viewfinder, which is a welcome feature. The Manual camera mode can be easily accessed by switching from "A" to "M" directly from the viewfinder. This mode allows you to manually adjust the white balance, focus, ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation to your liking.

The camera app also remembers the last used mode, making it easily accessible the next time you launch the camera. This is particularly useful when choosing between different shooting modes, such as the monochrome mode. Additionally, the camera app offers a colour splash mode for emphasising a single colour in your photos.

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