Nothing is no stranger to trying new things.
From the start, the U.K.-based company has experimented with unique hardware, incorporating see-through design in their earbuds and phones; it's pushed into software design with Nothing OS, its custom skin on top of Android; it even tried to (unsuccessfully) take on iOS' green bubble stigma with Nothing Chats.
Now, with its newly released Phone 3a Pro, it's taking on cameras in a big way. And when I say "big," I mean big.
What puts the "pro" in 3a Pro?
If there's one thing you'll notice first about Nothing's new Phone 3a Pro, it's the camera bump.
Which is to say, if you're not a fan of the camera bump, you may want to avert your eyes.
This year, in Nothing's first-ever "pro" phone, the company is taking a whole new direction with the camera module, with a tri-sensor system.
While both 3a phones — the 3a and the 3a Pro — come with a 50-megapixel primary sensor and the same ultra-wide sensors, the Pro has some distinct advantages in the camera department.
For one, the 3a Pro has a 1/1.56” sensor that captures more light, which according to Nothing, means it's better at capturing a wider dynamic range and will produce less noisy pictures than comparable sensors.
I got a chance to test Nothing's new pro camera and can say that it earns the pro moniker to my eyes. A 50MP sensor is a huge perk and produces high-res pictures, while granular settings allow you to adjust exposure for bright or low-light conditions.
Nothing claims its Phone 3a Pro has a 300% greater full well capacity than comparable sensors in the same price category, which means it has a higher maximum capacity for light, allowing for more depth in brightness levels.
Here's a comparison between how Nothing's Phone 2 captures the same figure in my disconcertingly dark New York apartment.
While the Phone 2 compensates for the darkness, the Phone 3a Pro exposes in a far more natural way, using more natural light that renders the final product in a more realistic, true-to-life way.
Where things get especially interesting on the camera front is the addition of a periscope zoom lens. For the uninitiated, a periscope lens works slightly differently from a normal one.
Instead of having light hit the sensor directly, in a periscope lens, the light is redirected with a prism at 90 degrees and shot at a sensor that is placed vertically. This allows enough space to increase the focal length of shots and provide a greater magnification for optical zoom, which compromises quality less.
That equates to a 3x optical zoom, a 6x lossless zoom, and a 60x "ultra zoom."
Those are a lot of big numbers, but what does that actually look like in practice? Well, since I had the Phone 3a Pro in hand, I took Nothing's new lens out for a spin.
Maybe you have different standards for zoom (and if you're a Samsung user, you'd be justified), but I find the Phone 3a Pro's zoom level to be impressive.
In the photo set above, you can see how the camera adeptly goes from a standard zoom, to 3x, to 6x, all while retaining the same optical quality. Even if you're not using your zoom all the time, it's nice to know that if you wanted to magnify from afar, you could do so adeptly.
That being said — and as impressive as the zoom is — there are some big tradeoffs with having all that zoom capability.
Kind of a big deal
As I mentioned previously, the first thing you'll notice about the Phone 3a Pro is the big, obvious camera module on the back of the phone.
And if your first thought is, "Why?" I can firmly say I was right there with you when I first saw it. The answer? The aforementioned periscope lens.
According to Nothing's designers, to make the periscope lens work, the camera module needs more room and has to protrude more than a typical camera sensor. That's the only way you can accommodate a design that has light entering a lens and then being refracted at a 90-degree angle.
And as you've already seen, the benefits are pronounced, with an optical zoom that retains photo quality. The downside, however, is that big-time zoom capability also requires a big-time footprint.
Holding the Phone 3a Pro in your hand, it's hard not to register the size of the camera module. If you're like me and like to choke up on your phone while you hold it, you're going to literally feel a big difference — the camera module rubs against your hand and definitely makes the iPhone 3a Pro feel a little more unwieldy than a typical flat glass slab.
It also makes the phone feel pretty top-heavy, which can be frustrating if — like me — you don't have particularly big hands. And if you're really a stickler about your phone sitting flat when you put it down, the Phone 3a Pro obviously isn't going to offer you that.
Then there's the purely subjective design appeal. While a big, look-at-me camera module might appeal to some, the aesthetic of it all might not really be your thing. I don't hate the appearance, but then again, I've always appreciated Nothing's commitment to subtle design choices that make its products stand out and not everyone shares that same zest for boundary-pushing.
Either way, Nothing's camera module is a choice, and with that choice, you will have to weigh some costs and benefits.
How much camera is too much camera?
Let me be straight: I think the Phone 3a Pro has a great camera, especially when you factor in its starting price of $459.
For that price tag, you get a 50MP sensor, great low-light performance, and even nice bonus features like a macro mode for getting super-close shots.
In that list of things I love, however, the periscope lens ranks somewhat low, and if the only reason the camera module is so big is to accommodate a periscope lens, I'm not sure if it's worth the impact that it has on the feel of the phone.
According to Nothing:
"The larger camera module on Phone 3a Pro is a deliberate design choice that balances functionality, durability, and aesthetics while staying true to Nothing’s transparent and futuristic design DNA."
That's all well and fine, but as far as I can see the only functional, practical, purpose of the module is to accommodate a periscope lens.
At the end of the day, I value a compact phone a lot and while I still love a nice camera module, I'm not sure squeezing the periscope into the equation is actually worth the impact on phone feel. The good news is, if you hate the large camera module, you can always buy the Phone 3a base model instead.
And if nothing else, I can appreciate taking a big swing for its first-ever "pro" phone, even if my hands are worse off for it.
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