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Joining forces with award-winning photographer and filmmaker Michaela Skovranova and National Geographic, OPPO made an expedition to the Antarctic, capturing the wilderness on the smartphone maker’s latest flagship phone, the Find X2 Pro.
Proving just how capable its latest 5G-ready flagship smartphone is, the Find X2 Pro thrived in the extreme climatic conditions with minus degree temperatures, heavy winds and ice and snow, producing sharp and detailed footage, rival to professional cameras.
Titled ‘Uncover Antarctica’, the excursion demonstrates the latest features of the X2 Pro device to the extreme – including its Ultra Vision Camera system with an optical 10x hybrid zoom and 60x digital zoom, its Ultra Steady Mode 2.0 which combats any professional action cam, its 120Hz Ultra Vision display offering excellent image reproduction, and Ultra Night mode which ensures clear and powerful images in even the darkest settings, like underneath the starry night skies of the Antarctic.
Photo by Michaela Skovranova @mishkusk | Lost in the silence. A quiet sunset on the Antarctic Peninsula Oppo / Uncover Antarctica
Morgan Halim, OPPO New Zealand Managing Director says, “I was genuinely blown away by the footage and what the crew managed to achieve in such tough conditions. It really shows the calibre of the current most premium smartphones available, and what the future holds for photography and film.”
The adventure of extremes saw Michaela Skovranova capture the unique beauty of the white continent in breathtaking photos and film, using the X2 Pro in ice and snow, underwater, darkness and under strong wind conditions. Setting a new benchmark in the world of film and photography, the videos and photos impress with their outstanding quality – confirmed by professional photographer Michaela Skovranova.
“The camera sensors allowed me to take photos that I never thought possible with a smartphone. It’s simply spellbinding when a humpback whale takes a deep breath and dives back into the water. And thanks to the always-ready smartphone, I didn’t miss a single moment,” says Skovranova.
Photo by Michaela Skovranova @mishkusk | Iceberg is floating mass of freshwater ice that has broken from a glacier or an ice shelf. Icebergs can drift for hundreds of kilometres into warmer waters where they eventually melt. Scientists estimate the lifespan of an iceberg, from first snowfall on a glacier to final melting in the ocean, to be as long as 3,000 years. Oppo Uncover Antarctica
The pictures produced are of the best possible quality with the camera using a customised flagship sensor, the Sony IMX689 which is the largest sensor size among all 48MP mobile camera sensors. The powerful sensor combined with dual native ISO technology and f / 1.7 large aperture, brings powerful low light shooting capabilities.
“Spotting the first icebergs in the sea definitely stirred up some emotion in me. And this is why it is even more important to use the right features to capture moments like this. The 10x Hybrid Zoom can achieve a precision that I – as an experienced filmmaker and photographer – would never have thought possible. It’s simply spellbinding when you zoom in and discover details of the icy structure or birds in nosedive across the picture. Colour temperature sensing and image fusion algorithms combined with the 10x Hybrid Zoom don’t let you miss a single bit of the action,” says Skovranova.
“I really like the impressive large and clear field of view with a maximum wide angle of 120 degrees. It can capture an even wider range of scenery without any distortion – and all in high definition. The depth of field is already very high at a low f-stop. This means that the double 48-MP lenses capture images with continuous sharpness from foreground to background as with the group of gigantic ice rocks that rise majestically out of the water. I was using the ultra-wide angle every day during the trip and I believe it could be one of the most favourite features for every travel enthusiast.”
It was important to go beyond the limits, not only in a special location but also to the technical equipment. The X2 Pro made it possible to capture the true beauty of the underwater world with its IP68 rating for splash, water, and dust resistance.
The Uncover Antarctica film will play on National Geographic and Disney+ from June 9 to August 18th 2020.
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