Exclusive: Galaxy A51 to feature a 5MP macro camera

- November 22, 2019

If the leaks and rumors are correct, then the upcoming Galaxy A51 is set to become Samsung's cheapest smartphone with a quad camera setup at the back. The first quad camera Galaxy phone was last year's A9 (2018), which had wide-angle, ultra-wide, depth, and telephoto cameras. When leaked renders showed four rear cameras on the Galaxy A51, we assumed it would be a setup similar to the one from the Galaxy A9 (2018). However, that is not the case, according to information we have received from one of our tipsters.

The fourth camera sensor on the Galaxy A51 will be a 5-megapixel macro lens. Macro lenses, like telephoto lenses, let you get close to a subject, but they are different in one important aspect. Macro lenses have a much shorter minimum focusing distance, so they actually let you get closer to a subject than a telephoto lens without losing focus, making them excellent for taking photos of, say, insects or flowers.

However, they also require you to physically move closer to the subject because of the shorter focusing distance, something that's not required with telephoto lenses. For smartphones, macro lenses are a cheaper alternative to telephoto lenses, which is no doubt why Samsung has chosen to equip the Galaxy A51 with the former. We are assuming the Galaxy A71, which has the same L-shaped quad camera setup at the back as the A51, has a macro lens as well.

The other three rear cameras on the Galaxy A51 will include a 48MP primary camera, 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5MP depth-sensing camera. The 12MP ultra-wide camera is an upgrade from the 8MP and 5MP ultra-wide cameras seen on existing mid-range and budget smartphones, and it should bring a noticeable improvement to ultra-wide pictures. For selfies, the Galaxy A51 will have a 32MP camera located in a punch hole in the center of the display.