Tony has always considered himself something of a telephoto landscape photography enthusiast. That is， until he saw the analysis report generated from his photo album…
As a seasoned mobile photography hobbyist， one who proudly identifies as a “telephoto landscape master，” Tony was naturally intrigued and decided to give the app a try.
He wanted to see if his reputation as a telephoto expert held up in the report’s eyes， and also to glean any useful information that might guide future smartphone purchases.
However， the moment Tony saw the report， he was taken aback.
According to the report， he wasn’t even a telephoto enthusiast; he was categorized under the wide-angle umbrella， even being labeled a “master of wide-angle storytelling.”
Yet， after careful analysis and comparison， Tony found himself conceding that there was a surprising amount of truth to it.
First， Tony explained the app’s underlying mechanism to his readers. When a photo is taken with a smartphone， it’s like a digital snapshot with tiny notes attached. These “notes” are what we call EXIF data – additional information automatically recorded by the camera or phone the moment the shutter is pressed. EXIF typically includes shooting parameters like time， focal length， and GPS location.
The app works by scanning the EXIF data of photos within a user’s album to aggregate and determine their commonly used focal lengths and photographic characteristics (such as exposure， aperture， and focal length). It then generates a concise summary report.
While the principle is straightforward， the app can comprehensively analyze often-overlooked details like “focal length distribution.” For Tony， despite his affection for telephoto shots and having a significant portion of his best work captured with a telephoto lens， he admitted that in his day-to-day casual photography， he primarily uses the main camera (wide-angle). Ultrawide lenses， on the other hand， are rarely employed. The main camera serves the practicalities of daily life， telephoto is for creative expression， and ultrawide is a sporadic accent.
If not for the report’s clear indication of wide-angle usage， Tony might not have fully recognized these patterns.
The results showed that even though many users possess smartphones with impressive camera arrays， the data from the report， in terms of focal length distribution and average focal length， revealed a strong preference for standard or wide-angle focal lengths within the 35-50mm range.
This presented a curious observation: despite carrying phones equipped with advanced lenses， users predominantly relied on the main camera. Tony found a clue to this phenomenon in another data point from the report: the focal length distribution histogram.
Based on the focal length distribution in the reports of Tony’s colleagues， it was evident that a considerable number of people did enjoy using telephoto lenses. However， the overwhelmingly high proportion of photos taken with the main camera skewed the average， leading to classifications like “master of wide-angle storytelling.”
This high proportion of main camera usage is also linked to users’ habits when taking photos with their phones. Generally， the most common approach is to directly open the camera app and start snapping. The wide-angle lens is the default that 99% of users access upon launching the camera. This explains the inflated figures for wide-angle lens usage， not necessarily a sole preference for wide-angle shots.
Astonishingly， Tony’s deskmate， after seeing this report， nearly decided to opt for a single-camera iPhone for his next purchase， assuming his photographic needs could be met by such a device.
While telephoto lenses offer superior image clarity and a sense of depth compression， they are also a significant contributor to the protrusion of camera modules on modern smartphones.
This reflection led Tony to ponder: For users whose primary photographic activity involves simply opening the camera and using the main lens， is it truly necessary to pursue the absolute top-tier “ultra-max” models? Is it worth the added weight and protrusion for occasional telephoto use， which might constitute less than 10% of their shooting needs?
In essence， when purchasing a new phone， users often opt for the most comprehensive camera systems， driven by the desire to have all options available， even if they aren’t frequently used. This can lead to a scenario where many powerful lenses remain largely unused after the initial excitement wears off.
In Tony’s view， the primary value of this report lies in its ability to offer an objective， third-person perspective on one’s photography habits. It encourages a reassessment of personal needs， leading to more informed and rational purchase decisions.
At a time when major manufacturers are still exploring new directions in mobile photography， focusing on camera advancements might seem like a safe bet. However， it might also be a path that lacks significant innovation or excitement.
As Tony was writing this piece， he noticed a trend among manufacturers to develop external telephoto lens solutions. This raises the question for consumers: should they follow the trends that manufacturers are pursuing?
If you’re not someone who purchases phones based on fleeting trends， before making an impulse buy， it’s advisable to analyze your past photography style. Then， compare this with the advertised camera strengths of the phone you’re considering.
For instance， do the camera features highlighted by the manufacturer align with the focal lengths you use most frequently? Furthermore， are you willing to increase your budget for a lens that you will rarely utilize?
Ultimately， what truly suits your needs is the best choice.
