LG released its new flagship V30 smartphone at the IFA consumer trade show in Berlin, and the camera system boasts some of the most advanced features that we've seen for shooting video from a phone.

Camera Upgrade

The dual-camera system on LG's V30 promises more control, higher dynamic range, fast lenses, better low-light performance, and a new zoom system that isn't confined to only zooming into the center of your frame. In addition, LG has built in more control over the look of your images by including 15 new color presets. But the most impressive feature—if you want unheard of control over color from your smartphone video—is the addition of Cine Log which allows you to save a LUT and grade your footage in NLE software like Premiere. 

LG V30 Lens ImprovementsCredit: LG Newsroom

In keeping with the trend of equipping smartphones with dual camera systems, the LG V30 features a main camera and a secondary, wide-angle camera. The main camera features a field-of-view of about 70 degrees, with the wide-angle providing a 120-degree FOV. The main camera features a fast, f/1.6 lens that has had one of its plastic elements replaced with glass, making it superior for low-light shooting. This faster lens also provides higher dynamic range in the shadow areas.

Manual mode also offers much more control over your final image. With shutter speeds up to 30 seconds and what's more, you have control over shutter speed, sound recording and 15 Cine Effect color presets to let you dial-in the perfect look and feel for your video. 

Cine Looks on the new LG V30 SmartphoneCredit: LG

Improved Microphone

Of course, having good sound is important and often overlooked in smartphone video—but perhaps this changed with the overhauled microphone on the V30. Sound recording has been augmented with a dual microphone system that offers 24-bit hi-def audio, an increase in dynamic range and decrease in distortion. According to LG, this system also makes for better audio capture even in noisy environments. 

LG V30 Improved DisplayCredit: LG

QHD + OLED Display 

The 6" QHD + OLED "FullVision" display is beautiful. It features a 2:1 (18:9) aspect ratio that takes up practically the entire front side of the V30. While the image won't be quite as dramatic as on the Galaxy S8, it will feature better contrast and more saturated color. In fact, LG claims the new screen design can reproduce nearly 150% of RGB color space. Screen resolution also features an improvement compared with other "V" models. The screen on the V30 boasts a resolution of 2880 x 1440, giving it a pixel density of 537ppi. All things considered, this would be an attractive screen for use with VR apps.

Overall, it sounds like the LG V30 boasts some pretty nice tech and some welcomed features for image creators, but it may have a tough time gaining traction in the market with its release date so close to Apple's anticipated release of the iPhone 7s & iPhone 8. 

Tech Specs

  • Dual-camera with 70-degree main camera and 120-degree super wide angle
  • Main camera: 16MP 1/3.1" Sony IMX351 CMOS sensor, F1.6 aperture, OIS
  • Super-wide-angle: 13MP Samsung sensor with 1.0um pixel size, F1.9 aperture
  • 4K video
  • 5MP F2.2 front camera
  • 6" QHD+ OLED FullVision display
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset
  • 64/128GB storage, 4GB RAM
  • microSD card slot
  • 3,300mAh battery with quick charging
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Cinematography & Cameras