Here are 10 smartphone recommendations in the medium-budget class specifically designed for photography enthusiasts, content creators, and professional videographers.
In this mid-range class, you can already enjoy top-tier camera features such as a dedicated Telephoto/Periscope lens for portrait photos, collaboration with legendary lens manufacturers (Leica/ZEISS), high-end flagship sensors, and ultra-stable 4K 60fps video recording.
Important Note: If your main focus is portrait photography and distant subjects, prioritize devices that feature a dedicated Telephoto lens module (rather than just digital zoom) to produce a natural blur (bokeh) effect and image enlargement without losing detail.
1. Xiaomi 13T / 14T
One of the best photography phones in the mid-range class resulting from a collaboration with Leica. It offers signature Leica Authentic and Leica Vibrant color styles, and comes equipped with a pure 50 MP telephoto lens.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, 24mm, OIS, Leica Vario-Summicron |
| Telephoto Camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, 50mm (2x Optical Zoom) |
| Ultrawide Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, 15mm |
| Front Camera | 20 MP, f/2.2 |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 8200-Ultra / Dimensity 8300-Ultra |
| RAM / Storage | 12GB RAM + 256GB / 512GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.67" CrystalRes AMOLED 144Hz, 5000 mAh (67W / 90W HyperCharge) |
2. Vivo V30 5G / V40 5G
The king of mid-range portrait photography with the latest generation Aura Light Portrait system and optics from ZEISS. Capable of producing studio-grade facial photos even in nighttime conditions.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.55", OIS, ZEISS Optics |
| Ultrawide Camera | 50 MP, f/2.0, 119° Auto-Focus |
| Front Camera | 50 MP, f/2.0, Group Selfie AF |
| Processor | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (4nm) |
| RAM / Storage | 8GB / 12GB RAM + 256GB / 512GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.78" 1.5K Curved AMOLED 120Hz, 5000 mAh (80W FlashCharge) |
3. Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
Offers advanced Nightography image processing as well as consistent color reproduction across all lenses. The safest choice for daily photography, vlogging, and guaranteed IP67 water resistance.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, OIS, Big Pixel Sensor |
| Ultrawide Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2 |
| Macro Camera | 5 MP, f/2.4 |
| Front Camera | 32 MP, f/2.2 (4K Video Recording) |
| Processor | Exynos 1480 (4nm, AMD Xclipse 530 GPU) |
| RAM / Storage | 8GB / 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.6" FHD+ Super AMOLED 120Hz, 5000 mAh (25W Charge) |
4. Realme 12 Pro+ 5G / 13 Pro+ 5G
A rare medium-budget phone that brings a 64 MP Periscope Telephoto Lens. Allows long-distance photography up to 3x Optical Zoom and 120x Digital Zoom without breaking up.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, Sony IMX890, OIS |
| Periscope Camera | 64 MP, f/2.8, OmniVision OV64B, 3x Optical Zoom, OIS |
| Ultrawide Camera | 8 MP, f/2.2 |
| Front Camera | 32 MP, f/2.4 |
| Processor | Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 (4nm) |
| RAM / Storage | 8GB / 12GB RAM + 256GB / 512GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.7" FHD+ Curved OLED 120Hz, 5000 mAh (67W SUPERVOOC) |
5. OPPO Reno11 Pro 5G / Reno12 Pro
Known as "The Portrait Expert". Equipped with an AI-based Telephoto Portrait Camera algorithm that produces sharp subject isolation and natural skin tones.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.8, Sony IMX890, OIS |
| Telephoto Camera | 32 MP, f/2.0, Sony IMX709, 2x Optical Zoom |
| Ultrawide Camera | 8 MP, f/2.2, 112° |
| Front Camera | 32 MP, f/2.4, Auto-Focus |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 8200 / Dimensity 7300-Energy |
| RAM / Storage | 12GB RAM + 512GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.7" FHD+ 3D Curved OLED 120Hz, 4600 mAh (80W SUPERVOOC) |
6. Honor 90 5G / Honor 200
Features a massive 200 MP camera sensor with an outstanding AI Image Engine. Its Portrait Studio mode feature was developed together with the legendary French photo studio, Harcourt.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 200 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.4", OIS + EIS |
| Ultrawide Camera | 12 MP, f/2.2, Macro AF |
| Front Camera | 50 MP, f/2.4, 4K Video |
| Processor | Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition / Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 |
| RAM / Storage | 12GB RAM + 256GB / 512GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.7" Quad-Curved AMOLED 120Hz (3840Hz PWM Dimming), 5000 mAh (66W) |
7. Nothing Phone (2a) Plus
Adopts a minimalist camera interface with very good HDR processing (TrueLens Engine). All three of its camera sensors (main, ultrawide, and front) use a high resolution of 50 MP.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.88, 1/1.56", OIS |
| Ultrawide Camera | 50 MP, f/2.2, 114° |
| Front Camera | 50 MP, f/2.2 |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro 5G |
| RAM / Storage | 12GB RAM + 256GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.7" FHD+ Flexible AMOLED 120Hz, 5000 mAh (50W Fast Charge) |
8. Google Pixel 7a / Pixel 8a
The gold standard for computational photography processing. Despite simple technical specifications, the Google Camera (HDR+) algorithm produces the best photo details, shadows, and textures in its class.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 64 MP, f/1.9, 1/1.73", OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF |
| Ultrawide Camera | 13 MP, f/2.2, 120° |
| Front Camera | 13 MP, f/2.2 |
| Processor | Google Tensor G2 / Tensor G3 |
| RAM / Storage | 8GB RAM + 128GB / 256GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.1" / 6.2" OLED 90Hz / 120Hz, 4385 mAh (Wireless Charging) |
9. POCO F6 5G
Although well-known as a performer, its camera sector is equipped with an OIS-enabled Sony LYT-600 sensor with 4K 60fps video recording capabilities and highly responsive AI lighting features.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.59, Sony LYT-600, OIS |
| Ultrawide Camera | 8 MP, f/2.2, Sony IMX355 |
| Front Camera | 20 MP, f/2.2 |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4nm Flagship Chip) |
| RAM / Storage | 8GB / 12GB RAM + 256GB / 512GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.67" 1.5K Flow AMOLED 120Hz, 5000 mAh (90W Turbo Charge) |
10. Motorola Edge 50 Pro
A unique choice for visual aesthetics lovers. It is the world's first phone with a camera and display certified by Pantone Validated, ensuring that the resulting photo colors match the real-world original objects.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP, f/1.4 (Ultra-Wide Aperture), OIS |
| Telephoto Camera | 10 MP, f/2.0, 3x Optical Zoom, OIS |
| Ultrawide Camera | 13 MP, f/2.2, Macro AF |
| Front Camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, Auto-Focus |
| Processor | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 (4nm) |
| RAM / Storage | 12GB RAM + 256GB / 512GB ROM |
| Display & Battery | 6.7" 1.5K pOLED 144Hz, 4500 mAh (125W Wired / 50W Wireless Charge) |
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Written by
Wilan
A regular contributor to Bali Island Tekno who actively shares knowledge about technology, programming, and the world of software engineering.