Since receiving the OnePlus 2 a few days ago I have been using the device daily and captured a fair few photos to share with you. Let’s see just how good the 13 mega-pixel OnePlus 2 camera really is.

Looking and the specs alone the rear camera of the OnePlus 2 isn’t the most impressive we have seen. In fact with just a 13 mega-pixel sensor and F2.0 aperture some of you waiting for the OP2 to arrive were actually quite disappointed with those specs.

If you look more closely though you will learn that the OV 13 mega-pixel sensor is one of the best out there, the camera has a 6 lens stack, there is a fast laser auto focus that is even accurate in low light and of course OIS to keep the shakes out of you photos.

As a complete package the OnePlus 2 camera starts to sound much better, but how does it actually perform?

When I first received the OP2 it was running the Chinese Hydrogen ROM. It’s a pretty ROM but it’s not as well optimised as Oxygen OS. After switching to the international ROM I’ve seen a real improvement in performance and also in the speed of the camera.

In normal mode, or full auto, photos are captured and saved almost instantly. Using HDR or Clear Image though and images take a few seconds to save to the internal memory. This is the same for most phones, but it is slower than the LeTV Le 1 or Xiaomi Mi Note. The good news is that the image quality is very good.

The photos above were taken in auto, HDR and Clear Image (from left to right). Other than showing just how dirty my keyboard is you can’t really make out much difference in the photos. HDR is a little brighter with more glow and Clear Motion adds more detail, but in this artificial light all images look pretty good.

OnePlus 2 camera samples daylight

Take the OnePlus 2 outdoors and you can grab some really lovely looking images. The photos above were taken in bright sunny conditions with nice blue skies.

OnePlus 2 camera samples night

Even when the light dies away and the night draws in the photos on the OnePlus 2 continue to impress.

I’m also really enjoying the laser focus of the OnePlus 2. In good bright conditions you can pretty much trust the camera to get in focus and be ready to take a photo as soon as the camera app launches. It is that fast. Of course you can still choose to touch to focus when needed, and found that during night shoots this manual option proved a little more accurate than the laser.

OnePlus 2 Camera so far

When I reviewed the OnePlus One I was very disappointed with the camera, and its poor performance was one of the reasons I ended up getting rid of it, but the OnePlus 2 camera is a whole different story. At this point I am not sure if I prefer the OP2 camera or one of the excellent cameras on the LeTV or Xiaomi Mi Note, but having used them all I can say I would be more than happy using any and be confident that I would be getting splendid results with each press of the shutter.

With the excellent camera and the smooth operating Oxygen OS I really am quite impressed with the OnePlus 2 so far.

I will have the full OnePlus 2 review up and ready as soon as possible so keep your eyes open for that. Also thanks to our sponsors for sending us review phones, shop.gizchina.com, Giztop, UUonline, and Chigon, who are all selling the OnePlus 2 with no need for an invitation.