Asus ZenFone Zoom review - the Phone with 3x Optical Zoom camera!

For a phone which claims to be world's slimmest with 3x optical zoom, I was quite excited to try out the latest offering from Asus - Asus ZenFone Zoom! But it was't just the optical zoom, the camera also boasted of 10-element HOYA lens for up to 12x total zoom, 4stops optical image stabilisation, macro focusing down to 5cm and an intricately-calibrated, dual-reflecting periscope design.

At the Kalupur Swaminarayan Temple

Now it's no secret that I love taking pictures with my mobile phone, and have often written about it in the past. In fact I enjoy mobile photography so much that I spent the entire last year just taking pictures with my phone, even when I visited Singapore, Switzerland and Jordan. The camera in the mobile phone make the process of taking as well as sharing pictures so convenient that I love it to the T!

ZenFone Zoom 

Now coming back to the Asus ZenFone Zoom, I used the phone for a few days not just for taking pictures, but everything else as well. It was my first time with a high-end Android phone, and I was keen to not just try the camera, but also how it performed for my daily needs as a photographer and blogger. I not just took the pictures, I also edited and shared them through the phone. The huge 5.5 inch screen worked great for reviewing pictures after taking them, and later for editing them.

The Camera

So let's start first with the camera. I was not quite sure how would the 3x zoom worked, so I put it to a lot of use. In fact most images you will see below have been taking with varying degrees of optical zoom. However, I was very impressed when I saw the images later on my laptop - they had all come out beautiful. All specs can fall flat if the pictures aren't great, but with Asus ZenFone Zoom I was pleasantly surprised with the final results.

The 3x optical zoom camera 

I was in Ahmedabad on the weekend when the phone was getting launched in Agra and put it to good use there. Walking through the lanes of my favourite city, I tried capturing moments as they passed me by. The phone was my constant companion and I was never disappointed with it.

An old man in the Pol

Another man at the Pol

Man in action!

The Design

The phone is carved out of a single piece of Aluminium alloy and feels good in hand, though it took me a while to get used to it's large size. The Italian leather finish at the back looks nice and provides excellent grip.

The phone has also won the prestigious Good Design Award and that's actually quite a big deal.

Asus Zenphone Zoom specifications

Display 5.50-inch
Processor 2.5GHz 
Rear Camera 13-megapixel 
Front Camera 5-megapixel 
Resolution 1080x1920 pixels
RAM 4GB
OS Android 5.0
Storage 128GB
Battery capacity 3000mAh
Colors Meteorite black, Glacier white

5mm thickness on the sides

So is this a perfect phone for everyone?
I think it's a great phone with a really good camera, but the price tag of Rs 37, 999 might be bit of a dampener for some. However, if you love mobile photography and love to experiment (you can also take 32 sec long exposure shots), you would love this phone.



Before I leave, let me share a few more pictures from the phone from Ahmedabad. Trust me it's a wonderland :)

Goats at Jumma Masjid

A man and a dog in a Pol

He stared at me, but didn't mind the picture :)

Setting them free....

Inside the Rani Roopmati mosque

Disclaimer: I am writing this review in collaboration with Asus. Needless to mention, all views expressed are unbiased and my own.