The Huawei P40 Pro represents one of the most advanced milestones in mobile photography. Throughout this article, we take you on a detailed, technical, and practical tour of all its cameras, its innovations in photography hardware and software, as well as the key differences compared to other high-end photography devices.
The Huawei P40 Pro camera: Architecture, sensors, and optics
At the heart of the Huawei P40 Pro is a game-changing photography system for mobile devices, raising the bar for quality with a quad-camera setup comprised of:
- 50MP Ultra Vision Super Sensor with RYYB (Red-Yellow-Yellow-Blue) matrix, f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). This sensor, with a large size of 1/1,28 inches, is capable of capturing a 40% more light than previous generations, allowing for photographs with greater detail, dynamic range and realistic colors even in low-light conditions.
- 40MP Ultra Wide Angle Cine Camera (f/1.8 aperture) with advanced sensor, ideal for panoramic shooting, cinematic video and wide night photos without distortion.
- 12MP SuperSensing Periscope Telephoto Lens with RYYB matrix, f/3.4 aperture, 5x optical zoom and OIS. This periscope lens allows you to obtain hybrid zoom up to 50x, with great sharpness and definition at a distance.
- ToF 3D depth sensor for accurate distance calculation, improving bokeh blur in both portrait and video modes, and contributing to the effectiveness of autofocus.
The front camera is no slouch: it features a 32 MP primary sensor (f/2.2 aperture) accompanied by a 3D ToF IR camera for advanced facial recognition and selfies with realistic depth. Everything is integrated into an oval island located in the upper left corner of the screen.
Additional elements: complementary technology and sensors
The camera module includes elements designed to refine the photography experience to the maximum:
- High-power LED flash, essential for night photography and low-light video.
- Multispectral color temperature sensor: Adjusts the white balance and skin tone reproduction with a superior precision, reducing dominants and ensuring realistic colors both outdoors and indoors.
- Specific microphone for audio in video: Captures directional sound and enables the use of the Audio Zoom feature, in which the audio is focused as you increase the optical zoom, improving the capture of voice or ambient sound from a distance.
The dual front camera feature enhances infrared face unlock, making biometric access more secure and versatile, and delivering high-quality selfies with background bokeh and a natural effect.
Technical comparison of the P40 Pro, Pro+, and rival cameras
The Huawei P40 Pro stands out for its balance of hardware, processing, and versatility. However, within the Huawei family itself, the P40 Pro+ adds a second telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom (f/4.4), taking long-distance photography to the extreme, albeit at the cost of some brightness. Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Huawei opts for a larger main sensor and an RYYB matrix that captures more light, offering superior results in dark scenes and less artificial color reproduction.
Some aspects where it stands out:
- Maximum ISO sensitivity of 409.600, allowing photos to be taken in almost complete darkness.
- Octa PD Autofocus which uses all pixels for focus calculation, fast and accurate even at night or with moving subjects.
- XD Fusion Engine Processing, an artificial intelligence photography engine that combines multiple RAW shots and reduces noise without losing sharpness, managing color and contrast according to the scene.
Advanced Computational Photography: Software and AI in Photographic Quality
The key to the P40 Pro's photographic performance lies in the sophisticated software work. Huawei uses the third generation of its AI Image Engine, which corrects optical and chromatic aberrations, maintains detail in all areas of the frame and enriches the scene through contextual AI capable of identifying up to 1.500 different types of scenes or elements.
In night photography, the combination of multiple captures, adaptive exposure, and graduated noise reduction allows for sharp, bright images where other devices barely capture detail. The system is capable of merging up to 16 RAW images in real time, adapting the exposure of each one to reconstruct lights and shadows accurately.
Another star feature is Golden Snap, which uses artificial intelligence to automatically select the best snapshot from a series, remove unwanted objects or people from the background, and correct complex reflections.
Huawei P40 Pro camera mode and app
The user experience is supported by a revamped camera app, easy to navigate but with infinity of ways:
- automatic photo: Leverages AI to select optimal settings based on scene detection.
- Picture: Sculpts faces and backgrounds using the 3D ToF sensor. Allows you to select levels of blur (bokeh) and apply different lighting styles.
- Nightlife: supports exposures up to 32 seconds, achieving scenes with light and detail where the human eye barely perceives colors.
- Pro: Manual mode for RAW shooting, selection of ISO, shutter speed, white balance and manual focus, taking advantage of the 50 real MP from the main sensor.
- Institutional: records up to 4K is 60 fps In all optics (front and rear), supports slow motion at resolutions up to 1080p and 720p 7680 fps, and adds the innovative Audio Zoom.
- Panorama, variable aperture, monochrome, super macro (taking advantage of the wide angle), Super slow motion and more.
Practical quality: photos, video, and real-life results
The photographic results stand out for a color fidelity without oversaturation, well-defined textures even in dark areas, and a dynamic range that captures details in both shadows and bright highlights. The periscopic telephoto lens remains useful up to 10x zoom, with the 5x zoom being fully optical. Hybrid zoom allows you to capture distant objects with virtually no loss in daylight scenes.
El wide angle minimizes distortions and the night quality is superior to the previous range, allowing for highly realistic urban, interior or night landscape captures.
In video, OIS+EIS stabilization keeps shots smooth in both normal and slow motion, and audio adapts with the Audio Zoom function. 4K at 60 fps extends to all cameras, allowing seamless transitions between lenses.
Front camera: selfies, video and biometrics
The 32 MP front camera with 3D ToF IR camera not only enables high-resolution photos, but also a advanced portrait mode with precise blurring and lighting effects. Facial recognition is secure and functional even in complete darkness, thanks to the infrared sensor.
In selfie video, Huawei allows recording in 4K is 60 fps, a pioneer among high-end smartphones, maintaining great detail and good sound capture even for vloggers or professional video calls.
Processor, memory, and user experience: impact on photography
El Kirin 990 5G integrates a dual NPU (neural processing unit) that powers artificial intelligence and real-time image processing functions. 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM y 256GB UFS 3.0 storage enable burst shooting, instant editing, and lag-free handling of even RAW files. WiFi 6, 5G, and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity also facilitate fast transfer of large images and videos.
Other photographic sections: resistance, autonomy and accessories
- IP68 resistance: The P40 Pro can be used in rain or dust without fear of camera damage.
- Battery 4.200 mAh with 40W fast charging and wireless charging, capable of withstanding an intense day of photography and video.
- Advanced Accessories and Modes: External LED flash, grip-enhancing cases for extended photo sessions, and Bluetooth tripod compatibility.
Who is the Huawei P40 Pro camera for?
The Huawei P40 Pro is designed for users looking for a mobile phone with professional photography capabilities in their pocket: travelers, content creators, night photography enthusiasts, lovers of zoom for capturing wildlife, concerts or sports, or those who want to stand out on social media with top-quality images and videos without additional retouching.
The daily experience is highlighted by the immediacy between the shot and the result, the absence of lag when shooting in bursts or in processing, and the deep customization: every parameter from ISO to white balance can be professionally adjusted in Pro mode.
Comparison with rivals: flagship cameras and alternatives
While the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra stands out in marketing for its 108MP sensor and up to 100x digital zoom, in practice the P40 Pro wins out thanks to its improved low-light handling and lower noise in night photos. The P40 Pro+ expands the zoom range, reaching levels previously reserved for high-end compact cameras.
As for other models, such as the Xiaomi Mi Note 10, the OnePlus 8 Pro, or the iPhone 11 Pro Max, Huawei's offering is the most balanced: it neither forces saturation nor over-embellishes details, and always offers advanced options for amateurs and professionals.
Experience and tricks to get the most out of your camera
- Use the RAW function in Pro mode to capture the maximum dynamic range and edit the image later.
- Night mode is not only useful in dark scenes, but also for reducing noise indoors or at dusk.
- Try the telephoto lens for macro photography from a distance: the optical zoom combined with AI allows you to capture insects or details without being close to the subject.
- Enable AI scene detection only if you want the device to adjust parameters automatically (sometimes, for professional photos, it may be better to disable it and play with manual settings).
Updates, support, and app ecosystem
The Huawei P40 Pro is regularly updated to incorporate new features and improvements in image processing. The gallery app allows for advanced editing, with tools for cropping, adjusting curves, removing reflections, and correcting perspective. The phone is also compatible with professional photography apps, although the absence of Google services means you'll need to install some tools manually or through the app. professional photography app, but you can also consult the complete list in our section 3D phone comparator.