I pushed the OnePlus 13 to its limits at a concert, and it didn’t fail to impress

A closer look at the OnePlus 13’s cameras

Breaking down the OnePlus 13 camera hardware

Before diving in, let’s take a quick look at the OnePlus 13’s camera hardware. Similar to last year’s OnePlus 12, the OnePlus 13 features a triple-camera setup on the back, each with a 50MP sensor. The primary 50MP wide-angle lens comes with an f/1.6 aperture, multi-directional Phase Detection Auto-Focus (PDAF), and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).

Accompanying it is a 50MP ultra-wide lens with an f/2.0 aperture and 120-degree field of view. Completing the setup is a 50MP periscope telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom, 6x digital crop zoom, and up to 120x digital zoom.

While it may seem like OnePlus is using an inferior periscope telephoto sensor compared to last year’s OnePlus 12, which featured a 64MP sensor, the new 50MP sensor is actually larger, allowing more light intake and offering a slightly better zoom range (73mm on the OnePlus 13 vs. 70mm on last year’s model). Additionally, OnePlus claims to have made several enhancements on the software side as well.

One feature that the company has been heavily promoting on the OnePlus 13 is its new Dual Exposure Algorithm. Simply put, this technology allows the camera to capture two photos simultaneously — one with short exposure and one with long exposure — and then stitch them together. According to the company, this technique helps the OnePlus 13 produce sharp images with minimal motion blur.

But how does it perform in real-world settings? Take a look at the shots from the phone yourself.

Real-world concert shots from the OnePlus 13

Does it handle concert lighting like a pro?

At first glance, the OnePlus 13 handles concert photography surprisingly well, especially considering that most of the shots were taken using the 3x telephoto zoom sensor, often pushed to 6x or more. The camera app also features a built-in “Stage” mode, which enhances photo and video processing for such scenarios. It’s worth noting that the camera app automatically prompted to enable this mode, and I didn’t have to go into settings or swipe through options to activate it.

Looking at the images, the OnePlus 13 handles extreme concert lighting impressively, balancing colors and exposure exceptionally well. In the first and second shots above, the phone strikes the perfect balance between bright stage lights and darker backgrounds. As with previous OnePlus devices, the color processing is punchy and on the vibrant side, but the subject remains well-exposed without appearing washed out. The bright lights are also well-controlled, avoiding any overexposure.

A similar level of performance can be seen in the shot above, where Chris Martin (the performer) looks sharp and clear, with the OnePlus 13 managing to retain finer details — like the falling confetti — remarkably well. The confetti appears crisp and well-defined, with no noticeable blurriness or excessive noise. It’s clear that OnePlus’ Dual Exposure Algorithm and fast shutter speed are particularly useful in scenarios like these. The phone is able to capture fast-moving subjects easily with minimal-to-no motion blur.

The OnePlus 13 also does a solid job when it comes to handling skin tones. As seen in the second shot above, both the performer and the fan brought on stage are well-lit against the dark background, with their skin tones looking natural and accurate. Not only that, but OnePlus 13’s ability to maintain exposure and dynamic range is also pretty impressive. Take the third shot, for example — despite the challenging lighting, the stage and audience are clearly visible without adding excessive noise or overexposure.

However, not everything is perfect, and there are situations where the OnePlus 13’s camera struggles to keep up. There were times when I often had to manually adjust the exposure to achieve a balanced shot. When left on auto, some photos turned out slightly overexposed, with a bit of noise and reduced overall sharpness. It’s not a deal-breaker, but definitely something to consider if you’re someone who prefers a quick point-and-shoot experience.

Noise reduction is another area where the phone’s processing can feel a bit too aggressive. In an attempt to clean up the image, it sometimes ends up smudging finer textures, which takes away from the natural feel of the shot.

Moreover, autofocus, while usually reliable, can occasionally struggle to lock onto subjects — especially with fast-moving elements and bright stage lights in the mix. That said, given the complexity of concert photography, these occasional misses are somewhat forgivable.

The OnePlus 13 shines in low-light photography

Overall, the OnePlus 13 impresses. While previous OnePlus flagships have struggled in this department, the OnePlus 13 finally feels like it’s holding its own. Yes, there are occasional shots where processing misses the mark and areas that could still be improved, but the overall progress is undeniable. OnePlus took its own sweet time, but it finally feels like the company has nailed the flagship camera experience.