Honor Magic 5 Pro for underwater photography: a complete underwater photo test.

To learn how to get the most out of your gear underwater, discover the [AquaExposure Training](/lms).

The AquaExposure training covers the selection of equipment, optimal settings in natural light, and the post-production workflow for each type of device. Discover the underwater photography course. ctaText: Learn how to take photos underwater with your smartphone: discover the course. ctaLink: /formation-photo-sous-marine lang: fr --- In 2023, Honor achieved first place in the DxOMark ranking with the Magic 5 Pro, scoring 152 points, which surprised many people. Not because the device was unknown, but because the brand, which had eventually separated from Huawei, was still trying to prove that it could exist without its creator.

A DxOMark score of 152 is a significant achievement. However, it's also a measurement taken in controlled conditions, with protocols geared towards terrestrial use. The question that interests me here is different: do this sensor, these lenses, this battery, and this laser autofocus perform well when you put them in an underwater housing and descend to ten, twenty, or thirty meters?

Here's what the Magic 5 Pro actually looks like underwater.

Overall AquaExposure score: 3.7/5

This device is designed for: passionate divers who photograph in tropical or warm temperate waters, with a mid-range budget, and who want RAW image capture without unnecessary complexity.

This device is not ideal for: diving in cold Nordic waters or the North Sea, where the aluminum heat sink can cause condensation inside the housing.

The Magic 5 Pro features three sensors, each with 50 megapixels, which is an unusual configuration. For underwater photography, two lenses are particularly noteworthy.

The main camera, with its f/1.6 aperture on a 1/1.12-inch sensor, lets in a significant amount of light compared to what most smartphones offer. This is the lens you will use for the majority of your dives, under most conditions. The ultra-wide angle lens, with a 122-degree field of view, has a rare feature on a smartphone: it can focus from as close as 2.5 centimeters. This isn't a dedicated macro mode, it's its native working range.

When diving, this means you can switch from a wide shot of a reef to a close-up of a starfish without changing modes or sensors. This provides real flexibility in the field.

For more details:

Main sensor: 50MP, 1/1.12", f/1.6, OIS, PDAF + laser dToF 8x8, 23mm equivalent. Ultrawide angle: 50MP, f/2.0, 122°, native AF, minimum focusing distance of 2.5 cm. Periscope telephoto lens: 50MP, f/3.0, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom, minimum focusing distance of 30 cm (not very relevant underwater).

The f/1.6 aperture on the main sensor corresponds to the "f/1.4-1.8" category in the AquaExposure rating system (score of 4/5). The 1/1.12 inch sensor falls between the "1 inch" category (3/5) and the "1/1.2 inch" category (2.5/5) - interpolated score of 2.8/5. Raw data buffering and exact shutter lag are not documented independently: DxOMark notes a slight shutter delay as the only weakness of the system.

Score B1: 3.6/5

The Pro mode of the Honor camera app provides access to native RAW files on all three lenses, without requiring any third-party applications. This is the foundation of the workflow in natural light: you come back from diving with raw files, and you can recover highlights in surface reflections, adjust white balance, and restore the reds and oranges that water has absorbed from a few meters below the surface.

What strengthens this foundation is that the Honor Magic 5 Pro runs on Android with full GMS (Google Mobile Services). This means that MotionCam Pro, the leading app for video RAW processing on Android, is available on Google Play. For video recording, this is a real advantage that many high-end phones cannot offer, especially Huawei models that lost access to Google services during the separation.

What is not known with certainty is the bit depth of the RAW file. Honor does not clearly communicate this information. On a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the usual range is 10 to 12 bits, but this has not been confirmed. For your DaVinci Resolve or Lightroom files, this is something to check on your first field recordings.

For further information:

Native RAW in the camera app (Pro mode): score 5/5. RAW bit depth: not officially documented, estimated at 10 bits (score 3/5, to be confirmed). Video white balance in Kelvin: available in Pro video mode, presumed stable (score 4/5). Maximum video codec: H.265 up to 4K, no Log profile documented by Honor (score 3/5). Third-party Android app: MotionCam Pro available via Google Play (score 4.5/5). Color science: Proprietary Honor ISP, advanced calibration recognized (DxOMark #1 in 2023), no partnership with Zeiss/Leica/Hasselblad (score 4/5).

Overall score B2: 3.9/5

The Magic 5 Pro is available with 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. There is no external memory card slot. This is a deliberate choice by Honor, similar to what Apple has done for years.

Specifically, for underwater filming: one hour of high-resolution RAW footage represents between 8 and 12 GB depending on the subject and frame rate. With 512 GB, you have several days of shooting before needing to transfer data. For a week-long diving cruise with 3 dives per day, this is comfortable. For a two-week trip, plan for an intermediate data transfer.

What's useful here is that the USB-C connector on the Magic 5 Pro achieves real transfer speeds of around 500 MB/s in independent tests. Connecting an external SSD via OTG between dives to empty the device takes a few minutes, not half an hour. This kind of detail makes a difference over a day with three dives.

For more details:

Internal storage: 512 GB available, without external memory slot (score 3.8/5). Connector: USB-C with a measured transfer rate of ~500 MB/s (USB 3.x, score 4/5). OTG external transfer: compatible with external SSD, transfer rate >500 MB/min (score 4/5).

B3 Score: 3.9/5

This is where the tone of the conversation changes.

The Magic 5 Pro has an aluminum chassis. Aluminum conducts heat efficiently, which engineers appreciate for dissipating heat from the processor, but this creates a specific problem in waterproof housings: when the water is cold and the air trapped inside the housing is warmer than the aluminum casing, condensation forms on the inner glass. This phenomenon, which is not unique to the Magic 5 Pro but affects all high-thermal conductivity chassis, can ruin a dive in just a few minutes.

This risk is real in cold water (below 15 degrees Celsius), which includes the North Sea, the northern Atlantic Ocean, alpine lakes, and a significant portion of the Mediterranean Sea during winter. In warm tropical waters, the temperature difference is low, and the risk decreases significantly.

Independent reviews from 2023 also note instances of intensive load warm-up, which suggests that the internal thermal dissipation is designed at a minimum level for comfortable operation, with no margin. In an enclosed housing, the device cannot expel this heat to the outside.

For further information:

Material of the chassis: aluminum (high thermal conductivity). Internal cooling assumed: passive, vapor chamber not confirmed on the Magic 5 Pro (the Magic 6 Pro generation features a more sophisticated active system). Risk of condensation in cold water (<15°C): high (score 1/5). Risk of condensation in tropical water (>25°C): moderate (score 2.5/5 - average used in the scoring). IP68 certified resistance, no MIL-STD-810 certification (score 3/5 for shocks/vibrations).

Score B4: 2.8/5

The 5100 mAh battery is a definite plus for diving use. You won't run out of battery mid-dive with this device. The fast charging at 66W allows you to recover 80% charge in about 35 minutes between dives.

What we don't know is how the battery performs in cold water. Standard Li-Polymer chemistry loses some of its capacity below 10 degrees Celsius, which can reduce battery life by 20 to 30% under winter conditions. Honor does not document this aspect, and all available third-party tests have been conducted under normal operating conditions.

For further information:

Capacity: 5100 mAh (score of 4/5 for capacity). Chemistry: Standard Li-Polymer, without documented silicon-carbon technology (score of 3/5 for lifespan). Lifespan cycles before 20% loss of capacity: not officially documented.

B5 Score: 3.5/5

Before each diving session, remember to check your external battery. Use our portable battery comparator tool to choose the right power bank for your dive equipment and desired battery life.

The Magic 5 Pro features an 8x8 direct Time of Flight (ToF) sensor system, coupled with multi-directional PDAF and an AI module. This is a powerful combination for fast focusing, and it's what helped DxOMark rank it first in 2023 for dynamic scenes.

Underwater, there is a key point to consider: the infrared Time-of-Flight (ToF) laser. In air, this type of sensor measures distance by reflecting an invisible beam. In water containing particles (plankton, suspended sediments), this beam can scatter and disrupt the measurement. This isn't a universal problem, but it's something to keep in mind when working in turbid or poorly filtered waters.

What compensates for this is the native focus range of the ultra-wide lens, which is 2.5 centimeters, and it works without the laser. For stationary subjects in macro photography, Focus Peaking (if available in the app) or manual focusing via MotionCam Pro gives you precise control without relying on the laser. This is the workflow I recommend for underwater macro photography with a smartphone.

For further information: AF Technologies: 8x8 dToF laser + multi-directional PDAF + AI. Physical LiDAR (like iPhone Pro): not present on this model. Manually disableable Laser/ToF: undocumented, behavior in turbid water needs to be tested on site. Native Focus Peaking: not confirmed, available via MotionCam Pro. Android GMS = Manual MAP available through third-party applications. B6 Score: 4.0/5

Divevolk is the leading brand for consumer-grade smartphone waterproof cases. The SeaTouch 4 Max series, which guarantees waterproofing up to 60 meters with full touchscreen access via a gel membrane, is listed as being compatible with the Honor Magic series.

Before purchasing, check the Divevolk compatibility page specifically for the Magic 5 Pro. The dimensions vary slightly from one generation to another and from one regional variant to another (some markets have Magic 5 Pro models with Kunlun Glass, which has a different thickness). This is the kind of detail that can cause a "Magic series compatible" case not to fit properly on your exact model.

If you are already using the AquaExposure enclosure compatibility tool, the Divevolk references for the Honor series are listed there with links to the official compatibility pages.

For further information:

Certified rigid case: Divevolk SeaTouch 4 Max (Honor Magic series, to be confirmed for the exact Magic 5 Pro model). Certified depth: 60 meters. Screen access: Divevolk SeaTouch gel membrane (full touch screen access). Access to third-party apps (MotionCam Pro): possible via the touchscreen of the case.

Score B7: 4.0/5

Available enclosures

• Divevolk SeaTouch 4 Max: rigid case, 60 meters, touchscreen access (to be confirmed for the exact Magic 5 Pro compatibility on divevolkdiving.com)
• Divevolk SeaTouch 4 Max Platinum: premium variant, same waterproofing features.
• ARMOR-X: shock-resistant rigid cases, not certified for deep diving.

Dive site workflow for a day of 3 dives

Let's take a concrete example: 3 dives of one hour each, with high-resolution RAW recording on both main sensors.

• Estimated consumption: 3 hours x 10 GB = approximately 30 GB.
• Battery life: very comfortable for 3 dives in a day.
• Need for data transfer: no, with 512 GB of storage.
• OTG possible if needed: yes, with an external SSD, actual read/write speed > 500 MB/s.

For a 7-day trip with 3 dives per day, you should expect to use between 200 and 250 GB of storage. With the 512 GB option, you'll have plenty of space for videos and photos taken outside of diving activities.

Important considerations:

The first point, already mentioned, is the use of a thermal enclosure. If you regularly dive in the North Atlantic, the North Sea, or alpine lakes, the aluminum frame can be a risk factor for condensation on the inside window of the enclosure. The solution is to use desiccant packets inside the enclosure and not leave the device powered on in open air for long before immersion.

The second point is the bit depth of the RAW file. If you have a underwater color correction workflow in post-production that relies on aggressive shadow recovery, check your initial field files before embarking on an expedition. A 10-bit RAW file doesn't offer the same latitude as a 12-bit one.

The third point, which is more subtle: the dToF laser in waters with a high concentration of particles. In conditions of reduced visibility (such as the North Sea with only 5 meters of visibility, or a site with suspended sediments), the autofocus behavior may differ from what you are accustomed to in clear tropical waters. Allow some time for testing during your first dive after a break.

The Honor Magic 5 Pro is a decent camera phone for underwater photography, neither overrated nor overlooked. What convinced me was the consistency of the system: native RAW support on all three sensors, fast autofocus, an ultra-wide lens that focuses as close as 2.5 cm, and 512 GB of storage without having to manage a memory card. It runs Android with full GMS, which means reference apps like MotionCam Pro work flawlessly.

What held me back was the thermal performance. In cold temperate waters, the aluminum frame and the documented heating under heavy load are a combination that needs to be carefully monitored. If your primary diving location is the Mediterranean Sea in summer, Malta, the Red Sea, the Maldives, or the Caribbean, this point is minor. However, if you dive in Belgium, Brittany, or Norway, consider devices with titanium or ceramic frames instead.

For a dive in warm waters, with a mid-range to high-end budget, it deserves its place in your dive bag.

For cold water conditions, compare it with the Google Pixel 10 or the OPPO Find X9 before making a decision.

Are you hesitant? Use our underwater photography equipment comparison tool to compare this camera with other tested models.

To learn more about condensation and overheating, read our dedicated article: Overheating and condensation on a smartphone in an underwater housing.