I have a Zenfone 9 and a 12 mini (and a Pixel 4a and Pixel 5 and a few other compact phones).
The ZF9 camera setup is pretty good, though both the iPhone and the Pixels are a little better. With the main cam, Asus takes more detailed pictures than the other three phones - but with a little more noise and oversharpening. The latter is clearly visible and may upset some people. Otherwise, the pictures are good - sometimes, but not often, better than the Pixels' or the 12m's. The HDR works well and the colors are more natural than on the iPhone. Night photos are competent as well, both by themselves and by comparison. The digital zoom is poorer than the Pixels'. I also had a ZF8 before the 9 and I like the latter slightly more, despite the more aggressive sharpening.
As for the wide camera - I like it better than the main cam. Less oversharpening, natural colors, and also has autofocus (not a very common feature). It takes good macro shots. I'd rate it better than the 12m's and on a par with the Pixel 5.
As for shutter lag, it happens occasionally but is resolved with a reset of the app (app Settings > Clear storage). I've had this on the Pixels as well (same solution). Otherwise, the camera shutter is plenty fast, with fast autofocus too.
