It has become harder than ever before to say which smartphone delivers the best camera. There are numerous factors to consider, but ultimately this is great news for consumers, as it means we can happily capture the important moments in our lives and expect strong results.
But some phones do edge out over others. Let’s put together the new Google Pixel 4 XL, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus, and the OnePlus 7T for a four-way camera shootout to narrow down the best option currently available.
Camera specs
First, a quick note on specifications. The Pixel 4 XL has a 12.2-megapixel lens (f/1.7) paired with a 16-megapixel telephoto lens offering 2x optical zoom (f/2.4), and both have optical image stabilization (OIS). It has an 8-megapixel (f/2.0) front camera.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max kicks things up with a triple-camera setup. All three have 12 megapixels, with the f/1.8 main lens, an f/2.0 telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, and an f/2.4 ultra-wide-angle lens. The first two lenses have OIS. The front camera packs 12 megapixels and has an f/2.2 aperture.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus technically has a quad-camera array. There’s a 12-megapixel main camera (with a variable aperture f/1.5-f/2.4), and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom (f/2.1); both have OIS. The ultra-wide-angle lens has 16 megapixels (f/2.2), and the last is a time-of-flight camera used to capture depth for portrait mode. On the front, there’s a 10-megapixel lens with an f/2.2 aperture.
Finally, there’s the OnePlus 7T, which is the most affordable phone in the list, but it also has a triple-camera system. There’s a main 48-megapixel camera (f/1.6) with OIS, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens offering 2x optical zoom (f/2.2), and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2). The selfie camera is a 16-megapixel lens with an f/2.0 aperture.
Disclaimer: Photography is subjective, so the wins I award may not line up with your favorites, and that’s OK. I also used a professionally calibrated monitor to view these photos, so keep in mind that the photos might look different based on the screen you’re viewing them on. During this test, I also carried Google’s Pixel 3 with me, but for the sake of simplicity I separated that camera shootout, so you can check out how the Pixel 4 stacks up to its predecessor here. It’s why you’ll see some similar photos between the comparisons.
Finally, there’s the OnePlus 7T, which is the most affordable phone in the list, but it also has a triple-camera system. There’s a main 48-megapixel camera (f/1.6) with OIS, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens offering 2x optical zoom (f/2.2), and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2). The selfie camera is a 16-megapixel lens with an f/2.0 aperture.
Disclaimer: Photography is subjective, so the wins I award may not line up with your favorites, and that’s OK. I also used a professionally calibrated monitor to view these photos, so keep in mind that the photos might look different based on the screen you’re viewing them on. During this test, I also carried Google’s Pixel 3 with me, but for the sake of simplicity I separated that camera shootout, so you can check out how the Pixel 4 stacks up to its predecessor here. It’s why you’ll see some similar photos between the comparisons.
Starting at the Alamo, also known as the Astor Place Cube, all these photos aren’t drastically different. The Pixel 4 has far too much grain throughout, and it’s the one photo where you can see the underside of the cube the least (I do like its sky the best, though). Sadly, the iPhone 11 Pro isn’t a great shot. The sky is simply too overexposed, and I’d take the Pixel’s photo over it.
The OnePlus 7T’s shot is quite good, but look around the edges and you can notice a bit of distortion. Look at the window panes behind the cube, where it says Astor Place, and you’ll see they’re sitting at an angle, unlike the frames on any other photo. It’s strange. The photo is also a little too warm — even the sky has a reddish hue, which definitely wasn’t the case in real life.
That leaves the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus in the top slot. It has nice colors, and although the sky isn’t as good as the one on the Pixel 4 photo, it manages to keep it under control while keeping the rest of the shot well-exposed.
Google’s Pixel 4 uses machine learning to clean up and improve digitally zoomed-in photos. These pictures were captured at around 5x digital zoom on all these phones.
What I like most about the Pixel photo is how it looks the least sharpened or processed. The iPhone comes close, but the leaves aren’t as pleasing to look at, and the colors are a little greenish overall. The Samsung shot lags behind, as its details look fuzzy.
The last two come close, but look at the leaves to the left of the statue, and they look heavily sharpened on OnePlus’ photo. I also prefer the building’s color in the background of the statue on the Pixel 4’s photo, netting it a narrow win.
Here’s a clearer example showing off the perks of Super Res Zoom on the Pixel 4. Its image is the clearest, not just with the pillars and buildings, but also with the branches and leaves in the foreground, all of which looks like an afterthought on all the other phones. The iPhone comes dead last as it’s too pixelated, and next is Samsung for lacking detail.
OnePlus isn’t far behind, but it lacks depth, and the overall photo is a little on the overexposed side. It’s another win for the Pixel 4 XL.
All these phones have a 2x optical zoom option now, so let’s test it out. These photos of a cafe in Astor Place aren’t too dissimilar across the board, but we can firmly put the OnePlus 7T dead last. The photo is completely flat, almost as though someone cranked black levels all the way to nonexistent. It’s not visually pleasing at all. I’m cutting the Samsung Note 10 Plus next because the two girls’ skin tones are far too bright, as is the girl’s hoodie, which almost looks like it’s glowing.
No comments:
Post a Comment