Comparison of mobile phone cameras. Rating of smartphones with a good camera

The only explanation more banal than this axiom is “the iPhone, it turns out, does not have a slot for a memory card.” But newbies continue to make mistakes when they fall for the number of megapixels in the camera, which means they have to repeat themselves.

Imagine a window - an ordinary window in a residential building or apartment. The number of megapixels is, roughly speaking, the number of glasses inside the window frame. If we continue to draw parallels with smartphones, in ancient times window glasses were the same size and were considered a scarce commodity. Therefore, when the so-called “Tolyan” said that he had 5 glasses (megapixels) in his window unit, everyone understood that Anatoly was a serious and wealthy person. And the characteristics of the window were also immediately clear - a good view to the outside of the house, a large glazing area.

A few years later, windows (megapixels) were no longer in short supply, so their number just needed to be increased to the required level, and that was it. Just adjust it to the area (a window for ventilation and a loggia, for the sake of strength, require a different number of windows) so that the camera produces a slightly denser picture than 4K monitors and TVs produce. And finally deal with other characteristics - for example, combat clouding of glass and image distortion. Teach cameras to focus correctly and paint available megapixels efficiently, if you want specifics.

On the right there are more “megapixels”, but they do not provide anything other than “obstacles” with the same “sensor” area

But people are already accustomed to measuring the quality of cameras in megapixels, and sellers happily indulged this. Therefore, the circus with a huge amount of glass (megapixels) in the same frame dimensions (camera matrix dimensions) continued. As a result, today the pixels in smartphone cameras, although they are not “packed” with the density of a mosquito net, the “deglazing” has become too dense, and over 15 megapixels in smartphones almost always spoil rather than improve photographs. This has never happened before, and again it turned out that it is not size that is important, but skill.

At the same time, the “evil,” as you understand, is not the megapixels themselves - if tons of megapixels were spread out on a fairly large camera, they would benefit the smartphone. When a camera is able to unleash the potential of all megapixels on board, and not “smear” them in large quantities when shooting, the photo can be enlarged, cropped, and it will remain of high quality. That is, no one will understand that this is just a fragment of a larger picture. But now such miracles are found only in “correct” SLR and mirrorless cameras, in which the matrix alone (a microcircuit with photo sensors, onto which the image flies through the “glasses” of the camera) is much larger than the assembled smartphone camera.

“Evil” is the tradition of putting a clip of megapixels into tiny cell phone cameras. This tradition brought nothing but a blurry picture and an excess of digital noise (“peas” in the frame).

Sony piled 23 megapixels where competitors put 12-15 megapixels, and paid for it with a decrease in picture clarity. (photo - manilashaker.com)

For reference: in the best camera phones of 2017, the main rear cameras (not to be confused with the b/w additional ones) all operate with a “pathetic” 12-13 megapixels. In photo resolution it is approximately 4032x3024 pixels - enough for a Full HD (1920x1080) monitor, and for a 4K (3840x2160) monitor too, albeit back to back. Roughly speaking, if a smartphone camera has more than 10 megapixels, their number is no longer important. Other things are important.

How to determine that a camera is of high quality before looking at photos and videos from it

Aperture - how wide the smartphone “opened its eyes”

The squirrel eats nuts, deputies eat people’s money, and cameras eat light. The more light, the higher the quality of the photo and the more details. But you can’t get enough sunny weather and studio-style bright lighting for any occasion. Therefore, for good photos indoors or outdoors in cloudy weather/at night, cameras are designed in such a way that they produce a lot of light even in unfavorable conditions.

The easiest way to get more light to reach the camera sensor is to make the hole in the lens larger. The indicator of how wide the “eyes” of the camera are open is called aperture, aperture, or aperture ratio - these are the same parameter. And the words are different so that reviewers in articles can show off incomprehensible terms for as long as possible. Because, if you don’t show off, the aperture can simply be called, excuse me, a “hole,” as is customary among photographers.

The aperture is indicated by a fraction with an f, a slash and a number (or with a capital F and no fraction: for example, F2.2). Why

So it’s a long story, but that’s not the point, as Rotaru sings. The point is this: the smaller the number after the letter F and the slash, the better the camera in the smartphone. For example, f/2.2 in smartphones is good, but f/1.9 is better! The wider the aperture, the more light enters the matrix and the better the smartphone “sees” (takes better photos and videos) at night. The bonus of a wide aperture comes with beautiful background blur when you photograph flowers up close, even if your smartphone does not have a dual camera.

Melania Trump explains what different apertures look like in smartphone cameras

Before buying a smartphone, don’t be lazy to check how “sighty” its rear camera is. If you have your eye on the Samsung Galaxy J3 2017, search for “Galaxy J3 2017 aperture”, “Galaxy J3 2017 aperture” or “Galaxy J3 2017 aperture” to find out the exact number. If the smartphone you have your eye on doesn’t know anything about the aperture, there are two options:

• The camera is so bad that the manufacturer decided to remain silent about its characteristics. Marketers engage in approximately the same rudeness when, in response to “what processor is in the smartphone?” they answer “quad-core” and do their best to avoid disclosing the specific model.
• The smartphone has just gone on sale and no specifications other than those in the advertising announcement have been released yet. Wait a couple of weeks - usually during this time the details will be released.

What should be the aperture in the camera of a new smartphone?

In 2017-2018 Even for a budget model, the rear camera should produce at least f/2.2. If the number in the denominator of this fraction is larger, get ready for the camera to see the picture as if through darkened glasses. And in the evening and at night she will be “low-blind” and will be able to see almost nothing even at a distance of several meters from the smartphone. And don’t rely on brightness adjustments - in a smartphone with f/2.4 or f/2.6, an evening photograph with a programmatically “tightened” exposure will turn out to be a “rough mess,” while a camera with f/2.2 or f/2.0 will take a higher-quality photo without tricks.

The wider the aperture, the higher the quality of shooting on a smartphone camera

The coolest smartphones today have cameras with an aperture of f/1.8, f/1.7 or even f/1.6. The aperture itself does not guarantee the maximum quality of pictures (the quality of the sensor and the “glass” has not been canceled) - this, to quote photographers, is just a “hole” through which the camera looks at the world. But all other things being equal, it is better to choose smartphones in which the camera does not “squint”, but receives an image with “eyes” wide open.

Matrix (sensor) diagonal: the larger the better

The matrix in a smartphone is not the matrix where people with complex muzzles in black cloaks dodge bullets. In mobile phones, this word means a photocell... in other words, a plate on which a picture flies through the “glasses” of the optics. In old cameras, the picture flew to the film and was saved there, and the matrix instead accumulates information about the photograph and sends it to the smartphone processor. The processor forms all this into the final photo and stores the files in internal memory or on microSD.

There is only one thing you need to know about the matrix - it should be as large as possible. If the optics is a water hose, and the diaphragm is the neck of a container, then the matrix is ​​the same reservoir for water, of which there is never enough.

The dimensions of the matrix are usually measured in inhuman, from the bell tower of ordinary buyers, Vidicon inches. One such inch is equal to 17 mm, but cameras in smartphones have not yet grown to such dimensions, so the diagonal of the matrix is ​​denoted by a fraction, as is the case with the aperture. The smaller the second digit in the fraction (divisor), the larger the matrix -> the cooler the camera.

Is it clear that nothing is clear? Then just remember these numbers:

A budget smartphone will take good photographs if its matrix size is at least 1/3" and the camera resolution is no higher than 12 megapixels. More megapixels means lower quality in practice. And if there are less than ten megapixels, the photo will be visible on good large monitors and TVs look loose, simply because they have fewer dots than the height and width of your monitor screen.

In mid-class smartphones, a good matrix size is 1/2.9” or 1/2.8”. If you find a larger one (1/2.6” or 1/2.5”, for example), consider yourself very lucky. In flagship smartphones, a good tone is a matrix measuring at least 1/2.8”, and better – 1/2.5”.

Smartphones with large sensors take better pictures than models with small photocells

Can it get any cooler? It happens - look at 1/2.3” in Sony Xperia XZ Premium and XZ1. Why then don’t these smartphones set records for photo quality? Because the camera’s “automation” constantly makes mistakes with the selection of settings for shooting, and the camera’s reserve of “clarity and vigilance” is spoiled by the number of megapixels - in these models they piled up 19 instead of the standard 12-13 megapixels for new flagships, and the fly in the ointment crossed out the advantages of the huge matrix.

Are there smartphones in nature with a good camera and less harsh characteristics? Yes - look at the Apple iPhone 7 with its 1/3" at 12 megapixels. On the Honor 8, which has 1/2.9" with the same number of megapixels. Magic? No - just good optics and perfectly “polished” automation, which takes into account the potential of the camera as well as tailored trousers take into account the amount of cellulite on the thighs.

But there is a problem - manufacturers almost never indicate the size of the sensor in the specifications, because these are not megapixels, and you can embarrass yourself if the sensor is cheap. And in reviews or descriptions of smartphones in online stores, such camera characteristics are even less common. Even if you choose a smartphone with an adequate number of megapixels and a promising aperture value, there is a chance you will never know the size of the rear photosensor. In this case, pay attention to the latest characteristic of smartphone cameras, which directly affects the quality.

Better few large pixels than many small ones

Imagine a sandwich with red caviar, or take a look at it if you don’t remember what such delicacies look like. Just as the eggs in a sandwich are distributed over a piece of loaf, the area of ​​the camera sensor (camera matrix) in a smartphone is occupied by light-sensitive elements - pixels. There are, to put it mildly, not a dozen, or even a dozen, of these pixels in smartphones. One megapixel is 1 million pixels; typical smartphone cameras from 2015-2017 have 12-20 megapixels.

As we have already figured out, containing an excessive number of “blanks” on a smartphone’s matrix is ​​detrimental to photographs. The efficiency of such a crowd is similar to that of specialized teams of people replacing a light bulb. Therefore, it is better to observe a smaller number of smart pixels in a camera than a larger number of stupid ones. The larger each of the pixels in the camera, the less “dirty” the photos are, and the less “jumpy” the video recording becomes.

Large pixels in the camera (photo below) make evening and night shots better quality

The ideal smartphone camera consists of a large “foundation” (matrix/sensor) with large pixels on it. But no one is going to make smartphones thicker or allocate half of the body at the back for the camera. Therefore, the “development” will be such that the camera does not stick out from the body and does not take up much space, the megapixels are large, even if there are only 12-13 of them, and the matrix is ​​as large as possible to accommodate them all.

The size of a pixel in a camera is measured in micrometers and is designated as µm in Russian or µm in Latin. Before you buy a smartphone, make sure that the pixels in it are large enough - this is an indirect sign that the camera takes good pictures. You type into the search, for example, “Xiaomi Mi 5S µm” or “Xiaomi Mi 5S µm” - and you are pleased with the camera characteristics of the smartphone that you have noticed. Or you get upset - it depends on the numbers you see as a result.

How big should a pixel be in a good camera phone?

In recent times, it has become especially famous for its pixel sizes... Google Pixel is a smartphone that was released in 2016 and “showed Kuzkin’s mother” to competitors due to the combination of a huge (1/2.3”) matrix and very large pixels of the order of 1.55 microns. With this set, he almost always produced detailed photographs even in cloudy weather or at night.

Why don’t manufacturers “cut” the megapixels in the camera to a minimum and place a minimum of pixels on the matrix? Such an experiment has already happened - HTC in the flagship One M8 (2014) made the pixels so huge that the rear camera could fit... four of them on a 1/3” matrix! Thus, One M8 received pixels measuring as much as 2 microns! As a result, the smartphone “torn” almost all competitors in terms of the quality of images in the dark. Yes, and photographs in a resolution of 2688x1520 pixels were enough for Full HD monitors of that time. But the HTC camera did not become an all-round champion, because the Taiwanese were let down by HTC’s color accuracy and “stupid” shooting algorithms that did not know how to “correctly prepare” the settings for a sensor with unusual potential.

Today, all manufacturers have gone crazy with the race for the largest pixels, so:

• In good budget camera phones, the pixel size should be 1.22 microns or more
• In flagships, pixels ranging in size from 1.25 microns to 1.4 or 1.5 microns are considered good form. More is better.

There are few smartphones with a good camera and relatively small pixels, but they exist in nature. This, of course, is the Apple iPhone 7 with its 1.22 microns and OnePlus 5 with 1.12 microns - they “come out” due to very high-quality sensors, very good optics and “smart” automation.

Without these components, small pixels ruin the photo quality in flagship smartphones. For example, in the LG G6, the algorithms create obscenities when shooting at night, and the sensor, although ennobled with good “glasses,” is cheap in itself. IN

As a result, 1.12 microns always spoil night shots, except when you enter into battle with “manual mode” instead of stupid automation and correct its flaws yourself. The same picture prevails when shooting on the Sony Xperia XZ Premium or XZ1. And in the masterpiece, “on paper”, the Xiaomi Mi 5S camera is hampered from competing with the flagships of the iPhone and Samsung by the lack of optical stabilization and the same “crooked hands” of the algorithm developers, which is why the smartphone copes well with shooting only during the day, but not at night very impressive.

To make it clear how much to weigh in grams, take a look at the characteristics of the cameras in some of the best camera phones of our time.

Smartphone	Number of megapixels of the “main” rear camera	Matrix diagonal	Pixel size
Google Pixel 2 XL	12.2 MP	1/2.6"	1.4 µm
Sony Xperia XZ Premium	19 MP	1/2.3"	1.22 µm
OnePlus 5	16 MP	1/2.8"	1.12 µm
Apple iPhone 7	12 MP	1/3"	1.22 µm
Samsung Galaxy S8	12 MP	1/2.5"	1.4 µm
LG G6	13 MP	1/3"	1.12 µm
Samsung Galaxy Note 8	12 MP	1/2.55"	1.4 µm
Huawei P10 Lite/Honor 8 Lite	12 MP	1/2.8"	1.25 µm
Apple iPhone SE	12 MP	1/3"	1.22 µm
Xiaomi Mi 5S	12 MP	1/2.3"	1.55 µm
Honor 8	12 MP	1/2.9"	1.25 µm
Apple iPhone 6	8 MP	1/3"	1.5 µm
Huawei nova	12 MP	1/2.9"	1.25 µm

What type of autofocus is best?

Autofocus is when a mobile phone “focuses” on its own while taking photos and videos. It is needed so as not to change the settings “for every sneeze”, like a gunner in a tank.

In old smartphones and modern Chinese "state-priced" phones, manufacturers use contrast autofocus. This is the most primitive method of focusing, which focuses on how light or dark it is “straight ahead” in front of the camera, like a half-blind person. That’s why cheap smartphones need about a couple of seconds to focus, during which it’s easy to “miss” a moving object, or stop wanting to shoot what you were going to do because “the train has left.”

Phase autofocus “catches light” across the entire area of ​​the camera sensor, calculates at what angle the rays enter the camera and draws conclusions about what is “in front of the smartphone’s nose” or a little further away. Due to its “intelligence” and calculations, it works very quickly during the day and does not annoy you at all. Common in all modern smartphones, except very budget ones. The only drawback is working at night, when the light enters into the narrow hole of the mobile phone’s aperture in such small portions that the smartphone “breaks the roof” and it constantly fidgets with focusing due to a sudden change in information.

Laser autofocus is the most chic! Laser rangefinders have always been used to “throw” a beam over a long distance and calculate the distance to an object. LG in the G3 smartphone (2014) taught this “scanning” to help the camera quickly focus.

Laser autofocus is amazingly fast even in indoor or dim environments

Take a look at your wristwatch... although, what am I talking about... okay, turn on the stopwatch on your smartphone and appreciate how quickly one second passes. Now mentally divide it by 3.5 - in 0.276 seconds, the smartphone receives information about the distance to the subject and reports this to the camera. Moreover, it does not lose speed either in the dark or in bad weather. If you plan to shoot photos and videos up close or at a short distance in low light, a smartphone with laser autofocus will be a big help.

But keep in mind that cell phones are not Star Wars weapons, so the range of the laser in the camera barely jumps a couple of meters. Everything that is further away is viewed by the mobile phone using the same phase autofocus. In other words, to photograph objects from afar, it is not necessary to look for a smartphone with “laser guidance” in the camera - you will not get much use from such a function in general shots of photos and videos.

Optical stabilization. Why is it needed and how does it work

Have you ever driven a car with leaf spring suspension? On army UAZs, for example, or ambulances with the same design? In addition to the fact that in such cars you can “beat off the butt,” they shake incredibly - the suspension is as rigid as possible so as not to fall apart on the roads, and therefore it tells passengers everything that it thinks about the road surface, frankly and not “spring” (because that there is nothing to spring with).

Now you know how a smartphone camera without optical stabilization feels when you try to take a photo.

The problem with shooting with a smartphone is this:

• The camera needs a lot of light to take good photos. Not direct rays of the sun into the “face”, but diffuse, ubiquitous light around.
• The longer the camera “examines” the image during the photo, the more light it captures = the higher the quality of the picture.
• At the time of shooting and these camera “peeps”, the smartphone must be motionless so that the picture does not get “smeared”. If it moves even a fraction of a millimeter, the frame will be ruined.

And human hands are shaking. This is clearly noticeable if you lift with outstretched arms and try to hold a barbell, and less noticeable when you hold a cell phone in front of you to take a photo or video. The difference is that the barbell can “float” in your hands within wide limits - as long as you don’t touch it against a wall, a neighbor, or drop it on your feet. And the smartphone needs to have time to “grab” the light for the photo to come out successful, and to do this before it deviates a fraction of a millimeter in your hands.

Therefore, the algorithms try to please the camera and not put increased demands on your hands. That is, they tell the camera, for example, “so, 1/250th of a second you can shoot, this is enough for the photo to be more or less successful, and taking a shot before the camera moves to the side is also enough.” This thing is called endurance.

How optical stabilization works

What does optostab have to do with it? So, after all, he is the “depreciation” with which the camera does not shake like the body of army trucks, but “floats” within small boundaries. In the case of smartphones, it does not float in water, but is held by magnets and “fidgets” at a short distance from them.

That is, if the smartphone moves a little or trembles during shooting, the camera will shake much less. With such insurance, a smartphone will be able to:

• Increase the shutter speed (the guaranteed time “to see the picture before the photo is ready”) for the camera. The camera receives more light, sees more image details = the quality of the photo during the day is even higher.
• Take clear photos on the move. Not during an off-road sprint, but while walking or from the window of a shaking bus, for example.
• Compensate for shaking in video recordings. Even if you stomp your feet very sharply or sway slightly under the weight of the bag in your second hand, this will not be as noticeable in the video as in smartphones without an optical stabilizer.

Therefore, optostab (OIS, as it is called in English) is an extremely useful thing in a smartphone camera. It’s also possible without it, but it’s sad - the camera must be of high quality “with a margin”, and the automation will have to shorten (worse) the shutter speed, because there is no insurance against shaking in a smartphone. When shooting video, you have to “move” the image on the fly so that the shaking is not visible. This is akin to how in old movies they simulated the speed of a moving car when it was actually standing still. The only difference is that in films these scenes were filmed in one take, and smartphones have to calculate the shaking and deal with it on the fly.

There are vanishingly few smartphones with a good camera, which without stabilization takes pictures no worse than competitors with stabilization - these are, for example, Apple iPhone 6s, the first generation of Google Pixel, OnePlus 5, Xiaomi Mi 5s and, with some stretch, Honor 8/ Honor 9.

What not to pay attention to

• Flash. Useful only when shooting in pitch darkness, when you need to take a photo at any cost. As a result, you see the pale faces of people in the frame (all of them, because the flash is low-power), eyes squinted from the bright light, or a very strange color of buildings/trees - photographs with a smartphone flash definitely do not carry any artistic value. As a flashlight, the LED near the camera is much more useful.
• Number of lenses in the camera. “Before, when I had 5 Mbps internet, I wrote an essay in a day, but now, when I have 100 Mbps, I write it in 4 seconds.” No, guys, it doesn't work like that. It doesn’t matter how many lenses there are in a smartphone, it doesn’t matter who released them (Carl Zeiss, judging by the quality of the new Nokia cameras, too). Lenses are either high quality or not, and this can only be verified with real photographs.

The quality of the “glass” (lenses) affects the quality of the camera. But the quantity is not

• Shooting in RAW. If you don’t know what RAW is, I’ll explain:

JPEG is the standard format in which smartphones record photos; it is a “ready-to-use” photo. Like the Olivier salad on a festive table, you can take it apart “into its components” in order to transform it into another salad, but it won’t turn out to be of very high quality.

RAW is a hefty file on a flash drive, in which all brightness, clarity and color options for a photograph are sewn in its pure form, in separate “lines”. That is, the photo will not be “covered with small dots” (digital noise) if you decide to make it not as dark as it turned out to be in JPEG, but a little brighter, as if you had set the brightness correctly at the time of shooting.

In short, RAW allows you to “Photoshop” a frame much more conveniently than JPEG. But the catch is that flagship smartphones almost always select the settings correctly, so apart from the smartphone’s RAW memory being polluted with “heavy” photos, there will be little benefit from “Photoshopped” files. And in cheap smartphones, the camera quality is so bad that you will see poor quality in JPEG, and equally poor quality in RAW. Don't bother.

• Camera sensor name. They were once super important because they were a “quality seal” for a camera. The size of the matrix, the number of megapixels and pixel size, and minor “family characteristics” of shooting algorithms depend on the model of the camera sensor (module).

Of the “big three” manufacturers of camera modules for smartphones, the highest quality modules are produced by Sony (we do not take into account individual examples, we are talking about the average temperature in a hospital), followed by Samsung (Samsung sensors in Samsung Galaxy smartphones are even better than the coolest Sony sensors, but “on the side” the Koreans are selling something absurd), and finally, the last of the list is OmniVision, which produces “consumer goods, but tolerable.” Intolerant consumer goods are produced by all other basement Chinese companies, the name of which even the manufacturers themselves are ashamed to mention in the characteristics of smartphones.

8 - execution option. Do you know how this happens in cars? The minimum configuration is with “cloth” on the seats and a “wooden” interior, the maximum is with artificial suede seats and a leather dashboard. For buyers, the difference in this figure means little.

Why, after all this, should you not pay attention to the sensor model? Because with them the situation is the same as with megapixels - Chinese “alternatively gifted” manufacturers are actively purchasing expensive Sony sensors, trumpeting at every corner “our smartphone has a super-high-quality camera!”... and the camera is disgusting.

Because the “glass” (lenses) in such mobile phones is of appalling quality and transmits light a little better than a plastic soda bottle. Because of these same bastard “glasses,” the camera aperture is far from ideal (f/2.2 or even higher), and no one is tuning the sensor so that the camera selects the colors correctly, works well with the processor, and doesn’t spoil the pictures. Here is a clear example that the sensor model has little effect:

As you can see, smartphones with the same camera sensor can shoot completely differently. So don't think that the cheap Moto G5 Plus with IMX362 module will shoot as well as the HTC U11 with its amazingly cool camera.

Even more annoying is the “noodle on the ears” that Xiaomi puts on the ears of buyers when it says that “the camera in Mi Max 2 is very similar to the camera in the flagship Mi 6 - they have the same IMX386 sensors! They are the same, but the smartphones shoot very differently, the aperture (and therefore the ability to shoot in low light) is different, and the Mi Max 2 cannot compete with the flagship Mi6.

1. The additional camera “helps” take photos at night with the main one and can take black and white photos. The most famous smartphones with such camera implementations are Huawei P9, Honor 8, Honor 9, Huawei P10.
2. The secondary camera allows you to “shove in the impossible,” that is, it takes pictures with an almost panoramic viewing angle. The only proponent of this type of camera was and remains LG - starting with the LG G5, continuing with the V20, G6, X Cam and now the V30.
3. Two cameras are needed for optical zoom (zooming in without losing quality). Most often, this effect is achieved by simultaneous operation of two cameras at once (Apple iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8), although there are models that, when zoomed in, simply switch to a separate “long-range” camera - ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom, for example.

How to choose a high-quality selfie camera in a smartphone?

Best of all - based on examples of real photographs. Moreover, both during the day and at night. During the day, almost all selfie cameras take good photos, but only high-quality front-facing cameras are capable of shooting something legible in the dark.

It is not necessary to study the vocabulary of photographers and go deeper into what this or that characteristic is responsible for - you can simply memorize the numbers “this much is good, but if the number is higher, it is bad” and choose a smartphone much faster. For an explanation of terms, welcome to the beginning of the article, and here we will try to derive the formula for a high-quality camera in smartphones.

Megapixels	No less than 10, no more than 15. Optimal - 12-13 MP
Diaphragm(aka aperture, aperture)	for budget smartphones- f/2.2 or f/2.0 for flagships: minimum f/2.0 (with rare exceptions - f/2.2) optimal - f/1.9, f/1.8 ideal - f/1.7, f/1.6
Pixel size (µm, µm)	the higher the number, the better for budget smartphones- 1.2 microns and above for flagships: minimum - 1.22 microns (with rare exceptions - 1.1 microns) optimal - 1.4 microns ideal - 1.5 microns and above
Sensor (matrix) size	the smaller the number in the fraction divisor, the better for budget smartphones - 1/3” for flagships: minimum - 1/3” optimal - 1/2.8” ideal - 1/2.5”, 1/2.3”
Autofocus	contrast - so-so phase - good phase and laser - excellent
Optical stabilization	very useful for shooting on the go and night photography
Dual camera	one good camera is better than two bad ones, two average quality cameras are better than one average one (brilliant wording!)
Sensor (module) manufacturer	not specified = most likely there is some junk inside OmniVision - so-so Samsung in non-Samsung smartphones - ok Samsung in Samsung smartphones - excellent Sony - good or excellent (depending on the integrity of the manufacturer)
Sensor model	a cool module does not guarantee high quality shooting, but in the case of Sony, pay attention to sensors IMX250 and higher, or IMX362 and higher

I don't want to understand the characteristics! Which smartphone to buy with good cameras?

Manufacturers produce countless smartphones, but among them there are very few models that can take good photographs and shoot videos.

Engineering thought has reached the ceiling - further improvement of cameras is objectively impossible without a radical change in the design of the smartphone itself. All flagship models are equipped with almost ideal, from a technical point of view, modules, and to determine the winner, you will have to take an alternative route.

While smartphone users race to fill their file storages and social media accounts with photos of cats, landscapes, and their loved ones, engineers are scratching their heads over how to improve already excellent cameras. Moreover, the competition for the latter is even tougher, because the fight is not for likes, but for millions of dollars of potential profit for the company.

A few years ago, looking at the performance of cameras on flagship devices from Apple, Samsung and other A-brands, it seemed that the evolution of these modules was about to stop. High-quality, “silent” photos even in low light conditions, ultra-fast autofocus, optical stabilization when shooting video - what more? However, there is no limit to perfection; the emergence of new features and improvements depends solely on user demand.

By mid-spring, all the leading vendors had already pleased the public with announcements and releases of fresh flagship smartphone models, which means we can draw intermediate results. In this material we will look at the 10 best cameras in mobile devices as of 2020.

All the smartphones presented below take excellent photos and videos, but narrowly focused specialists can still set priorities, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of a particular model. This rating was compiled according to data from DxOMark experts and other authoritative resources.

Which smartphone has the best camera - Top 12 in 2020

12th place iPhone 11

Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone XR, which had only one lens (a standard wide-angle 12-megapixel module), received an additional ultra-wide-angle camera, which not only added the ability to “reverse” wide-angle zoom, but also significantly expanded the functional scope of the camera as a whole. Among other things, iPhone 11 has: auto-correction, improved Smart-HDR, etc.

11th place Honor P20 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro

Huawei's sub-brand pleases customers with more affordable price tags and very good cameras, the experience in building which is clearly borrowed from its older brother. The Honor P20 Pro does not have the same zoom capabilities as the Huawei P30 Pro or the latest Samsung smartphones, but it still demonstrates excellent shooting quality, rated by DxOMark experts at 111 points. The hardware characteristics of the camera phone are as follows:

• The main lens is Sony IMX586 with a 1/2″ matrix size, 48 megapixel resolution, f/1.4 aperture, optical image stabilization and a focal length of 28 mm;
• 8-megapixel telephoto camera, matrix size 1/4.4″, aperture f/2.4, focal length 80 mm;
• 16 MP wide-angle lens with 1/3.06″ size and f/2.2 aperture;
• Macro lens with 2 MP matrix.

Like its DxOMark rated neighbor Honor P20 Pro, OnePlus' flagship smartphone has a Sony IMX586 main lens and a 48 MP 1/2″ sensor, but with a slightly less strong f/1.6 aperture and a focal length of 26 mm. Two additional modules are also practically indistinguishable: an 8 MP telephoto, f/2.4 and a 16 MP wide lens, f/2.2, however, the telephoto lens, unlike its competitor, has its own optical stabilization system. The result is a smartphone that is capable of taking photographs and shooting video at a very high level of quality by the standards of 2020, for which it deservedly receives a high place in the ranking of camera phones.

10th place Honor V30 Pro

Another top-end camera phone, developed by Huawei specialists. One of the most noticeable disadvantages of the Honor V30 Pro, in comparison with the same Mate 30 Pro, is the lack of a portrait ToF camera; in addition, the smartphone shoots video of noticeably lower quality, but at the same time wins in direct comparison with many competitors on the market. The list of characteristics is as follows:

• Main: 40 MP, matrix size 1/1.7 inches, focal length 27 mm, aperture F/1.6, optical image stabilization;
• Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP, pixel size 1.4 μm, focal length 16 mm, aperture F/2.2;
• Telephoto lens: 8 MP, 1/4-inch matrix size, 80 mm focal length, F/2.4 aperture, optical image stabilization.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the dual front camera of the Honor V30 Pro, consisting of a wide-angle (32 MP, F/2.0 aperture) and ultra-wide-angle (8 MP, F/2.2 aperture) lenses. Another advantage of the camera phone is the combination of phase detection and laser autofocus on each of the three main cameras.

9th place Samsung Galaxy S20

The new flagship was positioned, in particular, as the best camera phone in the world, and therefore should stand out not only from its competitors, but also from its peers in the line. At the same time, even the difference between the models was deliberately emphasized - the most budget smartphone did not receive a module Depth sensor, the cost of which is not so high, but in practice many Galaxy S20 users will feel its absence. This camera is designed to improve the now very popular portrait shots with background blur. Otherwise, the technical characteristics of the Galaxy S20 cameras are identical to the S20+ model.

• Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP, dot size 1.4 microns, aperture F/2.2;
• Wide-angle: 12 MP, size 1.8 microns, aperture F/1.8, optical image stabilization;
• Telephoto lens: 64 MP, 0.8 micron, F/2.0 aperture, optical image stabilization;

8th place Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

At the very beginning of 2019, they set a high standard for the quality of photo and video shooting for other manufacturers - both gadgets received a triple camera with an additional ultra-wide lens.

• 16 MP (Ultra-wide angle / F2.2), FF;
• Dual Pixel 12 MP OIS (Wide Angle / F1.5 / F2.4), AF;
• 12 MP OIS (Telephoto / F2.4), AF.

In addition, the Galaxy S10+ model received a dual front camera:

• Dual Pixel 10 MP AF (F1.9);
• 8 MP AF (variable depth of field / F2.2).

DxOMark experts rated the efforts of Samsung engineers at 109 points, and this is a repetition of the high result of the Huawei Mate P20 Pro. Experts consider the main advantage of Korean cameras to be excellent detail and clarity of images even in low light conditions. In addition, the software functionality has been significantly improved, including: expanded capabilities of the “Live Focus” mode, added new Animoji, real-time shooting tips for beginners and specific options for professionals in the Pro section.

In turn, presented in August 2019, the Galaxy Note 10 received a main camera that traditionally does not have any fundamental differences from the Galaxy S10, which was older by six months. However, some minor nuances and software improvements allowed the Galaxy Note 10 to take a high place in the DxOMark camera phone rating, beating the Galaxy S10 due to the quality of video shooting (experts noted a wide dynamic range and autofocus accuracy when observing an object).

7th place Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition

Perhaps the most anticipated camera phone of 2019, which is rated by DxOMark experts as equal in shooting capabilities to the rating leader Huawei Mate 30 Pro, but at the same time costs significantly less than its competitor.

In the description, the 5-module camera Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition looks very impressive:

• Main lens: 108 MP, 25 mm focal length, f/1.69 aperture, optical image stabilization;
• Small telephoto lens: 12.19 MP, 50 mm focal length, f/2.0 aperture;
• Large telephoto lens: 7.99 MP, 94 mm focal length, f/2 aperture, optical image stabilization;
• Ultra-wide-angle lens: 20.11 MP, 16 mm focal length, f/2.2 aperture;
• Macro lens: 2 MP, f/2.4 aperture

Add here two dual LED flashes and you get a camera phone that has no equal on the market in terms of the listed characteristics. However, in fact, the impressive technical description gives a result comparable to more modest, but more carefully designed and high-quality systems, for example, in the same Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

6th place Huawei P30 Pro

Chinese flagship shown at the presentation on March 28, 2019 Huawei P30 Pro expectedly raised a new quality bar for premium-segment camera phones. Successfully continuing the tradition of its predecessors (Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro).

To create photos and videos use:

• Base lens with 40 MP resolution and f1.6 aperture;
• Wide-angle lens with 20 MP resolution and f/2.2 aperture;
• Telephoto lens with 8 MP resolution and f/3.4 aperture;
• ToF camera;
• Front camera with a resolution of 32 MP and f/2.0 aperture.

However, this is that rare case when the advantages of a device are not very noticeable “on paper”, but leave no chance for competitors in practice. The main feature Huawei P30 Pro- this is the ability to shoot in any lighting conditions and even complete darkness:

Such miracles are possible thanks to an innovative spectral sensor with an unusual RYB (red, yellow, blue) structure instead of RGB (red, green, blue), which captures 40% more light.

Another trump card of the camera phone is the possibility of 5x optical, 10x hybrid and 50x digital zoom. The gadget uses a periscopic lens with 5 lenses as a “spyglass”, providing a 125 mm focal length.

5th place Samsung Galaxy S20+

The middle brother of the updated Samsung Galaxy line is significantly inferior to the flagship, but at the same time looks quite decent compared to most competitors. Installed here:

• Ultra-wide-angle camera: 12 MP, pixel size 1.4 microns, aperture F/2.2;
• Wide-angle: 12 MP, size 1.8 microns, aperture F1.8, optical image stabilization;
• Telephoto lens: 64 MP, size 0.8 microns, aperture F/2.0, optical image stabilization;
• DepthVision for portrait photography;
• Hybrid optical zoom 3x, digital zoom 30x;
• Front: 10 MP, size 1.22 microns, aperture F/2.2.

As can be seen from a dry comparison of numbers, the lag behind the flagship is noticeable to the naked eye, however, there are a number of advantages over last year’s models.

In particular, the Samsung Galaxy S20+ is also equipped with a “space zoom”, albeit not as sharp as the Ultra models - it is possible to enlarge the image 4 times through optical zoom and up to 30 times through digital zoom.

The Nonacell mode was not implemented for the S20+ model, but the device received a number of other flagship functions. For example, the Single Take mode, in which all cameras are shot for 10 seconds, and the result is short videos and several of the best shots selected by artificial intelligence.

4th place Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro

Xiaomi's new flagship, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the company's presence on the market, was equipped with cameras based on the most advanced example of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, only slightly inferior to the Korean manufacturer in detail. The technical characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro cameras are as follows:

• Wide-angle: 108 MP, F/1.7 aperture, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization;
• Telephoto lens: 8 MP, F/2.0 aperture, 1.0 μm pixel size, PDAF, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, 10x hybrid optical zoom;
• Portrait: 12 MP, aperture F/2.0, size 1.4 microns, 2x optical zoom;
• Ultra-wide-angle: 20 MP, F/2.2 aperture.

Experts note that the main achievement of Xiaomi specialists was the improvement of algorithms for processing data from smartphone cameras, which made it possible not only to make the process of shooting and saving the result instantaneous (not least thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip), but also to implement a whole list of new functions for users, which will certainly be widely used in practice. For example, during the presentation it was shown how, in a couple of clicks, you can add an effect to a photo that creates the illusion of a photo from behind glass, along which “live” drops of water flow. In addition, a lot of work has been done to introduce new video shooting modes, among which support for recording videos in 8K quality stands out.

3rd place iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

In the DxOMark rating, the cameras outperformed South Korean smartphones Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, while the overall rating of iPhones was significantly reduced for video shooting capabilities - only 117 points, 124 for photos and 102 for video. However, company experts noted that Apple managed to introduce the technologies necessary to directly compete with the best camera phones on the market within a year.

Following trends, Apple has equipped its flagship smartphones with a triple camera with the following characteristics:

• 12 MP main wide-angle lens with ƒ/1.8 aperture;
• 12 MP telephoto lens with ƒ/2.0 aperture;
• Ultrawide 12 MP lens with ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120-degree viewing angle.

In addition, in 2019 smartphones, Apple has implemented , which improves the quality of photos and videos taken in conditions of extremely low ambient lighting, which is important for all lovers of mobile photography without exception.

2nd place Huawei Mate 30 Pro

If we look at the technical characteristics of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro cameras, there are not so many differences with its predecessor P30 Pro and they relate primarily to the ultra-wide-angle camera:

• Main: 40 MP, 1/1.7-inch matrix size, 27 mm equivalent focal length, F/1.6 aperture, PDAF autofocus, optical image stabilization;
• Ultra-wide-angle: 40MP, matrix size 1/1.54 inches, 18 mm focal length, F/1.8 aperture, PDAF;
• Telephoto lens: 8 MP 1/4-inch matrix size, 80 mm focal length, F/2.4 aperture, PDAF, optical image stabilization;
• ToF 3D portrait camera.

So, for shooting photos and videos, roughly speaking, two separate modules of 40 MP resolution each are responsible, and the first has optical stabilization, while the second noticeably reduces the quality of videos when using digital camera motion correction.

In fact, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro camera can offer a higher level of detail in the corners of the photo when shooting during the day and slightly less noticeable noise in low-light conditions; other differences are almost impossible to notice with the naked eye.

As for video, the main feature here is the slow motion mode with a frequency of 7680 frames per second. In the video below you can compare this SlowMo with a frequency of 960 fps.

1st place Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Of course, the best camera phone on the market at the time of its release, which fully met and even exceeded the expectations of fans of Samsung products. From a technical point of view, the device is equipped with the following main modules:

• Ultra-wide-angle camera: 12 MP resolution, 1.4 µm pixel size, F/2.2 aperture;
• Wide-angle: 108 MP, pixel size 0.8 μm and 2.4 μm in Nonacell dot merging mode, F/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization;
• Telephoto lens: 48 MP, size 0.8 μm (1.6 μm in Nonacell mode), aperture F/3.5, optical image stabilization;
• Depth Sensor: Portrait camera;
• Hybrid optical zoom 10x, digital zoom 100x;
• Front camera: 40 MP, pixel size 0.7 μm (1.4 μm in Nonacell mode), aperture F/2.2.

As can be seen from the description, the front camera of the flagship has been significantly improved compared to both previous models in the line and the younger versions of the Galaxy S20 / S20+ with last year’s 10-megapixel lens installed.

However, the main innovations concerned, of course, the main camera, which has the latest 108-megapixel module of Samsung's own production, which takes pictures with the highest level of detail and can combine pixels using Nonacell technology to obtain the optimal image in terms of quality and energy consumption. In practice, this means that the user can, for example, enlarge the resulting image several times, cut out the scene from the background and get a picture that is almost as detailed as the original image.

Another interesting new feature is support for shooting video in 8K resolution. Actually, such functionality is not in great demand on the market, because monitors with such a high resolution are still very rare, but owners of new Samsung 8K TVs may well be interested in purchasing a flagship smartphone.

In addition, one cannot fail to mention the 4x optical, 10x hybrid and 100x digital zoom, which allows, with the proper skill, to shoot objects at a very long distance in quite acceptable quality.

Camera test: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Max Pro

Smartphones that are capable of taking high-quality photographs have long gained recognition among users. Gadgets are not inferior in their properties to digital cameras and, at the same time, are always at hand at the right time. To choose the perfect camera phone, you need to know the basic parameters that will allow you to take high-quality pictures. These include:

• number and size of pixels;
• lens optics;
• ISO range;
• the ability to use additional attributes;
• Availability of autofocus and additional software;
• quality of built-in flash;
• availability of manual adjustment of shooting quality.

All these parameters equally affect the quality of the images.

Pixels

Many users choose a gadget only based on this indicator. Pixels are the number of individual dots that make up the final image. Smartphone models in 2016 have long had more than 5 megapixels. This indicator is responsible for the uniformity of the image; the higher the resolution, the less “grain” and dots are visible in the final image.

HTC recently released a line of phones with a minimum number of megapixels, while increasing the size of each dot. These camera phones also produce good images.

The number of megapixels that a camera phone can reproduce can be found in the technical characteristics of the model or look at the inscription on the camera itself.

Lens optics

Typically, this characteristic is not indicated in the gadget’s documents; sales consultants are unlikely to be able to suggest it. You can check the quality of the lens yourself.

Advice. To check the stability of the lens, you need to take a few shots in motion. In a good camera, photos should be clear and not blurry.

The clarity of the images is ensured by an electronic stabilizer that corrects the resulting image.

An important property of an optical device is the dynamic range of the matrix, which is responsible for the contrast of the image, the preservation of colors and their shades.

Advice. To check the dynamic range of the matrix, you need to take a photo in bright light or, conversely, in the dark. If the photo is rich in color and there are no white or black spots, then the camera quality is high.

The quality of optical equipment plays an important role when choosing a smartphone.

ISO range

ISO is a value that shows the sensitivity of the matrix to light. The higher the upper value, the better the quality of the photograph. The upper value indicates whether the camera phone can take quality pictures in low light or at night.

On most smartphones, ISO is set automatically, adjusting to the ambient light. On some gadgets that run on the Android operating system, it is possible to independently adjust the light sensitivity of the matrix.

Ability to use additional attributes

High-quality camera phones have connectors for connecting an additional external flash. With its help, you can take pictures at dusk and adjust the light level. Pictures taken from such phones are indistinguishable from professional photography.

If a camera phone is chosen for a person who likes to shoot landscapes or long videos, a tripod will be required for the gadget. Many of them are produced for specific smartphone models.

Availability of autofocus and additional software

Autofocus allows the smartphone to independently determine the objects that are significant for the photo. It could be a face, a document, or flower petals. In modern phones, autofocus is performed in a matter of seconds. It is useful when using the macro function, taking portraits, or taking a photo of multiple people.

Additional software will allow you to edit existing photos in a few clicks, improve their quality or apply various effects (negative, sepia, retouching). It is important that the selected camera phone model supports the installation of additional programs (photo editors, croppers).

Also convenient for taking photos is the presence of a separate button on the smartphone body, which activates the camera. This attribute will allow you to quickly capture interesting moments in life.

Built-in flash quality

The flash allows you to take high-quality photos in dimly lit places or at night. This attribute is found on almost all smartphone models in 2016. Most devices have a built-in LED flash, which has low power. The xenon flash has the best characteristics, but it is found only in expensive exclusive models.

A two-color or three-color flash is considered a worthy replacement for a xenon flash. Such smartphones provide excellent image quality due to the combination of several colors of rays in the light flux.

Many people are accustomed to the fact that the camera phone independently sets all the picture settings. Auto-adjustment produces acceptable image quality, but better results can be achieved if you have the ability to independently adjust the parameters.

Rating of camera phones 2016

To better navigate a wide range of mobile devices, a rating of modern smartphones has been developed that will help you choose a quality device.

• The LG G4 H818 is an attractive phone that has a truly top-notch camera. The 16 megapixel camera accurately conveys all the colors of the surrounding world, preserving the shades and shadows of objects. However, the price of such a device is not affordable for everyone.
• Sony Xperia Z2 D6503 is a stylish smartphone that will not leave anyone indifferent. The resolution of the main camera is 20.7 megapixels, allowing you to take HDR quality pictures and shoot wide-format videos. A special feature of the camera phone is the auto-tuning of the camera, which independently takes into account environmental conditions.
• Lenovo P70 is an inexpensive budget smartphone option that still has excellent photography performance. The camera resolution of 13 megapixels is compensated by the presence of an LED flash, which will help you take perfect pictures even at night.
• Samsung Galaxy A5 SM-A500F can be called a flagship among camera phones. Equipped with a 13 megapixel camera, which is capable of taking photos even during continuous video recording. A convenient and intuitive interface will help you edit photos, crop or make collages from pictures.

Choosing a camera phone among the 2016 models is not so difficult. It is enough to pay attention to the characteristics indicated in the technical data sheet of the product and try to take a few pictures yourself. Today you can find good camera phones with a wide range of prices.

What you need to know about the camera in a smartphone: video

Social networks like Instagram have been popular in the world for several years now: they please self-esteem, to some extent develop self-importance (a sense of self-importance) and help communicate with friends. But in order to become a popular Instagrammer or simply take high-quality photos for the family archive, it doesn’t hurt to get a smartphone with a good camera. After all, it’s always nice to admire yourself beautifully!

Five best camera phones of 2016. Selecting ZOOM

LG G5

LG G5 () practically blew up the MWC 2016 mobile industry exhibition and left no one indifferent. While competitors are developing modular smartphones (), LG has created a device with a replaceable bottom frame, which helps you replace the battery without removing the back cover. In fact, this is the first time such a solution has been found on the smartphone market. There are several removable modules to choose from: additional battery, CAM Plus and Hi-Fi player.

The LG G5 has a dual main camera, which means that images from two cameras are combined into one to make photos clearer. One of them received a resolution of 16 MP, an f/1.8 lens, an optical stabilization system and laser autofocus. The second is a wide-angle lens, f/2.4 aperture and an 8 MP sensor. As for the front camera, its resolution is 8 MP.

The LG CAM Plus module makes the smartphone more comfortable for shooting: it has a shutter button, a zoom wheel and an LED indicator. In addition, it increases the battery capacity to 4000 mAh.

It is worth noting that a simplified version of the smartphone is sold in Russia - LG G5 SE.

Samsung Galaxy S7

Many experts agreed: the Samsung Galaxy S7 () camera is an ideal example of how a flagship should take photographs. Compared to its “big brother”, it focuses and launches the camera faster. Due to this, the mode of continuous shooting, dynamic shooting and shooting in the dark has been improved. And if in the previous smartphone the main camera received a resolution of 16 MP, then in the Samsung Galaxy S7 it is only 12 MP. Despite this, the photos turn out no worse (and in the evening, even better).

The smartphone has a Sony IMX260 camera module with f/1.7 aperture and a pixel size of 1.4 microns. Due to the larger pixel size, more light enters the sensor compared to the S6. This is what makes the photo better. In addition, the Galaxy S7 can take pictures with a beautiful blurred background.

It is worth noting the Dual Pixel function - the Koreans installed two photodiodes in each pixel in order to speed up autofocus. Now not 5-10% of pixels take part in focusing, but 100%.

Apple iPhone 6s

iPhone () has been a favorite among users who are interested in mobile photography for many years. And it’s not just that the smartphone takes good pictures and works stably. Its operating system comes with a huge number of image processing applications that are not available on other platforms.

The iPhone's camera has only improved in terms of megapixels. Now it has a resolution of 12 MP, so the pictures are even more detailed.

iOS 9 also features a new Live photo feature that lets you bring your frame to life at any time. This feature was already available on HTC and Windows Phone smartphones. In order for the photo to move, you don’t need to install any additional software – everything just works by default.

Huawei P9

The company presented the smartphone in early April this year in London. The peculiarity of this camera phone is its two main cameras. And unlike the LG G5 cameras, the additional Huawei P9 camera (http://site/publication/item/56022) has a black and white sensor and collects all the light. This increases dynamic range and sensitivity. And the second module allows you to get an aperture from f/0.95 to f/16. This is achieved programmatically and works better than many competitors.

Both modules received the same resolution of 12 MP, f/2.2 aperture, viewing angle of 27 mm, pixel size of 1.25 microns. They work as follows: the right module shoots in color, and the left one shoots in monochrome. One sensor receives more information about the dynamic range, and the second captures color. Then the data from the two matrices is combined.

Cameras are also needed for more accurate focusing, despite the fact that there is both laser autofocus and standard slow contrast.

Another feature of the second module is that it can take frames with an aperture of f/0.95, although not without the help of software. The result is a frame with a blurred background, and it’s worth giving credit to Huawei programmers: this time the function works much better than in other devices with software background blur.

Interestingly, the company developed the optics together with the famous German company Leica. So there is a real beast hiding inside the smartphone that meets German standards. Leica assessed image quality in terms of color rendering, white balance, diffuse light reduction, exposure accuracy, aperture, sharpness and noise performance.

Nexus 6P

This time, Google developed a smartphone together with Huawei. And it’s worth noting that the result is a high-quality and budget-friendly camera phone. A 12.3 MP sensor is installed here and instead of increasing the number of MPs, the Koreans increased their size to 1.55 microns. The Nexus 6P also has a fast camera, f/2.0 (the average is f/2.2). So even in low light, more light reaches the sensor, so details are visible in the photo with less noise. In addition, it is equipped with laser autofocus and dual multi-color flash.

The front camera has a resolution of 8 MP and an f/2.4 aperture. It does not have autofocus, however, in terms of selfie quality, the smartphone has surpassed its predecessor Nexus 5.

Does the gadget's camera have any features? Yes, for example:

• The Nexus 6P shoots slo-mo video at 240fps.
• The camera app supports Smartburst, which lets you hold down the shutter button to shoot burst photos at 30 frames per second.
• The Nexus 6P supports electronic image stabilization technology, which is almost as good as optical stabilization.

The Google Camera application is used for shooting and it somewhat limits the photographer’s capabilities: you cannot adjust the ISO, adjust the exposure, or specify the focal length, but on the screen you can tap on the object you want to focus on. However, the resulting photos are comparable in quality to the Galaxy S7 and LG G5.

	Main camera, MP	Frontal camera, MP	Screen	Platform	Price
LG G5 SE	16 + 8	8	5,3""	3 GB RAM	i 39,000
Samsung Galaxy S7	12	5	5,1""	4 GB RAM	i 49 990
iPhone 6S	12	5	4,7""	2 GB RAM	from i 56 990
Huawei P9	12+12	8	5,2""	Huawei Kirin 955 3/4 GB RAM	from i 45 000
Nexus 6P	12,3	8	5,7""	3 GB RAM	from i 33 810