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The Galaxy S4 camera vs HTC One vs Nokia 808

I would like to make clear that the One seems fine when viewing the photos normally on your phone or on Facebook. However where it fails badly is when you want to crop or view 100%, they're just shockingly bad
(btw all crops done from original file and not the uploaded file as uploads reduce image resolution)
I've had all three, just sent the One back cause I didn't like it so I cannot take any more pictures than I have with it.
These are 100% crops so obviously stuff will be bigger and smaller depending on the native image size. They're all taken from the same distance...
808: http://s23.postimg.org/5iowazs3e/image.jpg
GS4: http://s23.postimg.org/gh05t6gor/image.jpg
One: http://s23.postimg.org/65nt0iozf/image.jpg
Now obviously the One is too small so I try to zoom in bring it to the same size and.. http://s21.postimg.org/kd8wbfc9z/Untitled.jpg
Then I have the GS4 vs the 808 only...
Both zoomed in to the same and cropped..
808: http://s24.postimg.org/6t54wjrwl/image.jpg
GS4: http://s24.postimg.org/okgrb07b9/image.jpg
Native 100% cropped:
808: http://s18.postimg.org/x2qkzh98p/Untitled2.jpg
GS4: http://s18.postimg.org/wop8zvp55/Untitled.jpg
Landscape shots:
Slightly different times of day but the same amount of sun, I had to reduce the 808 file size because it couldn't be uploaded as the image was over 20mb.
808: http://s21.postimg.org/pgnax5h47/2013_05_02_0385.jpg
GS4: http://s10.postimg.org/dz3eyyhtk/20130502_121344.jpg
One: http://s10.postimg.org/pmxgti6yg/IMAG0002.jpg
100% crop...
808: http://s9.postimg.org/rv1eo31qn/image.jpg
GS4: http://s9.postimg.org/x906vmrgu/image.jpg
One: http://s9.postimg.org/naf895i1b/image.jpg
Trying to bring the Ones image size to the others because the low MP count makes small images.. http://s9.postimg.org/q7299fnv3/image.jpg
Now these ones were all done on different days so they're not direct but really more about the detail. The 808 had quite a bit of direct sunlight ruining the image and as every it's reduced in size so I can upload. I haven't been up the fields yet with the GS4 so I will post one later...
808: http://s22.postimg.org/lnkyf2r5c/2013_04_21_0221.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/eln0svnjk/IMAG0010.jpg
100% crops
808: http://s18.postimg.org/8wbstzeo9/image.jpg
One: http://s23.postimg.org/kg0l3mfwb/image.jpg
Low Light:
Now I've looked at the HTC One and how it handles low light and really all I can work out is it uses OIS to increase the ISO without getting blur. When I lock the ISO instead of putting it on auto I get these results...
ISO 200:
GS4: http://s22.postimg.org/iwkiqt33k/20130502_121723.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/73mpml6nk/IMAG0012.jpg
808: http://s14.postimg.org/65j9m8fk1/2013_05_02_0391.jpg
ISO 400:
GS4:http://s11.postimg.org/zcww14o7m/20130502_121732.jpg
One: http://s11.postimg.org/ib41z19ci/IMAG0013.jpg
Auto ISO:
GS4: http://s9.postimg.org/5jzriw0b2/20130502_121511.jpg
One: http://s9.postimg.org/fss8opocu/IMAG0019.jpg
My One has a pink spot in the middle, the GS4 can get even brighter with night mode on which Im guess allows the ISO to go above 800 because this is what I get with Night mode on the GS4 and ISO set to 1600 on the HTC One.
GS4: http://s22.postimg.org/ma6jir0ts/20130502_121604.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/u475458mo/IMAG0015.jpg
Both of them with ISO set to their lowest:
GS4: http://s24.postimg.org/so4v10wzo/20130502_121530.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/4hpkom8z5/IMAG0010.jpg
Interestingly enough the 808 thrashed both of them, though they all struggle to find a focus when taking a pic from the dark, which the 808 couldn't as I have focus lamp assist off on the 808 which it really needs.
Now this comparison isn't perfect but from my use of all three phones it obviously goes...
1. 808
2. GS4
Way wayyyyyyy behind
3. HTC One.
I want to add, the room is not that dark, it's daylight but that is the only place I can find it to where it's dusk like conditions. I don't understand why the GS4 and HTC One struggle so much without turning ISO to max, my guess is sensor size is way more important than pixel size, I dunno. The HTC One just seems to rely on OIS and ISO really, I see no proof of this ultra pixel thing, the 808 thrashes them both though. I don't understand what other reviews are doing, I'm guessing they're leaving ISO set automatic and not playing with the options? Either way the HTC One takes such poor shots that you don't want to use any of them, they look fine in normal size, however as soon as you 100% them on your desktop monitor, they're poor!
The biggest downfall though of the 808 is you cannot upload the images anywhere, you can see in the crops how big the original image must be. I'm doing this on a 1080p monitor and the 808s crops take up the whole screen and I often cannot crop the whole thing I want to when it's 100% lol.

According to your sample pics...only 808 has real color and detailed pic....even s4's pics seem very yellowish....
One also has god color but not properly focused
Frankly speaking only winner is Nokia 808
Both s4 and one are losers here
Unfortunately; i didnt expect this from s4

They're all good cameras when you view them like this, however when you want to view them in their 100% form, the 808 wins by miles and the HTC One should never have bothered to enter the race.
ipsuvedi said:
According to your sample pics...only 808 has real color and detailed pic....even s4's pics seem very yellowish....
One also has god color but not properly focused
Frankly speaking only winner is Nokia 808
Both s4 and one are losers here
Unfortunately; i didnt expect this from s4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GS4 FoV is too narrow and it's too oversaturated, which may be a firmware thing. See shots taken with the GS4:
http://s21.postimg.org/vegwixasn/20130502_121358.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/97h9j8hv3/20130502_153230.jpg
However the FoV is so narrow compared to the others. With the same shot at the same distance I can get this on the 808, you may think the GS4 has more detail for the same distance, however if I zoomed in on a shot with the 808 I'd keep so much more detail that it doesn't matter. So really if I want to have an image be closer, I can zoom in on a shot taken further away or I can go close before I take the shot. With the GS4 you only get one option, keep backing away because the FoV always makes you look closer than you really are.
http://s14.postimg.org/wtaq1qrwh/2013_03_19_0012.jpg
Now the One has a much wider lens than the GS4, however as soon as you zoom in to get a view in the detail, you just see pixels everywhere, so you have to get so much closer with the one to get detail out of things...
http://s7.postimg.org/rcn59193v/IMAG0010.jpg

DP

Thx. The 808 is still the king, but the GS4 comes quite close during the daylight. Are you using the SnapDragon version of the GS4 BTW? It is worth checking Mobiele-Review's big showdown with the Exynos 5 variant, which I suspect to have a different sensor to the Snapdragon half-brother.
http://translate.google.com/transla.../mobile-review.com/review/phototest2013.shtml

The one´s camera is 4MP. Landscape photos arent the strength of the camera (but also not a real weakness if you dont zoom). It has other advantages:
-OIS
-extremly fast shutter speed, so you can take pictures of moving persons/animals/cars without blur
-very good low light capabilities (and no, the hdr night mode of the s4 is not comparable, its just good for stills)
-Wide FOV
-very good macro pictures
-very good hdr pictures

It is pretty obvious and well known that if you want to crop/zoom in on photos, then the one is not the camera phone for you, it simply doesn't have enough megapixels.
Viewing the one photos on my calibrated dell U2331H monitor look very good (when not zooming in), especially macro shots (macro shots look better than what my one S produces and it is has a superb camera), now if I had a very high res. panel then my opinion would be different.
Getting tired of people saying this xxxxx phone is better than this xxxx phone, this xxxx phone sucks zOMG!!! As if to say that only one-two area matters, there is more to a camera/photo quality than just the ability to zoom and good or/and low light conditions....
This is how I look at it:
Main advantages of the GS 4 camera over the one are;
- if you crop/zoom in on images, have a very high res. display and/or print photos on large paper, this is where more MP really shines!
- Bright landscape conditions
- panorama shots
- features/options overall
Main advantages of the one camera over the GS 4 are:
- very fast shutter and combined with OIS, you get more consistent/usable photos, more so in lower light conditions and/or with movement shots
- indoor conditions, low light/dark conditions
- much larger FOV
- audio recording (really amazing in loud environments) and video recording overall (GS 4 looks excellent for 1080P recording but the OIS, FOV [which is further reduced on the GS 4 when you enable image stabilisation] etc. give the one the edge by quite a bit imo)
The GS 4 can perform superbly in low light/night conditions with "night" mode but it comes at a cost, slower shutter thus only useful with non moving objects and you need to have a steady hand.
Regarding the features/options, both seem to be more or less the same, GS 4 has the edge with a few more things to choose from. Most of the one's features are tied to the zoe feature and gallery i.e. sequence/drama shot, always smiling, eraser/removing objects etc. where as the features on the GS 4 are selectable through the camera app.
Macro shots look superb on both, need to see more from the GS 4 end users, but so far I think the one is better in this area, the photos are just very detailed and have a "natural" look to them.
Up to the end user this part, but photo size is quite different due to the difference in MP, talking about 1.5MP on average for the one VS 6.5MB for a photo from the GS 4, personally for me, smaller photo size is a nice wee bonus.
Haven't seen many HDR shots from either phone except for some of the review sites, but both look very good in their own ways.
And I haven't even covered the actual "quality" of the image i.e. in terms of colours etc. From what we have seen so far, I would have to say that the one looks more natural and the GS 4 saturates the photos a wee bit [which I quite like depending on the scenario] (saying that, this is easily solved by adjusting the contrast or saturation in the one camera app, can't remember if you can do this with the GS 4 camera app???), however, in some shots i.e. white/grey buildings, the one looks too yellow, the one had a problem with exposure i.e. white clouds, very bright conditions etc. but this has been fixed/improved with 1.29.
Both phones will improve with updates, especially the HTC one since the camera tec. is fairly new for a phone camera especially to HTC (only two phones have OIS, the other one being the lumia 920)
Comes down to what the end user wants.

I don't know but smth seems wrong with your gs4. It's too yellow ish.

Always interested to see people consistently list wider FOV in the One as an advantage. Really its just different, whether an advantage or not depends on the types of subjects and scenes you typically find yourself snapping. For many people a more narrow FOV would actually be an asset, tending to be better for close in stuff and portraiture type stuff (if there was enough detail to allow cropping down to a more narrow FOV after the fact then I do think the wide FOV would be a straight-up advantage, but there isn't and it isn't). If any thing I think the wide FOV in the One is relatively mismatched to its strengths.

True, it does come down to what type of scenario you are shooting, the way I personally look at it, is that its better to have it than not to, there are quite a few shots that I wouldn't have got as well with the FOV of the GS 4 i.e. when in Rome last year, I wouldn't have been able to fit any where as much of the ruins and other landmarks in with the GS 4 camera (was on a bus tour so couldn't "step back") likewise with group shots and certain other scenarios.
You can always crop the image too but of course as you touched upon there, with the low MP count on the one, it isn't best advised. Personally I don't think I have ever cropped any of my photos.
The main area where a large FOV really shines imo, is video recording, especially since the GS 4 FOV is further reduced when you turn image stabilisation on.

Terminator19 said:
True, it does come down to what type of scenario you are shooting, the way I personally look at it, is that its better to have it than not to, there are quite a few shots that I wouldn't have got as well with the FOV of the GS 4 i.e. when in Rome last year, I wouldn't have been able to fit any where as much of the ruins and other landmarks in with the GS 4 camera (was on a bus tour so couldn't "step back") likewise with group shots and other scenarios.
You can always crop the image too but of course as you touched upon there, with the low MP count on the one, it isn't best advised. Personally I don't think I have cropped any of my photos.
The main area where a large FOV really shines is video recording though, especially since the GS 4 FOV is further reduced when you turn image stabilisation on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I was only really referring to the stills camera.
In the scenarios you mention like sightseeing type scenarios I would probably happily take the improved detail in the S4 over the wider FOV of the One, there is an element of personal preference there of course.

S4 video recording stabilization
Galaxy S4 video recording stabilization gets tested in offroad conditions
http://www.itcnews24.com/galaxy-s4-video-recording-stabilization-gets-tested-in-offroad-conditions-itcnews24-11516.html

http://blog.gsmarena.com/video-stab...galaxy-s4-improves-over-s-iii-but-not-enough/

I have booth S4 and a One. I tend to use the one because I have kids, kids move around , waves arms and just can't stand still. I still haven't shoot one single shoot with the S4 with the kids unblurred.
The S4 waits for AOSP/CM (can't stand TW) connected to the tv set and the One is in my pocket . Both are great phones but the one do what I need to do best, listening to music and snapping pics of my kids. And yes, 4 mp is little to small, if I could carry both it had been perfect
Skickat från min HTC One via Tapatalk 2

Here is a little help, if you can't decide whether to take the one or s4. At the end of the video there is also a comparison of the both cameras :

I have the one and s4 snapdragon version. The galaxy 4 is much better
Inviato dal mio GT-I9505 con Tapatalk 2

Partly cloudy, outdoor under a sun shelter
S4 is notably sharper and brighter. I pressed to focus on the middle sand for each phone.
S4
HTC One
Indoors with low-average light.
S4 is sharper but took longer with the shutter. But the clicks after were quick.
S4
HTC One
Indoors with a window closeby.
S4 is sharper but shutter was about 25% slower to 'click'
S4
HTC One
Indoors with the previous photo window farther away.
Light is average.
S4 is sharper but shutter 25% slower to 'click' S4 colour is more accurate.
S4
HTC One
Basement with low light
Again S4 shutter slower but sharper photo.
S4
HTC One
Here are some crappy moving shot tests... lol.
I kicked a ball and took a pic.
S4
HTC One
This one shows the HTC One being slow to focus and take the shot.
I pressed the shutter button at the same time but the htc one had trouble taking the shot.
S4
HTC one
Outdoor moving shot. Kicked a ball, took a pic.
Here the HTC one was faster with the shutter. I actually took two while the S4 only got 1 off.
S4
HTC One

We can not speak about Nokia 808 vs S4.....
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BoneXDA said:
Thx. The 808 is still the king, but the GS4 comes quite close during the daylight. Are you using the SnapDragon version of the GS4 BTW? It is worth checking Mobiele-Review's big showdown with the Exynos 5 variant, which I suspect to have a different sensor to the Snapdragon half-brother.
http://translate.google.com/transla.../mobile-review.com/review/phototest2013.shtml
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks giving me back to this link, it is interesting because it is one of the best comparison done already (dpreview did also a good one)
Just a point to clarify, this review is done with I9500 not I 9505, that give much better camera results as they are different hardware.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2327355

Photo quality comparision by GSMArena:
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HTC One is a loser in Camera.
Secondly, Someone will always go for a DSLR if he/she just wants a camera. Buying 808 for camera is like hiring Sunny Leone for just her Acting skills.

Is the camera on the S7 > S5 ?

I am debating whether to upgrade from S5 to the S7. My main reason is that I want to have the best camera in an Android phone. I was searching a lot for camera comparison between the two but I cannot find any reviews. What do you guys think? Is the S7 camera better than S5? Can someone point me to a shootout between the two or side by side picture comparison?

I have folder on computer with pictures, and they are all aranged by mobile phone model ( sgs4,sgs5,lg g3, lgg4, etc etc... ) so i jumped there and took a look at them and one thing is for sure they both got great cameras, but if you're asking is it worth that extra cca 300$ I think not. My connection is very slow to do the comparision photos upload

The S7 is better than the S5 in EVERY aspect lol
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iamnotkurtcobain said:
The S7 is better than the S5 in EVERY aspect lol
Gesendet von meinem SM-G930F mit Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that. This does not help. I will only upgrade to the S7 if and only if the camera is better. I read in some thread that S7 pictures have less detail than S6, etc. So this means even though the low light performance is better, if daylight pictures lack detail then it is a no go. I can potentially hold off until S8 comes out then.

I've just upgraded from the S5 > S7 so image quality is still fresh in my mind from the S5
IMO the S7 does take better photos, but not such a leap you can really tell, the S5 took stunning photos, really good camera and it took me a while, and a few different scenarios to see the S7 outperform it in terms of photo quality
Close-ups, the S7 is ahead quite noticeably, but for landscape shots, it's a close call
One thing I miss from the S5 is the 16:9 for max photo resolution, with the S7 it is back down to 4:3 for some reason, and for certain shots I've taken, you can see the 4MP loss hit
I took the S7 out to the beach, lots of light, and it took great shots, better than the S5, but I also took shots around the house, out the back etc, and the S5 took better shots
Would I say the S7 camera was a big upgrade from the S5 camera?
No
Would I say the phone itself is a big upgrade from the S5?
Yes
In certain scenarios, the S7 takes the better photo, in others the S5 does
HDR works a lot better on the S7 though, a lot clearer and detailed than the S5 for the same shot, but in terms of quality, they beat and lose to each other in different ways
If you were thinking of upgrading purely on the camera quality, I'd go to a store and take a few snaps with a demo model to see, although you really need to put the photos on a PC to see, phone screens are too small, and the S7 has a higher rez screen than the S5, so not really a fair way to compare photos
Do I regret moving to the S7 due to the camera quality vs the S5?
No
Camera quality is great, but it's not a massive upgrade like I was expecting especially considering it is two models above the S5, and after all the hype about it's camera kicking about online

Besides the actual size(resolution) the S7s sensor is far better.. It doesn't over expose as much as the S5, great deep darks and highlights that pop, no crappy post processing either the S5 always over sharpened everything and it's blues were a little to warm. The S7s dual pixel technology makes pro level focusing easy for anyone. The real gem here is the S7s pro mode.. Once you learn how to use it right you can get as close to a high end DSLR as you ever have been able to on a phone. As a photographer I can say IMHO this is the best camera in a phone period. Just goes to show size doesnt matter guys!

Detection and BruteSource,
Thank you both for the detailed explanation. This is exactly what I am looking for as feedback. I do not like the 4:3 resolution on the S7 indeed. I think I will still shoot in 16:9 which means at the lower megapixel setting of 9.1 M. In this case, I am pretty sure, the S7 would take a 4:3 at higher megapixel and then crop it to 16:9 -- 9.1M (4032*2268, 16:9). This may potentially degrade the quality as well.
If I can sum up what you are saying, it would be that S7 vs S5 image quality would depend on the scenery and one may be better than the other in Auto mode. HDR on S7 is better as it does not overexpose as much. The biggest difference in favor of the S7 is the Pro Mode and the fact that it can shoot RAW. Added benefit is the low-light performance.
So, if I were to upgrade to the S7 (camera) my justification would be:
1. Pro mode (unless there is a preset saving, proly wont use),
2. RAW (may use only on vacations)
3. low light - always useful

azsamsancho said:
Detection and BruteSource,
Thank you both for the detailed explanation. This is exactly what I am looking for as feedback. I do not like the 4:3 resolution on the S7 indeed. I think I will still shoot in 16:9 which means at the lower megapixel setting of 9.1 M. In this case, I am pretty sure, the S7 would take a 4:3 at higher megapixel and then crop it to 16:9 -- 9.1M (4032*2268, 16:9). This may potentially degrade the quality as well.
If I can sum up what you are saying, it would be that S7 vs S5 image quality would depend on the scenery and one may be better than the other in Auto mode. HDR on S7 is better as it does not overexpose as much. The biggest difference in favor of the S7 is the Pro Mode and the fact that it can shoot RAW. Added benefit is the low-light performance.
So, if I were to upgrade to the S7 (camera) my justification would be:
1. Pro mode (unless there is a preset saving, proly wont use),
2. RAW (may use only on vacations)
3. low light - always useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would add:
1. Pro mode (unless there is a preset saving, proly wont use),
2. RAW (may use only on vacations)
3. low light - always useful[/QUOTE]
4. Better photos under certain circumstances, such as bright sunny day, large bright objects such as the beach
5. Better Closeup photos
6. Way faster focussing and camera opening times
It's a great camera don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with it, but it's not the huge jump I was expecting
You wouldn't be disappointed, but it didn't make me look at the S5 photos and laugh as I was led to believe before I bought it
EDIT - You can save Pro mode custom profiles
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This is very helpful! Thank you, Detection. I think should go for it

:good: Enjoy

*Detection* said:
IMO the S7 does take better photos, but not such a leap you can really tell, the S5 took stunning photos, really good camera and it took me a while, and a few different scenarios to see the S7 outperform it in terms of photo quality
Would I say the S7 camera was a big upgrade from the S5 camera?
No
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I beg to differ. The difference is noticeable in both quality and camera performance (lag, low light, focusing, etc.). I am one of those who want quality photos and not just any photos, and for that reason, I used to drag around either Sony RX100 IV in my pocket when going out in the evening, or a tiny shoulder bag with an M43 system in it when going around town (and an EOS system for more serious landscape or nature when I don't mind the weight). In my most recent vacation to the US Virgin Islands, I brought a Panasonic GM-5 with expensive lenses, butI ended up leaving them at the house cause I was confident that I could live with the compromise with the S7. Would I have done that with the S5? No.

lost_ said:
I beg to differ. The difference is noticeable in both quality and camera performance (lag, low light, focusing, etc.). I am one of those who want quality photos and not just any photos, and for that reason, I used to drag around either Sony RX100 IV in my pocket when going out in the evening, or a tiny shoulder bag with an M43 system in it when going around town (and an EOS system for more serious landscape or nature when I don't mind the weight). In my most recent vacation to the US Virgin Islands, I brought a Panasonic GM-5 with expensive lenses, butI ended up leaving them at the house cause I was confident that I could live with the compromise with the S7. Would I have done that with the S5? No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting to hear that. Were you also using the Pro mode or stick with Auto and HDR on pretty much all the time (that's what I use now on the S5).

lost_ said:
I beg to differ. The difference is noticeable in both quality and camera performance (lag, low light, focusing, etc.). I am one of those who want quality photos and not just any photos, and for that reason, I used to drag around either Sony RX100 IV in my pocket when going out in the evening, or a tiny shoulder bag with an M43 system in it when going around town (and an EOS system for more serious landscape or nature when I don't mind the weight). In my most recent vacation to the US Virgin Islands, I brought a Panasonic GM-5 with expensive lenses, butI ended up leaving them at the house cause I was confident that I could live with the compromise with the S7. Would I have done that with the S5? No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well we'll have to agree to disagree, but from the last few days of talking about camera comparisons, it seems the S7 and the S5 have different model sensors depending on which model you get, so it's highly possible the disagreements about S5>S7 camera quality are down to that
The S5 I had (G900F International) took absolutely amazing photos, yes I can see improvements with the S7, but also I see drops in quality for some things too
For example, I have a few plants, flowers etc growing out the back, I compared a photo taken with the S5 to one I took with the S7, S5 the heads of a certain plant are crisp and clear and sharp, with the S7 they are soft and blurred almost, no detail at all
But then taking the S7 out to the beach resulted in better quality photos than the S5
For people to have such a huge difference in opinion, there has to be different hardware / processing in different S5 models, otherwise we'd all be on the same page
I too look for camera quality when I get a phone, I took a ridiculous amount of photos with the S5, I know that camera like the back of my hand, and comparing it to my S7, there's really not such a difference
S5
S7
S5 is clearly sharper and more detailed

Detection, thank you for the samples! Would not this be a mute point if you are shooting RAW? In fact, has anyone tried the RAW ... I assume it is good

I kept Galaxy S5 as second phone but was in search of best latest camera. I got LG G5 and then sold it because camera was not great. Got Nexus 5X and camera was best but battery life was poor so sold nexus 5X and got Galaxy S7 yesterday . I assume S7 camera is not much improved as compare to s5 when we look at price which is 3 times more. It give you just quick focus. I am also getting 4 to 5 hour screen on time on S7 same as S5
If intensive gaming and design is not important than s5 is still great phone ..display, camera, removable battery, bigger screen but light weight, waterproof, external storage etc all option are there..
Here is my comparison of s5 and nexus 5X
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-5x/general/excellent-camera-t3230797/page48
Comparison of Photo samples of S5 and S7 in full resolution auto mode with HDR on. First photo is taken by s5 while second photo of same scene is taken by S7

azsamsancho said:
Detection, thank you for the samples! Would not this be a mute point if you are shooting RAW? In fact, has anyone tried the RAW ... I assume it is good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just spent the day playing with RAW, and I have to say, I am blown away, now the camera shines and blows the S5 clean out of the water, no comparison at all, S7 is worlds ahead when you shoot in RAW
This is the quality photo I was expecting from the S7, and I think it's clear this is the mode the used to shoot the sample photos we all saw advertising the S7s camera before launch
Each photo is around 24MB when shot in RAW, vs around 4-6MB in JPEG
I still need to master lightroom, but it takes a RAW and JPEG simutaneously, and when comparing the two identical photos on a PC the JPEGs look terrible compared
I know which mode I`ll be shooting with from now on, only bummer is, it seems to force save location to the device instead of the MicroSD
This was shot standing right at the back of the yard below
JPEG
RAW

Would just like to add my opinion: that faster camera makes a huge difference. S5 camera takes 2 seconds to launch, another second to capture, and 2 more seconds to open the Gallery for some reason. On the S7 I'm limited by how fast my fingers are. Camera quality is about the same in bright daylight (sources mentioned Note 5 outdoes it in terms of detail captured, but those differences are miniscule and you are HIGHLY unlikely to notice unless they're side by side and zoomed in real close). Autofocus speed is also in a class of its own: it's not just miles ahead of the S5, it's miles ahead of any other phone or even camera I can think of. As far as I'm concerned, this is the fastest autofocus of any kind on the planet.

Rajaasim1980 said:
I kept Galaxy S5 as second phone but was in search of best latest camera. I got LG G5 and then sold it because camera was not great. Got Nexus 5X and camera was best but battery life was poor so sold nexus 5X and got Galaxy S7 yesterday . I assume S7 camera is not much improved as compare to s5 when we look at price which is 3 times more. It give you just quick focus. I am also getting 4 to 5 hour screen on time on S7 same as S5
If intensive gaming and design is not important than s5 is still great phone ..display, camera, removable battery, bigger screen but light weight, waterproof, external storage etc all option are there..
Here is my comparison of s5 and nexus 5X
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-5x/general/excellent-camera-t3230797/page48
Comparison of Photo samples of S5 and S7 in full resolution auto mode with HDR on. First photo is taken by s5 while second photo of same scene is taken by S7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rajaasim, thanks for sharing. In my opinion, S5 is better than 5X easily.
As for your S5 vs S7 I cannot tell which is better; maybe a slight edge for the S7 for a brighter (better exposure). Now what is very different is the white balance. Clearly S5 looks cooler (bluish) and the S7 is much warmer (yellow/pink). This is especially noticeable in you first picture. I am not sure which is closer to the correct white balance. Anyone knowledgeable can give their opinion on that?

*Detection* said:
I've just spent the day playing with RAW, and I have to say, I am blown away, now the camera shines and blows the S5 clean out of the water, no comparison at all, S7 is worlds ahead when you shoot in RAW
This is the quality photo I was expecting from the S7, and I think it's clear this is the mode the used to shoot the sample photos we all saw advertising the S7s camera before launch
Each photo is around 24MB when shot in RAW, vs around 4-6MB in JPEG
I still need to master lightroom, but it takes a RAW and JPEG simutaneously, and when comparing the two identical photos on a PC the JPEGs look terrible compared
I know which mode I`ll be shooting with from now on, only bummer is, it seems to force save location to the device instead of the MicroSD
This was shot standing right at the back of the yard below
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thank you so much for these! It is very clear that RAW beats the hell out of the jpeg shot - you can see it in the clouds, in the reflection in the window, in the bricks. You know also that there is Lightroom for mobile right - which is free. You can do some quick edits very easily.
So the way I see it on vacation and special trips one could use the RAW mode and for the rest of the time you can use JPEG. I would personally use the 9.1 M (16:9) reso.

azsamsancho said:
Wow, thank you so much for these! It is very clear that RAW beats the hell out of the jpeg shot - you can see it in the clouds, in the reflection in the window, in the bricks. You know also that there is Lightroom for mobile right - which is free. You can do some quick edits very easily.
So the way I see it on vacation and special trips one could use the RAW mode and for the rest of the time you can use JPEG. I would personally use the 9.1 M (16:9) reso.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea thanks, I have lightroom and photoshop express installed on the phone, but it's much nicer and easier to use the PC version for big photos and getting the levels just right
That photo was taken from a good 20m away on the ground too, and the detail is great
You can see the JPEGs starting to blend and blur the texture, but the RAW stays sharp, zooming right in with RAW just results in pixelization not blur like JPEG
And yea definitely RAW is highly recommended for special shots like a vacation, JPEG for point and shoot quick snaps are fine, but for amazing shots, RAW all the way
And another thing, with RAW there is no need for HDR, even low light shots come out nice and bright, while the JPEG clone that it takes with RAW come out dark
EDIT - I'm not the worlds best with PS or LR, but you can see all the information is still in the RAW photo, you just need to know how to bring it out

Low light

At the club, at the bar, or just in your mom's basement, nighttime is when you come out to play. Rate this thread to express how the Samsung Galaxy S9+'s camera performs when no or low light is present. A higher rating indicates that the camera sensor "sees" lots of light in dim conditions, and that the resulting photos have minimal noise. A higher rating also indicates that when the flash fires, the resulting photo is evenly-lit without any bright spots.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!

These 2 photos were taken in dark factory yesterday with my 9+

I'll post some lathe pictures tomorrow (S9+) getting delivered tonight.

Taken at nighttime, no flash S9+

Sorry wrong thread
Someone pls delete

Some pictures taken at night; pretty impressed with the camera quality and clarity:
:fingers-crossed:

Galaxo60 said:
Some pictures taken at night; pretty impressed with the camera quality and clarity:
:fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one with the shed turned out really good. The sky looks awesome

zathus said:
The one with the shed turned out really good. The sky looks awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, camera is awesome and I'm pretty happy with the device.

Low light on this phone is incredible. Ive never seen a phone like it when it comes to the dark. https://youtu.be/ZX_JY35oFCc

jrharvey said:
Low light on this phone is incredible. Ive never seen a phone like it when it comes to the dark. https://youtu.be/ZX_JY35oFCc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally we have a proof which one is better. Clearly S9+ has better cam than Google Pixel 2!
Pixel 2 eat your heart out. Finally!
THANK YOU from all XDA Members who had any doubt about which of these two phones to buy!!

androidbadboy said:
Finally we have a proof which one is better. Clearly S9+ has better cam than Google Pixel 2!
Pixel 2 eat your heart out. Finally!
THANK YOU from all XDA Members who had any doubt about which of these two phones to buy!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well to be fair I own both phones and they both have their strength and weaknesses. I prefer the google pixel 2 PICTURES right now however once GCAM gets ported to the S9 I think the advantage will 100% go to the galaxy. For now the video on the S9 is much better but if your into auto snapshots the pixel 2 still probably beats out in good lighting. Move to low light and of course the S9 just destroys the pixel 2.

jrharvey said:
Well to be fair I own both phones and they both have their strength and weaknesses. I prefer the google pixel 2 PICTURES right now however once GCAM gets ported to the S9 I think the advantage will 100% go to the galaxy. For now the video on the S9 is much better but if your into auto snapshots the pixel 2 still probably beats out in good lighting. Move to low light and of course the S9 just destroys the pixel 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did I understand You right? You claim that Pixel 2 makes better photos than S9+ in daylight?!

androidbadboy said:
Did I understand You right? You claim that Pixel 2 makes better photos than S9+ in daylight?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats just my personal opinion. Also I believe this will change once gcam gets ported to the S9. Its all subjective and really depends on the situation but Id much prefer the S9 camera over the pixel 2 in 95% of the situations because #1 I care more about video and #2 the daytime shots are very similar and almost not noticable however once you get in low light the S9 really flexes its muscle for sure. The dynamic range on the pixel 2 IN PICTURES during the day definately is slightly better HOWEVER when it comes to video the S9 can pull off some pretty impressive dynamic range if you have the right app or if you edit the footage in post. I dont like how contrasty samsungs video is but luckily you can pull out a ton of detail from the shadows in an editing program if you need to.

androidbadboy said:
Finally we have a proof which one is better. Clearly S9+ has better cam than Google Pixel 2!
Pixel 2 eat your heart out. Finally!
THANK YOU from all XDA Members who had any doubt about which of these two phones to buy!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jrharvey said:
Well to be fair I own both phones and they both have their strength and weaknesses. I prefer the google pixel 2 PICTURES right now however once GCAM gets ported to the S9 I think the advantage will 100% go to the galaxy. For now the video on the S9 is much better but if your into auto snapshots the pixel 2 still probably beats out in good lighting. Move to low light and of course the S9 just destroys the pixel 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
androidbadboy said:
Did I understand You right? You claim that Pixel 2 makes better photos than S9+ in daylight?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jrharvey said:
Thats just my personal opinion. Also I believe this will change once gcam gets ported to the S9. Its all subjective and really depends on the situation but Id much prefer the S9 camera over the pixel 2 in 95% of the situations because #1 I care more about video and #2 the daytime shots are very similar and almost not noticable however once you get in low light the S9 really flexes its muscle for sure. The dynamic range on the pixel 2 IN PICTURES during the day definately is slightly better HOWEVER when it comes to video the S9 can pull off some pretty impressive dynamic range if you have the right app or if you edit the footage in post. I dont like how contrasty samsungs video is but luckily you can pull out a ton of detail from the shadows in an editing program if you need to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After having the Pixel 2 XL and now the S9+, I prefer the camera on the S9+, because Pixel 2 XL processes the pics too much and they look unreal. They are just social network ready, but not natural at all, and it usually oversharps and put a lot of drama to the pictures. They look nice at first sight, but just try to zoom a little in details and you will notice the loss in detail and quality. In low light, Pixel is just noise and grain.
Anyway, I leave here a video I really liked and to say this guy made a great job comparing both cameras:
:good:

Galaxo60 said:
After having the Pixel 2 XL and now the S9+, I prefer the camera on the S9+, because Pixel 2 XL processes the pics too much and they look unreal. They are just social network ready, but not natural at all, and it usually oversharps and put a lot of drama to the pictures. They look nice at first sight, but just try to zoom a little in details and you will notice the loss in detail and quality. In low light, Pixel is just noise and grain.
Anyway, I leave here a video I really liked and to say this guy made a great job comparing both cameras:
:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very helpful video for the undecided ones!

UHD/60 is amazing.
Compared to my Note 8, well there is no comparison.
I'm talking low light. I can take video in a dark passageway and play it back and see more than my eyes can AND it's not a snowy, grainy mess!
That's impressive indeed!

cpufrost said:
UHD/60 is amazing.
Compared to my Note 8, well there is no comparison.
I'm talking low light. I can take video in a dark passageway and play it back and see more than my eyes can AND it's not a snowy, grainy mess!
That's impressive indeed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seriously You can see MORE with S9+ than with your naked eyes? Do You use flashlight when looking at dark areas with S9+?
I'm SHOCKED. This is quite amazing and quite impossible.

Nope, when I look at video taken in a dark room I can make it more details than I can with my own eyes.
My eyes are good in the dark, all I need is a single 3 lumen night light to walk around in a 400 ft^2 room. Just as a security camera night (IR) mode can reveal details, it's far inferior to a brightly lit room. Our eyes work the same way. The image processing is amazing that it can reduce noise reasonably well and preserve color balance. Non of my other devices can do this.

cpufrost said:
Nope, when I look at video taken in a dark room I can make it more details than I can with my own eyes.
My eyes are good in the dark, all I need is a single 3 lumen night light to walk around in a 400 ft^2 room. Just as a security camera night (IR) mode can reveal details, it's far inferior to a brightly lit room. Our eyes work the same way. The image processing is amazing that it can reduce noise reasonably well and preserve color balance. Non of my other devices can do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it's final then, S9+ broke all barriers for smartphone cameras. It's the best in the world. No doubt about it. Iphone X and Pixel 2 can not hold a candle to S9+
Congrats to Samsung!

Well let's put it this way. I have an iPhone X. I use it for work and Apple dev projects. I like it a lot. It's the best iPhone I've owned. And I preferred it over my Note 8 for video based on the fact that it can do UHD at 60fps. It still has issues with AF hunting though. I have not tested the 9+ to see how it fares in that department. In the dark, however, off come the kids gloves. Video is the best I've seen. I also use Filmic Pro and ProCam on the X to get the best out of the hardware. Tough to beat physics with f 1.5. The processing helps too. SEC does need to work on the glare problems, however. And given such a small lens aperture I suppose reflections are just impossible to avoid (inter element reflections). Take video of a bright light on the ceiling or at a concert with multiple points of bright light, you will see.
As for the Pixel phones, my last Google device was the Nexus 6. Loved the dev on that phone but its time has come and gone. Hated the aesthetics of the Pixel series. The N6 had a great camera but horrible software. I don't care for TW but SEC got it right on the camera software out of the box. Ever since the S6E+. I wish they would move back to a 16MP sensor though. Shooting RAW in pro mode yielded some incredible shots that are hard to get today still.

Who else is disappointed in the camera?

What do u guys think of the camera?
Compared it to the pixel 2 and seriously that damn hdr on the google side is just insane.
P20 Pro loses alot of details even in normal shots.
Even in night shots pixel 2 captures so many details.
For some reason the ai also stands in the way, greenery mode especially cranks up the shadows and so many details are lost
I am kinda disappointed in the camera department.
Hopefully huawei will work on a better hdr in their future updates.
Pixel 2 is still the king of smartphone photography, can only imagine what will happen if pixel 3 goes dual cameras.

Megaromania said:
What do u guys think of the camera?
Compared it to the pixel 2 and seriously that damn hdr on the google side is just insane.
P20 Pro loses alot of details even in normal shots.
Even in night shots pixel 2 captures so many details.
For some reason the ai also stands in the way, greenery mode especially cranks up the shadows and so many details are lost
I am kinda disappointed in the camera department.
Hopefully huawei will work on a better hdr in their future updates.
Pixel 2 is still the king of smartphone photography, can only imagine what will happen if pixel 3 goes dual cameras.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cant say that am agree with you,
And i own both phone.
You can go to this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/hu...uawei-p20-pro-share-fantastic-t3774488/page15 to read more discussion about camera.
Conclusion is. P20 Pro is not your another point and shoot kind of camera. Its more like a photographer tool. It give you best result when you play around the setting and willing to go through the learning curve of using various camera mode. Not a fully auto like in our pixel 2 :laugh:

I'm very satisfied with the camera. Although I agree that the software can be on the heavy side when sharpening and smoothing areas. Havent tried RAW mode yet, but I'll experiment some more with that later.
Dark shots are amazing when using auto or night mode. I mean, considering doing them without a tripod.

any test gcam in p20 pro?

I am. Sold my p20 pro because of the camera and touch lag. I primarily take photos of people in indoor lighting at night, p20 pro just can't keep up with pixel 2 xl's crazy detail particularly in that situation. Using night mode gets it closer, but still can't beat the hdr+.
Also, the problem with night mode is that it is not a simple switch on the main interface. We have to scroll scroll, click, aaaand the moment's gone.

Megaromania said:
What do u guys think of the camera?
Compared it to the pixel 2 and seriously that damn hdr on the google side is just insane.
P20 Pro loses alot of details even in normal shots.
Even in night shots pixel 2 captures so many details.
For some reason the ai also stands in the way, greenery mode especially cranks up the shadows and so many details are lost
I am kinda disappointed in the camera department.
Hopefully huawei will work on a better hdr in their future updates.
Pixel 2 is still the king of smartphone photography, can only imagine what will happen if pixel 3 goes dual cameras.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Night Mod in daylight it is better then Pixel HDR+. Thats what I see on meny photo comparisons.

Yes
You are definitely right! I looked at the original 40 MP photos taken with p20 pro with excitement. I zoomed in and saw that there is no good amount of detail! They looked like low quality 10-12 MP photos! In low light it might take better photos because it has a larger sensor but in low light nope..
I can definitely say that Huawei didn't focus on the "software" enough (shame on Huawei), that's very unfortunate considering this phone has a good camera hardware.

Allesa said:
I am. Sold my p20 pro because of the camera and touch lag. I primarily take photos of people in indoor lighting at night, p20 pro just can't keep up with pixel 2 xl's crazy detail particularly in that situation. Using night mode gets it closer, but still can't beat the hdr+.
Also, the problem with night mode is that it is not a simple switch on the main interface. We have to scroll scroll, click, aaaand the moment's gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Pixel 2 and P20 Pro and disagree. The Pixel has far too omuch noise in indoor lighting, the P20 pro is just as quick at taking the shot and is clearer with less noise.
As for the Night mode... usually it's for buildings and such to get great low light phots... So we scroll... and click... aaaannnd the moment is still there unless the building fell over... haha.
HDR+ on the Pixel is good, but i'm afraid it just got toppled. Even the non HDR shots on the P20 Pro (with AI off) are better in all scenarios.

No issues with the camera, if you are wanting top notch photos then use a dedicated DLSR, the camera on the P20 Pro is the bridge between full on DSLR and Phone camera and does produce some outstanding results, just mess about with the settings, its not like other phone cameras and as a lot more settings/features to play with. I use my DLSR cameras for main photos while my P20 Pro will be for quick snaps when out and about and don't want to carry my main cameras.

Allesa said:
I am. Sold my p20 pro because of the camera and touch lag. I primarily take photos of people in indoor lighting at night, p20 pro just can't keep up with pixel 2 xl's crazy detail particularly in that situation. Using night mode gets it closer, but still can't beat the hdr+.
Also, the problem with night mode is that it is not a simple switch on the main interface. We have to scroll scroll, click, aaaand the moment's gone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its a pity that you still use old software at that time,
.107 bring on much improved auto HDR. much detail are preserved, and it produce more consistent results on various scene now

Jonathan-H said:
I have Pixel 2 and P20 Pro and disagree. The Pixel has far too omuch noise in indoor lighting, the P20 pro is just as quick at taking the shot and is clearer with less noise.
As for the Night mode... usually it's for buildings and such to get great low light phots... So we scroll... and click... aaaannnd the moment is still there unless the building fell over... haha.
HDR+ on the Pixel is good, but i'm afraid it just got toppled. Even the non HDR shots on the P20 Pro (with AI off) are better in all scenarios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Wc9KBJPHaCbV3l63
Not here to argue anything cuz these are the kind of photos I mainly take now with phones. To each their own. Check info to find out which taken with what. P20 pro came closest when using night mode

Allesa said:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Wc9KBJPHaCbV3l63
Not here to argue anything cuz these are the kind of photos I mainly take now with phones. To each their own. Check info to find out which taken with what. P20 pro came closest when using night mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow, much prefer the pixel shots

Allesa said:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Wc9KBJPHaCbV3l63
Not here to argue anything cuz these are the kind of photos I mainly take now with phones. To each their own. Check info to find out which taken with what. P20 pro came closest when using night mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, i see now. Then i would agree with you,
Pixel 2 XL would suit you much better for this kind of quick snapshot around the house,
using P20 Pro for this kind of shots would be a waste of money. Pixel algorithm do better job on that

Coming from a S8 Plus and Iphone 8 plus. The camera on the Huawei p20 Pro is weak as hell compared to those two.
Sorry, but it was just marketing.
Selling the phone and going another route.

neflictus said:
Coming from a S8 Plus and Iphone 8 plus. The camera on the Huawei p20 Pro is weak as hell compared to those two.
Sorry, but it was just marketing.
Selling the phone and going another route.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from every flagship the last two years I have to utterly disagree on your statement. Of course each to their own.
It's not perfect but the the versatility alone is huge. Night mode is certainly not a marketing ploy, it really does work and as advertised!

Can't wait to go on using 4 seconds breaks for a photo at night.
Auto is useless. Everything is over sharpened.
Oil for all of us.
Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

The camera is amazing im sorry but it's the best camera I've ever used in a phone period.
Certain situations call for certain features to be used, but I'm in no way disappointed, it's a complete beast, there isn't a phone on the planet that comes close, perhaps the pixel 2 but only maybe on video.

I am not really disapointed , but for a phone focusing on it's camera so much , i would like some added features.
I'ts nice to have AI available , but sometimes i would like to leave my own personal touch on my photo's. So why not include the AI "modes" into the filters menu ? That way i can pick the mode and strength i want to see , when i want to see it.
Manual HDR mode , effect is only marginal ? can't set any HDR bracketing options.
Sometimes, in high contrast scenes, HDR kick's in automatically , without warning or any way to cancel it. The effect is really pronounced then.
Pro mode : where is the bracketing ? Sharpening settings ? Noise removal settings ?
RAW : is not really raw , there is some weird effect where noise seems to be converted to dancing lines. Lens distortion is removed , but vignetting is still present ?
I also would like to have an option to save the "developed" photo in a lossless format (with some extra bit depth) in stead of JPG.

Allesa said:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Wc9KBJPHaCbV3l63
Not here to argue anything cuz these are the kind of photos I mainly take now with phones. To each their own. Check info to find out which taken with what. P20 pro came closest when using night mode
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! that's stark! thanks for posting, it's exactly the type of images I plan to shoot and I was looking for a direct comparison between the Pixel 2 and the P20 Pro when shooting people in dimly lit indoors.
I suppose you had turned beauty mode down to 0, which however did not switch it off in earlier versions of the camera software.
Is the problem still present with the latest camera update (.128)?
Does shooting in Photo mode preserve more detail?
Thanks.
---------- Post added at 08:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:50 AM ----------
otonieru said:
Ah, i see now. Then i would agree with you,
Pixel 2 XL would suit you much better for this kind of quick snapshot around the house,
using P20 Pro for this kind of shots would be a waste of money. Pixel algorithm do better job on that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You said it, it's a software problem. The P20 Pro comes with superior camera hardware (a much larger main sensor to start with), so I really don't understand why it has to ruin skin in indoor shots to that extent.
From what users report it's all a matter of not being able to turn beautification off completely.
I've read that since update .128 the overprocessing issue was improved.
Does this also apply to skin?
How would such shots appear if shot in Photo mode, or RAW?
I ask about RAW because apparently Huawei's RAW images are also processed, at least geometrically, e.g. by applying lens distortion correction, so I can't be sure that pixel values are unaltered.

I purchased the P20 Pro specifically for the camera as I'm a professional photographer and want the best IQ out of my always with me smartphone camera. I have owned the P20 Pro for almost two months now and have seen a dramatic improvement in the camera software over that time. The initial, pre 107 firmware was terrible with regard to raw color vignetting and at first I was fairly disappointed. The 107 firmware corrected the raw color vignetting issue, though of course there is still the typical natural vignetting that occurs with a small lens and large sensor (and yes, often the sensor DOES affect vignetting due to how it receives non parallel light rays from the lens). So natural, non color shifting vignetting was not really a surprise and does not bother me at all. I'm very happy with the IQ from 40MP raw images now. It's not going to match my 36MP full frame camera in good light of course but for a smartphone, the P20 Pro is pretty amazing.
Probably my biggest positive surprise with the P20 Pro (beyond the software capabilities of Night Mode) is the quality of the black & white camera. Really nice tonality, no doubt somewhat due to the Leica involvement.
Anyway, I'm now on the 131 firmware and the additional improvements I would like to see are more user control over color saturation, noise reduction and sharpness (and I would also love to be able to tweak how the Master AI option deals with color and color saturation). For the B&W camera, I would really, really love a raw option as well as control of noise reduction and sharpness as I occasionally see where the very aggressive noise reduction completely smooths/ blurs very fine distant detail such as grass.
As far as all the noise about the P20 Pro camera not being as good vs phone X, etc. I would say that there is a higher learning curve to getting the most out of the cameras in the P20 Pro. I see this as the best option for a more experienced user who is looking for the absolute best IQ available today out of a smartphone. For someone looking for the best, "no hassle" snapshots from a smartphone, there may be better options though that does seem to be improving with every firmware update of the P20 Pro.

Let's Talk About the Pixel 3 Camera

I should preface this post by saying I am the proud owner of the soon to be legendary Pixel 2 camera and have owned the Pixel 3 for almost 2 weeks now, but I think we should all just come right out and say it:
The Pixel 3's camera is just a tiny step back from the Pixel 2.
Don't get me wrong, it's still fantastic compared to just about any other mass market cell phone camera, but the post-processing choices that Google made with the P3 don't seem to take full advantage of the hardware.
The sensor and lens combination between the P2 and P3 are nearly identical in every way except for the P3 reportedly has a slightly newer sensor model with claimed better dynamic range. Yet, in shots with challenging lighting (which is where the entire Pixel line excels), the P3's processing chooses to boost contrast so much that it ends up crushing blacks and destroying details in the shadows, leaving us with a Samsung Galaxy S7-like result - with colors that pop and leave shadow detail behind.
It is obvious the P3 has better bokeh effects than the P2, but like all the other software features, that enhancement will likely come to the P2 if it hasn't already with the modded P3 Camera APK.
Anyway, my point is that everyone expected Google to have the obvious best camera with the Pixel 3 this year because the Pixel 2 was still kicking butt a year after launch. I just don't think much of the tech community has been willing to admit what our eyes are telling us... the Pixel 3's camera is great, but probably not the undisputed champ.
And that makes me a little sad after dropping so much $$$ on this device. It's still the only phone camera I would trust in point and shoot situations, but I'm tempted to keep the Pixel 2 in my bag on vacations just for the photos. And it's not just me. Android Headlines made a great video showing the P3's photography prowess and shortcomings.
I really just want to know if anyone else starting to feel this way as well? If so, and if we start making some noise about it, could Google actually listen and adjust the post-processing? They've listened to us complain about everything else on these phones (speaker buzz, ram management, photos not saving, etc), it's gotta be worth a shot, right?

It is literally the same camera - Sensor and All.

PuffDaddy_d said:
I should preface this post by saying I am the proud owner of the soon to be legendary Pixel 2 camera and have owned the Pixel 3 for almost 2 weeks now, but I think we should all just come right out and say it:
The Pixel 3's camera is just a tiny step back from the Pixel 2.
Don't get me wrong, it's still fantastic compared to just about any other mass market cell phone camera, but the post-processing choices that Google made with the P3 don't seem to take full advantage of the hardware.
The sensor and lens combination between the P2 and P3 are nearly identical in every way except for the P3 reportedly has a slightly newer sensor model with claimed better dynamic range. Yet, in shots with challenging lighting (which is where the entire Pixel line excels), the P3's processing chooses to boost contrast so much that it ends up crushing blacks and destroying details in the shadows, leaving us with a Samsung Galaxy S7-like result - with colors that pop and leave shadow detail behind.
It is obvious the P3 has better bokeh effects than the P2, but like all the other software features, that enhancement will likely come to the P2 if it hasn't already with the modded P3 Camera APK.
Anyway, my point is that everyone expected Google to have the obvious best camera with the Pixel 3 this year because the Pixel 2 was still kicking butt a year after launch. I just don't think much of the tech community has been willing to admit what our eyes are telling us... the Pixel 3's camera is great, but probably not the undisputed champ.
And that makes me a little sad after dropping so much $$$ on this device. It's still the only phone camera I would trust in point and shoot situations, but I'm tempted to keep the Pixel 2 in my bag on vacations just for the photos. And it's not just me. Android Headlines made a great video showing the P3's photography prowess and shortcomings.
I really just want to know if anyone else starting to feel this way as well? If so, and if we start making some noise about it, could Google actually listen and adjust the post-processing? They've listened to us complain about everything else on these phones (speaker buzz, ram management, photos not saving, etc), it's gotta be worth a shot, right?
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Anandtech came out with their review and they say the camera performance is on par with Pixel 2 but produces slightly colder images. It's sad that Google is so complacent this year with the Pixel 3 hardware improvements.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13474/the-google-pixel-3-review

It seems incredibly likely that a software update will improve the camera in due course. Nothing to worry about

I have noticed that front facing camera on Pixel 2 produces slightly less noise and result in again slightly sharper image. Situation is different on the back. Shooting both side by side indoor with lights on, Pixel 3xl produces more true to life , brighter and more than slightly sharper image!