(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
We’re almost at the end of Q3, and by now, most manufacturers have unveiled their new or updated flagship handsets, and we figure it is just the right time for a camera shootout again.
We’ve gathered five major smartphones that you’d be happy to own — the Apple iPhone 5S, the HTC One, the LG G2, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Sony Xperia Z1 — for a camera shootout to see just which one’s the best shooter of them all. Bear in mind though, the HTC One made its debut earlier this year (and hasn’t gotten any new versions), but its Ultrapixel camera was very good when we reviewed it (barring its lack of megapixels, that is).
Our focus is on how the phones handle shots in the bright outdoors, low-light, different lighting conditions indoors, flash photography and night shots. Of course, we would have loved to have gotten the
Nokia Lumia 1020 to be in our shootout as well, but the handset only just launched in Singapore, and we weren’t able to get our hands on a review unit in time. Given what we know about the smartphone’s 41-megapixel camera, we’re pretty sure that it will easily beat the competition. So what’s second best then?
Test conditions: all phones have been set to shoot in auto with one exception — the Sony Xperia Z1. As the Z1′s Superior Auto mode only shoots in the 16:9 aspect ratio and we want to keep images consistent at 4:3, we used the manual mode option, but with everything else (ISO, White Balance) at auto and software-based image stabilization turned off.
To keep things consistent, we tested the Note 3 with the image stabilization turned off as well. Based on the results though, it’s probably a good idea to turn that on for the Note 3 for less grainy pictures.
Test 1: the outdoors
All images were taken during a slightly overcast day. The Apple iPhone 5S colors were pretty saturated, followed by the HTC One. Both the LG G2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 looked muted comparatively but appeared to be closer to actual conditions. The Sony Xperia Z1 looked washed out. In the end, it boils down to your personal preference for the colors. All handsets performed competently outdoors (though the lack of details for the HTC One may make it unsuitable for larger prints).
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
Test 2: indoor lights
The iPhone 5S wins this battle easily. Not only is the scene well lit, details on the lamps can be made out. Unlike the other handsets which had the details blown out, the iPhone 5S perfectly captured both the lighting and the mesh texture of the lanterns. The HTC One deserves an honorable mention for having the best colors, but the lack of fine details due to the image size means the iPhone 5S emerges the victor here.
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
Test 3: macro
As we did this test using a photography lightbox, all handsets seem pretty much on par. The LG G2, with its 13-megapixel camera and OIS, manages to deliver the most detail compared with the other handsets. The Galaxy Note 3, too, manages to do well here, thanks to the bright lighting conditions.
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
Test 04: indoor lowlight
If you find this scene familiar, its because this is our standard test scene for low-light conditions. The LG G2′s image may look the least grainy, but that’s because there’s some post processing done. In fact, the picture resembled the one taken with the Note 3 when the Note 3′s stabilization tweak is turned on — with both phones, the shutter speed value gets stripped from the EXIF data, adding to our suspicion that some form of post processing has occurred. Since the G2 does this in the background though (the Note 3 has a “processing window”), you’ll never really notice it.
The winner of this test, however, has to be the HTC One. While the details are not there, the test image still looks the best amongst the other handsets. The Z1 fares decently here, though expect lots of grain due to the larger megapixel count. We’re also quite surprised at the poor quality of the iPhone 5S’ low-light shot, as we were expecting a better shot due to Apple’s low-light claims made at the company’s keynote.
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
Test 5: indoor shot under warm lighting
Strangely, while the HTC One usually deliver vibrant, the picture taken here appears muted. Looking at the overall colors and lighting though, the LG G2 emerges the winner in our opinion.
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
Test 6: flash shot under warm lighting
Apple’s new dual-tone flash clearly works here, as you can see in the cropped image. Compared with the other shots, the pictures taken with Apple’s iPhone 5S are full of detail and aren’t washed out at all.
Runners-up LG G2 and HTC One are similar in picture quality, followed by the Note 3, which was too bright and left the face washed out. The Z1 has a major problem here, images were just too blue and seemed to be off.
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
Test 7: night landscape shot
Like the low-light test shot earlier, the LG G2 is using a post processed shot. While it looks really nice, it isn’t really a fair test when compared with the others, so we’re leaving this out. As such, it looks like the HTC One takes the best-looking night shots. The Note 3′s picture turns out to be the dimmest, as the onboard software doesn’t seem able to find the right compromise between shutter speed and handshake compensation, and opts for the safest exposure.
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
(Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET)
Conclusion
Given how much work has been put into the camera software from smartphone manufacturers, you’ll find that the high-end handsets all deliver reasonably good images. The iPhone 5S stands out for its excellent flash photography and metering capabilities, though low-light shots are still lacking (but the flash compensates perfectly).
The G2 was the best performer in many of the tests, thanks to its larger 13-megapixel sensor and OIS. We, however, do note that the G2 “cheats” somewhat with low-light shots, the handset does post processing to reduce noise somewhat similar to the Galaxy Note 3′s stabilization feature. However, this takes place in the background, and doesn’t make you wait unlike the Note 3.
The older HTC One may lack the details due to the smaller megapixel count, but it does have its moments when it comes to low-light shots. The bigger sensor makes a different, though we really do wish it has a slightly higher megapixel count at times for zooming in.
As for the Galaxy Note 3, while it takes good pictures in bright light, the handset’s weakness is still low-light shots, as mentioned in our review. The problem here is that the onboard camera software can’t really compensate well enough as mentioned earlier in Test 7, though the stabilization mode does let you work with night shots at the cost of a washed out look. As mentioned in the review, this issues can likely be tweaked via an update.
The 20.7-megapixel camera of the Sony Xperia Z1 does have its moments, particularly in low-light shots, though the larger megapixel count does mean a lot more noise. Ideally, you should be using the Superior Auto mode for most of your shots, as the manual mode can be a little lacking. Sony can likely improve the camera through a software update.
If you’re in the market for a really good camera smartphone, right now, the LG G2 or the Apple iPhone 5S will be your best bet unless you don’t mind the older HTC One with its pretty decent camera and its lack of megapixels. Of course, if you want something that takes compact camera-quality pictures , the Nokia Lumia 1020 or the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom will be the two models to consider.
Smartphone camera shootout: Apple iPhone 5S vs HTC One vs LG G2 vs ...
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