Camera Shootouts

HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro vs HONOR Magic6 Pro: Camera Shootout

Duel of China’s action-packed smartphone cameras

Published

on

Once a family, now a separate entity. Four years have already passed ever since the two brands took different paths yet fate made them meet again at the crossroads.

This 2024, HUAWEI and HONOR both offer flagship smartphones for those who truly desire photography in a pocket.

While the Magic6 Pro was announced as early as January, its former parent company unveiled the newly (re)branded “Pura” 70 series in China four months after — five if you will count its Southeast Asia and Europe launch.

The Magic of Pura

Our camera shootouts would feel incomplete without including a side-by-side comparison of each smartphone’s camera hardware.

HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro HONOR Magic6 Pro
Wide 50MP f/1.4-4.0
1/1.3” sensor size
OIS + Laser AF + PDAF
50MP f/1.4-2.0
1/1.3” sensor size
OIS + Laser AF + PDAF
Ultra-Wide 12.5MP f/2.2
50MP f/2.2
122º FoV
Telephoto 48MP f/2.1
Macro Telephoto
3.5x optical zoom
180MP f/2.6
Periscope Telephoto
2.5x optical zoom
Selfie 13MP f/2.4
50MP f/2.0
ToF 3D (depth + biometrics)

Strikingly familiar are the 50-megapixel main (wide) camera of both phones. And upon further inspection, they both share the OmniVision OV50H 1/1.3-inch sensor.

However, there’s a catch. HUAWEI’s Pura 70 Pro aperture closes as narrow as f/4.0 whereas the Magic6 Pro is on the slightly wider f/2.0 opening.

Moreover, the ultra-wide cameras of both phones have the same f/2.2 aperture but the Pura 70 Pro has a smaller 12.5-megapixel sensor while the HONOR still rocks 50-megapixels.

Last but not the least, there’s quite a gap between the zoom cameras of the two. The highlight of the Magic6 Pro is none other than its 180-megapixel sensor. Despite only having an optical zoom of 2.5x, HONOR still markets it a “periscope telephoto”.

Meanwhile, the Pura 70 Pro is equipped with a smaller 48-megapixel shooter but includes a farther 3.5x optical zoom. Both phones don’t exceed the f/2.0 lens diaphragm.

Surprisingly, HUAWEI did not include a three punch-hole cutout this time

Flipping the front, the Pura 70 Pro has a singe punch-hole cutout that houses its 13-megapixel selfie shooter while the Magic6 Pro still packs a 50-megapixel camera with an additional ToF 3D sensor for biometrics.

HONOR Magic6 Pro’s “Dynamic Capsule”

Purely Magical

Now that their camera specifics have been discussed, it’s the right time to see the real deal and view each other’s output side-by-side for a fair and square comparison.

Samples are divided in different sections based on what focal length or mode they were shot in.

Disclaimer: Photos were all taken using Auto Mode with AI scene detection turned on (otherwise stated). These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and better preview. No color correction, cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.

Wide (1x)

On paper, both are equipped with the same 50-megapixel sensor minus the slightest disparities in their variable aperture — but how similar or different are they in real-life performance?

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

Ultra-Wide Angle (UWA)

While HUAWEI did not disclose the actual Field of View (FoV) of Pura 70 Pro’s ultra-wide camera, it looks closer to HONOR Magic6 Pro’s 122-degree lens.
But which is which?

U1

U2

U3

U4

Zoom

Different megapixel count, different optical zoom focal lengths. But does that make of a huge difference?

*For the closest side-by-side results, we’ve decided to maximize the 180-megapixel sensor of the Magic6 Pro and align its 2.5x optical zoom to Pura 70 Pro’s 3.5x optical zoom.

Z1

Z2

Z3

Z4

Z5

Portraits and Selfies

One thing that makes or breaks a smartphone’s camera performance is when one cannot deliver a clean portrait shot with messy cutouts and artificial-looking bokeh. Worst of all? Whitewashing the subject.

Although selfies are still based on one’s taste, the same sentiment can be said in front camera beautification techniques.

P1 | Outdoor

P2 | Indoor

P3 | Low-Light

P4 | Regular Selfie

P5 | Wide-Angle Selfie

Night Mode

Knowing Chinese smartphone manufacturers, photos taken with Night Mode are often based on their AI algorithms and other software-based post-processing.

N1 | 1x Wide

N2 | 1x Wide

N3 | 1x Wide

N4 | 1x Wide

N5 | Ultra-Wide

N6 | Zoom

N7 | Zoom

N8 | Zoom

N9 | Zoom

Low-Light

Different from shots taken with Night Mode, Low-Light shots were taken in normal mode without the added slower shutter speed slash AI image stacking.

L1 | Ultra-Wide

L2 | 1x Wide

L3 | 1x Wide

L4 | 2x Zoom

L5 | 5x Zoom

BONUS

Lights! Camera! Action!? Snapshot!?

HONOR is confident with their Falcon Camera System with fast shutter speeds. Its AI Algorithm even detects action in presence even before you hit the shutter.

On the other hand, HUAWEI offers the same thing with their Ultra Speed Snapshot Function. However, it’s a more user-based approach as the user needs to switch to Snapshot mode and manually press the capture button.

B1 | AI / Auto

B2 | Manual Shutter

Tiny But Mighty

While both phones possess macro modes, HUAWEI has branded their telephoto camera as “Ultra Lighting Macro Telephoto Camera”. Does it bring a heaven on earth macro output, though?

B3 | Regular Macro

B4 | Telephoto Macro

Farther Than Ever

Going over the limits, I also tried taking photos past the 10x digitally-cropped zoom mark just to see how each performs even at farther perspectives.

B5 | 10x Zoom

B6 | 10x Zoom

B7 | 30x Zoom

Results

Already have your picks? If you’ve seen a consistent pattern, congratulations! Here are the shootout results:

Photo A — HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro

Photo B — HONOR Magic6 Pro

Conclusion

Photos taken on the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro are richer in saturation and stronger in contrast. It also leans more into the warmer side of the spectrum. In most scenarios, it looks more favorable, contrary to the more “natural-looking” output of the HONOR Magic6 Pro.

However, there are some cases where HONOR yielded better results — specifically in Photos W2 / W4 / Z1 / Z5 / L3 / L5 / N7 / N8.

But in terms of overall camera performance, the Pura 70 Pro has the edge. It delivers a photo output that’s closer to what my naked eyes see upon hitting the shutter release.

Despite the high ranks and praises that the HONOR Magic6 Pro has received — especially its DxOMark gold score and also topping the overall smartphone camera ranking, this head-to-head camera smackdown simply proves that lab tests nor any other simulated assessment simply aren’t everything.

HONOR Magic6 Pro

If we are basing it on real-life samples, the Magic6 Pro lacks something that its Pura counterpart continuously delivers.

Its ultra-wide cameras obviously have that undesirable tint and cast. At first, I thought it was just a smudge issue but after thoroughly wiping the whole camera bump, the results were the same.

Also, despite its bigger 180-megapixel periscope telephoto shooter, it doesn’t nearly give the upper hand when it comes to zoomed shots.

Even way past its 10x hybrid zoom, the 48-megapixel zoom camera of the Pura 70 Pro delivered better results all because HUAWEI has better AI camera algorithms courtesy of their in-house XMAGE Imaging Tech. The last three bonus shots are testaments to my claim (Photos B5 / B6 / B7).

This, once again, proves that having a higher megapixel count doesn’t equate to better-looking photos. That large pixel count is and will only be helpful if you are the type of user who always zooms in at the littlest details and crops when you see a desirable subject to share online.

Then again, photos taken through its massive periscope telephoto were binned into a lower-megapixel output. That process alone could have produced a better-looking zoomed shot — but I digress.

Bells and Whistles

When we talk about the extra camera feats that both phones possess, HUAWEI still beats HONOR to the punch.

Other than its Night Mode capabilities that deliver better saturation, contrast, and overall clarity, the Pura 70 Pro also delivers macro shots that the Magic6 Pro cannot totally beat.

Pura 70 Pro’s 2x Regular Macro vs 3.5x Telephoto Macro

The fact that the telephoto camera of the Pura 70 Pro also doubles as a macro camera is a big feat for those who are into macro photography. This not only avoids the pesky shadows and awkward closeness when using the ultra-wide camera, the reliance on the telephoto delivers better and shallower Depth-of-Field (DoF) with creamier bokeh all around.

Lastly, portraits and selfies may be preferential, but it’s evident how HONOR tried to wash down skin tones just to say the subject looks pale — like most East Asians prefer.

HONOR Magic6 Pro | Gilas Pilipinas

But this isn’t me saying the HONOR Magic6 Pro is an underwhelming smartphone for taking photographs. In fact, Rodneil, the team’s Managing Editor, took it out to a basketball open practice and shot astounding photos of the players mostly in action. That’s all thanks to the Falcon Camera System that HONOR is confident in.

SEE: I took the Magic6 Pro to a basketball open practice

At the end of the day, the consumer has the final decision to decide which smartphone best suits their smartphone-tography needs.

But if I were to choose, the crown simply goes to the HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro with the overall camera flexibility, accuracy, and consistency — Google Mobile Services notwithstanding.

Camera Shootouts

Camera Shootout: HONOR 400 Pro vs TECNO CAMON 40 Premier

Camera battle of two midranger wonders

Published

on

By

In my previous camera smackdown, I clearly stated that we don’t have the HONOR 400 Pro to try out.

Months have passed, the odds were (finally) in my favor as I was able to test it against another midranger wonder, the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier.

Oh CAMON, your HONOR

I’ve decided to clash the HONOR 400 Pro and TECNO CAMON 40 Premier primarily because both phones offer the quintessential triple rear camera system.

HONOR 400 Pro
TECNO CAMON 40 Premier
Wide
200MP f/1.9
1/1.4-inch sensor
Samsung ISOCELL HP3
50MP f/1.88
1/1.56-inch sensor
Sony LYT-701C
Ultra-Wide
12MP f/2.2
50MP f/2.2
Telephoto / Periscope
50MP f/2.4
3x Optical Zoom
50MP f/2.2
3x Optical Zoom
Selfie
50MP f/2.0
50MP f/2.5

Hardware-wise, disparities are quite evident. The TECNO CAMON 40 Premier rocks quad 50MP cameras (including the selfie camera), whereas the HONOR 400 Pro has variations in its overall camera system.

It highlights its 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 main camera while TECNO begs to differ as it packs a sensor made by the Korean giant’s Japanese rival — the newcomer Sony LYT-701C sensor that’s only used in two phones so far (2024’s realme 13 Pro+ being the other).

The opposite happens in HONOR 400 Pro’s ultra-wide lens as it features the smaller 12MP camera.

But, the biggest dealbreaker has got to be the existence of 3x zoom shooters that their base models lack.

Although both acquire the same megapixel count, the HONOR 400 Pro is equipped with a traditional telephoto lens structure while the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier boasts a periscope lens that utilizes a prism design / mirror system for capturing long-range subjects and objects.

Lastly, both phones have 50MP front-facing cameras with slight differences in aperture value.

Sticking with the Standard

Much like any other shootouts, I’ve opted to stick with the standard shooting profiles that both phones have right after setting ’em up: Standard for TECNO, Natural for HONOR.

Disclaimer: Photos were all taken using Auto Mode with AI scene detection turned on. These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and better preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.

Ultra-Wide Angle (UWA)

Similar lens diaphragm, totally different megapixel count.
Does that alone make a far cry?

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

U6

U7

Main (1x + 2x)

The massive 200-megapixel main camera of the HONOR 400 Pro is four times larger compared to TECNO CAMON 40 Premier’s already capable 50MP Sony sensor. Obviously, that comes in very handy when taking zoomed shots via in-sensor cropping.

However, can you even tell which sample belongs to which smartphone?

M1

M2

M3

 

M4

M5

M6

M7

M8

M9

3x Optical Zoom

The crème de la crème of these two phones are their zoom shooters.

While lens structure are different (again, telephoto for HONOR while periscope for TECNO), which one gives THE better optically-zoomed shots?

ZO1

ZO2

ZO3

ZO4

ZO5

ZO6

ZO7

ZO8

ZO9

ZO10

ZO11

ZO12

ZO13

Beyond 5x Zoom

Given that both phones are capable of shooting optically up to 3x, how can each phone go beyond 5x zoom?

ZB1

ZB2

ZB3

ZB4

ZB5

ZB6

ZB7

ZB8

ZB9

ZB10

Food

Hardware is one. Software is for another.

Food shots are one of the best ways to know how good (or bad) a phone is when it comes to photo quality and color accuracy.

F1

F2A

F2B

F3A

F3B

F4

F5

Portrait Mode

Taking creamy~licious portraits shouldn’t be a rare feat among modern-day midrangers.

But can TECNO’s standard Portrait Mode compete with HONOR’s Harcourt prowess?

PM1

PM2

PM3

PM4

PM5

Low-Light

I said it before and I’ll say it again.

Taking shots in low-light is what makes or breaks a phone’s photography performance.

LL1

LL2

LL3

LL4

LL5

BONUS: Selfie

B1A  |  Ultra-Wide Portrait ON

B1B  |  1x Wide Portrait ON

B2A  |  1x Wide Portrait OFF

B2B  |  Ultra-Wide Portrait OFF

Results

Notice a pattern? Or lack thereof?

Well, the results are definitely consistent.

A — TECNO CAMON 40 Premier

B — HONOR 400 Pro

Conclusion

At first, it’s kind of hard to distinguish which phone is which.

For instance, the ultra-wide, 1x wide, and 2x photos of the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier leaned more onto the cooler side. However, the contrary happens in Sample Sets M5 / M8 / M9 where the shots are warmer than its HONOR counterpart.

If you zoom in further, HONOR 400 Pro’s 200MP main sensor doesn’t have a huge advantage — delivering somewhat the same amount of detail compared to the CAMON 40 Premier.

Except for Photos ZO6 / ZO8 / ZO9 / ZB7 / ZB8, consistency in warmness continues among photos taken in the CAMON 40 Premier’s 3x periscope zoom lens.

How natural is “Natural”?

Despite choosing the “Natural” Color Mode in the HONOR 400 Pro, Sets M4 / ZO12 / ZO13 / LL5 truly showed lack of saturation with its washed out photos. That same look is even evident in 5 out of 7 food shots.

It also struggles to capture a balanced dynamic range. Making Set M3 as an example, look at how blown-out the highlights of the night lights have turned out in HONOR versus TECNO.

There were times when HONOR takes brighter photos but at the expense of amping up shadows and losing contrast (M4 / M8 / ZB2 / ZB3). Inconsistently, the results turned out the other way around in Sets U1 / U2 / U4 with lower exposure and darker shadows.

Photos taken at night also looked dimmer versus TECNO’s post-ready low-light takes.

HONOR’s “Natural” color profile doesn’t look natural at all with its inaccuracy and inconsistencies compared to how I / we perceive the actual subjects in real life.

That’s not to say the HONOR 400 Pro produces bad photos. Honestly, there are times where I preferred the HONOR more — Samples ZO6 / ZB7 / ZB8 / ZB9 are living proof to that.

If there’s a category where I think HONOR has nailed, it’s definitely the Portrait Mode with better shots and depth segmentation, properly showcasing its Harcourt specialty. Additionally, selfies looked better no matter where and how you look at it

Higher price ≠ Higher performance

Reiterating what I’ve said in my HONOR 400 vs vivo V50 camera showdown, the HONOR 400 Pro and TECNO CAMON 40 Premier are also two midrangers positioned in different levels of the same sailing ship.

Price-wise, the HONOR 400 Pro costs more at PhP 32,999. Meanwhile, TECNO’s CAMON 40 Premier is heaps cheaper at just PhP 21,999. That makes it a very contending smartphone in the upper-midrange space.

For the same price, you’ll only get the HONOR 400 at PhP 22,999 along its absence of a dedicated telephoto lens.

While there are more factors to consider in this huge price gap such as a faster chipset, bigger battery capacity, larger internal storage, and several other hardware nuances, it’s safe to say that a higher price tag isn’t always synonymous to having the best cameras. This camera shootout alone is just one among many testaments to that.

READ: It’s the little things that make the HONOR 400 Pro 5G a daily wonder

At the end of the day, it’s your choice as a consumer which smartphone camera (both in image quality and overall look) dominates your priorities and overall purchasing power.

Now, if you’d ask me, the TECNO CAMON 40 Premier ultimately bags that “bang for the buck” title for offering the better camera flexibility despite its more affordable price tag.

SEE ALSO: TECNO CAMON 40 Premier review: Cảm ơn, CAMON!

Continue Reading

Camera Shootouts

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 vs OPPO Find N5 – Camera Shootout

Foldables, fight!

Published

on

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

It feels like just yesterday we were comparing three foldables in one big camera shootout. In reality, it’s been a full year — and a lot has changed. This time, it’s down to two powerhouses: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and the OPPO Find N5.

Both are book-style foldables launched globally in 2025 — Samsung in July, OPPO earlier in February. Both also come with major physical changes: they’re slimmer, taller, and in the Fold7’s case, slightly wider too. But the real battle lies inside: the cameras.

Samsung brought over the 200MP main shooter from the Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Fold7. The rest of the system, however, didn’t see major changes. Meanwhile, OPPO gave the Find N5 a full-on imaging overhaul.

On paper

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 OPPO Find N5
Main Camera 200 MP, f/1.7, 24 mm (wide), 1/1.3″, PDAF, OIS  50 MP, f/1.89, 1/1.56″, OIS (HyperTone wide-angle) 
Ultrawide 12 MP, f/2.2, 120°, 1.4 µm, PDAF  (Not specified in source – likely none or under 50 MP)
Telephoto / Periscope 10 MP, f/2.4, 67 mm, PDAF, OIS, 3× optical zoom  50 MP periscope telephoto with macro (~10 cm macro) 
Video Recording 8K@30 fps, 4K@60 fps, 1080p@60/120/240 fps, 720p@960 fps, gyro-EIS, 10-bit HDR10+  LivePhoto with enhanced EIS; video specs not detailed 
Selfie Cameras Dual 10 MP front cams (cover + inner display)  Not detailed in provided source

Specs tell part of the story, but photos reveal the truth. As always, the only edits applied were for cropping and resizing to fit our format.

So how do they compare in real-world shooting?

W (1x)

w1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

w2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W5

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W6

W7

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W8

W9

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W10

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

W11

W12

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Zoom A (2x-3x)

ZA1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA5

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA6

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA7

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA8

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA9

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZA10

ZA11

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZOOM B (6x and up)

ZB1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB5

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

ZB6

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Selfie (Outer Camera)

S1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

S2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

S3

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

S4

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Low light

L1

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

L2

Galaxy Z Fold7 Find N5

Blind test reveal & first impressions

Did you guess which was which?
A is the OPPO Find N5. B is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.

Now that you know, a few things stand out:

  • The Find N5 consistently produced brighter images, especially in low light. OPPO’s post-processing really flexes here.
  • The Galaxy Z Fold7 leaned toward a more natural, life-like output, a noticeable shift from Samsung’s traditionally saturated look.

That said, using the Fold7’s main camera at 1x felt… off. The focal length feels awkward — too wide for most shots but just right for taking main-camera selfies. I found myself constantly switching to 2x or 3x, which makes up a big chunk of the samples here.

Flat or flavorful?

One of the biggest differences is in how the two phones handle processing and depth.

Take the Brooklyn Bridge photo through cyclone wire (W8):

  • The Find N5 nailed it with more pronounced depth and contrast.
  • The Fold7 came off a little flat in comparison.

But this wasn’t always the case. In the shot of the yellow vehicle (w5) and in main-camera selfies (W12), the Fold7 delivered bokeh that looked more organic.

Overall, the Find N5 clearly does more processing after you hit the shutter, while the Fold7 gives you what it sees, almost instantly. Your preference between a more “finished” photo and a natural one will really show here.

Zoom zoom

Let’s be real — this wasn’t even close.

At 6x and beyond, the OPPO Find N5 easily outclassed the Fold7. Detail, sharpness, and clarity all went to OPPO’s corner. Samsung’s telephoto performance just didn’t keep up.

Final thoughts

If we’re talking eye-catching, the OPPO Find N5 wins out of the gate. Brighter shots, better zoom, more punch overall.

But the Galaxy Z Fold7 holds its own. At 1x to 3x — and especially in low light — it sometimes captures a mood the Find N5 over-brightens. The beer glass in a dimly lit bar is a perfect example: OPPO lit it up; Samsung kept the vibe.

At the end of the day, this comes down to what you value.

  • Want bright, punchy, more dramatic photos? Go OPPO.
  • Prefer subtler, moodier, more natural output? Samsung’s your bet.

That said — if we’re choosing a winner in camera versatility and polish, the OPPO Find N5 edges ahead.

Continue Reading

Camera Shootouts

HONOR 400 vs vivo V50: Camera Shootout

Comeback camera showdown of the two Chinese mids

Published

on

By

Just like a year ago, HONOR and vivo both step on the arena again for a head-on midrange camera showdown.

Although the HONOR 400 Pro exists, we clearly don’t have it. This just means we have to compare it to the next ideal candidate, the base HONOR 400.

This is up against vivo’s one and lonely V50. After all, the “vivo V50 Pro” simply doesn’t exist in vivo’s 2025 glossary.

HONOR thy vivo

The best reason to compare these two are none other than their similar 1x wide + UWA camera combo.

HONOR 400
vivo V50
Wide
200MP f/1.9
Samsung ISOCELL HP3
1/1.4” sensor
50MP f/1.88
OmniVision OV50E
1/1.55” sensor
Ultra-Wide
12MP f/2.2
50MP f/1.9
Selfie
50MP f/2.0
50MP f/2.0

Both phones possess a main shooter with a wide aperture closing to f/1.9. But, numbers-wise, HONOR 400 offers four times the megapixel count offered by the vivo V50 (200MP vs 50MP).

The equipped Samsung sensor is also a tad bit larger compared to its OmniVision counterpart.

The opposite happens in their ultra-wide modules. The vivo V50 has the upper-hand with its wider and bigger 50MP f/1.9 unit. Meanwhile, the HONOR 400 has a 12MP f/2.2 shooter.

One thing they obviously met head-to-head is none other than their 50MP f/2.0 selfie cameras.

All Natural

Both the HONOR 400 and vivo V50 feature a trio of color profile options when shooting photos in the default camera mode: Natural, Vibrant, and Authentic for the HONOR 400.

On the other hand, ZEISS Natural, Vivid, and Textured for the vivo V50.

vivo V50 | 2025

For the second midrange camera shootout of the year, we’re going to stick with the “Natural” mode of both phones. They’re both set by default anyway.

HONOR 400 | 2025

Disclaimer: Photos were all taken using Auto Mode with AI scene detection turned on. These images were collaged, resized, and labeled for faster loading and better preview. No color correction, zoomed-in cropping, nor any other type of photo manipulation were applied.

Ultra-Wide (UWA)

How does a smaller or bigger megapixel count affect the overall quality of the phone’s UWA output?

U1

U2

U3

U4

U5

U6

Wide (1x)

Now onto the main filling: 200MP vs 50MP — does megapixel count really matter?

W1

W2

W3

W4

W5

W6

W7

W8

W9

W10

2x Lossless Zoom

Just because we don’t have a dedicated zoom unit, it doesn’t mean we cannot take photos past 1x.

LZ1

LZ2

LZ3

LZ4

LZ5

LZ6

LZ7

LZ8A

LZ8B

LZ9A

LZ9B

LZ10

Beyond Zoom

Going beyond the lossless zoom limits just to see how far can these two phones take the cake in digital zoom imagery.

BZ1

BZ2

BZ3

BZ4

BZ5

BZ6

BZ7

BZ8

Good Mood for Food

It won’t be a complete camera chow down without a food-dedicated section.

F1

F2

F3

F4

F5A

F5B

Right at Night

Night Mode algorithms make or break a phone’s camera performance.
In this case, which phone is the best when there’s already an absence of natural light?

N1A  |  1x Wide

N1B  |  2x Zoom

N2A  |  1x Wide

N2B  |  2z Zoom

N3A  |  1x -Wide

N3B  |  2x Zoom

N4

N5

N6

N7

BONUS: Portraits and Selfies

Harcourt or ZEISS?
Also, which is the selfie expert among these two midrangers?

P1

P2

S1

S2

S3

S4A  | Regular Selfie

S4B  |  Ultra-Wide Selfie

S5A  | Regular Selfie

S5B  |  Ultra-Wide Selfie

Results

It’s honestly hard to discern which is which, even if you’re familiar with how both phones process photos.

Nevertheless, here are the consistent results:

A — HONOR 400

B — vivo V50

Truthful Thoughts

After spending a Taipei-filled photo session with these two, I can truthfully say no one is a solid final winner as the results were pretty much a mixed bag.

Sometimes, vivo is victorious over its HONOR counterpart — and vice versa.

Starting with their ultra-wide shooters. Sets U1 / U2 / U4 both showed how the V50’s output leans more into the cooler side. However, the opposite happens in its other shots. Honestly, this can be fixed in post if it’s not your cup of tea.

That said, the vivo V50 still has the overall upper-hand with its larger megapixel count and wider aperture. Such configuration creates UWA images that are clearer and less noisy when zoomed in.

Quite an Oddity

Now, when it comes to their main cameras, you’ll notice right away how the HONOR 400 always captures the tighter shot.

That’s due to the fact that it uses an odd focal length of 27mm versus the 23mm found on the V50 — and pretty much any normal smartphone camera would.

Again, something that’s user-preferential as others like it wider. While some like it tighter than ever 👀

Personally, I prefer the wider focal length for overall flexibility — whether preserving the negative space of a photograph or completely cropping it to fit in the perfect aspect ratio when posting on socials.

In the 1x wide category alone, the vivo V50 is my overall pick over the HONOR 400.

HDR and rightful exposure is just one. The color accuracy and consistency is for another.

HONOR 400’s lackluster shots in some parts just proves my unending point that having a larger megapixel count doesn’t necessarily equate to better-looking images.

While the HONOR 400 admittedly has an extra 0.15-inch in its sensor size, vivo still lives with its better color calibration and software algorithms. A true testament to their long-lasting partnership with ZEISS.

Speaking of, ZEISS Style Portraits are just way ahead of the game compared to HONOR’s Harcourt partnership meant for Portraits (P1 / P2).

Some confusion in the conclusion

The 200MP Samsung shooter of the HONOR 400 comes at an obvious advantage when it comes to taking photos in 2x zoom with its heavy reliance on in-sensor cropping.

If you’ll click in one of the shots above and zoom in, the details are clearer compared to what the V50 shows. The latter looks smudged in favor of a noise-free result.

 

Weirdly enough, the HONOR 400 tends to produce brighter shots when taking past 2x in most zoomed shots (LZ1 / LZ2 / LZ3 / LZ8A / LZ9A / LZ9B / BZ1 / BZ5 / BZ6). That’s despite having photos with lower exposure and highlights in the 1x category.

Now when it comes to food, the HONOR 400 delivered unexpected results with its muted colors that made food barely appetizing (F1 / F3 / F5A). Surprisingly, the contrary happened in Sets F4 and F5B as the HONOR 400 had the more scrumptious shots.

Once the sunlight goes out and moonlight fades in, each of the phones’ Night Mode algorithm both kick in.

Honestly, both took equally acceptable photos that are also quite alike in overall exposure, contrast, sharpness, and saturation. Then again, the HONOR 400 always had the tighter shot between shots in 1x and 2x (or beyond).

Last but definitely not the least, selfies.

While I’m never the selfie type of guy, my eyes are crystal clear and aren’t deceitful.

Even if the HONOR 400 brought the “natural-looking” selfies outdoors, it failed big time when used indoors (S1 / S2 / S3). Again, the color inaccuracy and inconcistency is ever-present in this category.

No one would simply use that as their profile photo (or even as their featured portrait in the matchmaking app of their choice).

Kudos though for bringing ultra-wide angle selfies that other flagships fail to bring.

Just A Little Bit Caught in the Middle 🎵🎶

Deciding which of these two midrangers is the true marvel when it comes to photo-taking is simply something you’d be stuck in the middle.

Both phones and their camera systems had some fair share of pros and cons that might make you pick one over another.

Other notable hardware specs such as display tech and size, overall battery capacity and charging standards, plus the familiarity, user-friendliness, and overall software experience are the factors that will make you stay or sway.

One thing’s for sure. both the HONOR 400 and vivo V50 run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC with the 512GB configuration being offered around the same price range: HONOR 400 at EUR 549 while less 39 Euros for the vivo V50 at around EUR 510

It’s just a matter of which phone you’re willing to spend on, which phone is closer to what your heart desires.

Continue Reading

Trending