Camera Shootouts

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Apple iPhone 7 Plus: Camera Shootout

Published

April 9, 2017

Marvin Velasco

After pitting the Galaxy S8 against the best single-lens camera phone of 2016, we’re now reviving Samsung’s fierce rivalry with the one, the only… iPhone 7 Plus!

Yes, we’re aware the iPhone 7 Plus has two camera lenses in its arsenal — one for regular, wide-angle shots and another for zoomed-in photos, while the Galaxy S8 has only one. To make this a fair fight, we’re excluding the iPhone’s extra lens and relying solely on both phone’s Auto settings.

In addition, we’re sticking to each phone’s default camera app. Remember, this comparison is based purely on what we see directly out of the handsets’ unedited JPEG files on a single computer monitor.

Check ‘em out:

Like in our previous shootout, this scenario is perfect for testing each camera’s dynamic range. While neither stand a chance against the Pixel’s strong HDR game, the Galaxy S8 is clearly more capable than the iPhone 7 Plus when it comes to balancing a scene’s highlights and shadows. The iPhone’s shot looks bland, especially on the building’s reflections and the exhaust in the foreground.

Here’s a classic example of how a Samsung phones tends to oversaturate scenes while the iPhone leans toward cooler, more realistic colors. For this particular setup, we prefer the Galaxy S8’s version, as it breathes more life into the couple’s sweet moment. The iPhone 7 Plus also seemed to have difficulty rendering the grass, losing nearly all the details.

The Galaxy S8 once again emphasizes strong colors on Chay’s face, but becomes slightly underexposed in the process. While the iPhone went for color accuracy and a brighter subject, we have to commend the entries for giving a sweet amount of background blur in both cases.

This is a point we have to give to #TeamApple. Even though the Galaxy S8 did a great job of putting all the focus on the flower’s bright yellow hue, the iPhone 7 Plus pulled it off more subtly and even produced a more pleasant level of sharpness on the surrounding leaves.

Speaking of background blur, we checked to see how each handset manages a shallow depth of field. Ignoring the usual over and undersaturation, we love how accurate the two phones are in locking onto the subject — the flowers, in this case — and giving us the artistic aesthetic we were after.

Let’s turn things up a notch. For nighttime landscape shots, we have to side with Samsung. The Galaxy S8 intelligently exposes the entire area without blown highlights, while the iPhone takes the safer route by simply keeping all the noise and grain in check.

Both cameras did a commendable job in this tricky instance; a crappy camera wouldn’t be able to make the “2017” legible with its illumination. The Galaxy S8’s output happens to be a little warmer, but this is something you can adjust if you choose to go beyond Auto settings.

Similar to the dark landscape test earlier, the Galaxy S8 has an edge over its iPhone rival when it comes to exposing all spots just right. What’s more glaring, however, is the red tint over the iPhone’s photo, which seems to darken the scene and provide unrealistic colors for once.

Now we test the front-facing cameras, each of which has a single lens. Our selfie on the left produced much smoother skin and slightly brighter faces, whereas the other selfie turned out grainier and darker. To the iPhone’s credit, hair and clothing details are a lot sharper.

We’ll once again end this with a solo daytime selfie. Quality-wise, we’d call this a tie, since they outputted the same level of colors and sharpness. The iPhone’s shot looks less lit, but that can be blamed on the tighter angle it provided us.

This shootout wasn’t as close as the one between the Galaxy S8 and Pixel. Samsung’s flagship phone is a clearer winner here, having delivered excellent images across the board. Even in the few instances we preferred the iPhone’s pictures, the Galaxy S8’s was nearly as good and it could’ve done either way.

Then again, we can’t end this without mentioning the iPhone 7 Plus’ extra telephoto lens. It opens up more creative possibilities, and enables you to capture faraway subjects without having to move closer. Those are things a Galaxy can’t do until Samsung decides to jump on the dual-camera bandwagon. (On the Galaxy Note 8, perhaps?)

And, that’s it! Tell us which camera phone you think won this shootout. Leave a comment below and let your opinions be heard.

[irp posts=”12004″ name=”Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Google Pixel: Camera Shootout”]

Related Topics:Apple Galaxy S8 iPhone 7 Plus Samsung

Camera Shootouts

Pixel 3a vs iPhone SE: Camera shootout

Two single camera phones in 2020. One damn good shootout.

Published

April 24, 2020

MJ Jucutan

Small in size, single rear camera, and both a dollar shy of 400. The iPhone SE and Google Pixel 3a have so much in common.

While some of you might argue, why don’t we wait for the Pixel 4a to compare with the iPhone SE? Let me get back to you with another question: Why should we wait when we can compare two similar phones — both priced at US$ 399 — that are NOW available in the market?

Here, we’re going to have a comprehensive blind test. It’s not going to be the same camera shootout where I messed with y’all because you’ll need a note-taking app or your pen and paper so you can take note of your answers. As usual, no post-processing was done aside from putting the photos together on a collage for faster preview. If you want to cheat, the answers can be found at the end of this article.

Now, let’s dive in!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23

#24

#25

#26

#27

#28

Results

iPhone SE: 1A, 2A, 3B, 4B, 5A, 6B, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10B, 11B, 12B, 13A, 14B, 15A, 16A, 17B, 18B, 19A, 20A, 21A, 22B, 23B, 24A, 25A, 26A, 27A, 28A

Pixel 3a: 1B, 2B, 3A, 4A, 5B, 6A, 7B, 8B, 9B, 10A, 11A, 12A, 13B, 14A, 15B, 16B, 17A, 18A, 19B, 20B, 21B, 22A, 23A, 24B, 25B, 26B, 27B, 28B

The iPhone SE and the Pixel 3a have only one rear camera each. The former has a 12Mp wide-angle camera with an f/1.8 lens, while the latter has a 12.2MP wide-angle lens with an f/1.8 lens. Although, the Pixel 3a sports a larger 1/2.55″ image sensor compared to iPhone SE’s 1/3″ image sensor.

However, the results vary when you analyze the photos thoroughly.

Daytime

Both phones take comparable photos when the sun is out. The iPhone SE’s photo is warmer, while the Pixel 3a’s photo has a little bit of dullness to it. As pointed out in a previous blind test on our social platforms, the Pixel 3a adds drama with its gloomy processing.

When it comes to shadows and highlights, the iPhone SE captures it better. Maybe it’s the Smart HDR. The intensity in contrast and shadows made some photos add more depth (and look alive) compared to the Pixel 3a’s flat captures. Thankfully, both phones capture creamy bokeh great for portraits and practicing basic photography.

Lowlight

During sunset, the iPhone SE produces more lively photos while the Pixel 3a still lacks oomph. When there’s barely a source of light, the iPhone SE becomes aggressive with its white balance correction and tends to get noisy.

On the other hand, the Pixel 3a delivers a better shot — with or without Night Sight. Of course, the Night Sight allows you to take excellent photos that are social-media ready and it even works on the Pixel 3a’s selfie camera.

Selfies

The Pixel 3a captures wider selfies, except when you use Portrait Mode. Although, the iPhone SE does a better job at lighting Michael Josh’s face. Gladly, Pixel has Night Sight for selfies which makes this round even.

Zoom

Both the iPhone SE and Pixel 3a offer Digital Zoom, with the former having up to 5x while the latter can shoot up to 7x. When you meticulously look at the zoom samples, Pixel is a clear winner since its Digital Zoom produces more detail. It can even capture a much more legible zoomed-in photo of the Cointreau bottle.

Verdict

The iPhone SE and the Pixel 3a captures excellent photos — both in good and bad lighting conditions. Though, the Pixel 3a delivers better when it comes to Digital Zoom and photos that were taken using Night Sight. Still, both phones are stunning in the camera department despite commanding an affordable price tag. At the end of the day, the user decides based on his/her preference and needs.

For US$ 399, whichever you choose, you’re in good hands. Of course, a camera isn’t the only thing you should look at when checking out smartphones. Watch our head-to-head comparison of iPhone SE and Pixel 3a here.

Camera Shootouts

iPhone SE vs iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Camera shootout

Battle of the iPhones!

Published

April 24, 2020

GadgetMatch

Can the iPhone SE hold out on its own against the newer iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max?

That’s a question we’ve answered on our iPhone SE unboxing and review. The comparison part came and went very quickly though. In this camera shootout, you get a lot of time to look at and analyze the differences between the three iPhones.

Like our usual shootouts, no post-processing was done except for putting the images in a collage for faster loading and preview. It’s labeled A, B, and C so it will be much easier for you to take notes. The answers can be found at the end of this article.

So, let’s begin!

#1 – Blue hour

#2 – Mug & book

#3 – Portrait mode (Daylight)

#4 – Greenery

#5 – Light bulb

#6 – HDR

#7 – Lowlight

#8 – Skyline

#9 – No light

#10 – Portrait mode (Sundown)

#11 – Portrait selfie

#12 – Sunset coffee

#13 – Sunset flare

#14 – Teddy bear

Results

Here are the answers:

A – iPhone SE

B – iPhone 11

C – iPhone 11 Pro Max

If you’ve noticed, the iPhone SE held out on its own during the day, even during sunset and the blue hour.

The three iPhones capture nearly identical results. With Smart HDR, it preserves highlights and shadows to keep it natural, while preserving details in the background. If we’re going to nitpick, the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro Max produce more vibrant colors, and in some cases are sharper with more details.

But other times, it was almost impossible to tell the difference. Nonetheless, this proves that even Apple’s entry-level iPhone — which is a lot cheaper than the iPhone 11 — captures decent and ‘gram-worthy photos. For the price it commands, the iPhone SE is such a steal.

So, what are your thoughts about the new iPhone SE? Did you like the photos captured? Is it your GadgetMatch? Hit us up on our social media platforms and let us know!

Camera Shootouts

Mi 10 Pro vs OnePlus 8 Pro vs Huawei P40 Pro vs OPPO Find X2 Pro: Camera shootout

Battle of the Pros!

Published

April 15, 2020

MJ Jucutan

It’s not even mid-2020 yet, but we already have so many Android flagships trying to compete for the spotlight. OPPO introduced us to the Find X2 Pro — an attempt to be in the same league as iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxies. Then, we have Huawei pushing through with its P40 Pro despite having no Google Mobile Services.

Xiaomi, on the other hand, unveiled its premium phone, leaving the flagship killer space. Joining the flagship fiesta is OnePlus’ latest — the OnePlus 8 Pro.

To see how each one fared in the camera department, we’ve taken these phones for a camera shootout around New York, during our trips to the grocery. Yes, we’re doing our part during this quarantine period by social distancing and leaving only when necessary.

Anyhoo, grab your pen and paper since this is a blind shootout. Since it’s labeled A, B, C, and D, it will be much easier for you to take notes. As usual, no post-processing was done except for putting the images in a collage for faster loading and preview. The answers can be found at the end of this article.

#1 – Blue sky

#2 – Backlit

#3 – Building and sky

#4 – Portrait mode

#5 – Moving flowers

#6 – Street

#7 – Flat lay

#8 – Ultra wide

#9 – Selfie during sun down

#10 – Cityscape on a sun down

#11 – Sunset via 10x zoom

#12 – Sunset silhouette

#13 – Low light (Auto)

#14 – Low light (Night mode)

#15 – Blue hour

#16 – Night shot (Auto)

Results

So, we’re just messing with you guys. It’s not actually that blind test where you have to scroll up and down to find out the answers in different labels. The results are as follows:

Photo A – Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro

Photo B – OnePlus 8 Pro

Photo C – Huawei P40 Pro

Photo D – OPPO Find X2 Pro

By now, you can see that these Android flagships capture differently, but all clearly held out on its own. Some phones produced brighter and vibrant photos during daylight, and some struggled in bad lighting conditions.

If anything, this shootout proves that Android flagships have come a long way. Consumers now have plenty of options when it comes to smartphones producing images that match their preferences and aesthetics. Whatever your choice is, it’s guaranteed you’ll be taking great photos. Just polish your skills and you’ll be ready to go. Remember, a good camera can only take you so far, you also gotta have some skills.

So, which smartphone takes better photos for YOU? Let us know in the comments section, and tell us if it’s your GadgetMatch.