Camera Shootouts

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Apple iPhone 7 Plus: Camera Shootout

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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.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S8 vs Google Pixel: Camera Shootout

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

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Camera Shootouts

Mate 20 Pro vs iPhone XS vs Galaxy Note 9: Camera shootout

The top three brands collide!

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January 28, 2019

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Huawei, Apple, and Samsung have released their top phones recently, which brings us to what you’ve all been waiting for: a camera shootout!

Not only are these among the fastest handsets in the market, they own some of the best cameras, as well. But because you have to pay a pretty penny to own one, it’s imperative that you make the right choice.

Brand loyalty aside, each one has its own specialty, but which flagship can we consider to be the overall best? While it’s highly subjective, they’re fun to compare nonetheless.

Even more enjoyable: Placing their photos in side-by-side comparisons for you to gander at. We compiled 14 of them in a blind test, all shot in Auto mode with AI applied when needed. Once you’re done pixel peeping at each photo, find out which phone took which picture by checking the answer sheet at the bottom.

Portrait

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Indoor 1

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Indoor 2

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Daylight 1

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Daylight 2

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Macro 1

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Macro 2

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HDR 1

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HDR 2

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Food 1

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Food 2

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Selfie

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Nighttime

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Bokeh

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Are you done choosing for each round? Here are the answers:

Portrait: iPhone XS, Mate 20 Pro, Galaxy Note 9

Indoor 1: Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS, Mate 20 Pro

Indoor 2: Mate 20 Pro, iPhone XS, Galaxy Note 9

Daylight 1: Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS, Mate 20 Pro

Daylight 2: iPhone XS, Galaxy Note 9, Mate 20 Pro

Macro 1: Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS, Mate 20 Pro

Macro 2: Mate 20 Pro, Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS

HDR 1: iPhone XS, Mate 20 Pro, Galaxy Note 9

HDR 2: Mate 20 Pro, iPhone XS, Galaxy Note 9

Food 1: Mate 20 Pro, Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS

Food 2: iPhone XS, Galaxy Note 9, Mate 20 Pro

Selfie: Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS, Mate 20 Pro

Nighttime: Mate 20 Pro, Galaxy Note 9, iPhone XS

Bokeh: iPhone XS, Mate 20 Pro, Galaxy Note 9

Clearly, they all did great and are definitely top-notchers in the premium segment. Were there any surprises for you? Do you see a clear-cut winner? Let us know in the comments section below.

This feature was produced in collaboration between GadgetMatch and Huawei Philippines.

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Camera Shootouts

Honor 10 Lite vs OPPO F9 vs Vivo V11: Selfie Shootout

Which phone takes the best selfies?

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January 18, 2019

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Most of the newly released phones lately don’t just have great rear shooters; they are also equipped with quality front cameras. This only means one thing: They can take good selfies. However, which phone is the best selfie taker?

In this comparison, we’re pitting the new Honor 10 Lite against the OPPO F9 and the Vivo V11.

The Honor 10 Lite is equipped with a 24-megapixel front camera with beautification features and AI scene detection. Both the OPPO F9 and Vivo V11, on the other hand, have 25-megapixel selfie snappers with AI beauty mode.

Without further ado, let’s begin the comparison:

#1

Let’s start with the first set of photos. These were taken without any smoothening or bokeh processing. These are as natural as their selfies can get. Taken inside a well-lit room, the phones had enough light to take a clear photo.

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#2

For the second set, we went to the balcony to check how the phones would fare in low-light. The flash setting was on auto to let the phones decide how they should take a low-light selfie. Unsurprisingly, the phones fired up their screen to act as the flash.

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#3

All three phones can take portrait-like selfies by applying artificial blur to the background. This set of photos was taken indoors with plenty of light coming in and bokeh mode turned on.

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#4

For the final set of selfies, we had bokeh and beauty mode turned on. Both the OPPO F9 and Vivo V11 were set to use AI to determine the level of beauty effect necessary. Meanwhile, the Honor 10 Lite was set to Level 3 (out of 10) to match the smoothening effect of the other two phones. To make it trickier, the photos were taken inside a busy cafe.

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That ends our selfie comparison using the Honor 10 Lite, OPPO F9, and Vivo V11. Each phone delivers different results in every scenario. Which of the selfies do you like most?

The Honor 10 Lite is officially arriving in the Philippines on January 22. Starting January 26, the phone will be available in all Honor authorized shops and dealers. Also, you may catch the Honor roadshow happening on January 26 in SM North EDSA where the Honor 10 Lite will be on sale and bundled with exciting freebies! For more information about the Honor 10 Lite, visit www.hihonor.com/ph or follow Honor Philippines Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HonorPhilippines.

This feature was produced in collaboration between GadgetMatch and Honor Philippines.

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Camera Shootouts

iPhone XR vs Pixel 3: Camera shootout

Which single-camera setup takes better photos?

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December 3, 2018

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In an age where dual and triple cameras have become a standard, two premium flagship smartphones with a single-camera setup can still compete. Google’s Pixel 3 is regarded by many as having the overall best smartphone camera because it produces well-balanced colors and clean cutouts on portrait mode. Apple’s iPhone XR has almost the same camera setup and features as the more expensive XS and XS Max, including the TrueDepth camera in front.

In this comparison, we pit the two against each other to find out which smartphone you think takes better photos. This is once again a blind test so get your pen and paper ready! Do note that all photos were taken on Auto or Portrait mode (when applicable) and have only been resized for faster loading times. They are labeled Photo A and Photo B randomly. Swipe left to see the photos in full and take note of your picks!

#1

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#2

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#3

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#4

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#5

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#6

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#7

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#8

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#9

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#10

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#11

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#12

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#13

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#14

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#15

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Ready to find out which phone took your picks? Here’s the answer key:

#1
Photo A: iPhone XR
Photo B: Pixel 3

#2
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

#3
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

#4
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

#5
Photo A: iPhone XR
Photo B: Pixel 3

#6
Photo A: iPhone XR
Photo B: Pixel 3

#7
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

#8
Photo A: iPhone XR
Photo B: Pixel 3

#9
Photo A: iPhone XR
Photo B: Pixel 3

#10
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

#11
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

#12
Photo A: iPhone XR
Photo B: Pixel 3

#13
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

#14
Photo A: iPhone XR
Photo B: Pixel 3

#15
Photo A: Pixel 3
Photo B: iPhone XR

There’s no clear winner in this shootout; both phones did a great job in capturing images even in low-light scenarios. Choosing which one is better boils down to preference.

The Pixel 3 produces photos with higher contrast and sharpness, which sometimes turn out darker so photos tend to look more dramatic than they are in real life.  The iPhone XR, with its Smart HDR technology, balances out highlights and shadows really well, so much so that backlit images look like they have more than one light source.

In the portrait mode department, neither of the phones did a perfect job — how the cutouts turn out varies depending on the hair’s texture, how busy the background is, and even lighting.

When it comes to selfies, the Pixel 3 offers a wider field of view, an option to switch to a secondary wide-angle lens, as well as a feature called Night Sight that’s also available on its rear camera. One complaint we’ve always had with iPhones is how tight selfies are as seen in sets #13 and #14, although the iPhone XR selfies look more pleasing compared to those taken with the Pixel 3, where my skin tone tends to look more dull.

What do you think of this comparison? Let us know in the comments section below.

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