2017 turned out to be a successful year for photography enthusiasts - several new smartphones were launched on the market, the developers of which promised us the best performance cameras. The quality of the photos, according to their assurances, can surpass the achievements of all devices of previous generations. Did the companies manage to achieve their goals? We will talk about this in the 2017 smartphone camera rating, based on data from the DxOMark website.
10.Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus
DxOMark Mobile Score: 87
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus camera opens the 2017 DxOMark smartphone camera rating. Despite the year of manufacture, this is one of the best camera phones on the market.
The camera with a resolution of 16 megapixels is perfect for those who like to shoot on the go, and for perfectionists who want to squeeze the maximum out of the device even in the most adverse conditions. Its most important advantages include:
- Quick launch with two presses of the button below the screen. The function works even when the smartphone is locked.
- Simple and intuitive controls. For example, icons of frequently used functions are shown in a separate line, which can be hidden if necessary.
- Capture sharp images in poor lighting conditions thanks to the larger f1.9 aperture, Intelligent OIS, and a combination of software and hardware image processing.
9. OnePlus 5
DxOMark Mobile Score: 87
Hot new this summer, OnePlus 5 confidently entered the top 10 smartphones with the best camera in 2017. The smartphone has not one, but two cameras - one 16 megapixel with f / 1.7 aperture and an additional 20 megapixel sensor with f / 2.6 aperture.
Advantages:
- The photos taken by OnePlus 5 feature excellent white balance in various lighting conditions.
- Pleasant colors and high detail retention even in bright light.
- Experts who have tested this camera phone also report very stable autofocus in both manual and auto modes.
True, it also has some drawbacks - in low light, the quality of the photo may be slightly worse (color changes, especially at the edges of the picture). Also, OnePlus 5 has difficulties in transferring small texture patterns in the picture.
8. Motorola Moto Z Force Droid
DxOMark Mobile Score: 87
New from last year, the Motorola Moto Z Force Droid is not losing ground. If the front camera has a resolution of only 5 megapixels, then the main camera has 21 megapixels (f / 1.8).
Benefits:
- Photos are distinguished by low noise, high detail and natural colors.
- There are both laser and phase detection autofocus.
- The camera can read barcodes.
- Correct exposure (although there are exceptions).
The only flaws are the difficulty with detailing in bright light and problems with white balance in low light levels.
7. Huawei P10
DxOMark Mobile Score: 87
Cooperation with the German photo laboratory Leica Camera AG has gone to the Chinese smartphone to the advantage. It is equipped with a dual camera, which has a monochrome sensor of 20 megapixels and a color sensor of 12 megapixels, lenses with an aperture of f / 2.2. Coupled with software, such a camera is capable of providing almost unlimited possibilities in the field of photography.
Strengths:
- Both cameras are anti-reflective.
- Shooting both outdoors and indoors in light and dark are characterized by high detail and accurate color reproduction.
- There is a background blur effect ("bokeh") and an HDR function to combine the best elements of different photos into one.
- You can manually adjust various settings, including white balance and ISO and exposure.
Cons: sometimes cameras can argue with each other - on some color shots, shot with a resolution of 20 megapixels (if the monochrome matrix is responsible for detail, then color information is read from the second photosensor) there may be a slight color distortion.
6. Sony Xperia X Performance
DxOMark Mobile Score: 88
This inexpensive smartphone has one of the best selfie cameras at the moment - the front camera is equipped with a 13 megapixel sensor and an f / 2.0 aperture.
And the photos taken by the 23MP main camera with f / 2.0 aperture are distinguished by excellent sharpness, excellent color reproduction and attention to detail (the camera is especially good at smoothly reducing the level of sharpness when shooting distant shots).
The camera phone also has a number of disadvantages:
- Corner detail suffers in macro photography, but this is a common disease in almost all smartphone cameras.
- Smartphone manufacturer stated that the device has a proactive (predictive) focusing mode. In practice, however, this is nothing more than a clever marketing ploy. Although the camera hovers in 0.03 seconds, the user will not notice the difference even if the hover takes 0.1 seconds.
- The Xperia X Performance doesn't have a 4K mode, although videos captured in Full HD at 60 fps come out excellent.
5.Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
DxOMark Mobile Score: 88
Although the camera at the tenth place in the ranking of the best cameras in a smartphone of 2017 was quite a success, the Korean company decided not to stop there. A completely new model has been installed in the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
- Although the new camera has a resolution of 4 megapixels less than the S6, the aperture increased to f / 1.7 is capable of producing great photos even at night.
- The pixel size has been increased to 1.4 microns, thanks to which more information can be obtained on the matrix.
- Now video can be shot in slow motion and there was a time-lapse mode.
- This model also has a Food mode that allows you to adjust your subject while leaving everything else blurry, and adjust the color temperature to make the shade cooler or warmer. A find for those who post photos of eaten and drunk on social networks.
The picture is spoiled only by a single LED flash.
4. Samsung Galaxy S8
DxOMark Mobile Score: 88
In general, the Samsung Galaxy S8 camera continues the traditions of the company's smartphones with dignity - in some aspects it can adequately compete with the first place in the rating.
- The sensor of the main camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels and an f / 1.7 aperture lens are able to produce the highest quality photos and excellent video.
- The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels and an aperture of f / 1.7. This means that selfies and conference calls will be at the highest level, whether during the day or at dusk.
- The camera phone features Dual Pixel technology for perfectly fast and accurate autofocusing, even with sudden movements and in a dark room.
- Multi-frame shooting allows you to combine multiple photos into one.
- There is a “delicious” “Food” mode.
- Excellent optical stabilization works as it should and does not "wash" the picture.
However, if you take multiple photos in quick succession, you may experience brightness fluctuations. Well, traditionally, like many other smartphones, objects in the center of the image are shown with more detail than at the edges.
3. HTC 10
DxOMark Mobile Score: 88
The camera sensor of the third place of the top 10 best camera phones of 2017 has a resolution of 12 megapixels and an f / 1.8 aperture lens equipped with an optical stabilization system.
Why HTC 10's camera is good:
- Macro photography is characterized by a high level of detail, natural shadows and almost no artifacts.
- There is optical stabilization.
- There is laser focusing.
- There is a flash of two LEDs of different tones.
In terms of frame sharpness, the smartphone is inferior to the number four from the list, but the photos come out closer to what a person sees when shooting. The maximum sharpness of the HTC 10 is aimed at objects in the foreground, the rest of the shots are blurry, while the sharpness of the SGS8 is the same throughout the entire area.
The drawbacks are common - the sharpness falls from the center to the corners, although smoothly and slightly, and when shooting with different levels of illumination, color rendering may suffer.Overall, this one has the best camera among budget smartphones.
2. Google Pixel
DxOMark Mobile Score: 89
The sensor of the main camera Google Pixel with a resolution of 12.2 megapixels and an aperture of f / 2.0 has such an interesting feature as gyroscopic autofocus stabilization. Significantly enhances the camera's fast and accurate autofocus and software capabilities, especially HDR + mode. Photos feature vivid, natural colors, low noise, and high levels of detail (even when shooting brightly lit subjects).
Another "feature" of the camera is the Lens Blur function, which simulates the "bokeh" effect in software.
The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels and an aperture of f / 2.4. In its selfie capabilities, it is not inferior, and even surpasses the hyped iPhone 7 Plus. The Google Pixel has better selfie sharpness and a wider angle of view, which makes it possible to fit more subjects into the frame from an outstretched arm.
The only drawback of the device: a small number of settings and photo processing algorithms from Google may not please those who like to “finish” the photo by hand.
1. HTC U11
DxOMark Mobile Score: 90
Perfect color tones, very low noise, natural shadows and instant UltraSpeed Autofocus that focuses on target even in low light are some of the many advantages of the HTC U11.
What else can this camera phone boast of:
- The main camera is 12 megapixels with an aperture of f / 1.75 and a front camera of 16 megapixels with an aperture of f / 2.0 and no autofocus.
- Both cameras have HDR Boost, a technology that allows you to take an HDR shot from a regular photo.
- Both optical and electronic stabilization are supported.
- Video recording can be done in 4K resolution.
- There is a Slow Motion mode (1080p / 120 FPS).
The only thing 2017 cameraphone rating champion yields to fourth place in the ranking (Samsung Galaxy S8) - in digital image noise. If the texture quality is the best in the rating (the smartphone scored a maximum score of 94), then the noise level is slightly worse than that of the Samsung Galaxy S8 (89 versus 92).
You can compare smartphone cameras before purchasing in the services: PhoneArena, GSMArena.