It seems like any more, the best camera is just the one you happen to have with you when something amazing happens. More often than not, that is your smartphone. It seems so much ease now, to just pull out the phone you already had in your pocket, snap a picture, send it to grandma, and share it across every social media network you subscribe to. But, only if the picture is good, right? To be certain you are always getting the best shot, here is an updated list of the 5 best smartphone cameras that are out there right now.
I came across this video by renowned techie KBHD for ITCND, regarding an updated list of the best smartphone cameras and why they made the list. He updates this frequently, as technology is constantly progressing.
He covers a comprehensive list of features that are used to measure the efficiency of each smartphone camera. This video will review sharpness and detail, color and dynamic range, video quality, and controls.
The Samsung Galaxy line, S4 and higher.
Coming in with 13 megapixels, the Galaxy series are not only popular, but very dependable cameras. The S4 does not have optical image stabilization (OIS), though the newest model is set to have this feature. What really makes this phone such a great option is the amount of settings, filters, and editing tools it offers, allowing you to truly optimize your photo experience. Though it rocks out the sharpness category, the image color often ends up more saturated than realistic, but still provides an excellent image. And the 1080p video is excellent, even without OIS. Lastly, though the menu is not as easy to navigate or user friendly, it offers a plethora of editing and control features.
The LG G2.
Often seen as a direct competitor to the Galaxy line, the G line is gorgeous. Aside from aesthetics, it also boasts a 13 megapixel camera. The big winner here is that this phone does have OIS, a big win for those of us with shaky hands. Many people don’t realize how rare that is with the thin profiles that most smartphones have today. Being polar opposite from the Galaxy in one way- image saturation. This camera tends to under-saturate, but still offers good dynamic range. It has excellent video, with the image stabilization and excellent microphone. The settings and controls are not as strong as the Galaxy line, but are very easy to understand and use.
iPhone 5S and higher.
A 13 megapixel smartphone camera sounds great, but an 8 megapixel picks up more light. This generally equals less-noisy images and greater dynamic range. The pixels are bigger, which also gives it better low-light performance. The f/2.2 aperture increases this. A unique feature the iPhone has to offer, is the dual flash. It has and amber and a white flash. The camera will automatically pick up which type of flash would best suit your environment and optimize your image accuracy. These iPhones have some of the best realistic color representation available. Though the control panel doesn’t have many features, it is easy to access right from the shooting screen. Its video offers 1080p performance, but can also shoot is amazingly smooth slow-motion. So far, the iPhone 6 Plus is the only one that offers Optical Image Stabilization. It is probably one of the most user-friendly smartphone cameras.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 or above.
Its most popular feature is its camera. Consumes who are looking for one of the best smartphone cameras, know to look at a Lumia. It has a 41 megapixel camera! What? And still offers wonderful f/2.2 aperture for good dynamic range and low-light performance. It has the largest sensor of all other smartphone cameras, and real xenon flash, rather than the LED most smartphones offer. The only issue it seems to face is color representation. The vlogger found that 3/10 shots would have unusually inaccurate color representation. OIS makes for smooth video with excellent microphones. And the controls are excellent, even without HDR options.
1.Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and higher.
Aside from obvious similarities between the other Samsung lines, the Note does offer more dynamic photo experiences The megapixels and aperture are the same as the Galaxy, but image processing is much better. The exposure is better, noise reduction is not overwhelming, and sharpness is right on key. Colors are very vivid, but still realistic. This is all great, but wait to have your mind blown. It takes 4K Ultra HD video! It makes such a huge impact, that even if you do not have 4k display to watch them on, you will still see the difference. It doesn’t have OIS, but the cool thing about 4K video, is that you can crop it without that terrible loss of quality. The controls are nearly the same as the Galaxy line, with the exception of the removal of “night mode”. Overall this is the best smartphone camera you can get, until the next challenger steps up to the ring!
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