Comparison of smartphone cameras. The best budget smartphones with a good camera. Examples of photos on Google Pixel

When choosing a budget smartphone with a good camera, the only thing you need to pay attention to is examples of real pictures. Since neither the camera resolution, nor the aperture of the optics, nor the presence of various software enhancers allow us to judge the photographic capabilities of a particular gadget.

We have prepared for you a rating of smartphones with the best cameras in the price range from 5 to 20 thousand rubles. This selection is relevant at the beginning of 2017, but it contains many not-so-recent smartphones released in 15-16. All of them are still on sale and have competitive prices. specifications, and at the same time they shoot much better than modern state employees.

Leagoo M8

M8 is one of the few ultra-budget Chinese products whose camera does not cause an oppressive feeling of despondency. The cost of the M8 is 4.5 thousand rubles, for this money you should not expect revelations, but given the price, this gadget is not bad not only in terms of the camera, but also in other characteristics - 5.7'' screen, 16/2 GB of memory, 3500 mAh battery, dedicated DAC and high-quality multimedia speaker.

Photos are clickable and open in original size when clicked.

The Leagoo M8 produces quite passable images with good detail, sharpness and pleasant colors. Disadvantages – weak dynamic range, thoughtfulness of the camera and leisurely autofocus. In general, there are a lot of compromises, and you have to try hard to take a good photo. Front-camera here it’s quite good, it’s a full 8 MP and not interpolated 3 or 5, like most Chinese. But the M8 records video (FHD/30fps) frankly poorly; one of the serious shortcomings is also the lack of support for LTE networks.

Honor 5A

Also in the ultra-budget segment, Honor 5A from Huawei deserves attention. Its price is already 8 thousand, but the picture quality of the 5A is much better, at the level of smartphones for 13-15 thousand. The main module at 5M has an aperture of f/2.0 and a focal length of 27 mm. During the day, in good lighting, the shots come out very decent, and I am pleased with the adequate operation of the automation - in the pull-out-point-shoot mode, no problems arise.

The front camera 5A takes better pictures than the main cameras of most cheap Chinese cameras; an additional plus is the presence of a flash on the selfie camera. The device is powered by the MT6735P chipset + 16/2 GB of expandable memory, which is rather weak for gaming, but in everyday use everything is fast and stable. 5'' HD IPS screen also not bad, the only disappointments are the lack of an oleophobic coating and a weak 2200 mAh battery.

LeEco Cool1

Cool1 is an excellent, balanced smartphone with a good camera, a capacious battery and productive hardware. It uses a dual 13+13 MP module, which allows you to get very decent photos during the day, but, like most Chinese, it fails when shooting in poor lighting. In fact, the second camera is needed only to be able to simulate bokeh in software - blurring the background, which in practice does not always work correctly.

The smartphone runs on the Snapdragon 652 chipset, has 32/3 GB of memory, a 5.5-inch FHD screen and a 4060 mAh battery. It has no significant drawbacks; the only downside is the unaesthetic black frame around the screen. By the way, Cool1 can record video in 4K resolution. Price – from 10 thousand rubles.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X / Xiaomi Mi4c

The main reason for the weak popularity regular version Redmi Note 4 had a weak processor, which is why the old RN3P sold much better than its updated version. But in the recently released modification, which received the Snapdragon 625 chipset, the Note 4X lost all its weaknesses.

Note 4x is a beautiful smartphone for 15 thousand in a metal case with a 5.5’’ Full HD screen, big amount 64/4GB memory and a thick 4100 mAh battery. The main 4X camera is represented by a Sony IMX258 sensor with a pixel size of 1.12 nm and f/2.0 aperture. The front camera is normal – 5 MP, f/2.0.

For those who want to get comparable photo quality at a lower price, we recommend paying attention to the Xiaomi Mi4c. It’s already difficult to find it on sale here, but if you order from China, you can spend 7.5-8 thousand rubles. For that kind of money, the Mi4C has no alternative characteristics - it has the same camera module as the Note 4X, a Snapdragon 808 processor, a 5’’ FHD IPS screen, a 3000 mAh battery and 16/2 GB of memory. In general, Mi4C is cheap and cheerful. The device has only one critical disadvantage - the lack of a slot for a flash drive.

LG G4

G4 is the flagship of the last generation from LG, which, 2 years after the start of production, remains one of the best devices on the market in terms of photo quality. The new G4 can be purchased in Russian online stores for 16 thousand rubles. We recommend buying a smartphone with a warranty, since this model is known for problems with bootloop motherboard. But if you manage to pick up a problem-free smartphone, you won’t regret it.

The photos taken on the LG G4 speak for themselves, and the device's characteristics remain more than decent today. The smartphone is equipped with a gorgeous 5.5’’ IPD screen with 2K resolution, a Snapdragon 808 processor + 32/3 GB of memory (there is a slot for a flash drive up to 128 GB) and a removable 3000 mAh battery. The chic design with a leather back cover is the icing on the cake.

Nexus 5X

The story with the Nexus 5X is the same as with the LG G4. The smartphone is already more than two years old, it is still on sale, and in terms of photo quality, none of the modern devices in the middle market has come close to it. price category. The 5X can be called an ideal smartphone for automatic shooting; in the pull-out mode, it produces better images than most smartphones with manual settings. And advanced amateur photographers will have something to do, since the 5X supports the RAW format and shoots video in 4K resolution.

In terms of hardware, the 5X can be classified as a modern mid-budget segment - 5.2’’ FHD IPS screen, Snapdragon 808 chipset, 32/2 GB of memory, 2700 mAh battery. However, despite not the most advanced characteristics, in terms of smooth operation and speed, thanks to software support from Google Nexus will give odds to many Chinese flagships. Well, always the last one Android version on board also speaks in favor of this gadget. Price tag – from 17 thousand rubles.

Xiaomi Mi5

Flagship smartphones from Xiaomi are cheaper than devices with similar characteristics at the time of release, and six months to a year after the start of sales, their price becomes very attractive. What other smartphone with close to top-end specifications and a Snapdragon 820 can you buy for 14-15 thousand rubles?

Xiaomi Mi5 takes very good photos. It is equipped with a Sony IMX298 sensor (size 1/2.8", pixel - 1.12, aperture f/2.0, optical stabilization), which allows you to take decent pictures not only during the day, but also indoors and in low light. Photos are detailed, with excellent sharpness across the entire frame. The only things I can complain about are the not-so-best automation and the clumsy HDR mode, but for the money the Mi5 has one of the best cameras on the market. In addition, the smartphone supports Camera2 Api, which makes it possible to shoot in RAW, which provides solid opportunities for post-processing images.

Honor 6X

6X – quality smartphone, into which they not only stuffed a good camera module from SONY, but also paid enough attention to the software part. If you don't want to buy the Nexus 5X due to obsolescence, but still need a smartphone for point-and-shoot photography, the Honor 6X would be an excellent choice. He takes excellent photographs on automatic, making almost no mistakes with exposure, white balance and focusing.

Honor 6X boasts a dual camera, the main module is Sony IMX386, paired with an auxiliary 2MP sensor. As in the case of the previously reviewed Cool1, the second camera is needed for software background blur, which is implemented much better here than in LeEco.

The hardware of the 6X is quite simple - Kirin 655 chipset, 32/3 GB of memory + MicroSD, 5.5’’ FHD IPS screen, 3340 mAh battery, but the cool camera fully justifies the 17 thousand price tag.

Meizu MX6

Meizu MX6 is a controversial smartphone. In Russia they ask for about 20 thousand rubles (although, if you work hard, you can find a price tag of 16 thousand), which is a bit expensive considering the MX6’s not the most productive hardware. But at a price of 13-14 thousand, for which you can order a smartphone from China, this is a very good option.

The MX6 camera is equipped with a 12 MP Sony IMX386 sensor similar to the Honor 6X with a pixel size of 1.25 micron, and it takes really good pictures. It’s pointless to find fault with the quality of pictures taken during the day, but at night, due to the lack of optical stabilization, the MX6 sags somewhat. But despite this, the MX6 is one of the few Chinese smartphones, in terms of photographic capabilities, capable of competing with top devices from A-brands. In addition, it is equipped gorgeous screen, has a high-quality metal case and pleases with its performance thanks to the perfectly optimized Flyme shell. But there are some drawbacks, including the lack of a memory card slot with a modest built-in 32 GB and mediocre battery life.

Samsung A5 2016

A5 in the 2016 version can now be found in stores for 18-19 thousand rubles, and for this money it is one of the most balanced smartphones from A-brands. For high-quality photos, it has everything - a 13 MP camera module with f/1.9 aperture, hybrid autofocus and optical stabilization, thanks to which good pictures are obtained not only during the day, but also at night.

There is only one significant drawback - for such a price I would like to be able to record 4K video, but Samsung traditionally reserves this function for its flagships. In all other respects, the smartphone is great - 5.2 FHD Super AMOLED screen, Exynos 7580 chipset and 16/2 GB of memory expandable with cards up to 12 GB, 2900 mAh battery. The characteristics are not amazing on paper, but they are quite enough for comfortable use of the smartphone, and when using the A5 every day, you can feel that same “quality”, manifested in the smallest details.

Nubia Z11 Mini S

Z11 Mini S is a smaller version of the flagship Z11 smartphone, which ZTE produces under the premium Nubia brand. TO this device you can’t complain: Snapdragon 625, 64/4 GB of memory, 5.5’’ FHD IPS screen, 3000 mAh battery - all this can be obtained for 15-20 thousand rubles, depending on the place of purchase. The camera here is amazing. The smartphone is equipped with a 23MP Sony IMX318 (f/2.0) module, which takes stunning (especially in terms of detail) pictures during the day.

In addition, the Z11 Mini S records video in 4K resolution and does it very cool - an example is below.

Based on the totality of photographic capabilities and other characteristics of competitors, of this smartphone very little, except that the Xiaomi Mi5 can compare with the Z11 Mini S in terms of price/functionality ratio, but it still takes worse photographs. We recommend for purchase.

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In the modern age of Instagram, the camera is one of the most important parts in any smartphone. If you are limited by a budget but still like to post countless photos on social networks, then our rating of budget smartphones with a good camera in 2016 will help you choose the right mobile device.

Moto G4 Plus

The Moto G4 Plus features a 16-megapixel main camera with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, laser autofocus and dual-LED (dual-tone) flash. On the front panel there is a 5-megapixel camera with f/2.2 aperture.

When compiling a rating of budget smartphones with a good camera in 2016, we found that smartphones Motorola occupy high places in the popular ranking of the best mobile cameras DXO. The Moto G4 Plus is positioned in the same place as the iPhone 6, despite the significantly higher price of Apple's device.

The main camera of the Moto G4 Plus is capable of capturing quality photos in dark and sunny conditions. In low light conditions, images are not as clear as in bright sunlight, but compared to most other budget smartphones, digital noise is minimal.

The Moto G4 Plus's selfie camera takes good pictures. It's fast and also supports HDR mode.

Pros of the Moto G4 Plus camera:

No shutter lag
Good quality in low light conditions
Quick Focus

Disadvantages of the Moto G4 Plus camera

No 4K video recording capability

Moto G4

The second device in our ranking of budget smartphones with a good camera 2016 is another Moto G model, called Moto G4. Even though this smartphone has a weaker camera than the Moto G4 Plus, it is still one of the best budget smartphones with a good camera in this price range.

The Moto G4 features a 13MP camera with dual LED flash and a 5MP front camera.

The Moto G4's camera captures photos with good detail and accurate color reproduction. There is minimal distortion when shooting in low light conditions. Default options include HDR and panorama.

When it comes to the front camera, we didn't notice any difference between the Moto G4 Plus and the Moto G4. Selfie photos taken with the Moto G4's front camera are good enough to post on in social networks.

Pros of the Moto G4 camera:

Good selfie camera
Color accuracy
Quick Focus

Moto G4 Camera Cons:

No optical image stabilization (OIS)
No 4K support

Lenovo ZUK Z1

The Lenovo ZUK Z1's 13-megapixel main camera features Sony's IMX 214 sensor with a 5P lens and LED flash. This is perhaps the only smartphone in this price range that is equipped with optical image stabilization.

Lenovo ZUK Z1 is capable of shooting nice photos both for social networks and family archives.

Images taken with the Lenovo ZUK Z1 have accurate color balance and good dynamic range. The HDR mode works well too.

Among the negative aspects Lenovo cameras ZUK Z1, it's worth noting that the noise reduction matrix is glitchy and the color tones are a little colder than they really are.

The 8-megapixel front camera takes high-quality photos with good detail.

Pros of the Lenovo ZUK Z1 camera:

Optical image stabilization
Good front camera
Good dynamic range

Cons of the Lenovo ZUK Z1 camera:

Cool shade
Faulty noise canceling

Xiaomi Mi4i 32GB

Xiaomi Mi4i 32GB not quite new smartphone, but it offers one of the best cameras on the market. Thanks to this, we added it to the 2016 ranking of budget smartphones with a good camera.

The main 13-megapixel camera has several positive qualities. Firstly, good dynamic range, as well as accurate white balance and a good HDR mode.

Photos taken with Xiaomi Mi4i have minimal noise. Moreover, the images are sharp, accurate and attractive.

The selfie camera on the Xiaomi Mi4i 32GB also did not disappoint us.

Pros of the Xioami Mi4i 32GB camera:

Simple camera user interface
Available filters
Superb Image Quality

Cons of the Xiaomi Mi4i 32GB camera:

No support for shooting 4K video
Slightly outdated smartphone

Samsung Galaxy J7 2016

Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 is more expensive smartphone, while its camera really deserves attention. The mobile device comes with a 13-megapixel main camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. Like the previous generation, the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 comes with flash for the front and rear cameras.

The main camera of the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 takes good pictures in good lighting conditions. It focuses quickly, the shots are rich in detail and the colors are vibrant. HDR performance is almost perfect.

The front camera of the new J series smartphone takes high-quality photos. A good bonus is the flash, which is quite rare even among flagship devices.

Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 camera pros:

Excellent HDR mode
Convenient Pro mode
Good detail in images

Disadvantages of the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 camera:

Sometimes shadows are underexposed

For many, when choosing a smartphone, an important criterion is the built-in camera. In your search for the best, it would be a win-win option to choose this year’s flagship from any of the A-brands. Whether it is a phone from Samsung, Sony, Apple, LG or Microsoft is not important. Buying the latest flagship model, you will get a device with an excellent camera. The only thing that can put me off here is the price.

But not everyone considers it necessary to buy a phone that costs more than five thousand dollars. At the same time, having a good camera in a smartphone does not become less important. Just two years ago it was difficult to imagine that a smartphone in the mid-price segment could have an advanced camera. Now the situation has changed. If you pay attention to, you can get a smartphone with a good camera for quite affordable price. Since this is a 2015 model, it has dropped noticeably in price. Now it costs about 18 thousand rubles in Russia. Those who are willing to wait can order it from a Chinese store for $199.99 (there are occasional coupons for unlimited quantities). This is for a smartphone with an advanced 16-megapixel Sony IMX234 Exmor RS camera!

ZTE nubia Z9 mini is really inexpensive smartphone with a good camera. It’s difficult to find anything else for this money in Russia. Difficult, but possible! Recently the Wileyfox brand was introduced in Russia. The company sells smartphones only online. Everything is done for the cheapest possible price (even charger not included, only USB cable). They have a wonderful Wileyfox Storm phablet with a Sony Exmor RS 20.7 MP camera (the official website does not say what kind of camera model it is, but according to some sources it is IMX220, which is hard to believe; you can judge the interpolation from the photographs). On the same DJ website they are asking $189.99 for it without coupons. But this is the case when you shouldn’t “focus” on the megapixels of the camera. As smartphone reviews have shown, the camera in Wileyfox Storm shoots at the level of good 13-16 megapixel cameras.

In 2016, the Z9 mini was replaced by the Z9 mini, which also deserves the title of the most affordable smartphone with an advanced camera. This is still a mid-level smartphone, but it uses an advanced Sony IMX298 camera, which is also equipped with the flagship Xiaomi Mi5 and Huawei Mate 8, which cost an order of magnitude more.

Now we can talk about megapixels and why the ZTE nubia Z9 mini is the most affordable smartphone with a 16 MP camera. The fact is that many Chinese are cunning by indicating this camera resolution in their smartphones. Yes, they do shoot at a resolution of 5328x2997 (this corresponds to 16 megapixels), but this can be achieved by software increasing the resolution (interpolation). For example, a smartphone will have a 13 MP camera module installed, but thanks to software processing, the smartphone will take pictures in 16 MP resolution. At the same time, the quality of the photo will not improve. Rather, the opposite effect is possible.

When looking for a cheap smartphone with a good camera, you can run into devices such as iNew V7, Leagoo Elite 1 and Cubot X15. The manufacturer specifies a 16 MP main camera in them, but in reality they have a 13 MP camera module installed, and the image resolution is simply increased by software to 16 MP. That is, they are simply trying to deceive you. Photos from such smartphones will be an order of magnitude lower than in the ZTE nubia Z9 mini. As evidenced by numerous reviews.

Camera module in Nokia smartphone Lumia 925

Actually, not only the number of megapixels is important in a camera module. The quality of the lenses, their quantity, aperture (aperture ratio) are important; the presence of optical image stabilization will have a positive effect. Last but not least is the camera application, that is, software image processing. So when choosing a smartphone you need to be especially careful. It is advisable to look for reviews of the device on the Internet so that you can see examples of pictures clearly and read the conclusion of the review author.

Engineering thought has reached the ceiling - further improvement of cameras is objectively impossible without a radical change in the design of the smartphone itself. All flagship models are equipped with almost ideal, from a technical point of view, modules, and to determine the winner, you will have to take an alternative route.

While smartphone users race to fill their file storages and social media accounts with photos of cats, landscapes, and their loved ones, engineers are scratching their heads over how to improve already excellent cameras. Moreover, the competition for the latter is even tougher, because the fight is not for likes, but for millions of dollars of potential profit for the company.

A few years ago, looking at the performance of cameras on flagship devices from Apple, Samsung and other A-brands, it seemed that the evolution of these modules was about to stop. High-quality, “silent” photos even in low light conditions, ultra-fast autofocus, optical stabilization when shooting video - what more? However, there is no limit to perfection; the emergence of new features and improvements depends solely on user demand.

By mid-spring, all leading vendors had already pleased the public with announcements and releases of fresh flagship models smartphones, which means you can draw intermediate results. In this article we will look at the 10 best cameras in mobile devices as of 2020.

All the smartphones presented below take excellent photos and videos, but narrowly focused specialists can still set priorities, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of a particular model. This rating was compiled according to data from DxOMark experts and other authoritative resources.

Which smartphone has the best camera - Top 12 in 2020

12th place iPhone 11

Unlike its predecessor, the iPhone XR, which had only one lens (a standard wide-angle 12-megapixel module), received an additional ultra-wide-angle camera, which not only added the ability to “reverse” wide-angle zoom, but also significantly expanded the functional scope of the camera as a whole. Among other things, iPhone 11 has: auto-correction, improved Smart-HDR, etc.

11th place Honor P20 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro

Huawei's sub-brand pleases customers with more affordable price tags and very good cameras, the experience in the construction of which was clearly borrowed from its older brother. The Honor P20 Pro does not have the same zoom capabilities as the Huawei P30 Pro or the latest Samsung smartphones, but it still demonstrates excellent shooting quality, rated by DxOMark experts at 111 points. The hardware characteristics of the camera phone are as follows:

The main lens is Sony IMX586 with a 1/2″ matrix size, 48 megapixel resolution, f/1.4 aperture, optical image stabilization and a focal length of 28 mm;
8-megapixel telephoto camera, matrix size 1/4.4″, aperture f/2.4, focal length 80 mm;
16 MP wide-angle lens with 1/3.06″ size and f/2.2 aperture;
Macro lens with 2 MP matrix.

Like its DxOMark rated neighbor Honor P20 Pro, OnePlus' flagship smartphone has a Sony IMX586 main lens and a 48 MP 1/2″ sensor, but with a slightly less strong f/1.6 aperture and a focal length of 26 mm. Two additional modules are also practically indistinguishable: an 8 MP telephoto, f/2.4 and a 16 MP wide lens, f/2.2, however, the telephoto lens, unlike its competitor, has its own optical stabilization system. The result is a smartphone that is capable of taking photographs and shooting video at a very high level of quality by the standards of 2020, for which it deservedly receives a high place in the ranking of camera phones.

10th place Honor V30 Pro

Another top-end camera phone, developed by Huawei specialists. One of the most noticeable disadvantages of the Honor V30 Pro, in comparison with the same Mate 30 Pro, is the lack of a portrait ToF camera; in addition, the smartphone shoots video of noticeably lower quality, but at the same time wins in direct comparison with many competitors on the market. The list of characteristics is as follows:

Main: 40 MP, matrix size 1/1.7 inches, focal length 27 mm, aperture F/1.6, optical image stabilization;
Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP, pixel size 1.4 μm, focal length 16 mm, aperture F/2.2;
Telephoto lens: 8 MP, 1/4-inch matrix size, 80 mm focal length, F/2.4 aperture, optical image stabilization.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the dual front camera of the Honor V30 Pro, consisting of a wide-angle (32 MP, F/2.0 aperture) and ultra-wide-angle (8 MP, F/2.2 aperture) lenses. Another advantage of the camera phone is the combination of phase detection and laser autofocus on each of the three main cameras.

9th place Samsung Galaxy S20

The new flagship was positioned, in particular, as the best camera phone in the world, and therefore should stand out not only from its competitors, but also from its peers in the line. At the same time, even the difference between the models was deliberately emphasized - the most budget smartphone did not receive a module Depth sensor, the cost of which is not so high, but in practice many Galaxy users The S20 will feel his absence. This camera is designed to improve the now very popular portrait shots with background blur. Otherwise technical specifications Galaxy cameras S20 is identical to the S20+ model.

Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP, dot size 1.4 microns, aperture F/2.2;
Wide-angle: 12 MP, size 1.8 microns, aperture F/1.8, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 64 MP, 0.8 micron, F/2.0 aperture, optical image stabilization;

8th place Galaxy Note 10, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S10 and Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus

At the very beginning of 2019, they set a high standard for the quality of photo and video shooting for other manufacturers - both gadgets received a triple camera with an additional ultra-wide lens.

16 MP (Ultra-wide angle / F2.2), FF;
Dual Pixel 12 MP OIS (Wide Angle / F1.5 / F2.4), AF;
12 MP OIS (Telephoto / F2.4), AF.

In addition, the Galaxy S10+ model received a dual front camera:

Dual Pixel 10 MP AF (F1.9);
8 MP AF (variable depth of field / F2.2).

DxOMark experts rated the efforts of Samsung engineers at 109 points, and this is a repetition of the high result of the Huawei Mate P20 Pro. Experts consider the main advantage of Korean cameras to be excellent detail and clarity of images even in low light conditions. In addition, the software functionality has been significantly improved, including: expanded capabilities of the “Live Focus” mode, added new Animoji, real-time shooting tips for beginners and specific options for professionals in the Pro section.

In turn, presented in August 2019, the Galaxy Note 10 received a main camera that traditionally does not have any fundamental differences from the Galaxy S10, which was older by six months. However, some minor nuances and software improvements allowed the Galaxy Note 10 to take a high place in the DxOMark camera phone rating, beating the Galaxy S10 due to the quality of video shooting (experts noted a wide dynamic range and autofocus accuracy when observing an object).

7th place Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition

Perhaps the most anticipated camera phone of 2019, which is rated by DxOMark experts as equal in shooting capabilities to the rating leader Huawei Mate 30 Pro, but at the same time costs significantly less than its competitor.

In the description, the 5-module camera Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition looks very impressive:

Main lens: 108 MP, 25 mm focal length, f/1.69 aperture, optical image stabilization;
Small telephoto lens: 12.19 MP, 50 mm focal length, f/2.0 aperture;
Large telephoto lens: 7.99 MP, 94 mm focal length, f/2 aperture, optical image stabilization;
Ultra-wide-angle lens: 20.11 MP, 16 mm focal length, f/2.2 aperture;
Macro lens: 2 MP, f/2.4 aperture

Add here two dual LED flashes and you get a camera phone that has no equal on the market in terms of the listed characteristics. However, in fact, the impressive technical description gives a result comparable to more modest, but more carefully designed and high-quality systems, for example, in the same Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

6th place Huawei P30 Pro

Chinese flagship shown at the presentation on March 28, 2019 Huawei P30 Pro expectedly raised a new quality bar for premium-segment camera phones. Successfully continuing the tradition of its predecessors (Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro).

To create photos and videos use:

Base lens with 40 MP resolution and f1.6 aperture;
Wide-angle lens with 20 MP resolution and f/2.2 aperture;
Telephoto lens with 8 MP resolution and f/3.4 aperture;
ToF camera;
Front camera with a resolution of 32 MP and f/2.0 aperture.

However, this is that rare case when the advantages of a device are not very noticeable “on paper”, but leave no chance for competitors in practice. The main feature Huawei P30 Pro- this is the ability to shoot in any lighting conditions and even complete darkness:

Such miracles are possible thanks to an innovative spectral sensor with an unusual RYB (red, yellow, blue) structure instead of RGB (red, green, blue), which captures 40% more light.

Another trump card of the camera phone is the possibility of 5x optical, 10x hybrid and 50x digital zoom. The gadget uses a periscopic lens with 5 lenses as a “spyglass”, providing a 125 mm focal length.

5th place Samsung Galaxy S20+

The middle brother of the renewed one Samsung lines Galaxy is significantly inferior to the flagship, but at the same time it looks quite decent compared to most competitors. Installed here:

Ultra-wide-angle camera: 12 MP, pixel size 1.4 microns, aperture F/2.2;
Wide-angle: 12 MP, size 1.8 microns, aperture F1.8, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 64 MP, size 0.8 microns, aperture F/2.0, optical image stabilization;
DepthVision for portrait photography;
Hybrid optical zoom 3x, digital zoom 30x;
Front: 10 MP, size 1.22 microns, aperture F/2.2.

As can be seen from a dry comparison of numbers, the lag behind the flagship is noticeable to the naked eye, however, there are a number of advantages over last year’s models.

In particular, the Samsung Galaxy S20+ is also equipped with a “space zoom”, albeit not as sharp as the Ultra models - it is possible to enlarge the image 4 times through optical zoom and up to 30 times through digital zoom.

The Nonacell mode was not implemented for the S20+ model, but the device received a number of other flagship functions. For example, Single Take mode, in which all cameras are shot for 10 seconds, and the result is short videos and a few of the best selected artificial intelligence, pictures.

4th place Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro

The new Xiaomi flagship, dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the company's presence on the market, was equipped with the most advanced cameras example Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, only slightly inferior to the Korean manufacturer in detail. The technical characteristics of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro cameras are as follows:

Wide-angle: 108 MP, F/1.7 aperture, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 8 MP, F/2.0 aperture, 1.0 μm pixel size, PDAF, laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, 10x hybrid optical zoom;
Portrait: 12 MP, aperture F/2.0, size 1.4 microns, 2x optical zoom;
Ultra-wide-angle: 20 MP, F/2.2 aperture.

Experts note that the main achievement of Xiaomi specialists was the improvement of algorithms for processing data from smartphone cameras, which made it possible not only to make the process of shooting and saving the result instantaneous (not least thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip), but also to implement a whole list of new functions for users, which will certainly be widely used in practice. For example, during the presentation it was shown how, in a couple of clicks, you can add an effect to a photo that creates the illusion of a photo from behind glass, along which “live” drops of water flow. In addition, a lot of work has been done to introduce new video shooting modes, among which support for recording videos in 8K quality stands out.

3rd place iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max

Cameras outperform South Korean cameras in DxOMark rating Samsung smartphones Galaxy Note 10+, while the overall rating of iPhones was significantly reduced for video shooting capabilities - only 117 points, 124 for photos and 102 for video. However, company experts noted that Apple managed to introduce the technologies necessary to directly compete with the best camera phones on the market within a year.

Following trends, Apple has equipped flagship smartphones triple camera with the following characteristics:

12 MP main wide-angle lens with ƒ/1.8 aperture;
12 MP telephoto lens with ƒ/2.0 aperture;
Ultrawide 12 MP lens with ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120-degree viewing angle.

In addition, in 2019 smartphones, Apple has implemented , which improves the quality of photos and videos taken in conditions of extremely low ambient lighting, which is important for all lovers of mobile photography without exception.

2nd place Huawei Mate 30 Pro

If we look at the technical characteristics of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro cameras, there are not so many differences with its predecessor P30 Pro and they relate primarily to the ultra-wide-angle camera:

Main: 40 MP, 1/1.7-inch matrix size, 27 mm equivalent focal length, F/1.6 aperture, PDAF autofocus, optical image stabilization;
Ultra-wide-angle: 40MP, matrix size 1/1.54 inches, 18 mm focal length, F/1.8 aperture, PDAF;
Telephoto lens: 8 MP 1/4-inch matrix size, 80 mm focal length, F/2.4 aperture, PDAF, optical image stabilization;
ToF 3D portrait camera.

So, for shooting photos and videos, roughly speaking, two separate modules of 40 MP resolution each are responsible, and the first has optical stabilization, while the second noticeably reduces the quality of videos when using digital camera motion correction.

In fact, the Huawei Mate 30 Pro camera can offer a higher level of detail in the corners of the photo when shooting during the day and slightly less noticeable noise in low-light conditions; other differences are almost impossible to notice with the naked eye.

As for video, the main feature here is the slow motion mode with a frequency of 7680 frames per second. In the video below you can compare this SlowMo with a frequency of 960 fps.

1st place Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Of course, the best camera phone on the market at the time of its release, which fully met and even exceeded the expectations of fans of Samsung products. From a technical point of view, the device is equipped with the following main modules:

Ultra-wide-angle camera: 12 MP resolution, 1.4 µm pixel size, F/2.2 aperture;
Wide-angle: 108 MP, pixel size 0.8 μm and 2.4 μm in Nonacell dot merging mode, F/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization;
Telephoto lens: 48 MP, size 0.8 μm (1.6 μm in Nonacell mode), aperture F/3.5, optical image stabilization;
Depth Sensor: Portrait camera;
Hybrid optical zoom 10x, digital zoom 100x;
Front camera: 40 MP, pixel size 0.7 μm (1.4 μm in Nonacell mode), aperture F/2.2.

As can be seen from the description, the front camera of the flagship has been significantly improved compared to both the previous models in the line and the younger ones Galaxy versions S20 / S20+ with last year's 10-megapixel lens installed.

However, the main innovations concerned, of course, the main camera, which has the latest 108-megapixel module of Samsung's own production, which takes pictures with the highest level of detail and can combine pixels using Nonacell technology to obtain the optimal image in terms of quality and energy consumption. In practice, this means that the user can, for example, enlarge the resulting image several times, cut out the scene from the background and get a picture that is almost as detailed as the original image.

Another interesting new feature is support for shooting video in 8K resolution. Actually, such functionality is not in great demand on the market, because monitors with such a high resolution are still very rare, but the owners of new Samsung TVs 8K may well be interested in purchasing a flagship smartphone.

In addition, we cannot fail to mention the 4x optical, 10x hybrid and 100x digital zoom, which allows, with the proper skill, to shoot objects at a very long distance in quite acceptable quality.

Camera test: Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Max Pro

Who among us doesn’t want to have a phone with a good camera so that we can always record an interesting event and take a memorable photo? Unfortunately, many people are familiar with that feeling of disappointment when a highly advertised and expensive smartphone ends up taking blurry pictures, distorting colors and not always having time to focus. You don't have to spend a lot of money to take good pictures with your phone! We will help you choose and tell you which models are worth paying attention to.

Of course, a phone cannot yet replace a professional camera, but modern smartphones They have already “learned” how to take photos no worse and even much better than point-and-shoot cameras, and have almost completely pushed them out of the market. To ensure that photos from your smartphone camera come out really high quality, When choosing a gadget you need to pay attention on resolution, matrix size, zoom factor and focusing accuracy. An important role is played by adequate flash performance and software, which sometimes works real miracles.

In flagship devices, manufacturers use various innovations, thereby increasing the quality of photos, and their efforts are not always directly proportional to the result obtained. Finding an inexpensive smartphone with a good camera is much more difficult, so we decided to ease the pain of choice and select for our readers several interesting models with a price tag of up to 120-130 dollars.

Xiaomi constantly makes us happy interesting new products in different price segments. One of the manufacturer’s most popular devices is Xiaomi Mi4, stylish and productive inexpensive smartphone with a good camera. It’s not for nothing that he came in first place in our review. The main camera received sensor fromSony, 6 lenses, f/1.8 aperture and 13 megapixel resolution. It allows you to take not just good, but very high-quality pictures, balanced in sharpness, color rendition, white balance, and the frames turn out quite good even indoors and in low light conditions.

The native camera application has a lot of settings and the ability to use manual mode. You can focus and take a photo by double-clicking on the focusing area, which is very convenient. The model is distinguished by good front camera, which takes more than decent pictures. In terms of other parameters, the smartphone is very good: productive, stylish, with good screen and a good battery. The only negative is the lack of a slot for a memory card. If you feel that 16 GB of internal memory is not enough, you will have to fork out for the 64 GB version.

Lenovo Vibe P1

New from Lenovo model Vibe P1 is perfect for those who are looking for budget smartphone with a good camera and battery. The gadget turned out to be optimally balanced in price and quality. Cameras are one of its main advantages and set this model apart from phones in this price range. The main camera focuses quickly, selects white balance well, is excellent at macro photography, and is used to improve the quality of shooting in low-light conditions. double flash. Video is recorded at maximum Full HD resolution. The front camera is average and will allow you to take good self-portraits.

Other advantages of the model include: record battery, convenient switching to energy-saving mode using a button on the end, excellent high-resolution screen, high performance and stylish metal case.

Acer Liquid E3

Despite the fact that the smartphone has been on the market for almost a year and a half, it does not lose popularity. Still would! For relatively little money, the user receives a reliable productive gadget with an above average camera. Module in use Sony Exmor RS at 13 MP. A similar one is found in smartphones of a higher price category; they, of course, use different shooting algorithms, but also Acer Liquid E3 shows good results. Worth mentioning excellent dynamic range: the sky in the photo will not be one white spot, which is nice. High aperture ratio allows you to take bright photographs in low light conditions.

This inexpensive smartphone has a good front camera, the highlight of which is the use of its own flash, so normal selfies can be taken even in the evening. The rest of the device's capabilities are average: the small battery capacity is not a problem, since the hardware is not the most resource-intensive, and the screen boasts a pixel density exceeding 300 ppi.

ThL T7

There's one more before us an example of a good relationship between a good camera and a powerful battery in a relatively inexpensive smartphone. The ThL company has previously released several excellent devices, but a number of failures have reduced interest in its smartphones, and the T7 is an attempt to rehabilitate itself, and quite a good one at that. The main camera in the smartphone is 13 megapixels with interpolation up to 16 megapixels, but this is not the reason why the gadget was included in our review. It allows you to take fairly high-quality pictures both in sunny weather and in low light thanks to the flash. Night shots will pleasantly surprise the user, as will the level of detail in the images in general. The only negative is the small number of settings in the native application, but you can download any other one.

The 5 MP front camera with interpolation up to 8 MP gives average results. The video quality is high. Among other advantages of the model, it is worth highlighting metal case, a high-capacity battery, presence of a fingerprint scanner and 3 GB random access memory in reserve.

Meizu M3S Mini

Meizu in Lately plays an important role in the phone market by delighting users with stylish budget devices. Recently the M3S Mini went on sale, an inexpensive smartphone with a good camera and a decent battery. The main camera lens is protected by glassGorilla Glass 3 , equipped double flash with warm and cool glow, so that you get good pictures under any conditions. The camera's performance is worth praising, as the white balance is precisely selected, the dynamic range is wide, and the picture is sharp. Focusing accuracy and speed are excellent. When shooting in low light conditions, the quality drops, but this is the problem with almost all cameras on budget smartphones and more expensive devices.

The front camera takes sharp, good pictures and records video in Full HD format. In general, the smartphone takes excellent video. , with good clear and intelligible sound. Among other advantages of the model metal body, fingerprint scanner, 2.5D-glass, high performance and autonomy, which is complemented by a low price.

Elephone S3

Not a smartphone, but pure admiration! Let's start with the cameras, which can rightfully be called one of the main advantages of the model. The main camera uses module fromSony, the pictures get a nice blur of the background, excellent sharpness, and correct color rendition. Focusing is fast and accurate, and even in low light conditions the camera behaves sanely. The video turns out very good; when shooting in the evening, there is even no noise. The front camera has wide viewing angles, and selfies will turn out sharp.

Other advantages of the device include: practically complete absence of frames around the screen, 2.5D glass, excellent display resolution and high pixel density, 3 GB RAM, metal body and Fingerprint's scanner. The result is a productive and inexpensive smartphone with a good camera and all the necessary modern capabilities.

Lenovo S8 A7600

This budget smartphone hides a surprisingly high-quality camera. Some users note that the resulting images can even compete with semi-professional devices. This may be excessive praise, but the device takes pictures really well. Among its other advantages decent performance, powerful speakers and good battery.

Xiaomi Note 3 Pro

Previous model of the series Xiaomi Note 3 received a lot of positive feedback from users, and the updated version claims to be even more successful. Xiaomi Note 3 Pro is an inexpensive smartphone with a fairly good camera and battery. Used module from Samsung and dual-tone flash. Image detail, sharpness, high-level color rendition, wide dynamic range, autofocus works quickly, native application with a lot of flexible settings, and if you download Google Camera, you can shoot video in 4 resolutionK.

Among the advantages of the device it is worth noting capacious battery, large screen with good resolution , high performance, metal body, premium look and a fingerprint scanner.

Oukitel U15 Pro

The model came out quite recently and has already received the status one of the most affordable 8-core smartphones with a RAM reserve of 3 GB. Other advantages include a metal body, stylish design, a good battery, a good supply of main memory and, of course, excellent cameras. The pictures will be high-quality and sharp.

Lenovo Vibe X2

The smartphone has become a cheaper analogue of the flagship Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro. The quality of the images, of course, is inferior to the expensive version, but still remains quite high. There are not many settings here, but it is possible to manually set the white balance and ISO value. Thanks to the use of some software methods image enhancements they really come out great. Both indoors, during the day and in the evening, the shots turn out to be dreamy! The selfie camera also did not disappoint, and in the end we get an excellent budget smartphone with a good camera and a number of other advantages. The user receives a productive device with an excellent screen, high pixel density and a large supply of main memory. You will only have to put up with the plastic case and the lack of a slot for a memory card.