How to choose a smartphone with the best camera

Thanks to modern smartphones with high-quality cameras, many users were able to easily make good photos and videos. However, to understand all the intricacies of the characteristics and functional terminology is difficult. Namely, this knowledge will determine which is the best camera on the smartphone. Knowing which parameters to pay attention to, one can reasonably spend money. For example, buy a budget smartphone with a good camera.

What do the smartphone camera features mean?

It is necessary to take into account a simple fact: the quality of the photo on the smartphone depends, first of all, on the applied algorithms for processing data from sensors. No matter how good the photosensitive matrix installed in the phone - the programmatic way of getting a photo can spoil everything.

However, there are exact specifications of the smartphone's camera, which can help you choose a device that can potentially make high-quality photos in any conditions. To understand the figures that lead manufacturers, it is quite simple.

Resolution

The megapixels listed in the documentation for the phone are the number of photosensitive cells on the camera matrix.

On a note! The value can be honest and sound like the number of effective pixels. Or describe only the sensor matrix without taking into account the area where the spot of light falls from the lens of the optics.

In any case, the resolution of the camera of the smartphone indicates the size of the image obtained without gluing several frames. However, talking only about megapixels is wrong. A smartphone with a powerful camera may not have record numbers, but it can make very high-quality photos.But to simplify the initial choice, we can say that the more megapixels offered, the better.

Today, in mid-budget smartphones with a price of up to 15,000 rubles, sensors with a resolution of 13 megapixels are used. Frankly inexpensive models have cameras in 8Mp or 5Mp. In the cheapest phones of the category up to 5,000 rubles, weaker sensors can be installed. Record resolution is still owned by the product brand Nokia. Nokia Lunia 1020 has a record 41 megapixel effective pixels photosensitive matrix.

Matrix size

In the characteristics of the phone you can find data that the camera has a matrix of 1 / 2.7 inches, 1/3 inches. These numbers describe the physical dimensions of the photosensitive sensor. The larger its area - the greater the amount of light falling on a sensitive surface.

As a result, cameras of smartphones that have large matrices make very good photos. To understand how this happens is quite simple. With the same number of megapixels, the larger matrix has larger photosensitive pixel cells. They are able to capture a significant luminous flux, show less noise.As a result, not only the quality of the picture increases - the camera starts shoot well when the illumination of the scene.

In contrast, a small matrix with a huge megapixel index will make it worse. More noticeable will be the amount of noise when the light level falls, reducing the sharpness and color range when panning. Therefore, a smartphone for a photo must have a large matrix.

Pixel size

The size of one light-sensitive pixel directly depends on megapixels and the size of the matrix, which is equipped with a camera for a smartphone. A larger photosensitive cell allows you to get the most useful information. As a result, megapixels are no longer a decisive characteristic.

On a note! An example is the iPhone 6. With a 1/3 inch matrix with a resolution of 8 megapixels and a pixel size of 1.5 microns, it allows you to get significantly better photos than the HTC One M9 with its 1 / 2.4 inch matrix and 20.1 megapixels with pixel size of 1.12 microns.

Particularly pronounced difference in the photo when shooting with low stage lighting. The leader in shooting quality ratings, the smartphone with the best camera in 2018, according to professional photographers, the Huawei P20 Pro has a pixel size of the photosensitive matrix of 1.55 microns.

Aperture

Aperture value means opening value of the camera shutter opening. Quantitatively, this indicates the intensity of the luminous flux that can be transmitted to the sensor. Also aperture describes depth of field. For example, for large values ​​in focus, there will be a subject with a blurred background removed. With small aperture values, the entire image field will have almost the same sharpness.

Light sensitivity, shutter speed

These parameters are rarely indicated in the characteristics of the phone. Especially if you want to choose a cheap smartphone with a good camera. In practice, the shutter speed and photosensitivity parameters are automatically selected by the smartphone software. But in most models there is a manual mode, allowing you to change all the camera settings.

Shutter speed allows you to adjust the luminous flux falling on the sensor. Roughly speaking, the longer the shutter speed, the better the image will be. But there is also a reverse side of the slow shutter: the frame may turn out to be blurred due to hand shake or fast movement of objects.

Light sensitivity adjusts the level of the signal generated by the photosensitive cells of the matrix.The higher the sensitivity - the more noise is formed in the picture. But in low light conditions, the choice of large ISO values ​​is a necessary measure.

Professional photographers who clearly understand the impact of these parameters on the quality of the final photo, prefer to make the camera settings of the smartphone manually. In this way, you can get, for example, interesting effects of light and shadow, display of the subject and background.

Useful additional features of the smartphone camera

The characteristics of the camera of a smartphone, even if they talk about the possibility of obtaining perfect photos, do not yet guarantee the expected result. Of great importance are the additional features designed to make shooting with the hands easier.

If you consider a smartphone with a good camera up to 10,000 rubles, you can see the declared autofocus. The more expensive models use combined technology. For example, phase, laser, hybrid focusing and much more.

Passive autofocus

Passive, or contrasting autofocus - a system that is equipped with any inexpensive smartphone with a good camera and battery. The system works as follows:

• software image is analyzed;
• the border of light and shadow is determined, for example, on the line of the edge of clothes against the background of the wall
• produced a focus sharpness.

When sharpening, the lenses are moved until the software algorithms select the optimal position. Contrast autofocus can work on a dedicated area. This is a familiar scheme in cheap smartphones, when the user independently sets the focus point by touching the display. Such a sharpness scheme is the simplest and slowest. It works well when shooting still objects.

Active phase autofocus

Any modern smartphone with a good camera and sound will receive active phase autofocus. The scheme of his work is as follows:

• additional sensors are installed on the matrix or a separate data acquisition area is used (up to 10% of the sensor from Apple and up to 100% of the area of ​​the matrix with DualPixel technology in Samsung);
• analyzes the bifurcation of objects, the offset from the center for the right and left sensors;
• the focus is adjusted in such a way that all the projections merge, turn out to be in the same phase.

Such an active autofocus does not require software processing, does not depend on the power of the processor. As a result - the camera brings sharpness as fast as possible.

Important! Phones with the function of phase autofocus can capture moving objects with high quality. But sharpness can fall under low light. This is due to the inability to obtain clear readings of photosensitive sensors suitable for comparison.

Laser focus

Laser focusing technology allows clearly determine the distance to the subject and quickly adjust the sharpness of the camera. This allows you to get stunning results of the quality of the image with the hands when photographing closely spaced objects that are 1-2 meters away from the camera. But when the object is removed over long distances, the smartphone switches to phase or contrast focusing mode.

Stabilization

In modern smartphones, there are two types of stabilization:

• mechanical (optical);
• digital

Optical stabilization used for photographing mode. Its task is to level the tremor of hands and small movements, without forcing the smartphone to reconfigure the focus. The system works quite simply. Using data from the gyroscope and position change sensors, a special drive changes the tilt of the lens. As a result, the same information enters the photosensitive sensor.

Digital stabilization used when shooting video. Her task is to maintain a stable frame field. A simple method is used for this: when shooting a video, information is used only from a part of the matrix area. A buffer zone is located along the perimeter. When hands shake, information from the perimeter enters the main field of the frame, after which a smoothed video stream is formed by average calculation.

Important! Optical and digital stabilization functions are useful, but they are not capable of replacing a tripod. They will help if you need to quickly take a frame or video with it. But sudden jerks or strong shaking, they can not compensate.

Why do you need 3 or even 4 cameras in your smartphone

Explain why a smartphone has a dual camera, maybe even an average teenager. The widely advertised bokeh effect, blurring the background, without significant processor performance, is done with the help of a pair of photosensitive sensors with different characteristics of the focal length of the optics. But why in the phone 4 cameras?

To clarify the steady desire of manufacturers to increase the number of photosensors installed in a smartphone, it is worth describing the possibilities that two light-sensitive arrays with separate optics provide.

Sharpening

The color sensor has a big problem. They set the Bayer filter to separate the channels. As a result, the quality of the formed image suffers, information is lost. The second monochrome camera does not have this disadvantage. The information received from the sensor is applied. to dramatically improve the quality of the final image.

Scaling without loss of quality

Digital zoom inevitably leads to loss of image quality. Radically different picture with the use of two cameras with different focal lengths. Using data from a pair of sensors, you can programmatically obtain a photo with quality that you could previously get only with optical zoom lenses.

Boke effect

Blurring the background, which looks especially good in portrait shots, is easily obtained with the help of two cameras. The difference in the location of the two sensors allows you to clearly calculate the distance to the object of photographing. With such data, it is easy to calculate the focus area, the contour of a person or object, Blur quality background.

Knowing how a pair of cameras works, it is easy to understand the desire of manufacturers to install more and more sensors. Thus you can:

• achieve high zoom performance using a pair of camera optics with a significant difference in focal lengths;
• make black and white and color images of excellent quality;
• apply effects based on data from multiple sensors;
• take pictures of moving objects with a quality that does not depend on distance, using different sensors for shooting;
• significantly increase the speed of focus;
• to guarantee both the quality of macro photography (with one sensor), and portraits (with the second and third sensors), panoramas (with the fourth sensor).

In simple terms, with an increase in the number of cameras, the smartphone maker gets more options for combinations of parameters of arrays, optics, and software processors.. As a result, the user can get high-quality images in almost any conditions.

Top 10 best smartphones for photos

The rating of smartphones on the quality of the camera includes devices that have received good reviews of the owners and excellent test results from professionals. There are a variety of products. There are devices with a good camera and sound, with a powerful battery, image and the most functional.

Huawei P20 Pro

The best smartphone today for high-quality photos. He has not only three cameras.The central processor has separate neural computing module. It automatically recognizes up to 500 objects and 200 scene options, which allows you to quickly and correctly adjust the parameters of the image. Zooming without loss of quality up to 5x is present, and the resolution of the cameras is impressive. Sensors installed in 40 Mp (color), 20 Mp (monochrome), 8 Mp (telephoto zoom).

Huawei P20 Pro on Yandex Market

Huawei P20

This smartphone with a dual main camera also boasts excellent shooting quality in any conditions. Having large color matrix with a pixel size of 1.55 micronsYou can get photos with low noise even in low light. Sensor resolution - 20 + 12 Mp for the main camera.

Impressive features and front optics. With 24 Mp, you can make very high quality panoramas for group selfies. There is also a unique brand development - a neural coprocessor for automatic recognition of objects and scenes in the field of shooting.

Huawei P20 on Yandex Market

Xiaomi Mi 8

A phone that takes full advantage of the development of famous brands. The photosensitive module from Samsung for the front camera is installed here. Sony sensors (for dual main) with a resolution of 12 megapixels in color and monochrome are used.

A distinctive feature of the model is not only the possibility of obtaining high-quality photos, but also a three-dimensional facial scanning system. The phone boasts good battery life with a fairly modest 3400 mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi 8 on Yandex Market

Samsung Galaxy S9 +

Products of the South Korean concern enjoys well-deserved popularity in Russia. Model Samsung Galaxy S9 + got a double main camera. In addition, the product Samsung one of the leaders in terms of luminosity f / 1.5. This allows you to take high-quality images even in extremely low light conditions.

There is a functional digital zoom telephoto lens. In addition, a private memory allocation scheme for the camera has been implemented, which allows slow motion video with a rate of 960 frames per second.

Samsung Galaxy S9 + on Yandex Market

Apple iPhone X

More recently, speaking in the role of products that form the standards for the quality of photographing, today Apple iPhone X is in the role of catch-up. He has rather modest sensors. The double rear camera received 12 + 12 megapixels, and the front camera - only 7 megapixels. The technologies customary for brand products are applied.

Of the improvements in comparison with previous models of the series - the luminosity is raised from f / 2.8 to f / 2.4. Applied double image stabilization. Appeared portrait mode for selfies. The smartphone allows you to make very high-quality photos, but inferior to the leaders in this field.

Apple iPhone X on Yandex Market

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S

Only the quality of the received photos can justify the price of the device. The smartphone is installed dual camera with 12 megapixel sensors. Used Sony matrix. The functionality offered to the user is blurring of the background (Bokeh effect), double zooming without loss of quality.

To selfie and unlock the phone for face recognition - 5 MP front camera is designed. The device is built on the most productive Snapdragon 845 processor today.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S on Yandex Market

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

This device does not fit into the range of affordable prices. But also offers a smartphone very much. Put here Aperture record for optics with an impressive f / 1.6. Applied hybrid autofocus scheme using all available technologies at once.

The phone allows you to get high-quality photos in any conditions only due to the characteristics of cameras andoptics. But there is a proprietary neural processor installed. Therefore, do not have to worry about the quality of images. In addition, Huawei Mate 10 Pro is a device with a powerful 4000 mAh battery.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro on Yandex Market

Oneplus 6

The model, which is positioned as a killer flagships. With the help of a dual camera 16 + 20 MP, where Sony quality sensors are used, you can get really good photos. Compared with previous brand models, in OnePlus 6 Appeared optical stabilization system.

Works great dynamic color system. Good results are shown by the digital stabilization system when shooting video. The quality of the photos received OnePlus 6 can compete with the top models of Samsung.

Oneplus 6 on Yandex Market

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

This model is the first Samsung product where a dual main camera is installed. It consists of a sensor with a wide-angle optics with a focal length of 26 mm. The second optics - 52 mm. This difference in performance allowed Samsung to realize a large number of functions.

In particular, the camera Samsung Galaxy Note 8 makes beautiful portraits, no distortion. Applied optical stabilization for maximum video quality. Available zoom 2x without loss of quality. There is a dynamic focus for blurring the background.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 on Yandex Market

Google pixel 2

In the last place is a rather old model from a search giant.

Important! Google Pixel 2 has a feature that products from other manufacturers cannot boast of. Software algorithms allow you to make the background blur effect with a single device camera.

The phone uses a unique technology. processing extended dynamic range of colors. The device processes photos up to 5 times faster than other devices on a Snapdragon 835 processor. The model has a 12 megapixel camera and an optical stabilization system is used.

Google pixel 2 on Yandex Market