Which Phone Camera is Best For Photography
Phone cameras have come a long way, from low-quality and pixelated photos to high-quality images that can easily be viewed on the big screen. The way we use our phones has changed; we don’t use them just to make phone calls and send text messages. Now, phones are being used for streaming videos and music, gaming and capturing photos and videos for content creation. With social media taking prominence over most of our phone activities, the kind of photos and videos you upload or watch online need to be of a certain quality.
Trying to figure out which phone camera is best for photography and filmography is not that difficult. But you need to find one that fits with how you plan to use your phone camera. In this article, we will be touching upon the camera specifications of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Google Pixel 6 Pro.
What is Aperture?
Most smartphone specifications will come with the details about the megapixels the lenses offer and right next to it would be the aperture information( for example, 50MP f/1.9). If you are a pro at photography then you might already know what aperture is. For beginners, the aperture is the measurement of that little opening within a lens that lets light pass through.
The sharpness of your photos, lighting and depth of field in your photography are all determined by the aperture. While the aperture can be controlled in your smartphone, the automatic settings are often set perfectly offering you great photos. But you can always adjust the aperture according to the kind of photo or video you are capturing. Additionally, different modes of the phone’s camera will give you different aperture setting anyway.
If you want to set the aperture yourself, all you need to know is that the larger the aperture is, the brighter the image is going to be. Furthermore, the measurement of aperture uses an f-stop and a number to let you know what aperture you are using. The smaller the number the larger the aperture. Hence, a 50-megapixel camera lens with an f/1.9 aperture would give you a sharp bright image that doesn’t have any background or foreground blur.
Optical Zoom vs Digital Zoom
Understanding the difference between optical and digital zoom is important. It helps determine the kind of phone camera you will need for the type of photographs you plan on capturing. Optical zoom refers to the physical change in a lens to adjust the distance between the subject and the camera lens. Digital zoom compromises the quality of the image by enlarging a particular area of an image using magnification technology.
To make you understand this concept in a better way, imagine an actual camera with those big zoom lenses. The more you twist it forward, the lens tends to move further away from the image sensor, making the image appear naturally larger. The movement of the lens manages to change the closeness of the image which is referred to as optical zoom. Digital zoom is like a photo editing or processing software that increases the size of the pixels in a particular area and cuts out the rest of the image. The result is usually a low-quality image.
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Along with hardware changes, one of the major upgrades that Apple makes to the iPhone series is the camera. Over the years, iPhone cameras have gone through multiple updates and the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are said to offer some of the best phone cameras in the market. The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are a photographer’s delight. They offer a 12 MP main, ultrawide and telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom. The ultrawide camera offers autofocus and can be used as a macro camera, photographing things that are just a few centimetres away.
Portrait photography is perfect with these phones, whether you are taking colour or black & white photos. The three lenses allow the phone to take excellent landscape and architecture photos. Furthermore, low-light photography allows for excellent portrait photography. So, whether you are taking a photo of your date at a candlelight dinner or photographing a model in a dimly lit room, the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro are perfect.
Videography and film-making are features that these two models are perfect for. The Cinematic mode on the camera allows you to create professional-level videos. You can focus on your subject along with blurring out everything around them giving you that perfectly focused cinematic shot. Whether you are creating content for social media or filming documentaries using your phone, this mode on the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Pro models is very helpful.
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
When it comes to artistic photography using a phone, you cannot forget the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. Among Android phones, Samsung is known for offering great smartphones with excellent camera quality. The main camera for this phone is 108MP, 12MP ultra-wide, 10 MP telephoto with 10x optical zoom and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The front camera comes at a surprising 40 MP giving very high-quality selfies.
The Samsung S22 Ultra is highly recommended for artistic photography and filmography. The stability of the videos and the picture quality are sharp and clean. Whether it is a sunset or a super-bright room you’re capturing with this phone’s camera, you can be sure that you will get a perfect photo every time.
Additionally, the single take function is a great way to ensure you get the perfect shot every time. According to Samsung, “the Single Take function […] uses an AI process to take multiple photos and videos at the same time. This function helps you to capture those lost moments when you can’t press the shutter quickly enough.” It captures approximately a video while at the same time snapping pictures of the same scene. The AI program then adds effects to the best shots within the video for you to use.
Pet photos, scenic shots and photos with movement can be easily captured on S22 Ultra. The single-take feature allows you to get the perfect shot of your child on a trampoline. The 4 rear lenses are perfect for stable filming and even studio photography.
Google Pixel 6 Pro
If Samsung phones are not your cup of tea, then a Google Pixel 6 Pro is one of the best among Android phones when it comes to phone cameras. The Pixel Pro 6’s camera is considered an Android equal to the Apple iPhone 13 model. The main camera is 50 MP and is said to let in 150% more light; the telephoto lens is 48MP and has a 4x optical zoom as well as 20x digital zoom. Furthermore, the front camera offers a 94-degree field of view along with being an 11MP camera resulting in good-quality ultrawide selfies.
Additionally, the camera comes with features such as Magic Eraser used to remove unwanted parts of a photo, and long exposure shots taken through Motion mode. Real Tone mode is also a feature that captures skin tones more accurately.
Google Pixel 6 Pro is perfect for bokeh photography, silhouette and fashion photography. You also get stable and sharp videos shot indoors as well as outdoors. This camera is excellent for casual as well as professional use. If you are a content creator but only have the budget for a phone, the Google Pixel 6 Pro is perfect for you.
