Like
most people, I replaced my digital point-and-shoot camera with a
smartphone camera a long time ago. So now that the two-year contract on
my worn-out Samsung Galaxy S4 is up, I want to make sure that my next
phone has the best camera available.
But with every smartphone maker claiming to have the newest, flashiest camera, how can you tell which is actually the best?
To
find out, I took to the streets of Manhattan with some of today’s
hottest smartphones and shot pictures of everything from statues to
flowers to people. Then I compared how each phone’s camera performed.
Four
co-workers and I ranked each photo on a scale from 1 to 6, awarding 1
point to the worst photo in each category and 6 to the best. Scores are
based on how clearly detailed the images were and how closely the colors
matched those in real life.
It’s
important to note that these rankings are based on each person’s
personal preferences. As such, a reasonable person can completely
disagree with our ratings. A less reasonable person can scream at us in
the comments.
All
of the phones’ cameras were set to auto mode, pictures were captured
without using a tripod, and none of the images were color-corrected or
altered in any way. Changing a camera’s settings can significantly
change the way a photo comes out. But that’s more a measurement of your
own shooting skills than of how the camera performs.
The contenders
The
phones I chose for this matchup were Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6
Plus, Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4, the LG G4, and the HTC One
M9. Each phone is less than a year old and comes with a seriously
powerful camera.
The
reason for choosing these phones? Beyond being some of the newest
phones you can buy, as well the ones you’ll most likely see in stores,
they all claim to be the best smartphone for shutterbugs.
The
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus both feature Apple’s new 8-megapixel iSight
camera. The iPhone 6 Plus adds optical image stabilization (OIS), which
helps ensure that your shots are clear even if your hand shakes while
taking them.
The
Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4 come with a 16-megapixel camera as
well as OIS, as does the LG G4. HTC’s One M9 gets a large 20-megapixel
camera sensor but no OIS.
It’s
important to note that just because one camera has more megapixels than
another doesn’t necessarily make it a better camera; that merely means
it can take a larger photo.
So
if you print a picture taken with an 8-megapixel camera, it will be
smaller than a 16-megapixel shot. A higher megapixel count also means
you can zoom closer into an image before it starts looking pixelated.
The winner is…
After
thoroughly testing each phone’s camera, LG’s G4 came out on top. That
was followed closely by Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4, and a
little more distantly by Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6. Bringing up
the rear was HTC’s One M9.
The
LG G4 captured the most detailed and colorful shots. If you’re looking
for a camera that offers slightly less detail but more vibrant colors,
the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4 are also fine choices. The iPhone 6 and
iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, are great if you want to capture
colorful photos and don’t think you’ll need to crop or zoom in on your
images, due to their lower megapixel count. Don’t even think about
getting the HTC One M9 if you want a good smartphone cam.
Read on for my shot-by-shot account.
Best details at a distance: LG G4
This
shot of a train station is meant to illustrate how each camera captures
details at a distance. The original photos were cropped to focus on a
specific area of the station.
Of
the six phones, the LG G4’s photo of this train station in Queens is
the best. Colors look vibrant, and details such as the graffiti on
nearby buildings are clearly visible. The sky in the G4’s photo also has
the most color contrast of any of the shots.
The
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus took nearly identical pictures, though
colors in the iPhone 6’s photo are a hair better. Overall the shot looks
great, but when you look closely, you can see that the sky is
unnaturally blue. Background details are also lost when you view the
images at full size.
The
Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S6 both captured an impressive amount of
detail, but color and contrast are better in the Note 4’s image.
At
the bottom of the pile is the picture I took with the HTC One M9. It’s
too dark, making details like the Broadway sign and background hard to
see.
Best color and details at a distance: Samsung Galaxy S6
This
shot compares the color and details of a subject taken at a distance.
The photos were cropped to focus on contrast between the yellow flower
and green leaves in the background.
Both
the Galaxy S6 and Note 4 took the best shots of this yellow flower in
New York’s Bryant Park. Colors in the S6’s image are even, and details
like the small dimples in the flower’s petals look clear and crisp. The
Note 4 fell short of the S6, though, as parts of the flower’s petals
looked too white.
The LG G4′s image was nearly identical to the Note 4′s, but the whites in the flower’s petals were too bright.
One
problem I found with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is that they tend
to make colors look too vibrant. That’s especially clear in this shot,
as the greens and yellows look far more green and yellow in the photo
than they do in reality. The iPhone 6’s picture was slightly better than
the iPhone 6 Plus’s because it wasn’t as bright.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was the HTC One M9, which gave its image an unattractive yellow tint.
Best color contrast: Samsung Galaxy S6
This image is meant to compare color contrast between photos.
The
Galaxy S6 took the best photo of this chess set, capturing colors
exactly as they looked in real life. The Note 4’s shot was largely the
same, though colors are too dark at the top of the image.
The
LG G4′s picture was also on the dark side, but colors were even
throughout. The iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 both made the colors of the
individual chess pieces look brighter than they actually were — the
iPhone 6 in particular made them look as if they had been dipped in
bright green paint.
Once again, the HTC One M9 fell behind, with the whites and browns on the board seeming to blend together
Best close-up details: LG G4
This photo compares color quality and detail in a close-up shot of a flower.
Wow!
That’s honestly the first word that popped into my head when I saw the
picture the G4 took of the flower. There are details in this shot that I
couldn’t even see with my own eyes. Sure, the colors also look great,
but the sharpness of this shot is what’s so impressive.
The
Galaxy S6’s shot looks fantastic, but the details just can’t match what
the LG G4’s camera is capable of. The Note 4’s shot is crisp, but not
quite as clear as the Galaxy S6’s.
The
M9’s shot looks as if the contrast had been turned up too high, as
details are nearly completely invisible. Still, the HTC′s photo is
better than the ones I took with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, both of which
lack many details and tend to blend colors.
Best for portraits: LG G4
An image showing the clarity and color quality of a portrait.
This
is a close call between the LG G4 and the Galaxy S6. Whereas the S6′s
image captured more details, it came out too red. The G4′s colors are
spot-on, but the image reveals fewer fine details. In the end, I gave
the nod to the G4 for its more accurate coloring. The Note 4 fell just
behind the S6, as the image details were soft and colors were slightly
off.
The
iPhone 6 Plus photo looks good at a distance but is far too pixilated
when viewed at full size — and the iPhone 6 image was even worse. Still,
neither was as bad as the HTC One M9′s, which was not only grainy but
also too dark.
Best for low-light images: LG G4
An image showing how each camera handles low-light photos.
At
some point, you’re going to take a picture in a bar or at a party, so
you’ll need a camera that handles low-light settings well. In this
group, the best low-light smartphone camera is the LG G4. Not only was
its shot clear, but the colors were just shy of perfect.
Behind
the G4 is the Galaxy S6, which captured decent details and relatively
accurate colors. The Note 4′s shot is bright enough, but the yellows in
the image are exaggerated.
The
iPhone 6′s picture was grainy and dark but a hair sharper than the
iPhone 6 Plus’s image, which suffered from the same coloring issue as
its smaller sibling’s. At the bottom of the list was — yes, again — the
HTC One M9, which took a grainy, discolored photo.
The big picture
This
was a close race, but in the end, the LG G4′s camera captured better
photos more often than its competitors, racking up a total score of 32
points. Behind the G4 is the Galaxy S6, with a total of 28 points, and
the Galaxy Note 4, which accrued 26 points.
The iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6 fell on the lower end of the scale, garnering 17 and 15 points, respectively.
The
worst-performing phone of the bunch was the HTC One M9, which
consistently captured photos that were either too dark or too grainy.
