More and more people prefer smartphones to compact cameras. Yes, of course, they still fall short of professional DSLRs in image quality, but they can easily shoot at the level of digital point-and-shoot cameras. Considering that, in addition, you get an advanced multifunctional device, implemented sometimes even in a smaller case than compact ones, then the choice is quite obvious. With a high degree of probability, independent devices of the amateur class are already living out their days, and the future belongs to smartphones.

Recently, the situation in the production of mobile cameras has changed significantly for the better. Dual modules began to appear, manufacturers seriously thought about implementing full-fledged optical stabilization, and almost all top-end products learned to support 4K and HDR. So who has managed to break out in this season in the favorites of the market?

Samsung Galaxy S7

Shooting has always been strong point Koreans, and the Galaxy S7 is no exception. After the unsuccessful launch of the Note 7, Samsung has focused on the spring flagship, which, by the way, is quite good. Not bad enough that even the very promising iPhone 7 Plus has safely bypassed in comparison.

The main module of the smartphone is built on a 12-megapixel Sony IMX260 sensor with a pixel size of 1.4 microns and a glass lens with an aperture of F / 1.7. The sensor is made by special order and is not found in other models. There is a proprietary Dual Pixel focusing technology, using dual photodiodes at each of the matrix pixels. This made it possible to achieve high pointing accuracy even when shooting in low-light places and the best operating speed among competitors.

The smartphone is capable of shooting 4K video, making animated panoramas, as well as slow motion, time-lapse and hyperlapse videos. Available to save photos in RAW format. Britecell technology helps ensure natural colors and good picture quality at twilight, and the presence of optical stabilization improves sharpness and prevents image jitter during video recording.

In general, the Galaxy S7's camera is rightfully considered the best in the world. It remains only not to regret 45-50,000 rubles to get the desired gadget.

iPhone 7 Plus

Someone adores apple products, someone simply hates them, but in the latest iPhone 7 with the Plus marking, the developers managed to make one of the highest quality cameras on the market, which also became the first smartphone format module to receive 2x optical zoom.

It is realized through a combination of two 12-megapixel sensors and two six-element lenses, one of which is normal, and the other is tele. In addition to the optical zoom, a 10x digital zoom is provided, equipped with anti-aliasing pixelation algorithms. Complementing the picture is the use of a powerful dedicated processor and an advanced optical stabilization system.

Those who want to take advantage of the advanced photo post-processing capabilities will appreciate the support for the RAW format. Fans of portrait and product photography, as well as fans of various experiments, will like the special algorithm for shifting the focus point in the frame with blurring of the background objects, which works with ready-made frames.

Thanks to a high-quality fast lens with a maximum aperture of F / 1.8, the camera shows the best results among smartphones when photographing in sunny weather, ahead of even the Galaxy S7 in detail, but loses to it at dusk and when shooting portraits. If the light is still not enough, then you can use the bright four-LED flash. The cost of a smartphone, depending on the configuration, ranges from 63 to 120,000 rubles.

Google pixel

The youngest brand in our review, which appeared a little over two weeks ago, has a very eminent parent, which is Google. The device uses a 12.3-megapixel Sony IMX378 sensor with a pixel size increased to 1.55 microns and a lens with a maximum aperture of f / 2.0. Optical stabilization, laser and phase focusing are present, as well as an HDR + high dynamic range mode, which is indispensable when shooting in difficult lighting.

In confirmation of very good technical Google characteristics cites the results of testing carried out by DxO Labs, which publishes the results on the authoritative resource DxOMark, in which the smartphone camera took first place among all competitors. The device has yet to go on sale, but it is already possible to pre-order for $ 650.

HTC 10

The three leaders are good for everyone, except for the cost that is too prohibitive for many. HTC 10 can be a good alternative at a price of 37,000 rubles. The smartphone has a 12-megapixel matrix, but not a usual one, but BSI, with support for UltraPixel 2 technology, which allows to achieve a large pixel size of 1.55 microns. Optical stabilization, laser autofocus and dual-tone flash are present. It is possible to save photos in RAW. The F / 2.0 lens does a good job of shooting in dark rooms.

Lg g5

The February flagship LG, which has a dual camera, can also be a good option in the mid-price segment. Soon it should be replaced on the market by a more advanced V20 equipped with the same set of PV modules. Since the model has already been announced, but has not yet gone on sale, we will restrict ourselves to an equally high-quality G5. Initially, the smartphone was conceived as modular, but the idea did not find a proper response among buyers.

Meanwhile, his camera will give odds to many competitors. The design uses the main module with a 16-megapixel Sony IMX234 sensor, an F / 2.0 aperture lens, laser autofocus and optical stabilization. The auxiliary module employs an 8-megapixel sensor and a 136-degree lens. In the final picture, two captured frames are combined into one widescreen, on which more high quality image captured by a 16-megapixel sensor. The cost of the device in Russia starts at 30,000 rubles.

Huawei P9

The P9 is the world's first smartphone to be fitted with Leica-certified lenses. The model received a dual main module carrying a pair of 12-megapixel Sony IMX286 sensors, one of which is color and the other is black and white. A monochrome sensor can capture more light, so when combined with an image captured by a full color sensor, it sharpens, expands dynamic range and increases detail when shooting in low light conditions. There are laser autofocus, LED flash and the ability to save photos in RAW format. Smartphone price depending on quantity installed memory varies from 30 to 45,000 rubles.

Meizu MX6

Despite the low cost, the device boasts one of the best cameras in the Meizu range, surpassing even more expensive flagships. The model is somewhat inferior to LG and Huawei, but for its price range it has a very impressive quality that can compete with many competitors. The module is built on the basis of a 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 matrix, where the size of each of the pixels is 1.25 microns. The sensor is paired with a six-lens optical system lens with an aperture of F / 2.0, and phase detection autofocus will help you quickly catch the desired object in the frame.

The camera copes well with daytime shooting and supports 4K video resolution, but in low light conditions, noise starts to be seen. The double flash will help partly, which, unfortunately, is not relevant for all subjects. You can buy MX6 for 18 thousand rubles or more.

ZTE Nubia Z11

The cute, bezel-less Nubia not only looks great, it also captures photos quite well. The rear camera is equipped with a high-quality 16-megapixel Sony IMX298 sensor and a 6-element optical system, covered with sapphire glass, which protects the lens from scratches and acts as an IR filter.

Complement the design modern system optical stabilization, phase detection autofocus and dual-tone LED flash. Additionally, there is an algorithm designed to reduce noise when shooting at dusk. The smartphone was presented in Europe at the end of August and is just starting to go on sale. The cost of new items, depending on the configuration, will be 500-600 euros.

Conclusion

If we compare all models with each other, then Samsung Galaxy S7, iPhone 7 Plus and Google Pixel can be conditionally classified as top-class. HTC 10, LG G5 and Huawei P9 will be a little simpler, and Meizu MX6, ZTE Nubia Z11 and a number of other models from this group, with their sufficiently high image quality, are somewhat inferior to smartphones of the first two groups.

Kensuke Mashita: "I would love to install a 1-inch sensor and a G Master lens in a smartphone."

Since 2015, the editors of the site have begun to talk seriously about smartphones, because the camera in these gadgets has become more than just a tool in the hands of a photographer. Today we can state that yesterday's smartphone users with a good camera are gradually switching to amateur and professional cameras.

Sony Mobile invited us to conduct an exclusive interview with Kensuke Mashita, senior manager on the Sony Mobile team. Mashita-san is responsible for the technology used in the smartphone camera unit. Sony Xperia.

We tried to ask him the most important questions about Sony Xperia cameras, about smartphone cameras in general, and about where mobile photography will go next.

Has the compact camera segment died with the rise in smartphone sales?

The compact digital camera market is falling. Our colleagues at Sony Digital Imaging are now focusing on compact cameras in the class High end... On the other hand, smartphones occupy the position of low- and mid-range compacts. And I think this trend will continue.

- What are the prospects for smartphones in the photo market?

Smartphones today have achieved fairly high image quality, comparable to compact cameras that were produced several years ago. But a smartphone is more than just a camera: it has connectivity, advanced graphics and processing power, more powerful than cameras, a digital processor, a large display, and a simple interface. Therefore, smartphones are completely different, they give us a new experience. For example, if it were not for the development of this market, selfies would not have appeared. We have to search and find new scenarios that are available not so much to the camera as to the smartphone as a camera and mobile device with connectivity to mobile and wireless networks.

- To what extent is a smartphone camera the reason for buying a new device or replacing an old one?

According to our research, the most motivating factors for buying a new smartphone are device design, camera and battery life. These three factors are of prime importance to the buyer, and they work in tandem. The Russian market is especially focused on smartphone design. This is called show off, when the main goal is not to enjoy the appearance of the gadget, but to show off. This is where self-expression takes place through the design of the device.

The camera is just as important because it allows you to show yourself at your best, your accomplishments and your surroundings.

It is no secret that Sony Semiconductors is the main supplier of sensors for mobile cameras. How is Sony Mobile related to this company?

Yes, all major manufacturers use in their smartphones Sony sensors... But each of them installs sensors with different characteristics. Of course, in mobile photography, the sensor is important, but the optics are also important. Because all the restrictions apply to it, including the thickness of the smartphone.

Most Sony smartphones have a camera that does not protrude from the body, and in iPhones and other devices the camera protrudes a millimeter or more. Our designers are fighting to ensure that nothing stands out and at the same time does not suffer the functions and capabilities of the smartphone. Design is of the utmost importance to the customer, and we strive to find a balance. But believe me, this is very difficult.

I can't tell you which Sony sensor is the best today. Sony Mobile's strategy previously focused on a high resolution in 23 megapixels. But today most manufacturers use 12MP sensors, including Samsung and Apple. This is the difference in approach, because Sony used high resolution due to the great image stabilization capabilities, best quality pictures when she approaches. Of course, in such scenarios, our camera outperforms 12-megapixel sensors. But on the other hand, the physical size of the pixel is very important.

With the development of dual cameras in smartphones, there have been many different solutions on the market. For example, thanks to zoom lenses, the zoom quality has become an order of magnitude higher. We can say that a new era of mobile photography has come, and in the next generation we will show our vision. Unfortunately, I cannot share the details of our new strategy, but we will change something in the near future.

The relationship between Sony Mobile and Sony Semiconductors has traditionally developed in such a way that we received a top-end sensor on exclusive terms. We got the IMX300, the same situation with the IMX400. This interaction will continue in the future. We act as a leader in rolling out new technologies.

G8142 SETTINGS: ISO 40, F2, 1/500 sec

G8142 SETTINGS: ISO 40, F2, 1/500 sec

G8142 SETTINGS: ISO 40, F2, 1/500 sec

How popular are the new features of the Sony Exmor IMX400-based Motion Eye camera unit (predictive shooting, super slow motion video and continuous shooting autofocus) built on the basis of the Sony Exmor IMX400?

In the Sony Exmor IMX400 processor, a sensor with a stack of 128 megabytes of memory is installed, and thanks to this, it is possible to record video in super slow motion, to carry out predictive shooting. With our camera, you can see what the human eye does not catch.

Unfortunately, not much time has passed since the release of the first smartphone with Motion Eye. - Ed. Not enough data has been collected yet. We have an idea how many people take photos with their smartphones, and how many - videos. Now we are trying to find out how many people use super slow motion photography. We found out that at the time of acquaintance with a smartphone, many people try to evaluate the recording at a speed of 960 frames per second. Our goal is to make the interest in know-how permanent. Sony's super slow motion seems to be way beyond expectations. Some will say that this was done only to attract the attention of buyers, but we really wanted to create something new.

The most frequent argument of those who do not like Sony Xperia: "All smartphones have a Sony sensor (Samsung, Huawei, iPhone and others), but they all shoot much better than Sony Xperia smartphones." Do you have any understanding why this is happening?

Unfortunately, mobile photography cannot achieve the best quality under different conditions. The quality may vary depending on the shooting conditions and functions used. Cameras with a 12MP sensor and a larger pixel size do better in low light conditions, but if you shoot a daytime landscape, then thanks to the higher resolution of the sensor, you can achieve more detail. In my opinion, if you shoot a landscape, the Sony Xperia will win, but in a number of scenarios we may lose to competitors. The question of approach is also important here. Our smartphone can take a good picture in the dark, and its resolution will be one and a half times higher. We focus on high definition, as this ensures better stabilization Images.

If we made the same camera as other brands, perhaps there would be haters of a different order who would get to the bottom of the truth and find the difference in the performance of our camera compared to competitors.

Unfortunately, most people pay attention to the "laboratory" tests of the camera, and it is better to look at real photographs. Sometimes one conflicts with the other. Of course, we prioritize user experience.

In doing so, we listen to the feedback from our users. For example, in the Sony IMX400, the resolution was reduced from 23 to 19 megapixels, thereby slightly increasing the pixel size. We tried to find a compromise and improved the situation with shooting in low light conditions. At the same time, super slow motion and stack memory appeared. Thanks to the latter, the situation with video recording has improved, including with HDR. This is only possible with memory. We will have another improvement soon, which has been kept under wraps for now.

All Sony Xperia cameras are tested in over 100 different scenarios. Lighting conditions at the same time are different in different parts of the world. In Russia daylight hours tend to zero, so high-quality shooting in low light conditions is extremely important for us. At the same time, there are different shades of light: people want to look good in photographs so that the skin looks not only natural, but also beautiful. Similar feedback from Sony Mobile regional offices is accumulating across the planet. It cannot be standardized, but work is underway. The camera operates according to a certain averaged algorithm, a compromise is reached.

G8342 SETTING: ISO 40, F2, 1/2000 sec, 4.4mm equiv.

Why Sony Mobile ignores optical image stabilization in the main camera and continues to use its electronic system SteadyShot?

If we installed optical stabilization in a smartphone, there would be many photos in which moving objects are greatly blurred by increasing the shutter speed. This does not happen with SteadyShot. Yes, it might look impressive, but I'm not sure if everyone will like it. Thanks to SteadyShot, we have the ability to shoot at fast shutter speeds and avoid most blur. Automation itself understands what to do: if there is a dynamic subject in the frame, the exposure will be minimal; if the picture is more static, the shutter speed is increased. Of course, under normal conditions and in the absence of moving objects in the frame, smartphones with optical image stabilization shoot better than Sony, but here again we are talking about different scenarios.

- In what proportions and what affects mobile photography: sensor, optics, post-processing algorithms?

Sensor 30%, optics 30%, image processor (ISP) 30% and post-processing algorithms 10%. It all depends on the type of processor. For example, SLR cameras have almost no post-processing. There are technical limitations in smartphones, so processing and post-processing is very important.

Any module developed at Sony Mobile is shown at the Digital Imaging division. They test our functions and issue some kind of certificate of conformity.

Sony Mobile is the only brand on the market, with the exception of the Google Pixel 2 smartphone, which completely ignores the dual camera trend. Why is this happening? When to expect a dual camera from Sony?

We are monitoring various trends. There are ideas for creating triple, quadruple cameras, combinations of different cameras. We introduced the world to a camera with a stack memory. In our opinion, it provides a better experience compared to a dual camera. Technology in processors and graphics is evolving, as is the camera. In the near future, the time will come to show the dual camera as well. Perhaps Sony can surprise you.

G8142 SETTINGS: ISO 40, F2, 1/5000 sec

- When will the Camera app on Sony Mobile devices be more convenient?

We work not only for professionals, but also for a wide audience that is not so well versed in various settings.

If we talk about manual settings, then for most users there are enough parameters such as shutter speed, sensitivity, focus, white balance and exposure. All this is in our application. But there are more advanced and demanding users. I can't go into details, but there will be changes in the app in the near future.

At this point, Mashita-san asked us what we would like to see in Sony smartphones. Our answer was simple: RAW format.

- I would like to know your attitude towards testing DxOMark. On this moment Sony smartphones are not even in the top ten.

We always look at the table of results and feedback from this site. Some of their comments help us a lot. But I'm not sure if their tests can be 100% useful to most people in their use cases. Your colleagues at DxOMark have given us a lot of feedback on the testing policy, and it was really helpful in many ways. However, in September, the benchmark changed, it added estimates for optical zoom and background blur, and, of course, new system focused on dual cameras. We have always taken and treat this site seriously, but we want to look at the new method of distributing assessments, to understand the logic and trends. Time needs to pass.

In fact, we are talking not only about DxOMark, but also about other laboratory tests and methods that are used in the market. In my opinion, real pictures show the camera's performance better than any tests. We will continue to observe the methodology, look at the results and, perhaps, again turn to them for feedback.

G8342 SETTINGS: ISO 40, F2, 1/1600 sec, 4.4mm equiv.

What are the technical limitations in cameras today? mobile phones? Is it possible to see some kind of major breakthrough? For example, a one-inch matrix (as was done in Panasonic CM-1) or a real telezoom lens. If you fantasize, what would you like to see in a mobile camera? And what could really appear?

In my opinion, the one-inch sensor in a smartphone camera is a great solution. But for sure because of this, the thickness of the case and the weight of the gadget will increase. The optical telezoom lens also requires more space. And today the market offers us a solution in the form of a dual camera. But this is not enough for us. Most likely, the size of the sensors will not change in the near future. Perhaps the problems will somehow be solved by double, triple and "smart" cameras with artificial intelligence and machine learning.

I think that increasing the camera module is the next step in smartphone building. But if you fantasize, then a one-inch sensor is great, but it is very difficult to fit into the body of a smartphone. It might make sense to separate the smartphone and camera, but that was Sony's QX series. Maybe something will change in optics: instead of G Lens optics, G Master will be used. The cost of such a smartphone will be very beneficial for us, but people most likely will not appreciate it. Technically, such an implementation is possible.

Still, the limitations in DSLR and mirrorless cameras are much less than in smartphones. But computing power is on the side of smartphones. Cameras have their own way of development, smartphones have their own. Cameras need to be comfortable and ergonomic, and they usually cost more than smartphones.

(Careful, many letters!)

Once again, for those who are always right by nature and not having read many letters, they begin to broadcast their undeniable wretched truth. I'm not a fan of Lumia, I understand perfectly well that this is a dead-end branch and there can be no prospects for development. But what was achieved on this platform in the past, objectively (based on a comparison of real images) is still ahead in all respects (sensor, high-quality light glass, color, sharpness throughout the frame, BB, depth of field, no shake due to optical stabilizer) , the presence of sophisticated post-processing software and excellent 4K video, evaluated on high-quality 4K TV, replaceable batteries, finally, which is important for heavy use for photos) when compared with any "photoflags" on Android with all their sophisticated dual cameras with zooms and pseudo-side ...

Always when it falls into the hands new smartphone positioned by the manufacturer as a device with certain "steps forward", I compare its photo properties and 4K video with the Lumia 950XL smartphone - an unsurpassed benchmark so far (appeared on the market in October 2015). Previously, the benchmark was the Nokia Lumia 1520 (announced back in October 2013), but it died untimely, although I am sure it could remain so in the future. Pictures from both devices have been successfully and repeatedly used for printing in magazines and other glossy printing publications.

Microsoft became "flagship killers" Lumia 950XL, Lumia 950 and Lumia 1520. Buried not only Nokia, but also Windows Mobile and with them advanced technologies in the field of mobile photography ...

If you didn't know that there is a standard ...

For several years now I have been trying to find at least something commensurate in the camp of devices based on the Androd platform. But, making comparisons, I come to the same disappointing conclusion that Androd doesn't have a single decent smartphone that can compare in photo and video quality with Lumia 950XL. Moreover, it seems that things are only getting worse. Especially these marketing distortions towards dual cameras with pseudo-telephoto, pseudo-side or (as it were) variable aperture (Samsung Galaxy S9 +)! Manufacturers are trying to advertise their "achievements" with data on increasing the aperture (up to f / 1.7 and even up to 1.6) or the pixel size of the sensor, while hiding other important parameters, such as the quality and resolution of optics or the elaboration of processing algorithms, and, often, and the type of sensor used. By the way, "mobile" concepts of focal length and aperture are ambiguous. In DSLRs it is easier: only a few manufacturers of "bodies" and "glasses", mostly full frame or APS-C. Based on these things, you already understand the rest. In mobile photography, it is very difficult to present and compare concepts such as aperture, sensor size / type, ISO, focal length, etc. “Mirror” skills and representations can be forgotten here ...

What kind of sensors are used on Android?

Almost all cameras on Androd devices are based on numerous and rather mediocre Sony sensors. There are also sensors from Samsung (ISOCELL) and OmniVision, but they are, by and large, also quite dull in quality.

Formats

It is important to imagine that some sensors are designed for shooting in the base 16: 9 format, and others in the 4: 3 format, although both will provide the same resolution, say, 16 megapixels. At the same time, you can shoot in non-basic formats, but the resolution will be only about 12 megapixels, obtained by a crop from 16 megapixels, which, as a rule, phone manufacturers do not report.

By the way, in the Lumia 1520 sensor, shooting in these formats is arranged somewhat differently. Here the 4: 3 format is 4992 x 3744 pixels (18.7 Mp), and 16: 9 is 5376 x 3024 (16.25 Mp). Thus, the Lumia 1520 sensor has a usable size of 5376 x 3744 pixels (20.1 megapixels). This is the so-called multidimensional sensor. Lumia 950 / 950XL: 4: 3 - 4992 x 3744 (18.7 megapixels) and 16: 9 - 5344 x 3008 (16.1 megapixels). The name of the sensors in these Lumia (and who makes them) is not known, they are made using PureView technology developed by Nokia and Carl Zeiss (f / 1.9 aperture, 1 / 2.4-inch matrix diagonal). Then this business was continued (buried) at Microsoft and now the Chinese are picking up again in collaboration with Carl Zeiss ...

Best of worst

According to Chip magazine as of November 2017, the next five are considered the best in the camera test - HTC U11 (color hereinafter in the text, the most acceptable devices on Android are marked - "The best of the worst"; there will be practically no reviews of Samsung due to their price politicians), Google Pixel 2, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Google Pixel 2 XL and Apple iPhone X. The popular rating of the resource kimovil.com for the same period gave the following list of smartphones with the best photo properties (in descending order): ZTE Nubia Z17, Apple iPhone 8 Plus, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Sony Xperia XZs, HTC U Ultra, Oppo R11s Plus, Oppo R11s, Samsung Galaxy S8 Active, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8 +, Vivo Xplay 6, OnePlus 5T, HTC U11, Xiaomi Mi Note 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy Note 7, OnePlus 5, Apple Iphone X, Apple iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, Google Pixel 2 XL, Google Pixel 2, Nubia Z17S, Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom ZE553KL, Xiaomi Mi6, HTC U11 +, Apple iPhone 7, Apple iphone 8, Nokia Lumia 1020, Nubia Z17 Mini S, Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, Oppo R9s, Oppo R9s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge +, HTC 10, LG G5, LG G5 SE, Google Pixel XL, Sharp Aquos S2, Nubia Z17 Mini, Nubia Z17 Lite, Archos Diamond Alpha, LG V20, HTC 10 Lifestyle, Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe, LG G6, etc. Meizu is not on the list at all.

Many smartphones have sensors with the default aspect ratio of 4: 3. So, OnePlus 3 / 3T, Xiaomi Mi5, Asus ZenFone 3, ZTE Nubia Z11, Nubia Z11 mini, Nubia Z11 Max, LeEco Le Pro 3, Huawei Mate 8, Oppo R9 Plus and others use a sensor Sony IMX 298 Exmor RS, from which, by default, shooting is performed in the specified 4: 3 format with a size of 4640 x 3480 pixels (16.1 megapixels), and 16: 9 frames are obtained by cropping a 4: 3 frame - 4640 x 2610 (12.1 megapixels). The diagonal of this sensor is 6.521 mm (1 / 2.8 inches). The total number of sensor pixels - 4720 x 3600, effective - 4672 x 3520, active - 4656 x 3496. Quite good pictures, perhaps, only in ZTE Nubia Z11 (hole f / 2.0), although this model is already outdated and disappears from the shelves. On the plus side, the 4-axis optical stabilization is. Despite the fact that the same sensor is installed on the other above-listed smarts, the footage from them is not so acceptable.

Relatively new sensor Sony IMX 398(release - October 2016) "16 megapixel class" is installed so far only on smartphones from BBK Electronics (it owns the brands OPPO, OnePlus and Vivo; it is this company that "holds" the Chinese market, not Xiaomi or Meizu). Sensor resolution - 4608 x 3456 pixels. The default is 4: 3 frames. The diagonal of the sensor is 6.4 mm (1 / 2.8 ″), the pixel size is 1.12 µm. Used in Oppo R9S / Oppo R9s Plus (f / 1.7, no OIS), OPPO F3 Plus (f / 1.7, OIS), OPPO R11s Plus (f / 1.7, no OIS) and OnePlus 5 / 5T (dual camera - main camera with Sony IMX 398, f / 1.7, no optical stabilization). In addition, in June 2017, OPPO R11 and R11 Plus smartphones were presented, on which there are high-resolution cameras both in the self-modules and in the main module. In particular, a dual module of the main camera was used - 16 MP (Sony IMX398, wide-angle lens, f / 1.7, PDAF) and 20 MP ( Sony IMX350, telephoto lens, f / 2.6, 1 / 2.8 ″, 1 μm). The 20MP front camera is equipped with an f / 2.0 aperture lens.

On the contrary, if the main shooting format in the phone is landscape (16: 9), then the 4: 3 aspect ratio is obtained by a 16: 9 frame crop. For example, on smartphones such as LG G5, LG G4 (H815) or ZTE Nubia Z9 / Max / mini with a sensor Sony IMX 234 Exmor RS the main frame in 16: 9 format has a pixel size of 5312 x 2988 (15.9 Mp), and in 4: 3 it will be already cut along the wide side - 3984 x 2988 (11.9 Mp). Full size This matrix is ​​6.433 x 4.921 mm, and the diagonal of the working area is 1 / 2.8 inches, which is equivalent to 6.521 mm, the pixel size is 1.12 microns. In this case, the full resolution of the sensor is 4720 x 3600 pixels, i.e. - 16.99 megapixels, some of them are used, apparently, for electronic image stabilization, etc., so the so-called effective resolution is 4672 x 3520 (16.44 megapixels), and only 4656 x 3496 are available for shooting (the number of active pixels) or 16.28 megapixels, however, not all of them are used. Of the entire line of smartphones on this sensor, only the LG G5 and LG G4 (H815) can be considered good in terms of photo properties. However, the G4 is practically no longer on sale, and the G5 is not a super novelty either. The frames with the G5 when shooting with the main camera (f / 1.8) have good color rendition and white balance, medium dynamic range, sharpness is overestimated (programmatically), focusing is not always confident and fast. For some reason, LG decided to shoot wide-angle shots with a second 8-megapixel camera with a dark hole f / 2.4, although it is clear that there should be more information in a wide-angle shot and there should be more megapixels too.

A smart phone with a sensor might be a good choice. Sony IMX 318 Exmor RS on board. This sensor has a 1 / 2.6 ″ format (which is slightly less than the IMX 260 - 1 / 2.4 ″, used, in particular, in the Galaxy S7). This model The sensor was introduced in early 2016 and was one of the first to feature fast hybrid autofocus (0.03 s) and built-in 3-axis digital stabilizer for video. Pixel size 1 μm. The basic format is 4: 3, i.e. When shooting in 16: 9 format, the "informativeness" of the frame in pixels will be lower (crop). Such sensors are used on Asus ZenFone 3, Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe (f / 2.0, OIS), Asus ZenFone 3 Ultra (f / 2.0, OIS), Nubia Z11 mini S, Nubia Z17, Xiaomi Mi Note 2 and others. The availability of high-quality lenses and well-developed software is important here. Examples of photos show that the best option on this sensor in terms of sharpness, detail, color and dynamic range will be the Nubia Z17, and the worst - Asus ZenFone 3. On the Nubia Z17, the main dual module is the camera with the sensor. Sony IMX 362(seemingly) at 12 megapixels with f / 1.8, and telephoto - Sony IMX 318 with 23 megapixels and f / 2.0. In terms of cameras, it is identical to the frameless Nubia Z17S - also Sony IMX 362 at 12 Mp (f / 1.8) and Sony IMX 318 at 23 Mp (f / 2.0) for 2x optical zoom. This approach is not entirely clear - it would be more logical to use a higher-resolution camera in wide-angle mode, for telephoto - 12 megapixels will suffice. This is not an isolated incident. Both devices have no optical stabilization. On the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, you can also get good shots. It uses one Sony IMX 318 sensor. The maximum resolution of the resulting photos in 4: 3 format is 5488 × 4112, which corresponds to 22.56 megapixels. Aperture f / 2.0. There is no optical stabilization. Everything would be fine, but the device itself, unfortunately, has several significant unpleasant properties (rounded screen, specific firmware, etc.).

Minus CMOS sensor Sony IMX 362 is a low resolution - only 12 megapixels. Otherwise, it is quite good in color, sharpness and dynamic range. Of course, a lot depends on the luminosity and quality of the optics, as well as on the diligence of the software writers. It has on board smartphones Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2, Asus ZenFone 3 Zoom ZE553KL, Lenovo Moto G5 Plus, Lenovo Moto Z2 Play, HTC U11 / HTC U11 +, Sharp Aquos S2, Meizu M6 Note, Asus ZenFone 4 ZE554KL, Coolpad Cool M7, above described by Nubia Z17 / 17S and Archos Diamond Omega. It is the HTC U11 with f / 1.7 that performs well in the camera test (otherwise it is terrible, especially in design). Even the budget Meizu M6 Note, in the presence of not the best glass (but, f / 1.9) and the absence of optical stabilization, shows acceptable results. You can take it. For me, it's just a mystery: why again they took out the microUSB connector from the dust and did not install USB-C. And the gold Chinese colors are unnerving ... Quite good daytime photos of the Sharp Aquos S2 (according to the version). It has a dual camera: the main one with IMX 362, f / 1.8 glass (reported - f / 1.75) and optical stabilization; the second camera is 8 megapixels. But in low light - a wretched watercolor. In March 2018, a balanced "middling" of the new Meizu E3 line with a dual main camera - 12 MP (Sony IMX362 sensor, Dual Pixel, f / 1.9, no OIS) + 20 MP module ( Sony IMX350, f / 2.6). A double zoom is implemented here - 1.8x (optical) and 2.5x (without loss of quality). Of the advantages - finally USB Type-C, screen - 5.99 ″ LCD IPS, stone - Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, battery - 3360 mAh, AnTuTu - 112.478. It is worth taking a closer look and waiting for the tests of this smartphone.

On relatively old "bodies" Meizu MX6 (f / 2.0, no OIS), Meizu Pro 6s (f / 2.0, OIS), Meizu Pro 6 Plus (f / 2.0, OIS), Meizu M3X (f / 2.0, no OIS), Huawei Honor 6X and Huawei Nova, as well as fresh Huawei Mate 10 Pro (f / 1.6, OIS), Motorola Moto Z2 Force (f / 2.0, no OIS), Meizu Pro 7 (f / 2.0, no OIS), Meizu Pro 7 Plus (f / 2.0, no OIS), Xiaomi Mi Max 2, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, Xiaomi Mi6 and Xiaomi Mi Note 3 uses a 12MP CMOS sensor (3968 x 2976 pixels) Sony IMX 386 Exmor RS announced in summer 2016. The standard aspect ratio here is 4: 3. None of the smartphones with this sensor can be recommended as acceptable in terms of photo properties. The lack of optical stabilization with a hole of f / 2.2 on the shovel Xiaomi Mi Max 2, presented in May 2017, gives very mediocre results in all modes. Xiaomi Mi Note 3 seems to be equipped with light glass with an aperture of f / 1.8 (on the second camera it is worse - f / 2.6) and optical stabilization, but practically does not differ from Xiaomi Mi6: they both give mediocre frames, both in sharpness and color and dynamic range. Especially in low light. Also chromatic aberration. So, the camera from Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is praised in vain ... Meizu Pro 7 Plus shows several best photos during the day due to good glass, but with a decrease in illumination (especially in the evening or indoors), "watercolor" begins. Introduced September 2017 Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 about equipped with the same sensor (the only rear camera on the device) with optical stabilization and f / 2.0 optics. It is no better than "fellow sensor". Good color and accurate exposure, but lacks detail, oversharp, noise and watercolor in low light.

Only the flagship smartphone LG G6, released in early 2017, turned out to be quite a compromise. Together with the innovative FullVision 5.7 ″ screen (with a diagonal of 18: 9 or 2: 1), which occupies almost the entire surface of the front side of the smartphone, the device received a far from new Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and a dual camera with a 2015 sensor - Sony IMX 258 13 megapixels. This sensor has a diagonal of 5.867 mm (1 / 3.06 ″), the total number of pixels is 4224 x 3192, effective - 4224 x 3144, active - 4208 x 3120, while the real image in 4: 3 format is even smaller - 4160 x 3120, and in 2: 1 (18: 9) - 4160 x 2080 (test frames from the LG G6 US997 version are 4160 x 2340 pixels). One camera provides wide-angle 125 °, the other 71 °. The optics of the main camera with an aperture of f / 1.8, the second with f / 2.4. Photos do not shine with detail - instead of them "watercolors" with significant oversharp, night shots are very dull and noisy. The budget smartphone LG Q6 / Q6 / Q6 + with a FullVision screen, presented in the summer of 2017, has a single rear camera, apparently with the same 13 megapixel sensor (LG does not disclose the brand, although some sources indicate the installation of LG's own sensor) and optics with f / 2.2 aperture. In 4: 3 format, frames have the same size 4160 x 3120 pixels, and 18: 9 images are also obtained by cropping a 4: 3 frame (total 9.7 megapixels). The G6 has optical stabilization, the Q6 lacks it.

It was a shame to put such a sensor on the flagship G6, of course, the footage from it does not cause any delight. By the way, on the very successful, but budgetary Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, the same Sony IMX 258 sensor looks more logical and quite sufficient, so users rate the quality of photos from its camera much higher than the owners of the LG G6.

The same sensor is also used in smartphones Sony Xperia XA, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus, ZTE Nubia z17 mini (f / 2.2), ZTE Nubia z17 miniS (f / 2.2, there is OIS), UMIDIGI S2 (dual - 13 MP on the Sony IMX 258, the second at 5 megapixels) and, most likely, in the Nokia 8.

Sony IMX 351 Exmor RS... The sensor has a resolution of 16 Mp, diagonal 5.822 mm (1 / 3.09 ″), the total number of pixels - 4688 x 3648 (about 17.1 Mp), effective - 4688 x 3512 (16.46 Mp), active - 4656 x 3496 (16.28 Mp), grain - 1 micron. Installed on Asus ZenFone 4 Selfie Pro (one main camera, f / 2.0, no OIS) and LG V30 / V30 +. In the new LG V30 and LG V30 +, the dual module of the main camera has the following composition: a standard camera based on Sony IMX351 with 71 ° coverage (f / 1.6, OIS), the second camera is 13 MP with a Samsung S5K3M3 sensor (size 1/2 , 9 ″, 120 ° wide angle camera, f / 1.9). By the way, Samsung S5K3M3 is also used in the Xiaomi Mi6 photomodule (together with the main camera with a Sony IMX 362 sensor). The shots from the LG V30 / V30 + leave a strange impression: it seems that the wide-format photos (here the S5K3M3 is involved) were taken with a 12-megapixel sensor, and then by interpolation they were "inflated" to 13 megapixels - watercolors are everywhere and soap around the edges. It's a shame that LG is heading in the wrong direction with a volatile and intrusive market, as are many other smartphone makers with “good” cameras. The last one was a pretty decent LG G4, and the subsequent LG G5, LG G6 and LG V30 / V30 + were largely flop and deceiving in terms of photo properties. The same Sony IMX351 Exmor RS sensor is used on other variations of the family - LG V30S and LG V30S Plus (f / 1.6, OIS, announced in February 2018).

Sensor Sony IMX 378... It has a large grain. It was introduced in September 2016. Standard size - 7.81 mm (1 / 2.3 ″), pixel - 1.55 microns. The aspect ratio is 4: 3, allows you to make frames of 4048 x 3036 (4056 x 3040) pixels, which is about 12.3 megapixels. In general, the sensor is one of the most acceptable in the Sony lineup, but only 12 megapixels, which is not enough! Installed on the pretentious-expensive Google Pixel and Pixel XL (with OIS), as well as on Xiaomi Mi5S (without OIS), BlackBerry KEYone, Huawei P10, Huawei Honor 9 and HTC U Ultra (f / 1.8, OIS). HTC smartphone The U Ultra delivers photos that are slightly below the quality of the Google Pixel. The colors are normal, there is little noise, the sharpness is good, you can shoot with manual settings in RAW. At night, the footage is not as good, but acceptable. Xiaomi Mi5S: color, dynamic range and sharpness are at their best. A good alternative to the overpriced Google Pixel. A significant disadvantage is that there is no optical stabilization, so when shooting in low light conditions, the automatic system raises the ISO to reduce the shutter speed, from which we get strong noise and watercolor. Frame resolution is exactly 4000 x 3000 pixels. Huawei Honor 9 has a dual camera - 20 megapixels in b / w (monochrome) + color 12 megapixels (with an IMX378 sensor, f / 2.2, OIS, frame size for some reason 3968 x 2976 pixels - apparently "eats up" the stabilizer) ... Phase + laser autofocus. Similar tricks are traditional for Huawei, similar in Huawei P10 and P10 Plus. Two sensors are used for color shooting with a final resolution of 20 megapixels ("synthetic" image using the technology of combining data from a black-and-white sensor and data received from a color sensor), as well as for zoom and "portrait". Evaluation of the images shows that "chemistry" with color and resolution does not give a positive result.

Sony IMX 380- the next google sensor. It stands only on Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL (frames are 4032 x 3024 pixels). Sensor resolution - 4096 x 3040 pixels (12.4 Mp), standard size - 7.81 mm (1 / 2.3 ″), pixel - 1.55 microns. Announced in October 2017. I will not talk about the pictures in detail - they seem to be quite good, the hole is f / 1.8, but their resolution of the "12 Mp class", as already noted above, does not provide ample opportunities for post-processing, which often implies alignment and cropping, which further reduces the frame size. Well, the price tag is unfriendly (XL - almost 60,000 rubles at the end of 2017 and will not get cheaper), Googlephones are such "apples" in the camp of Android devices ...

Sony IMX 377- one more "coarse-grain" sensor of "class 12 Mp". Its resolution is about 12.35 Mp, the standard size of the sensor and the pixel size are the same - 1 / 2.3 ″ and 1.55 µm. It was installed on expensive LG Nexus 5X, HTC 10 and Huawei Nexus 6P. From them, frames are obtained with a size of 4032 x 3024 pixels. Not a bad quality of photos for its time, but the devices are already outdated and there are only used ones ...

More pixels are better!

In the segment of smartphones with high-resolution sensors, there are few proposals. But in vain. Previously, "multipixel" sensors were used more widely - this refers to Sony IMX 318 Exmor RS (23 Mp), which was discussed above, and to the Sony IMX 230. However, their time is running out. More or less modern sensors Sony IMX 300 and Sony IMX 400 are installed only on Sony devices. This is bad.

An interesting, high-quality and inexpensive device at one time was LeEco LeMax 2 (X820), presented in April 2016. It is equipped with a 5.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 or 6 GB of RAM, 32, 64 or 128 GB of internal memory, a 3100 mAh battery with support for Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging, a USB-C connector and a 21.5 megapixel main camera with sensor-based optical stabilization Sony IMX 230 Exmor RS(hole f / 2.0). The sensor is not new at all - it was released in April 2015. It has the following parameters- CMOS, 7.487 mm (1 / 2.4 ″) diagonal. The total number of pixels is 5408 x 4112 (about 22.24 Mp), effective - 5360 x 4032 (21.61 Mp), active - 5344 x 4016 (21.46 Mp). LeEco LeMax 2 (X820) images are 5312 x 3984 pixels (21.16 megapixels) in 4: 3 format and 5312 x 2988 - in 16: 9 format (crop, almost 15.9 megapixels). Good color and detail, quite acceptable pictures at ISO value up to 800. There is HDR and panorama at 2512 pixels in height. 4K video at 30 fps with a stream of only 41 megabits (from experience I can say for sure that this is not enough; you need at least 51 megabits!). The downside is also that there is no optical and digital stabilization when recording video (in standard application). Unfortunately, LeEco has burst and the smartphone is not updated. Many other smartphones were released with the same "ancient" sensor: Sony Xperia Z3 +, Huawei Honor 7, Sony Xperia XA Ultra, Sony Xperia M5, Meizu Pro 6, Meizu Pro 5, Lenovo Vibe X3, Lenovo Moto Z Force, BlackBerry Priv, BlackBerry DTEK60, Blackview P6000, Motorola Droid Turbo 2, Motorola Moto X Play, Motorola Moto X Force, Motorola Moto X Style, LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 Pro, LeEco (LeTV) Le Max X900, LeEco (LeTV) Le Max Pro X910, LeEco (LeTV) Le S3, and also a lot of little-known "Chinese" on the Russian market.

Unfortunately the sensor Sony IMX 300(5984 x 4144 pixels, ~ 25 Mp, diagonal 7.87 mm - 1 / 2.3 ″, pixel size - 1.08 μm), which was released in September 2015, is available only on smartphones of the same company - peculiar and expensive Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, Sony Xperia Z5, Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, Sony Xperia X Performance, Sony Xperia X, Sony Xperia X Compact, Sony Xperia XZ, Sony Xperia XA1, Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra, Sony Xperia XA1 Plus. The sensor is interesting in that it is multidimensional, similar to sensors in cameras Lumia smartphones 1520 and 950 / 950XL. Neither when shooting in 4: 3, nor in 16: 9 format, the dimensions of the sides of the frames in pixels are not repeated (not obtained by cropping). For example, on the Sony Xperia XA1, the frames are of the following dimensions: 5520 x 4144 pixels (22.9 megapixels) in 4: 3 format, 5984 x 3376 pixels (20.2 megapixels) - in wide format. The glass is quite dark - f / 2.0, while there is also no optical stabilization. A lot of shake. The screen is only 5 ″ (1280 x 720): Sony probably thinks that it is convenient to look at the highrez on this one. Color: lacks warm shades. Detailing is excellent due to the resolution of the sensor. In low light, as always with Sony - watercolor and soap. Processor - MediaTek. The battery is 2300. This is a masterpiece of February 2017, and not some old junk! The price tag is infuriating. In comparison, the "old" Sony Xperia Z5 with the same sensor still looks better, although it also lacks optical stabilization and a "darkish" hole f / 2.0. The price tag infuriates even more ... Sony Xperia XZ shows the same parameters as XA1; no optical stabilization and only f / 2.0.

Sony IMX 350... Sensor 20 megapixels. Diagonal - 6.475 mm (1 / 2.78 ″). Pixel size - 1.0 μm, aspect ratio 4: 3, active pixels - 5184 x 3880. Smart OnePlus 5 is equipped with a dual main camera, consisting of a wide-angle module with a 16-megapixel Sony IMX 398 matrix and a telephoto module with Sony IMX 350. Front-facing camera - 16 megapixel with Sony IMX 371 sensor. The Xiaomi Mi 7 device was rumored to have a dual camera with 19 megapixel (f / 1.7) sensors, further it was reported that the main camera will be equipped with a 12 megapixel Sony IMX 380 sensor and a 20-megapixel Sony IMX350. One module with a Sony IMX 350 sensor (f / 1.8, no OIS) was planned for the ZTE Axon M. OPPO R11 and R11 Plus smartphones have a dual main camera module - 16 MP (Sony IMX398, wide-angle lens, f / 1.7, PDAF) and 20 MP (Sony IMX350, telephoto lens, f / 2.6, 1 / 2.8 ″ , 1 μm). The smart Meizu E3 presented in March 2018 is equipped with a dual main camera - 12 MP (Sony IMX362 sensor, Dual Pixel, f / 1.9, no OIS) + 20 MP module (Sony IMX350, f / 2.6), implemented zoom at 1.8x (optical) and 2.5x (no loss of quality).

Sony IMX 376- an uncommon sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels (4: 3 format, 5120 x 3840 pixels). It is installed mainly in self-modules of such Chinese smartphones like Vivo V5, Vivo V5 Plus and Vivo V5S (f 2.0), Vivo X9 and Vivo X9 Plus (here double front cameras, one of which with Sony IMX 376, f / 2.0). Sensor included OnePlus 5T- there is a dual main camera: 16 megapixels (Sony IMX398, 1.12 microns, f / 1.7) + 20 megapixels ( Sony IMX376K, 1 micron, f / 1.7, monochrome module for shooting in low light). No OIS!

Relatively new sensor Sony IMX 400 also got a high resolution in pixels. It is multi-aspect and also only applies to Sony Xperia XZs, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Sony Xperia XZ1 and Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact. In particular, the best of the worst in this series - the Sony Xperia XZ Premium - is equipped with "glass" with optical stabilization and f / 2.0 aperture. At first glance, the shots taken under standard conditions seem to be good, but due to the optics with insufficient resolution and / or unfinished software, the quality of the images is very poor - watercolor with sharpening. The dynamic range is narrow. In low light, loud noises. The maximum resolution in 4: 3 mode is 5056 x 3792 (19.2 Mp), and in 16: 9 it is 5504 x 3096 (about 17 Mp), while the IMX 400 itself contains 5504 x 3792 pixels (20.9 Mp). The Sony Xperia XZ1 and Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact also lack OIS. In general, as follows from the statements of Sony officials, doing it wrong is their credo, which they are proud of and promise to continue to do so: do not install OIS, make scary remnants of plastic and on-screen control buttons in the presence of just a huge beard on the bottom of the case.

Omnivision

Not very well-known company Omnivision also produces high-resolution sensors. They are not widely spread.

A year ago, the company introduced new 20-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors - OV20880 and OV20880-4C (5184 x 3888 pixels) and OV16885 and OV16885-4C (4672 x 3504 pixels) with second generation PureCel Plus-S technology for lower noise, low light performance and HDR support. There is no information yet on the use of these sensors in smartphones. previous version OV16880 was involved in LeEco (LeTV) Le S3, Xiaomi Mi Mix, LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X620, LeEco (LeTV) Le 2 X520, Xiaomi Mi Max, Oukitel K6000 Plus and the new Vivo V7 + (f / 2.0, no OIS). Judging by the available pictures taken with the Xiaomi Mi Mix and Xiaomi Mi Max, the “masterpieces” are quite average in all respects.

Previously, the company offered the Omnivision sensor OV23850... It was announced at the end of 2014. Its resolution is about 23.8 megapixels (when shooting video - 5632 x 4224, and working resolution when shooting photos - 5648 x 4232 pixels or cropped 5648 x 3184 pixels, i.e. 17.9 megapixels ). Captures images in an aspect ratio of 4: 3, size - 1 / 2.3 ″. The only smartphone with him on board is the unknown "Chinese" Gionee Elife E8 (released in May 2015), which has OIS, and the aperture is f / 2.0.

Another 21.4MP photo sensor OV21840, intended for smartphones of the top segment. The release states that "the sensor features proprietary PureCel-S technology that captures photos and videos with quality comparable to DSLR cameras." However, to date, there is no evidence that it was installed on at least one smartphone. The sensor uses its own technology, thanks to which the sensing and processing elements are located separately one after the other. The sensor supports phase detection autofocus, photo and video recording in HDR mode. Sensor size 1 / 2.4 ″. The number of active pixels is 5344 x 4016. The sensor is capable of recording video with a resolution not higher than QHD at 30 frames per second in HDR mode.

OmniVision announced two sensor models in early 2017 - OV12A10(color) and OV12A1B(monochrome)... True, "class 12 Mp". These 1 / 2.8-inch sensors with a resolution of 4096 x 3072 pixels and a pixel size of 1.25 microns are designed for use in dual cameras. Omnivision sensor OV12A10 found application in the newfangled Xiaomi Mi A1, released in September 2017, and in its "twin" - Xiaomi Mi5x. They have a dual camera - the main one with an aperture of f / 2.2 and a focal length of 26 mm, the second with f / 2.6 and 50 mm. This realizes 2x optical zoom. There is HDR. No optical stabilization. Daytime photos are surprisingly acceptable quality considering what was captured on OmniVision. Good dynamic range. You can take it. The Omnivision OV12A10 sensor is also found on the Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus smartphones presented in December 2017 (both with f / 2.2 and without OIS), also, possibly, in the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (announced in February 2018. ). Examples of photos from them are also quite good in daytime conditions, in poor light - porridge and shake (since there is no stub and a dark hole).

From the line of high-resolution sensors of this company, which would be installed on "non-Samsung" smartphones and would be worthy of attention, I know only one type - S5K2T8... He stands (it seems to be he) only on ZTE Axon 7... This is not officially advertised. Resolution - 20 megapixels, size - 1 / 2.6 ″. The aperture on the ZTE Axon 7 is f / 1.8, there is OIS. The frames have a resolution of 19.9 megapixels (5952 x 3348 pixels), although the resolution of the sensor itself is 5976 x 3368 pixels. For some reason, the smartphone was positioned as a musical flagship. For me, he's more of a photo flagship among other "androids"! Good detail, color and white balance. In normal lighting conditions, the footage is of quite acceptable quality - no nasty soap, noise or ragged watercolors. In poor light, it's no longer a masterpiece. There is blur at the edges of the frames due to the wide angle lens and light hole (= shallow depth of field). In my opinion, the disadvantage may be the standard aspect ratio for this sensor - 16: 9. This ratio is more suitable for landscape photography. The installed sensor is not multi-aspect and 4: 3 pictures will be cropped from 16: 9: examples of photos show that they have a size of 4352 x 3264 pixels, about 14.2 megapixels ?!) ...

The S5K2T8 sensor does not appear anywhere in the Samsung lists and, possibly, is a version of the S5K2T7 sensor, which, however, has an aspect ratio of 4: 3 and a resolution of 5184 x 3880 - 20 megapixels.

A weak non-removable battery can severely limit the duration of the "field" use of a smartphone for filming - you definitely need a power bank.

It is a pity that the smartphone was very expensive "during its lifetime" (released in May 2016); now it is already somewhat outdated, although it is still on sale - as of December 2017, it cost from 23 rubles for the 4 / 64GB version. I can recommend to purchase for lack of something radically better on androids! The purchase and use of this smart showed that the phenomenon of significant soap / blur in the left side of the pictures, which was repeatedly complained about in the ZTE Axon 7 thread on w3bsit3-dns.com, is apparently all over the place; was also present in the purchased copy. Perhaps this is due to an incorrect factory installation of the camera module - the same thing previously happened on other smartphones, including some MS Lumia 950XL (version with one SIM card).

Sony is renowned for making quality smartphone camera sensors and is one of the world's leading suppliers of these components. Even in Samsung flagships or LG, Sony modules are used, and there is nothing to say about Chinese companies. The release of the new flagship Xiaomi Mi 5S, as well as its enlarged version Mi 5S Plus, introduced the world to Sony's new product focused on top-end devices. Smartphones were the first devices with this sensor. To understand what the novelty is, our material will help.

Specifications Sony Exmor IMX378

Based on the specs of the Sony IMX378, this camera is a modified and improved version of the IMX377 module released last year. In general, the practice of using identical sensors, adapted to the specifics of specific devices, as well as differing in body and optics, is quite common at Sony. Successful camera models go through several "reincarnations", as was the case with the IMX145 (aka IMX175, IMX164 and IMX179) or IMX258 / 278.

The actual resolution of the IMX378 sensor is 4120x3036 or 12.5 MP. However, in 3: 4 aspect ratio the maximum resolution reaches 4024x3036 pixels, in widescreen - 4120x2168. Thus, the size of the matrix used in the widescreen mode is reduced to 1 / 2.5 ", and the picture resolution is reduced to almost 9 MP.

The Sony IMX378 uses a 1 / 2.3 "sensor (one of the largest in a smartphone) with 1.55μm pixels. The actual sensor diagonal is 7.8mm. Due to the twice the area (2.4μm2 vs 1 , 2 μm2), each pixel is capable of capturing twice as much light as standard 1.12-micrometer elements, and in real-world conditions, this advantage manifests itself in the form of improved light sensitivity (and thus detail) in low light.

In the version used in Xiaomi flagships, the optics consists of 6 lenses, and its aperture opens up to f / 2. At the same time, the actual focal length is 4.75 mm - almost 1.5 times more than most modern smartphones (3.5 mm). Due to the increased thickness of the module, the lens is able to capture much more light.

Among other capabilities of the IMX378 camera sensor, video shooting in 4K 4000x3000 with a frequency of 30 FPS, 3840x2160 - 60 FPS, FullHD - 120 FPS and HD - 300 FPS is declared. Automatic focusing mechanism - phase, but without Dual Pixel technology.

Smartphones with Sony IMX378 camera

The Sony IMX378 sensor has not yet received distribution. The first smartphones to use this camera are the Xiaomi Mi 5S and Mi 5S Plus styles. At the moment, it is difficult to judge all the possibilities and quality of the photos that the module makes, but Xiaomi representatives have published a selection of photos demonstrating the capabilities of smartphones. The shots look very cool, but we must not forget about the tricks of the marketers. To fully appreciate the IMX378 sensor in real life, you need to wait for the Mi 5S to go on sale.

The second and third smartphones to receive this camera model should be the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. The heirs of the Nexus series are equipped with the Sony IMX378. DxOMark gave the camera in Pixel smartphones with Sony IMX 378 sensor the highest score at the time of writing this review - 89 points. The Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have good software from the software giant and beat even the sensational flagship Galaxy S7 in mobile photography with a maximum of 88 points from DxOMark.

For now, get general impression about abilities new camera it is possible by analyzing pictures from HTC 10, Huawei Nexus 6P or LG Nexus 5X. These devices, as mentioned in the beginning, are equipped with a Sony IMX377 camera sensor, so they should provide a similar quality of frames. However, completely projecting the opinion about this matrix onto a newer model is not the most correct decision. Also, do not forget about software cameras, which each manufacturer has its own and plays an important role in the final result.

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Four magnificent compact smartphone with powerful batteries

More banal than this axiom is the only explanation “the iPhone, it turns out, does not have a memory card slot”. But beginners continue to make mistakes when they "bite" the number of megapixels in the camera, which means they have to repeat themselves.

Imagine a window - an ordinary window in a residential building or apartment. The megapixel count is roughly the amount of glass inside the window frame. If we continue to draw parallels with smartphones, in ancient times glass for windows was the same size and was considered a scarce commodity. Therefore, when the conventional "Tolyan" said that he had 5 glasses (megapixels) in the window block, everyone understood that Anatoly was a serious and wealthy person. And the characteristics of the window were also immediately clear - good overview outside the house, a large glazing area.

A few years later, windows (megapixels) ceased to be a shortage, so their number had only to be brought to the required level, and calm down on this. Just bring it in line with the area (a vent for ventilation and a loggia, for the sake of strength, require a different number of windows) so that the camera produces a slightly denser picture than 4K monitors and TVs produce. And finally, to do other characteristics - for example, to deal with clouding of glass and image distortion. Teach the cameras to correctly focus and paint the available megapixels with high quality, if you want specifics.

There are more "megapixels" on the right, but they give nothing but "obstacles" with the same area of ​​the "sensor"

But people are already accustomed to measuring the quality of cameras with megapixels, and sellers gladly indulged this. Therefore, the circus with a huge number of glasses (megapixels) in the same frame (dimensions of the camera matrix) continued. As a result, today the pixels in smartphone cameras, although not "packed" with the density of a mosquito net, but the "glass" has become too dense, and over 15 megapixels in smartphones almost always spoil rather than improve photos. It never happened before, and again it turned out that it was not size that mattered, but skill.

At the same time, the "evil", as you know, is not the megapixels themselves - if tons of megapixels were spread out on a sufficiently large camera, they would be good for the smartphone. When the camera is able to unleash the potential of all megapixels on board, and not "smear" them in large bulk when shooting, the photo can be enlarged, cropped, and it will remain of high quality. That is, no one will understand that this is just a fragment of a larger image. But now such miracles are found only in "correct" SLR and mirrorless cameras, in which only one matrix (a microcircuit with photosensors, on which a picture arrives through the "glass" of the camera) is much larger than a smartphone camera assembly.

"Evil" is a tradition of stuffing megapixels into tiny cameras on mobile phones. This tradition has brought nothing but blurring of the picture and excess of digital noise ("peas" in the frame).

Sony piled up 23 megapixels where competitors put 12-15 megapixels, and paid for this by reducing the clarity of the picture. (photo - manilashaker.com)

For reference: the best cameraphones of 2017 have the main rear cameras(not to be confused with b / w additional) all as one operate with "pathetic" 12-13 megapixels. In photo resolution, this is about 4032x3024 pixels - enough for a Full HD (1920x1080) monitor, and for 4K (3840x2160) too, albeit end-to-end. Roughly speaking, if a smartphone camera has more than 10 megapixels, their number is no longer important. Other things are important.

How to determine that the camera is of high quality, before looking at the photos and videos from it

Aperture - how wide the smartphone opened its eyes

The squirrel feeds on nuts, the deputies - on the money of the people, and cameras - on light. The more light, the higher the quality of the photo and the more detail. Only sunny weather and studio-style bright lighting lamps for any occasion of life cannot be enough. Therefore, for good photos indoors, or outdoors in cloudy weather / at night, cameras are designed in such a way that they produce a lot of light even in adverse conditions.

The easiest way to get more light to hit the camera sensor is to make a larger hole in the lens. The indicator of how wide the "eyes" of the camera are, called aperture, aperture, or aperture - this is one and the same parameter. And the words are different so that the reviewers in the articles can show off in incomprehensible terms as long as possible. Because, if you don't show off, the aperture can simply be called, excuse me, a "hole", as is customary among photographers.

Aperture is indicated by a fraction with the letter f, a forward slash and a number (or with a capital F and no fraction: for example, F2.2). Why

so - to talk for a long time, and that's not the point, as Rotaru sings. The bottom line is this: the smaller the number after the letter F and the forward slash, the better the camera in the smartphone. For example, f / 2.2 in smartphones is good, but f / 1.9 is better! The wider the aperture, the more light hits the sensor and the better smartphone“Sees” (takes photos and videos with better quality) at night. The bonus of the wide aperture is beautiful background blur when you photograph flowers up close, even if the smartphone does not have a dual camera.

Melania Trump explains what different apertures look like in smartphone cameras

Before buying a smartphone, do not be lazy to clarify how "sighted" the rear camera is. Looked at Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 - type in the search "Galaxy J3 2017 aperture", "Galaxy J3 2017 aperture" or "Galaxy J3 2017 aperture" to find out the exact number. If in the smartphone that you looked after for yourself nothing is known about the diaphragm, two options are possible:

• The camera is so bad that the manufacturer decided to keep silent about its characteristics. Marketers are doing about the same rudeness when, in response to "what is the processor in the smartphone?" answer "quad-core" and evade in every possible way so as not to announce a specific model.
• The smartphone has just appeared on sale and no characteristics, except for those in the advertising announcement, have not yet been "delivered" on it. Wait a couple of weeks - usually during this time the details will come out.

What should be the aperture in the camera of a new smartphone?

In 2017-2018 even in a budget model, the rear camera should produce at least f / 2.2. If the number in the denominator of this fraction is greater, get ready for the camera to see the picture as if wearing tinted glasses. And in the evening and at night she will be "blind" and will be able to see almost nothing even at a distance of several meters from the smartphone. And do not rely on "twists" of brightness - in a smartphone with f / 2.4 or f / 2.6, evening photography with an exposure "stretched" by the software method will turn out to be a "rough blur", while a camera with f / 2.2 or f / 2.0 will take a better photo without tricks.

The wider the aperture, the higher the quality of shooting on the smartphone camera.

The coolest smartphones today are equipped with cameras with an aperture of f / 1.8, f / 1.7 or even f / 1.6. The aperture itself does not guarantee the maximum quality of images (the quality of the sensor and the "glass" has not been canceled) - this, to quote the photographers, is just a "hole" through which the camera looks at the world. But other things being equal, it is better to choose smartphones in which the camera does not “squint”, but receives an image with wide-open “eyes”.

Diagonal of the matrix (sensor): the more - the better

The matrix in a smartphone is not a matrix where people with complex faces in black cloaks dodge bullets. In mobile phones, this word means a photocell ... in other words, a plate on which a picture flies through the "glass" of optics. In old cameras, the picture flew onto the film and was saved there, and the matrix instead accumulates information about the photograph and sends it to the smartphone's processor. The processor formalizes all this into the final photo and stores the files in internal memory, or on microSD.

There is only one thing to know about the matrix - it should be as large as possible. If the optics is a water supply hose, and the diaphragm is the neck of the container, then the matrix is ​​the very reservoir for water, which is never enough.

The dimensions of the matrix are usually measured in inhuman, from the bell tower of ordinary buyers, Vidicon inches. One such inch is equal to 17 mm, but cameras in smartphones have not yet grown to such a size, so the matrix diagonal is denoted by a fraction, as is the case with the aperture. The smaller the second digit in the fraction (divisor), the larger the matrix -> the steeper the camera.

Is it clear that nothing is clear? Then just remember these numbers:

A budget smartphone will take pictures well if the matrix size in it is at least 1/3 "with a camera resolution of no higher than 12 megapixels. More megapixels means lower quality in practice. look loose, simply because they have fewer dots than the height-width of your monitor screen.

In mid-range smartphones good size matrices - 1 / 2.9 "or 1 / 2.8". If you find a larger one (1 / 2.6 "or 1 / 2.5", for example) - consider yourself very lucky. The flagship smartphones have a good tone - a matrix of at least 1 / 2.8 ", and better - 1 / 2.5".

Smartphones with a large sensor shoot better than models with small photocells

Is it even cooler? It happens - look at 1 / 2.3 ”in Sony Xperia XZ Premium and XZ1. Why, then, do these smartphones not set records for photo quality? Because the “automatic” of the camera constantly makes mistakes with the selection of settings for shooting, and the stock of “clarity and vigilance” of the camera is spoiled by the number of megapixels - they were piled up in these models by 19 instead of the standard 12-13 megapixels for new flagships, and the fly in the ointment canceled out the advantages of a huge matrix.

Are there smartphones in nature with a good camera and less harsh specifications? Yes - take a look at the Apple iPhone 7 with its 1/3 "at 12 megapixels. On the Honor 8, which has 1 / 2.9" at the same number of megapixels. Magic? No - just good optics and perfectly "licked" automation, which takes into account the potential of the camera as well as tailored trousers take into account the amount of cellulite on the thighs.

But there is a problem - manufacturers almost never indicate the size of the sensor in the specifications, because these are not megapixels, and you can be disgraced if the sensor is cheap. And in reviews or descriptions of smartphones in online stores, such characteristics of cameras are even less common. Even if you have chosen a smartphone with an adequate number of megapixels and a promising aperture value, there is a chance you will never know the size of the rear photosensor.In this case, pay attention to the last characteristic of smartphone cameras, which directly affects the quality.

Few large pixels are better than many small ones

Imagine a red caviar sandwich, or take a look at it if you have a hard time remembering how such delicacies look. Just as the eggs in a sandwich are distributed over a piece of loaf, the area of ​​the camera sensor (camera matrix) in a smartphone is occupied by light-sensitive elements - pixels. These pixels in smartphones, to put it mildly, not a dozen, or even a dozen. One megapixel - 1 million pixels, in typical smartphone cameras of 2015-2017, such megapixels are 12-20.

As we have already figured out, keeping an excessive amount of "dummies" on the matrix of a smartphone is destructive for pictures. The efficiency of such a crowd comes out, like that of specialized teams of people for replacing a light bulb. Therefore, it is better to observe fewer sensible pixels in the camera than large quantity stupid. The larger each of the pixels in the camera, the less “dirty” the photos will be, and the video recording will become less “bouncy”.

Large pixels in the camera (photo below) make evening and night shots better

The ideal smartphone camera consists of a large “foundation” (matrix / sensor) with large pixels on it. Only now, no one is going to make smartphones thicker or allocate half of the body behind for the camera. Therefore, the "building" will be such that the camera does not stick out of the body and does not take up much space, megapixels are large, even if there are only 12-13, and the matrix was as large as possible to accommodate all of them.

The pixel size in the camera is measured in micrometers and is denoted as micron in Russian or µm in Latin. Before you buy a smartphone, make sure that the pixels in it are large enough - this is an indirect sign that the camera is shooting well. Type in the search, for example, "Xiaomi Mi 5S µm" or "Xiaomi Mi 5S µm" - and you rejoice at the characteristics of the smartphone camera that you have noticed. Or upset - it depends on the numbers that you see as a result.

How big should a pixel be in a good camera phone?

The pixel size in the "modern" time is especially famous ... Google Pixel is a smartphone that came out in 2016 and "showed Kuzkin's mother" to competitors due to the combination of a huge (1 / 2.3 ") matrix and very large pixels of about 1.55 microns. With such a set, he almost always produced the most detailed photographs, even in cloudy weather or at night.

Why don't manufacturers "cut" megapixels in the camera to a minimum and place at least pixels on the matrix? Such an experiment has already happened - HTC in the flagship One M8 (2014) made the pixels so huge that they fit into the rear camera ... four on a 1/3 "matrix! Thus, One M8 received pixels of as much as 2 microns! As a result, the smartphone "tore" almost all competitors in terms of the quality of images in the dark. And photos in a resolution of 2688 × 1520 pixels were enough for Full HD monitors of that time. But all-round champion HTC camera did not, because the Taiwanese were let down by HTC color accuracy and "dumb" shooting algorithms, which did not know how to "properly prepare" settings for a sensor with unusual potential.

Today, all manufacturers are "outraged" by the race for the largest pixels, therefore:

• In good budget camera phones, the pixel size should be from 1.22 microns and more
• In flagships, pixels ranging in size from 1.25 microns to 1.4 or 1.5 microns are considered good form. Bigger is better.

There are few smartphones with a good camera and relatively small pixels, but they exist in nature. This, of course, is the Apple iPhone 7 with its 1.22 micron and OnePlus 5 with 1.12 micron - they “go out” due to very high-quality sensors, very good optics and “smart” automation.

Without these terms, small pixels ruin the quality of photos in flagship smartphones. For example, in the LG G6, the algorithms are obscene when shooting at night, and the sensor, although ennobled with good "glasses", is cheap in itself. V

As a result, 1.12 microns always spoil night shots, except for the cases when you enter into battle with the "manual mode" instead of dull automation and correct its flaws yourself. The same picture reigns in shooting with the Sony Xperia XZ Premium or XZ1. And in the masterpiece, "on paper", camera Xiaomi Mi 5S competes with the flagships of the iPhone and Samsung because of the lack of optical stabilization and the same "crooked hands" of the algorithm developers, which is why the smartphone copes well with shooting only during the day, and at night it is no longer very impressive.

In order to understand how much to weigh in grams, take a look at the characteristics of cameras in some of the best cameraphones of our time.

What is the best type of autofocus

Autofocus is when a mobile phone independently "brings focus" while taking photos and videos. It is needed in order not to twist the settings "for every sneeze", like a gunner in a tank.

In old smartphones and in modern Chinese state employees, manufacturers use contrast autofocus. This is the most primitive focusing technique that focuses on how light or dark it is “right in front of the camera” in front of the camera, like a half-blind person. That is why it takes about a couple of seconds for cheap smartphones to focus, during which it is easy to "miss" a moving object, or reluctance to shoot what they were going to, because "the train left".

Phase autofocus "catches light" over the entire area of ​​the camera sensor, calculates the angle at which the rays enter the camera and draws conclusions about what is on the smartphone "in front of the nose" or a little further. Due to its "intelligence" and calculations, it works very quickly during the day and does not annoy at all. It is common in all modern smartphones, except for the very budget ones. The only drawback is work at night, when light arrives in a narrow hole in the diaphragm of a mobile phone in such small portions that the smartphone "breaks the roof" and it constantly fidgets with focusing due to a sharp change in information.

Laser autofocus is the most chic! Laser rangefinders have always been used to "throw" a beam at a long distance and calculate the distance for an object. LG in the smartphone G3 (2014) taught this "scan" to help the camera quickly focus.

Laser autofocus is surprisingly fast, even in indoor or semi-dark environments

Take a look at your wristwatch ... though, what am I talking about ... okay, turn on the stopwatch in your smartphone and see how quickly one second passes. And now mentally divide it by 3.5 - in 0.276 seconds, the smartphone receives information about the distance to the subject and reports this to the camera. Moreover, it does not lose speed either in the dark or in bad weather. If you plan to take photos and videos near or on short distance with a lack of light, a smartphone with laser autofocus will help you out a lot.

But keep in mind that mobile phones are not weapons from "Star Wars", so the range of the laser in the camera barely shifts a couple of meters. Everything that is further, the mobile phone examines with the help of the same phase autofocus. In other words, to shoot objects from afar, it is not necessary to look for a smartphone with "laser guidance" in the camera - you will not get any use from such a function in general plans of photos and videos.

Optical stabilization. Why is it needed and how it works

Have you ever driven a vehicle with leaf spring suspension? On army "UAZ" cars, for example, or an ambulance with the same design? In addition to the fact that in such cars you can "beat off the fifth point", it shakes incredibly in them - the suspension is as stiff as possible so as not to fall apart on the road, and therefore it tells passengers everything that it thinks about the road surface, frankly and not "springy" (therefore that there is nothing to spring).

Now you know how the camera feels in a smartphone without optical stabilization when you are trying to take a photo.

The problem with shooting on a smartphone is this:

• The camera needs a lot of light to take good pictures. Not direct rays of the sun in the "physiognomy", but diffused, ubiquitous light around.
• The longer the camera "examines" the image during the photo, the more light it picks up = the higher the picture quality.
• At the time of shooting and these "peepers" of the camera, the smartphone must be stationary so that the picture does not "blur". Leaves at least a fraction of a millimeter - the frame will be spoiled.

And human hands are shaking. This is clearly visible if you raise it on outstretched arms and try to hold the barbell, and less noticeable when you hold your mobile phone in front of you to take a photo or video. The difference is that the bar can "float" in your hands within wide boundaries - just not to put it on a wall, a neighbor, or drop it on your feet. And the smartphone needs to have time to "grab" the light in order for the photo to be successful, and to do it before it deviates by a fraction of a millimeter in your hands.

Therefore, the algorithms are trying to please the camera, and not to put forward increased demands on your hands. That is, they tell the camera, for example, "so this means that 1/250 of a second you can take pictures, this is enough for the photo to be more or less successful, and to take a shot before the camera moves to the side is also enough." This thing is called an excerpt.

How optical stabilization works

What does the optostab have to do with it? So after all, he is that "amortization" with which the camera does not shake, like the body of army trucks, but "floats" within small boundaries. In the case of smartphones, it does not float in water, but is held by magnets and "fidgets" at a short distance from them.

That is, if the smartphone “leaves” a little or shakes during shooting, the camera will shake much weaker. With this kind of insurance, your smartphone will be able to:

• To overestimate the shutter speed (guaranteed time "to see the picture before the photo is ready") for the camera. The camera receives more light, sees more image details = the quality of the photo during the day is even higher.
• Capture sharp shots in motion. Not during an off-road sprint, but while walking or out of the window of a shaking bus, for example.
• Compensate for shaking in video. Even if you stomp your feet very sharply or sway slightly under the weight of the bag in your other hand, this will not be as noticeable in the video recording as in smartphones without an optical stabilizer.

Therefore, an optostab (OIS, as it is called in English) is an extremely useful gizmo in a smartphone camera. Without it, it is also possible, but sadly - the camera must be of high quality "with a margin", and the automation will have to shorten (worsen) the exposure, because there is no insurance against shaking in the smartphone. When shooting a video, you have to "move" the picture on the fly so that the jitter is not visible. This is akin to how old movies imitated the speed of a driving car when it was actually stationary. With the difference that in films, these scenes were filmed from one take, and smartphones have to calculate the shaking and fight it on the fly.

Smartphones with a good camera, which shoot no worse than competitors with stabilization without stabilization, are vanishingly few - for example, Apple iPhone 6s, the first generation of Google Pixel, OnePlus 5, Xiaomi Mi 5s and, with some stretch, Honor 8 / Honor 9.

What you should not pay attention to

• Flash... Useful only when shooting in pitch darkness, when you need to take a photo at any cost. As a result, you see the pale faces of people in the frame (for all that, because the flash is low-power), eyes screwed up from the bright light, or a very strange color of buildings / trees - photographs with a smartphone flash are definitely not of artistic value. As a flashlight, the LED near the camera is much more useful.
• Number of lenses in the camera... "Before, when I had 5 Mbps Internet, I wrote an abstract in a day, but now, when I have 100 Mbps, I write it in 4 seconds." No, guys - it doesn't work that way. It doesn't matter how many lenses there are in a smartphone, it doesn't matter who released them (Carl Zeiss, judging by the quality of the new Nokia cameras, too). Lenses are either of high quality or not, and this can only be verified with real photographs.

The quality of the glass (lens) affects the quality of the camera. And the quantity is not

• Shooting in RAW... If you don't know what RAW is, I explain:

JPEG is the standard format in which a smartphone records photos; it is a “ready-to-use” image. Like an Olivier salad on a festive table - it is possible to disassemble it "into components" in order to transform it into another salad, but it will not work out very well.

RAW is a hefty volume on a "flash drive" file, in which in its pure form, separate "lines" sewn in all the options for brightness, clarity and color for photography. That is, the photo will not be “covered with small dots” (digital noise) if you decide to make it not as dark as it turned out in JPEG, but a little brighter, as if you had correctly set the brightness at the time of shooting.

In short, RAW allows you to “Photoshop” a frame much more conveniently than JPEG. But the catch is that flagship smartphones almost always select the settings correctly, therefore, apart from the smartphone memory soiled by "heavy" photos in RAW, there will be little use of "photoshop" files. And in cheap smartphones, the camera quality is so poor that you will see poor quality in JPEG, and just as bad in RAW. Don't bother.

• Camera sensor name... They were once super important because they were the “quality mark” of a camera. The sensor (module) model of the camera determines the size of the matrix, the number of megapixels and the size of the pixel, minor "family features" of the shooting algorithms.

Of the "big three" manufacturers of camera modules for smartphones, the highest quality modules are produced by Sony (we do not take into account some examples, we are talking about the average temperature in the hospital), followed by Samsung (Samsung sensors in smartphones Samsung Galaxy is even better than the coolest Sony sensors, but Koreans are selling something absurd to the side), and, finally, OmniVision closes the list, which produces “consumer goods, but tolerable”. Intolerant consumer goods are produced by all the other basement Chinese offices, the name of which even the manufacturers themselves are ashamed to mention in the characteristics of smartphones.

8 - a variant of execution. Do you know how it happens in cars? The minimum configuration is with a "rag" on the seats and a "wooden" interior, the maximum - with artificial suede seats and a leather dashboard. For buyers, the difference in this figure says little.

Why, after all this, you should not pay attention to the sensor model? Because with them things are the same as with megapixels - Chinese "alternatively gifted" manufacturers are actively buying expensive Sony sensors, trumpeting "super-quality camera in our smartphone!" ... and the camera is disgusting.

Because the "glasses" (lenses) in such mobile phones are of terrible quality and transmit light a little better than a plastic soda bottle. The aperture of the camera is far from ideal (f / 2.2 or even higher) because of the same bastard "glasses", and no one is engaged in adjusting the sensor so that the camera selects the colors correctly, works well with the processor and does not disfigure the pictures. There you are illustrative example the fact that the sensor model has little effect:

As you can see, smartphones with the same camera sensor can shoot in completely different ways. So don't think that the cheap Moto G5 Plus with the IMX362 module will shoot as well as the HTC U11 does with its amazingly cool camera.

Even more annoying is the “noodles” that Xiaomi hangs on the ears of customers when it says that “the camera in Mi Max 2 is very similar to the camera in the flagship Mi 6 - they have the same IMX386 sensors! They are the same, only smartphones shoot in very different ways, the aperture (and therefore the ability to shoot in low light) is different in them, and Mi Max 2 cannot withstand any competition with the flagship Mi6.

1. The additional camera "helps" to take photos at night, the main one and is able to shoot b / w photos. The most famous smartphones with such camera implementations are Huawei P9, Honor 8, Honor 9, Huawei P10.
2. The secondary camera allows you to "shove in the unproductive", that is, it takes pictures with an almost panoramic angle of view. The only supporter of this type of camera was and remains LG - starting with the LG G5, continuing with the V20, G6, X Cam and now the V30.
3. Two cameras are needed for optical zoom (approximation without loss of quality). Most often, this effect is achieved by the simultaneous operation of two cameras at once (Apple iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 8), although there are models that, when enlarged, simply switch to a separate "long-range" camera - ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom, for example.

How to choose a quality selfie camera in your smartphone?

Best of all - based on examples of real photos. Moreover, both during the day and at night. During the day, almost all selfie cameras give good photos, but only high-quality front cameras are capable of shooting something legible in the dark.

It is not necessary to study the vocabulary of photographers and delve deeper into what this or that characteristic is responsible for - you can simply memorize the numbers "so much is good, but if the number is larger, it is bad" and pick up a smartphone much faster. For an explanation of the terms, welcome to the beginning of the article, and here we will try to derive the formula for a high-quality camera in smartphones.

I do not want to understand the characteristics! Which smartphone to buy with good cameras?

There are countless smartphones made by manufacturers, but there are very few models that are good at photography and video.