What is your smartphone camera of choice?

I’m curious as to the different camera/phones folks are using. Over on DPR it seemed like a lot of Android based models. That was great as I have no experience with any of them and the commentary helped me learn stuff that I didn’t know.

So, a quick poll:

What make/model device do you have and “hate it/like it/love it?”

I’ll start iPhone 14 Pro max. Love the 48mp main camera. The telephoto lens is a bit “yuck” though.

S21 ultra.

It's pretty good and use it out on walks and on locations.
I'd love it to handle noise a little better, have the best sensor across all lenses but we can't have everything.

I Just bought Samsung S23 Ultra. I don't have made meny photos, but compare to my old S7 looks definitely better.

Currently on Pixel 7 Pro after 3 years with a OnePlus Nord 2. The difference between the two phones in image quality weren't as large as one would expect considering the difference in price and the fact that the P7P is a couple of generations newer.

First impressions so far after a week of use:

• The SOOC jpegs looks pretty good in good lighting, but has a tendency to be inconsistent sometimes, applying too much sharpening by the software. However, if you shoot RAW (dng) it's not so much of an issue.
• The colors looks neutral and not oversaturated ,which i like.
• "Top shot" is an automated feature where the camera will record a series of images and suggest the best one based on the algorithm.
• The 5x (120mm) Tele lens looks a bit soft, but from my understanding it's using a smaller sensor than the excellent 50 mp main camera. The image quality falls apart pretty fast in less than ideal lightning. Could be improved in future updates or sharpened further by shooting RAW?
• The ultra wide camera is okay.
• If you shoot a lot of selfies then you will probably be disappointed by the front facing camera. It's low resolution and not very sharp. Not been an issue for me as i rarely take selfies but worth mentioning.
• You can shoot both RAW and jpeg which gives you the best of both worlds.

I’ve had the iPhone 13 Pro since launch and am really impressed with it generally. Portrait mode can be pretty impressive at times, the 3x telephoto comes in handy, and it can do some amazing things in low light, to the point where it sometimes produces a more pleasing (if not necessarily “better”) shot than my larger sensor camera.

Having owned iPhones since the 2mp 3G in 2008, the iPhone XR I had before this was the first one where I would have said the camera was decent, and the 13 Pro just takes everything up a gear. The fact that you can walk around with three focal lengths in your pocket is peak convenience, and makes justifying carrying my “proper” camera more of a challenge at times.

It’s not perfect - detail can be lacking, which I know the 14 Pro is beginning to deal with - but it makes me excited for what’s to come. I can see a time where the combination of computational cleverness, improved sensors and smart optical design could really push these things into new territory.

I don't use the mobile/samrtphone as a camera, Got some other gear to make photos 🤣
So that's why we both have an Nokia X20, it has a okay camera for snapshots, and that is enough for me and my betterhalf

A number of folks seem to like the Pixel 7 and it also seems to do very well in “YouTube reviews”. Thank you for that info.

I think you and I are on the same page. I too have been in the Apple ecosystem since the “beginning” and I too only began to see a phone camera as “starting to be good” with the iPhone X. I am really liking the 14 pro max and I am excited to see what the next few years brings to both iOS and android devices.

The good reviews is one the reasons I ended up with this phone, besides getting it at a solid discount. Happy to help out.

Dan

I really only ever use my Sony Xperia XA2 Plus for when I need a quick and dirty shots. For everything else, I have my D600 and D7500...

iPhone 13 Pro. Loss of job prevented me from updating — and at this point I’ll hold off for the next version before doing so.

Probably the best plan. If the iPhone 15 has the rumored bent optics tele and a solid sensor, it will be a “big deal” to me.

Never heard the name before. What does it mean tele wise?

The usual descriptor is periscope lens. The design allows for a longer focal length to provide more optical zoom without a huge lens protrusion. Rumor has it that the next iPhone Pro (or higher end Ultra?) may offer a 15x optical FOV.

iPhone 14 Pro after a string of Google Nexus/Pixels up to the 6. I still have the Pixel 6 and 3. To be honest I don't really use the phones for photography anymore though, just "documenting" things/locations. I actually started off mostly in mobile photography which led me to buying an aps-c camera at the end of last year.

I still have my XR and I use Lightroom for RAW images but the regular camera takes great pictures too. My wife has the 13Pro and I agree the IQ is much better. I’ll wait for the 15 Pro for my turn to upgrade.

Thanks for the explanation. I am impressed already by the 5x on the Pixel 7 Pro, and I know the S23U can reach even further. Exciting days ahead for (mobile) photography. :)

Dan

Right on! Whichever tool is at your disposal to capture what you enjoy and are happy with is the most important thing, imho. And for some, a phone is more than enough, whilst for others not.

Personally I went the other way with a Pixel 7 Pro, due to time constraints in my daily life and with very little time to spend on going out photographing. Normally that means snaps of my lovely family, but I keep getting impressed by the results. :)

Happy shooting.

Dan