Top 5 camera phones take on a digital camera

Photography is not just about the megapixel count. Various factors, such as the sensor size and type, ability to capture light and deal with colours, noise management, among others play an important role in the final image that is captured. However, in the recent past, smartphone manufacturers have simply upped the megapixel count, giving potential buyers a false image of the phone’s snapping capabilities. 

Which phone wins?

So, we got the world’s most popular camera phones in our labs and pitted them in a duel against each other. In the performance section below, you can have a look at how the Nokia N8, Sensation XE, Droid RAZR, Xperia Arc S and iPhone 4S stacked up against each other. Unfortunately, we couldn’t procure an S II in time for our comparison chart, so that will have to be a battle for another day. All photographs were taken at automatic settings and no tweaks or third party camera applications were chosen for any of the tests. As a reference point, we took a mid range point and shot to gauge the difference in the quality of the photos taken. 

Performance

Test 1: Studio Test

We tested the phone cameras in our studio set up – complete with a well-detailed subject and focus lights. Here are the images from the test (Click on each image to zoom it).

Nokia N8

HTC Sensation XE

Xperia Arc S

Motorola Droid RAZR

iPhone 4S

Canon PowerShot SX230 HS

Analysis:

Studio Setup Overall:

As a complete image, the iPhone 4S produces a very bright and clear image with good colour reproduction. The N8 comes a close second, as it looks a slight more saturated, but has good detailing and focus. The Droid RAZR and the Arc S seem to have got the colours horribly wrong, though.