You know the best part of this?? Google ain't really using the full potential of the new sensors yet, all these little errors you get in portrait for instance, are not that common on the pixel 5, because the software truly uses the most out of those 12mp sensors, just wait for google to keep training the algorithm with the new sensors, it could be a whole new level like the pixel 3 was over the competition when it was released.
@George Azzopardi yeah I have the 5 too, video quality ain't the best lol, but I barely record videos, I'd say once in a month so I don't care, I'll get the 6 pro when I can grab it for about 500 bucks
@@pokeking4170 True but with Tensor I maybe that might change and pictures are subjective at this point even the midrange devices have cameras as good as the flagships. Like the 5a won the blind camera comparison.
I got all of them but I was looking for a few things. 1) I know that 16-35 is a little older so fringing and slight distortion would stand out. 2) Smartphones use auto HDR so almost all of them with higher dynamic range were a dead giveaway for the Pixel. 3) In the portrait mode shots, the Pixel is - by default - simulating a shallower depth of field so more blur was a clue. 4) Smartphone sharpening is a pretty obvious clue. Those shots that looked more 'polished' were a big indicator. Long time sub (since the old channel with 70K). Enjoying the content, Tom! Great shots btw.
Do you think the pixel phone was over processed in any of these shots? I know a big complaint with the pixel 6 was that the photos were over processed and looked a bit unnatural?
@@ItsTomRich Disappointing. I'm hearing similar stuff about the new s22 ultra. Seems like the only good option is the iphone, but the UI of the iphone makes it a pain to use. Although the apple watch is the best, so I might switch.
In all 7 shots, I preferred the Pixel's photo, even before you revealed which was which. I only noticed the errors in the Pixel's shot once you pointed them out. Just shows how far phone cameras and the software has come! edit: 7*
@@ItsTomRich I also guessed them all correct, including the portrait shot. I'll tell you how I guessed it. I know that the Pixel 6 has Real Tone to make skin colours look more natural. Although I've never seen the original subject, so don't know for sure, the skin tone on the Pixel one just looked more natural to me; on the Canon shot the skin looked a bit washed out in my personal opinion. I realise that the Canon one might be giving a shot that is closer to the real colour and the Pixel processing might be making it look more natural, but be less like the skins actual colour. But that's how I guessed it. For all the others the Pixel pictures just tended to look a bit sharper. I would guess that for professional photographers the Pixel ones can maybe look too processed in some cases, but for those of us who are not professional photographers they look more real.
Each to their own I guess - I have the Pixel 6 Pro it's great in some situations but I really don't like the artificial treatment of some scenes especially those with naturally high DR. The phone applies far too much contrast and far too much digital shapening to photos for my taste - for example at 7:21 to me that image is overprocessed to the point that it's almost offensive to the eye there is no subtlety / gradation left in the transition from light to dark and the bricks on the left / top of the red wall have been smeared in an attempt to sharpen. If you wan't the sort of look you get at 1:08 from the pixel 6 you can take the R6 image into post process - apply a heap of contrast and sharpening and you will end up with a similar image, but it's very hard to correct the Pixel 6 photo the other way. The only way to avoid this completely is to take raw photos and process in post to your taste. I also find the portrait mode has excessive blur but this can be easily edited in camera. Even at first glance the pixel 6 image 1:08 really does look fake - like someone cut out the bust in photoshop and stuck it onto the background, the R6 is a much more natural and pleasing image (to me).
WOWWWW the pixel 6 held up really well!!! Computational photography on phones are getting crazy good! Haha I have no idea how to action pam shots on the camera! I can't imagine how hard it is! Really awesome video Tom! 😁
Best camera yet is for Google pixel 6 and 6 pro but when Google finalised and finally figures it out it’ll be like the pixel 2 unbeatable for few years to come !
Just purchased a 6 pro from a 2 XL. Best phone I had so far and hope that gets taken over by the 6! Potential of 6 is there, looking forward to more updates.
I have a lot of experience on how the Gcam works (i have made mods and ports of it for other Non google smartphones), and i got all of them right because of one simple thing, the High Dynamic Range algorithm coded in the Gcam present on almost all the Pixel phones tends to be a little bit agressive, wich ends up creating harsher contrasts all over the picture...
I could archive similar if not same quality results on my old Xiaomi mi 8 lite by using night mode all the time if during the day... I'm not sure if it's works like that since I changed my phone
I didn't try to pick the camera used for each shot, I just picked the photo I preferred. In each case you told me it was the pixel 6. My goodness, Wow!
as a pixel 6 user i have to say that the overall quality of the photos has improved since the last 2 updates, especially photos shot during the night. portrait mode is still buggy though🙄😂 awesome video!
Good video! I would have loved you showing more photo's at 100% resolution. The main reason I bought a mirrorless camera was that, zoomed in, smartphone images look awfully unnatural and have many artifacts. This would also show you the resolution difference, and the R6's ability to crop into the image way better than a smartphone.
The comparison shots weren't much of a challenge. Images out of cameras like the EOS have tended to be a tad on the soft side, favoring a post-production workflow where the user can be more fully in control of sharpening, among other things. In each side-by-side the image that appears sharper is the Pixel 6.
Your use of creative techniques and innovative perspectives in showcasing phone camera features sets your reviews apart. It's refreshing to see such artistic flair in evaluating tech devices, making your content stand out. Keep doing what you're doing. 💪❤
Interestingly , the portrait mode was the easier one for me to identify, but yikes, amazing how close your cell phone is getting something so close to a 5k rig.
I was able to guess the Pixel 6 almost immediately because of how sharp everything was in the image, that style is not for everyone but I like it a lot
One last question if you don't mind. How often you used the pro features 0n the samsung s22 ultra smartphone. Why I ask. I phone 13 don't have pro mode . Is it a disadvantage? Thanks
I foolishly bought the Sony Xperia I mkIII last year on the strength of it's camera. The quality was so disappointing, I've cashed in early to get a pixel 6 pro. What a revelation it is. Seems impossible to take a bad looking picture and there's no effort in it at all. Google have really moved the game along and I don't think they're getting the credit they deserve for it
I've heard the Sony's is amazing, is it really not that good? Yeah I'm honestly so impressed with the Pixel. So many good shots! The telephoto on the pro must be nice
@@ItsTomRich You had to put so much effort into getting an average picture, when your fellow snappers where aceing it with OnePlus 6's and nondescript Samsung's, it made you want to cry.
Basically the Sony's are using HW photography than Computational like the pixel does. So your getting the pitfalls of having a phone camera small (sensor + lens) along with the complexity of the dslr.
The one picture I got wrong was picture two, of the bust. Once I knew I was wrong about that one, all the others were easy to pick out. The Pixel 6 may have some slight artifacts here and there, but in general it makes the EOS R6 look blurry in comparison. It's just captures such amazingly sharply defined details. Is it overly sharp? Perhaps. Maybe it looks even sharper than real life, but it sure as heck looks impressive. Honestly, while the optics on proper SLRs are obviously better, the progress in digital sensors, image processing etc. is moving at such a rate, that smartphones these days take much better pictures than they have any right to do.
I got all right: Once you realize the pixel kind off "over sharpens" the images, it's easy to see that the more smooth looking images come from the R6. But great video, this really makes me wonder if I should consider getting a real camera or just use my phone 🙃
Great video. Very interesting. It looks like the Canon R6 images could have a little more contrast, or perhaps to push the black point slightly, and some sharpening added. I think I preferred all of the Pixel 6 images! Thanks. Keep up the good work.
Got all of them right. As a mirrorless user myself the oversharpened and high contrast photos were a dead giveaway. And for the portrait mode the pixel has the whole subject in focus whereas a dark has a small area that it can focus.
I missed the first shot when I looked for contrast, but then when I started to look for sharpness and bokeh I nailed them all, but if I had been looking for images to print I had selected you DSLR photos, but for screen viewing I liked the harder sharpening even it was a tad too aggressive. Great photos and this video made me more sure that I did order the correct camera, sadly it is not sold in Sweden so the delivery time may be hellish long.
I got all of them guessing correctly. It is not hard but slightly tricky to explain how. You won't notice that much difference for these excellent photo-pairs if they are shared in Instagram or any other social platforms. But the differences are definitely there. Photos by Pixel 6 tend to be over sharp in textiles and outlines, and the "AI version of depth or blur" is still not as close as those by optical lens. When I looked at those photos side by side, it took me about 3 seconds to realize that one of them was not as natural as what I could see with my eyes, which turns out to be the one by Pixel 6. Human eyes are also some kind of optical lens. The camera lens offer a more close look to what human eyes see.
Hello Tom ..I'm a creator myself. I shut down my old phone review channel. Started over by saving money to buy music gear to start a RU-vid guitar channel. Since I moved from drums 27 years to 2018 picking up guitar. I've been sadly limited to a phone for everything. I hope to one day find a second hand DSLR and lights. The pixel 4xl is my most recent handset. Thought about newer iPhone but that's the price of a DSLR. Hahah. Anyway great content man.
I am buying pixel 6. I am impressed, actually, I don’t like sharpness as well in smartphone so you can use raw phones option in the camera app then you can edit it as well. Then it would look even greater. I am planning that. I will be using the pixel’s gallery editing as I have basic editing skills only. I tried photoshop and it felt super complex🤣
Thanks, currently don’t have the money and just to tell you, I am an iPhone fan and iPhone 13 did amazing this year but iPhones are same always and I wanted something unique with amazing software, camera and performance so I looked pixel 6 series and I got amazed. Plus cheaper and checks my lists. How’s the battery life on the pixel 6, which is your daily driver, isn’t it?
Word to the wise: *don't*. The Pixel 6 is notoriously buggy and defective in both software & hardware. A blend of half-baked Android updates, Google's notorious QC and cost-cutting measures.
1:02 the potrait isn't as challenging like street photography. because we can easily tell smartphone potrait tend to blur the back so much with AI that it look kinda unnatural that's why i said this one is easy . but you can get some natural bokeh just by regular shot on the google pixel the sensor is big enough to do it .
Bro to be honest with you I’m kinda digging the pictures surprisingly more on the pixel 6! Granted I shouldn’t be surprised I do believe that the pixel 6 and 6 pro have the best main camera on any smartphone currently
The pixels still have a fair bit of digital sharpening and added contrast, so as impressive as they look, it's still pretty easy to spot, no need to look for the portrait mode errors...
Thanks Tom, for this great comparison, as the owner of a Sony A6000, I have a lot of decisions to make. I have already spent mone on buying extra lenses.
Sometime the photo caught by the pixel is over process and sometimes the portrait mode is just not better . I think google must do their best in making good phone with cheaper price but with better camera mp and not using the old ones and i think google achieve it on their new phone and they needed to make their phone for advance from other . Nice review, keep up the work
The progress computational photography in smart phones has made within just a few years is amazing. No need for normal people to schlep around their heavy DSLRs on holidays any more.
Pixel pro owner here. Pixed does good but in this video the photos taken with 5k camera are jsut horrible because of blur. Was the camera not focused? Even my 250D 700$ camera setup does better.
I got the 3rd one right because of the true tone feature. I could tell between the pictures which one looks like it displays the subject's skin complexion.
I have the pixel 6 pro and I have to say the quality of the camera is probably the best you can get when it comes to phones . The iPhone still beats it with video though but for pictures pixel 6 pro is the best
Pixel is amazing like most high-end smartphones, gives you the finished photo, camera requires post production, here's why of the results. the big difference is that the camera can print very large photos, photo paintings or even wall prints, the smartphone only photos for social media
I always find comparisons like this a bit odd because the image choice is always skewed towards what is possible on a smartphone. To be fair, Tom does mention right at the end that you can change the lens on the mirrorless camera, but that's after the rest of the video has given the idea that the 2 cameras have very similar capabilities, when they just don't. if the camera you were comparing the pixel 6 to was something like the Ricoh GR3 which has a fixed 28mm equivalent lens then the comparison might be justified, but that's a $700 camera not the £5000 setup that you chose to use. Even with just that one 16-35mm lens there are waaaay more shooting options in terms of focal length than a smartphone can offer. That's not to say that the pixel 6 doesn't get great images, it does, but using it comes with limitations that just aren't present on a dedicated camera. but it really isn't a big deal, the kind of shooting that someone does with a dedicated camera compared to what they do with their phone is just different. So the comparison really doesn't matter that much.
Yo dude! Totally get this and you articulate it super well. You're totally right, and overall the main thing of a more professional set up is being able to whack any type of lens on and get a totally different look. However I do have to say that the Pixel has actually replaced a bunch of my run about shooting with a 16-35mm on- I only really use my big camera for actual photography jobs (obviously) and any time where I'm going to need a 50mm or longer focal length. But I'll definitely talk about this more in my next camera comparison!!
you can also have much better options by spending a fraction of the price with a cheap APSC mirrorless camera and used lenses. Sub-$1000 can take WAAYYYY better pictures than any phone camera could get
you really can spot the difference with the sharpness but in other departments they are quite comparable. i just like that phone shots arent just outright bad and it much more depends on your taste of how a shot looks like
I own a Pixel 6 and a mirrorless apsc camera. Both have their merits and the Pixel is fine for snapshots, but there really is an appreciable difference in photo quality for most types of shots. I think the bigger story is how much the average person doesn't care about the difference, and even prefers the oversharpened and oversaturated look of a phone. Edit: I got 6 of 7, missed the bust shot. Sweet looking pixel photo their lol, until you pointed out it's mistake at least :)
Yes the average person does prefer the oversaturated/over sharpened picture, it makes the professional cameras almost silly because photographers clientele are regular plp, you know?
Any chance of getting some of those photos for download? I'm especially interested of those where I could compare face texture and in less than ideal light. It's especially important as I want to mainly shoot family and a lot of it happens indoors where phones have traditionally been crap.
I have the Pixel 6 Pro and love it. I came close to buying an Iphone Pro max and when comparing the cameras side by side the Pixel smoked it. I am a photographer and own many digital and film cameras and my phone just has to have the best camera on the market. Only thing I wish Google would do is to give the user The option of How much HDR and Sharpening is on the photo. I find the to many times specially in Daylight sunny days the photos look way over processed HDR to the MAX and just makes the photos look very synthetic and unreal like. I guess some for some reason people feel like HDR is cool thing on photos and I find it quite a bit cheesy.
So I'm now in doubt between a fujifilm xt4 or a pixel 6. So that little camera on a phone is just as good as those big fat expensive lenses on DSLRs? Saves a lot of money and dragging
ahh, it's very easy to figure out actually in the portrait mode shots because canon photos were a little bit zoomed in while pixel was much wider / furthermore FOV and pixel photos are much sharper, with higher contrast and details than the canon ones, so it was very ez for me and I don't own any of these devices.
I use a Pixel 6 and was immediately able to accurately tell which one's which in all the photos. But in 2:11 and 7:17, really made me think twice with that chromatic aberration... Also, the portrait mode performance was at its peak on their Pixel 4 lineup (Dual pixel + dual cameras). I am not even sure whether Google maintains that same level on the Pixel 5 and 6 ever since that 2x telephoto was gone.
possibly yes, depending on how much you post to instagram. IMO it takes superior photos but I haven't checked how well they translate to social media apps yet. iphone used to be superior in that regard to most android phones, but the pixel 6 may have changed that. need to experiment.
Something is wrong with your camera ... there is no way any phone that exists today beats my A6400 + Sigma F1.4 prime lenses on sharpness and detail ... without even needing to compare side by side ... most of your R6 photos just look very blurry and with fringing ... like the photo on 2:42 what the hell it's like you somehow managed to blur it by motion, which I don't understand how during a day and with no ND and its not even as if you just chose low F, because absolutely nothing in that shot is in focus great phones are very close to good cameras today, it's nearly impossible to tell the difference when viewed on a phone display, but if you view on 4k monitor then they still lose
I have long thought that my iPhone SE is my go-to camera, always with me, pocketable, capable, and competent. My old EOS hasn't been out of the bag in 5 years. The body and lenses were a waste of money, it seems.
another dead giveaway between an actual camera and a smartphone is just how sharp smoe of the details are. like in shot 4 for example, the details of the reflection on the building in front of the camera is a lot sharper for the pixel 6
if you use a mod version of the camera app on the pixel you can control nearly every part of the image, including sharpness. seems counter intuitive I know, but it's the same google camera app modified to allow greater control.
@@ItsTomRich it's called MWP mod I think. you can install it alongside the stock one if you use the cloned version. the other thing you can do is set the video bit rate to 100. which is way higher than the stock camera.
As others have said, this is a comparison in which the pixel obviously will shine a lot, I think the competition gets way more interesting when you pair that R6 with a 85mm and a 35mm. I use the samyang 85mm 1.4 and the 35mm 1.8 RF, you can absolutely blow the pixel's capabilities for actual photography with those two, and there's also the subject of external light. I work as an event photographer and the biggest differentiator for my photos and the ugly cellphone ones the people invited take, appart from the quality of lens etc, is lighting. The quality and potency of an off camera flash makes a huuuge difference in those settings! and it's probably the thing that phone photographers will never adapt, as it breaks the convenience of just bringing your phone to the event lol
@@ItsTomRich i think phones just have that over-done HDR/saturation thing. Quite noticeable if you use a camera a lot but its still great quality! And weird same 🤣
I can say for a general photos you're fine with a smartphone, i was able to distinguished the different between smartphone and camera because of trained eyes of decade using a camera, but really for a general shoots it's not really that different, love today's smartphone camera technology, things I still love using a proper camera is the control I have and the natural rendering of the images *apologize if you can't understand my English, I'm not a native speaker
I had a real easy time guessing the Pixel 6 for the portraits, because the procedural blur looks different than real blur (not saying better or worse, just different). For the non-portrait ones I just had to guess that the one that "looks better" is the Pixel, since the software is amazing at making photos "look good".
Don't get me wrong. Pixel shots are good. However, the full frame look of R6 is just better in every shot, and it should be. The focus roll off and the natural sharpness that you get from a full frame sensor with glass optics are damn good.
Hey man! Thanks for the comment. I 100% agree with you, and even side by side with my Fuji X100t there will be a big difference and that's APS-C. I could do a whole separate video about how smartphones will still be left behind only relying on software because there's stuff that software can't replicate so like you say full frame sensors will just always look awesome. That said, it is really fun to have a phone with such a good cam literally in my pocket that can just snap anything haha
True. For snapshots, phones are good. However, you can always give your look for the shots you take from a camera. You can do so much with those raw files. Anyway, thank you for replying. You just earned a sub. Keep doing what you love to do. 😊
I own the pixel 6pro and I use my DSLR to shoot images. I can honestly say the pixel 6pro has an amazing camera. I can take a pic with the pixel 6pro upload it to my photo editor and one would never know the pic was taken with a cell phone.
Its usually quite simple in landscape photos... If there is no dynamic range, its not a smartphone. If it's photo of a subject, the super tack sharp its a smartphone
If you did a blind study and not identify what camera took what shot, most people would choose the Pixel 6 from your examples. Once you tell them one shot was with a $5k camera, they will be biased. The SLRs are necessary for certain applications like high speed, sports, mega zooms, but Google and most smartphones have surpassed what SLRs can do at this point.
Hier my thoughts: I have pixel pro 6 and Fuji mirror less with 85/f1.8 lens. It can't replace DSLR. But sometimes in ideal conditions pixel produce very good images. When some manufacturer would produce phone with 35mm and 85mm lenses (Nubia, axton 40 ultra) than maybe. Smartphones have mostly wide angle and therefore distortion. For me this is no go for people photography. Also portrait mode: google pixel is doing a crop, and cropped images are not so good. They should, like is said add 35mm and 85-105mm and add portrait mode with this native lenses and than we can talk about. Pixel pro 6 has periskope lens which produce nice images without blur, and if you try to add blur the result is not very good.
As a Canon shooter, have to say I prefer the Pixel photos, sadly whilst being tempted by the 7 pro, can't get a UK 512gb model and the fact it is Google means I'll never buy one, a shame as the camera results look amazing.
I got all of them correctly because smartphone photos are very obviously oversharpened. Is it possible to adjust settings in a smartphone to make the sharpening just a bit less intense? If not, that would be a good feature to add to the photo app. A little less sharp and a little lass HDR.
Amazing review (watched it before this )and comparison i really didnt think pixel was this good. Im looking for a new phone now and i was thinking of getting s22+ xiaomi mi 12 pro and then I realized that i could actually get pixel in my country and now im just sold. Thanks for the review ps I did get them all pixel pics were just sharper. Should of made it more difficult. :)
This was so easy lol. Pixel HDR+ algorithm is a dead giveaway and a professional camera has very natural blur compared to any smartphone. Just ordered my P6 😁
Wow this is blowing my mind and I'm seriously considering cancelling my Sony A7 IV order! These are so close that there doesn't seem to be a point in lugging around that huge camera that costs three times as much. I had a Fuji which autofocus performance disappointed me so I ordered the Sony but damn... Might actually try the Pixel 6 Pro.
Biggest advantage still for bigger cameras is the interchangeable lenses. Whack a 50mm F1.8 on your sony and you get a look that is very difficult to get on the Pixel
@@ItsTomRich Totally true and especially with the 85mm 1.8! Those toys come with a cost though and I'm having a hard time weighing every aspect. Your great video is helping me a lot though. 👍
@@veeaa I got pixel 6 pro, there is no comparison. It's all digital enhanced, total joke once you display it on a screen or poster. Don't get me wrong, It's amazing for average user but anyone with basic photography knowledge will not substitute a real lens and camera with these toys. Get a 35mm 1.4 sigma or samyang.
@@PamirAFG I tried it too but I realised that my 4 year old Huawei Mate 20 Pro is almost as good and often equally as good as the Pixel. The Pixel is an amazing phone but it brings only little improvements for nearly 1000€ compared to my Huawei. I returned it. The image quality in good daylight is excellent though, especially on my 48" FHD TV. You can clearly see the difference compared to ILC cameras but most people wouldn't pay enough attention to see the difference. That's why I won't be schlepping the A7IV (which recently arrived) on vacations and I'll use my phone instead. I also bought the Nikon Z7 II to try it out and am having hard time deciding which camera to keep!
I got each guess right. But I have a pixel and I'm a photographer of 10 years plus. It's a great camera. I use it for my day to day all the time. I only use pro cam for pro work
