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If you just set a similarly priced ($1k) SLR in this mix to A and had no post processing it probably would lose in this sort of comparison, or at least I wouldn't be surprised. Super high resolution and accuracy weigh a lot less here
That would be cool but with a DSLR, the RAW files will need to be edited so it wont be fair against a phone. If you mean a DSLR on its basic settings not shooting RAW, then a phone will look better as they get processed a little bit so the DSLR image would be flat in comparison. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that's the case
been a pixel fan since the beginning. I still have my Pixel 1(the very first one. ive since switched to s22 ultra currently but my daughter has the 6a for middle school
Yeah and yet that doesn't seem to be the sentiment you hear from the RU-vid tech review giants. To me it's been the runaway favorite for still photos since the Pixel 2
@@Skapo Buddy you must be stuck in the 2010s because Pixels are not known for mediocre video for a while now. The top 3 major phone companies are all extremely comparable
6:07 i actually think the pixel 7a won the nightime category. You can see the sky is darker, so its more clear that it was nighttime than just late in the day, the ground just looks matte and more realistic, and you don't lose too much colour on the coat.
this is the only type of video i watch from this guy, i dont mostly care about opinions on a phone but this actually shows what most people think about photos just point and shoot or capture a video, most people dont want to learn photography yet they want a phone that takes good photos and this test actually is a good test for that
I would love to see a landscape view style photo added. I feel like many people take photos of amazing views while traveling or hiking. Maybe a full zoom test too?
Great video and content as always. I am very disappointed that you didn't include the regular Pixel 8 in the list, but thank you very much for this amazing comparison!
Pixel should just use this as their marketing material, I love the consistency of their point and shoot. I love their work on the skin tones and I hope that work continues.
This ELO system was way better than previous years' bracket one. Loved this video, with finally accurate results. One thing I would change is to include at least one photo without a person, I think many people shoot photos of landscapes and stuff.
Yeah, I think photos of picturesque landscapes would be nice. Since we'll be heading to Moon or Mars soon, we need to make our cameras compatible with extra-terrestrial photography as well, so we need to test these cameras on Moon or Mars and see which camera would provide realistic photos, as opposed to the fake moon landing pics we got from Nasa in 1969. LOL
The 15 Pro did pretty well tbh. Nobody in their right mind would expect the iphone to have the best camera, yet it still did really well in low light and portrait photography
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:58 📸 *Pixel 7A Wins Daytime Photos: Achieved highest Elo rating, excellent dynamic range in regular daylight photos.* 05:50 🌃 *iPhone 15 Pro Shines in Low-Light: Surprisingly topped low-light category, demonstrating capabilities in challenging conditions.* 07:18 🤳 *Pixel 8 Pro Dominates Portrait Mode: Leads in portrait mode, closely followed by Samsung Z Fold 5 with subtle effects.* 09:48 🏆 *Pixel 7A: Overall Winner: Emerged as People's Champ, highest average Elo rating across all categories, showcasing consistency.* 10:47 💰 *Pixel 7A: Bang for the Buck: Cost-effective choice with top performance and votes per dollar.*
This is why I've been a subscriber here for many years. This is the type of info that truly provides me with some of the info I need to make a good choice on a phone.
Who would sit down and watch a the same clip 20 times and accurately cast their vote? Some weirdos would, but not enough to make a statistically meaningful survey.
Love to see this blind camera test, you should also add ultrawide shots and even videos (even if its static video or using a moving slider) to see which phones are great in other cameras and modes, at least main video mode, main cameras are becoming too good, but UW, Zoom and videos are still evolving slower, it would be great to see
A fun spin on the format could be to look into how smartphone cameras have gotten better over the years. Like Apple always throws out numbers on how much better their new cameras are but do we ever compare the last 6 years of iPhone pictures with each other?
i feel Like They Trick us, I have a Theory that The picture quality of phones getting Worse over time ,because of updates. And for us customers it looks Like The newer phones have a crazy Camera Quality
I'd be really interested in seeing which phones can take good photos of something that's in motion. It could be challenging to standardize a test for this but if anyone can do this, I'm sure you can.
iPhones have pretty much instant shutter speed so they're easily some of the best for motion pics. Pixels are up there too, but Samsung still has some way to go here (although they've been making improvements with software updates)
As a person who doesn't like to take much pictures of myself, I would really like to see some landscape pictures next year. Whatever you decide to do, maybe get a tripod so the pictures could be always taken from the same distance Great video though! The camera is one of the most important things in a phone for me and this is a great method of finding your perfect new match. Thanks!
You know that the manufacturers are pressuring him from the results, looking at you Apple and Samsung. The fact that Google walked them all with their budget phone, for what, 3rd year in rankings?, has to bother them. I'd put good money on Apple pressuring him since you can't have a Phone 1/2 the price stealing their marketshare.
@@superperasma you'll be surprised at what you can see when no labels are attached. Just because every reviewer says iphone video is the best doesn't mean it will win by default. It might not even appear in top 3.
@@superperasmaPhones with larger sensor gonna beat iPhone in low-light sceneries. What most people thought that iPhone and Samsung are the best in camera. But look at the result. Cheaper Pixel easily beat the iPhone and Samsung. So don't get too excited iPhone would win in videos.
This is literally my favorite series you run. I've been a Pixel A user since first gen and they have always blown me away with the camera. I'm surprised the iPhone always gets so low. My guess is the colors are unnaturally warm quite often, but outside of that the photos look amazing.
I really think the MKBHD team should include a couple phones for previous year, just to see how things have changed. The team will probably have a better idea on which ones to bring back than me, but I think at least last year's champ should return.
There is an important error in the Daytime section, at 4:35 Marques states that the worst image comes from the iPhone 15 Pro, but in the following comparisons and on the side by side list it clearly says iPhone 15 under the image and the iPhone 15 Pro is clearly not the worst (15 of 20)
Also why didn't they do photos of other things like land scapes? With the way cameras can change certain aspects of a photo based on how it was designed. I think they should have at least done photos without a person in front. Camera will just focus on him.
@@MXG000 Thats because the pixel takes more natural photos like what your eye sees. Samsung has a tendency to over saturate so the colors pop more...and thus 'seem' better...but is not how we actually see
Same here. I thought I was being a prude when I wanted to go back to pixel after Samsung but I haven't regretted a single moment. Not only that but the auto focus and camera processing is so much faster
@@shainmohamed3022 There is none honestly. Half the pixel issues are highlighted by the 0.1% users that exaggerate it to no ends. And it gets worse after watching videos. My 6A and my friend's 7A haven't heated up, never had bugs, smooth UI and everything and absolutely avoided any problems that these youtubers overly point at.
I got myself one as well recently. To be honest, I love it. pics look great, battery life is great for me at least when I compared it to my older samsung phone. Granted I'm not someone who watches videos all day on the phone. Samsung lasted me less than 8 hours but pixel lasts for me around 1.1 days.
Just as a test I didn't charge the pixel as I would normally since I saw this video (just 1 time yesterday for like 30 min) and the phone has been running from a full 100% starting in Sun 4pm down to now 5% (without activating battery saver) at Tuesday morning 😮😮. I'm pleasantly surprised.
I still think the most underrated feature that Google has put out is the "Real Tone" processing for the Pixel. That's probably what is putting Google ahead in these tests.
Well it has to do with the dark skin tones. Google mentioned in their last 2-3 keynotes that they worked a lot in darker skin tones and results are here they were not lying...
Underrated? Mkbhd literally only test this Alone in this test and call it a day for the best camera phone title...... Underrated? Its like overrated in this case bro. the title shouldn't even be this biased in the first place. It should have been 'best black person portrait camera phone" instead with this extremely one dimension test
@@Klust413 Yea our boys dont use it much but every girlfriends I had like to take selfies using boyfriends phone. Our asians like selfies and posting on social media daily bruh
@@r0senberg_ It's just absolutely not a priority lens even for manufacturers, and that's clear by how it's always the most gimped lens. Honestly, if it's a big factor in buying a phone for you, I'd recommend a folding phone. With those, you can use the main lenses with the full sensors and line up your shots with the outer screen.
The only phone camera video needed, except maybe do one with photographers instead of regular people. Bravo! I used to think your videos were biased, but now I am going to subscribe. Good work!
I bought the Pixel 7a back in October last year, knowing at least somewhat that the photos it would take would be incredibly solid, due to last year's vote having almost identical results. Now that we know it IS the best, I feel a whole lot cooler owning one now. 😎
the problem I personally have is that the moment you need anything other than the main camera you are left with no options whatsoever. I got a second hand deal on a P60 Pro about a month after launch for about as much as a new 7a would cost in eastern europe and from the 6000 or so photos that I've shot maybe 80% of them are actually with the telephoto camera as it usually produces photos that are on par with the main camera in quality and colors.
I'd like a "most realistic" category for next year, where a reference photo is taken with a DSLR and shown alongside each pair of phone pictures. I've taken some nice pictures while on vacation that nonetheless look nothing like what I my eyes saw.
@@Ivan_Zarkov i assume that you meant actual DSLRs because most people use mirrorless now but the answer is: a lot of professional photographers still use a DSLR because of how rugged they are. especially for those who mainly shoots in challenging situations like landscape and travel. usually, they have a DSLR + mirrorless combo with them.
The effort put into this comparison is evident and provides great insights. Surprised to see Pixel phones steal the show. Looking forward to more such tests in the future!
Hey, it's not evident. It's a nice insight, but the quality of phone-photos changes really fast, even with the smallest lighting situation. It would be evidence, if there were variations for every scene included. So maybe 3 other daylight fotos in other situations and so on. The results could be like this, but would presumably look different. Its a nice insight, but its by no means a scientific test.
It would be interesting if you tested these with a second panel comprised of photography experts, to see if there's a big difference from the general public's preferences.
Yeah that would be cool, but not necessary... really...if you an expert, you probs have a actual camera and don't really care about phone camera quality
Photography experts telling commoners what they should like. Free nose-rings for all. What a great idea! /s We already have photography experts telling other photography experts on photography blogs why they are doing it wrong, or need new gear, or in the wrong ecosystem. Prediction: None of them would ooh and ahh over smartphone pics. As a self-professed photography expert myself there is no smartphone I would use as my primary shooter. I use em, both iPhone and Pixels AAMOF, but as secondary or backup, never first choice. What the general public thinks of these as THEIR primary camera matters far more than pixel-peeping by a self-styled expert who leans on a different grade of camera gear. for their own paid work.
The best content of the year regarding comparison goes to this indeed. Thanks for this MKBHD🙌 made me decide my next phone as Pixel 7a and Samsung s23 (not ultra)
Proud Pixel 7a owner. ❤ One thing to note is google removed the .7x button from selfie camera in recent update for no reason. There's no wide angle selfie available in 7a now! 😢
@@fabianmontero5174 I dealt the bad battery life with lineage OS-MicroG. The incredible thing about pixel with Lineage OS is you get the same native support for Pixel Camera OOB. Only thing I lost after switching is the ability to use tap and pay.
@@awsmchicken They removed it asfaik. I am on Lineage OS. It was my friend who confirmed this. She actuality upgraded from 4a just because of this wide angle thing. I am not a selfie person btw.
I honestly love the dedication of these videos. The next one should have video and front camera tests since these are used a lot in the average person's phone. Also having last year's winner is a cool idea to show how much preferences hold up year after year.
Love these! I'm always impressed by the weight of branding's invisible hand, and how your tests eradicate yet spotlighting it. Great for self-checks, challenging my biases. Would be cool to see these comparisons across generations too. With all this elo data set up, could you check how this year's models stack up not just against each other but also against older ones? What if this year's winner falls short against previous top contenders? Seeing the evolution side by side would be awesome, even if the newest always comes out on top. PS - I feel vindicated-I'm forever battling that annoying yellow line on the iPhone 14 Pro. Can't decide if in-camera exposure beats post-brightening. Both kinda suck. Manual adjustment snaps back to "auto" so fast, feels like it's there just for show, maybe to hide their dynamic range limits.
This is one of my favorite pieces of content you put out every year! I learn a lot about my own preferences, and it's always interesting to see what others like. A few things that would be super cool to see next year: 1. Normal and night mode landscapes, both in orientation and subject. Ideally, this would be additional categories for non-people night/day shots (I think it's very useful to have night portraits). Night portrait in dark city/outside of a club style conditions would be ideal. 2. A portrait mode group photo with people of as many skin tones/undertones as possible. 3. Maybe when you're done voting or released with this video, a reference photo for each category from a crazy good camera like the Alpha 1, with everything adjusted as perfectly as possible in post to match reality.
Except that the experiment is really baddly conducted. An elo and all of that is nice but you have 3 photos and all of them is about a person with black skin. For many people it's not a regular setup: no landscape, no white or asian, no animal. To me it has no value at all
I would also point out a category of lets say "reasonable effort". Like for all of the Tests, just tap once on Marques' face to let the phone focus and adjust brightness as necessary. Especially if typically pictures with correct brightnes win, this could say "if you just tap the subject once, these phones perform good". Reasonable effort - because in the end the people pixel peeping here want best pictures, not lowest effort.
Earlier this year when I was trying to decide which Pixel 7 I should get, I looked at many photo examples and settled on the 7a because for whatever gut reason I liked its photos best. It's so nice to get this kind of validation and be able to tell myself I wasn't just a sucker for the pretty coral colour 😅
Love the concept. The best test i've ever seen. Would be great a video with older phone to see if the gap is significant. Realy great video. Je m'abonne direct
But the problem is, Sony Xperia 1 V does NOT have a portrait mode at all. I don't known which mode it has been tested at but it's clearly not portrait mode. And, by comparing the FOV to other phones at 9:05, they also didn't use the telephoto lens.
@@s10ethis is very much not true. it definately does have a portrait mode, they just call it bokeh mode, ollie nelson did multiple videos about it, and when you actually nail exposure it blows the rest of these phones out of the water in terms of bokeh simulation
Please do more of this type of experiments. Love to see objective facts rather than just someone commenting subjectively on which camera is better! Statistics rules!
@@NickHunteri think it’s more of a case that thousands of subjective options cumulated into one result is far more reliable and indicative of objectivity than just specs or one reviewers opinion. 20,000 tech minded people liking something without manufacturer bias has much more objective credibility than one reviewer who knows what it is that they’re reviewing.
@@NickHunterSmartphone pictures are highly subjectives in the first place. They are tuned and processed based on what the designers feel will be the most appealing to users. And now we have a test that objectively measures which of them appeals the most to users.
@@pelummy01Well, not really actually. Surveys are never considered an objective experiment. They can not produce objective results. This survey just really highlights consumer preference, which is still important when designing consumer products.
Bro, I'm new to your channel and I really enjoyed this video. Hopefully every year I wants to see this kind of Blind Test for top 20 smartphones with more test and more blind test contents. Keep rocking brother🤩
@@favourhussein3802*I keep hearing this online, but neither my Pixel 2, my Pixel 4, or my Pixel 7 Pro overheat and I haven't heard anything about the Pixel 8, but I'm guessing once again...... nothing that the internet states will go wrong with it will. I've definitely had iPhones that have let me down though along with Galaxy phones also. I'm going to the Pixel 8 Pro soon.*
Yeah wow those pixels are solid Would be interesting to see a video comparison as well, as difficult as that would be to orchestrate. Especially given how prevalent shorts/reels/etc are becoming
Man, thanks for confirming me again about my spectacular purchase of the Pixel 7A! For the past, like, 8/9 years I only bought cheap and horrible phones, bou this year (2023), because I am already working I needed an upgrade! And boom! Pixel 7A, but I was a little sceptical about the purchase, but the performance of this phone is all very very good (much better than my last phones) and with an opinion of a pro, I am glad I bought this phone! Thanks for your amazing videos that helps me with my tecnological life!
Could not agree more, I got the 7A at launch and it is incredible. I was slightly skeptical about long-term battery after Marques referred to it as "Alright" or something along those lines but it has been wonderful, even with my heavy use. (Also just got the Anker 325 powerbank and yeah, 2023 was a good year for my tech purchases)
@@cobaltblue5523 Very good it doesn't disappoint! Very good performance, good camera and good battery. When I ordered the 7A I was considering the 7 but for the almost the same price I opted for the 7A because it is more recent than the 7
I really love this addition to the end of the year awards. This test is always so insightful on what you prefer in a photo. And pixels consistency is quite the achievement. On the low light one I got all three pixels in my top three, and the 7a was also in my top three in all three categories. The only discrepancy I had which I found interesting was in the standard category, I got the iPhone 15 pro in second place instead of dead last. I guess I just preferred it more. That's why this test is so fun, you get to see what you and the masses truly find the most appealing without any outside bias such as brand affiliation or such. Another great video as always!
As somebody who recently upgraded to a Pixel 8, can confirm. I've never really been a camera power user, but when I do need to use the camera--holy crap y'all. This shit is insane. Technology never fails to amaze me.
absolutely accurate i have an iPhone 15 pro and a pixel 7a from work and was doing a bit of camera testing myself and the camera on the 7a is unbelievable, better than the 15 pro in quite a few different shots
The really interesting thing about these photos were how I found myself focusing one certain part of the photo and picking whichever photo had the most detail in that spot. For me, it was the texture of MKBHD logo on the first photo (some phones just didn’t show the dotted texture at all), the texture/color of your jacket on the second photo, and the texture/sharpness of the hoodie in the third photo. Made me think a lot. Always love these tests, keep them up.
A landscape shot and a zoom photo would be also very interesting for next year Maybe another half of the year photo contest for juli Love these videos great idea
This was a great camera test and video. I would request you to please do this test every year. Additionally, could you please do a similar video for video quality as well?
Everyone else has stopped doing their version of blind smartphone camera tests since MKBHD started doing this blind camera test because they know it's the best way these tests can be done, and they cannot copy it.
@@nazmulhuda3262.Oh you mean that channel that keeps pumping out clickbait videos and obviously Apple biased? Yeahhhh, but yes their blind camera test sometimes make sense and the samples and scenarios are great but it's nowhere near mkbhd's calibre.
WOW, what a comparison, Amazing man, the pixel is great for photos and aslo videos as well i have 4a5g its have a amazing stablization, and also a good perfomance
I really like the test parameters set for this. Was thinking a gimbal multi-mount would save some time but now realize not every camera's standard zoom amounts are the same. Would love to see a couple other categories as others have suggested or maybe a quick video clip comparison as a separate test. Greatly appreciate you and you team's hard work that went into this.