Our smartphones have become a substitute for cameras. You can count on them to have high-resolution sensors (12 megapixels or more) to produce stunning photos. They even have optical image stabilisers to help minimise blurriness from a shaky hand. And they can capture spur-of-the-moment videos with high-definition clarity, too. Sudhir Chowdhary picks some of the premium smartphones that take your photography to the next level.
Apple iPhone 7 Plus
(Rs 72,000, 32 GB)
The iPhone 7 Plus is a photographer’s phone. It has dual 12 MP sensors with 28/56 mm equivalent focal length, F1.8/2.8 aperture and on-sensor phase detection. Next to the standard 28 mm equivalent lens there is a second 56 mm module to enable optical zooming. Combined with digital zoom, you can drag the zoom slider in the camera app up to a 10x magnification? It comes with a fast aperture and there is optical image stabilisation on board as well. Combine all of this with third-party camera apps and you can take your photos and videos to a whole new level.
Google Pixel
(Rs 57,000, 32 GB)
Pixel is the highest rated smartphone camera, claims Google. Truth be told, the Mountain View, California-based firm has done a great job on the camera front for this phone. There’s a 12-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash, laser autofocus and 1.55-micron pixel completed with an f/2.0 lens. The front snapper is 8 MP with 1.4µm pixels, f/2.4 aperture and fixed focus. Its new Sony IMX378 sensor helps with native phase-detection autofocus, plus much faster HDR. Overall, Pixel’s camera lets you take brilliant photos in low light, bright light or any light. More than that, it’s the complete experience here that makes the camera on the Pixel an absolute pleasure to use.
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Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
(Rs 50,900, 32 GB)
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is the larger phone in the S7 family and it has an excellent camera. It sports a 12 MP camera with large pixels and the widest lens on a phone (f/1.7) for great low light performance. This is the first smartphone camera to have a professional-grade Dual Pixel Sensor with which you can take crisp, clear photos even in the dark. The brighter F1.7 lens and larger 1.4µm pixels on the image sensor capture so much more light that your photos come out sharp and detailed. There’s a 5 MP front facing camera with high dynamic range mode (HDR).
Huawei P9
(Rs 39,999, 32 GB)
The Chinese device maker Huawei has teamed up with the biggest name in camera lenses, Leica, to create a unique dual camera setup. P9 has 12 MP + 12 MP dual rear cameras and there’s a 8 MP front snapper too, combine these two and they set a new standard in smartphone photography. With one camera shooting in black and white and the other capturing vivid colour, you get very good sharpness and most natural hues possible. The quality of these 12 MP photos is truly impressive; the two rear cameras work in tandem to enable users to create images of great detail, depth and colour by capturing more light and stitching together vivid colours and monochrome images.
Honor 8
(Rs 29,999, 32 GB)
The innovative bionic 12 MP dual lenses of Honor 8—the flagship smartphone from Huawei’s e-brand— are simply your eyes to the world. One lens allows for rich colour and the other lens is monochrome to give your images more light and increased sharpness. Together, they help you capture crisper, more detailed photos. The hybrid auto-focus enables laser focus for short range, precise depth focus for long range, and contrast focus—each working in tandem to help you take better pictures in complex lighting conditions, day or night. Additionally, it has an 8 MP front camera that works well even in low light for all the selfie fans.
OPPO F1s
(Rs 16,000, 32 GB)
The OPPO F1s uses a 16 MP front camera with a 1/3.1-inch sensor and an F/2.0 aperture. This allows for more light to enter the camera, and enhances its sensitivity. So you can take natural-looking selfies even in low-light conditions. Users can simply rotate the phone from side to side to take a wide-angle selfie. The F1s automatically stitches together the photos to make sure that the whole party gets in the shot! There’s also a 13 MP rear camera for wonderful nighttime performance.
