How do you judge phone camera quality please?

[IR76]

When phone shopping what specs do I look for in a camera please. I’’m shopping for an Android phone and I want a good resolution camera I’m not sure on resolution but that’s what I’m asking is what’s good and bad. For example this phone from google has 50(something units) or the resolution is XtimesX etc. 

[filpo]

2 minutes ago, IR76 said:

When phone shopping what specs do I look for in a camera please. I’’m shopping for an Android phone and I want a good resolution camera I’m not sure on resolution but that’s what I’m asking is what’s good and bad. For example this phone from google has 50(something units) or the resolution is XtimesX etc. 

You have to look at reviews 

Which phone are you looking at specifically?

[IR76]

2 minutes ago, filpo said:

You have to look at reviews 

Which phone are you looking at specifically?

Google Pixel 7a and Samsung's Galaxy A54 5G.

[RONOTHAN##]

1 minute ago, IR76 said:

When phone shopping what specs do I look for in a camera please

You don't. You can get terrible cameras that look good on paper and you can get really good cameras that look bad on paper. The megapixel count hasn't really mattered for the past decade, as basically every camera has had a high enough pixel count that it's really about the post processing of the image that matters, and that's not something you can read off the spec sheet. 

 

Find reviews of the phones you're looking at and look at the test photos, preferably from the same outlet so the photos themselves will be of the same subject for the best comparison. Anything else is just not effective. 

[filpo]

8 minutes ago, IR76 said:

Google Pixel 7a and Samsung's Galaxy A54 5G.

Look at reviews then 

 

[E-waste]

https://dxomark.com is really good, and gives a great review of the Fairphone 5.  The only issue, and one that the user can learn to understand, is when looking at the view finder, the image is too bright, full white pixels.  After taking the picture, those over-exposed areas are shown as visible with proper color.

 

Otherwise, camera quality is very good.

 

It is also a device that has a setting for DC-dimming, which helos eliminate visible PWM-flicker, or, whether visible or not, can help reduce eye-strain or other issues, even if your eyes are not able to pick up on the light strobes.  The Pixel operates at 360Hz PWM frequency, and the iPhone 14 is 480. The iPhone 15 is 1040 Hz but some users are still saying it causes eye fatigue.

 

Another positive is Fairphone allows a micro-sd card, where as the Pixel devices never have. If the display is unusable, not only can you store your most important information or pictures on the sd card, but you can actually purchase a second display, and install it yourself, and have access to the internal memory again, as you'll be able to unlock the display.

 

Also, Fairphone plans to support the device for at least eight years, but may extend it to ten years.  There is no other company trying to do that.

 

If you need a new battery after a few years, just buy the replacement now, keep it with you and replace it when you need to, without having to rip open the device and hope you can put it together again.

 

Also, if the camera has issues, you can take it out and replace it, some models offer different camera options.  Ideally, I'd like to see both camera modules and camera software to be installable on any fairphone model.  They have already designed the modules, why not use that base to offer an upgraded camera in the same compatible module shape.

 

The only real thing missing is the modem / antenna, which is really just a qualcomm ARM cpu separate from the main board.  If Fairphone allows tp upgrade that module on the Fairphone 4 to allow 5G, and use the new camera + software on the previous device, I don't think they can get much fairer than that.

[Sdwerd]

On 10/15/2023 at 12:12 PM, IR76 said:

Google Pixel 7a and Samsung's Galaxy A54 5G.

If your concern is the camera, the Pixel out of those two will absolutely stomp all over the Samsung. Pixels have been winning MKBHD's blind camera tests pretty consistently, and they're fairly well known for having great cameras on even their "a" series phones since it's using their processing on a very mature sensor platform for them.

[NavyCobra1417]

On 10/15/2023 at 10:07 AM, IR76 said:

When phone shopping what specs do I look for in a camera please. I’’m shopping for an Android phone and I want a good resolution camera I’m not sure on resolution but that’s what I’m asking is what’s good and bad. For example this phone from google has 50(something units) or the resolution is XtimesX etc. 

Specs don't matter as much as the end results. Find reviews of phones you're considering and looking for the photo samples. If you like the photo samples, that's a good indicator the devices will take pleasing images for you.