OnePlus 5 camera shot
OnePlus has packed some impressive camera technology into its latest flagship phone, the
One Plus 5
But when it comes to photographic prowess, the competition between phones has never been fiercer. All the top players pay close attention to their cameras, and every year the bar is set even higher than before.
The OnePlus 5 already impressed us when we pitted it against Apple's
iPhone 7Plus
-- both of which feature an extra telephoto lens for better portrait shots. (Check out CNET
OnePlus 5 vs iPhone 7 Plus camera comparison here
.)
But this time around, I tested the 5 extensively against its two biggest Android rivals, the
Samsung Galaxy S8
(
$228 at Walmart
)
and the
Google Pixel
(
$76 on Amazon
)
.All three pack extremely powerful snappers and can take vibrant, crisp photos, but when it comes to trickier scenes, not all perform equally well with their low-light, zoom and balance handling. whites.
To see how the OnePlus compares to these top Androids, scroll down. (And on a quick technical note: All three phones were running at their maximum available resolution, in fully automatic mode.)
Outdoor trials
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I'm not totally impressed with the 5 in this first outdoor shot. While it was brighter than its rivals - especially on the front of the building in the background - the auto white balance leaned too much on the warm side. This gave the scene a yellow color cast, which wasn't really there. In turn, the photos from the S8 and Pixel have much more natural colors.
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The white balance problem is again found in this outdoor scene in Paris, France. The rich blue sky has a yellow-green tint on the OnePlus 5, which is not present on the others. Among these three, I prefer the Pixel's higher contrast the most.
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Another example of the OnePlus' tendency to produce warmer, less natural color tones in outdoor scenes. The Pixel produced more accurate colors than the OnePlus and S8, although I like how the OnePlus has raised more shadows in the bushes to the left.
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I still don't prefer the way the OnePlus has rendered the white balance in this photo, however, its treatment of the deep blue sky (rarely seen over London!) is much more accurate, and I like the detail thinnest in the clouds.
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Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Again, the colors are slightly warmer from the OnePlus in this Parisian street scene. But in this case, I rather like it. It gives the scene a warmth that suits it well. 'shadow.
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There are very few differences between the OnePlus and the Galaxy S8 in this example. I like how both phones achieve rich, natural colors and have a very even exposure balance. The Pixel, however, has more muted color tones, especially in the rose-red hues around the subway entrance.
Close-up test
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The OnePlus 5 lacks the close-up detail I'd like from a flagship phone. that same detail looks mushy and almost blurry on the OnePlus and doesn't look much better on the Pixel either.
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In this close-up macro test, the OnePlus 5 and Galaxy S8 both emphasized fine detail around the metalwork and fibers of this dart board. There's no real difference between the two phones, but the Pixel isn't able to focus that close, so its shot had to be taken from a little further away. That's something to note if you like to dive into your macro subjects.
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The OnePlus 5 achieved good focus on the flower up close, but struggled to control the light reflections. The roses on the petals lost detail, resulting in unappealing "blobs" of color. The S8 has a similar issue, but to a lesser extent. The Pixel's shot is darker overall than the other two, but it's kept those pesky reflections under control for a more balanced shot overall.
Indoor portraits and bokeh effects
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The OnePlus and Galaxy S8 both took good portraits in standard camera mode. The OnePlus photo is slightly brighter, with lighter shadows that make the portrait look more attractive overall. is again slightly tweaked to the warmer side, making me look more tanned than normal. I personally don't mind a phone artificially making it look like I spent time at the beach , but it's not the completely "honest" and natural shot you're looking for. As for the Pixel, it produced a much darker shot which I like less.
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Up close on the same portrait, it's again evident that the OnePlus 5's camera doesn't handle detail as well as the Galaxy S8. However, you can only really tell the difference when you zoom in. So , if you look at photos on your phone screen, on Facebook or on Instagram, you almost certainly won't see any difference.
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For the portrait modes, the difference between the cameras is much more noticeable. These modes artificially blur the backgrounds to achieve the "bokeh" look you would get from a DSLR. Completely lacking in contrast and detail. The OnePlus fell slightly behind the iPhone 7 Plus in our "dual-camera shootout", although the difference was not as stark as in this test. CNET chief Lynn La noted in her review of the OnePlus 5 that it does a significantly better job of taking portraits compared to the Galaxy S8.
But for this round, the S8 was the clear winner – at least for me. head, which makes it look more natural than on the Pixel.
Still life in various lights
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Low-light scenes are always a challenge for the phones, as their small sensors struggle to capture enough light to properly expose a scene. However, all three phones did a great job here. Although the OnePlus shot is slightly darker than the others, it's the sharpest of the three when looking at detail up close. Noise reduction is also excellent. In this scene, the Pixel's shot is the brightest of the three, with the tones of most accurate color. This may be more important to you if you just want to show off your candlelit meal on Instagram as soon as possible.
Low light with flash
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It's the same scene with the flash on. The OnePlus again achieved the sharpest shot. The warmer white balance also results in a more natural color tone, with the S8's blue tint looking cool.
The Pixel managed to mix in some of the ambient light, as well as the flash, allowing the guitar in the background to still be clearly visible, despite being too far away for the flash to have any effect. Neither the Neither OnePlus nor the Galaxy S8 could achieve this, which makes for a nicer overall picture.
Not the best, but the best for the price
Throughout my testing, I wasn't totally blown away by the OnePlus 5's white balance handling, fine detail, or skill with portraits. The Galaxy S8 managed to win in several of the tests. , but it's important to keep in mind that the Galaxy S8 is considerably more expensive than the OnePlus 5.
It was a very close fight overall, and I'm really impressed that a mid-priced phone like this can hold its own against the elite of high-priced smartphones so well. from the OnePlus 5 to the Pixel, which, again, is a much more expensive handset. If OnePlus can improve auto white balance with software updates, it may even come out on top.
In my opinion, if you are looking for the absolute
best camera
you can find in an Android phone, the Galaxy S8 is still the way to go. But the OnePlus 5 takes brilliant photos that are almost as good and won't drain your bank balance in the process.