Mirrorless cameras are at the forefront of modern high-quality photography, and smartphones are always trying to push the limits. How well do you think my cheap smartphone fares against my mirrorless camera?
Your Phone Is Good Enough if You Give It a Chance
I maybring a camera with me despite my phone, but that doesn’t mean I hate phone cameras. I actually believe they can take decent pictures, given enough effort and thought.
I’ll compare myFuji X-T20(a mirrorless camera) and my Huawei P30 Lite (a cheap smartphone). I was initially going to use my Redmi Note 11, which has a 50MP camera, but it broke, so I had to use my backup phone.
To give my old phone the best chance, I’ll be using lots of light and Pro Mode to have finer control over the quality. Ideally, I’ll be using the lowest ISO to reduce thegrainy-ness in phone photography.
On the Fuji X-T20, I’ll be using awide focal lengthas close to the P30 Lite and iPad’s camera as possible and the same angle so they look identical. I’ll also close down the aperture to reduce the background blurring which makes it quite easy to tell.
Hopefully, it’ll be a fun challenge for you to distinguish which is which. Another layer of the challenge is the image compression you get by uploading images online, which paints a more realistic scenario as most of your photos will be viewed through those means.
Indoor Photography With Artificial Light
Let’s start with a more difficult challenge for the smartphone: An indoor setting with some artificial light to give it a fighting chance.
I took these photos indoors with the P30 Lite and X-T20 and an overhead lamp. The lamp gives the phone the best chance, so I can lower the ISO in Pro Mode to 50 and get a lot of fine detail. The X-T20 had way too easy of a time on this, but can you tell the difference?
Outdoor Photography With Natural Light
This pair is taken outside with the same devices. This much natural light makes it easier for the P30 Lite to take decent photos despite its inferior sensor. The image on the phone is surprisingly good; even while putting the photos side-by-side I was confused about which one was which.
Sometimes, phones oversaturate the colors, making you think the image is of higher quality. Does this apply in this case, though? Below is another example of the same flowers a bit farther away. This should give you lots more detail to make your guess.
This final pair of images shows the iPad vs. the X-T20. Mobile devices tend to compensate for very dark objects like this car, and you’ll notice some graininess as they do their best to collect details in dark areas.
If you’re ready to get the answers to all the pairs, scroll ahead.
Phone Cameras Can Be Good, But Not Worth Ditching a Camera
Camera technology has come a long way, but there’s no replacement for quality optics and sensors. Mirrorless cameras have only one job: to take high-quality photos. So, they’re equipped with the best sensor technology paired with good glass.
Phone cameras are focused on a different aspect of photography: computational photography. Smaller sensors and lenses mean less light, so they’re paired with the best processing software to produce images that look pleasing to the human eye. The software edits the image for you as soon as you press the shutter,and you’ve got a (hopefully) pretty image in an instant.
You’re Missing Out on Better Smartphone Photos Without These Composition Tricks
Even the best smartphone camera won’t save a poorly composed shot.
Look closely and see where it falls short, especially in low-light conditions. With lots of light, good framing, and a good understanding of photography, you can take great photos with a smartphone.
All the photos on the right are from my mirrorless camera, the X-T20. Did you get them right?
