Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The fact zen won says everything you need to know about this blind test...average people do pick the brighter colours Even when they aren’t the best photos

why pixel devices has always done badly in blind tests
Exactly most of reality is boring and dull. We're attracted to Bright bold colors. It's primal.
 
We can add the filters, IF we want them.

What about Apple's software has been working correctly lately?

They need to go for a natural look and let the user modify it quickly, if that's what they want. I use Camera+ version 2, unless I also need video. It's the best way to get a natural look and modify it, if necessary.
 
All these stock photos can be edited. Just because the first image that is snapped doesn't represent how the end result will look.

What would be more interesting is how RAW files compare. Does one phone capture more details that can be brought out in post processing?

That would remove each phones image processing and allow a better comparison of their capabilities.

However since most users don’t even know what a RAW file is we are left comparing how the decisions made by the manufactures as to what constitutes a “good” image at expense of what was actually captured by the camera.
 
Personally I’m underwhelmed by my iPhone 12 Pro Max. It does have good image stabilization and I like the extra optical zoom but the sensor doesn’t seem much different, and in my comparisons with the iPhone 11 Pro, it’s a lot more smeared and smudgy in really low light. That’s odd since it was supposed to have a much better sensor. I think next year I’ll just go back to the regular Pro size.
 
I’m a World Class photographer from Italy and the iphone wins hands down. I’ve studied photography for a whole bunch of years and I know my color palette.
 
I don't believe this. I myself am surprised to see such bad photos from iPhone 12 Pro Max.

But other videos show iPhone 12 Pro Max has much better photos. I've seen many videos and never noticed the blue tint. This has to be some software issue without a doubt.

I would also ask iPhone 12 Pro Max owners to post their photos of the sky and find blue tint?

Check out these videos & photos.



Screenshot 2020-12-11 at 1.02.46 PM.png

Screenshot 2020-12-11 at 1.02.30 PM.png
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2020-12-11 at 1.03.51 PM.png
    Screenshot 2020-12-11 at 1.03.51 PM.png
    3.7 MB · Views: 77
I don't believe this. I myself am surprised to see such bad photos from iPhone 12 Pro Max.

I think it's dependent on the conditions of the photo, but the problems are easily apparent if you know what to look for.

In your sample photos, the edging on your pants agains the grass looks like a crude cut out and the areas which should be fuzzy and blurring (like on the Note) are noise, in a compression artifacting way. But most people will overlook that for the great detailing and over saturated colors elsewhere.
 
I don't believe this. I myself am surprised to see such bad photos from iPhone 12 Pro Max.

But other videos show iPhone 12 Pro Max has much better photos. I've seen many videos and never noticed the blue tint. This has to be some software issue without a doubt.

I would also ask iPhone 12 Pro Max owners to post their photos of the sky and find blue tint?

Check out these videos & photos.



View attachment 1691344
View attachment 1691343

Yeah I mean these pics for this comparison don’t do the iPhone justice to be honest. I’ve seen far better examples than what we have seen here. For me 12 pro max is a better camera than both pixel and note ultra but not in these comparisons

Maybe it’s to do with how they have been uploaded I dunno hard to say
 
  • Like
Reactions: Anandc
I think it's dependent on the conditions of the photo, but the problems are easily apparent if you know what to look for.

In your sample photos, the edging on your pants agains the grass looks like a crude cut out and the areas which should be fuzzy and blurring (like on the Note) are noise, in a compression artifacting way. But most people will overlook that for the great detailing and over saturated colors elsewhere.
No no, I'm not comparing iPhone 12 Pro Max with Note. I'm comparing the iPhone 12 Pro Max photos with the video uploaded by MacRumours. There is a high blue tint on iPhone 12 Pro Max photos uploaded by MacRumours but the videos I have shared, don't show any blue tint.

Makes me wonder what went wrong with MacRumours using iPhone 12 Pro Max.
 
Wow, when you look at the difference, it is amazing to see how much better the iPhone 12 Pro Max truly is. It is the clear winner across the board.
 
I mostly agree on your conclusions but I found night mode quality drops off drastically on real dark moonlight scenes on the Pixel 5, mediocre on the iPhone and is best on the Note.
 
As a Pro photographer, having tested super wide angle photography on every phone around including this roundup, the Huawei P40Pro blows them away - resolution and edge distortion wise, but is less wide at 18mm equiv. We can buy it in Canada. But no Google Services.
 
cameras need a lot of correction to resemble what the eye can see. your eye continuously processes imagery and autocorrects it with context. for example, a camera can adjust exposure or amount of light it receives but it's done in a dumb linear way - in order to capture detail in bright areas you can lower the exposure, but then shadows are completely dark. your brain will actually process areas in shadow and make out detail, while also keeping bright areas from just looking white and that's what HDR tries to achieve for example. your brain does a lot of white balance corrections because it knows what is supposed to be white.

anyway, without any post processing, the images will look nothing like what your eye sees.

They can do all the processing they want so long as the end results reflect what I saw not something "magically enhanced". I wanted to capture what I saw and I can do whatever edits I want later.

I don't know what HDR is but all the images of HDR I saw were photos that look like their saturation+brightness was pulled all the way up to 100%.
 
They can do all the processing they want so long as the end results reflect what I saw not something "magically enhanced". I wanted to capture what I saw and I can do whatever edits I want later.

I don't know what HDR is but all the images of HDR I saw were photos that look like their saturation+brightness was pulled all the way up to 100%.


hdr takes several pictures at different exposures and combines the areas showing the most detail, it's not magical and it was done even in slr photography. if you just looked up hdr on google images you probably got really played up images with a lot more than hdr going on. without hdr, the sky in many of your images would be white or the shadows would be completely black.
 
Coming from someone who had the Samsung S20 FE for a month, but came back to iPhone XS because of touchscreen issues, lack of app compatibility, missing iMessage, and the Apple Watch compatibility.

I LOVED the Samsung s20 FE front camera. It looked like I had foundation on even though I’m a guy. The camera also picked up on my green eyes more than the iPhone, yet didn’t on my wrinkles or blemishes.

My friends also only liked taking pictures on my S20 FE because of the front camera

I attached my s20 FE photos to show you how it gets rid of my blemishes and makes my eyes pop in good lighting without my skin blemishes. Unfortunately I always had to take pics with the original camera app and upload it manually due to the app issues making it less quality. And like I said, there’s NO filters or touch ups on these 2 photos

I wish my iPhone can have this front camera. So upset to sell it due to these other issues with that phone (and not having specific features that the iPhone has).
A0B4A9DB-C5DB-44BE-847C-45A8C393DBAB.jpeg


C98AA581-0682-47B5-93AB-3FFBAF94B1BE.jpeg
 
There is a high blue tint on iPhone 12 Pro Max photos uploaded by MacRumours but the videos I have shared, don't show any blue tint.

At least it's not a blue tint, but there is tinting. That said, the backpack portrait and the leaf close up both have blue tint. I wouldn't say it detracts but as we've seen, it can depending on the photo.
 
I LOVED the Samsung s20 FE front camera. It looked like I had foundation on even though I’m a guy.

Luckily you want that, but a camera should also be able to take natural neutral pictures.

There are apps that specialize in those touch ups, so to have phones incorporate that into the camera without an on/off is strange.

It's great for a dating or corporate photo, but if you're trying to create street photography, or you wanted to take pictures of that blemish, and skin creases, it's useless.
 
Last edited:
The worst fact for Apple and Samsung about this comparison is that the pixel 3, 3a, 4and 4a which are around 250-400$ take photos just like the pixel 5 and they all shine above the shown Apple and Samsung once. That doesn't count for zoomed and UW shots if course, but for regular photos you don't at all need to spend 1000-1200$.
 
The worst fact for Apple and Samsung about this comparison is that the pixel 3, 3a, 4and 4a which are around 250-400$ take photos just like the pixel 5 and they all shine above the shown Apple and Samsung once. That doesn't count for zoomed and UW shots if course, but for regular photos you don't at all need to spend 1000-1200$.
People aren’t buying smart phones just for amazing stills though. Pixel have great cameras and their image processing is terrific but it depends on the comparison. I’ve seen plenty of photos where pixel struggles vs both iphone and latest Samsung devices. It really depends on what you are taking photos of and how you are uploading them

most other reviews I’ve seen and comparisons have pixel losing to both but depends on the comparisons. In terms of a complete camera for all areas I would still say iphone and note ultra are better.
 
Pixel.

Better night shots, better portrait shots, better detailing/textures, & more realistic coloring. All for $400 less than iPhone. Not good, Apple. Not good, especially since you've allowed Cook to go on this anti-creative risk crusade, turning the iPhone into an over-hyped camera, year after year after year after year. "But the camera!" they say. Yeah, what about it? My iPhone 8's camera stopped properly focusing in 2018, after a software update. iPhone was cool 5 years ago. Competitors copied the tech & pushed the envelope further. Meanwhile, Cook's still fiddling with the camera that, if my eyes aren't deceiving me, isn't all that impressive for the cost.

Rant finished.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.