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shyam09

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 31, 2010
2,248
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I've been curious how the current Android flagships will compare to the iPhone 7+, and it looks like CNET just published an article comparing the S7's camera to the iPhone 7+.

http://www.cnet.com/special-reports...vs-galaxy-s7-vs-iphone-6s-plus/#7-vs-galaxyS7

(If you want to see how the iPhone 7 Plus fares against the S7 - you can visit this link: http://www.cnet.com/special-reports...-plus-vs-galaxy-s7-vs-iphone-6s-plus/#7-vs-6S)

Thoughts: The Galaxy S7 does produce "lighter" images and in same cases (like the macro image of the flower), I think it captures pictures much better. Of course the iPhone 7 Plus has it's advantages as well and captures certain pictures better. I can't remember the technical details about how the dual cameras will be utilized, except in that special depth mode, but these were shot in the default modes.
 

nviz22

Cancelled
Jun 24, 2013
5,277
3,071
I've been curious how the current Android flagships will compare to the iPhone 7+, and it looks like CNET just published an article comparing the S7's camera to the iPhone 7+.

http://www.cnet.com/special-reports...vs-galaxy-s7-vs-iphone-6s-plus/#7-vs-galaxyS7

(If you want to see how the iPhone 7 Plus fares against the S7 - you can visit this link: http://www.cnet.com/special-reports...-plus-vs-galaxy-s7-vs-iphone-6s-plus/#7-vs-6S)

Thoughts: The Galaxy S7 does produce "lighter" images and in same cases (like the macro image of the flower), I think it captures pictures much better. Of course the iPhone 7 Plus has it's advantages as well and captures certain pictures better. I can't remember the technical details about how the dual cameras will be utilized, except in that special depth mode, but these were shot in the default modes.

DxO Mark will set the arguments straight with their scoring. Honestly, switching from the S7 to the 7+ because of safety concerns, so if the S7's low light performance is better, it won't be a big deal to me because the Plus looks good enough for me. I want a phone that has a reliable camera, so the 7+ is good enough for me!
 

msavic

macrumors 6502
Sep 19, 2014
291
239
DxO Mark will set the arguments straight with their scoring. Honestly, switching from the S7 to the 7+ because of safety concerns, so if the S7's low light performance is better, it won't be a big deal to me because the Plus looks good enough for me. I want a phone that has a reliable camera, so the 7+ is good enough for me!
My 7+ is arriving tonight and I plan to take hundreds of pictures over the weekend to compare with my S7E.

The Camera is one of my main priorities in a smartphone so I'm excited to see what Apple was able to do with the 7+. I also plan to test out the RAW capabilities of the 7+ and compare the dynamic range between the S7E and 7+
 

shyam09

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 31, 2010
2,248
2,510
DxO Mark will set the arguments straight with their scoring. Honestly, switching from the S7 to the 7+ because of safety concerns, so if the S7's low light performance is better, it won't be a big deal to me because the Plus looks good enough for me. I want a phone that has a reliable camera, so the 7+ is good enough for me!
Safety? Anything serious?
[doublepost=1474043476][/doublepost]
My 7+ is arriving tonight and I plan to take hundreds of pictures over the weekend to compare with my S7E.

The Camera is one of my main priorities in a smartphone so I'm excited to see what Apple was able to do with the 7+. I also plan to test out the RAW capabilities of the 7+ and compare the dynamic range between the S7E and 7+
Definitely post here or put a link. I'd love to see the pictures.
 

nviz22

Cancelled
Jun 24, 2013
5,277
3,071
My 7+ is arriving tonight and I plan to take hundreds of pictures over the weekend to compare with my S7E.

The Camera is one of my main priorities in a smartphone so I'm excited to see what Apple was able to do with the 7+. I also plan to test out the RAW capabilities of the 7+ and compare the dynamic range between the S7E and 7+

I should've preordered at 3 am last friday morning. I was up at 2:45 randomly, so I was like "look at that, could definitely preorder a 7+." I went into last weekend thinking S7 it is, but then the phone had even more "explosion issues" across the world.

Shyam09, the safety issue involves the S7 and S7 Edge exploding. It's not just a Note 7 issue.
 
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MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
DxO Mark will set the arguments straight with their scoring.

Genuine question ... Why are people still holding DxO up as some definitive holy grail ?

Their Z5 score and the HTC 10 score (which is at the top with S7/7e) show how questionable their scoring and testing methods are compared to real world usage and results. Their HTC 10 poll top was awarded whilst the camera software was riddled with bugs and focussing issues too, something HTC acknowledged and sent out firmwares to try and fix.

The Z5 is an OK camera at best, it's certainly not anywhere near as good as it's ranking would suggest. I've taken hundred of images with both of these devices.

---

The verge raised the same question over the discrepancy

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/29/11535102/smartphone-mobile-benchmarks-dxomark-score-test
 
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nviz22

Cancelled
Jun 24, 2013
5,277
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Genuine question ... Why are people still holding DxO up as some definitive holy grail ?

Their Z5 score and the HTC 10 score (which is at the top with S7/7e) show how questionable their scoring and testing methods are compared to real world usage and results. Their HTC 10 poll top was awarded whilst the camera software was riddled with bugs and focussing issues too, something HTC acknowledged and sent out firmwares to try and fix.

The Z5 is an OK camera at best, it's certainly not anywhere near as good as it's ranking would suggest. I've taken hundred of images with both of these devices.

---

The verge raised the same question over the discrepancy

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/29/11535102/smartphone-mobile-benchmarks-dxomark-score-test

I think they're considered one of the known camera reviewers, so people like to share their rankings. I think that's why it will set arguments straight because people point to them all the time. Are they the best? No. Just a mainstream name. Only you can be the judge about which camera you like, we can only be objective so much. Some folks might like the low light performance on the S7 or won't like it because it might not feel natural to them.
[doublepost=1474062531][/doublepost]
Nonsense. There is no recall on the s7 and only one or two unverified reports of a problem. Please get your facts straight.

There is no need for recalls to have a genuine concern for a product's safety features or lack thereof.
 
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Savor

Suspended
Jun 18, 2010
3,742
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Waiting on the LG V20 v Note7. The Note7 is supposedly better than the S7 edge according to GSM Arena. The V20 has superior video and sound recording features though. Dual cameras both front and back. But the ability to record audio sound in from the front or back is intriguing. A true multimedia powerhouse in camera and audio.

LG V20 is the answer to all of the Note7's questions. Samsung surpassed Apple last year with optics and hardware design. If 7 Plus can't beat S7, then we know Apple is still playing catch up. Samsung actually manufactures their own camera modules.

I like this Ben Sin. He isn't all that blinded by hype or pretty design to believe the Note7 is all that. I'm going LG because he went to praise it and everything Note7 did wrong, V20 does right. Removable battery, less smudges/scratches, cheaper, and faster software.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/...than-far-cheaper-chinese-phones/#233ed3816de2
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,625
11,298
DxOMark is trusted by pros like dpreview.com so that carries more weight than amateurs and amateur sites. Funny how DxOMark was once praised when iPhones were ranked higher but now they're somehow untrusted.
 
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GigabitEthernet

macrumors 65816
Jun 21, 2013
1,195
896
United Kingdom
Genuine question ... Why are people still holding DxO up as some definitive holy grail ?

Their Z5 score and the HTC 10 score (which is at the top with S7/7e) show how questionable their scoring and testing methods are compared to real world usage and results. Their HTC 10 poll top was awarded whilst the camera software was riddled with bugs and focussing issues too, something HTC acknowledged and sent out firmwares to try and fix.

The Z5 is an OK camera at best, it's certainly not anywhere near as good as it's ranking would suggest. I've taken hundred of images with both of these devices.

---

The verge raised the same question over the discrepancy

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/29/11535102/smartphone-mobile-benchmarks-dxomark-score-test

The Z5 camera is pretty rubbish. I think you're being very kind to a company, who for goodness sake, make most of the camera sensors in other phones!
 
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MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
mi7chy, nice attempt to troll apple again...

Questioning DxO when an average camera gets same or better score than a vastly superior one (and they are all android in question here) is very valid had you actually used those those phones that they declare are as good as each other when in usage one is very much better (S7/e far better than either the Z5 or HTC 10 by a good margin) it only highlights the anomalous DxO result and therefore validity of it in real world usage. Much like how benchmarks don't tell the whole story, it is wiser to apply same caution to a DxO figure.

Or are you claiming the HTC 10 has the best camera on a smartphone ?
 
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MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,370
8,952
a better place
The Z5 camera is pretty rubbish. I think you're being very kind to a company, who for goodness sake, make most of the camera sensors in other phones!
Yeah I was being kind. I have however taken some good pictures with the Z5 (heck i have even taken good shots with a HTC M7 despite its major limitations) but it was far more effort and far more unpredictable to achieve decent results than it should ever have been. Compared to the S7 it is more like night and day consistency and reliability wise.
 

GigabitEthernet

macrumors 65816
Jun 21, 2013
1,195
896
United Kingdom
Yeah I was being kind. I have however taken some good pictures with the Z5, but it was far more effort and far more unpredictable to achieve decent results than it should ever have been. Compared to the S7 it is more like night and day consistency and reliability wise.

How many phones you got mate? :p
 
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Klyster

macrumors 68020
Dec 7, 2013
2,231
2,642
For test results, it's not a case of an absolutes but rather than a lack of alternatives in the testing world.

Dxo are like displaymate in that there's no one stepping up to take the testing mantle away from them.

It's a shame really as there were/are some great camera testers out there, all with great methodology and a lot of photographic experience, they just don't seem to test mobile cameras, I can understand this though, their reviews go very deep.

I prefer blind tests but there always seems to be either a qc or possible bias issue (somehow a camera reknowned for taking good shots seems to not take great shots) as each blind test yields different results, so not that conclusive.
So really, the conclusion is in the eye of the beholder, if you think camera A looks the greatest, who cares about camera B?
 
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JaySoul

macrumors 68030
Jan 30, 2008
2,629
2,865
Genuine question ... Why are people still holding DxO up as some definitive holy grail ?

Their Z5 score and the HTC 10 score (which is at the top with S7/7e) show how questionable their scoring and testing methods are compared to real world usage and results. Their HTC 10 poll top was awarded whilst the camera software was riddled with bugs and focussing issues too, something HTC acknowledged and sent out firmwares to try and fix.

The Z5 is an OK camera at best, it's certainly not anywhere near as good as it's ranking would suggest. I've taken hundred of images with both of these devices.

---

The verge raised the same question over the discrepancy

http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/29/11535102/smartphone-mobile-benchmarks-dxomark-score-test

Was literally just about to put this but you beat me to it.

Was having an in-depth look the other day at their site... It's a mess now. I don't trust their reviews anymore, it just seems dodgy to me in certain respects.

Tbh you can get a feel by reading a combination of most trusted reviews. I'm not going to worry about DxO anymore.
 
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mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,625
11,298
iPhone 7 camera improves slightly from last year's model with some issues remaining such as hepatitus yellow skin tone and lower audio for video but Galaxy S7 camera is still king for autofocus speed and overall picture quality.

 
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msavic

macrumors 6502
Sep 19, 2014
291
239
Just received my 7+ a few hours ago but it is night time so I haven't had a chance to take any meaningful shots yet.

Here's a few random shots which I'll upload via Tapatalk for now until I find a better hosting service to prevent quality loss.

S7E
53f0f5f80b2359f8400f6b463a3672b8.jpg


iPhone 7+
64a48bce2d3ae065f462a37a03fa8065.jpg


S7E
0a570ae7e8d7098edd719da7eaa43f24.jpg


iPhone 7+
a019921984049f8014b745b11c59bbce.jpg


A few things to note, neither actually show the correct colors for the scene. The S7E picks up a yellowish cast which has been typical of Samsung devices since the S6 meanwhile the iPhone gives a flatter more subdued white balance. The yellowish hue tends to make the image appear brighter but can lead to additional problems depending on the scene. In terms of the shutter speed chosen by the phones, the S7E opts for a higher ISO (1000 to 1250) and a faster shutter speed of 1/10 second. Meanwhile the iPhone chose an ISO of 200-320 and a longer shutter speed of 1/4 second.

Both images are noisy and really not great, the S7E appears to be slightly sharper but that can be attributed to its aggressive over sharpening in Auto mode. There's really very limited light available to the sensor so these conditions are probably the darkest scenario in which you could expect to use your phones camera.

Tomorrow should hopefully be a nice day which would allow me to get some good shots outdoors in well lit conditions to really test both phones . Also any tips for a good image hosting site, I was thinking of using Flickr but I'm not sure.
 

nviz22

Cancelled
Jun 24, 2013
5,277
3,071
I believe Business Insider wrote that the S7 is still ahead of the 7+. It seems like a few software updates will make them about even. The 7+ will get a new Depth of Field feature too.
 
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I7guy

macrumors Nehalem
Nov 30, 2013
35,157
25,266
Gotta be in it to win it
I believe Business Insider wrote that the S7 is still ahead of the 7+. It seems like a few software updates will make them about even. The 7+ will get a new Depth of Field feature too.
http://www.greenbot.com/article/306...e-camera-shootout-galaxy-s7-vs-iphone-6s.html

The above is the most unbiased review I've found that shows strengths and weakness of each camera (more relevant to s7). iphone camera software never blew out highlights unless af/ae lock was set to somewhere else and I'm hoping that issue will be resolved via a software update.
 

Vegastouch

macrumors 603
Jul 12, 2008
6,185
992
Las Vegas, NV
DxO Mark will set the arguments straight with their scoring. Honestly, switching from the S7 to the 7+ because of safety concerns, so if the S7's low light performance is better, it won't be a big deal to me because the Plus looks good enough for me. I want a phone that has a reliable camera, so the 7+ is good enough for me!
The GS7 doesnt have any battery concerns.
 
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