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Farm Animals and Little Baby Have Me Convinced Galaxy Note 8 has worse camera quality than iPhone 8+

Starfyre

Starfyre

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I just watched the video version of this review on CNET:

https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-8-plus-vs-galaxy-note-8-which-phone-has-the-best-video/

Don't read the review, just watch the video that pits the Galaxy Note 8 vs the iPhone 8+ (that they mislabel in the video as the iPhone 8).

I don't know about you, but the impressions I got from the video was the iPhone was leagues better on video quality. The only aspect that might be worse are the audio recording of the iPhone 8+, which they claim Samsung has better "stereo sound".

The one thing I found about this video that made me laugh was the video stabilization test.

They claim that the iPhone 8+ had only Optical Video Stabilization while the Galaxy Note 8 had Optical Video Stabilization and Digital Video Stabilization :D Maybe I am laughing for the wrong reasons, but I thought al the iPhones came with Digital Video Stabilization, and Optical was the special hardware-required one that makes the iPhone truly have better quality stabilized video? I think of back in the iPhone 6 days where the 6+ had better video because of the OIS, while the 6 had worse because of the lack of OIS for lower-light situations (not necessarily near pitch black, but shadowy areas too).

Regardless of it's funny parts, the farm animals and babies skin look so nice on the iPhone 8. Much better than the Galaxy Note 8 which appears washed out and bland.

Left: Note 8, Right: iPhone 8+

$



$


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$
 
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Korican100

Korican100

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honestly, I am not trying to tout Samsung, but it just looks like the contrast is low. Probably to give the perception that it has more dynamic range, and therefore more susceptible to "filters". Apple basically applies a general filter to your image, and makes it seem like there are "richer colors" etc etc.

I say that to say, this is just an assumption. A perfect test would be to get both pictures unprocessed, and begin applying effects/filters and see which image falls apart first.
 
sean000

sean000

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Korican100 said:
honestly, I am not trying to tout Samsung, but it just looks like the contrast is low. Probably to give the perception that it has more dynamic range, and therefore more susceptible to "filters". Apple basically applies a general filter to your image, and makes it seem like there are "richer colors" etc etc.

I say that to say, this is just an assumption. A perfect test would be to get both pictures unprocessed, and begin applying effects/filters and see which image falls apart first.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but I will say that Apple has one heckuva JPEG engine, and that matters a lot to the consumer market. I’ve shot Nikon, Olympus, Canon, and Panasonic over the years of digital (since about 2001) both RAW and JPEG. Olympus and Fuji have the best JPEGs in the business. I would add Apple to that list as well. But to compare actual sensor and lens quality, you need to compare RAW images.
 
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Starfyre

Starfyre

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TheIgster said:
What is with you and your thread titles being paragraphs?
Click to expand...
I think the word your looking for is "sentence"? o_O

LoveToMacRumors said:
When you combine hardware and software, you get the best result
Click to expand...

Yes! You just reminded me of pat500000's poll, the toughest poll I've had to vote on that forced you to choose between the two... looks like more people care more about the software in the end though. I am a minority *sigh*
 
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Technarchy

Technarchy

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GetSwole37 said:
It's always been like this. The reason why everyone thinks the camera is so great is because of the screen the Samsung has. Friends take pics and load them up on Facebook and not really great.
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Actually you’re on to something.

When taking pics with my S8+ they look dramatically better than pics on the iPhone 8+ until both pics are compared on a neutral platform like the MacBook Pro or iPad. Then the iPhone pics have many advantages.
 
jamesrick80

jamesrick80

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GetSwole37 said:
It's always been like this. The reason why everyone thinks the camera is so great is because of the screen the Samsung has. Friends take pics and load them up on Facebook and not really great.
Click to expand...

This is not true. Make sure you go into Facebook settings and set to upload pics at highest quality available. Most people forget to do that. Then you will see some high quality photos especially from a S8 or better.
 
A

avtella

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CNET is one of the worst review sites, GSMArena I would trust regardless of who they pick as their tests are far more detailed. Some of the reviews I’ve seen show Note has more detailed, sharper images with better night shots, and the iPhone had better colors and pictures with flash, but it wasn’t a night and day difference in quality.
 
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jamesrick80

jamesrick80

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avtella said:
CNET is one of the worst review sites, GSMArena I would trust regardless of who they pick as their tests are far more detailed. Some of the reviews I’ve seen show Note has more detailed, sharper images with better night shots, and the iPhone had better colors and pictures with flash, but it wasn’t a night and day difference in quality.
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True, no one really looks to them for reviews. You never even know when they are sponsored due to them and the many advertisements they promote.
 
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avtella

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I don’t think they did it out of malice, they just are bad at reviews. GSMArena has color comparison charts and they really do a better job to show where devices strengths and weakness are in their tests. It’s also much better written in terms of explanations.
 
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roeiz

roeiz

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Korican100 said:
honestly, I am not trying to tout Samsung, but it just looks like the contrast is low. Probably to give the perception that it has more dynamic range, and therefore more susceptible to "filters". Apple basically applies a general filter to your image, and makes it seem like there are "richer colors" etc etc.

I say that to say, this is just an assumption. A perfect test would be to get both pictures unprocessed, and begin applying effects/filters and see which image falls apart first.
Click to expand...

so how do we know if the Samsung image indeed only appears to be unprocessed? and how do we make the Iphone output the most unprocessed footage?
 
A

Alexander.Of.Oz

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roeiz said:
so how do we know if the Samsung image indeed only appears to be unprocessed? and how do we make the Iphone output the most unprocessed footage?
Click to expand...
Save the image as a RAW file on both phones, and use colour and focus charts, with images taken under the same lighting conditions.
 
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Alexander.Of.Oz

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roeiz said:
yea but i meant video footage. most footage tests seems too saturated and over contrasted.
Click to expand...
That, I have no idea as there are various tweaks for each phone camera applied automatically, I don't know if theres an app out there that can shoot video in RAW.
 
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xsimplyjosh

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I have liked iPhone images from the start, even though the competition has caught up. Personally more realistic colours, without much exaggerated enhancements as I like to edit my images afterwards and I prefer having that option of more realistic colours at first, then adjusting accordingly based to my flavor...

That looks horrible on note 8, probably over exposed? but still it is not to my liking. I have used both systems before extensively, but iPhone's camera game is on top... so to speak
 
A

avtella

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Starfyre said:
Pretty sure Samsung paid someone to get this headline.. "Galaxy 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Tied in Dxomark Camera Test"

https://www.engadget.com/2017/10/03/galaxy-note-8-iphone-8-plus-tied-in-dxomark-camera-test/

Real usage / OP says all, those photos show night and day that the iPhone 8+ is so much better than the Note 8!
Click to expand...


Meh. Android/Apple/Microsoft/etc fans do this whenever a person's favorite company isn't the best or called equal or worse in some review they automatically claim someone paid them.... Even reviewers are human beings they have a slight bais or they have certain requirements that favor a certain device over others when testing than others. I don't think any of these reviewers do it out of malice.

They both have their strengths and weaknesses, CNET didn't do a very in depth review... Im sure if another reviewer took only like 3-4 photos where only the S8+ strengths lie, then they would claim the opposite, which would be a terrible review as well. GSM Arena does much better as I said earlier, they take a ton more photos under different conditions and DXO puts them roughly on equal footing with both getting a 94 rating. I like the ip8+ shots in day as it uses better HDR but the Galaxy Note did better in terms of details in some and well at night minus the flash shots where the ip8+ did better. Overall they balance each other out. Granted I would not buy a Note+ if on Android, as I hate AMOLED and TouchWiz.

I personally look at tons of reviews not one or two, to get a better idea when buying something, and usually put more emphasis on ones that do more in depth testing.

Why not just enjoy our favorite devices rather than bashing one or the other. These devices force each manufacturer to push the limits to the benefit of whichever company is your favorite.
 
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