iPhone 5 – Camera Performance Against the Galaxy S4, HTC One, Lumia 920 and Xperia Z

Galaxy S4, the most advanced Android Smartphone from Samsung, delight their users with a 13MP camera equipped with an impressive set of features like HDR mode and Full HD movie capture, support auto focus and touch focus, LED flash and stabilization system for clear pictures in any situation. But how does the Galaxy S4 be when we compare the performance results with its main competitors: The new HTC One and Sony Xperia Z, iPhone 5 from Apple and the Nokia Lumia 920.

For a complete evaluation of camera performance, we the next scenarios for common use, camera aiming skills for macro and wide angle photos using natural light or pictures in poor lighting conditions, obtained with or without a flash.

Close-up pictures with daylight

Used for close pictures obtained without direct sun, only the natural light of the day, Galaxy S4 manages to obtain competitive image quality level, the results are close with Xperia Z models and iPhone 5. Nokia Lumia 920 disappoints by using a color palette that does not fit very well with reality, while HTC One model is poor in terms of details, which is betrayed by its 4MP sensor resolution.

Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S4’s camera has shown slightly lower performance than that installed on iPhone 5, which has managed to capture a more fine detail in the image.

Close-up pictures without flash

In this test the performance of camera used in dimly lit rooms are evaluated, without resorting the flash provided. Except for the iPhone 5, all camera phones were left in AUTO mode, based on the idea that it is the most commonly used set for users.

Both Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Sony Xperia Z failed this test, the pictures obtained are much too dark. Although it did somewhat better, the camera installed on iPhone 5 get pictures with too much background noise, compromising the played details. With a not very clear picture, but well exposed and with less noise, the camera of HTC One pass this test with a respectable result.

Close-up pictures with flash

Although it may seem easier to pass compared to the previous pictures with flash test turns out to be a trap for all tested phones, including Galaxy S4 model. Except HTC One, all models tested showed a tendency towards overexposure image, resulting in an overall artificial unpleasant to look.

Galaxy S4 and Lumia 920 have the advantage of surprising with detailed images, however, positioning the flash too far from the optical sensor makes the pictures obtained with the model Galaxy S4 have obvious shadows and not really pleasant. Camera installed on iPhone 5 has the advantage of better positioned flash.

Finally we learn that iPhone 5 is still the very best.