Android phone for photography in 2022?

[Pumbaa]

Long story short: A friend of mine was impressed with the photos and videos produced by my iPhone 13 Pro Max compared to her six year old Android phone and is looking to upgrade to a newer one, preferably without switching to iOS.

Any recommendations? What phones should we take a closer look at?

The camera is the main priority. Casual web browsing, instant messaging and stuff like that shouldn’t be a problem these days as long as the phone supports Google Play Services or whatever it is called. Something smaller and lighter than an iPhone 13 Pro Max would be nice, but if a larger phone is notably better for photography then so be it… Budget is also flexible. As long as the phone can be expected to be supported for years to come and the photo/video capabilities are awesome, the price can go into 13 Pro Max territory and beyond, although cheaper would be nice.

 

[Eric]

Long story short: A friend of mine was impressed with the photos and videos produced by my iPhone 13 Pro Max compared to her six year old Android phone and is looking to upgrade to a newer one, preferably without switching to iOS.

Any recommendations? What phones should we take a closer look at?

The camera is the main priority. Casual web browsing, instant messaging and stuff like that shouldn’t be a problem these days as long as the phone supports Google Play Services or whatever it is called. Something smaller and lighter than an iPhone 13 Pro Max would be nice, but if a larger phone is notably better for photography then so be it… Budget is also flexible. As long as the phone can be expected to be supported for years to come and the photo/video capabilities are awesome, the price can go into 13 Pro Max territory and beyond, although cheaper would be nice.

Sounds like the cameras are identical between the 13 Pro and the Pro Max

TomsGuide

The main cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max consist of three photo sensors: a 12MP main camera with sensor-shift stabilization, a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 12MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. There's also a LiDAR sensor that aids with AR apps and low-light photography. Last but not least, you have a 12MP selfie camera on the front.

These cameras enable the same new features too, such as Apple's Cinematic mode for video, real-time filters with Photographic Styles, and the option for high detail video recordings with ProRes video. However, ProRes only supports 4K resolution if you opt for 256GB storage or higher.

The bottom line is that these are the same set of cameras. This is different from last year, where the iPhone 12 Pro Max had a 2.5x telephoto zoom and a sensor-shift main camera, whereas the iPhone 12 Pro had a 2x zoom and no sensor shift.

If she wants the latest popping photos then the 13 Pro (or max) will be the best bet, I know I've mentioned this elsewhere but I'm even using this over my mirrorless for some subjects that don't warrant setting up. It's an excellent camera system.

 

[Pumbaa]

Sounds like the cameras are identical between the 13 Pro and the Pro Max


If she wants the latest popping photos then the 13 Pro (or max) will be the best bet, I know I've mentioned this elsewhere but I'm even using this over my mirrorless for some subjects that don't warrant setting up. It's an excellent camera system.

Excellent indeed, it’s darn good. Good enough for me to leave the DSLR at home when going on vacation in the future unless the point of the trip is more or less to take photos, or if I either know that I will need the trusty Sigma 150-600 for reach or that there is potential for pretty dark night skies to be had.

I am hoping to find an Android phone with comparable cameras, my friend would prefer to not switch systems unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Excellent indeed, it’s darn good. Good enough for me to leave the DSLR at home when going on vacation in the future unless the point of the trip is more or less to take photos, or if I either know that I will need the trusty Sigma 150-600 for reach or that there is potential for pretty dark night skies to be had.

I am hoping to find an Android phone with comparable cameras, my friend would prefer to not switch systems unless absolutely necessary.

I thought the point of a vacation was to take photos?

 

[DT]

Excellent indeed, it’s darn good. Good enough for me to leave the DSLR at home when going on vacation in the future unless the point of the trip is more or less to take photos, or if I either know that I will need the trusty Sigma 150-600 for reach or that there is potential for pretty dark night skies to be had.

I am hoping to find an Android phone with comparable cameras, my friend would prefer to not switch systems unless absolutely necessary.

I'd guess based on the comparisons I've seen (mostly <something> vs. iPhone 13/Pro/Max), the Galaxy S22 series and Pixel 6 Pro are where it's at for Android based smartphone cameras. If it were me, I'd go with the Google Pixel product (I mostly avoid Samsung when possible). I especially like it when the hardware is from the vendor who supplies the software/OS.

I thought the point of a vacation was to take photos?

I think he means a trip specifically for photography, vs. a trip where photography is involved, but secondary to the experience/eating/fun

 

[Apple fanboy]

I'd guess based on the comparisons I've seen (mostly <something> vs. iPhone 13/Pro/Max), the Galaxy S22 series and Pixel 6 Pro are where it's at for Android based smartphone cameras. If it were me, I'd go with the Google Pixel product (I mostly avoid Samsung when possible). I especially like it when the hardware is from the vendor who supplies the software/OS.





I think he means a trip specifically for photography, vs. a trip where photography is involved, but secondary to the experience/eating/fun

I know that. Just my trips are always for photography. I don’t really do vacations.