Google Pixel (7a, 8 Pro and Fold) dominates MKBHD's blind camera test
Google Pixel (7a, 8 Pro and Fold) dominates MKBHD's blind camera test
In the fiercely competitive world of smartphone photography, Google's Pixel devices have once again emerged triumphant in MKBHD's blind smartphone camera
Pretty surprised that on average Google Pixel 7a ended up in the top spot!
Link to Marques Brownlee's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRoTOE3FqT0
The 6a took the crown last year so it kinda sorta makes sense.
Google just tops everyone when it comes to cameras, I would know currently have a p7a lol
Do you use the stock OS? I run grapheneOS on a 6a, and the camera seems only okay on the gOS camera app.
It doesn't bother me enough to install the Google app, but I've always wondered how much of the camera performance is down to the hardware vs OS vs app.
I had the Pixel 5 with GOS, and the camera on that was awful, the google camera app did all the heavy lifting to make it good. I now have the Pixel 8 with GOS and the camera quality of the grapheme camera app vs the google camera is much closer, but the google camera app is better. I use it with all permissions removed apart from storage.
Have you tried GCam? Shouldn't be too hard to get similar photos since you already own Pixel hardware.
I'd recommend the mod by MWP as it's built specifically for Pixels.
I'm running stock
I don't understand how the 7a beats the more modern 8/8 Pro. Surely the newer models have the same or improved hardware and software? I guess maybe the newer sensors haven't been tweaked as well yet?
The pixel 8 pro needs some software tweaking for sure. It's shoots way too cold (the hue). My pixel 7a has been great, following my pixel 4a that also took surprisingly great pictures.
I love these tests! I hope they can expand this in the future, to a few more popular phones, and even a short video test or two.
from a purely engineering perspective, i’d be really interested to see a comparison like this for what a professional photographer can do with whatever “highest quality” output a phone has (eg raw if available, least compressed, etc)
imo it’d be interesting to remove all the post processing from the equation and just see how the actual sensors compare
of course, most people just shoot a photo and they’re done, but it’d still be interesting!
There was a time when there really were significant differences between these cameras. Those days are over.
I think it's the processing more than the camera itself that makes the pixel so special. Am I wrong in this assumption?