The same rules apply as in all our camera blind tests: We will show you six photos from six different smartphones, but will not reveal which photo came from which handset. Hence, you vote “blindly” for your favorite photo one by one, and then we will take a look at the results in a week’s time and select a winner. Of course, we’ll also reveal which smartphone was behind each particular photo then.
As for the smartphones, we always snap photos using the factory settings without making any tweaks. We also shot every selfie three times with each smartphone before selecting the best shot in each case to eliminate any outliers. Last but not least, we slightly cropped the pictures so that the individual smartphones and their selfie cameras did not give each other away with their slightly different focal lengths.
To further improve the image quality for comparison purposes, we also made sure that the selfie photos of all smartphones are not mirrored. We also activated or deactivated the bokeh mode across the board, also making sure that the beauty modes in all smartphones were deactivated.
Before we begin, here is a quick note: Each new grid of photos is randomly positioned. For example, sample 1A and sample 2A were probably taken using two different smartphones.
Sample 1: Daylight, bokeh off
Let’s begin with the easiest shot: a daylight selfie without any bokeh. The background is a bit brighter than I am, so the smartphone cameras get to show how just how good their dynamic range is.
Sample 2: Daylight, bokeh on
The second subject is identical to the first, but here we have activated the bokeh mode across the board for the selfie camera. We shot using default bokeh settings in this blind test.
Sample 3: Indoor, bokeh off
For the third sample, the lighting conditions are reversed: Camila is more brightly lit here compared to the background. The selfie cameras should still have an easy time here thanks to a sufficient amount of light. But don’t worry, the difficulty level will slowly increase.
Sample 4: Indoor, bokeh on
Again, the previous motif is available for selection, but with Portrait mode activated for each case. Pay attention to how cleanly the smartphones crop Camila from the background. The most difficult aspect here would be the ear jewelry.
Sample 5: Backlight, bokeh off
With sample five, conditions become rather extreme. Fabi positioned himself in front of the window, and the selfie cameras have to prove whether they can cope with extreme contrasts. Most smartphones don’t manage to expose the background sufficiently. However, which picture do you prefer most?
Sample 6: Backlight, bokeh on
Once again, the same applies: Which smartphone delivers the best result in backlight with portrait mode activated? We look forward to your votes!
Sample 7: Tungsten light, bokeh off
Mixed light conditions are a challenge for any white balance situation. Accordingly, the seventh sample is about how well the selfie cameras of the various smartphones captured Antoine. Do pay particular attention to the colors in the image here.
Sample 8: Artificial light, bokeh on
In this next image, you can see the previous subject again, with the portrait mode activated. We found it interesting how the cameras rendered the bokeh with the artificial plants in the background. Which do you like best?
Sample 9: Low-light, bokeh off
One of the biggest differences in our camera blind tests is always in the low-light subjects, and selfie cameras are no exception. And it was really extremely dark with this subject: the light here only comes through a window located in the room on the other side of the hallway.
Sample 10: Low-Light, Bokeh on
It gets even more difficult when bokeh is activated, because, on some smartphones, the night mode for selfies is then no longer available, which was still supported properly previously. Which shot is your favorite?
And now, it is your turn!
Are you surprised by the sometimes rather significant differences between the individual selfie cameras? Or did you expect more drastic differences in image quality? We look forward to your feedback in the comments, and of course, your votes in the polls!
