Camera Showdown: Samsung Galaxy S III versus the iPhone 4S

[goin_nil]

Finally, an android camera on par with the iPhone 4S camera.

http://www.intomobile.com/2012/07/0...ed&utm_campaign=Feed:+IntoMobile+(IntoMobile)

I don't have my SGS3 yet (next week). How many pictures get stitched together in panorama mode?

 

[GrooveRite]

Do you guys see what these Apple fanatics are doing???? OH, FINALLY, we have caught up with the I-SUCK 4s camera!!! So let me guess, when the i-suck 5 comes out, it will be leaps and bound better than the SGS3 camera!! GET OUTTA HEREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rev2010]

Geez Grooveright chill out. Gonna make us android guys look mental lol.

Rev.

 

[EvilMonkey]

No kidding. Forums are hostile today.

 

[kbp08tls]

No kidding. Forums are hostile today.

I normally hang out over in the EVO forums but this has been good entertainment today
: popcorn :

 

[jamisont]

Do you guys see what these Apple fanatics are doing???? OH, FINALLY, we have caught up with the I-SUCK 4s camera!!! So let me guess, when the i-suck 5 comes out, it will be leaps and bound better than the SGS3 camera!! GET OUTTA HEREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

S3 uses sony IMX175, same sensor they gonna use on Iphone5 probably.

 

[Duke Of Swords]

I hate to say it but the glass is better on the iPhone which makes a big difference.
Look very closely at both lenses side by side and you'll get an idea. The fruit phone has coated optics like a pro cam and a slightly larger lens which adds to sharpness.

Also, the video processing is better on the iPhone 4s making a better looking overall video even though the Galaxy S3 seems to have a better sensor. If you look at the two videos side by side you will see S3 has a lot more rolling shutter artifact. In most other ways it does look better than the iPhone but that one factor alone is very distacting unless you put the thing on a tripod and only shoot slow moving objects (who does that with a phone?).

Also the S3 has a really wide angle of view that is almost too wide. They should have included a digital zoom for video, maybe someone will hack it. To be fair, the S3 is really new and coming software tweaks might squeeze a lot more potential out of what is obviously newer and more advanced hardware (except the lens which can't be fixed). They might be able to use software tweaks to counteract the rolling shutter. I'm assuming that's what iPhone does because it's an older sensor and I can't imagine it natively having less.

 

[Duke Of Swords]

Samsung Galaxy S3 I9300 - Camera Test 1080p (1).mp4 on Vimeo

That gives you a good idea of rolling shutter, also called "jellocam" As the user pans around you see the trees seem to "stretch" and wobble. I can verify on my own S3 it's the same and much worse when you move faster. The iPhone 4s has distinctly less of this effect, not enough to be distracting except in fast pans.

I was sad to see this because I plan to use my s3 to shoot a lot of video and even though I hate Apple and iPhone with a passion (mostly because of iTunes and it's fascist DRG background tricks) I almost wish I had gone iPhone :-(

 

[Duke Of Swords]

[Phoneblog.hu] iPhone 4S vs Galaxy S III kamerateszt on Vimeo

This shows the difference in field of view, I like the iPhone's narrower view but that's just personal choice.
The photos show off the better sensor of the Galaxy S3. It has better dynamic range as visible in the shadows especially. The iPhone software actually underexposes slightly to avoid blown highlights but in return it loses shadow detail.

The walking bridge video shows the dramatic difference in shake and jellocam. Those tow videos were actually recorded simultaneously with both cams mounted to a stick so the camera movement is identical. It looks like the iPhone moves less because it has better image stabilization. In that video the tops of the buildings appear to roll backwards on the S3 because they stretch so bad.
On the street video you can see the iPhone renders green grass more accurately, gives a more saturated image, and handles highlights better but to be fair the S3 is slightly brighter and so setting the EV to -1 or even -2 might yield better results.
The Galaxy does adjust exposure much more quickly, though not more accurately.
This camera should be better. I got a very brief look at the EVO 4G LTE and for video it seems much better than the Galaxy S3. Would need more side by side to be sure.

 

[starsofthelid]

the camera is better overall on the 4S, there's really no debate.

 

[jamisont]

In that video the tops of the buildings appear to roll backwards on the S3 because they stretch so bad.

this distortion of image (outter edge)...its not effect of rolling shutter on cmos, its property of wide angle lens. (obviously u already know g3 has more wide angle lens than Iphone)

Also the S3 has a really wide angle of view that is almost too wide. They should have included a digital zoom for video,

wth ..there's no digital zoom on S3????
too wide? compare to what? iphone4s has 4.28mm focal length, thats 33mm on 35mm equivalent, thats also wide angle lens than standard. (38~55mm, some would say its 50mm)

The fruit phone has coated optics like a pro cam and a slightly larger lens which adds to sharpness.

umm.. if you meant pro cam as a professional camera, then no. all smartphones uses plastic lenses. if there are smartphones with glass lenses that aint iphone.. cuz it takes 10x more time to produce glass lens than plastic on modling.
if u meant by iphone4s lens with f2.4 and GSG3 with f2.6.. that has nothing to do with size of lens, since smartphones lacks physical aperature, thats just brightness of lens. (usually brighter lens are more expensive).
using brighter lens gives some pros, like faster shutter speed, taking better pic at low light situation.

anyway there are rolling shutter artifacts (effects) on smartphone, cameras, even DSLR with CMOS. and the video you showed has nothing to do with it. its jerkiness on anti shake mode on galaxy S3.

jerkiness on anti shake mode
Samsung Galaxy S III Sample Video - Anti-shake on - YouTube (anti shake on)
Samsung Galaxy S III Sample Video - No Anti-shake - YouTube (anti shake off)

reproducing rolling shutter effect is simple, move camera left and right fast.. vertically straight line doesnt stay straight and it gets tilted. like this one.
Canon 7D - rolling shutter test 480 720 1080 24p 30p 60p - YouTube

 

[Shepx13]

It's a little disappointing that the camera is not better on the GS3 than the iphone since it's a year newer phone. But, it's close enough that I'm fine with it. I never used the camera in my DX because it was so awful, so I'm definitely satisfied with what I'm getting now.

 

[phonejunky]

Do you guys see what these Apple fanatics are doing???? OH, FINALLY, we have caught up with the I-SUCK 4s camera!!! So let me guess, when the i-suck 5 comes out, it will be leaps and bound better than the SGS3 camera!! GET OUTTA HEREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I honestly believe it's true in my eyes htc 1 x samsung galaxy s 3 are the first android phone to take pictures as fast and with just as good photos. Reds on my samsung galaxy s 3 can sometimes be over saturated but it doesn't bother me.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S III

 

[Almeuit]

the camera is better overall on the 4S, there's really no debate.

I disagree

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

 

[Duke Of Swords]

@jamisont
No, it's definitely rolling shutter. I just did a side by side saturday with my S3, my EVO3D, and a friend's iPhone 4s with video.
S3 has by far the worst rolling shutter of all three cameras. Holding all three cameras together and quickly panning side to side you see a dramatic difference.
Interestingly the iPhone was the slowest to adjust to changes in lighting, sometimes REALLY slow while the S3 adjusts almost instantly. I'm guessing that's the faster processor.
The auto white balance on the EVO3D was the best of the three, too bad it can't do 1080P...The worst was the S3.

Take a look at the actual physical lens on the iPhone4s next to the S3. It is larger and has a multicoating which you can see from the bluish reflection. Yeah, there is no actual shutter in a camera phone but there is an apeture. The iPhone lens lets in more light, plain and simple. More light is better.

As to focal length, the S3 is signifficantly wider in video and not adjustable. I'm hoping that changes. The iPhone also has much better image stabilization which again it's an older phone with more updates hoping Samsung makes improvementsthere.

 

[snookiesnoo]

The iPhone 4s still has a better camera and better software for the camera. Apple cares a lot about such things and I expect the iPhone 5 will be another jump forward. But the S III is close, probably closer than any other Android phone. They really need to update their software though.