Is LG V30 the best camera smartphone?

[MA2GA28]

Their new mate 10 just destroyed everything from LG...

Maybe, but depends on what features you're looking at. Their hardware is solid (aside from their proprietary chips, which have questionable longevity), but software always seems to be buggy and not play nicely with apps outside of their control.

 

[Aquila]

Maybe, but depends on what features you're looking at. Their hardware is solid (aside from their proprietary chips, which have questionable longevity), but software always seems to be buggy and not play nicely with apps outside of their control.

I'm referring only to camera.

 

[Infiniti14]

Their new mate 10 just destroyed everything from LG...

Did it? It's not getting amazing reviews, but I haven't seen a review where the V30 is crushed by another camera. I don't see it being gushed over, but the g6 wasn't gushed over and it did quite well in blind comparison tests.

 

[Aquila]

Did it? It's getting great reviews, but I have to see a review where the V30 is crushed by another camera. I don't see it being gushed over, but the g6 wasn't gushed over and it did quite well in blind comparison tests.

Mate 10 seems to have passed all of Samsung and is almost at Pixel 2 level.

 

[MA2GA28]

I'm referring only to camera.

Well, using the term 'everything' is probably a confusing factor then. May I suggest a clarifying edit?

 

[Aquila]

Well, using the term 'everything' is probably a confusing factor then. May I suggest a clarifying edit?

Sure; it was referring to all LG's devices.

 

[Aquila]

For CAMERA only, the LG V30 is probably not in the top 10 shooters. The top ten, in no particular order, include the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, iPhone X, iPhone 8+, iPhone 8, Note 8, Mate 10 and U11. If we condense the Pixels into just two rankings instead of 4, then we can include the S8/S8+, S7/S7+, HTC 10, Note 7 and Sony Xperia X Performance, all of which represented a giant 7-way tie for 3rd place until a few months ago. So in order to break into the top 10, the V30 would have to be objectively better in auto mode than those in that 7 way tie. Is it? Probably not.

Does that mean it isn't good? Definitely not. I think it'd be fair to say that everything better than the iPhone 6 is pretty darn good, possibly even great. Well, that would currently include AT LEAST the top 30 devices available right now. And LG has 3 devices in that top 30 (G5, G6, V20) - so it's a safe bet that the V30 is in that neighborhood too.

 

[Infiniti14]

Mate 10 seems to have passed all of Samsung and is almost at Pixel 2 level.

By all accounts the Mate 10 has a great camera, I was more asking if there are reviews as negative of the V30 camera as this thread.

I've seen reviews that like other cameras more, but none of them state the V30 is completely outbid these other cameras league.

 

[Almeuit]

Well, using the term 'everything' is probably a confusing factor then. May I suggest a clarifying edit?

Or you know -- realizing the thread is about cameras so maybe one is talking about cameras?

Idk. I can see either side .

 

[Aquila]

By all accounts the Mate 10 has a great camera, I was more asking if there are reviews as negative of the V30 camera as this thread.

I've seen reviews that like other cameras more, but none of them state the V30 is completely outbid these other cameras league.

The difference isn't that huge, that's what I was trying to say in my last post here. These cameras are all so close that, as md308 and other also stated, that what's best for any individual is totally a personal decision based on how the strengths and weaknesses of each play to their own preferences. As I indicated earlier, being in the top 30 devices means your camera is pretty good... being the "best" means leading a very tight pack and there are very few cameras that are night and day better than any others.

 

[MA2GA28]

For CAMERA only, the LG V30 is probably not in the top 10 shooters. The top ten, in no particular order, include the Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, iPhone X, iPhone 8+, iPhone 8, Note 8, Mate 10 and U11. If we condense the Pixels into just two rankings instead of 4, then we can include the S8/S8+, S7/S7+, HTC 10, Note 7 and Sony Xperia X Performance, all of which represented a giant 7-way tie for 3rd place until a few months ago. So in order to break into the top 10, the V30 would have to be objectively better in auto mode than those in that 7 way tie. Is it? Probably not.

Does that mean it isn't good? Definitely not. I think it'd be fair to say that everything better than the iPhone 6 is pretty darn good, possibly even great. Well, that would currently include AT LEAST the top 30 devices available right now. And LG has 3 devices in that top 30 (G5, G6, V20) - so it's a safe bet that the V30 is in that neighborhood too.

You appear to be just regurgitating DXO with these rankings, but then you follow up to harp on the importance of personal opinion and perception. So what is your personal opinion, as opposed to just parroting to DXO?

The V30 has yet to get a DXO score. The G6 finished at an 84, just below the Mate 9 and V20 at 85. So, it can be assumed that the V30 would finish higher than the V20, probably putting it in the 87-89 range. That would fall higher than the Xperia X line and just shy of the U11, original Pixel, and S7s, speculatively of course.

Yet, you are quick to dismiss it as not being in even the top 15 (assuming by saying "Top 30" you mean it would fall in the 25-30 range). I'd be very interested to hear your justification if it was able to garner an 89, 90, or 91 score, as that would place it squarely in the top 10 based on the rankings you came up with, as it would best a few phones on your list.

 

[Aquila]

You appear to be just regurgitating DXO with these rankings, but then you follow up to harp on the importance of personal opinion and perception. So what is your personal opinion, as opposed to just parroting to DXO?

The V30 has yet to get a DXO score. The G6 finished at an 84, just below the Mate 9 and V20 at 85. So, it can be assumed that the V30 would finish higher than the V20, probably putting it in the 87-89 range. That would fall higher than the Xperia X line and just shy of the U11, original Pixel, and S7s, speculatively of course.

Yet, you are quick to dismiss it as not being in even the top 15 (assuming by saying "Top 30" you mean it would fall in the 25-30 range). I'd be very interested to hear your justification if it was able to garner an 89, 90, or 91 score, as that would place it squarely in the top 10 based on the rankings you came up with, as it would best a few phones on your list.

By top 30 I mean somewhere between 11 and 30. And then I further specified that it could be in the top 10 (as 9th or 10th place) IF it's recognized as beating the S8+.

I went with 30 instead of top 15 because there are a ton of devices that are all mushed together very closely. We know the general grouping of those at the front of the pack; which is what I listed including the words "in no particular order", which was a phrase used intentionally because very few of us could agree on the exact order of 8 to 10 phones, but we can agree those are generally the ones reviewers put at the front of the pack.

From there, we can also safely assert that that, given the known relative quality of the G5, G6 and V20, and based on the assumption that the V30 is better than its predecessors, that the V30 is in the top 30 - because the other LG phones land distributed throughout the middle of the pack of that top 30 ranking. Heck, the G4 might even barely make the top 30, though my guess is probably not.

So the entirety of my statement about positioning indicates that I think that the highest we could rank the V30 would be 9th place and the lowest would be 30th place. Anywhere in that range would be pretty easy to defend, anything outside of that range, in my opinion, would be a more extreme statement.

 

[MA2GA28]

By top 30 I mean somewhere between 11 and 30. And then I further specified that it could be in the top 10 (as 9th or 10th place) IF it's recognized as beating the S8+.

I went with 30 instead of top 15 because there are a ton of devices that are all mushed together very closely. We know the general grouping of those at the front of the pack; which is what I listed including the words "in no particular order", which was a phrase used intentionally because very few of us could agree on the exact order of 8 to 10 phones, but we can agree those are generally the ones reviewers put at the front of the pack.

From there, we can also safely assert that that, given the known relative quality of the G5, G6 and V20, and based on the assumption that the V30 is better than its predecessors, that the V30 is in the top 30 - because the other LG phones land distributed throughout the middle of the pack of that top 30 ranking. Heck, the G4 might even barely make the top 30, though my guess is probably not.

So the entirety of my statement about positioning indicates that I think that the highest we could rank the V30 would be 9th place and the lowest would be 30th place. Anywhere in that range would be pretty easy to defend, anything outside of that range, in my opinion, would be a more extreme statement.

I still don't get the top 30 range. You just admitted that if it bests certain phones in your top 10, it'd be 9 or 10 (but "probably not"). If not, it would be somewhere between 11 and 30 and be irrelevant? That seems disingenuous when someone asks about the V30 in the V30 forum.

Have you actually used all the cameras you mention, V30 included? Because it sounds to me the Top 30 claim was simply a way to give a backhanded compliment to the V30, as if to say, "These 10 are AMAZING, and the V30 will be in a land of 20 phones where it doesn't matter because it won't be AMAZING." I mean, I'd hope you'd have experience with most of the cameras on your list.

 

[recDNA]

i think iphone x is the best

 

[Aquila]

I still don't get the top 30 range. You just admitted that if it bests certain phones in your top 10, it'd be 9 or 10 (but "probably not"). If not, it would be somewhere between 11 and 30 and be irrelevant? That seems disingenuous when someone asks about the V30 in the V30 forum.

Have you actually used all the cameras you mention, V30 included? Because it sounds to me the Top 30 claim was simply a way to give a backhanded compliment to the V30, as if to say, "These 10 are AMAZING, and the V30 will be in a land of 20 phones where it doesn't matter because it won't be AMAZING." I mean, I'd hope you'd have experience with most of the cameras on your list.

Okay well the post you just quoted explains the top 30 and exactly how it fits in and what that means. So beyond that I'm not sure if I can help you figure it out?

 

[MA2GA28]

Okay well the post you just quoted explains the top 30 and exactly how it fits in and what that means. So beyond that I'm not sure if I can help you figure it out?

I think what I don't understand is the use of a ranking (which, in essence, just pulls DXO ranks) mixed in with personal opinion after that. Yet still not addressing the V30 specifically (probably because you're at a loss with it's DXO rank), which was the OPs question. Your post basically leaves it vague and wide open for DXO to make your decision for you. If the V30 does well, it's a 9. If not, it's a 30. You're casting a wide net and really hiding a true opinion because you probably haven't used the V30 shooter in any substantial way and, outside of that, you're just going off what you read.

 

[Aquila]

I think what I don't understand is the use of a ranking (which, in essence, just pulls DXO ranks) mixed in with personal opinion after that. Yet still not addressing the V30 specifically (probably because you're at a loss with it's DXO rank), which was the OPs question. Your post basically leaves it vague and wide open for DXO to make your decision for you. If the V30 does well, it's a 9. If not, it's a 30. You're casting a wide net and really hiding a true opinion because you probably haven't used the V30 shooter in any substantial way and, outside of that, you're just going off what you read.

I haven't mentioned dxo at all, where are you getting that? Why is your issue with me and all your argument against me instead of addressing the logic which was spelled out because it was apparently not obvious? Why don't you instead provide your ranking and your reasoning?

 

[MA2GA28]

I haven't mentioned dxo at all, where are you getting that? Why is your issue with me and all your argument against me instead of addressing the logic which was spelled out because it was apparently not obvious? Why don't you instead provide your ranking and your reasoning?

Not with you, just your vague input to the OPs question. As opposed to talking about why the V30 is good and bad (your opinion), your post covered the greatness of other shooters.

I posted my input already based on my personal experience, about 2 pages back.

 

[ffejjj]

And I just read all that...

 

[Infiniti14]

so after reading this I've run through a number of videos and reviews. seems like the V30 hangs in with the big boys just fine.

There really doesn't appear to be a clear cut winner, and as was pointed out in this thread, the differences are so small now that it's likely not noticeable unless really looking for it. The V30 is on sale for $600 CAD at the moment, and at that price this might be my next phone.