I Tested 2 Of The Years Best Camera Phones — It Was Brutal
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14 May, 2023
I tested two of the best camera phones of the year - they were brutal digital trends Skip to main content
Leica and Zeiss are two of the most recognized and respected names in photography, although they are best known for their diverse products. Leica is known for its cameras, while Zeiss is known for its optics. Over the past few years, the two have worked with various smartphone makers to improve their camera systems.
Now, luck has forced them to put their name on phones with large 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensors, which are still rare in the industry. Set the stage for a full camera review to find out which brand is leading the phone world right now.
What phones do we use?
Leica is currently working with Xiaomi and recently launched the Xiaomi 13 Ultra after the already impressive Xiaomi 13 Pro. Zeiss has teamed up with Vivo and the latest iteration of the pair is the Vivo X90 Pro. You won't find phones in US stores, but they are available internationally.
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra's main camera is a 1-inch, 50-megapixel Sony IMX989 sensor with a variable physical aperture that you can manually switch between f/1.9 and f/4.0. The camera features optical image stabilization (OIS) and is complemented by a 50MP wide-angle camera, 50MP 3.2x telephoto and 50MP 5x telephoto. Leica worked on the lens, tweaking its performance and offering various filters and settings.
However, the Vivo is not well equipped, with a 50MP 2x telephoto lens with OIS and a 12MP wide-angle camera. It also lacks a physical variable aperture feature.
There is another big difference between them. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor powers the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, while the Vivo X90 Pro uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 processor. This will inevitably change how photos look and how the phone's cameras work.
main camera
Since both use the same main camera sensor, there are many similarities between the Vivo X90 Pro and the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, and there's no doubt that both take great photos. The incredible depth of field offered by both is great fun to experiment with and you can really achieve a natural effect that isn't possible on other phones. However, you need to be an experienced and skilled photographer to get the most out of Xiaomi's variable aperture. Many may not use this feature at all and still be happy with the automatic setting we used in testing.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
Our first photo is a good demonstration of the differences between the cameras in terms of color accuracy and focus. Xiaomi's photo has more precise focus and edge detection than Vivo's phone, even if it's not taken in portrait mode, and it knows better when part of the cake and cup should be put on point. The Vivo's camera is less clear on where to focus and as a result the image is a bit less appealing.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
The second photo shows a particularly small and delicate flower. I shot it in the viewfinder to make sure the camera knew what I wanted, but the Xiaomi 13 Ultra was better than the Vivo X90 Pro at keeping it in focus. In general, the Vivo phone is not very fond of close-ups and it is worth noting that I disabled Xiaomi's automatic macro mode. However, Xiaomi's image looks a bit fake and the colors aren't that natural either.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
Speaking of colors, the photo of the car's red interior shows that Xiaomi has gone too far with saturation, while Vivo tends to keep everything under control to create a natural look. The natural color also continues through the black center console and the shades, which allows for a better image with the Vivo camera.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
Elsewhere, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra also has color issues, as the car in the photos above is black, not blue. There are major differences between the two cameras here, with the Vivo X90 Pro getting the right color balance and accuracy and the Xiaomi 13 Ultra failing miserably. This image also shows the incredible depth of field possible with both cameras.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
Soft colors don't always go well with the Vivo X90 Pro, as this image of a beach hut shows. It was a cloudy and windy day, but the Xiaomi 13 Ultra still manages to present the landscape attractively and captivatingly, while the X90 Pro's image is a bit washed out and characterless. Realism is great, but not if it makes your photos boring.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
How about a sunny day? I really like the shots from both cameras and, as we've seen before, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is a fan of saturated colors, while the Vivo X90 Pro leans towards a more natural look. Both have some noise in the sky and clouds, but this is only noticeable when zooming in. I am happy to share both images.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
Our final photo shows why it's so hard to pick a winner here. In the Vivo panel photo, however, the Vivo phone causes more noise on the blurred background, and the colors of the Xiaomi are more eye-catching. It succeeds and fails in different heights, and both sides have strengths and weaknesses, resulting in a draw.
Winner: draw
wide angle camera
Vivo's 12-megapixel wide-angle camera You can see the difference in the first photo of the beach huts below, but note in detail that despite the megapixel count, there really isn't much of a difference.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
You'll also notice the biggest difference between the two cameras: how they handle exposure, white balance, and color. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra's wide-angle shot is decidedly lackluster by comparison, while the Vivo X90 Pro captures a sharper, less distorted, more cheerful and brighter image. If you zoom in, the Vivo's image is also sharper.
The Vivo Church's narrower field of view is a bit lost here in the Xiaomi photo, while it's clearly in focus in the Vivo X90 Pro image and captures the surroundings even more than a photo taken with the main camera.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
However, the Vivo's better colors and white balance help to make the image more appealing and appealing: there's plenty of detail here and the edges are sharper. However, the edge enhancement is more noticeable in the Vivo photo, especially at the top. However, in all other parameters, the X90 Pro outperforms the Xiaomi 13 Ultra here.
Winner: Vivo X90 Pro
cameras
Comparing telephoto lenses directly is unfair, as the two have very different characteristics, but the category will still be the same. Xiaomi makes the mistake of including a 2x shortcut in the camera app in addition to the 3.2x and 5x optical zoom modes, but the 2x quality is poor compared to the Vivo X90 Pro's 2x mode. at the lowest quality zoom settings, so there's no temptation to take bad photos.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
Not only is the Vivo X90 Pro's 2x zoom better than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra's 2x zoom, but overall it's really good. Like the rest of the camera, photos have a nice bright, colorful tone with plenty of detail. It's also easy to get great depth of field thanks to the size of the sensor, and photos can really explode with it.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
The switch tables for the 3.2x and 5x modes of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra vary. Xiaomi's camera is more versatile with these modes, but many people will also be happy with the Vivo X90 Pro's easy 2x zoom, especially when taking photos that look so good. But as you can see from the 5x comparison here, the Vivo phone doesn't disappoint when it comes to taking pictures at higher zooms.
Winner: draw
night mode
The cameras behave differently in low-light images, resulting in completely different results. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra doesn't make images so bright that they appear to have been taken in daylight, but at the same time it doesn't enhance the scene to make the image attractive or still representative of the surroundings.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
The first photo of the pond shows it very well. It was darker to the naked eye than it looks in these two photos, so it's not an accurate real example. But Vivo's photo
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
In the second street shot you can see again how the Vivo X90 Pro emphasizes the details without losing the atmosphere. Trees and grass have color and there are details on the road surface and markings on buildings which are not visible in the Xiaomi image. There is also very little noise. There's no point trying to make a low-light photo look like daylight, and the Vivo never goes overboard.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
The last photo was taken in the dark and with little light. The image of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is blurry and the software is clearly struggling to cope with the environment. The Vivo X90 Pro's image is crisp and clear, with plenty of detail in the bezels and screen. Both cameras used two- or three-second exposures to capture this image, and it was hand-held. It's an easy win for the Vivo X90 Pro from MediaTek and Zeiss in this important category.
Winner: Vivo X90 Pro
Special Camera Features
Each camera app has different modes to explore, including some specially designed by Zeiss and Leica. Leica beats Zeiss when it comes to fine tuning, with the ability to switch between Leica Vibrant and Leica Authentic viewfinders, which act a bit like a filter. While the Leica camera is in standard Leica Vibrant mode, Zeiss has Natural Color mode in all of these images.
1. Xiaomi 13 Ultra "Authentic Leica"
2. Vivo X90 Pro "Zeiss Natural Color"
However, if you use Leica Authentic, you can create very beautiful images. It also has excellent black and white Leica filters, the best you'll find on a phone in my opinion. There are long exposure modes which are fun and work really well. I took the photos below with the phone sitting on a bench, so technically I'm still holding it, and Vivo makes it easy with a standard four-second shutter release. Xiaomi is less intuitive as it has full control over exposure time.
Portrait mode is largely useless because the sensors are large enough to create their own depth of field, and neither camera works well if you use them anyway. The results were evenly split and while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra succeeded in one setting, it failed in the other and the same goes for the Vivo X90 Pro. However, that's where the Xiaomi 13 Ultra wins because Leica adds value with filters and adjustments, and the variable aperture mode is more appealing to those who want to experiment or have experience using it.
Winner: Xiaomi 13 Ultra
selfie camera
Vivo and Xiaomi's selfie cameras are packed with beauty settings that can really change the way you look at photos. The effects are pretty aggressive, and if you like that level of customization, you'll be happy with both phones. I disabled all enhancements for test selfies (sorry) and it was clear who took the best baseline photos.
1.Xiaomi 13 Ultra
2. Vivo X90Pro
While both have high-quality selfie cameras, the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a bit more detail and definitely captures skin tone more effectively. At least, personally, I prefer the complexion of Xiaomi selfies to the lighter tones produced by the Vivo X90 Pro.
Winner: Xiaomi 13 Ultra
It is a link between Leica and Zeiss and Xiaomi and Vivo
Our test is really close, as Leica and Xiaomi took two wins, Zeiss and Vivo also took two, and both categories ended in a draw. The main camera of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra takes colorful and vivid photos Vivo could have had more zoom modes, but the cameras of the X90 Pro take very nice photos. It is very difficult to separate the two.
However, Vivo's wide-angle camera couldn't even come close to Xiaomi's, despite the Leica setting and Snapdragon processor. Better selfies are needed, and the additional Leica filters, variable setting and aperture make the camera more fun and versatile.
In the end, there is parity, but special attention is paid to the 1-inch Sony IMX989 sensor shared by the two devices. Great photos can be taken and the natural depth of field can be truly breathtaking. I hope to see it on more phones in the future, because no matter how you slice it, these are two of the best camera phones on the market today.
Editor's tip
Andy is a senior writer at Digital Trends, where he focuses on mobile technology, writing for…
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