We compare the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge’s 12-megapixel camera to rival snappers on the Xperia Z5 and LG G4 to see which is best for everyday life, as well as comparing the Galaxy S7 camera with the Galaxy S6‘s 16-megapixel snapper. Here’s our full S7 camera review comparison.
One of the Samsung Galaxy S7’s highlights is that 12-megapixel Dual Pixel lens, which can take detailed, well-balanced shots in almost any conditions. But how does the S7’s camera compare with last year’s Galaxy S6 snapper, as well as the S7’s biggest rivals – the Xperia Z5 and LG G4? Check out our in-depth camera comparison review.
Read next: Full Samsung Galaxy S7 camera review and in-depth Galaxy S7 review
Samsung Galaxy S7 camera vs Galaxy S6 camera vs Xperia Z5 camera vs LG G4 camera: Performance test
Despite all of Samsung’s boasts about its Dual Pixel tech, with the supposed benefit of super-fast focusing, the S7 is only marginally quicker than last year’s Galaxy S6 at locking onto a subject. In a direct comparison with the Xperia Z5 and LG G4, all of the phones performed similarly well. Auto-focus is quick and accurate, as is manual focusing, and you’re ready to take your shot in under a second even when changing on the fly from near to far focal points.
All four phones also take their shots the instant you tap the shutter button, so you won’t be hanging around waiting to take another quick photo. You can rapid-fire, which is very useful when trying to snap an active subject.
Samsung Galaxy S7 camera vs Galaxy S6 camera vs Xperia Z5 camera vs LG G4 camera: Photo comparison
These are arguably the best smartphone cameras around and so it wasn’t much of a surprise to see that the Galaxy S6, Xperia Z5 and LG G4 all performed very strongly, even when compared with the S7.
Where the S7 really shines is low light shots. Dingy environments like bars and clubs often give grainy results on the other handsets, unless you make use of the flash. However, the S7 can capture surprisingly bright snaps, with less grain overall, even beating the mighty LG G4. The S7 also performs well in very high contrast scenes, although the Xperia Z5 captures marginally more detail in darker areas when shooting against a bright sky.
Everyday photos come out beautifully on all four phones, with the main difference being the vibrancy. The LG G4 produces colours that really pop, while the other phones including the Galaxy S7 boast more realistic hues. Which is ‘best’ comes down to your personal preference, of course.
Sudden motion is the nemesis of all of these cameraphones, producing blurry results if you attempt to snap hyper kids or mental pets. Thankfully with that fast shutter motion on all four cameras you can simply rapid-fire to try and get the best possible blur-free photo.
Here’s our set of photo galleries from the Galaxy S7 and its rivals, so you can see side-by-side how each camera performs.
Samsung Galaxy S7 photo gallery:
Samsung Galaxy S6 photo gallery:
Sony Xperia Z5 photo gallery:
LG G4 photo gallery:
Samsung Galaxy S7 camera vs Galaxy S6 camera vs Xperia Z5 camera vs LG G4 camera: Video comparison
When it comes to shooting video, all four cameraphones perform strongly. You can shoot in Full HD or full 4K resolution and you get the usual special bonus modes such as Slow Motion and Hyperlapse.
Samsung Galaxy S7 video sample:
Samsung Galaxy S6 video sample:
Sony Xperia Z5 video sample:
LG G4 Full HD video sample:
Check out our review of the Galaxy S7 camera’s bonus photo and video modes for more info and see full resolution photo samples from this feature here.
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