OnePlus has packed some impressive camera technology into its latest flagship phone, the
OnePlus 5
.But when it comes to photography, the competition among phones has never been fiercer. All the top players pay close attention to their cameras and every year the bar is raised even higher than before.
The OnePlus 5 already impressed us when we put it up against Apple's
iPhone 7Plus
-- both have an additional telephoto lens for better portrait photos. (Check out CNET's
OnePlus 5 vs. iPhone 7 Plus camera comparison here
.)
But this time I tested the 5 extensively against their two biggest Android competitors, the
Samsung Galaxy S8
(
$228 at Walmart
)
and the
Google pixels
(
$76 at Amazon
)
.All three have extremely potent snappers and can capture vivid and sharp photos, but when it came to trickier scenes, not all performed equally well with their low light handling, zooming and white balance.
To see how the OnePlus stacks up against these top Androids, scroll through. (And a quick technical note: all three phones were shooting in full-auto mode at their maximum available resolution.)
outdoor testing
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I'm not entirely impressed with the 5 in this first outdoor shot. While it's brighter than its competitors - particularly the front of the building in the background - the auto white balance leaned too much on the warm side. It gives the scene a yellow tint which wasn't really there. Again, both the S8 and Pixel shots have much more natural colors.
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The white balance issue is observed again in this outdoor scene in Paris, France. The rich blue sky has a yellow-green tinge on the OnePlus 5 that's absent on the others. Of these three, I prefer the Pixel's higher contrast the most .
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Another example of the OnePlus' tendency to produce warmer, less natural tones in outdoor scenes. The Pixel produced the more accurate colors than both the OnePlus and S8, although I like how the OnePlus shows up more shadows in the bushes left side.
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I still don't like how the OnePlus rendered the white balance in this photo. However, the handling of the deep blue sky (rarely seen over London!) is much more accurate and I like the finer detail in the clouds.
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Again, the colors of the OnePlus are a bit warmer in this Parisian street scene. But in this case, I actually like it better. It gave the scene a warmth that suits it well. It's brighter in the shade, too.
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Andrew Hoyle/CNET
There is very little to differentiate between the OnePlus and the Galaxy S8 in this example. I like how both phones achieve rich, natural colors and have a very even exposure balance. However, the Pixel has more muted tones, particularly in the pink-reds -Tones around the subway entrance.
near tests
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The OnePlus 5 lacks the close-ups I want from a flagship phone. In this zoomed-in section, it's clear how the Galaxy S8 captured sharp detail of the brickwork's texture, while the same detail looks muddy and almost blurry on the OnePlus and doesn't look much better on the Pixel either.
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In this close-up macro test, both the OnePlus 5 and Galaxy S8 sharply focused on the fine details surrounding the metal parts and fibers of this dartboard. There's no real difference between the two phones, however the Pixel can't focus quite as close, so it does his shot had to be taken from a little further away. This is something to keep in mind if you like to dive right into the heart of your macro subjects.
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The OnePlus 5 managed to get good focus on the flower up close, but struggled to keep the bright highlights under control. The pink tones on the petals have lost their detail, resulting in unsightly "color spots". The S8 has a similar problem , albeit to a lesser extent. The Pixel's shot is darker overall than the other two, but it kept those pesky highlights under control for a more balanced shot overall.
Indoor portraits and bokeh effects
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Both the OnePlus and Galaxy S8 took good portraits in the default camera mode. The OnePlus' shot is a bit brighter, with lighter shadows making for a more attractive portrait overall. White balance was again a little lacking on the warmer side, which I found makes it look browner than normal. Personally, I don't mind if a phone artificially makes it appear like I've spent some time at the beach, but it's not the completely "honest" and natural photo you might be looking for. That Pixel produced a much darker shot, which I don't like that much.
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The same close-up portrait shot again shows that the OnePlus 5's camera doesn't handle fine detail as well as the Galaxy S8. But you can only tell the difference when you zoom in. So if you're taking pictures on your phone's screen, on Facebook or on Instagram, you almost certainly won't notice any difference.
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With portrait modes, the difference between the cameras is much more noticeable. These modes artificially blur the background to achieve that "bokeh" look you get from a DSLR. It's clear that the OnePlus' shot has overall contrast and detail missing. In our "dual-camera shootout," the OnePlus fell slightly behind the iPhone 7 Plus, although the difference wasn't as pronounced as in this review. Additionally, CNET editor Lynn La noted in her OnePlus 5 review that that it performs significantly better in comparison to the Galaxy S8 when taking portrait photos.
But for this round, the S8 was the clear winner - at least for me. While the blur effect isn't as strong as the others, it's brighter and the bokeh effect is better controlled on the edges of my head, making it look more natural than on the Pixel.
Still life in different lighting
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Low-light scenes are always a challenge for phones, as their small sensors struggle to capture enough light to properly expose a scene. However, all three phones did an excellent job here. Although the OnePlus's shot is a bit dimmer than the others, it is the sharpest of the three when looking closely at the details. Noise reduction is also excellent. In this scene, the pixel's capture is the brightest of the three, with the most accurate tones. This may be more important to you if you are using your candle simply want to present light dinners on Instagram as quickly as possible.
Low light with flash
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This is the same scene with the flash on. Once again, the OnePlus nails the sharpest shot. The warmer white balance also gives a more natural hue, with the S8's blue cast looking cold.
The Pixel managed to mix in some of the ambient light as well as the flash so that the guitar in the background was still clearly visible, although it was too far away to have any effect. Neither the OnePlus nor the Galaxy S8 managed to do this overall results in a more appealing image.
Not the best, but the best for the price
During my testing, I wasn't completely blown away by the OnePlus 5's handling of white balance, fine detail, or its abilities with portraits. The Galaxy S8 fared in multiple tests, but it's important to remember that the Galaxy S8 is significantly more expensive than that OnePlus 5
It's been a very close battle overall and I'm really impressed that such a mid-range phone can hold up so well against the high-priced smartphone elite. I preferred many of the OnePlus 5's shots to the Pixel, which again is a much more expensive handset .If OnePlus can improve auto white balance with software updates, it might even come out on top.
In my opinion if you are looking for the absolute
best camera
You'll find in an Android phone the Galaxy S8 is the way to go. But the OnePlus 5 takes brilliant shots that are almost as good and won't empty your bank balance in the process.
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