news hardware Pixel 7 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro, better than a pro camera?
Have smartphones overtaken professional cameras? The question deserves to be asked given the current quality of the images coming out of our smartphones. The Pixel 7 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro are the best camera phones. So who wins?
Perhaps the best camera is a smartphone
One of the most famous phrases in photography is: “The best camera is the one you have with you.” This is even more true as all our smartphones take photos. With the improvement of so-called “computational photography” that is, the photo by computer, the results are stunning. Artificial intelligence has found its way into the world of photography, even to the point where it performs better than a professional camera under certain circumstances.
But we can ask ourselves whether by overly automatic retouching of the photos and the use of artificial intelligence, let’s not end up distorting the stereotypes. That’s why I decided to do the comparison Pixel 7 Pro to one iPhone 14 pro and above all a Nikon D610 Full frame, semi-pro type, with a Nikon 24-85mm VR lens
It’s not about comparing under professional conditions, because with photo processing time, the Nikon D610 will be better. The goal is really to see if An amateur or professional photographer can take clean shots in 2 secondsworth showing.
The best camera for portraits
Portraits are among the most valuable photos, taken by both professionals and amateurs. Achieving a portrait quickly is therefore an undeniable advantage. Smartphones now add a “bokeh effect” that blurs the background to separate the topic better. But can they compete with real bokeh? I spoil directly but the answer right now is no.
There are two visions in color management between the Pixel 7 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro. The Pixel is on the left and the iPhone is on the right. In general, the iPhone shows warmer colors in all recordings. The Pixel has a less saturated and more natural rendering. Sharpness (sharpness) is also more important on the Pixel 7 Pro, especially through a more pronounced contrast. The iPhone 14 Pro delivers smoother portraits, especially on textiles or beards. When writing, the majority preferred the more natural rendering of the pixel.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left and iPhone 14 Pro on the right
When it comes to bokeh, reflex wins hands down. All photos are not retouched and are available directly in JPEG format. The Nikon D610 has no retouching apart from automatic jpeg formatting. Bokeh quality is better on camera, but not shocking either. At the clipping plane, the Pixel misses the glasses as well as the iPhone to a lesser extent. The Google Pixel 7 Pro loses surprise. In general, it performs better, but each device only had one test. The last thing that stands out is the face-level brightness increase on the Pixel. The retouching is too strong and distorts both colors and skin tones. This will make the photo too pink.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left, Nikon D610 in the middle and iPhone 14 Pro on the right
How to take the best portraits:
- Nikon D610
- iPhone 14 pro
- Pixel 7 Pro
The best wide angle in photography
The competition gets really intense in this category. The two smartphones deliver an almost identical result. Difficult to see them with the super wide angle. Quality is similar, with a slight edge over the Pixel 7 Pro when it comes to detail.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left and iPhone 14 Pro on the right
The best super wide angle:
- Pixel 7 Pro
- iPhone 14 pro
On the classic wide angle, which corresponds to a 24 mm lens, the photos are very close again. Reds are naturally more present on the Pixel, while on the iPhone it’s blue. There is a tie between the three. This is the exact example of different viewpoints. Some will prefer the iPhone’s rendering, others the Pixel’s. Impossible to make a choice.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left, Nikon D610 in the middle and iPhone 14 Pro on the right
The wide-angle winner:
- Pixel 7 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro
- Nikon D610
On the other hand, if you enlarge the same photo, everything changes. The Nikon D610 wins hands down, closely followed by the Pixel 7 Pro. The iPhone 14 Pro lags far behind with a cruel lack of detail. The chimneys as well as the top of the tower show the difference perfectly.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left, Nikon D610 in the middle and iPhone 14 Pro on the right (80% zoom)
The smartphone with the most details:
- Nikon D610
- Pixel 7 Pro
- iPhone 14 pro
A smartphone is better for zooming
We now switch to an X5 zoom for smartphones and 85mm for the SLR. The faithful rendering is that of the pixel, the sunrise is much more realistic. The iPhone looks a little more artificial, with very pronounced yellow tones. The camera now completely hides the colors of the sunrise. This is the photo that appears most natural, but it is the one that least represents the scene being photographed. It’s an undeniable victory for the Pixel 7 Pro.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left, Nikon D610 in the middle and iPhone 14 Pro on the right
The best camera for zooming:
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Nikon D610
- iPhone 14 pro
Zooming in on the photo, the win undoubtedly goes to the pixel again. There is not much to say about this, the photos are enough for themselves. For one thing, the iPhone has an X3 telephoto lens, which is therefore cropped, with a resolution of 12 megapixels. The camera is a 24-megapixel sensor and the Pixel 7 Pro moves up to an X5 lens and a 48-megapixel sensor. The result is no surprise.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left, Nikon D610 in the middle and iPhone 14 Pro on the right (80% zoom)
The best telephoto lens:
- Pixel 7 Pro
- iPhone 14 pro
- Nikon D610
Now the face-to-face is played on the last zoom. The camera hasn’t been tested with a 100mm lens, so it’s not in the running. The iPhone can go up to X15 and the Pixel up to X30. Sharpness is bound to be more important on the Pixel 7 Pro. However, the overall quality is not good enough for professional recordings. It’s a gadget that allows you to take pictures from a very long distance without worrying about a heavy and expensive lens.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left and iPhone 14 Pro on the right
The best smartphone for ultra zoom:
- Pixel 7 Pro
- iPhone 14 pro
The best macro is on smartphones
The iPhone is not made for macro photography. The result is very satisfactory, but that’s not its main strength. The Pixel 7 Pro, meanwhile, shines in this category. Macro photos are rich in detail and the colors remain very natural. The Nikon D610 represents reality best, with far too much bokeh. The f/4.5 lens aperture is too large for such a close-up shot. Finally we find the iPhone, which takes a very nice photo, with even more detail than the Pixel but from a greater distance. Victory goes to the Pixel 7 Pro.
Pixel 7 Pro on the left, Nikon D610 in the middle and iPhone 14 Pro on the right
The best camera for macro:
- Pixel 7 Pro
- iPhone 14 pro
- Nikon D610
Conclusion: who has the best camera?
The answer is rather nuanced. Ease of use and efficiency play a big role in the Pixel 7 Pro. Of course, to achieve the best possible quality, the camera is the right choice, but it requires post-processing. The iPhone 14 Pro comes very close to the Pixel 7 Pro. The result is often played into handkerchiefs, but it is above all a matter of taste. The Pixel 7 Pro is certainly the overall winner, but it doesn’t necessarily win. The choice is therefore made either by price or by the ecosystem you prefer, Android VS iOS.
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