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Galaxy S7 vs iPhone 7 camera shootout
The camera has become an integral part of our smartphone experience, with a lot of consumers making the choice of their next smartphone based solely on which device boasts the better shooter. Both Samsung and Apple are well known for their prowess in the camera department, and with the latest iPhones now out in the market, it’s only natural to wonder which phone takes the lead in this category.
We’ve already pit the iPhone 7 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 cameras against each other, and its now time to see how their smaller siblings fare. Here is how the Samsung Galaxy S7 camera compares to the iPhone 7 camera!
Both smartphones feature 12 MP rear cameras, but the Galaxy S7 comes with a dual pixel sensor that uses Focus Pixels for faster auto focus. Up front, the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7 feature 5 MP and 7 MP shooters respectively.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 is able to record video at a 2K resolution with the front-facing camera, which might be better for those looking to shoot vlogs. When recording at 1080p, the front-facing shooter of the Galaxy S7 also uses software stabilization, which is another advantage the Samsung smartphone has over its Apple competition.
Video recording with both cameras was done at a 4K resolution, which means that the software video stabilization is off. However, optical stabilization is still available with both, and you can see how well OIS works in the clips throughout the video above.
As you will see in a lot of the images in the galleries below, in situations where there is abundant light, it is kind of a toss up between these two cameras, for the most part. The Samsung Galaxy S7 does tend to saturate the shot more than iPhone 7, with the latter providing more accurate and natural looking pictures. That said, with cameras create images that are a pleasure to look at.
When zooming into the pictures above that were taken from the balcony at the NerdBot-Con in Pasadena, we noticed that the iPhone 7 does tend to overexpose the shot a little bit, while the Galaxy S7 tends to oversaturate. However, in these pictures, detail is captured very well, regardless of which photo you’re looking at.
That isn’t the case in these next images though. When zooming into the close up shot of the Flareon, you will see that the Galaxy S7 does a much better job of capturing the detail. The Galaxy S7 also did a better job of sharpening the image, as can be seen in the chainsaw hand of the Ash cosplayer. It is just a little bit softer with the iPhone 7, which puts the Galaxy S7 above it in terms of overall quality.
In judging dynamic range, HDR mode was disabled, and the majority of the shots in this comparison are shot using Auto mode with HDR off, unless specifically stated. In the photos above, you can see that the dynamic range was definitely better with the iPhone 7, with it able to better expose the darker areas, without blowing out the rest.
However, when HDR was turned on, the Galaxy S7 simply blew away the iPhone 7 in terms of its high dynamic range, with the HDR mode on the latter being quite subtle. With HDR, basically what the Galaxy S7 is trying to do is compensate for and over exaggerate the shows, while the iPhone 7 is trying to tone down what might otherwise already be a well exposed photo.
As mentioned, the dual pixel sensor and the use of Focus Pixels means that the auto focus speed of the Galaxy S7 is a lot faster than that of the iPhone 7. In the video above, you will see that when tapping on the same area of the viewfinder on both cameras while recording video, the Samsung Galaxy S7 does it much quicker.
Finally, we move on to shots taken in low light conditions. The Galaxy S7 does tend to go warmer with its color temperature, but the detail and sharpness is a lot better than what is available with the iPhone 7, which is easily noticeable in all of the shots above.
Galleries
Samsung Galaxy S7
iPhone 7
So, there you have it for this Samsung Galaxy S7 vs iPhone 7 camera comparison! The Galaxy S7 did excel in sharpness and detail in plenty of the shots, and particularly in low light situations, but overall, both cameras are capable of providing high quality images and video, and you won’t be disappointed with either shooter. Which one wins for you? Let us know in the comments below!