The higher the number of megapixels, the better the camera – at least that’s what some cell phone manufacturers would like us to know. Some cameras now offer up to 200 megapixels. A good smartphone camera depends on completely different factors.
The camera on a smartphone is more important than ever. Especially in the middle class and upper class, it is the feature that allows manufacturers to stand out from the crowd. So it’s no surprise that many smartphones now come with not just one, but several cameras in combination. And the number of megapixels has also increased – up to 200 megapixels are no longer uncommon today. But the quality of the smartphone camera is not only related to the number of megapixels, as manufacturers often suggest in advertising.
Smartphone camera: More megapixels, more details?
But first of all: What is a megapixel? 1 megapixel stands for 1 million image points (pixels), and in general it can be said: the more megapixels a camera records, the more detailed – and therefore sharper – the image will theoretically be in the end. But why do the 50 and 12 megapixel photos from the Google Pixel 8 or the pictures taken with the 48 megapixel and 12 megapixel cameras of the iPhone 15 look no less good than those with the 200 megapixel camera? camera of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra?
Size matters!
Not only the number of megapixels on the image sensor of a smartphone camera is crucial, but also the size of the sensor itself. The larger a pixel, the more light the sensor can absorb and the less image noise there is. If manufacturers pack a lot of pixels onto a small sensor, the megapixel count looks convincing on the data sheet, but in reality the photos tend to be noisy because the individual pixels have little space.
In principle, you should make sure that the cameras installed in your smartphone have at least between 8 and 12 megapixels. When the number of pixels is higher, some manufacturers like to use so-called pixel binning to minimize image noise and increase image quality. This involves combining several neighboring pixels into one pixel, often in a ratio of 4:1. The camera sometimes offers 48 megapixels, but the actual image resolution is only 12 megapixels.
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However, the problem with image sensors built into smartphone cameras is obvious: the devices are so compact that there is hardly any space for a large sensor. The annoying thing is that many cell phone manufacturers do not specify the size of the built-in camera sensor directly in the data sheets. A little research is often required. In principle, a 12 megapixel SLR camera takes better pictures than a 12 megapixel smartphone because the sensors are sometimes 30 times larger.
Also read: The 10 smartphones with the best cameras
Aperture and lenses are becoming more and more important
Another factor for a good cell phone camera is the aperture. In order to be able to take good pictures even in poor lighting conditions, you need an aperture with the largest possible opening. This is indicated by a small number, for example f/1.8 to f/1.2.
Additional cameras can also be helpful. In addition to the actual main sensor, many current smartphones usually offer a wide angle, at least an ultra-wide angle and a telephoto lens or depth sensor. Ultra wide angle lenses are particularly practical because of their larger shooting angle and telephoto lenses because of their zoom function.
“Aside from the number of megapixels, the quality of the camera lens is important,” confirms photo expert Roland Franken from Profi Magazine digital! to TECHBOOK. “For taking photos in low light, you should choose a smartphone model that has image stabilization. This reduces the number of blurry photos. And anyone who wants to print out their smartphone photos should know: Six megapixels are enough to print a photo in DIN A4 format in good quality.”
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The most important camera factors summarized
So let’s recap. A good smartphone camera usually has the following features:
- At least 8 to 12 megapixels, preferably more. However, you should keep an eye on the relationship between sensor and pixel size.
- A large aperture from f/1.8 to f/1.2
- Different lenses: Best wide angle, ultra wide angle and telephoto lens