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iPhone 8 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 8: hands-on camera comparison

by 41 Comments

According to the DxO tests, the camera of the iPhone 8 Plus is the best they’ve tested so far. It scored the impressive result of 94, but could Samsung Galaxy Note 8beat it? DxO hasn’t tested this phone’s camera yet, but SuperSafTV’s Safwan Ahmedmia has.

In this video, you can see a side-by-side comparison of iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8. He tests the quality of the video, audio and photos, in terms of sharpness, low-light performance, dynamic range, background blur and so on. It’s a pretty detailed test and gives you a really good insight into the performance of both cameras. And if you’re thinking of getting the latest iPhone, this comparison might make you think twice.

 

Video

Safwan starts the test with video comparison between the iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and switches the audio of the two phones. The image quality is noticeably better with the Galaxy Note8, as well as the image stabilization. The optical zoom also gives a sharper image than the one of the iPhone. As for the audio, Samsung beats Apple once again, at least at the beginning. As the video goes on, it seems like this changes, depending on the conditions (and probably my laptop speakers as well, to be fair).

While filming the video, he also tests both cameras in indoor light. The image quality again seems better with the Galaxy Note 8, as well as autofocus, which is much faster on this phone. I think the slow-motion video also seems better on the Galaxy Note 8. Safwan shot it at 1080p/240 with the iPhone and 720p/240fps on Galaxy Note 8 (scaled up). I think it looks better on the Samsung’s phone.

Photography

The rear cameras of both phones have similar specs: dual camera, both main and telephoto are 12MP, and the ones on the Samsung’s phone have slightly larger aperture and wider angle. However, the front cameras differ a bit more. The one of iPhone 8 Plus has 7 MP and f/2.2 and no AF, while Galaxy Note 8’s camera has 8MP, f/1.7 and AF.

The dynamic range of the Galaxy Note 8 seems largely better than the one on iPhone 8 Plus, and HDR is more realistic. It’s interesting that with the wide-angle shots, iPhone photos have blueish tones, and they look more natural with the telephoto.

When it comes to sharpness, it seems that Samsung’s on the lead again. No doubt that iPhone produces neat-looking images, but when zoomed in, the ones taken with Samsung have a bit more detail.

In low-light situations, both cameras do quite well. The front camera with flash gives better results on the iPhone, and the rear one is equally good on both phones. The background blur is pretty neat on both phones as well, but I like it a bit better on the Samsung. Also, it allows you to edit the background blur later. But at the same time, you can relight the subject on the iPhone 8 Plus, which Samsung Galaxy Note 8 doesn’t offer.

In some aspects, it’s clear and objective which camera wins the battle. In the others, it’s just a matter of preference. But, I must say my overall vote goes to Samsung Galaxy Note 8 over the iPhone 8 Plus, at least judging from this video. Which one do you prefer?

[iPhone 8 Plus vs Galaxy Note 8 Camera Test Comparison |SuperSafTV ]

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  • 100% crops?

    • How can you have 100% crop?… Depending on how your defining 100%, it’s either the original or nothing left..

    • Here ya go. Not an accurate 100% but can give you an idea. This is from the galaxy s8 so its pretty damned close to the note.

    • Screen shot from zooming in on my phone.

    • Farhad Moghadam

      oh dont ask, iphone sucks badly in 100% crops

    • Clayton Young No idea… unless you mean 100% to be complete (or almost in your words), therefore 100% is ‘No CROP’, Crop basically means reduced in size and depending how you define it, you could say cropped by 30% of the original or more often cropped to 70% of the original… as examples

  • this is what i was looking for

  • The I phone’s color is all blown out. The galaxy for sure

  • I love it how picky people can be about cameras – smartphone or not – when they put them through Photoshop anyway :P

  • Wow! The note wins!

  • from the examples, the Galaxy blows the iPhone away

  • On the iPhone, there is a way that you can turn down the brightness/ exposure before taking the picture. I’m sure the photo on the left didn’t have that adjustment

    • I can do that with my android phone. So…💁

    • My samsung will allow shutter speed, iso, color temp, and manual focus adjustments. And it can shoot .raw files.

    • Samsung S8… also available since S6… we have control over camera.. iphone only has a slider to change exposure.

    • Yeah, I’ve played around with Android’s camera settings and they have tons of manual features. I was simply stating that the photo on the left obviously wasn’t adjusted before taking the photo. That’s all.

  • John

    Perhaps the JPG conversions are different, one has more sharpening than the other, etc. The real test is RAW output and conversion on a computer. This test, doesn’t answer what’s the better camera, it shows you what conversions are better.

  • Swinesung is always so saturated. iPhone wins.

  • Note 8

  • The Note lens is really sharp, and much better highlight recovery in camera. Nice! This might have convinced me

    • Were these shot in DNG? I can get a lot back from my iPhone 7+ when shooting in the light room app

  • How much? No thanks, I can have a perfect midrange phone for 250$ that’ll do just the same and that’s even if I really need to upgrade my phone at this moment.

  • When someone works really hard to discredit the Iphone … Galaxy has a yellow tint on all the photos though

  • Not from the note but it was from a galaxy s8 in auto mode. Havent used my DSLR or photoshop since getting the s8.

    • Problem is though; all smart phones only capture images at 72dpi.

      At least with a DSLR, you have 300dpi to play with.

  • Yes, it’s frustrating that the photo quality with my husband’s Galaxy is insanely better than my iPhone, even with the exposure slider ☹️

  • I am up for renewal and was considering switching to Apple X from my Note 5. If this review is accurate then Samsung has greatly improved their game because the camera on my Note 5 sucks.

    • Ever since the note 7, Samsung has been killing it with their cameras! You should give the new note a try! Software is a lot better than the old TouchWiz as well.

  • But what’s the Snapchat quality like?

  • Note sure why any photographer would considering a phone to take pictures. It’s not about getting with the times, it’s more to do with that a camera on a phone isn’t the primary use, im you can guess what it is.

  • i prefer cameras for taking photos, not hypeshit

  • I would get Samsung galaxy 8 as the pictures are better. I had Samsung phone and the pictures was always good, my Sony as pictures are not good.think I will be getting the Samsung galaxy note8 some time

  • Maybe you should get an actual photographer to carry out comparison tests. The crops are all different, therefore exposure will be different. Not very scientific.

  • repeat 100 times
    phone is not a camera: phone can’t take a photo

    PS
    f 1.7 is necessary beccause the sensor is too small. A photo sensor (like a REAL compact camera free focus or basic AF) is ok with 5.6 or 8.

    • I don’t think anyone is going to take you seriously with comments like that.

      • the story about the amazing webcam is boring.
        Physics cares about a continuous storitelling “what a fantastic photo with my webcam”

        Interesting but webcam have BIG limits.

        dimension, angle, and marketing lover too many pixel. for starer. Webcam is not a camera, disposable is better

        Remenber ADV of huawei: our phone can take long time photo!

        But… webcam not have a diaphragm

        I’m not serius, i say

        “is impossible”

        “if you belive this you are a parrathina”

        someone covered me with insults: webcam is not a webcam beccause I pay a lot of money….

        but 2 years late the photo taken with the webcam is magicaly taken with nikon and canon (and only top version)

        if you use the right name, web cam, you understand immediatly the range of application.

        if you call car a cow when go in highway with a cow you expectation are missed.

    • Po Rofek Sos

      get over it lol

  • Po Rofek Sos

    Apple Fans: What?! iPhone didn’t win? We need a more comprehensive test using a real photographer and the photos need to be uploaded via MacBook Air yada yada yada

    To be real here, if we were really into photography and wanted to take awesome pictures of course we would use a DSLR camera. However, for the average Joe the cameras on these smart phones will suffice. But when that rare moment in life is materializing right before your eyes, most likely you will have your phone on you and not a DSLR in your back pocket.

  • CAugustin

    When I bought an iPhone SE I was very disappointed when I saw my first shots with its backside camera – the 4S shots looked so much better “out of camera”!

    Then I shot Raw with the Camera Pro app, opened the DNGs in Lightroom – and got completely different results. Sharpness is better, more details, better colors, no blown-out highlights! The sensor itself does a good job, but what Apple does with the data in their JPEG engine eludes me (I have no idea whom they try to appeal to). And that the Camera app (at least with iOS 10) does not provide a Raw feature is also beyond me.

    So I’m with John here: Compare Raw photos, not JPEGs, and the comparison might be of actual value (I still have an inkling that the Samsung camera might be better, but who knows).

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