The best camera in a budget smartphone. Rating of the best smartphones with a good camera based on user reviews

It’s unlikely that this is a conspiracy by Chinese manufacturers, but high-quality and modern smartphones from the Middle Kingdom start with a budget of $100. Cheaper, you can get either models from well-known brands with the characteristics of five years ago (800x480 resolution screen, weak processor, support for maximum 3G communications, etc.), or the creativity of little-known ones

Chinese manufacturers with good characteristics “on paper”, but unpredictable quality of each assembled specimen. You can play such a lottery with 4–5.5 thousand rubles earned - more affordable smartphones look bad even in theory.

But with a budget of $100 or more, the flow of options breaks the dam, and even with a minimum of 6–7 thousand rubles you can buy good phones with characteristics for which in Russia it is customary to ask for 15–20 thousand rubles.

LeEco Le S3 - the coolest in terms of price and characteristics

The minimum option for buying a cheap smartphone without any trace of cheapness is LeEco Le S3. To everyone who does not consider themselves an expert on “Chinese phones”, this set of letters and numbers does not say anything, but now we will correct this gap with you.

Few people already remember, but LeEco smartphones were officially sold in Russia - the Chinese made a very loud start in the Russian Federation, ordered a huge amount of advertising in the media and even appeared on TV. Very soon the money for promotion ran out (even for our own, Chinese spaces), and mobile phones in Russia were sold out and were no longer brought back. If you've never heard of LeEco, it's a Chinese TV and cell phone manufacturer that sells equipment at ultra-low prices and then makes a profit on pay-per-view TV and sports broadcasts (with multiple cameras on the field) from buyers in the home market.

In our latitudes, Chinese TV shows, let’s be honest, are of almost no interest to anyone, but they are interested in smartphones at a price close to cost. For 6,500 rubles you get a bright and clear screen, a beautiful metal case with a fingerprint scanner, a fast 10-core processor and 32 GB of memory inside. For comparable quality Meizu MX6 or HTC One X10 in domestic cellular stores they ask 20 thousand rubles.

There is also a catch, or rather there are two of them:

Le S3 is a modified version of the LeEco Le 2 smartphone. The problem is that Le 2 was certified for import into Russia, but Le 3 was not. Therefore, there is a risk that customs will “turn” it in the opposite direction due to the fact that neither the seller nor the manufacturer bothered to report to the FSB about the existence of a new model. This probability is small (at customs they open a little less than 10% of the total number for additional ones), but if everything happens exactly like this, you will lose a month before the smartphone arrives back to the seller and you get your money back for the failed purchase.
There are few spare parts left for smartphones and you will have to buy them (if you accidentally break the screen or wear out the battery) from China.


What is the price	6500 - 8500 rubles
What's good	powerful processor
	a lot of built-in memory
	bright high quality display
Why is it bad?	The fingerprint scanner does not always work the first time
	no slot for memory cards
	there is no headphone jack - you will have to listen to music through an adapter for the USB-C connector
All the details	Characteristics of LeEco Le S3
	TOPEOS - 6530 rubles
	Sunsky - 6530 rubles
	Dealhome - 6530 rubles
	Tinydeal - 6770 rubles

Xiaomi Redmi 4X - everything you need from a state employee + capacious battery

Any Xiaomi model in unofficial retail can be immediately called the coolest mobile phone for your money - because of this feature, the “Xiaomushka” became famous. But the “golden mean” among all budget smartphones is still the basic version of Redmi 4X. Unlike Redmi 4A, there is no stupid “saving on matches” when the smartphone has a cheap body, a cheap processor, some kind of camera, and the price difference with the eight-core metal model is a ridiculous 500 rubles. And in comparison with the “empty” Redmi Note 4X 3/16 GB, the younger “four X” is cheaper - on average, by a quarter. To buyers of an inexpensive smartphone, even the Snapdragon 435 will seem like a super processor, and the cameras in “just Redmi” and Note are equally bad. It won't hurt to save money, so I choose Redmi 4X in the 2/16 GB version.

For a nominal 6500-6800 rubles, this model has everything - good speed, excellent battery life, and a bright, high-quality screen. And the camera, which can still be criticized when they ask for 12 thousand rubles for a smartphone (have you already calculated how much the official representatives are charging for Xiaomi?), in the case of the “Chinese” price of the Redmi 4X is quite tolerable.

Yes, Redmi smartphones take a long time to charge from a power outlet, and at night the quality of photos and videos on the camera is such that in the dark it is better not to turn it on. It’s also a little disappointing that the “sold out” ones charge a higher price for the most beautiful version of the smartphone in a black case. But still such quality according to such no, you won’t find it in any mobile phone on Aliexpress and, especially, in Russian cell phone stores. We must take it.


What is the price	6500 - 6800 rubles (golden or pink case) 7100 - 7400 rubles (black case)
What's good	powerful processor
	bright display with correct color reproduction
	excellent autonomy
	high quality fingerprint scanner
Why is it bad?	takes a long time to charge from a wall outlet (almost three hours)
	Doesn't take photos or videos well at night
All the details	Characteristics of Xiaomi Redmi 4X
Where can I buy inexpensively (at the time of publication)	- 6340 rubles (golden, with English firmware)
	Dreami - 6590 rubles (golden)
	Gearbest - 6670 rubles (golden)
	Xiaomi Online - 7300 rubles (black)
	Fantacy Technology - 7370 rubles (black)
Where to buy inexpensively in Russia

Huawei nova - cool cameras and American processor

Chinese flagships and mid-range smartphones are falling in price very quickly. In 2016, for example, mobile phones with very similar hardware were released - the Taiwanese ASUS ZenFone 3 ZE520KL (24 thousand rubles) and the Chinese Huawei nova (23 thousand rubles). After 10 months, ASUS dropped in price to 19-20 thousand rubles. Huawei has dropped the price to... 12-13 thousand rubles. From that moment his “second youth” began.

And it cannot be said that there was anything wrong with nova - it was just “good”, average in all respects, and in price too. It didn’t “take off” for another reason - in the USA, buying Chinese smartphones is considered the same strange step as buying smartphones from India in Russia. Half of Americans walk around with iPhones subsidized by operators (or simply on installments) and don’t bother, the rest choose Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC. No Huawei or other Xiaomi. In Europe and Russia, Huawei is known and loved, but no one understood why they needed an absolutely average nova for 23 thousand, if for 28 they could already get the flagship Honor 8.

Therefore, the smartphone began to become cheaper in official retail, and dropped its price even faster in Chinese stores. In terms of processor power, today there are smartphones that “tear it to pieces,” and the design in the style of the late Nexus 6P today looks more strange than beautiful. But nova has one feature that distinguishes it from all its “fellow soldiers” of comparable price - a camera!

“A mid-range camera in a smartphone of 2016” is when a smartphone does not yet know how to “cover up all the defects” in a photo, like the Samsung Galaxy S7 or OnePlus 3, but it can already take good photographs without swearing and “picking” the camera application by the owner. It focuses quickly (sharpens), correctly determines colors in the frame, quickly saves pictures, and does not spoil even night shots - an ideal smartphone for the budget-conscious photo enthusiast. The selfie camera is also cool - you won’t be ashamed of taking self-portraits.

With video it’s a little more complicated - nova shoots it qualitatively only in 4K resolution (1080p turns out to be “soap”), and stabilization does not work in this mode. The video turns out to be jumpy, as if it was filmed by an alcoholic with shaking hands. At night, the video turns out either cloudy in Full HD, or with “peas” (digital noise) in 4K. The autonomy of the smartphone is enough for a day, or even less. But any other smartphone with a good camera either costs significantly more or behaves like an idiot in automatic shooting mode. Huawei nova is always smart - coupled with its compactness (5 inches of display) and a good screen, this is enough for a budget camera phone.


What is the price	11500 - 12500 rubles (silver body color) 13000 - 13800 rubles (golden body color) 14000 - 15000 rubles (black body color)
What's good	good cameras
	bright and clear display
	fast processor
Why is it bad?	Doesn't take good video at night
	in some colors it is obscenely expensive
	design like the long-outdated Nexus
All the details	Huawei nova review
Where can I buy inexpensively (at the time of publication)	Hongkong Willvast - 11,620 rubles (silver, 3/32 GB)
	Shenzhen Pophong - 11,860 rubles (silver, 3/32 GB)
	Huawei Online - 12,260 rubles (silver, 3/32 GB)
	- 12270 rubles (golden, 3/64 GB)
Where to buy inexpensively in Russia

Lenovo P2 - 5100 mAh with a good camera

Have you already raised a glass to the peace of Lenovo smartphones? If not, it’s time to honor the memory of the mobile phone manufacturer, who conveyed to the people of Russia that Chinese technology can be of high quality.

No, Lenovo as a corporation is alive and well - computers and laptops are selling in crazy quantities. But management decided to “bury” its mobile division - it turned out that Motorola, purchased from Google, can make better phones, and the Chinese decided not to feed “two mouths.”

To be honest, they did the right thing - the “golden age” of Lenovo smartphones occurred in 2014-2015. Since then, engineers have been fooling around and, with rare exceptions, have produced such gloomy consumer goods that even undemanding buyers are completely tired of them. Lenovo, which in 2013-2014 was the third-largest smartphone manufacturer by sales, dropped out of the top five, and continued to go downhill. Therefore we have what we have.

It’s a rare Lenovo smartphone over the past couple of years that hasn’t raised the question “who needs that?” in comparison with Huawei, Samsung or ASUS, but Lenovo P2 is just such an exception. It was being prepared for the role of “flagship among long-livers” or, if you like, the most durable middle-class smartphone. The filling was consistent - the AMOLED screen itself is economical (which does not consume energy if it displays black, for example). Then there was the cool and not voracious Snapdragon 625 processor (the latest 14 nm process technology, so that the smartphone works quickly, “eats little” and does not heat up). And a sensational ratio of dimensions to battery capacity - there was no other mobile phone in 2016 in which 5000+ mAh were spread out inside an 8.3 mm thick case. And with a screen up to 5.5 inches, there are no such fast models, and at the end of 2017 - the Highscreen Power Five disappears from sale, leaving only the twice as expensive ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom.

Due to the reputation spoiled by bad models, Lenovo Chinese phones did not become a cult before their death, so sellers did not sell off the remaining mobile phones at a premium, like vintage BlackBerrys and Nokias. On the contrary, they reduced prices to a minimum in order to sell off the goods that were lying in the warehouse. In such realities, the Lenovo P2, which is not ideal in many ways, can forgive all its shortcomings.


What is the price	12000 - 13000 rubles
What's good	high-quality and “rare” AMOLED display
	“mind-blowing” autonomy
	good camera
	fast charging (from 0% to 100% in 1 hour 40 minutes)
	a lot of memory (4/64 GB)
Why is it bad?	front camera - so-so
All the details	Meet the Lenovo P2 at IFA 2016
Where can I buy inexpensively (at the time of publication)	Gearbest - 12170 rubles
	HiGo188 - 12800 rubles
	- 11870 rubles (English firmware)
	Chinatronic - 12900 rubles

The modern electronics market is filled with gadgets with the most incredible functions. But the majority of users choose mobile phones that have the most popular properties:

high-quality camera;
good battery;
clear sound;
contrast screen;
high performance.

Buying a smartphone with the best camera 2017 requires a thorough study of the available range to choose a reliable device.

Rating of smartphones with the best camera 2017

For your reference, we present the best models of mobile phones equipped with a good camera and a powerful battery.

The beginning of the rating and the tenth place go to the brand, known for its race for the leading developments of American and South Korean companies. Huawei and its sub-brand Honor have developed a real camera phone.
Unpretentious in appearance, equipped with a budget platform, the 6X impresses with the quality of its images - clear, rich, realistic. They are created using a dual lens of 12 and 2 megapixels. The 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 module is equipped with phase detection autofocus with a duration of 0.3 seconds.
The settings interface is quite simple, but varied; there are many modes, adjusting brightness, white balance, and contrast.

Characteristics:

Android 7.0;
12 MP camera, autofocus;
RAM: 3 or 4GB;
battery 3340 mAh;
weight 162 g;
support for two SIM cards.

Advantages:

good display;
sufficient speed;
good nutrition optimization;
reasonable price/functionality ratio.

Flaws:

screen covering;
slippery;
Notifications are not visible when the screen is locked.

The ninth place is occupied by a model in the classic Sony design. In terms of price, the smartphone is considered a flagship, and the quality of the gadget confirms this. It combines high-speed performance, a capacious battery and luxurious cameras.

The 21.5 megapixel main camera takes excellent photos - juicy, with successful calibration and precise detail. Hybrid auto focus allows you to capture action shots. The selfie camera has a beauty mode and also independently corrects the image.
A useful feature of the phone is the ability to shoot 4K video. There is also a slow-motion video mode.

Characteristics:

Android 5.0;
screen 5″, resolution 1920×1080;
camera 21.50 MP, autofocus;
RAM: 3GB;
battery 2600 mAh;
weight 142 g;
dimensions: 72x145x7.6 mm.

Advantages:

large and bright screen;
excellent front camera;
very comfortable;
moisture protection.

Flaws:

the processor turned out to be not the fastest;
software glitches;
warming up.

Eighth on the list of smartphones with the best camera of 2017 is the Chinese favorite of Xiaomi users. The stylish device, which looks like the well-known Galaxy, continues the line of camera phones.

The rear lens has 16 megapixels, optical stabilization, and phase detection autofocus. The pictures come out natural, with natural color rendition. Noise cancellation works great. The aperture remains stable at 2.0.
The front camera is designed for bright, colorful selfies with wide viewing angles. The output photos have clear outlines without visible pixels. But the night mode leaves much to be desired.

Characteristics:

Android 6.0;
screen 5.15″, resolution 1920×1080;
camera 16 MP, autofocus, F/2;
RAM: 3GB;
battery 3000 mAh;
weight 129 g;
support for two SIM cards.

Advantages:

very powerful;
super camera;
The battery lasts a day, charges in 1.5 hours;
screen, materials, build quality.

Flaws:

The back panel is scratched.

Another Chinese representative is in the seventh position of the top. In terms of technical characteristics, the mobile phone is not inferior to many flagships from leading brands. The cameras deserve special attention.
The main 12 megapixel camera with a built-in Sony IMX386 module creates realistic photos with a deep effect and correct frame detail. The lack of laser and stabilization is saddening, but the shutter speed makes up for minor shortcomings.
The front one shows great results. The picture turns out balanced, bright, and contrasting. There is a flash.

Characteristics:

Android 6.0;
screen 5.5″, resolution 1920×1080;
camera 12 MP, autofocus F/2;
RAM: 3 or 4 GB;
battery 3060 mAh;
weight 155 g;
support for two SIM cards.

Advantages:

very stylish design;
The battery lasts a day and a half;
a screen with very good color rendering and a very high-quality touchscreen;
good sound.

Flaws:

sometimes does not read the fingerprint the first time;
There is no SD card slot.

The Chinese again gets to the top six. Le Eco Cool 1 is the result of the combined efforts of two brands. And the result is quite worthy, especially the quality of photography.

A unique feature of the device is a dual camera with dual LED flash. Two cameras are equipped to increase image clarity. The effect of professional photographic equipment is used: one lens transmits color shades, the other – black and white.
The settings include HDR, ISO, contrast, sharpness, and exposure adjustments.
Photographing even in cloudy weather produces images that are detailed and accurate across the entire width.

Characteristics:

Android 6.0;
screen 5.5″, resolution 1920×1080;
camera 13 MP, autofocus F/2;
RAM: 3 or 4 GB;
battery 4060 mAh;
weight 173 g;
support for two SIM cards.

Advantages:

design and assembly;
excellent dual camera;
powerful processor;
holds a charge for a long time;
shell eui 5.8.

Flaws:

no memory card slot;
Not enough brightness in the sun.

In the central position of the rating is a native of Taiwan, whom hardly anyone expected to see here. Previous copies did not impress with their characteristics in the photo. But HTC 10 surprised the public by releasing a high-quality smartphone with a good camera.

The camera is equipped with Ultra Pixel 2 technology, which is focused on macro photography. The frames turn out to be unusually voluminous, sharp, and rich.
To improve images, laser focus, optical stabilization, and dynamic range are used. There is no noise, viewing angles are perfectly visible.

Characteristics:

Android 6.0;
screen 5.2″, resolution 2560×1440;
RAM: 4 GB;
battery 3000 mAh;
weight 161 g;
WxHxD 71.90×145.90×9 mm.

Advantages:

very cool sound;
fast charging;
QuadHD screen;
overall performance;
data reception/transmission speed.

Flaws:

slippery;
no moisture protection.

The phone, which became an example of technological progress in mobile photography, fell slightly short of the top three. The device was created by the Chinese brand together with the famous German photo laboratory Leica. The device is developed by introducing cutting-edge lenses.

One creates a color image with a resolution of 12 megapixels, the second - a monochrome image with 20 megapixels. This provides photographs with naturalness, detail, depth and volume. Sensors installed in a circle reproduce several types of focus:

deep;
laser;
phase;
contrasting.

A dual-LED flash transforms the frame, making viewing angles wide and clear.

Characteristics:

Android 7.0;
screen 5.1″, resolution 1920×1080;
camera 20 MP, autofocus F/2.2;
RAM: 4 GB;
battery 3200 mAh;
weight 145 g;
support for two SIM cards.

Advantages:

awesome design, very neat, excellent build;
very fast fingerprint scanner;
The camera takes great pictures, even in poor lighting;
stereo sound;
The shell works very quickly, there are many options for different settings.

Flaws:

weak vibration without adjustability;
Selfie mode is enabled by default with face enhancement.

Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 EDGE

The South Korean company, which produces some of the best smartphones with a good camera, has released a gadget that ranked third in the top. This is not surprising - shots taken on the Samsung Galaxy have always been of excellent quality.

By default, all settings and filters are located on the main screen. You can adjust the screen yourself by setting your own modes. Unique features of the Galaxy S7 also include:

focus selection - the ability to change it after saving the photo;
virtual shooting - capturing an object from all sides for a three-dimensional image.

Characteristics:

Android 6.0;
screen 5.5″, resolution 2560×1440;
camera 12 MP, autofocus F/1.7;
RAM: 4 GB;
battery 3600 mAh;
weight 157 g;
support for two SIM cards.

Advantages:

dust- and moisture-proof;
very cool camera;
practically does not heat up;
design view 5+;
metal case.

Flaws:

slippery;
the cost of the phone itself.

IPhone 7/ 7 Plus

The silver medalist of the rating is the object of admiration for most of the planet - the product from Apple, the iPhone 7. IPhone cameras have always been considered the highest quality and most accurate, but the latest version of the gadget has left its predecessors far behind.

A picture created in natural light looks natural and contrasty. The white balance is set comfortably, and convenient calibration helps reproduce rich footage.
The level of night photography deserves special attention. There is no grain in the finished images, details are clearly visible even at the edges.

Characteristics:

iOS 10;
screen 5.5″, resolution 1920×1080;
camera 12 MP, autofocus F/1.8;
RAM: 3 GB;
battery 2900 mAh;
weight 188 g;
dimensions: 77.9×158.2×7.3 mm.

Advantages:

excellent screen;
speed of work;
excellent screen;
protection from water;
excellent dual camera.

Flaws:

price;
battery for one day.

If you ask an experienced smartphone user which one is better in terms of photography and video shooting, 90% of them will say Google Pixel. This model is the best smartphone of 2017 with a good camera.

The developers have introduced the latest innovations in the field of photography. Daylighting produces high-quality images with precise detail and wide spatial coverage. But this is difficult to surprise experienced amateur photographers.
Google has focused on night photography. Cloudy weather, poor lighting or night are no problem for Google Pixel. Each frame is full of life, realism, and depth. There is no noise, the picture is not blurry at all.

The camera in a modern smartphone is an integral part. Manufacturers, having achieved almost perfection in design and developed processors that can handle any task, began to pay more attention to cameras. Today they are not only trying to provide them with as many megapixels as possible, but also providing them with additional functions that allow mobile photography to reach a new level every year. A modern flagship smartphone is comparable in shooting capabilities to a good camera. At the same time, you will agree that it is more convenient to have one device that will offer a wide range of functions rather than a separate camera, phone, music player, and so on.

Given the interest of many users in good camera phones (the camera is often a priority, despite the cost of the smartphone), we decided to rank the best smartphones with a good camera in 2017. If everything is clear with the flagship segment (where almost every solution can offer a camera without serious drawbacks), then in the mid-range/budget niche we had to dig deeper. There are a lot of smartphones in these segments, but it’s difficult to single out clear favorites in terms of shooting quality. But we tried our best and today we will answer the burning questions - how and which one to choose a smartphone with a good camera in 2017.

In the process of compiling a rating of smartphones with the best cameras, it turned out that there are a lot of worthy models. Therefore, it was decided to divide the top into two parts. In the first, we will look at relatively affordable solutions, in the second, we will look at expensive and best ones for shooting. .

The best inexpensive smartphones with good cameras (10,000-20,000 rubles)

As we just noted, choosing an inexpensive smartphone with a good camera is quite problematic. You need to understand that the lower class, in principle, is not able to offer a device that will amaze you with photo quality. Here we can select smartphones that have a good camera relative to their competitors, but nothing more. No matter how much they want, manufacturers are not able to use the best sensors in a cheap solution. And by “inexpensive” we mean in this case smartphones that do not cost 5,000 rubles.

The key to good photos on a smartphone lies not only in the sensor model. The processor plays a huge role, and the software plays an even bigger role. Don’t forget about lenses, lenses and other camera components, the quality of which ultimately determines the level of shooting.

It is not enough to simply install more cameras on each side of the smartphone - much depends on the approach of the manufacturer itself.

A striking example of this is Google, which installs only one main 12-megapixel sensor in its Pixel smartphones, and they are ultimately among the best on the market.

But somehow we have moved away from the topic. So, the best budget (relatively) smartphones with good cameras.

Main camera: main module Sony IMX386 12 MP + additional 2 MP
Diaphragm: f/2.2
Front: 8 MP with f/2.0 aperture
Maximum video quality: FullHD, 30 frames per second
Additionally: phase detection autofocus, HDR
Review: Not yet
Price: around 11,000 rubles in popular online stores
Where can I buy: AliExpress Banggood GearBest

With a price tag of 11,000 rubles (if we consider the offers of Chinese online stores), you simply cannot find anything better in terms of shooting. The smartphone itself is quite ordinary. Made of metal, a good 5.5-inch display, an inexpensive proprietary chipset and a 3340 mAh battery. Everything is in the traditions of the Chinese company.

But the cameras are really impressive. On the back side we see a couple of sensors, but not just any, as is customary in that segment. The main module here is Sony IMX386, which you can find in a number of Chinese flagship solutions, such as or. Moreover, the engineers from Honor didn’t just squeeze it into a smartphone, but paired it with a 2-megapixel additional sensor.

During the day and in good lighting conditions, you can get pictures that are comparable in quality to more expensive smartphones. The photos come out detailed, the colors are saturated and with the right balance. Even the second sensor is not for beauty - it helps to take photos with a blurred background effect, and not bad ones at that. At night, which is natural, the quality drops noticeably, but not to a critical level. The front camera is completely ordinary - the manufacturer spent money on the main camera.

If, in addition to a good camera in a smartphone, you do not forget about your wallet, then Honor 6X is your choice. It’s unlikely to change the idea of mobile photography, but it certainly won’t leave you without good photos.

Main camera: 12 MP Sony IMX378 main sensor
Diaphragm: f/2.0
Front: 4 MP with f/2.0 aperture
Maximum video quality: 4K, 30 fps
Additionally: autofocus, HDR, macro mode
Review: Not yet
Price: around 18,000 rubles in popular online stores
Where can I buy: AliExpress GearBest

The older brother of last year's flagship Xiaomi Mi5. And the original Mi5, having a good module from Sony, is capable of taking great pictures, but this one is doing even better. The IMX378 sensor has truly flagship origins. The same 12-megapixel module is used in the Google Pixel, which has been repeatedly called by many resources as one of the best camera phones.

True to its class, Xiaomi Mi5S takes good photos both during the day and in low light conditions. Good detail, realistic colors and fast focusing. However, many users complain about the camera software interface, which the manufacturer has not perfected. Videos can be recorded in maximum 4K at 30 frames per second. There is optical stabilization, which will also help when taking photos in the evening.

What about the other characteristics? Xiaomi Mi5S is housed in a metal case, has a compact 5.15-inch display and a powerful Snapdragon 821 processor. Features include support for fast charging and NFC.

A truly worthy smartphone that doesn’t even have any good competitors. On top of everything else, it’s also packed with flagship features. Due to some software shortcomings, it is, of course, not capable of ranking with the best flagships of 2017, but for the money it is worthy.

Rear camera: two 13 MP Sony IMX258 sensors
Diaphragm: f/2.2
Front: 16 MP with f/2.0 aperture
Maximum video quality: 4K, 30 fps
Additionally: autofocus, HDR, optical and digital stabilization, the ability to take photos in uncompressed RAW format, stereo sound recording
Review:
Price:
Where can I buy: AliExpress GearBest

A beautiful smartphone that sports a dual main camera. The cameras here, let’s say right away, are decent, but still no better than those of the same Mi5S, despite the fact that there are two of them. Two Sony IMX258 sensors are used at once, occupying a place on the back side. The modules are quite common, and are often installed in smartphones that cost $150. But there are two of them at once!

During the day the photos turn out to be of a high standard. Of course, you can find fault if you start enlarging the picture, but you should also remember the price. At night, you can get a more or less decent shot by using shutter speed, but here you will need a tripod. What’s good is that it is possible to shoot in uncompressed format (RAW) DNG, which partially solves the problems. True, photographs acquire a weight of approximately 25 MB. Things are also going well with video recording, which can be recorded at a maximum resolution of 4K. Optical stabilization will be a serious help.

The front camera with a wide angle of 80 degrees was also not made with a finger. You shouldn’t expect any unprecedented quality, but your friends on VKontakte certainly won’t laugh at your selfies. Otherwise, it's a mid-range smartphone. Beautiful, thin, Snapdragon processor, impressive amounts of memory, good screen.

If the Honor 6X is too simple for you, and you are allergic to Xiaomi, then it makes sense to consider the Nubia Z17 mini. For the money, the smartphone has a pretty decent camera.

Rear camera: one 12 MP Sony IMX386 sensor
Diaphragm: f/2.0
Front: 5 MP with f/2.0 aperture
Maximum video quality: 4K, 30 fps
Additionally: laser autofocus, 4-axis optical stabilization, dual-tone flash
Review: No
Price: around 15,000-18,000 rubles in popular online stores
Where can I buy: AliExpress Svyaznoy

Another variation of last year’s flagship, but from Meizu. A stylish and thin smartphone with powerful hardware, a cool screen and, of course, good cameras. It replaces the larger Pro 6, while gaining flagship optics from Sony. By the way, IMX386 can be found in a number of Galaxy S7 batches.

Despite the fact that the resolution of the main camera has become smaller when compared with the 16-megapixel module of the Pro 6, the quality has increased. Optical stabilization, which Meizu used for the first time in this smartphone, played a significant role. Moreover, the stabilizer here is not just any kind, but a 4-axis one. Laser autofocus has appeared, and software shooting algorithms have been updated. In general, the Meizu Pro 6S camera is equipped as expected. And in reality, the photos turn out to be suitable if you compare them with photos taken on smartphones for 40,000+ rubles. During the day, naturally, you can get an almost perfect photo; at night everything could be bad, but various bells and whistles such as optical stabilization and additional shooting modes correct everything for the better.

Other features of the smartphone include an AMOLED display that supports 3D Press technology. This is an analogue of Apple's 3D Touch, which makes the screen sensitive to pressure. Meizu Pro 6S has good sound and a fairly capacious battery.

A fresh flagship from China or last year’s from an AAA brand

In the mid-range segment, finding a smartphone with a good camera is becoming easier. Not only mid-range models from well-known brands are presented here, but also many flagship solutions from Chinese companies; many top models of past years from popular manufacturers fall into this same segment.

Main camera: pair of Sony IMX378 12 MP sensors
Diaphragm: f/1.8 | f/2.6
Front: 8 MP
Maximum video quality: 4K, 30 fps
Additionally: OIS, PDAF, 2x optical zoom, HDR
Review: Not yet
Price: around 25,000 rubles in popular online stores
Where can I buy: AliExpress GearBest

This year, Xiaomi presented users with an even cooler flagship, one of the features of which was a dual main camera. The manufacturer borrowed the design of the iPhone 7 Plus, equipping the Mi6 with two identical sensors that have different focal lengths. This allows you to take photos with a blurred background effect on your smartphone, as well as use the 2x optical zoom feature.

The hardware of the camera is really sophisticated. The aperture of the main module is f/1.8, the pixel size is 1.25 microns. You can shoot 4K video with the main camera and it does it quite well. However, it’s not even worth comparing Xiaomi Mi6 in terms of camera capabilities with flagships from larger manufacturers - the Chinese are noticeably inferior. Despite the cool sensors, Xiaomi has not perfected the software, and therefore does not bring the Mi6 to the same level as the Samsung Galaxy S8.

But the “filling” of Xiaomi Mi6 is certainly not inferior to other top solutions. Here is the latest from Qualcomm, and 6 GB of RAM, and a high-quality screen, and other “tricks” of a modern flagship, including NFC and .

For the money, Xiaomi Mi6 can be considered an excellent smartphone for taking photos. Like other solutions of the company, not everything is right here with the software part. Therefore, it is difficult to compare it with more expensive flagships of large brands. In addition, for 25,000 rubles, for which large Chinese online stores are now offering it, you won’t even find a used flagship of this year.

OnePlus 5

Rear camera: two Sony IMX398 + IMX350 sensors (16 +20 MP)
Aperture: f/1.7 | f/2.6
Front: 16 MP, Sony IMX371, f/2.0
Maximum video quality: 4K, 30 fps
Additionally: autofocus, optical Zoom 2x, HDR, EIS
Review:
Price: around 30,000 rubles in popular online stores
Where can I buy: AliExpress GearBest

OnePlus 5 borrows almost all features from the iPhone 7 Plus. The smartphones are similar in appearance, and the camera operating algorithm is similar. OnePlus 5 also has two sensors on the back. This is a pair of rather expensive and popular modules, one of which acts as a telephoto lens. It performs two main tasks - optical zoom and creating a bokeh effect.

You can and should take high-quality photos with OnePlus 5. It’s not for nothing that the manufacturer installed two expensive sensors here. In terms of quality, the images on the OnePlus 5 are comparable to those produced by the key flagships of 2017, not counting the solutions that were presented in the fall (and will still be presented). The photos turn out rich, with an abundance of detail and the right balance. The only thing in which the OnePlus 5 may be noticeably worse than the iPhone 7 Plus is portrait mode. But the camera software is most likely to blame here.

In terms of hardware, the smartphone corresponds to the flagship segment of the outgoing year. There's also the top-end chipset, 8 gigs of RAM, a good display and impressive battery life, despite the not-so-capacious battery. In the AnTuTu test, OnePlus 5 still occupies the leading position among Android smartphones.

OnePlus 5 is a clear example of how you can produce a good flagship smartphone for relatively little money. But not by productivity alone. There is simply no one to compete with it in its price segment, if you don’t consider last year’s (or the year before) top solutions from AAA brands. But here you will probably have to give up a modern processor or other features for the sake of the camera.

Samsung Galaxy S7

Main camera: one Bright Cell S5K2L1 or Sony IMX260 module (depending on the market and batch) 12 MP
Diaphragm: f/1.7
Front: 5 MP, f/1.7
Maximum video quality: 4K, 30 fps
Additionally: autofocus, optical stabilizer, HDR
Review: No
Price: around 33,000-35,000 rubles in Russian stores
Where can I buy: AliExpress (refurbished) Svyaznoy

Last year's Samsung flagship, which today has noticeably dropped in price, and considering the prices of the latest top-level solutions, the Galaxy S7 with its price tag is far from it. Despite this, the smartphone remains one of the best in terms of cameras, only slightly inferior to the Galaxy S8, which became its successor.

A 12-megapixel single sensor will not surprise anyone now. However, Samsung did a good job on it, giving it a bunch of additional features. The module received photosensitive optics with an f/1.7 aperture. This aperture is especially useful when shooting at night - it allows you to take photos with less noise. It also uses Dual Pixel technology, which was previously used only in SLR cameras.

During the day, let's not be afraid of this word, we get excellent photos with last year's Samsung Galaxy S7. It’s not a problem to get a rich and detailed picture in good lighting conditions on a smartphone. The Galaxy S7 also copes well with macro photography. The obvious benefits of a smartphone camera are noticeable in the dark. Of course, you won’t be able to get a perfect photo of distant objects - after all, this is a mobile device - but the camera copes quite well with shooting close-up objects, for example, a group around a fire.

The Galaxy S7 can also record good videos, which is greatly facilitated by optical stabilization. Even the front camera will please you. Although it has a resolution of only 5 megapixels, it has an aperture, like the main sensor, f/1.7. In good lighting, selfies turn out very, very cool.

And the rest of the smartphone’s specifications are still up to par. Last year's flagship processor is used (either proprietary or from Qualcomm, depending on the market). The Galaxy S7 boasts a rich screen with QHD resolution, as well as wireless charging and IP68 dust and water protection.

Apple iPhone 6S was introduced in 2015, but is still selling well. In terms of shooting, it is noticeably inferior to competitors in this price segment, and other characteristics do not look impressive. The main camera is represented by one sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Thanks to good software optimization, the company was able to get the most out of this module.

The most powerful smartphones from China that you haven’t heard of or “flagship killers”

The camera has long been one of the most important components, both in ordinary mobile phones and in advanced smartphones. Using the camera, you can quickly save important information, take a photo, or even read a QR code. There are also special social networks designed for sharing photos taken using a smartphone.

Many users love taking photos with a mobile camera so much that when choosing a smartphone, they pay more attention to the camera than to the screen or the performance of the hardware platform. In this article, we have compiled a selection of smartphones with that can be found on sale at the beginning of 2017. Therefore, if you cannot imagine your smartphone without a camera, then this article will definitely be useful to you.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

Smartphones from the Galaxy S lines have always had good cameras. Therefore, if you are looking for a smartphone with a good camera and top-end hardware, then the Galaxy S6 (or S6 Edge) will definitely suit you. This smartphone is equipped with a 16 megapixel photo module with an f/1.9 aperture. One of the main features of this camera is its fast operation. The manufacturer claims that the camera application launches in just 0.7 seconds.

As for the other components, the Galaxy S6 is a typical flagship smartphone. It uses a 5.1-inch screen with a resolution of 2560×1440, an eight-core Samsung Exynos 7420 processor with a Mali-T760 MP8 graphics accelerator, a capacity of 3 gigabytes, and a 2550 mAh battery.

If you want to save a little, you can take the previous year's model. Samsung Galaxy S5 can still be found on sale. It is equipped with a very good camera, but at the same time it costs much less than the current ones in 2017.

OnePlus OnePlus2 is one of the most interesting smartphones on the market right now. It offers the most top-end specifications, but at the same time costs significantly less than flagship smartphones from such famous manufacturers as SAMSUNG or SONY. But OnePlus OnePlus2 is not only distinguished by high performance. It also has a very good camera.

OnePlus OnePlus2 is equipped with an Omnivision PureCel OV13860 sensor with a resolution of 13 megapixels and an f/2.0 aperture. Also laser autofocus.

The remaining characteristics of the smartphone are also at a very high level. It uses a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080, an eight-core processor with a frequency of 1.8 gigahertz and an Adreno 430 graphics accelerator, as well as a 3300 mAh battery.

Unfortunately, the OnePlus OnePlus2 is difficult to find for sale in local stores, but you can order it from China.

The LG G4 has almost caught up with Samsung in terms of photo quality. And at the moment, the flagship model LG G4 takes photos almost as well as the flagships from Samsung. This quality of images was achieved thanks to the use of the Sony Exmor RS IMX234 photo module, which produces a resolution of 16 megapixels. In addition to high image resolution, the LG G4 camera is distinguished by high-aperture optics (F/1.8 aperture), optical stabilization and laser autofocus, which allows you to quickly and accurately focus on the subject.

As for other characteristics, the LG G4 H818 is equipped with a 5.5-inch screen with a resolution of 2560×1440, a six-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with an Adreno 418 graphics accelerator and a frequency of 1.8 gigahertz, 3 gigabyte RAM and a 3000 mAh battery.

Lumia 950 is a new product from Microsoft. This smartphone is equipped with many interesting features, as well as the new Windows 10 Mobile operating system. At the same time, the Lumia 950 is also equipped with a good camera. This is facilitated by the Carl Zeiss PureView photo module with high-aperture Carl Zeiss optics (F/1.9 aperture) and a resolution of 20 megapixels. In addition to good photos, this smartphone also has good video capabilities. For example, it can record video clips in 4K.

Other characteristics of this smartphone include: a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 2560×1440, a six-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with a frequency of 1.8 gigahertz and an Adreno 418 accelerator, RAM with a capacity of 3 gigabytes and a 3000 mAh battery.

The Huawei P line of smartphones has been in production for more than one year. The main difference of this line has always been the thin metal body. But Huawei P8, which is the newest smartphone in this line, also has a good camera. This smartphone received a Sony Exmor IMX278 photo module with a resolution of 13 megapixels and an aperture of F/2. In addition, the processor of this smartphone received a special coprocessor for processing images from the camera. This coprocessor allows you to get better pictures in low light conditions when there is a lot of noise in the frame.

Other characteristics of the smartphone include a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1920×1080, an eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 930 processor with a clock frequency of 2 gigahertz and a Mali-T628 MP4 graphics accelerator, 3 gigabyte RAM, and a 2680 mAh battery.

Got a new smartphone with a good camera? Let me know in the comments.

The segment of inexpensive smartphones is extremely in demand, since not everyone can afford an expensive mobile device. However, as a rule, budget phones are much inferior to top-end devices both in terms of internal components and camera quality. If you can’t argue with the first fact, then you can disagree with the second, since there are budget smartphones with good cameras. Their photo capabilities, of course, are inferior to flagship solutions, but the lag is not that big. There are actually quite a few such phones, but only 5 devices can be called the best, which we will discuss today.

1. Meizu MX6

Although this smartphone was released last year, it has not lost its relevance this year. And all thanks to excellent technical features for little money. If at the start of sales it belonged to the class of middle peasants, then at the moment it is a respectable budget employee. The device is housed in an elegant all-metal case with a thickness of only 7.3 mm. There was room for a 10-core Helio X20 up to 2.3 GHz and Mali-T880 MP4 graphics. Multitasking and space for files are all good here - 4 GB of RAM, as well as 32 GB of flash storage, which cannot be expanded. The gadget has an excellent IPS Full HD screen from SHARP, its diagonal is 5.5 inches. The OS in the Meizu product is Android 6.0 with the Flyme 5.2 add-on. The battery power in the MX6 does not exceed 3060 mAh.

But the strength of the device is still its main camera. She offers a sensor Sony IMX386, which can still be seen in many devices in 2017. Its resolution is 12 megapixels, it has 6-lens optics with f/2.0 aperture. The rear photo module is complemented by phase detection autofocus and dual LED flash. The device can be considered an inexpensive camera phone, because it takes beautiful pictures both in the daytime and at dusk. The frames are characterized by good detail, ideal white balance and pleasant color rendition. Poor lighting affects quality, but not much. The camera can also shoot video in 4K, which is good news.

2.Huawei Honor 6X

The budget device from the famous Chinese brand immediately gained popularity, the balance of quality and price played a big role, in this device it is at its best. We are offered a nice metal case. Although there are plastic antenna output panels on the rear panel, they do not spoil the appearance. The front side of the phone is occupied by a 5.5-inch Full HD screen with a good IPS matrix. The load here falls on the shoulders of the processor. Kirin 655 Octa-core up to 2.1 GHz. The proprietary chipset is equipped with a Mali-T830 MP2 accelerator. The size of RAM in this “Chinese” is 3 or 4 GB. The built-in memory comes with a capacity of 32 or 64 GB, there is a microSD slot. Not long ago, Honor 6X was updated to EMUI 5.0.

The smartphone is also interesting because it is one of the most affordable options with double photomodule good quality. The trend for dual cameras has also caught the budget segment, but manufacturers equip their inexpensive devices with an additional lens mainly to lure buyers, and not to improve pictures. There is no deception here, the second rear camera is designed for background blur mode, and it does it with dignity. The combination of 12 + 2 megapixel cameras pleased me; the photos come out clear and with accurate color reproduction. The smartphone can also add an abundance of settings and modes to its advantage. Video is recorded in 1080p. A 3340 mAh battery is responsible for supplying the gadget with energy.

3. Samsung J5 2017

The intermediate model in the updated budget family of the Samsung brand began to look more expensive than its predecessor. This is facilitated by a solid metal body with attractive plastic antenna seams. The smartphone is both beautiful and convenient due to its rounded design. The juicy Super AMOLED matrix of the 5.2-inch display also gives positive emotions, despite the low resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. This year's J5 model is based on a chip Exynos 7870 up to 1.6 GHz. This eight-core processor works in symbiosis with the Mali-T830 GPU. This is an energy-efficient platform, so together with a 3000 battery, it gives the device high autonomy. As for memory, everything is modest here - 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of ROM. The advantage of the smartphone is a separate slot for a memory card.

The camera occupies a special place in the J5 2017, as it takes excellent pictures, considering the price of the device. The 13 MP module is equipped f/1.7 aperture and phase detection autofocus, an HDR mode has appeared, thanks to which the pictures become even more beautiful. The camera is noticeably faster than it was in last year's J5. Photos are characterized by natural color reproduction, correct white balance and sufficient detail. The video recording function only supports Full HD.

4. LeEco Cool 1

An interesting device has been on the market for quite some time now, the fruit of the joint efforts of the Chinese companies Coolpad and LeEco. The latter, by the way, is going through difficult times, but she’s definitely not going to give up. The decision to officially sell this smartphone in our country is confirmation of this, but in Russia the model is sold under the name LeRee Le 3, although it is identical to Cool 1. In addition to the metal body, the smartphone is interesting because it runs on a powerful chipset Snapdragon 652, containing 8 cores up to 1.8 GHz and the Adreno 510 subsystem. Also notable is the amount of memory - 3 or 4 GB of RAM, as well as 32 or 64 GB of ROM. The battery also looks decent, offering a capacity of 4060 mAh. The phone is charged via the USB-C port, which is a huge plus for a budget employee. A 5.5-inch IPS screen with 1080p resolution is installed. On it you can admire the beauty of the proprietary firmware EUI 5.6, based on Android 6.0.

The smartphone will also be of interest to mobile photographers, as it has good quality double camera. Both photo modules are 13-megapixel with an f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus and a dual-LED flash complete the picture. There are a lot of settings in the camera interface, including HDR. You can’t even tell that this is a state employee. Particularly notable is the portrait mode, in which the background is blurred; the device manages to do this beautifully. Reliable colors and detail are pleasing in the pictures.

5.Huawei Honor 6A

The smartphone looks unprepossessing. The design, without any frills, is more than compensated by a very pleasant price, not exceeding the threshold of 10 thousand rubles, which is rare for a venerable Chinese brand. Moreover, for this money we get a case with a metal back and a high-quality processor Snapdragon 430, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage and an accurate finger scanner. Autonomy is provided by a 3020 mAh battery. The user is greeted by Android 7.0 OS, hidden under the EMUI 5.1 shell. The screen is small - 5 inches IPS HD.

Although the camera parameters are not impressive, the sensor is 13 megapixels with f/2.2 aperture is able to change his opinion about himself for the better. Just look at the nice photos that Honor 6A produces. They are clear and colorful, which is a definite plus for such a cheap device.