Galaxy S10 vs Pixel 3: Which phone has the better camera?

Three cameras on the

Samsung Galaxy S10

better than one on the

Google Pixel 3

?

Samsung

put a regular wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and 2x telephoto camera on the Galaxy S10 and

S10 Plus p>

to help satisfy photographers looking for the

best camera for phone

. But with the Pixel 3 having such photo credentials, it's time to see if the Galaxy S10 has what it takes.

Galaxy S10 vs. Pixel 3 camera

Galaxy S10

Pixel 3

wide angle camera

12megapixels

12megapixels

Telephoto

12megapixels

N / A

Ultra wide-angle camera

16megapixels

N / A

Maximum aperture (wide angle lens)

f/1.5-2.4

f/1.8

Telephoto aperture

f/2.4 p>

N / A

Optical image stabilization

Yes (not on ultra-wide)

Yes

Cinematic video stabilization

1080p, 720p

4K, 1080p, 720p

Optical zoom

2x

N / A

digital zoom

10x

10x

4K fps video

24, 30, 60

30

1080p fps video

30, 60, 120, 240

30

Front camera resolution

10megapixels

8megapixels

Front camera type

FOV 80 degrees f/1.9

28mm f/1.8 and 19mm f/2.2

We've already compared the Pixel 3 to other p>

the phones

like the

iPhone XS

and

iPhone XR

and it's proven to be a tough competitor to beat.

Note that the rear cameras on the Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus, and the Pixel 3 and

Pixel 3XL

are the same, so the results, regardless of size, should be the same. Also be sure to check out our previous comparison of the

S10 Plus and iPhone XS Max.

Now Playing:

Look at this:

Galaxy S10 vs Pixel3 camera test

8:14

The Galaxy S10 and Pixel 3 take great photos

I really love taking pictures on both of these phones and didn't expect to enjoy the S10 as much as my favorite camera from last year, the Pixel 3. But I'm hooked. Mainly because of that ultra-wide-angle lens, which I'll explain in more detail later.

You won't be disappointed when shooting general scenery and landscape photos, either. Colors are vibrant and images are nice and crisp when shooting in good light. Of course, both have HDR or high dynamic range modes: I left HDR on most of the time for outdoor shots.

The Galaxy S10 also has a Scene Optimizer that recognizes 30 types of subjects, from trees to sunsets, then performs local tone mapping to optimize the image. It also offers suggestions for improving composition when taking photos.

Here's what photos of the S10's three rear lenses look like, taken from the same position by simply switching between cameras. p>

Lexy Savvides/CNET

When Scene Optimizer is on, photos from the S10 look a bit warmer and colors are more saturated than on the Pixel 3. This is true even for indoor shots. Sometimes the effect of the S10 is too great, especially on the ultra-wide lens, as I noticed some photos looked overly saturated.

That said, I like the ultra-wide angle lens because it makes all the difference if you're shooting a lot of landscapes, like in the photos below where you see a lot more scene compared to the Pixel 3. There's a Noticeable distortion (a common problem with many super wide-angle lenses whether on phones or traditional camera lenses) but that didn't bother me too much. On the contrary, it can add to the character of the photo, drawing your gaze to the center of the

the framework

if you compose a photo like the one below.

The ultra-wide lens adds plenty of drama to your shots.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

Pro mode is available on the Galaxy S10 to give you manual exposure controls over ISO, aperture, shutter speed and more. There's no manual mode on the default camera app on the Pixel 3, but you can use a third-party app instead.

Foodies will also love the Galaxy S10's dedicated food mode that boosts color and adds a nice blurry background to your dishes. To achieve a similar effect on the

pixel

you will need to use portrait mode. I don't take many photos of my meals anymore, but if the S10 was my daily driver, I'd be tempted to become a food Instagrammer.

Galaxy S10 vs Pixel 3 sample photos

View all photos

+13More

Portrait mode is different on every phone

On the Galaxy S10, portrait mode is called Live Focus and it uses both the super-wide and wide lenses to generate the effect. As a result, the portraits look much larger than those taken on previous Galaxy phones like the S9.

But I found the blur level to be very subtle when left on the default setting. Sometimes I couldn't even tell if I had used Live Focus to take the photo. The only way I could be sure was to edit the photos and change the background effect.

The Pixel3's default blur level is more pronounced. It's certainly more like the portrait modes you might already be familiar with from other phones, or the shallow depth of field effect you get when using a DSLR and wide aperture lens.

Both phones allow you to use portrait mode on any subject (flowers, objects, pets) as well as humans. You can also adjust the blur intensity after shooting.

Although the blur is much more subtle on the Galaxy S10, for some portraits like the one below the wider perspective makes for a much nicer and more dramatic image because you get more of the background in the shot . Colors are also a bit more saturated and vivid than the Pixel 3 when using Live Focus.

Selfies are more flattering on the Galaxy S10

I say this because I prefer what I look like when I see photos of myself taken on the S10 rather than the Pixel 3. It has warmer tones, more saturated colors, and the HDR effect evens out better shadows and reflections between foreground and background than the Pixel. Also note that the camera has a beauty mode enabled by default, which softens your skin tone, but you can easily disable it. There are also options to adjust the eyes, jawline, nose, lips, etc. p>Lexy Savvides/CNET

But even without this "beauty mode" enabled, I think the S10's image is more flattering than the same selfie from the Pixel, which has a lot of contrast. You might prefer the Pixel 3 look, but I don't! The S10 also lets you save images as you see them, so they won't be flipped. Both phones have portrait mode available on the front camera.

Where the Pixel 3 excels is with super wide selfies. Thanks to the second lens on the front, you can fit more people into your photos or include more of the background.

Low-light quality:Advantage Pixel3

The Pixel3 has a big advantage in low light thanks to Night Sight. This mode takes up to 15 frames, including some long exposures to capture shadow detail, blends it in, and applies

machine learning to get better looking photos

. Find out more in our detailed explanation

how the Pixel3 captures night vision photos and Super Res zoom

.

It's almost as if you can see in the dark, bringing out details you might otherwise miss. On the Galaxy S10, the equivalent low-light mode is called Bright Night and is part of the Scene Optimizer. Unlike Night Sight, which you can turn on manually, Bright Night only turns on automatically when you've turned on the Scene Optimizer. I found it only activated when the scene was really dark, so situations with even a little light didn't trigger the setting.

In really dark situations, images from the Pixel 3 are much cleaner and clearer than the Galaxy S10, but if there is some light (like in the photo below with the light bars), the S10 and its slightly warmer white balance look great.

Video is the Galaxy S10's time to shine< /p>

Video quality on the Pixel 3 is good. But that was never the phone's strong point like its still photos. Videos from the S10 are sharper, especially when it comes to capturing fine detail. Colors are more vivid and pleasing when shooting in good light. Moreover, the audio quality is also much better.

When it comes to stabilization, I prefer the Pixel 3's combination of optical and electronic systems, which feels smoother and better compensates for hand movements. The Galaxy S10 has a mode called Super Steady which you can activate by tapping the icon in the camera interface. While this is fine for most shots, it just doesn't feel as smooth to me as the Pixel's stabilization.

If you're shooting with the S10's wider lens, you don't get optical stabilization. Also, you only get tracking autofocus and video effects on the S10 when shooting 1080p/30fps, not 4K.

For low-light videos, the Galaxy S10 easily wins. The image is much clearer and crisper, retaining colors and detail that would otherwise get lost on the Pixel 3. Ditto for slow motion; the S10's image at 240fps looks sharper. There's also a super slow motion mode that can go up to 960fps, but you have to time your shots just to capture the action.

Samsung also supports HDR10 Plus on the S10, which boosts glare and color, but if you don't have a compatible device, the only way to really appreciate it is to see it on the phone screen. .

The best camera goes to...

As always, the answer is unclear. And honestly, I'm really torn about trying to pick a big winner. Having the ability to switch between three focal lengths on the Galaxy S10 is a huge advantage and the ultra wide angle opens up a lot more possibilities for your photos. But the Pixel 3 has a winner in Night Sight for low light, and when viewing photos at maximum magnification, the Pixel's camera retains more detail.

This article was originally published on April 9. p>