I'll pick out three example photos/scenes, and use our famed AAWP comparator to look at the raw quality of the photos. As many have commented, the capabilities of the Elite X3 camera could be the clinching factor in whether to buy it or not (over, say, a Lumia 950 XL), so I'm very interested indeed in how the device does.
Notes:
- the site didn't do any low light shots - at least, not yet. We're still waiting for an AAWP review Elite X3.
- the original images were at 10MP and 16MP respectively, in 16:9 mode. So the higher resolution of the Lumia 950 shows a smaller portion of the scene for a given 1:1 crop, as shown below.
Test 1: Ferns
A shot of some greenery in a garden, here's the full scene:
And here are the interesting central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
It's fairly obvious that the extra resolution of the Lumia 950 gives it an edge here, plus I prefer its colours, whereas the Elite X3's shot is somehow colder and more artificial. What do you think?
Test 2: Trees
Sunlight through tree leaves, always a demanding test of dynamic range for a phone camera. Plus natural detail, always a pain to get JPG encoded in a realistic way:
And here are the interesting central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Aside from the detail stats, I do prefer the resolved detail (e.g. leaf edges) on the Lumia 950 shot. Both photos here have over-exposed points - if I'd been trying to take the shot I'd have used HDR mode or manually dropped the exposure a stop.
Test 3: Sky
A shot of the cloud peeking from behind the clouds, another challenging shot in terms of dynamic range, here's the full scene:
And here are the interesting central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Maybe a slight win for the Lumia 950 here, though the differences in colouration are interesting - I'd have to have been 'there' to know which was closest to reality! And again, both shots are over-exposed - a little tinkering with settings when shooting would have helped, though I appreciate WindowsUnited's efforts in trying to push the boundaries here(!)
It's clear that the Elite X3 camera's not too shabby - I can't imagine that it will top the Lumia 950's once I review it and try out all light scenarios (there's no OIS, for one, only single LED flash for another) - but it's up there with the best of the rest, including iPhone 6s/SE and Galaxy S7 - it's hard to tell exactly where the Elite X3 camera falls without hands-on testing!
Roll on review units here in the UK then and a full spread of Ellite X3 vs Lumia 950 camera tests. In the meantime, your comments welcome!
Again, you can read the original post from WindowsUnited here (in German).