Camera
I used to keep a small point and shoot camera nearby all of the time and would often travel with our big DSLRs as well but as phone cameras have improved I haven’t had to do that in a while. Camera performance is extremely important to me when it comes to a new phone because not only are you potentially improving how fast your mobile PC it is also normally your big camera upgrade as well. Well, the OnePlus 6T is sporting a few different cameras. For the front facing camera is has a 16MP Sony Exmor IMX371 which can do 1080p and 720p both at 30 FPS. It supports HDR and has a focal ratio of F/2.0. For comparison both the Note 9 and S9+ that I have been testing the 6T up against have 8MP front cameras with F/1.7 focal ratio’s. Now I’m not a selfie person personally, but for some people, this might be the most important camera on the phone so it is nice seeing that upgraded resolution. For testing, I did take a selfie with all three as you can see below for comparison. Other than my face being red because I’m always red you can see a noticeable difference in the detail on the 6T compared to the others. Now the 6T does have a few different photo aspect ratio options and this was taken with the stretched out version that uses the same aspect ratio as the screen. OnePlus seems like including this option because you can fully take advantage of that edge to edge screen but a normal 4:3 aspect ration would be a lot better for a vertical photo like this.
Samsung Note 9
Samsung S9+
OnePlus 6T
For me, though the rear camera is what I use the most and I don’t think a day goes by without me taking 4 or 5 pictures at minimum and more when traveling. I use my camera to remind myself of things without having to write a model number or something down, to document change in something like our pool opening, for portraits or just to get a picture to post up on social media. The OnePlus 6T uses a 16MP camera on the rear as well but it is the Sony Exmor IMX519 with a focal ratio of F/1.7 and then a second camera which is 20MP (the Sony Exmor IMX376K). Together they are used for HDR and for phase detection autofocus. This combo does video in 4k at up to 60 FPS, 1080p at up to 240 FPS, and 720p at up to 480 FPS. Slow motion capabilities at 1080p and 720p are nice! For comparison, the Note 9 and S9+ both have dual 12MP cameras. Both Samsungs have a 2x optical zoom which I really wish the 6T had. For testing here, I took a few different types of photos. My first batch below were outside photos of a local church. This is basically a best case photo on every camera. I also included one picture using the 2x optical zoom to give an idea of how much closer you can get with that. IMO the two Samsung phones pictures are more vibrant here but having been there in person the OnePlus 6T was a little closer to what it looked like in person. The S9+ and Note 9 bright out a lot more details like up on the roof because of that vibrancy.
Samsung S9+
Note 9
OnePlus 6T
Up under our studio lights, I took a few pictures of our Nvidia GTX USB drive for macro shots. This is where the 2x optical zoom on the two Samsung devices really helped to get in closer without having the phone completely against the drive. In these shots I feel like the Samsung devices, even with lower resolution cameras did a better job focusing and showing the detail.
Samsung S9+
Samsung Note 9
OnePlus 6T
My last photos are of a small quadcopter. I like taking these because it is small in size so it’s a good look at the detail and the orange ring seems to be one of the hardest for cameras to get the coloring right. I then take a second set with the quadcopter on and the lighting turned down. These pictures give an idea of how night photos with lighting are handled. The 6T did the best replicating the orange of the three and it didn’t have as much trouble with the focus like with the previous macro shot. The night lighting with LEDs shot was also best on the 6T in my opinion. Both Samsung’s blew out the lighting by over-correcting on the colors, just like on the outside shots.
Samsung S9+
Samsung Note 9
OnePlus 6T
