Camera comparison: Samsung Galaxy S III vs the fierce competition

Introduction:

The Samsung Galaxy S III got announced only a few weeks ago, and we've already gone into great depths regarding the device and its features. We've reviewed it, compared it against pretty much all of its rivals, made an in-depth screen comparison... so, what else? Well, how about a quick camera comparison, eh?!

The phones that we've chosen to include in this sweet little competition (besides the S III) are the Galaxy S II, iPhone 4S, Galaxy Note, Xperia S and Galaxy Nexus. Additionally, we're also throwing in samples made with the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS for reference.

Alright, let's get going!

Details:

Ever since the iPhone 4S launched, it's been dominating this particular field of smartphone photography. Now, with the Xperia S around, though, it has some serious competition to consider. Thanks to its 12MP sensor, the Xperia S manages to very slightly edge the iPhone 4S, but we're putting them both at first place, giving credit to the iPhone's spectacular 8MP camera. Unfortunately, the Galaxy S III couldn't really compete on the same level when it comes to details.

1. Sony Xperia S | Apple iPhone 4S
2. Samsung Galaxy S III | Galaxy S II | Galaxy Note
3. Samsung Galaxy Nexus




Color reproduction:

It's as if every device had its own opinion of how the shot would look great when it came to the colors. We found the Galaxies to be most accurate here, although not perfect. They often gravitate slightly towards the colder side of the spectrum, while the iPhone 4S's and Xperia S's shots look great most of the time, but are considerably warmer and oversaturated than in reality.

1. Samsung Galaxy S III | Galaxy Note | Galaxy S II | Galaxy Nexus
2. Apple iPhone 4S | Sony Xperia S

Indoor:

Almost all handsets performed admirably when shooting photos indoors. Thanks to its awesome LED flash, the Galaxy S III managed to set itself apart from the others, when taking pics in very low-lit conditions. All in all, though, it performed very similarly to its predecessor and the Note. Due to their weaker LED flashes and higher noise level, the Xperia S and iPhone 4S produced slightly inferior indoor shots.

1. Samsung Galaxy S III | Galaxy S II | Galaxy Note
2. Sony Xperia S | Apple iPhone 4S
3. Samsung Galaxy Nexus


Macro:

There's very little difference between all handsets when it comes to shooting macro. Still, we found the Galaxy Note and Xperia S to be slightly smoother, with a bit less presence than the other four contenders. But that doesn't mean that they can't shoot terrific macro!

1. Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S III | Galaxy S II | Galaxy Nexus
2. Samsung Galaxy Note | Sony Xperia S

Video:

The Galaxy S III is just mind-blowing in terms of recording 1080p video. It manages to capture sharp, artifact-free content, and all of this moves at a high frame rate. Not that the others are choppy, but can't mimic the sharpness and clarity found with the GS III's video. The Xperia S is a real disappointment in this category, as its 1080p video turned out to be somewhat blurry.

1. Samsung Galaxy S III
2. Apple iPhone 4S | Samsung Galaxy S II | Galaxy Note
3. Samsung Galaxy Nexus
4. Sony Xperia S

Samsung Galaxy S III Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy S II Sample Video:



Apple iPhone 4S Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy Note Sample Video:



Sony Xperia S Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Sample Video:



Indoor video:

It appears that Indoor video can be a very different affair from outdoor video. The Xperia S was much better this time, beating the Galaxy S II, Note and Nexus, which had some problems with the focusing in darker situations. Still, the Galaxy S III secured the first place once again.

1. Samsung Galaxy S III
2. Sony Xperia S | Apple iPhone 4S
3. Samsung Galaxy S II | Galaxy Note | Galaxy Nexus

Samsung Galaxy S III Indoor Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy S II Indoor Sample Video:



Apple iPhone 4S Indoor Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy Note Indoor Sample Video:



Sony Xperia S Indoor Sample Video:



Samsung Galaxy Nexus Indoor Sample Video:



Canon PowerShot Indoor Sample Video:

Conclusion:

It should be clear that these are all spectacular handsets for taking photos and video. Well, even though the 5MP camera of the Nexus isn't anything impressive, it's still capable of producing results that are on par with the rest in many of the scenarios.

As for the Galaxy S III, well, the handset is among the best out there, especially in terms of video capturing, but there's still a little something to desire in the details department. It actually does very little to improve on what we've already observed with the GS II and Note.

At the end of the day, your personal taste for photos will also play a role in determining which handset you like most. The iPhone 4S and Xperia S often take the most impressive, pleasing shots, but their negative side is that they often deviate from reality a bit too much. Meanwhile, Samsung's Galaxies take a slightly different route – one that treats you to overall more natural, but sometimes not as good-looking photos. Ultimately, they are all great, but in different ways!