Ever since news broke that the Huawei P20 Pro had topped the charts in the DxOMark rating, many (including me) have been intrigued about how the camera really performs, and whether Huawei P20 Pro really deserves the crown for the best camera phone in the market!
Since, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is also vying for the top spot in the camera department, we decided to do a quick camera comparison of the Huawei P20 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S9+.
I’m not really diving into the nitty-gritty and hardcore specifications of the cameras. Just a photo to photo shoot-out between the Huawei P20 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S9+.
Before we get to comparing both the images, just a heads-up that the Huawei P20 Pro comes with a wide-angle lens, and that is why there is a slight difference in the magnification, which you will notice in the images.
All images have been clicked in same lighting conditions at the same distance in auto mode and haven’t been edited in any way.
Also, if you want to see high resolution images from the two phones, click on the following links:
The following image was clicked under artificial light and in a room which wasn’t that well lit. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ clearly captures more light, and hence, compensates for the low lit areas in the background.
The picture from the P20 looks like it’s a bit underlit, but the light in the background doesn’t seem to burning out. This is where the Huawei P20 Pro has maintained good contrast in the image.
The Huawei P20 Pro comes with AI that automatically recognises the subject, and in this picture as well, it recognised the picture as “Food”. The image by the P20 Pro looks more lively and has better colours than the Samsung S9+.
Though the Samsung S9+ image looks more crisp, I’d still go with the Huawei P20 Pro.
Below is another example of how the Huawei P20 Pro seems to be a bit on the warmer side. I prefer the Samsung S9+ click in this scenario. Retains the colours with good saturation.
The P20 Pro image seems to be sharper in this image.
Not much of a difference in this image. This picture was clicked outdoors. Both phones haven’t compromised on the colours of the leaves despite balancing the light. Top marks to both the phones.
My pick for the picture below, the Huawei P20 Pro. The 8-megapixel telephoto sensor helps capture even the minute details in the background, despite the low lighting.
Both Samsung S9+ and Huawei P20 Pro are very good at capturing subjects in extreme low light conditions.
However, the results from both seem to lose a bit of focus due to the low light, the shot from the Samsung S9+ though has more light thanks to its f/1.5 aperture, but seems to overcompensate a bit and get more pixelated.
There is a lot to look at in the two pictures below. On one side if you notice, the Samsung S9+ over saturates the colours of the flowers, and even though it looks pleasing to the eyes, it’s not as natural as the Huawei P20 Pro.
Though, what I really like about the Samsung photo is the level of detailing.
Just look at the colour of the sky and the transition towards the horizon. Clearly, the Huawei P20 captures the transition much better than the S9.
Here again, you can see the difference in the way both cameras capture colour. The Samsung S9+ yet again over saturates the shot a bit, but at the same time, throws more light in the background.
The picture below is also a very good example of how the Samsung S9+ produces much better colours.
Here are a few more samples:
The Huawei P20 Pro comes with 3x optical zoom and an even more efficient is the 5x hybrid zoom. The Samsung S9+ on the other hand, comes with optical 2x zoom and then digital zoom up to 10x.
To be honest, it’s tough to pick a winner here, but a slight advantage to the Huawei P20 Pro only because of the wide-angle lens, hence more to zoom.
The Huawei P20 Pro is stiff competition for the likes of the Samsung S9+ camera.
Considering Huawei has a camera supremo like Leica backing its photography prowess, clearly gives it the upper hand advantage in this shoot-out. Yes, the buggy software does play a bit of spoilsport for Huawei in certain shots, but then again, that shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for most consumers.
Samsung, on the other hand, have been the pioneers in the smartphone camera business and have eons of experience making good camera phones. Which is why one cannot ignore the proficiency of the S9+ as a good camera phone as well.
For that extra edge, you can always go for the Huawei P20 Pro, but if you decide to go with the S9+, you’ll still end up with a very good camera phone.
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