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1v1 blind camera comparison: vote for the better camera

By Nick Todorov

Published: Dec 03, 2014, 7:19 AM

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Camera

It has been a while since we last did a blind camera comparison. That was back in October, when the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 won the gold, followed closely by the iPhone 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S5. Which mysterious device will be the winner this time? Well, that's up to you – our readers – to decide.

This blind camera comparison, however, is a bit different from our previous ones – we've chosen to do a one-on-one shootout instead of stacking half a dozen flagships against each other. Below you'll find five scenes taken with two capable devices' cameras, along with close-ups and high-resolution images, which should make it easier for you to pick a favorite.

Of course, we're not giving away the identity of the devices used in the comparison, at least not for now. This is to ensure that you vote for what your eyes like better, not for a device you're hot for. And to make it even harder for you to guess what cameras we've used in the shootout, we've adjusted the high-res images to a resolution of about 8 megapixels. Also, don't bother looking for any metadata embedded in the files as you won't find any clues there.

Now that we've made the rules clear, you may cast your vote at the bottom of this post after taking a look at the photos we've taken. The results will be announced in several days.

Scene 1

This shot was taken indoors, under the predominating artificial lighting conditions of our office. Some natural light was coming from the right through a couple of small windows. Take a closer look at stacks of magazines to examine how the two cameras capture colors and fine details. The black couch and the shadow under the table are good places to look for digital noise and other imperfections.

Side-by-side view

Scene 2

This photo was captured on a gloomy, rainy afternoon. The conditions were far from perfect for taking photos, but the natural light present was still enough to take some decent shots. Zoom in on the grass to see how well the cameras have preserved fine details. Solid colors are a good place to look for digital noise.

Side-by-side view

Scene 3

And here's a macro shot taking a close-up look at a mossy pathway. The image was taken outdoors on the same day and presents plenty of intricate details to examine.

Side-by-side view

Scene 4

One more scene shot in a rainy afternoon (sorry, but the weather has been quite gloomy lately). There's a clear difference in the exposure settings that the two cameras have chosen. Fine details can be seen in tree branches and around the building's windows.

Side-by-side view

Scene 5

And lastly, here's a photo from inside our office, with an array of ceiling lights providing illumination. There are plenty of areas within the frame that can be inspected for detail quality, and the darker spots are ideal for hunting down digital noise. Again, the cameras have different opinions as to how the scene should be exposed.