Sony Xperia X vs Samsung Galaxy S7: which has the better camera?

Remember how back in the old days people took pictures of their dinner, brought the film to Wallgreens to have it developed, then sent dozens of copies to their friends over the mail? No, of course you don't because nobody was crazy enough to bother. Then smartphones came along, and all of a sudden, we started sharing more than just food photos. We now document every major and not-so-major event – be it a birthday party, an exercise routine, or the act of walking the dog in the morning – all accompanied by the appropriate #hashtags, of course. This is why camera quality is of utmost importance to most smartphone buyers. This is also why we do camera comparisons all the time.

The Sony Xperia X is now the star of another camera comparison. On its back resides one of its key stand-out features – a 23MP camera with super-fast autofocus and extra-wide lens. In the opposite corner, the Samsung Galaxy S7 will be standing its ground with its 12MP shooter. Samsung's flagship is known for its excellent camera and image quality, but who knows, perhaps the Xperia X might give it a run for its money. That's what we're here to find out.

Here's an overview of what these two phones have to offer in terms of camera specs:

It should be noted that while Xperia X boasts a 23MP camera sensor, we've taken the photos at 8MP of resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. This is the default shooting mode set on the device and the one most people are likely to use. Also, the slide-over galleries used below contain cropped-scaled down photos for easier general comparison. The original, full-resolution photos can be found in a gallery at the very bottom of this article. With all of this cleared up, let us comment on some photos.

The original, full-resolution photos can be found in the gallery below.

We've said it before and we'll say it again: more pixels don't always translate to a better camera. The Xperia X is an ideal example of that. Despite the higher megapixel count, its camera has not resolved details very well, especially if we look at areas far from the center of the frame. Of course, the image is perfectly usable, but the better detail captured in the Galaxy S7's photo should be easy to see. As far as color accuracy goes, it could have been better with both cameras. The warmer hue presented by the Galaxy S7 looks somewhat artificial, while the Xperia X has gone for a colder, somewhat overexposed look. Overall, the Galaxy S7 scores a point this round for its clearer, sharper image.

The original, full-resolution photos can be found in the gallery below.

We took this photo later that day, right after a moment of chillaxing at the office's cozy corner. Disappointingly, the Xperia X has captured a colder image, which isn't particularly eye-pleasing. this is why the red firetruck looks pink and the white cabinets at the bottom appear blueish. On top of that, details aren't particularly great. This makes it an easy round for the Galaxy S7, which is providing us with both better details and better colors. 

The original, full-resolution photos can be found in the gallery below.

This time around, we're finding it much harder to name a winner. Both photos have turned out great, with life-like colors and plenty of detail to be explored – the petals, the raindrops are just begging us to zoom in on them for a closer look. We must also point out that colors are life-like in both photos. If we could change anything about any of them, we would have added a bit of sharpness to the Xperia X's image, but we would have also reduced the amount of sharpness applied by the Galaxy S7. 

The original, full-resolution photos can be found in the gallery below.

We are now entering low light territory – a challenge for pretty much every smartphone camera. In this case, both phones managed to capture the scene rather well, with all the prettiness of the night lights against contrasting deep shadows. The mood can be sensed in both images. However, we see that the photo from Galaxy S7 is clearer, with better detail. This could have something to do with the fact that the Xperia X took the shot at ISO1000 sensitivity, presumably to maintain a fast shutter speed and compensate for the lack of OIS. For those not familiar with the technicalities, higher sensitivity levels result in more digital noise. The Galaxy S7 shot the same frame at ISO400, which is a lot more tolerable.

The original, full-resolution photos can be found in the gallery below.

Ouch! The Xperia X messed up this one badly. The most obvious flaw in its image is the inaccurate color reproduction – the lights illuminating the facade are supposed to be warm and yellowish. In actuality, they lean towards green in the photo. Also, details have been preserved rather poorly, especially when compared to what the Galaxy S7 managed to capture. This round was an easy win for Samsung's flagship.

The original, full-resolution photos can be found in the gallery below.

We're not sure what to call this one since both images are leaving us underwhelmed. In the Xperia X's case, the photo is overly and unnaturally bright, with a blueish tone cast by the LED. In contrast, the Galaxy S7 delivers a dark, underexposed image, even though its LED flash fired as well. This round is a tie. Honestly, we're equally disappointed in both phones.

After losing a one-on-one race against the iPhone 6s, the Sony Xperia X is now giving way to the Samsung Galaxy S7. Not that we're surprised by this, since Samsung's flagship is a force to be reckoned with in the field of photography. It may not be perfect, but it boasts one of the best cameras on a smartphone today. The camera on the Xperia X, on the other hand, left us disappointed when we took it through the review hoops. It isn't bad, but it just isn't a match for a phone of this class.  

Still, there is one reasonable advantage that the Xperia X has over the Galaxy S7. Its wider field of view makes it a more suitable choice for sceneries and when shooting in very tight spaces – it can "see" a wider frame from the same distance compared to Samsung's flagship. But that's about it. Sure, the Xperia X is fast, but so is the Galaxy S7. Yes, it can track objects when focusing, but the Galaxy S7 can do this trick as well. And when it comes to overall image quality, the Galaxy S7 is simply a league ahead. Better luck with the next flagship, Sony!

The gallery below contains all of the photos used in this comparison – uncompressed, in their original resolution. On PCs, use double-click to zoom and the fullscreen option to get a closer look at the images.