Pixel 4 vs. Pixel 3 camera shootout: Where are the photography improvements?

Google’s Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL bring big camera upgrades, especially in the form of a new telephoto lens that comes with the main lens. There are also many image processing improvements that affect all modes on the phone, from night vision to portrait mode.

If you’re thinking of upgrading from the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, you might be wondering whether the camera upgrade is significant enough. Hopefully our Pixel 4 XL vs Pixel 3 XL camera face-off will answer that question for you.

Camera parameters

The Pixel 3 XL has a 12.2-megapixel lens with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). That is all. The Pixel 4 XL has a 12.2-megapixel lens with an f/1.7 aperture, but it’s also paired with a 16-megapixel telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture, both with OIS.

The main lens uses the same sensor as last year’s model, but there are some differences. Google says the sensor has a higher base dynamic range, so it can take better-exposed photos in high-contrast scenes, and it also adds support for extreme exposures. long for astrophotography. The company also told Digital Trends that despite the wider aperture, edge-to-edge sharpness is better, which is not usually the case with wide aperture cameras.

One thing to note is that many of these camera upgrades will be available on the Pixel 3, and while you might not get the same exact results, you’ll likely get pretty close to the Pixel 4.

Disclaimer: I analyzed these photos on a professional color calibrated monitor. Please note that images may vary depending on the screen you are viewing them on.

Cube

4XL pixelspixel 3 xl astor cube

Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

We started at the Alamo, also known as the Astor Place Cube in lower Manhattan. You can immediately see the two different tones: the Pixel 4 XL photo is cooler, while the Pixel 3 XL photo is warmer. This may be because the sun was able to set right behind the clouds when I switched to the Pixel 4.

It’s not important. Zoom in and you can see the Pixel 3’s photo is grainy, while the Pixel 4’s photo is much less noisy. In the Pixel 4 photo, you can even see the bottom of the cube facing the camera. On the other hand, the Pixel 3 handles skies a bit better, without overexposure, although colors generally look a bit more natural on the Pixel 4.

It’s hard to decide, but I’d go with the Pixel 4 because you can see a little more shape and because there’s less grain.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

2x zoom: Brown

pixel cafe 4 xl in astor place

4XL pixelspixel 3 xl astor place coffeePixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Pixel 4 XL has a telephoto lens that offers 2x optical zoom, and here it’s compared to the Pixel 3’s more-or-less similar digital zoom. Look closely and you’ll see the difference between optical and digital zoom. digital – detail in the Pixel 3 photo is blurry up close, while it’s sharper on the Pixel 4. You can read the word “toilet” as taped to the window in the Pixel 4 photo, but it’s a bit blurry to read on the Pixel 3.

The Pixel 3 has too much contrast, while the Pixel 4’s photos are more realistic and look beautiful.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

Super resolution zoom: Extreme distance

pixel column 4 xl

4XL pixelsExtreme zoom maximum pixel 3 xlPixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

What happens when you go beyond a telephoto lens? This is an image of the maximum 8x digital zoom on the Pixel 4 XL and the maximum digital zoom on the Pixel 3 XL. The difference is like taking off your glasses and putting them back on: the Pixel 4’s photos are much sharper in all parts of the photo, including tree branches. Even the colors are a little more vibrant.

That’s a photo I’m willing to share, but I can’t say the same for the Pixel 3 photo.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

Portrait: A dog on a bench

4 xl pixel dog portrait on bench

4XL pixelspixel portrait mode 3 xl dog on benchPixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Google says it has improved Portrait mode as well as a feature called learning-based white balance, which adapts to the environment and applies white balance to all photo modes for natural tones. – that’s absolutely clear here. The dog’s outline is nearly perfect in the Pixel 4 XL photo, with only a mess between the right leg and body. The Pixel 3 XL has a few more bugs, including the same one as the Pixel 4, but the bench on the left side of the frame isn’t blurred for some reason, which ruins the look.

The Pixel 3 has a warmer tone that affects the dog’s fur, waist, and almost everything in the photo. The Pixel 4 is more precise with white balance here and looks extremely natural. Both have exquisite details, but the winner is an easy choice.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

self-portrait

pixel portrait selfie day 4 xl

pixel portrait selfie day 3 xl

  • 1. Pixel 4 XL
  • 2. Pixel 3 XL

Time to take a selfie. Use portrait mode for better results. There’s not much need to analyze here because you can see how much better the colors in the Pixel 4’s photos are compared to the Pixel 3, which looked dull and flat.

The Pixel 4 also did a better job with sky exposure, although both phones did a near-perfect job with contours around my head.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

Food

pixel chicken food 4 xl

4XL pixelsred chicken pixel 3 xlPixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

This is a tough move for any phone. The food here is red because the heat lamp shines on you. Zoom in and you can see the Pixel 4 photo is a bit more detailed, but more importantly, it manages to capture some of the natural light present.

It looks like the Pixel 3 XL gave up and didn’t edit the rest of the photo without the red light.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

Williamsburg Bridge

4 xl pixel bridge based on white balance learning

4XL pixelspixel bridge 3 xl williamsburgPixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

This is another situation where learning-based white balance comes in handy, and the difference is impressive. The Pixel 4 XL’s photo not only brightens the entire photo so you can see the sky, but it also maintains an accurate color palette. The bulbs are not yellow like in the Pixel 3 photo.

That said, both photos have a lot of detail and just a little bit of grain, but colors are much better in the Pixel 4 XL photo.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

Night scene: Overpass

pixel 4 xl flyover night vision

4XL pixelspixel 3 xl night visionPixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

I don’t see much of a difference when comparing Night Sight on both phones, but the Pixel 4 XL is still the winner there. If you look closely, you’ll see that the Pixel 4’s photos are sharper overall, and you’ll also see warmer tones in the Pixel 3 XL’s photos; The color correction in the Pixel 4 XL’s photos makes the photos look better, but the difference here isn’t huge.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

Portrait of a dog in the house

indoor dog portrait pixel 4 xl

4XL pixelsindoor dog portrait pixel 3 xlPixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Subtle improvements in portrait mode are still visible in low light. Both phones do a great job of handling contours around your subject, but the Pixel 4 XL wins with less blur. You can see the error in the Pixel 3 image next to the dog’s eyes.

Images on the Pixel 4 have less grain, more detail, and colors don’t look as sharp. That’s a great photo.

Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL

portrait selfies

night selfie portrait pixel 4 xl

night selfie portrait pixel 3 xl

  • 1. Pixel 4 XL
  • 2. Pixel 3 XL

The Pixel 3 XL gets its first and only win here. This portrait selfie on the Williamsburg Bridge isn’t quite as warm as the Pixel 4 photo, but it does give a brighter scene; you can see the blue sky here for example.

More importantly, my hair, which was legally everywhere due to the wind, was captured better in the Pixel 3’s shots, while the Pixel 4 almost made me look like I had a short haircut.

Winner: Google Pixel 3 XL

Overall winner: Pixel 4 XL

No surprises here: the new phone is better than the old one. But you might be surprised to see how well the Pixel 3 XL performs compared to the Pixel 4 XL. I don’t think you’ll need to upgrade the camera from the Pixel 3 to the Pixel 4, especially since some of these improvements will come to the Pixel 3 via software update.

Editor’s recommendation

Category: GAMINGSource: newstars.edu.vn

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