Smartphone with a good camera under 300 euros: Four models in comparison

Photography is the art of lying. Instagram is living proof of the power of snapshots and how deeply their portrayed ideals of beauty or normalcy are burned into the collective memory of a generation. Be that as it may, most photographers turn to their smartphones when they want to take a digital snapshot of how they see the world through their eyes at a moment’s notice.

As in all arts, talent beats tool. Photography is no exception. Nevertheless, it is annoying when the camera on the smartphone fails to work at dusk. It’s about as much fun as playing billiards with a rope. Reason enough to take a closer look at cell phones with a good camera. It gets tricky – but not impossible – when these under 300 euros should cost.

Smartphone with a good camera under 300 euros: Xiaomi Mi 11

Especially Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Huawei score with good cameras for a reasonable price. That’s a representative Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite, which has four cameras on the back. The main sensor also triggers 64 megapixels on. There is also an ultra wide-angle camera with 8 megapixel resolution, which is perfect for landscape shots. Your viewing angle is up to 120 degrees. Macro photographers will be happy with a 5 megapixel telephoto macro camera.

It is suitable for close-up shots where you want to emphasize the subject. A classic motif would be a small daisy on a mountain meadow. The front camera snaps selfies with a resolution of 20 megapixels. The processor and 6 gigabytes of RAM ensure sufficient performance in the future. The internal memory is generously dimensioned with 128 gigabytes and is enough for a lot of photos.

Huawei P40 Lite

In comparison with the Xiaomi Mi 10 T, this is necessary Huawei P40 Lite can only be hidden slightly, because there is also a quadruple camera on the back. However, their main sensor “only” triggers 48 megapixels on. The wide-angle camera shoots landscape shots with 8 megapixels, while the macro and depth sensors each have a resolution of 2 megapixels. Portrait and close-up shots are effortless with the Huawei P40 Lite.

The front camera snaps selfies with a 16-megapixel resolution, which is a bit smaller than the Xiaomi Mi 10T. The Huawei P40 Lite is still suitable for everyday use: its memory is 128 gigabytes and is easily enough for amateur photographers. The processor provides enough power for the next few years. However, if you rely on 5G, the smartphone will disappoint you. The mobile phone cannot process the radio standard.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G

The OnePlus Nord CE is a 5G smartphone with a quad rear camera. As with the Xiaomi Mi 10T, its main sensor also triggers 64 megapixels on. And that’s not the only thing the smartphones are united in: the wide-angle camera also snaps pictures with 8 megapixels at a viewing angle of 120 degrees. Macro and depth sensors have a resolution of 2 megapixels.

The front camera, on the other hand, is a bit weaker OnePlus Nord CE 5G, which, like the Huawei P40 Lite, has a resolution of 16 megapixels. The same applies to the built-in processor. Anyone who gambles on the phone at the same time should use the Xiaomi smartphone. Normal users should not notice the difference in performance. With 128 gigabytes of storage space, the OnePlus Nord CE is on par with the competition. And if you’re eyeing a 5G contract, the smartphone will make you happy too.

realme GT Master Edition

After three Chinese devices follows with the realme GT Master Edition the fourth smartphone from the Far East. The Shenzhen-based Oppo subsidiary has given its cell phone a triple camera on the back. The main camera on the back takes photos with a resolution of up to 64 megapixels. A macro camera shoots close-ups with 2 megapixels. Landscape photographers are delighted with the wide-angle camera: it takes pictures with 8 megapixels. By the way, the smartphone snaps selfies with 32 megapixels. Nice: The realme GT Master Edition can connect to the 5G network.

Google Pixel 6a

A smartphone that you will also want to take a look at is this Google Pixel 6a. At 375 euros, it costs 75 euros more than the reported 300, but it is a good alternative if it is reduced is on offer. On the back, the smartphone has a main camera that offers a wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lens. Both solve 12 megapixels on. It doesn’t sound like much, but it doesn’t detract from the image quality.

Of course, the Google Pixel 6a also offers a portrait mode for the blurred background. The smartphone shines in comparison to the models, especially in weaker light. The situation is similar with the selfie camera, which has a resolution of 8 megapixels. As with all devices, the memory of the Pixel 6a is 128 gigabytes and the smartphone also connects to the 5G network.

This is what makes a good camera on a smartphone

Is it just the megapixels of a camera that count? No, the megapixels only reveal how many pixels the camera creates. More pixels means a larger photo – nice for post-processing. Cell phone cameras work like any other camera: Light falls on a digital sensor that creates the image. This “sensor” used to be light-sensitive material, i.e. the film.

But it is also important for the quality of the photo the objective. A lens catches the light and focuses it on the sensor. The aperture opening, which is given in f/, tells us how much light the lens captures at most. The wider the aperture is, the lower the f/ value. F/1.4 is a wide open aperture, f/18 is almost closed. By opening or closing the aperture, photographers create different effects on the image. A wide aperture provides the bokeh effect, a closed aperture for the opposite called depth of field.

The further the aperture is closed, the less light falls on the sensor. The less light falls on the sensor, the longer you have to expose the image. The longer you expose, the more important it is to have a steady hand or use a tripod. Because with a long exposure, if you shake, the photo will distort. So you can say: Photography is the game of giving and taking light to create certain effects that create a certain emotion in the viewer.

Smartphone cameras suffer from the fact that the photographer cannot change the aperture on the lens. And because that is the case, the quality of the built-in lens in conjunction with the software used determines the photo quality. A 12-megapixel photo can look significantly better than a 64-megapixel photo if the 64-megapixel camera lens sucks in low light. By the way: There is software with which you can simulate the aperture and other settings, for example ProCamera.

Note: This article was first published in February 2021.

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