Google Pixel 2 Hands on Reviews After 1 Month

Please notation: In September 2019, we updated the DXOMARK Mobile test protocol to coverultra-wide-bending performance and renamed the protocolDXOMARK Photographic camera. We also expanded our low-light testing and created the newNight sub-score, which incorporates the previous Flash score. We have retested this device using the new Wide and Nighttime test protocols and updated the scores in this review, simply we take not changed the text from the original review. For more information, please run into the articles about our new Wide and Night test protocols.

99

photographic camera

Google Pixel 2 camera review (originally published Oct 4, 2017)

The Google Pixel ii is the top-performing mobile device photographic camera we've tested, with a tape-setting overall score of 98. Impressively, it manages this despite having "only" a single-photographic camera design for its main camera. Its top scores in most of our traditional photograph and video categories put it ahead of our previous (tied) leaders, the Apple iPhone viii Plus and the Samsung Galaxy Note viii, despite the Pixel 2 coming in lower in the new Zoom and Bokeh categories. The Pixel 2 is also a major step forward from the Pixel (which was our elevation scorer when it was released a yr ago), moving from xc to 98.

Cardinal camera specifications:

• i/2.six-inch 12MP sensor
• f/1.8 aperture
• Dual-Pixel Autofocus
• Optical Image Stabilization
• HDR+ engineering
• New Portrait Style software solution

Well-nigh DxOMark Mobile tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera reviews, DxOMark engineers capture and evaluate over 1500 test images and more than than ii hours of video in both controlled lab environments and in natural indoor and outdoor scenes. This article is designed to highlight the near of import results of the testing. For more data about the DxOMark Mobile exam protocol, click here.

Test summary

The Google Pixel 2 not only takes the DxOMark Mobile scoring crown with a stunning Overall score of 98, but its video performance improves by 5 points over the original Pixel, putting it at 96 and at the top of our video ranking. The Pixel 2'due south photo performance is actually impressive at 99, and just i signal short of the Samsung Galaxy Note eight, which scored an amazing 100 in our photo category.

Bright calorie-free

In brilliant light the Google Pixel 2 offers good item, excellent color rendering, and very impressive dynamic range, making it a great camera for capturing high-contrast scenes. Details are preserved in both highlights and shadow areas, with well-controlled noise levels.

Y'all tin can run across the detail in both the brightly-lit surface area under the Eiffel Tower and in the darker areas under the bridge. (Click on the prototype for a full-resolution version.)

Autofocus functioning is splendid besides. Overall, the Pixel 2'southward capabilities in brilliant light get in ideal for a broad variety of outdoor photographers — from image lovers who are looking for the perfect landscape or cityscape, to those who desire to capture sporting events or family unit outings.

The Pixel 2 does an amazing task of rendering detail in both the brilliant and dark areas of hard scenes, even compared to one of our other pinnacle Photo performers, the HTC U11 (click on an image to view a full-resolution version):

Depression low-cal and flash

In lower calorie-free conditions, the Google Pixel 2 photographic camera does a very good task preserving fine detail, although at the cost of some luminance noise. In addition, there is some loss of detail in brightly-backlit indoor scenes. In terms of dynamic range and autofocus performance, the Pixel is very good in low calorie-free besides, and apart from some color non-uniformity in indoor conditions and lower light, color rendition is very dainty, too.

Pixel ii indoor and low lite shots testify good detail and wide dynamic range.

For those who similar taking pictures in very low light and in social situations, it'southward adept to know that the Pixel two is likewise ane of the best all-round performers when using flash. Oftentimes phone cameras excel either when the flash is the only source of light or when there is help from ambient light, simply the Pixel 2 does an excellent job in both cases. This makes the Pixel two an first-class choice for recording family or group portraits indoors and in dim low-cal.

Zoom and Bokeh

Because the Pixel ii has only a single primary photographic camera, software is what generates Zoom, Depth Effect, Portrait Mode, and Bokeh from one or more frames captured with that photographic camera. The software on the Pixel 2 does a good job on all of these, although with some flaws.

Our Zoom tests embrace ranges from 2x all the fashion to 8x. At medium to long range, the Pixel 2 definitely loses detail compared to a true telephoto lens. However, the loss is less than with most other unmarried-camera designs. Here y'all can see that at 4x, the Pixel 2 does well suppressing noise, but loses quite a bit of detail. Images at zoom ratios greater than 4x weren't really usable.

Apple iPhone 8 Plus, 4x zoom.

Our Bokeh sub-score measures several different aspects of image quality, including how well the photographic camera can portray limited depth of field (sometimes chosen "Depth Effect"), its ability to do that specifically for portraits (sometimes called "Portrait Mode"), and Bokeh itself — the shape and aesthetic quality of the out-of-focus areas. In the indoor portrait image comparison below, you can see that the Pixel 2 improves significantly over the Pixel, but that the background blur and bokeh are not as natural every bit that provided past the iPhone eight Plus's dual-camera organisation.

Video

With a score of 96, the Pixel 2 is the current leader in our video ranking and delivers an impressive video functioning, with just a few pocket-size flaws. Exposure is expert in near all lighting conditions, with quick transitions between lighting levels. Autofocus is very fast, smooth, and stable — including subject tracking. The Pixel 2 also does an excellent job at balancing detail preservation and noise reduction — among the best we've seen.

The original Google Pixel had first-class video stabilization, but this has been improved even further with the new model. In particular, the Pixel two video manner delivers a high level of stabilization, with fewer artifacts in both indoor conditions and vivid light.

Photo scores explained

The Google Pixel two achieves a total Photo score of 99, which is a blended of a number of category sub-scores. The Pixel 2 set new high watermarks in several of them, although it was just edged out in the overall Photo category by the Samsung Note eight. In this section we'll take a closer look at these image quality sub-scores.

Exposure and Contrast

The Pixel 2 features very consistent exposures in vivid light, and is very impressive when compared with other smartphones indoors and in low light too. 1 deviation with almost other phones is that the Pixel 2 renders bright light scenes a piffling brighter than is technically accurate, just that may be a ameliorate match for the way the lensman remembers the scene.

You tin can see from the nautical chart and by looking at the reference patches that in bright lite, the Pixel two provides an exposure that makes mid-tone objects announced slightly brighter than they should be.

One weak spot for the Pixel 2 is exposure in very depression light. In our extreme 1 Lux (essentially candlelight) tests (shown as H — for Horizon lighting — in this chart), the Pixel 2 drastically underexposed.

In low light, the Pixel 2 images evidence increased dissonance in high dynamic range scenes, just have fantabulous exposure and highlight preservation. For instance, in this comparison, only the Pixel ii is able to preserve the shape of the light fixture:

Colour

In most conditions, both indoors and outdoors, the Pixel 2 features very good colour rendering. In this comparison, for example, you tin see by looking closely at the carousel that while all 3 devices do an splendid chore of color rendering, the Pixel 2 also does a better chore of retaining particular at the same fourth dimension (click to view full-resolution images):

White balance is generally very proficient every bit well, though there tin be a slight, but not unpleasant, warm cast to outdoor images. Indoors, white balance is very authentic.

Autofocus

The Pixel 2 not only has the best autofocus nosotros've ever seen, it is substantially meliorate than whatever other smartphone camera we've tested. Information technology focuses apace, accurately, and consistently in all lighting weather condition. In 1 of our defocus/refocus tests, the Pixel 2 managed to refocus in an impressive 16ms. Even indoors, at a light level of 300 Lux, the Google Pixel 2 showed remarkably fast and consistent autofocus results, as y'all tin can see in the graph below.

Detail / Texture (73)

While the Pixel 2 does an excellent job of preserving detail in images, it doesn't set any new records hither. In our low-light laboratory scene, however, the Pixel 2 does an excellent task of preserving details, edging out the iPhone eight Plus and the Notation eight, as you lot can run across in this comparing of the full image and a full-resolution crop of the currency in the scene below (captured at v Lux).

Apple iPhone 8 Plus, 5 Lux.

Google Pixel 2, 100% crop.

Apple tree iPhone viii Plus, 100% crop.

Samsung Milky way Note 8, 100% crop.

Racket

Compared to its other very strong category scores, the presence of noise is one of the Pixel 2's weaker areas. For example, y'all can run into adequately strong luminance noise in the blue sky in the scene below if you click through to the full-size prototype and wait closely:

Blue skies are surprisingly hard to render without dissonance. If you look closely hither, you tin encounter that the Pixel 2 prototype has visible noise.

In low light, the Pixel 2 does a very good chore of noise suppression, only the Samsung Milky way Note 8 takes information technology even further, as you tin see from this crop of the same indoor exam scene we used higher up for comparison detail preservation:

Google Pixel two, v Lux, 100% crop.

Apple tree iPhone eight Plus, 5 Lux, 100% crop.

Samsung Galaxy Note eight, 5 Lux, 100% ingather.

Artifacts

While the Pixel 2'south outdoor performance is by and large very impressive, it is susceptible to several different artifacts, one of which is demosaicing artifacts in heavily-textured areas. You can see it if you expect closely at the water in the photo of the Eiffel Tower and bridge at the offset of this review.

In addition, backlit scenes tin can crusade strong flares and some halos, as you tin come across in these two sample images:

The calorie-free behind the carousel creates some highly-visible flares.

You lot can encounter some unnatural halos in this backlit river scene.

Flash

The Pixel ii is impressive for taking splendid wink images both when the flash is the merely source of calorie-free, and when it is assisted past ambient light. In both cases, White Balance, Color, and Exposure are very good. In that location is a slight amount of luminance fall-off, merely less than for near other mobile devices, as you lot can come across from these images comparing the Pixel two with the original Pixel:

At that place tin be some exposure instability from shot to shot when using flash, both alone and when coupled with ambience light.

Zoom

The Pixel 2 performed very well for a single-camera phone, only couldn't quite match the currently best devices in this category, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The Pixel 2 too sometimes displays aliasing and moiré artifacts in medium- and long-range zooms.

Bokeh, including Depth Result and Portrait Mode (45)

Despite non having a second photographic camera, the Pixel 2 does a good chore using software to synthesize blur in both the foreground and the background of images. The characteristic is susceptible to irregularities from frame to frame, even so, with occasional artifacts along the edges of subjects. Indoor scenes can also display gradient artifacts. Here you lot can see the improvements over the original Google Pixel, but even the Pixel ii version shows some depth-estimation artifacts backside the model, every bit well as in such high-frequency areas equally the height left corner (click on individual images to get a total-size version for easier comparing):

Video scores explained

The Pixel 2's video Exposure sub-score of 84 is very good, simply marred slightly by dramatic underexposure in very depression light, as illustrated in the exposure chart below.

Its Color sub-score of 83 in video mode is also very good, although behind Apple tree's iPhone viii Plus. The Pixel 2's Autofocus sub-score (95) is very impressive as well.

You tin see the improvement in the Pixel 2'south Detail preservation (Texture score of 57) by looking at the full-resolution crops from this test video frame shot under low low-cal (100 and 5 Lux):

Apple tree iPhone 8 Plus, 100 Lux.

Apple tree iPhone eight Plus, 5 Lux.

The Pixel 2 is able to provide a lot of particular while still doing an excellent job of suppressing dissonance (Noise sub-score of 80). While the Pixel 2 scores are highest in bright light, of course, information technology achieves well-nigh the same functioning indoors, and does very well in depression lite compared to other devices we take tested. Overall, the Google Pixel 2 also has excellent temporal noise suppression, every bit shown by its high scores in all lighting atmospheric condition.

The Pixel 2'due south video Artifact sub-score (86) is quite good, only was somewhat reduced because of excessive judder and a small corporeality of aliasing. Scoring a 93, its video Stabilization is 1 of the best we have tested, topping the iPhone eight Plus's score of 91 in this category.

Conclusion: Smartphone camera on a new level

We're in danger of running out of superlatives when describing the major image quality attributes of the Google Pixel ii. That makes sense for a device that tops our scoring charts —up from the 94 of the Apple iPhone 8 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to a record-setting 98. And then for merely most any Photo or Video utilise case, it recommends itself as the phone camera with the best image quality. A notable exception to that cess centers around the added performance in Zoom and Bokeh (including Depth and Portrait) that dual-camera smartphones such as the Apple iPhone eight Plus and Galaxy Note 8 can provide. This said, the Pixel 2 is especially well-suited to videographers, as it achieves the highest Video score for any device we've tested — a 96.

Worried what happens when we go to 100? Don't exist: Our new DxOMark Mobile test protocols and scoring organization have plenty of headroom for new devices as they are introduced. There is nothing magical near the score of 100, and no reason that other cameras can't go past it. Nosotros're sure the time volition come when they practise!

Pros

• Wide dynamic range in all lighting conditions
• Excellent autofocus
• Very good white balance both outdoors and indoors
• Good detail preservation
• Strong flash performance across the board
• Portraits rendered with pleasing foreground and background blur and bokeh

Pros

• Very good video stabilization
• Fast and accurate autofocus with good subject tracking
• Skillful particular preservation indoors and outdoors
• Skillful noise reduction
• Fairly good white residue

Cons

• Flare, flickering, and grid patterns can occur in some lighting conditions
• Medium- and long-range zooms have some loss of detail
• Portrait mode sometimes causes visible artifacts
• Slight loss of item in depression-light and indoor hand-held photos

Cons

• White balance and exposure can be unstable when walking or panning
• Rotational frame migrate in some paw-held videos
• Limited dynamic range
• Visible color cast in low light with tungsten illuminant (incandescent lighting)

A notation about the image formats of the iPhone eight Plus comparing images in this review: In some cases, we captured iPhone eight Plus images using Apple'southward HEIF format and DCI-P3 colorspace. In such cases, we converted them to very high-quality JPEGs to use in this article so that they tin can be viewed in standard browsers and paradigm editing software (in which case the Creator tag may say Photoshop). HEIF is very like to JPEG, just provides better compression for similar image quality, so the conversion makes the sample image file sizes larger than they were when shot.

In the Printing

schauerwiclactustob.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.dxomark.com/google-pixel-2-reviewed-sets-new-record-smartphone-camera-quality/