The Best Camera Phones for Capturing Your Summer

In-phone cameras are more powerful than ever, with many of them rivaling the specs of traditional cameras. Some of them now feature 8k video and 108MP image sensors. They’ve also begun to master zoom and improve performance in low light scenarios. Here are the camera phone’s that will help you snap your summer away:

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Best on a Budget:

iPhone SE (2020)- Retailing at $399 this affordable phone gives you the power of the iPhone 11 processor in the body of an iPhone 8. In addition to being an all-around great phone with excellent battery life, the iPhone SE also features a great camera. The specs are not the most ambitious, but if you want quality shots for your Instagram without breaking the bank, this phone should be at the top of your list.

It features a 12MP camera with an f/1.8 aperture lens and 5x zoom, 4K video capture at 24/30/60 fps, and a 1080 p slow-motion video feature. All that is pretty standard stuff, but it’s the image processing that stands out. The SE excels in color, exposure, and contrast, scoring just below the much more expensive iPhone 11 in these areas. It also provides pleasant color balance on videos, and the video quality, in general, is comparable with the iPhone 11. All of these features do suffer a bit in very low light conditions and night shots. If you plan on using your phone primarily for night photography, you should look elsewhere, but otherwise, the iPhone SE should suit most photography needs for the non-professional.

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Best for Enthusiasts

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra- The specs on this phone are impressive, and so is the price tag, but if photography is more than a hobby for you, this is the best phone out there. It features an updated version of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro’s 1/1.33 inch 108 MP resolution sensor and a periscope style lens similar to the one in Huawei’s flagship phones. In most lighting conditions, the color, exposure, and dynamic range are excellent. It also does a great job of keeping noise to a minimum in low light shots.

Color and exposure also hold up well at mid-range zoom, but suffer a bit at maximum zoom. The video quality is also very respectable. The biggest con for most people on this phone will be the battery life, but if you want a phone with specs that rival a traditional camera, this is the best one available in the States.

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Best for Videographers

Samsung Galaxy s10+ - Whether you want amazing quality for your family videos or your YouTube channel, this is the phone for you. It allows you to shoot video using multiple lenses at the highest resolutions and smoothest frame rates available. It also outclasses it’s competition when it comes to stabilization and the autofocus feature. You can easily store video in the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about running out of space on your phone. This is also one of the best phones for shooting slow-mo vids. The battery life is excellent considering the phone’s capabilities, and the price is slightly less than other flagships on the market.