I tested EVERY Pixel Camera. Here's what I learned.
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Ryan Thomas compares the camera quality across all Google Pixel phones from 2016 to 2024, focusing on the XL and Pro models. He discusses the evolution of camera hardware, including the shift to larger sensors and the improvements in dynamic range, sharpness, and night photography. Ryan highlights how Google has reused camera sensors over the years, with significant changes starting from the Pixel 6 era. The video also compares portrait mode and long-range zoom, noting key differences and advancements in image quality across generations.
Takeaways
- 📸 Ryan Thomas compares camera quality across all mainline Pixel phones from 2016 to the present, focusing on the XL or Pro models.
- 🛠️ The comparison is based on the latest public software available for each device, with no beta versions or custom ROMs used.
- 🔍 Google reused camera sensors across the first five Pixel generations, with significant changes starting in the Pixel 6 with the GN1 sensor.
- 🎨 Early Pixels (1-3) showed a magenta tint in images, which was corrected starting with the Pixel 4.
- 👁️🗨️ The larger sensor introduced in the Pixel 6 results in a shallower depth of field, creating more background blur but less focus on the edges.
- 🌤️ Dynamic range and HDR capabilities improved significantly from the Pixel 1 to the Pixel 8, with newer models handling bright and backlit scenes better.
- 🌙 Nighttime photography saw major improvements, especially from the Pixel 6 to Pixel 8, with better sharpness and reduced noise.
- 📦 Portrait mode and cutout quality improved over time, with the Pixel 8 Pro showing the best results in terms of dynamic range and natural falloff.
- 🔍 Telephoto zoom performance varies, with the Pixel 8 Pro offering the best long-range sharpness and detail.
- 📈 Ryan concludes that while the camera quality has improved over the years, the biggest leaps were seen between the Pixel 5 and Pixel 6, with newer models refining rather than revolutionizing the camera experience.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of the video?
-The primary focus of the video is to compare the camera quality of every mainline Google Pixel phone released from 2016 to the present day, analyzing how the camera hardware and software have evolved over the years.
Why did the creator choose to focus on the main camera across all Pixel models?
-The creator focused on the main camera because it provides a direct comparison across all Pixel models, as the early Pixel models did not have ultra-wide or multiple camera setups, making the main camera the most consistent point of comparison.
What significant hardware change occurred with the introduction of the Pixel 6?
-The Pixel 6 introduced a significant change in hardware by adopting the GN1 sensor, which is physically larger and has quadruple the resolution of the sensors used in previous generations. This marked a major leap in camera capabilities for the Pixel lineup.
How does the video address the impact of software updates on camera performance?
-The video notes that all phones are running the latest public software available, highlighting that software updates over the years have improved the camera performance of each device, enhancing their capabilities beyond what was possible at launch.
What color shift is observed in the first three Pixel models, and when does it change?
-The first three Pixel models (Pixel 1, 2, and 3) exhibit a noticeable magenta color shift in their photos. This color shift largely disappears starting with the Pixel 4.
What effect does the larger sensor of the Pixel 6 and later models have on image quality?
-The larger sensor in the Pixel 6 and later models creates a shallower depth of field, resulting in softer elements around the edges of the image and a deeper separation between the subject and the background, which affects the overall focus and sharpness.
How does the dynamic range improve across the Pixel generations?
-Dynamic range improves significantly across the generations, with earlier models like the Pixel 1 struggling with blown-out highlights, while later models like the Pixel 8 handle challenging lighting conditions much better, preserving more detail in both shadows and highlights.
What challenges do the earlier Pixel models face in low-light photography?
-Earlier Pixel models, particularly the Pixel 1 and 2, struggle with noise and softness in low-light conditions. The video highlights that while there is a noticeable improvement in later models, even the most recent Pixel phones still have some noise in extremely dark scenarios.
How does the Pixel 4's telephoto lens compare to the Pixel 5's camera setup?
-The Pixel 4's telephoto lens provides a significant advantage in zoom and long-range detail, which the Pixel 5 lacks due to the absence of a dedicated telephoto lens. The Pixel 4 is particularly noted for its superior performance in long-range shots compared to the Pixel 5.
What general conclusion does the video reach about the progression of Pixel camera technology?
-The video concludes that while there has been impressive progression in Pixel camera technology over the years, with significant jumps such as the transition from the Pixel 5 to the Pixel 6, the improvements in recent years have been more incremental. The video suggests that the largest leaps in camera quality occurred in earlier generations.
Outlines
📸 Comparing Pixel Camera Quality Over the Years
Ryan Thomas introduces a project where he compares the camera quality of every mainline Pixel phone, from 2016 to the present day. He has all the models, focusing on the XL or Pro versions, and highlights that all phones are running the latest public software. The video will explore the improvements in camera performance, particularly in the main camera, across different generations. He notes that Google has reused camera sensors over the years, and major changes occurred during the Tensor era with the Pixel 6, which introduced a significantly larger sensor.
🔍 Examining Camera Hardware and Image Samples
Ryan dives into the hardware changes over the years, noting that newer Pixel models have more sensors and lenses, but the main focus is on the primary camera. He observes that Google reused the same Sony IMX sensor across the first five generations of Pixels, with significant changes occurring only from the Pixel 6 onwards. The larger GN1 sensor introduced in the Tensor era brought notable improvements. He also explains that each generation of pre-Tensor Pixels runs a different OS, and the Image Signal Processors (ISPs) vary, which could lead to differences in processing and image quality.
🌸 Analyzing Flower Photo Progression Across Pixels
Ryan showcases a series of photos taken with different Pixel models, focusing on a flower to demonstrate the progression in image quality. He notes the presence of magenta in the first three Pixels, which disappears in the Pixel 4. With the introduction of the larger sensor in the Pixel 6, the images display a shallower depth of field, resulting in softer edges and deeper subject-background separation. He invites viewers to rank the images and share their opinions on which model took the most and least pleasing shots.
🌥️ Dynamic Range and Detail in Challenging Lighting
Ryan tests the dynamic range of the Pixel cameras in a challenging backlit scenario. The Pixel 1 struggles the most with blown-out highlights, while the Pixel 2 shows a significant improvement. He highlights that the Pixel 4 XL’s 2x telephoto lens, which was initially criticized, proves useful in maintaining detail. The Pixel 8 Pro showcases the most natural sharpness and dynamic range, outperforming its predecessors.
🌌 Night Photography Evolution in Pixels
Ryan examines how the Pixels handle night photography, starting with a dark harbor scene. The first two Pixels struggle with noise and softness, while the later models, especially from the Pixel 6 onwards, show marked improvements in sharpness and detail. The Pixel 8 Pro emerges as the best performer, with superior sharpness and detail retention even in challenging low-light conditions.
🧍♂️ Portrait Mode and Cutout Accuracy
Ryan tests the portrait mode across different Pixels, starting with the Pixel 1's 'Lens Blur' mode, which struggles with blown-out highlights and accurate cutouts. The Pixel 4 XL impresses with the cleanest cutout and improved dynamic range, while the Pixel 8 Pro offers the best overall performance with its larger sensor. He also highlights the color shifts and differences in detail across the models.
🎯 Tricky Portrait Mode Cutouts and Detail Tests
Ryan puts the Pixels through a challenging artificial portrait mode test with a difficult background and fine details. He observes that the earlier models struggle, but there's noticeable improvement in the cutouts from the Pixel 2 onwards. The Pixel 8 Pro handles the tricky scenario the best, with a decent cutout and detail retention. Ryan also tests long-range zoom, where the Pixel 8 Pro again stands out with its sharpness and ability to read fine text.
🏆 Final Thoughts on Pixel Camera Evolution
Ryan concludes by summarizing the evolution of Pixel cameras, categorizing them into three groups: the struggling first Pixel, the consistent second to fifth models, and the significantly improved sixth to eighth generations. He notes that the Pixel 4 XL's telephoto lens was more useful than initially thought, and the Pixel 8 Pro's telephoto is superior. Despite running different OS versions, the second to fifth Pixels performed similarly, while the Tensor-powered Pixels showed more variation. Ryan expresses his surprise at the camera performance progression and looks forward to future improvements.
👍 Wrapping Up and Inviting Viewer Feedback
Ryan wraps up the video by inviting viewers to share their thoughts on the Pixel camera evolution and which generation surprised them the most. He reveals that his favorite is the Pixel 2 due to the jump in image quality. He encourages viewers to like, comment, and subscribe for more content, and signs off with a thank you and a promise of more videos to come.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Camera Quality
💡Main Camera
💡Sensor Size
💡Dynamic Range
💡Image Signal Processor (ISP)
💡Night Sight
💡Magenta Tint
💡Telephoto Lens
💡Portrait Mode
💡HDR Blooming
Highlights
Comparison of camera quality across all Mainline Pixel models from 2016 to present day.
All phones are on the latest public software to ensure optimal camera performance.
Observation of hardware evolution, including sensor and lens changes over the generations.
The Pixel 1 to Pixel 5 shared the same Sony IMX main camera sensor.
Introduction of a significantly larger sensor with the Pixel 6, using the GN1 sensor.
Different OS versions across Pixel generations may affect camera performance.
Engagement request for viewers to rank camera performance in the comments.
Analysis of color reproduction changes, particularly the reduction of magenta hue post-Pixel 3 XL.
Discussion on the impact of sensor size on depth of field and focus.
Comparison of HDR blooming effects and dynamic range across different Pixel models.
Notable sharpness increase and detail in Pixel 8, especially in challenging backlit scenarios.
Night photography comparison showing improvements from Pixel 1 to Pixel 8 Pro.
Evaluation of portrait mode and lens blur features across Pixel generations.
Observation of the Pixel 4 XL's telephoto lens providing better long-range detail.
Analysis of the Pixel 8 Pro's performance in artificial portrait mode and long-range shooting.
Summary of camera performance progression and the impact of sensor upgrades.
Reflection on the consistency of camera results across different OS versions for early Pixel models.
Highlight of the Pixel 8 Pro's superior performance in various challenging photography scenarios.
Personal preference disclosure by the presenter for the Pixel 2's camera improvements.
Call to action for viewers to share their thoughts and subscribe for more content.
Transcripts
I took a photo with every Mainline pixel
ever released from 2016 all the way to
present day I have all the models here
so what's changed in the camera quality
over the past 8 years boy we're about to
find out hey guys I'm Ryan Thomas and
the phones I have here are all the XL or
the Pro Models were applicable and all
phones are on the latest public software
available for each device so no betas no
custom roms no forced sideloaded
software here these cameras are as good
as Google has Tunes them to be so
actually quite improvement from when
they first came out a lot of these
updates actually improve the camera
performance on the devices over their
lifespan but before we get into the
samples it's actually important and
quite interesting to see the changes in
Hardware over the years of course the
newer phones have more sensors and
lenses than ever before but we're going
to be focusing primarily on the main
camera as that's directly comparable
across the range where we couldn't
exactly shoot Ultra wide on the first
four pixels see as it turns out Google
loves to reuse camera sensors in its
smartphones the first Generations shared
pretty much the same sensor the first
pixel lacked ois which gained a small
size bump compared to the rest of the
devices in the smaller line but from a
functional standpoint this is five
generations of smartphone with the same
small Sony IMX main camera on the back
and when the tensor era came in from the
six all the way to the eight there was a
leap in sensor size significantly bigger
with the gn1 not only did it gain
physical size but also quadruple the
resolution and Google has used it in all
three generations of tensor pixel thus
far and on the software side while the
tensor era all run Android 14 every
generation of pre- tensor era runs a
different OS and so theoretically we
should see similar performance on the
latest three but differing performance
on the previous five there is also the
caveat that in every phone on this list
has a different s so with varying isps
or image signal processors so from a
processing side it should be quite
interesting I want you all to get
involved in the comments ranking each of
the 10 Rounds on which pixel you think
took the most pleasing and maybe the
least pleasing shot see which one
shocked you the most it'll be
interesting to see how us Android fans
are seeing the images a little bit
differently let's kick things off with
this flower that I have here so what I'm
going to do is slowly go through all of
the different pixels straight away so
you can see a general progression of the
image quality the first thing I want to
point out is that the first three images
pi pixel 1 pixel 2 and pixel 3 have
quite a lot of Magenta in them and when
we switch over to the pixel 4 this
largely goes away if I switch back to
the pixel 3 again you can see the
Magenta in the image so there's clearly
some color changes after the pixel 3 XL
you'll also notice that when I switch
from the fifth to the sixth so switching
over to that larger sensor that we
actually get softer elements on the
corners and around the edges as this
larger sensor gives a shallower depth of
field so you end up with fewer bits of
the image in focus and that deeper
separation between the subject and the
background there's the pixel 6 there's
the smaller sensored pixel 5 and you can
see there's more in Focus switching
things up to a quite a difficult
scenario now I'm just going to go
through the pixels very slowly so you
can take a second pause the video if you
need to and really see the details in
each of these but immediately you'll
notice that this cloud in the background
is quite blown out and what we're
looking at really is the detail in the
Red Leaf here but we also have the
detail in the bush over to the left the
first thing I noticed is that despite
the smaller sensors in these earlier
pixels there's actually not a lot of HDR
blooming going on which is essentially
where you would see sort of a
highlighted outline around effects that
needed to be brought down or brought up
in Google's processing pipeline
strangely if I switch to the pixel 2
you'll see there's a little bit more
green in the sky compared to all of the
other ones I'm not sure why this is
pixel 1 all the way through to pixel 4
you're just getting slowly more detail
in the leaves pixel 5 comes in pixel 6
comes in and you're getting almost all
the detail in the leaves but also in the
sky as well and then if we switch to
pixel 8 there's actually a substantial
sharpness increase with the pixel 8 with
just how much detail you're seeing in
the leaf here despite the fact that we
have a really bright background behind
it this is a picture of some paint
brushes this is not portrait mode this
is just regular standard camera mode if
I go through these you'll notice that
actually going through them say if we
switch from the fifth which is the last
one to have the small sensor to the
pixel 6 there's immediately more blur in
the background just due to having that
larger sensor and the pixel 1 compared
to the rest of them is particularly dark
you'll notice that it has a slight color
shift as well but it's just not picking
up all of the detail in the background
which to be fair is a set of different
levels of exposure and then going all
the way to the pixel 8 you'll notice
that it just has the most natural
falloff in focus and also just seems to
be the most pleasing in that it's not
cranking up the sharpness across the
entire scene this is a big test of
dynamic range across all of the pixels
with a very very back at sunny day
here the pixel one has the worst dynamic
range by a substantial margin so look at
the detail in the stack here and then
look at just how blown out the sea is
the reflection of the Sun and if I
switch to the pixel 2 which is only one
generation newer wow this is not even as
blown out and you still get way more
detail in the bushes and also in the
buildings and then if I zoom into the
Rock here where you can see detail
actually if we go down to the pixel 5 it
gets an improvement over the smaller
sensors over the generations if I switch
from the fifth to the sixth there's a
seemingly a big jump in sharpness and
actually the eighth there has a nice
natural sharpness so you still get all
the detail but it doesn't look cranked
up in digital sharpening and the rest of
the image just looks the most pleasing
so in this back lit doorway again
another big dynamic range test you can
see that actually the first one is
really struggling with this blown out
sky although to be fair for a phone as
old as it is it does a pretty good job
the second seems to blow it out even
further despite not changing a massive
amount of exposure in the foreground the
three and the first look very very
similar the fourth and the fifth
actually look almost identical if I
didn't have these labels in the corner
you might actually think that this was
the same phone taking these photos the
fifth to the sixth doesn't see a massive
change in dynamic range or detail but
then the seventh and the eighth actually
have a much nicer highlight roll off and
the image just looks way more pleasing
and less artifact or less artificial
this is a really difficult nighttime
scenario where we're out looking at a
harbor that sure has a light on beneath
me here but the overall is extremely
dark and none of the pixels seem to deal
very well with this noise even the
latest version this is all shot with the
night sight deliberately on every single
phone the first and the second are
really soft although there is a big
change in exposure and then I found that
the third to the seventh was a little
bit better so you'll see that despite
different os's and different sensor
sizes they do improve and in the seventh
to the eighth there's just a lot more
sharpness going on in the pixel 8 Pro in
this rock here if we go to the seventh
and the sixth they kind of get
progressively softer and then sharpen p
with the pixel8 pro so there's
definitely a big Improvement on the
pixel8 pro here's another night shot one
that's a little bit brighter with the
lights going on in the harbor itself and
as you can see there is quite a jump in
quality from the first to the eth the
first one in particular just does not
look very good it's mushy there's a lot
of noise nothing really seems to be in
focus and trust me I got a couple of
shots this was the sharpest one the
second one despite having very similar
specifications is a grand Improvement I
mean the difference in quality from the
pixel XL to the pixel 2 XL is almost
night and day you would take this image
just from a pretty standard phone in
2024 let alone one from all the way back
in
2017 although you'll notice that in the
windows and in the lights they're all
really really blown out so whilst
there's a fair amount of detail in the
darker areas there's not heaps of
dynamic range there's also a big jump in
sharpness and detail when I go from the
pixel 5 which again is the last phone
with that small sensor to the pixel 6
Pro where just the text in the house the
text down here it's all a lot sharper I
mean that almost looks like daylight
levels of sharpness in the sign on the
boat but we're still getting these
really blown out highlights which to be
fair kind of add a little bit of
ambiance to the to the whole scene so
it's not the worst thing in the world
but it's clearly from a technical point
of view not as good as the pixel 8 which
as you can see you can actually start to
uh make out the details inside this
building while still getting quite a lot
of detail everywhere else in the scene
so from the pixel 6 to the 7th and then
to the eth there is actually a grand
Improvement it's showing that the pixel
8 overall in nighttime photography is
actually considerably better than the
phones it replaced okay this is portrait
mode or what the pixel one calls a lens
blur because there was no portrait mode
back then for this phone and as you'll
see immediately the pixel XL with its
lens blur is just very very blown out in
the highlights and the cutout to be fair
isn't that bad but it is struggling with
this part of my head and blurring into
the background funnily enough the pixel
2 XL and then the pixel 3 XL really
struggle with the cutout of my t-shirt
with the pixel one not actually having
the same kind of problem though I will
say that the dynamic range on those 2XL
and 3XL photos is quite a bit better and
there's a more natural falloff the pixel
4 XL does a tremendous job of cutting me
out here even with my hair probably the
cleanest cut out of them all and the
pixel 5 also does a pretty decent job
little bit of softness here but overall
a very impressive cutout as you can see
there's quite a bit of a a different
color shift going from the four to the
five the bigger sensor cameras aren't
exactly perfect with their cutouts but
there is a good amount of dynamic range
and actually you'll see that the detail
across the whole scene just looks way
better with these bigger sensors there's
just a a significant increase in overall
detail across the scene and I think it
looks the most natural but let me know
in the comments okay this is an
artificial and deliberately kind of
tricky portrait mode or lens blur if
you're the pixel 1 XL and as you'll see
immediately we have this pixel 6 Pro box
in the background the black one is going
to cause trouble for almost all the
phones this one is a particularly
difficult cut out because you've got the
dark background but with these white
areas which makes it difficult for the
phone to actually work out what to focus
on and then you've also got these little
spines of the plant which obviously are
loads of little details to cut out so
the pixel 1 is not looking great the
pixel 2 actually greatly improves this
although you'll see the pixel 6 Pro box
in the background a little bit
struggling but not too bad and the edges
of these spines on the left aren't great
either actually the second all the way
to the fifth do a pretty similar job I
would say although that box still
proving tricky surprisingly the six does
struggle quite a lot more than even the
pixel 5 I would say in this in this
instance and then the pixel 7 and then
the pixel 8 improve on things again this
is one that almost any phone is going to
struggle with but I'd say the pixel 8
Pro does a pretty decent job all things
considered so you can see a big
progression in artificial portrait
cutouts and then finally this long shot
really testing the detail this the pixel
XL doesn't actually zoom in as far as
the others these are about 7X the pixel
2 3 4 and 5 about 7x and then I've also
tried to compensate the 7x all the way
through the line with the pixel XL this
is as far as it stretches and as you can
see you probably no this to set PS2
games but that's as far as it goes and
if I switch the pixel 2XL it is much
more zoomed in for the rest of these you
could probably guess the text if you
knew what PS2 games generally were the
pixel 3 actually improves this quite
substantially so you can actually start
to make out the different game names
which is really impressive despite the
same sensor the pixel 4 XL has that two
times dedicated zoom and so you can
really easily make out all the names of
the games and then when we switch to the
pixel 5 of course it loses that
telephoto proving that that 4 xl's
telephoto lens which some people called
useless back in the day is actually very
useful switching to the 6 Pro actually
gets quite grainy but again the text
coming out in the games no problem the
seven Improv on this flattening all of
that grain and actually looking really
clean and you can sort of start to make
out the game codes on the bottom and if
we switch over to the pixel 8 Pro wow
that's a big sharpness Improvement and
we can actually work out a lot of the
game codes go back to the seven a little
bit blurry the 8 Pro really does a
phenomenal job with its longrange
shooter so what can we take from all
this well that the results as a whole
can be broken down quite easily into
three main categories the first pick
pixel that struggled in a lot of these
scenarios the second through the fifth
that evolved on this and largely
performed the same actually in sharpness
dynamic range color production accuracy
and noise reduction across the same main
sensor and then the sixth through the
eighth that switched the gm1 which all
performed very similarly too the major
caveat here is the fourth that seemingly
performed better than the cheaper fifth
especially at long range where the 2x
dedicated telephoto really did make a
difference when pinching in and getting
more detail and the 8 Pros telephoto was
clearly superior to the phone prior
despite having on paper very very
similar specifications who would have
thought that when you use a better
sensor you get better results I'm
actually kind of surprised that despite
the first five phones running different
os's the camera results were pretty
similar from the second to the fifth and
then also actually the difference
between the sixth and the eth despite
ironically running the same hardware and
software on the main camera there was a
big variance than I really thought there
would be when you compare the first
pixel to the last there's clearly been
some impressive progression but it's
been a couple of years since we've seen
a huge leap in camera performance like
we saw from the 5ifth to the 6th so
let's see what the company has up its
sleeve for this year's phones which
phone of the lot surprised you or did
the fact they were all as close as they
were shock you in any way and which is
your favorite pixel Generation by the
way mine has to be the second I've done
a video on this perhaps coming soon but
I love love the jump in image quality
when Google's own tens of phones came
out and the Sixth Gen anyway while
you're down there do let me know in the
comments what you think please hit like
if you enjoyed today's content and
subscribe if you're new around here to
never miss another upload I've been Ryan
Thomas and I'll catch you later cheers
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