Best camera phones for photography in 2022

How to choose the best camera phone for photography

Camera smartphone technology has come on leaps and bounds and it seems like there’s no stopping the tech development. With the likes of the OnePlus 10T recently including a main camera featuring a whopping 50 megapixel IMX766 1/1.56-inch sensor as well as a wide angle lens with optical image stabilisation, there’s an argument to be said that smartphone makers could be pushing some of compact and DSLR camera manufacturers out of business.

Are you looking to upgrade your mobile phone and track down a great model that’s perfect for photography?

Here’s a round-up of some of the best camera phones available. We’ve also included some of the older models for those wanting to save money and buy second hand or refurbished.

Best Samsung camera phone for photography 2022:

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Price: £959 / $1249.99

At a glance

• Quad-camera setup
• 3x and 10x telephoto cameras
• Android operating system
• Pro mode with raw shooting
• Upto 8K video recording

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is Samsung’s flagship smartphone, and blends the Galaxy and Note range into one smartphone, with an included stylus making this an appealing choice for both business and fun. In terms of cameras, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, like the earlier S21 Ultra, gives more than any other smartphone, with an ultra-wide, wide-angle, and two telephoto cameras, giving both a 3x telephoto camera and a 10x telephoto camera! If you like the idea of shooting distant subjects, then this is a definite bonus!

“Images directly from the camera are very good, with vibrant and bright results produced by the standard “Photo” mode and images with good scope for editing produced by the “Pro” mode. Other shooting modes, such as Portrait and Night mode also produce good results.”

Pros:

• Stunning display
• Four lenses
• 8K video
• Pro shooting mode and RAW format

Cons:

• Expensive
• Unwieldly
• Space Zoom not actually that useable
• RAW shooting only available in Pro mode

Read our full Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra review to see what the smartphone is cable of.

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Best Apple camera phone for photography 2022:

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Price: £939 / $1450

At a glance

• Triple 12MP camera setup
• 13mm, 26mm, 77mm equivalent
• iOS operating system
• Two sizes: Pro and Pro Max

The Apple iPhone 13 Pro offers an improvement over the iPhone 12 Pro, with brighter lenses, a new 2cm macro mode, and more telephoto reach. All cameras feature image stabilisation, and there’s a new cinematic video mode. If you’ve wanted to shoot macros with an iPhone, or interested in video recording then there’s a lot of reasons to choose the iPhone 13 Pro.

“When shooting stills, the iPhone 13 Pro does a great job of identifying the subject and focusing on it quickly even in very low light. It also manages create natural-looking shallow depth of field effects in many instances, even dealing with fuzzy subjects like fur and hair effectively in many cases.”

Pros:

• Improved cameras with brighter lenses
• Addition of 2cm macro mode
• More telephoto reach
• All cameras feature image stabilisation
• Cinematic video mode

Cons:

• Not much reason to upgrade from iPhone 12
• Cinematic mode isn’t always accurate with masking regions to be blurred

Read our full iPhone 13 Pro review to see what the smartphone is cable of.

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Best Google Pixel camera phone for photography 2022:

Google Pixel 6 Pro

Price: £849 / $999

At a glance

• Triple camera setup
• Motion shot modes
• Impressive astrophotography mode
• Uses Android operating system

The Google Pixel 6 Pro has some impressive motion shot modes, which includes the ability to shoot Action Pan, and Long exposure shots, such as light trails, or blurred waterfalls, all through the power of computational photography. It also offers an ultra-wide, wide-angle, and telephoto camera giving a 4x telephoto zoom option. You’ll also find the impressive night mode, as well as an astrophotography mode that can give great results. The Google Pixel 6 Pro is great value for money as well, only beaten for value, by the Google Pixel 6. One area where the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro could be improved is in terms of manual controls, with no “Pro” mode being available.

“The Pixel 6 Pro is the most pleasing Android device to capture images on and in the rare scenarios where it doesn’t surpass the competition, it at least holds its own. If you’re a keen photographer and want a device that will help you capture beautiful images in a range of scenarios, any time of day, the Pixel 6 Pro is very hard to beat.”

Pros:

• Consistent results in most lighting conditions
• 15GB free cloud backup
• Packed with useful features
• Motion Shot delivers class-leading action capture
• Detailed image quality
• HDR scenes shine
• Minimal noise in low light

Cons:

• Video doesn’t match photo quality
• Average battery life
• No high resolution mode
• No full Manual Mode
• Macro focus lacking

Read our full Google Pixel 6 Pro review for full details

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Best camera phone for under £600 2022:

Google Pixel 6

Price: £599 / $599

At a glance:

• Ultra-wide and wide cameras
• Motion shot modes
• Impressive astrophotography
• Android operating system

If you don’t need a 4x telephoto camera, and don’t mind using the 2x digital zoom offered by the Google Pixel 6, then you can save yourself a lot of money with this smartphone. It still offers all the impressive computational modes as the Google Pixel 6 Pro, including motion blur (shown above), but using just the ultra-wide and wide-angle cameras. Like the Google Pixel 6 Pro, the Pixel 6 lacks a “Pro” mode and the macro focus could be better.

“Overall, the Pixel 6 takes excellent images, on-par with flagship smartphones costing nearer £1000. Yes, you miss the telephoto camera on most other premium flagships, however, if you can live without this, you’re making an impressive saving, as well as benefiting from some of the most impressive computational photography features seem on any camera, let alone a smartphone.”

Pros:

• Motion capture is incredibly impressive
• Subject removal works well
• Great wide and ultra-wide photos
•  Great value for money

Cons:

• Some may not like the overly HDR look of images
• Lacks full manual mode
• Macro focus lacking

Read our full Google Pixel 6 review for more information

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Best looking camera phone 2022:

OPPO Find X5 Pro

Price: £1049 / $1249.99

At a glance

• Android smartphone
• 6.7in screen
• 256GB storage
• Triple camera system
• 12MP standard output
• 4K 60p video

A good-looking camera that performs well and takes great pictures and video. This high-end smartphone houses a Hasselblad-branded triple-camera system, which includes an ultra-wide, wide and telephoto lens. Its aesthetics feel like a mix of the Google Pixel 6 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

The OPPO Find X5 uses a conventional-looking Android camera app, with a familiar set of options and includes both a fully automatic Photo mode and a Pro mode. With manual control you can tweak shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, focus and white balance.

Pros:

• Well balanced camera system
• Good feature set
• Fine image quality
• Good video, especially in low light

Cons:

• Short telephoto lens
• Super-slippery back

Read our full review of the OPPO Find X5 Pro 

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Best second hand Samsung camera phone:

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G

Refurbished Price: £460 / $643

At a glance

• Quad-camera rear setup
• Two telephoto lenses
• Uses Android operating system
• Pro mode available with raw shooting

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is Samsung’s 2021 flagship smartphone, the one you see on TV, Youtube, and billboard adverts worldwide, boasting an incredible 100x “Superzoom” that uses a combination of it’s 10x optical zoom telephoto lens, and digital zoom to give you a 100x view of your subject. Whilst we weren’t particularly impressed by the image quality of this feature, we did find the other cameras on offer impressive, whether it’s the ultra-wide angle lens (13mm equivalent), the ultra-wide (24mm equivalent), the 3x telephoto (72mm equivalent), or the 10x telephoto (240mm equivalent), they all produce good looking images.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is an impressive flagship phone that takes great pictures, and with four camera modules you get a really useful range of cameras, including a short zoom as well as a longer zoom, something you don’t see on many smartphones. The camera makes it easy to get great results with automatic scene recognition and automatic image processing, but if you want to, you can shoot in Pro mode where you’ll find manual controls, plus raw image options. As pocket cameras go, the S21 Ultra is difficult to beat.

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Best second hand iPhone for photography:

Apple iPhone 12 Pro

Refurbished Price: £719 / $899

At a glance

• Triple-lens rear camera
• Available in two sizes
• Uses the iOS operating system
• Cheaper iPhone 12 also available

Unlike previous years, Apple’s top-tier iPhone models (iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max) have slightly different camera set-ups. Most people are arguably more likely to go for the iPhone 12 Pro, since its smaller size makes it easier to use and fit in your pocket.

With either device you get a triple-lens set-up, featuring a super-wideangle, wideangle and a ‘telephoto’ lens. For the iPhone 12 Pro, that equates to a 13mm f/2.4, 26mm f/1.6 and 52mm f/2 equivalent trio; compared to a 13mm f/2.4, 26mm f/1.6 and 65mm f/2.2 on the Pro Max.

The sensor behind the 26mm lens is also slightly larger for the Pro Max version and benefits from sensor-shift optical image stabilisation. As we’ve experienced previously, Apple keeps things simple with its native camera app, not affording a huge amount of control to the end user.

However, it has introduced Apple’s ProRAW format allowing you to record DNG files directly from the native app for the first time. A useful feature of the native camera app is the ability to see what’s happening outside of the frame by utilising the ultra wide and wide cameras. Also carried over from the iPhone 11 Pro series is Night mode, which continues to put in an impressive performance, now adding the ability to blend together Portrait and Night mode.

There will be plenty for whom Apple is the only logical choice if they are already tied into the overall Apple ecosystem, but it has to be said that the phones do the job extremely well. Although you don’t get a huge amount of control over your shots, it does such an excellent job you may not feel particularly aggrieved by that.

Image quality is fantastic, and despite the technical differences between the two Pro models, the differences are extremely difficult to spot in real-world shooting – so essentially it comes down to your preference regarding size.

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Best second hand Samsung camera phone with a stylus:

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra (2020)

Refurbished Price: £480 / $599

At a glance

• Triple-lens rear camera
• S Pen’ stylus
• Uses Android operating system
• Pro mode available
  

  Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra Camera Phone image

The Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra ticks a lot of the right boxes, if you can get over just how enormous it is. It’s another model with a triple-lens/camera set-up, with the wideangle lens boasting an 108-million-pixel sensor behind it. The ultra-wide and 5x telephoto lenses both have a 12-million-pixel sensor behind them.

The standard sensor will output shots at a more sensible 12MP resolution unless shooting in a special mode. Samsung phones have well-featured and in-depth native camera apps. You can choose to shoot in a straightforward point-and-shoot mode if you wish, but there’s also an extensive Pro mode which gives you control over settings such as ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation.

Aperture is fixed on all three lenses. It’s also in Pro mode that you can shoot in raw (DNG) format, giving you better scope to adjust your images later down the line. Disappointingly however, you can’t use anything but the standard lens – nor can you shoot in 108MP – when using Pro mode, which takes away some of its flexibility.

The Note range gets its moniker owing to the included Stylus, that’s tucked away into the base of the phone. It can be used as a remote control, which is helpful for selfies and group shots. Good images are produced by all three lenses of the Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra, but it’s worth sticking to the optical constraints of the telephoto lens.

The 10x digital zoom can be relied upon if the 5x optical isn’t quite enough. The maximum 50x zoom really is best avoided, however. Otherwise, there’s a good Live Focus option for creating shallow-depth-of-field effects, while Night does a decent job when light levels drop too.

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Best value second hand camera phone:

Google Pixel 5 (2020)

Refurbished Price: £280 / $342

At a glance

• Triple-lens set-up (including front camera)
• Uses Android with Oxygen OS ‘skin’
• Good value
• Range of colours
  

  Google Pixel 5 Sample Camera Phone Image

It took a while for Google to add a second camera to its Pixel range, and now we find ourselves waiting for it to add a third. This time around however, Google has swapped the telephoto lens of the Pixel 4 for an ultra-wide one, a compromise which is perhaps not surprising considering this is the cheapest model of the group.

That means you get a 12.2MP main camera with an 27mm f/1.7 (equivalent) lens, and a 16MP secondary camera with an ultra-wide, 16.5mm f/2.2 (equivalent) lens. If you need to get closer to the subject, digital zooming is available. Despite its photographic name, and its intention to appeal directly to photographers, the Pixel remains frustratingly simple to operate.

The fully automatic Camera option works as a basic point and shoot, and although it does what it does very well, with no option to adjust settings it’s hard to truly see it as an advanced tool. On the plus side, raw format shooting is available so you can make some tweaks after the fact, rather than before, if necessary.

Aside from the standard Camera mode, you also get a Portrait mode for shallow-depth-of-field effects, plus a Night Sight mode which, like the Pixel 4 before it, delivers fantastic results. If you’re just looking for something which is pocket-friendly and does a good job at a reasonable price without fuss, then the Pixel 5 is a solid option.

Its images contain plenty of detail and good colours, while the Portrait mode continues to impress, even with non-human subjects. Both of the lenses put in a good performance, but it’s the standard lens which produces the best results. Digital zooming is best avoided, as the results lack detail. It’s worth noting that this year, there is no ‘XL’ version of the Pixel, so those who like their phones to be on the larger side may be a little disappointed.

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Best second hand camera phone with Pro mode:

OnePlus 8 Pro (2020)

Refurbished Price: £899 / $879

At a glance

• Triple-lens set-up
• Uses Android with Oxygen OS ‘skin’
• Good value
• Range of colours
  

  OnePlus 8 Pro Camera Phone Sample Image

OnePlus built its reputation on mid-priced mid-range smartphones. With the 8 Pro, it has steered itself more towards the premium end, and while it’s still cheaper than the likes of the iPhone and the Samsung, this puts it in the ‘luxury’ market.

Again, you get a triple-lens set-up which gives you a 14mm f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, a standard 25mm f/1.8 lens and a 75mm f/2.2 (3x) lens. The wide and ultra-wide are backed by 48-million-pixel sensors, while the zoom offers 8 million pixels. There’s also a fourth ‘colour filter’ camera, but it’s not one you can actually select to use.

The native OnePlus camera app is similar to the Samsung’s, in that it has a good selection of modes. By default, it will shoot in the standard and straightforward Photo mode, while you also have the option to use modes such as Nightscape and Portrait. There is also a Pro mode which gives you access to settings such as ISO, white balance, shutter speed, exposure compensation and more.

With this, you can also shoot in the raw DNG format, as well as elect to record 48-million-pixel JPEGs – rather than them being output at 12 million pixels as standard. Settings such as switching on a histogram to use while in Pro mode can be accessed via a deeper settings menu, and emphasise the type of audience that OnePlus is trying to reach with this model. Images captured by the OnePlus Pro 8 are good, with lots of detail and bright colours.

It copes well with a variety of different shooting settings. The Nightscape model also copes well with low light, while the Portrait mode does a good job with shallow-depth-of-field effects. All three lenses put in a decent performance, but it’s definitely the telephoto which is the weakest of the three. So if you can stick to the standard or ultra-wide lenses, you’ll be rewarded with the best shots.

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More reading
How to take better smartphone photos
Using a smartphone for Street Photography
Opinion: Cameras will always be better than smartphones