When it comes to travel, having a reliable camera is a must. While dedicated cameras have their place, smartphones have made significant strides in photography, often rivaling some of the best standalone cameras on the market.
In this post, I'll introduce you to the 10 Best Phone Cameras of 2019. These rankings are based on assessments by VCX, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to evaluating smartphone camera capabilities. Whether you want to see if your current smartphone made the list or you're considering an upgrade, this guide will help you make the right choice and capture stunning memories on your next journey, making you a top-notch travel photographer.
10 HTC U11 VCX Rating 70
The HTC U11 has a camera of 12 MP and a battery of 3000 mAh. The U11 has a performance of 82/100 which means that the phone is not going to let you down when taking your great shots on your next trip or daily life.
With an f/1.7 the rating has been quite good on Bright, Medium, and Low Light conditions with 76, 74, and 70 out of 100 respectively.
Phone Accessories you can get on Amazon
9 Xiaomi MI 9 VCX Rating 70
The Xiaomi MI 9 boasts a camera performance rating of 71/100, making it a solid choice for photography enthusiasts. What sets it apart is its impressive triple-camera setup, featuring 48MP, 16MP, and 12MP lenses.
This combination excels in various conditions, particularly enhancing zoom capabilities and delivering excellent results in medium and low-light settings. With this camera, you can expect improved picture quality that truly captures the essence of your travel experiences.
8 Huawei P20 VCX Rating 71
The Huawei P20 exhibits a commendable camera performance, earning an 83/100 rating on the VCX scale. It excels in capturing shots in bright light conditions, delivering impressive results. However, its performance diminishes in medium and low-light settings, primarily due to its Leica camera with 20MP and 12MP lenses featuring an f/1.8 aperture, which allows less light to enter the lens. While it may not perform as well in challenging lighting situations, it remains a strong contender for daytime photography during your travels.
7 LG V40 VCX Rating 72
The LG smartphone, equipped with a 12MP camera with an impressive f/1.5 aperture and an additional 16MP camera, offers excellent photography capabilities. LG has a track record of pioneering wide-angle shots, making it a superb choice for travel photography. While its zoom capabilities may not be as advanced, it performs admirably in bright and medium-light conditions, scoring 79/100 and 77/100, respectively. In low-light conditions, it achieves a rating of 72/100, although it falls slightly behind some of the previous phones assessed by VCX, which garnered a score of 74/100. Nonetheless, it remains a solid option for capturing memorable travel moments.
6 Huawei P30 Pro VCX Rating 72
The Huawei P30 Pro is undoubtedly one of the standout phone cameras of 2019, especially for its exceptional performance in low-light conditions and its impressive optical zoom of 10x, with digital zoom reaching up to 50x. However, despite its remarkable zoom capabilities, VCX has rated it lower in this aspect, giving it a score of 51/100. Additionally, its performance in low and medium-light conditions scores 70/100, which is slightly lower than some of the previously evaluated phone cameras.
Nevertheless, the Huawei P30 Pro still maintains a strong overall performance with a rating of 79/100, ensuring that you can capture high-quality photos without any major issues.
5 Huawei Mate 20 VCX Rating 73
Indeed, Huawei's Mate 20 has shown impressive camera capabilities, particularly excelling in various lighting conditions. It achieves a notable score of 74/100 for low-light conditions, which is further complemented by its performance in medium-light conditions, earning a score of 77/100. In bright conditions, the Mate 20 truly shines with a remarkable score of 82/100.
Even as the lighting conditions become more challenging, the Mate 20 maintains a strong overall performance, scoring 76/100. This places it in a favorable position among the evaluated phone cameras, showcasing its capabilities as a reliable choice for capturing high-quality images during your travels.
4 Huawei P20 Pro VCX Rating 74
The Huawei P20 Pro indeed continues to impress with its camera performance, earning a high score of 83/100. This rating surpasses the 79/100 of the P30 Pro, indicating that the P20 Pro maintains a strong position in the realm of smartphone photography.
Furthermore, the P20 Pro excels in both medium and low light conditions, showcasing its reliability and ability to capture stunning images even in challenging environments. For those considering an upgrade, the P20 Pro remains a noteworthy choice among the best phone cameras of 2019.
3 Huawei Mate 20 Pro VCX Rating 75
It's intriguing to note that the Huawei P30 Pro's predecessors appear to have achieved higher ratings in VCX tests. As you move up the ranking, the improvements become more evident. In terms of performance, it closely aligns with the Huawei Mate 20, scoring 78/100 for medium-light conditions and 76/100 for low-light conditions.
This suggests that exploring earlier models in the Huawei lineup might be worthwhile, especially if camera performance in varying lighting conditions is a priority for your smartphone choice.
2 LG V50 ThingQ VCX Rating 76
LG has claimed the top spot in the photography rankings, demonstrating its commitment to camera excellence. However, there's still room for improvement when it comes to battery performance. The V50 ThinQ, released alongside the LG G8 ThinQ, scores a respectable 76/100 in terms of overall performance and response.
Remarkably, it excels in bright and medium lighting conditions, achieving impressive scores of 83/100 in both scenarios. Even in challenging low-light conditions, it maintains a commendable 79/100 rating. This suggests that if photography is a key consideration, the LG V50 ThinQ is a strong contender in 2019.
1 LG G8 ThinQ VCX Rating 77
In 2019, LG seems to have made significant strides in terms of photography, as evidenced by the strong performance of its flagship devices in VCX's rankings. The LG G8, in particular, boasts an impressive overall rating of 81/100, making it a competitive choice in the smartphone camera landscape. However, it's worth noting that its performance in medium and low light conditions falls slightly short compared to the LG V50.
Now, let's delve into a more detailed comparison by identifying the best phone cameras in 2019 based on specific areas as determined by VCX's ranking.
Best Phone Cameras in 2019 by areas (VCX Ranking)
In this case, the top 3 in each area is going to be added plus the phone camera with the lowest rating.
Bright light Conditions
Top 3
- LG G8 Thinq and LG V50 ThinQ
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro
- Huawei Mate 20
Lowest
- Huawei P30 Pro
Medium-light conditions
Top 3
- LG V50 ThinQ
- LG G8 Thinq
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Lowest
- Huawei P20
Low light conditions
Top 3
- LG V50 ThinQ
- LG G8 Thinq
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Lowest
- Huawei P20
Flashlight
Top 3
- LG V50 ThinQ and LG V40 ThinQ
- LG G8 Thinq
- Huawei P30 Pro
Lowest
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Zoom
Top 3
- Huawei P20 Pro
- Huawei P30 Pro
- Xiaomi MI 9
Lowest
- HTC U11
Response & performance
Top 3
- Huawei P20 Pro and Huawei P20
- HTC U11
- LG G8 ThinQ and Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Lowest
- Xiaomi MI 9
With the information provided, you now have valuable insights to help you select the ideal phone camera for your next travel adventure. Whether you agree with the results or have other recommendations, your input is essential.
We invite you to participate in our survey below or leave a comment on this post to share your thoughts, experiences, and any additional suggestions.
