Table of Contents
Introduction
The Huawei P10, released in March 2017, was a significant entry in the smartphone market, especially known for its camera capabilities. Featuring dual-lens technology co-engineered with Leica, the P10 promised high-quality imaging and an enhanced photography experience. This review provides an in-depth look at the Huawei P10’s camera quality, analyzing its design, features, performance, and how it compares to other devices from its era and newer models.
Camera Specifications
Dual-Lens System
The Huawei P10 features a dual-camera setup on the rear, consisting of:
- 12 MP RGB Sensor: This sensor captures color images and is designed to produce vibrant and detailed photos.
- 20 MP Monochrome Sensor: This sensor captures black-and-white images, providing superior detail and contrast. When combined with the RGB sensor, it enhances overall image quality by adding depth and detail.
The front camera is an 8 MP sensor, designed to offer high-quality selfies with a variety of beautification and enhancement options.
Aperture and Optical Image Stabilization
The rear cameras have an aperture of f/2.2, which allows for decent low-light performance. While not as large as some other flagship devices’ apertures, it strikes a balance between light capture and image clarity. The cameras also feature Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), which helps reduce blur from camera shake, especially useful in low-light conditions and while recording video.
Camera Performance
Daylight Performance
In bright conditions, the Huawei P10’s dual-lens system excels at capturing sharp, vibrant images. The combination of the 12 MP RGB sensor and the 20 MP monochrome sensor results in high-quality photos with excellent color accuracy and detail. The monochrome sensor’s ability to capture more light and detail enhances overall image clarity and sharpness.
Color Accuracy: The colors produced by the P10 are vivid and true to life, with excellent color reproduction that preserves the original scene’s vibrancy.
Detail: The level of detail in daylight photos is impressive, with good sharpness and clarity, capturing intricate textures and fine details.
Dynamic Range: The P10 performs well in managing highlights and shadows, providing balanced exposure and reducing the risk of overexposed highlights and underexposed shadows.
Low-Light Performance
In low-light conditions, the P10’s performance is a mixed bag. The f/2.2 aperture, while decent, limits the amount of light the sensors can capture compared to devices with larger apertures.
Image Quality: Images in low light tend to exhibit some noise and graininess, though the OIS helps in reducing blur. The monochrome sensor aids in improving detail, but the results are not as clean as those from more recent devices with larger apertures and advanced noise reduction algorithms.
Night Mode: The P10 does not have a dedicated night mode like some newer smartphones, which limits its low-light capabilities compared to devices that offer specialized night photography features.
Portrait Mode
The Huawei P10 offers a portrait mode that utilizes its dual-lens system to create a shallow depth of field effect. This mode blurs the background and highlights the subject, mimicking the bokeh effect seen in professional photography.
Depth of Field: The portrait mode effectively creates a pleasing bokeh effect, isolating the subject from the background and providing a professional-looking photo.
Edge Detection: The camera’s edge detection is generally accurate, though it may occasionally struggle with fine details or complex backgrounds.
Macro Photography
The Huawei P10 is capable of capturing detailed macro shots, though its performance is limited compared to devices with dedicated macro lenses. The dual-lens system allows for close-up photography with good detail, but users may notice a decline in sharpness when getting very close to the subject.
Detail: The camera captures decent detail in macro shots, though it may not achieve the same level of clarity as smartphones with specialized macro lenses.
Focus: The autofocus is generally reliable for macro photography, but users may need to be precise with their focus to ensure sharp images.
Video Recording
The Huawei P10 supports video recording at 4K resolution, offering high-quality video capture. The OIS helps in stabilizing footage, making it suitable for recording smooth videos even while moving.
Resolution and Quality: The 4K video resolution provides sharp and detailed footage, though the color accuracy and dynamic range may not be as advanced as those found in more recent devices.
Stabilization: The OIS is effective in reducing shake and blur, resulting in smoother video recordings. However, stabilization might not be as advanced as newer devices with improved video stabilization technologies.
Audio Recording: The audio recording quality is generally clear, though it may lack the depth and richness found in newer flagship devices with advanced audio recording features.
Selfies and Front Camera
The Huawei P10’s front camera, with its 8 MP sensor, is designed for high-quality selfies. It includes a variety of beautification modes and filters to enhance image quality.
Image Quality: The selfies are sharp and detailed, with good color accuracy and skin tone reproduction. The 8 MP sensor provides enough resolution for clear and vibrant selfies.
Beautification Features: The camera includes multiple beautification options, allowing users to smooth skin, brighten eyes, and apply various filters to enhance their selfies.
Group Selfies: The front camera’s wide-angle lens allows for group selfies, though the field of view is not as wide as some newer devices with ultra-wide front cameras.
Comparison to Competitors
When the Huawei P10 was released, it competed with several other flagship smartphones, each with its own strengths and weaknesses in camera technology. Here’s how the P10 compares to some of its contemporaries:
Samsung Galaxy S8
The Samsung Galaxy S8, released in the same year, features a single 12 MP rear camera with a larger f/1.7 aperture. This larger aperture provides better low-light performance compared to the P10. The Galaxy S8 also includes advanced features such as super-speed dual-pixel autofocus, which improves focus speed and accuracy.
Strengths: Superior low-light performance, faster autofocus, and additional camera features.
Weaknesses: Single-lens system, which limits its versatility compared to the P10’s dual-lens setup.
iPhone 7 Plus
The iPhone 7 Plus, also released in 2016, features a dual-lens system with a 12 MP wide-angle and 12 MP telephoto lens. The telephoto lens allows for optical zoom, which is a notable advantage over the P10. The iPhone 7 Plus also includes advanced image processing algorithms for improved photo quality.
Strengths: Optical zoom capabilities, superior image processing, and effective portrait mode.
Weaknesses: The dual-lens system is not as advanced in low-light conditions as newer models, though it performs well in general.
Google Pixel
The Google Pixel, launched in 2016, is known for its exceptional camera performance, primarily due to its advanced software processing rather than hardware alone. The Pixel features a single 12.3 MP rear camera but excels in low-light conditions thanks to Google’s computational photography algorithms.
Strengths: Exceptional low-light performance, advanced software processing, and high-quality images.
Weaknesses: Lacks a dual-lens system and optical zoom capabilities.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- Leica Partnership: The collaboration with Leica brings a level of prestige and expertise to the camera system, contributing to the overall quality and reputation of the P10’s camera.
- Detail and Color Accuracy: The dual-lens setup effectively captures detailed and vibrant images, particularly in well-lit conditions.
- Portrait Mode: The P10’s portrait mode creates a pleasing bokeh effect, enhancing the quality of portrait shots.
- Build Quality: The physical design of the camera system is robust, and the inclusion of OIS helps improve stability in both photo and video capture.
Limitations
- Low-Light Performance: The f/2.2 aperture limits the P10’s performance in low-light conditions, resulting in images with noticeable noise and grain.
- Lack of Advanced Features: The P10 lacks some of the advanced camera features found in newer devices, such as dedicated night modes or ultra-wide lenses.
- Limited Video Stabilization: While OIS helps with stabilization, it may not be as effective as newer devices with advanced video stabilization technologies.
- No Wireless Charging: Although not directly related to camera performance, the absence of wireless charging can be seen as a limitation compared to newer devices.
Conclusion
The Huawei P10’s camera system, with its dual-lens setup and Leica partnership, represents a significant achievement in smartphone photography for its time. The combination of the 12 MP RGB sensor and the 20 MP monochrome sensor offers impressive detail, vibrant colors, and a high level of versatility in various shooting conditions. While the P10’s performance in low-light conditions and its lack of some advanced features may limit its appeal compared to newer devices, it remains a strong contender in the smartphone camera landscape.
Overall, the Huawei P10’s camera system is a testament to Huawei’s commitment to delivering high-quality imaging experiences. It provides users with a well-rounded camera experience that excels in daylight and offers good performance in portrait and macro photography. Despite some limitations, the P10’s camera remains a valuable feature for users seeking a reliable and capable photography tool in a smartphone.