That might change with DxOMark’s new ranking. Alongside DxOMark’s typical smartphone camera rankings, their rankings also show selfie camera scores. Now manufacturers that release lousy cameras will get called out for it. Apple’s iPhone XS Max scored the fourth place spot on the list, but it’s a full ten points below the Google Pixel 3 in the number one spot. The iPhone X is all the way down in the tenth spot. This is out of only 12 phones, as DxOMark has only ranked 12 phones using this new system as of this writing. There’s a new way for manufacturers to compete, and Apple is already far behind.
How DxOMark Ranks Selfie Cameras
Despite its cropping, the iPhone seems to take the most realistic photos here.
DxOMark ranks their selfie cameras in the same fashion as their rear-facing cameras. However, because front-facing cameras are specifically used for selfies, DxOMark weighted the various aspects of the cameras differently. They also added new criteria for distortion.
Usually, when you take a selfie, the most important thing is that you and your friends look good in it. For this, you have to make sure the result of a photo is a good photo. It’s clear, well-lit, isn’t grainy, and has good color accuracy. But it’s even more important than usual that it’s a good camera for portraits. This means exposure and color accuracy working together for realistic skin tones, details in people’s faces regardless of their skin tone, realistic, non-blurry skin, and minimal distortion.
Minimizing Distortion
What do I mean by distortion? A wide angle lens makes objects close to the lens in the center of the screen appear larger than those around the edges. This has a dramatic effect on the human face. It makes your nose appear enlarged. In fact, numerous plastic surgeons have reported that people come to them with dissatisfaction over their nose size due to selfies.
The ultra-wide angle lenses smartphone manufacturers often tout on the front of their phones are great for photos of groups. When you have only the length of your arm to work with, a wide angle lens can help you get everyone in the frame. But the camera will warp the scene and the people in it. Software can make up for this, but it often doesn’t do enough. DxOMark has considered this distortion as part of their “artifacts” rankings. Phones that receive high scores for their lack of artifacts will minimize this distortion.
One way to do this is Google’s Pixel 3 method. This phone has two front-facing cameras. One is a normal selfie lens, the other is a wide-angle for group selfies. Since DxOMark only counts the primary camera lenses on the front and back of devices, this will allow a company to have their cake and eat it too. Other methods include using a mesh to correct photos later, or even AI to identify people and objects and bring them into line accordingly.
What DxOMark’s Rankings Mean
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