DxOMark, a trusted industry standard for measuring camera and lens ratings, posted its benchmarks for the camera aboard the Google Nexus 6P. To everyone's amazement, the 6P got listed above the LG G4 that currently rules DxOMark rankings.
Google Nexus offerings are not known for their cameras and thus, it came as a surprise that the 12.3 MP camera on the 6P got an overall score of 84, only 2 points from the S6 edge's 86. The photo benchmark was scored based on seven categories: exposure and contrast, color, autofocus, texture, noise, artifacts and flash.
According to the notes from DxOMark, the stills taken with the camera presents "impressive detail preservation in low light conditions." The reviewer also noted good detail preservation in the stills even when outdoors.
The camera flash's white balance, color rendering and detail preservation were also one of the cameras strong points. The autofocus was also praised for being fast and accurate and images were remarked as well exposed.
However, it did not come without its cons. The photos taken have visible irregularities in texture, color, exposure and noise, which was attributed to the HDR+ activating during low-light conditions. The image highlights were also blown out in high dynamic scenes. The shot getting taken prior to the autofocus converging was also noted.
Along with the stills, the video benchmarks were also published. DxOmark noted that the 6P camera has good color rendering, global exposure and white balance for the videos it shot. The same accuracy and responsiveness when taking stills were also observed when recording videos. The 6P was also praised for the video's low noise levels, regardless of the condition.
However, the videos taken were also criticized for the strong "jello effect" during motion scenes, which is caused by OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). Moreover, the camera loses focus when tracking movements and refocus was observed when lighting was adjusted. In low-light conditions, fine details are lost and color shading becomes visible.
Nonetheless, if the DxOMark benchmarks become consistent with other reviewers' opinions, the Nexus 6P, which comes with the Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3GB RAM, 3450 mAh battery and $499 starting price, could be a good bang for the buck.
