Smartphone Camera Shootout: Samsung Galaxy S6 vs LG G4

Reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge have been pretty positive with the camera being a standout feature. However, last week LG announced their newest flagship, the G4, and they feel they might have one-upped Samsung. The Galaxy S6 and Edge sport an industry first f/1.9 aperture, giving them tremendous results in low light. It hasn’t even been a month and now LG has trumped Samsung by giving the G4’s camera an aperture of f/1.8. It might not sound like much of a difference to you, but LG believes it is. On top of that, they threw in auto laser focus, and OIS 2.0, which gives you a 3rd axis for even better image stabilization.

Android users have been craving for smartphones that sport cameras that can get the job done, so it’s nice to see both LG and Samsung pushing the envelope here. Is there a clear winner? Did LG trump Samsung?

I have spent a decent amount of time with both the G4 and the Galaxy S6 Edge this past weekend capturing photos to see how each one fairs. I am not only looking for great photos, but I wanted to see how each device did with detail, so you will find cropped examples as well.
Before we begin, I should note that all photos were taken in Auto mode, so I did not tweak any controls whatsoever. This is how most people will capture photos. All photos came in at 5312 x 2988 or 16 MP
Let’s start with this baseball on my garage floor. I took both of these photos from about waist high. Below are the originals, followed by cropped versions of both photos (1350 x 759)

Original (5312 x 2988) Click on images for full resolution version

                              Galaxy S6 Edge                                                            LG G4

Cropped (1350 x 759) Click on images for full resolution version

As you can see, the LG images are brighter, but the Galaxy S6 Edge’s images are more color accurate. I also think the Galaxy S6 Edge captured more detail on the garage floor in the cropped image. On the other hand, the writing on the ball is clearer on the cropped picture from the G4.
Next up is an image of a creek at dusk, and again, followed by cropped mages

Original (5312 x 2988) Click on images for full resolution version

                              Galaxy S6 Edge                                                            LG G4

Cropped (1350 x 759) Click on images for full resolution version

Again, the G4’s image is a little brighter, but if you take a look at the cropped images, the Galaxy S6 Edge has more detail on the rocks.
Now we have a picture of a “No Outlet” sign after sunset when it’s just about dark.

Original (5312 x 2988) Click on images for full resolution version

                              Galaxy S6 Edge                                                            LG G4

Cropped (1350 x 759) Click on images for full resolution version

Once again, the G4’s image is brighter. The sign, which is the focal point, isn’t all that much better though. Cropping an image like this seems futile at best, but it does give us some information. The G4 has a lot more noise, and the lights on the light posts are a little cleaner on the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Here are some more photos in which I didn’t do any crop tests. The ones with the clouds, especially the sunset, are hard to compare since they moved slightly from image to image. Note: The G4 used HDR to capture the first picture with the clouds. The last two images are closeups, not crops.

Original (5312 x 2988) Click on images for full resolution version

                              Galaxy S6 Edge                                                            LG G4

Conclusion
You can clearly see the f/1.8 aperture of the G4 captures more light than the f/1.9 aperture, but the Galaxy S6 seems to capture more detail. I’m not sure you can pick a clear winner because all photos are remarkable, but if you’re a photography enthusiast, the G4 might be the better pick since it offers the ability to capture Raw (DNG) images and there are more controls in Manual mode vs Samsung’s Pro mode, For example, you can adjust the shutter speed on the G4, but you can’t on the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge. Even the ISO setting is limited to 800 on the Galaxy S6 and Edge, whereas the G4 allows you to dial it up to 2700. So if you know what you’re doing, you can definitely capture better photos on the G4, but t the average person will more than likely be ecstatic with the performance of either phone.