P30 Pro and the Google Pixel 3 both have incredible camera systems (Image: Huawei • Google • Getty)
The P30 Pro released earlier this month and easily features the best camera system Huawei has ever produced.
P30 Pro not only provides Android fans with a new 40-megapixel main sensor that lets in copious amounts of light, but it also has a great ultra wide-angle module, a time-of-flight lens and an ambitious new zooming system.
In addition to hardware, Huawei’s latest device also ups the ante when it comes to software.
Particularly, the P30 Pro has improved low-light capabilities that allow the device to see objects in dark scenarios that not even the human eye can make out.
The Google Pixel 3 takes a very different approach to photography than the Chinese offering.
Instead of arriving with a score of different lenses on its rear, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL both come with a single 12.2-megapixel sensor.
One of the Pixel 3’s most appealing features comes from the clever machine learning technologies it takes advantage of to produce laudable shots.
Just like the P30 Pro, the Pixel 3 also has a dedicated night mode within its software for brightening up images in low-light conditions.
Huawei P30 Pro comes with a quad-camera system on its rear (Image: Express Newspapers)
Pixel 3 makes use of Google’s clever machine learning technologies (Image: Express Newspapers)
Here is how the P30 Pro and Pixel 3 compare in the camera department:
Huawei P30 Pro
• Main sensor – 40-megapixels at f/1.6
• Ultra wide-angle sensor – 20-megapixels at f/2.2
• Telephoto sensor – 8-megapixels at f/3.4
• Time-of-flight (TOF) sensor – Used for detecting depth
Google Pixel 3
• Main sensor – 12.2-megapixels at f/1.8
When it comes to taking standard shots, both the P30 Pro and Google Pixel 3 are quite simply incredible.
We found the Pixel 3 took slightly better photos in high-dynamic-range (HDR) scenarios.
This meant if we were taking snaps where clouds or sunlight occupied some of the scene, the Pixel 3 would produce a shot with greater separation that was more true to life.
Conversely, we found the P30 Pro to be much better at brightening up dark scenes and retaining more details overall.
One of the biggest case in points for this was a photo we took under a bridge; the Pixel 3 struggled with retaining details from dark areas while the P30 Pro was able to brighten them up and produce a better shot overall.
The colour sciences of the P30 Pro and Pixel 3 also differ quite notably; Google’s offering generally produced warmer shots for us.
Overall, when it comes to taking photos in daylight conditions, both the P30 Pro and Pixel 3 are the two best phones you can get.
When it comes to low-light photography however, the P30 Pro trounces the Google device.
Huawei P30 Pro vs Google Pixel 3 – image taken on P30 Pro (Image: Express Newspapers)
Huawei P30 Pro vs Google Pixel 3 – image taken on Pixel 3 (Image: Express Newspapers)
Huawei P30 Pro vs Google Pixel 3 – image taken on P30 Pro (Image: Express Newspapers)
Huawei P30 Pro vs Google Pixel 3 – image taken on Pixel 3 (Image: Express Newspapers)
This is especially the case in situations where light is extremely minimal.
Even without its night mode enabled, the P30 Pro is able to noticeably brighten up shots, in part thanks to its incredibly high 409,600 ISO and new main sensor.
In contrast, we found Pixel 3’s Night Sight feature to still take extremely impressive shots, but the device certainly did not hold a candle to the levels of detail retained by the P30 Pro.
Huawei’s P30 Pro device is easily the new camera king when it comes to dark conditions and is the more reliable of the two cameras in our testing; the phone consistently takes great photos without requiring a concerted effort from the user.
Not only does the P30 Pro match and beat the Pixel 3 in daylight and night conditions respectively, but it also allows user to zoom in to far away objects and take wide-angle shots thanks to its array of lenses.
The Huawei P30 Pro trounces the Pixel 3 in low-light conditions (Image: Express Newspapers)
Huawei P30 Pro has the best low-light performance on any smartphone (Image: Express Newspapers)
P30 Pro manages to retain a greater amount of detail in low-light overall (Image: Express Newspapers)
We personally love the wide-angle photos the P30 Pro is able to produce; not only are they great for fitting more subjects into a single shot, but they also add a unique aesthetic to particular objects such as architecture.
Moreover, we found the P30 Pro’s zoom actually incentivised us to experiment with our photography and left us with incredibly detailed shots we simply would not have been able to take on the Pixel 3.
While the Pixel 3 certainly offers a heroic camera system, Express.co.uk feels it is only worth purchasing for those that prefer its colour science and do not want to break the bank when upgrading their device.
Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are currently being sold for £150 less than their typical asking price on Google’s online store, meaning the former can now be obtained for just £589.
In contrast, the P30 Pro recently released and is unlikely to stray away from its £899 asking price for some time.
However, this publication does believe the P30 Pro is well worth the added cost for those that have the money to spare and want the most complete photography experience on a smartphone.