Google Pixel 6 Pro test: the camera for night owls, but not only

The Pixel 6 Pro is the best equipped of the 2021 generation of Google smartphones. Unlike its predecessor, equipped only with two back modules, the device is equipped with a triple back camera unit.

On the menu, therefore, a main 50 megapixel sensor, probably Samsung’s Isocell GN1, whose size is 1 / 1.31 inch, for photosites of 1.2 µm. Its wide-angle lens opens at f / 1.85. A second sensor accompanies it, 12 megapixels, with an ultra wide-angle (f / 2.2) and finally a 48 megapixel sensor, with a telephoto lens equivalent to 104 mm (f / 3.5), allows get 4x magnification effect.

Main module: 50 megapixels, f / 1.85, eq. 26 mm

Thanks to pixel-binning Combining four pixels in one, the Pixel 6 Pro delivers 12.5-megapixel final shots, without the possibility of forcing the capture to 50-megapixels. The trend is towards simplicity, with only a few settings related to exposure being available.

By day, at the wide-angle, we appreciate the level of detail restored, the liveliness of the colors – perhaps slightly vivid. In this game, the Pixel 6 Pro easily ranks in our leading pack, alongside a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Its colorimetry tends a little more towards red. If we compare it to an Oppo Find X3 Pro, also equipped with a 50 Mpx main sensor (signed Sony), we note a much greater finesse.

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At night, the qualities of the smartphone are particularly visible. The colorimetry is better controlled, the details are practically as numerous as in daylight, and the smoothing visible on the pictures of competing smartphones is absent. It should be noted that here the pictures were captured without using the “night vision” mode.

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Ultra wide-angle module: 12 megapixels, f / 2.2

If during the day the ultra wide-angle is in the average for smartphones of the moment, we especially notice its ability to do better at night. The exposure is then better controlled, and the details are richer. Here we compared it to the iPhone 13, which had a comparable sensor, and charged in the same price range. We must still admit that in comparison with smartphones such as the Find X3 Pro, with a 50 megapixel sensor, the Pixel 6 Pro remains behind.

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Regarding the telephoto lens, equivalent to 104 mm, we refer you to our dedicated article. The Pixel 6 Pro is particularly distinguished by its ability to offer quality night photos, which is its main asset.