Hey photography enthusiasts!
When it comes to the quest of getting smartphones that serve your creative needs in photography, it is no laughing matter. You need to consider a myriad of features to give you exactly what you need to get your photos and videos looking professional even if you are an amateur photographer. Depending on your preferences, some of the features you need to consider are the aperture, megapixels, types of lenses available, camera resolution, availability of an AI mode, battery life, and importantly, sufficient storage to ensure that you have enough space to keep your quality pictures and videos.
If you’re clueless about finding the best camera phone for yourself in Malaysia, this list may be able to help you solve your dilemma. Keep in mind that they are not arranged in any order.
iPhone 13 Pro/ iPhone 13 Pro max
Brief Specifications
Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm/ 160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm
OS: iOS 15
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB
Resolution: 1170 x 2532 pixels / 1284 x 2778 pixels
CPU: Hexa-core
Battery: 3, 095 mAh/ 4, 352 mAh
Camera features
The iPhone 13 Pro series have a 12 MP wide lens (f/1.5), a 12 MP telephoto lens (f/2.8) with 3x optical zoom, and a 12 MP ultra-wide camera (f/1.8) that covers a 120˚ angle. The iPhone 13’s 12 MP wide-angle front camera is perfect for group shots of selfies. They also have a ToF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) which is one of the best technologies that accurately measures distances and efficiently blurs backgrounds in portrait mode.
They have a 4K video resolution at 24, 30 and 60fps. The 10‑bit HDR and Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps) of the iPhone camera captures good, outdoor landscapes in sunlight and heavily backlit scenes.
Besides, this Apple iPhone boasts dual-LED, dual-tone flash, and advanced low-light performance that captures dark sceneries with details. Furthermore, their Cinematic mode, which was an upgrade that iPhone 12 lacks, automatically adds a shallow depth of field to your photography and enables you to shift focus after shooting.
Today’s Best Deals
iPhone 13 Pro/ iPhone 13 Pro max price starts at RM 3,399 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – The Best Selfie Camera
Brief Specifications
Dimensions: 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9 mm
OS: Android 11, One UI 3.1
RAM: 12GB and 16GB
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB
Resolution: 1440 x 3200 pixels
CPU: Octa-core Snapdragon 888
Battery: 5,000 mAh
Camera features
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has one of the best cameras with 108MP (wide-angle lens, f/1.8), 12MP (ultra-wide camera, f/2.2), and 10MP (telephoto lens, f/24) that has dual tele zoom for sharper image quality. When it comes to the front camera, an impressive 40 MP wide-angle lens (f/2.2) will take your selfies to a new level. The front camera also supports dual video calls.
With an 8K video resolution, you can enjoy the highest smartphone resolution to date with 24 fps that enables you to watch crisp footage that surpasses a cinema-quality. Even the lower resolution of 4K at 60 fps provides a super smooth video experience.
Furthermore, the AI enhancement and portrait feature in the Galaxy camera enable you to get the best lighting that flatters and lifts your face for a sharper angle. You can also enjoy their Bright Night sensor to capture photos in low lighting and be amazed at the vividness of the details in your pictures regardless of how dark it is.
The special thing about the Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone is the S-pen compatibility made for accurate editing to elevate your photos and creativity to a whole new level. The Galaxy also has a super steady AI stabilisation that ensures smooth videos.
Today’s Best Deals
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra price starts at RM 4,899 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
OnePlus 8T 5G
Brief Specifications
Dimensions: 160.7 x 74.1 x 8.4 mm
OS: Android 11, OxygenOS 11
RAM: 12 GB
Storage: 256GB
Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
CPU: Octa-core
Battery: 4,500 mAh
Camera features
The OnePlus 8T 5G main camera has a 48 MP wide-angle lens (f/1.7, 26mm), 16 MP ultra-wide-angle lens, (f/2.2, 14mm, 123˚), a 5 MP macro lens (f/2.4) and 2 MP depth sensor at f/2.4. The 16 MP wide-angle front camera is also pretty decent for selfies.
Equipped with Dual-LED flash and the HDR 10+ feature, your images are made to be more appealing and attractive. The camera also has a nightscape mode for better image precision that decreases undesirable noise which is a great advantage for those who want to capture starry night images. The OnePlus supports bokeh effects in your videos, enabling you to focus on your subject without the interruptions of distracting backgrounds. On a side note, your shoots will parallel smooth cinema-quality movies with the Super Stable feature.
Today’s Best Deals
OnePlus 8T 5G price starts at RM 2,059 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
OnePlus 9 Pro – The Best Colour Performance
Brief Specifications
Dimensions: 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm
OS: Android 11, OxygenOS 11.2.7.7
RAM: 8GB and 12GB
Storage: 128GB and 256GB
Resolution: 1440 x 3216 pixels
CPU: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm), Octa-core
Battery: 4,500 mAh
Camera features
The OnePlus 9 Pro, however, has a 48 MP wide-angle lens (f/1.8, 23mm) with omnidirectional PDAF and Laser AF, an 8 MP telephoto lens (f/2.4, 77mm) that enables a 3.3x optical zoom, a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2, 14mm) with Freeform lens for clarity at 1/1.56″, and a 2 MP monochrome lens at f/2.4 aperture. This phone has the same front camera quality as the OnePlus 8T 5G with a 16 MP wide lens at f/2.4 but the main camera is definitely more advanced with the combination of ultra-wide-angle lens and zoom feature.
The video resolution is one of the highest on this list with 8K at 30fps that guarantees a great hyper-realistic video thanks to Hasselblad Color Calibration that ensures top-notch colour performance with true-to-life colour and natural tones.
Today’s Best Deals
OnePlus 9 Pro price starts at RM 2,999 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Huawei P50 Pro – The Best Professional Camera
Brief Specifications
Dimensions: 158.8 x 72.8 x 8.5 mm
OS: HarmonyOS
RAM: 8GB and 12GB
Storage: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB
Resolution: 1228 x 2700 pixels
CPU: 2.0 Kirin 9000 (5 nm) Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 4G (5 nm), Octa-core
Battery: 4,360 mAh
Camera features
To aspiring photographers, The Huawei P50 Pro is by far one of the best camera phones in the Huawei series. It has a 50 MP wide-angle camera (f/1.8, 23mm), 64 MP periscope telephoto lens (f/3.5, 90mm) paired with HUAWEI XD Optics and 3.5x optical zoom that enables you to capture far subjects up close, a 13 MP ultra-wide-angle (f/2.2, 13mm), and a 40 MP black and white lens (f/1.6, 23mm) that captures impressive aesthetic images. The 13 MP wide-angle lens front camera has a bright aperture at f/2.4.
The Huawei P50 Pro boasts a True-chroma Image engine that improves the vibrancy of your photos with a P3 wide colour gamut, 2, 000+ colours adjustment, and Leica optics. Furthermore, the True-Steady Shot helps you to capture the most stable scenes without a shake.
The True-focus fast capture feature allows you to take action shots easily which is an advantage for taking videos of sports matches. With the enhanced HUAWEI XD fusion pro image engine and SuperZoom matrix, your photos will always be beautifully sharp and crisp regardless of the subject distance. The AI remove function also allows you to eliminate undesirable objects that appear in view.
Today’s Best Deals
Huawei P50 Pro price starts at RM 3,477.00 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra – The Best Video Camera
Brief Specifications
Dimensions: 164.8 x 77.2 x 8.1 mm
OS: Android 10, upgradable to Android 11, One UI 3.0
RAM: 8GB and 12GB
Storage: 256GB and 512GB
Resolution: 1440 x 3088 pixels
CPU: Octa-core
Battery: 4,500 mAh
Camera features
The Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra boasts a 108 MP wide-angle main camera (f/1.8, 26mm), 12 MP periscope telephoto lens (f/3.0, 120mm) that enables 5x optical zoom and 50x hybrid zoom that maintains the quality of your photos, 12 MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2, 120˚, 13mm) and 10 MP wide lens selfie camera (f/2.2, 26mm) that supports Dual Pixel PDAF and Dual video call.
This galaxy phone also supports a video resolution of 8K at 24fps and HDR10+ recording that ensures accuracy in colour and contrast for every scene. Furthermore, part of the attraction of a Samsung Galaxy phone is the matching S Pen and a Pro Video mode that controls the ISO, shutter speed, manual focus, and zoom speed. This is the most convenient camera for avid vloggers because you can enjoy the feature that adjusts the background of your video in a compelling way to add more depth that imitates a DSLR focus. To the more adventurous vlogger, you will enjoy fascinating effects such as Blur, Big Circle, Color Paint and Glitch.
You can also turn one shot into multiple formats using the single take advanced AI for plenty of options. The advanced AI stabilisation also captures super steady studio-quality photos that are vibrant and focussed at best.
Today’s Best Deals
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra price starts at RM 3,999 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Google Pixel 5 – The Most All-Rounded Camera
Brief specifications
Dimensions: 144.7 x 70.4 x 8 mm
OS: Android 11
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G Octa-core
Battery: 4, 080 mAh
Camera features
This is the only Google series camera phone on the list, and you will find out why. It has a 12.2MP IMX363 wide-angle lens (f/1.7, 27mm) with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, and a 16 MP ultrawide angle lens (f/2.2, 107˚) that allows you to take a wide photo without needing to adjust your position. The front camera has an 8 MP wide-angle lens at f/2.0 aperture. Compared to most of the smartphones on this list, the megapixels are not that impressive. However, the google series phones have a reputation for capturing the best pictures in a multitude of lighting.
The Google Pixel 5 phone also has an IP68 rating that best protects your phone up to 1.5 metres deep into the water. Its superior colour gradation in lowlight areas also enables you to capture detailed and bright photos in the dark whilst maintaining its vibrant colours. In the same vein, the Night Sight feature helps to perfectly bring out the colours of your subjects in multiple types of scenes while applying up to 2x digital zoom to your photos without compromising their definition.
Another upside about this phone is the portrait light which produces natural results by moving your light source around your picture landscape to change its intensity. To tap into your dramatic flair, you can experiment with the Cinematic Pan feature that produces smooth slow-motion video pans for a climactic effect.
Today’s Best Deals
Google Pixel 5 price starts at RM 3,099 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Xiaomi Mi 11 – The Best Phone For Cinematic Video
Brief specifications
Dimensions: 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.1 mm (Glass) / 8.6 mm (Leather)
OS: Android 11, MIUI 12.5
RAM: 6GB, storage: 128GB
RAM: 8GB, storage: 128GB and 256GB
RAM: 12GB, storage: 256GB
Resolution: 1440 x 3200 pixels
CPU: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm), Octa-core
Battery: 4, 600 mAh
Camera features
The Xiaomi Mi 11 phone has one of the best triple main cameras with a 108 MP wide-angle lens (f/1.9, 26mm), 13 MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.4, 123˚), and a 5 MP macro lens (f/2.4, 1/5.0″. It also has a 20 MP wide-angle lens in the front camera and an 8K at 24/30fps, HDR10+ video resolution that brings extra quality to your video.
The Mi series One-Click AI cinema provides a cinematic experience to your videos and supports features that give impressive movie effects such as time freeze, night time-lapse, magic zoom, freeze-frame video, slow shutter, and parallel world. The Ultra Night Video brightens your videos using RAW-level AI real-time noise reduction and brightness enhancement. Furthermore, to make your videos and photos more accurate, you can remove undesirable objects and lines by using the AI Erase 2.0 feature.
Today’s Best Deals
Xiaomi Mi 11 price starts at RM 1,399 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
Brief specifications
Dimensions: 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm
OS: Android 11, MIUI 12.5
RAM: 12 GB and 8GB
Storage: 256GB and 512GB
Resolution: 1440 x 3200 pixels
CPU: Octa-core
Battery: 5000 mAh
Camera features
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra phone has a 50 MP wide-angle lens (f/2.0, 24mm) main camera with a 1/1.12″ super-large sensor that results from a joint development with Samsung, 48 MP periscope telephoto lens which features 120x zoom and 10x hybrid zoom that allows you to take very far pictures in high resolution, and 48 MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2, 12mm) that extends to 128˚ with 1/2.0″ large image sensor and 7P lens. The 20 MP wide-angle on the front camera has an AMOLED selfie display that helps you take your best selfies.
This smartphone supports 8K at 24fps video resolution with HDR10+ that offers your visuals with an extraordinary dynamic range between bright and dark settings which gives it the reputation of a movie camera.
It is also shielded by an IP68 waterproof splash-proof protection and has dual-LED flash. The Ultra Night Photos feature and Dual Native ISO Fusion allows you to capture photos unseen by the naked eye while eliminating noise. The super large sensor that makes up part of the same feature turns your images into something akin to a professional standard with the 64-point laser focus that supports a wide field of video and a sharp focus of far moving subjects.
Today’s Best Deals
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra price starts at RM 2,699 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Xiaomi Mi 10T – The Best Camera Phone for Beginners
Brief specifications
Dimensions: 165.1 x 76.4 x 9.3 mm
OS: Android 10, upgradable to Android 11, MIUI 12.5
RAM: 6GB and 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
CPU: Octa-core
Battery: 5000 mAh
Camera features
The Xiaomi Mi 10T is one of the cheaper phones on the list but the camera does not disappoint. It comes with a 64 MP wide-angle lens (f/1.9, 26mm), 13 MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.4, 123˚), 5 MP macro lens (f/2.4, 1/5.0) and a 20 MP front camera with wide lens (f/2.2, 27mm). Similar to the other two Mi Phones on the list, it also has the best video resolution with 8K at 30 fps and 33 MP photo quality from the video.
Furthermore, this phone is great for those who are just getting into photography. It allows you to take good pictures with fun and creative features such as moving crowd, starry sky, star trails, oil painting, light painting and neon trails that help you to creatively experiment with your photos according to your liking. If you are taking the first step to become a professional photographer, this phone has the best camera to assist you in your creative endeavour.
Today’s Best Deals
Xiaomi Mi 10T price starts at RM 1,569 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Sony Xperia 1 III
Brief specifications
Dimensions: 165 x 71 x 8.2 mm
OS: Android 11
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 256GB and 512GB
Resolution: 1644 x 3840 pixels
CPU: Octa-core
Battery: 4500 mAh
Camera features
The Sony Xperia camera phone has four lenses and triple cameras with 12 MP wide-angle lens (f/1.7, 24mm) which supports Dual Pixel PDAF that enhances focus on moving subjects, 12 MP telephoto lens (f/2.3, 70mm) that enables you to zoom 3x, 12MP ultrawide-angle lens (f/2.2, 124˚, 16mm) and 0.3MP depth sensor supported by ToF 3D sensing. On the front camera, however, it has an 8 MP wide-angle lens (f/2.0, 24mm).
The camera is equipped with Zeiss optics, specifically, the Zeiss T* lens coating that reduces reflections in your images and renders your pictures exquisitely. Sony collaborated with their Alpha 9 series cameras and professional photographers to refine the photographic experience of this phone. The Real-time Tracking technology is also included for accurate shots of moving objects.
Today’s Best Deals
Sony Xperia 1 III price starts at RM 4,545 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
Redmi Note 10 pro – The Best Camera Phone for Creatives
Brief specifications
Dimensions: 164 x 76.5 x 8.1 mm
OS: Android 11, MIUI 12
RAM: 6GB and 8GB
Storage: 64GB and 128GB
Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels
CPU: Octa-core
Battery: 5020 mAh (the best battery life on this list for the price)
Camera features
The Redmi Note 10 Pro phone has a whopping 108 MP wide-angle lens (f/1.9, 26mm), 8 MP ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2 at 118˚), 5 MP telemacro lens (f/2.4) that shoots 2x closer than an ordinary macro lens, and 2 MP depth sensor (f/2.4). Its front camera is equipped with a 16 MP wide-angle lens (f/2.5).
The Redmi Note also supports dual native ISO that enhances the range of your photographs, provides richer details and professionally controls the noise in the images with Night mode 2.0 and RAW multi-frame that puts your photograph at par with a professional photographer’s.
On the other hand, the 9-in-1 binning technology helps to increase light sensitivity by 900% which provides extra comfort to the eyes. This phone is perfect for aspiring artists because it has an AI portrait mode that highlights your aura and a long exposure mode that turns your photos into art. You can also produce original videos with the dual video on the front and main cameras to further show off your creativity.
Today’s Best Deals
Redmi Note 10 Pro price starts at RM 1,149 | -> View at Shopee Malaysia
How to find the best camera phone (2021, Malaysia)?
To find the best camera phone for yourself, there are a few things you need to consider very closely. Firstly, you need to consider the main purposes or usage of your camera and the features that support those usages effectively.
Secondly, you need to ask yourself if you require a professional-level camera phone or a better than average type of phone that is more than sufficient for amateur photographers. This will then lets you consider the price you are willing to pay.
Finally, think about how much storage you would need. The Apple iPhone 13 pro and iPhone 13 pro max have the biggest storage on this list hands-down. But if you think that the Apple iPhone is not for you, there are other alternatives that can also give you the space you need.
Main Camera
The greater the megapixel, the better your image quality. If you take a lot of landscape photos, make sure your camera has an ultra-wide angle with a high megapixel, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra and the One Plus 9 Pro. If you like to take crisp photos of faraway subjects, make sure to look for a periscope telephoto lens that is best for capturing detailed images of far objects such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Huawei P50 Pro.
For those who love taking close-ups, the lens to acquire is the 5MP macro lens that captures extreme close up photos like the One Plus 8T 5G and Xiaomi Mi 10T. And for the vloggers out there, you are bound to move a lot so make sure that your phone has an OIS or AI stabilisation modes such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and Redmi Note 10 Pro.
Front Camera
A good front camera is essential for taking great selfies. One of the things to consider besides megapixels is the dual-tone LED flash that improves selfie lightings. You will not have to worry about getting the best lighting ever again. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has one of the best cameras for this purpose.
Conclusion
All things considered, do not fret about choosing the best camera phone in 2021 for yourself. There is a plethora to choose from and with the advancement of technology, the camera phones get better and better every time. There are also plenty of features that enhance your photography so you do not need to be a professional photographer to capture great shots in Malaysia. You only need to acquire the right phone.
The phones listed here are considered the best of the best when it comes to cameras so do yourself a favour and choose one that best supports your daily intentions whilst keeping to your budget. Do not forget to consider the storage space too. You do not want to run out of space when you’ve painstakingly captured exquisite shots of the Petronas Twin Towers on a beautiful starry night!
