LG G6's dual cameras are good but far from perfect
The phone's imaging tech makes a strong first impression.
Dual cameras are now the standard option when it comes to flagship phones, and LG has already put the setup to work in previous models. With the G6, the company opted for two 13-megapixel Sony cameras instead of one larger and one smaller like it did with the modular G5. The combination of the dual lenses, Qualcomm's Snapdragon zoom technology and LG's existing camera features help the G6 make a compelling case, especially in terms of imagery.
Sure, the main attraction on the G6 may be its unique 18:9 display, but the dual cameras and the ability to transition smoothly between regular and wide-angle shots is also a big selling point. As a refresher, the phone's rear-facing cameras can capture 71-degree field of view photos while employing optical stabilization and f/1.8 aperture. Those wide-angle images bump to 125-degree field of view -- an increase that works best when capturing things like landmarks and landscapes. The front-facing camera also features a similar wide-angle option capable of 100-degree field of view shots. For all three sensors, LG chose a 1.12um pixel size, the same used on both the G4 and G5.
While we've seen them before, LG brought back handy photography tools inside the stock camera app. These include a Food Mode with its own white balance slider so you can ensure that your colors are accurate. There are also skin tone, lighting and filters for the front-facing 5-megapixel f/2.2 camera to help you fine-tune those selfies. Meanwhile, a new app just for Square photos lends a hand to Instagramers for previews, compositions and collages. It's useful, but we're not convinced it will become a staple yet.
In good lighting and outdoors during the day, the G6 performs on par with some of the best phone cameras we've seen. Overall, colors pop and the images are crisp and clean. Performance does suffer in low-light situations, though, as the photos are noticeably grainy outside at night or in other environments in which lighting isn't stellar. Even though we were already familiar with the selfie features, those software tools help the front-facing camera capture images of your face that are also crisp and feature vibrant colors.
One place where LG has improved camera performance from its previous phones is the transition between regular and wide-angle shots. There used to be a bit of a stutter when you switched back and forth, but that change is much smoother now. While the G6 doesn't pack a Snapdragon 835, LG worked with Qualcomm to bring the chip's camera zoom transition feature to the new flagship. It certainly makes a difference, and the switch between views doesn't have a noticeable stutter like it does on the iPhone 7 Plus and other devices.
To take advantage of that extra screen real estate, LG has added a handy photo gallery along the side of the camera's UI. It offers easy access to your past few shots, and if you used a setting like Food Mode, the photo will be labeled with a tiny icon to remind you. Unfortunately, the G6 we tested wasn't running final software, so tapping on that in-camera gallery sometimes caused the app to crash. That's the only big issue we experienced, and it's one the company will likely remedy before final devices launch.
The LG G6's dual cameras make a great first impression. Of course, we'll need to spend more than a few hours with the handset before we can make a final call, but we're planning to do just that during our full review. You can bet we'll put the dual cameras through their paces in a full day's worth of capturing photos in the near future.
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