Galaxy Nexus vs. SGS2: Camera Comparison

Numerous people have been wondering how good the Galaxy Nexus’ camera is, most of whom wanted it compared to the Samsung Galaxy S II, so here it is.

To start off, the SGS2 has a 8 megapixel camera with 1080p recording, and the Galaxy Nexus comes with a 5 megapixel zero shutterlag camera also with 1080p recording. This means the Nexus takes photos almost instantly, whereas the SGS2 takes 3-4 seconds to take a photo after you click Capture.

Still photos:

Here are some comparison shots.


To start off, a photo of my red porcelain pot, with flash:




...and a enlargement to show detail:



Shots of my figurines in natural light, no flash:

Overall, you can see that the SGS2 shoots in higher details and slightly better lighting, but the Galaxy Nexus has much richer and more accurate colours. The front facing cameras have a much larger difference, the SGS2 wins hands down.

Video Recording

Take a look at the following 1080p recordings I did, under exactly the same lighting, half a minute apart.


Samsung Galaxy S II:

Galaxy Nexus:



The SGS2 does not allow digital zoom when recording in 1080p, unlike the Nexus. The Nexus has a much wider angled lens when recording in 1080p, so you can stand a lot closer to what you’re filming. Video quality is quite similar, the Nexus captures colour more accurately and records at a lower bitrate compared to the SGS2. (9954 vs. 12541kbps respectively).


The Galaxy Nexus beats the SGS2 in low light conditions. Personally, I prefer having zero shutter-lag with better colours over higher detail, but it depends on personal opinion, as some may find the colours a little over-saturated. I did not consider this one of the main reasons to spend the extra £200 for the Nexus though, but I definitely took it into consideration.