Should you trust DxO mark for your camera reviews? DxO explained:
Founded in 2008 and based in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, It's a company that aims to provide image quality evaluation and assessment for camera lenses, Digital cameras and smartphones. They also test Audio capability, but let's leave that for now. To fully start this article, let's first know how DxO makes their score.
1.0: How DxO makes their ratings:
The numbers that you know DxO (120,108,98) for aren't a one time score, its actually a bit of a colllection/combination (not average) of the various sub-categories they use in testing. These categories also come with their own numbers, then an algorithm sums up the numbers into a proper figure. This final number is the one that gets posted everywhere on the headlines. Now, lets check out the categories. These are:
- Exposure and contrast
- Colour
- Autofocus
- Texture and Noise
- Flash and Zoom
- Bokeh
- Stabilization
- Wide
- Night
1.2: Colour: Means how accurately the camera can reproduce the object colour.
1.3: Autofocus: How quickly the Camera can detect and focus on the object under different lighting conditions.
1.4: Texture and Noise: Deals with how good the Camera can detect even the smallest details on the subject, even during low lighting. To do this a great deal of noise reduction techniques must be employed.
1.5: Flash and zoom: Flash dictates how good the in built flash illuminates the subject. While zoom focuses on the Upscale capabilities of the camera, or if it has an optical zoom(telephoto lens, separate lens) capability or digital zoom.
1.6: Bokeh: Basically portrait shots. Determines the degree of the depth effect.
1.7: Stabilization: For video only. How good the camera can eliminate any motor effects during filming.
1.8: Wide (September 2019 update): Refers to the ability of the camera to capture a higher and wider degree of view which increases the perspective. Some smartphones come with dedicated wide angle lens for this feature.
1.9: Night (September 2019 update): The Night mode of the camera app.
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| The Galaxy s20 Ultra's score. The final score is not an average of the various sub scores. |
Of course the higher the rating, the better the quality. They rate the photo quality, Video quality and the selfies.
2.0: Are their tests legit?
To answer this question squarely, it would be yes. Most reviewers just take some photos and call it a day, but DxO takes up to 1500 photos and clips of videos up to two hours long. All this in specially and carefully crafted environments meant to tackle the HDR (High dynamic range), Saturation, Hue, Distortion, Ghosting effect and contrast of the camera. To be honest the testing is actually scientific.
The tools they use are deemed industry grade, and they even have other software and services such as DxO photolab and DxO viewpoint.
3.0: Should you trust DxO for your Unbiased, Camera reviews?:
Like we said, DxO is actually scientific in testing, and the popularity speaks for itself. But how sure are we that the tests they conduct are true to life and realistic? I mean, isn't it a bit vague to judge the cameras of smartphones by some numbers that come from sub-categories?
For example, the score the Realme X2 pro at the time of writing is 95. And then the Google pixel is 90. This means the Realme x2 pro is better than the pixel……well, according to DxO that is. The anomaly here is that the Realme might have had some features like Bokeh, that tipped the scales in it's favour. Hence the reason why the scores are sometimes off. Just like DxO believes the Redmi note 8 pro is not as good as the older mi note 3. or Nokia 9 pure view is on par with Samsung a50.
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| The Xiaomi mi 10 pro (Top) vs the Huawei P40 pro (Bottom) |
4.0: DxO is a testing company, but also a consulting company:
Yes. you read right, in as much as DxOmark is a smartphone camera analysis company, they actually work with Smartphone companies to make their cameras better. OEMs can pay to use their equipment when working before release to make their cameras better. Like a student that studies with the exam cordinator before the examination. Which might mean that smartphones that did better on their ranking paid more for their equipment. And smartphones that didn't pay? Might do worse, or even might not get tested at all.
DxO actually admits that lots of manufacturers are using their services, but not Sony and apple. Sony and apple have been in the business for long and might not need their equipment to make their cameras better.
4.1: What if benchmark scorers like Antutu and Geekbench worked with OEMs before release?:
4.2: Most smartphone companies prioritise better DxO scores, more than better cameras:
The truth is that Brands are revolving the development of their cameras around these tests. Which could come at the expense of customer satisfaction. Which might make DxO partly responsible for the bad cameras we have today. Each industry has its own one-sidedness but the fact that most OEMs are playing to the gallery is a bit worrisome. But DxO assures us that that they're independent and wont risk their image.
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| The Huawei's P40 Pro is DxO's Camera champion at the time of writing this. |
DxO really has some solid testing, In fact not much camera testing companies come close to them. they're the major in the field. And most times the scores line up with the expectations of reviewers. But finally, you can pay attention to the scores they give and also analyse them. But don't use them like say, your holy grail of pure camera tests. When buying a smartphone and the camera is your top priority, make sure you check other places too, and not just DxOmark alone.
Thanks for reading. What do you think of DxO? Shady? Legit? Do you think their testing lives up to the hype? let us know in the comment section.
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