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  • Writer's pictureVimma ai

Best Phone Cameras That Take Great Photos (2021) - Smartphones for Instagram

Updated: Nov 18, 2021


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As an influencer, do you ever worry about your photos being good enough? Have you ever considered buying a DSLR camera to up your photography game?


If you’re trying to break into the social media world, it’s pretty obvious that your content creation needs to be up to par. However, does that mean you need to invest in a professional setup to get there? The answer is no.


To be honest, owning a fancy camera doesn’t make you a professional photographer. To become one, you need to know how to capture a meaningful moment that conveys exactly what you wanted to share. You can do that both with a professional and phone camera.


To help you with the selection of the best phone cameras that take great photos, and that is worth investing in, we compiled a list of great choices.


Here, you’ll find:

  • Best phone cameras in 2021 that are budget-friendly;

  • Best phone cameras in 2021 that take great photos;

  • Best smartphones in 2021 perfect for social media;

Without further ado, check out the list below!


Best Phone Cameras That Take Great Photos




Best Budget Phone Camera Under $400


The camera in the Google Pixel 4A is the same one used in the Pixel 5, but it is almost half the price. It offers a great dynamic range and it is consistently ranked in the best budget phone cameras.


The Google Pixel 4A has a telephoto lens often found in professional cameras. A telephoto lens helps make a subject you’re photographing appear closer than it is. This feature is ideal for creators who are, for example, travel influencers that want to capture specific scenery but are unable to be physically closer. Also, these lenses are amazing at creating portraits with blurred backgrounds.


You can take great photos using your cell phone on the 12 MP dual-pixel rear camera with features like Live HDR+ Night Sight, and Portrait Mode. The HDR+ makes your photos look a lot better by automatically adjusting for color and lighting. Videos offer 4K resolution and image stabilization.


Overall, the Google Pixel 4A is the best phone camera if you’re on the budget, but still want to make sure you’re getting the best quality for the price.


4.6 out of 5 stars

8,912 global ratings




Best Choice Phone Camera By People


From all iPhone phones, the iPhone 12 Pro Max phone has one of the best photo capabilities to date.


Pro camera system comes with a 12MP Ultra Wide feature, along with the telephoto lens. The iPhone features a 5x optical zoom range that you can use to shoot in both day or night mode.


What is interesting about this line of iPhones is the introduction to the Deep Fusion, a feature that uses advanced machine learning to do pixel-by-pixel processing of photos. It means that your iPhone shoots 9 different exposures and merges them into a single, amazing image. It picks out the best components of each image to create the most perfect one from the given conditions. How cool is that?

This feature is a life-saver for all those influencers who are looking for the best phone cameras that take great photos.


Another amazing perk is that the phone is water-resistant, meaning you can take awesome photos underwater without worrying about destroying your phone. Just don’t go deeper than 6 meters or longer than 30 consecutive minutes.


So the award for the best phone camera that takes great photos, voted by users, is Apple iPhone 12 Max Pro!


4.4 out of 5 stars

229 global ratings



Best Overall Phone Camera For Social Media


A pretty controversial opinion is that Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra photo capturing capabilities can surpass iPhone itself. This phone camera is perfect if you're looking for a lot of variety in your photography.


The telephoto lens offers up to 100 times zoom capability that will allow you to capture the furthest of subjects.


For all those content creators that shoot vlogs, this phone camera takes the win for best phone camera for shooting videos for social media. It features 8K resolution that creates super-smooth, cinema-quality videos.


If you’re looking for a phone that has the best overall features, then Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is the one you want to go for.


4.6 out of 5 stars

8,115 global ratings



How to Take Good Photos With Your Phone?


After learning about the best phone cameras that take great photos, it is only natural to ask yourself how to use one for such intent.


Although this specific topic requires an in-depth approach, we’ll share with you a couple of tips for taking good photos with your phone.



Photo by Wendy George


Use Camera Gridlines To Straighten And Balance Photos


Although some might argue that shooting crooked photos gives a certain artistic look, it is a bit frowned upon in the photographer community. Why? Because it doesn’t follow the realistic symmetry of elements you’re shooting.


Turning on the gridline option will allow you to capture amazing scenery and create aesthetically pleasing photographs.



Hot tip: Learn about the rule of thirds to get the best use of gridlines.



Use Portrait Mode For Shooting Specific Subjects


To bring out the most of the subject you’re shooting, make sure to turn on the portrait mode.


In portrait mode, the background becomes blurred, making the subject sharp and detailed. It works perfectly when the background is noisy, so it makes the subject truly stand out.


Hot tip: Use this mode when you shoot with tiny lights in the background. It creates that beautiful bokeh effect!




Play With Reflections


To make art out of an ordinary photo, try looking for reflective surfaces like water or mirrors. Turn your phone camera upside down to get a better angle of the reflective surface.


Hot tip: Always bring with you a pocket mirror!




In Conclusion


Whether you’re an experienced content creator, or you’re just starting out in your influencer journey, a good phone camera is an important asset. So if you’re debating on whether or not should you buy a professional camera first, let us give tell you why we think investing in a great phone camera could be a better choice.


First and foremost, your phone is always with you. It’s easy to carry, and you can always take it out in seconds for a quick snap.


Secondly, it serves multiple purposes, so it’s already great value for the money. Especially if you’re on the budget.


And lastly, photo editing apps are right there on your phone. You can, for example, quickly apply a perfect Lightroom preset and share it instantly to your social media channels. Convenient, right?


Many of the features that come included in these phone cameras are becoming increasingly competitive with DSLR cameras. So if you’re looking for the best phone cameras that take great photos, look no further than this article.




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