Good Camera Budget Smartphone -Best Budget Camera Phone

Budget Smartphones are getting good. In addition to good performance, they are also delivering some really good photos too. When you have a good amount of money, you are going to spend it on the greatest smartphone. The camera result will also be quite good.
However, we are going to talk about the best budget camera phone. What if you don’t have the money to buy an iPhone Xs or the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus? What will you do in that case?

The performance of the camera is what we are going to talk about in our article today. The bad news is that it will still cost you around $400. So if you go any less than that, chances are that you might suffer from bad lowlight shots and other camera problems. Although there are some smartphones that can still capture some really good daylight shots even to this date. There are some good camera budget smartphone
So what are the things that you must look out in the best budget camera phone?

Optical Image stabilization can help in taking some low-light shots and makes shooting sharp shots easier. Moreover, some budget smartphones nowadays offer multiple focal lengths too. An ultra-wide angle is another feature to look for in smartphone devices as it can get handy in taking wide shots. You can capture some cool shots of building from the wide-angle. Therefore, multiple camera lenses are required for this purpose.

We have researched a lot about low-cost smartphones that you can buy to this date. They are budget-friendly and can take some really good shots. Here are some of our top picks for the best camera budget smartphones.

1. Moto G7 Plus

Moto G7 Plus
This device was released in March 2019. It has dual rear cameras. One of 16 MP with f/1.7 aperture and OIS and the other one is a 5 MP depth sensor which is f/2.2 aperture. It has a 12 MP front camera and it does support OIS. The weight of the device is 176g. Moreover, it comes with a storage of 64 GB. The price is pretty affordable too. It’s available for $298

The Moto G7 Plus camera hardware is weirdly good. If we consider the price, the camera isn’t bad. It has a 16 MP Sony IMX519 primary rear camera which is the same as One Plus 6T. The lens aperture f/1.7 is good and wide considering that it’s a budget phone too. Moreover, the selfie camera has the same 12 MP sensor used as G7’s main camera.

The results are very good in daylight. Images are plenty of sharpness, bright and detailed. It’s even better than the Motorola One vision.
The low-light image quality is not as good as we thought considering that it has good hardware coupled with optical image stabilization. however, some cameras are even worse in this range. Moto G7 plus is, all in all, a really good camera budget smartphone.

Therefore, The Moto G7 Plus is our top budget recommendation for a good camera budget smartphone. It has a curved glass rear and a notch 6.2 inches screen. This makes the device worth it for its price. That is why it is first on our list.

2. Motorola One Vision

Motorola One VisionSource: Gsm Arena

This device was released after G7 in May 2019. It has a dual-camera setup with the primary one 48 MP wide-angle lens with f/1.7 aperture and the secondary camera is 5MP depth sensor. On the front, it has a 25 MP selfie shooter and it does contain optical image stabilization. The weight of the phone is 180 gram and the storage size is 128 GB. It costs $319.

The one vision is a little different from G7. It has almost the same price tag but let’s talk about it. It has Android One instead of Motorola’s skin on top of android. Moreover, it will look more like Google Pixel in terms of software.

One vision uses a 48 Megapixel camera that we have seen in many other smartphones this year. It has a sensor made by Samsung rather than Sony. It has the GM1 which is a half-inch sensor with 0.8micron of sensor pixels. These four pixels are binned together for lowering noise that comes in pictures and for better low light performance overall. It is the best budget camera phone.

So how about the results? The lowlight performance is better than G7 Plus but in daylight, G7 tends to be sharper than it. Moreover, it has a 5MP rear camera which is a depth sensor. The images are good for a budget smartphone but they are a little soft. Therefore, Vision One will be our second top pick for a good camera budget smartphone.

It also has a 21:9 ultra-long display with a punch 25 MP front camera. We have seen a punch-hole front camera in devices like S10 and Note 10.

3. Google Pixel 3a

Google Pixel 3a
Source: GsmArena

The Google Pixel 3a was released on May, 19. It has one rear camera which is a wide-angle lens with an aperture of f/1.8. It also has a front 8MP camera. Moreover, Optical image stabilization is also supported and the device weighs 147g. The storage size is 164GB. Overall, the device costs around $349 which is a budget smartphone.

So what makes it special? Camera quality is one of the main reasons to buy a Pixel 3A. it uses the same Sony IMX 363 sensor which we’ve seen on the original Pixel 3. That camera is great. It’s a 12MP camera with 1.4-micron sensor pixels.

The main camera is stabilized just like the google pixel 3 and it used OIS to shoot 2x digital zoom. Images are better than most of the other smartphones. All this is without a dedicated telephoto lens. It only has one camera and it does the job pretty good. Google calls this feature, Super Res Zoom. Moreover, it combines multiples exposure that is taken in a different position to exert information between the sensor’s pixels. That’s what makes it special.

This is a clever move by good. There are only slight differences in terms of image quality if we talk about Pixel 3a and Google Pixel 3. There’s only one front camera here compared to the dual front camera on Google Pixel 3.

The Google Pixel 3 is a really good choice though, it has a plastic body and a Snapdragon 670 CPU. Well, the phone is saved by the camera because no one would want a plastic body in that price range. The device would not be as good as without the camera. This is why Google Pixel 3a is on our best budget camera smartphones list.

4. Oppo RX17 Neo

Oppo RX17 NeoSource: Gsm Arena

This device was released in November 2018 which is old now. It has two rear cameras, one with a 16 MP wide-angle lens which is f/1.7 aperture and the other one is a 2MP depth sensor. The front camera is 25 MP and there is no OIS available for the device. It weighs 156g and the storage size is 128GB. The price is quite less for a budget smartphone. It costs around $265 to start with.

Oppo Rx17 neo is a good alternative to Moto G7 plus. It has a 16 MP back camera with a 2 MP depth sensor. Just like oppo, the camera quality is great for daylight. There is great dynamic range optimization and detail all across. Like all the budget smartphones, it suffers from low light syndrome though. Rx17’s camera is not even stabilized.

This is why we put Moto G7 Plus on the top of the list and not oppo. Well outside the camera it has a slow in-screen fingerprint scanner. Overall, Moto G7 is better and nice than Oppo’s plastic feel. Gamers should consider the OPPO rx17 neo. This is because it has a faster Snapdragon 660 CPU that can game better than Moto G7 plus.

5. Huwei P30 Lite

Huwei P30 LiteSource: Gsm Arena

The device was released in April 2019. It has a triple camera setup on the back. One is a 48 MP wide-angle lens with f/1.8 aperture. The other one is an ultra-wide lens which is 8 MP and lastly the 2MP which is a depth sensor. It comes with a price of $265 which is excellent.
It has a triple rear camera setup. However, it does lack the 5X zoom. To make things even worse, there is no zoom at all. One camera is ultrawide and the other one is a depth sensor. Pictures are taken from the primary 48 MP sensors which have become standard of cameras in 2019 smartphones.

It shoots 12 Megapixels but with an intensive dynamic range, we can expect a lot form this phone. Images are severely overexposed in some areas though. There is a dedicated night mode too which does work but it cannot match Huawei’s flagship devices by any means. But with the price range of $260, these are some really fine results. The low light performance is pretty okay too.

You get three cameras and the blurring algorithm that Huawei uses is pretty good too. It also has a high-end glass back but the sides are still plastic. The device is overall good and that’s why it’s in our good camera budget smartphone list.

6. Honor 20 Lite

Honor 20 LiteSource: Gsm Arena

Honor 20 lite was released in April 2019. It has a triple rear camera too. One is a 24 MP wide-angle lens with f/1.8 aperture and the other one is 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens. Lastly, you’ll get a 2MP depth sensor. Moreover, the front camera is 32 MP selfie shooters. There is no OIS on the device. It weighs 164 grams. The device comes with a 128 GB model and the price tag is $237.

Most of Huawei’s phones do look a little similar. This is because they are related to each other. The cameras are not the same though. There is no zoom, however, you get a basic 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2 MP depth sensor too. The primary camera is 24MP rather than 48 MP standard one. Well compared to other Huawei devices it does perform a little worse in most of the cases but there isn’t a whole lot of difference.

You will still get other features that will be useful if you’re a photographer. At some point, these two devices are somewhat similar but Honor 20 Lite is cheaper.

It has a plastic back rather than a glass back. So the look and feel is of a cheaper but. Still, it’s not all bad in terms of the camera department. This is why it’s on our list for good camera budget smartphones.

7. iPhone 7 by Apple

iPhone 7 by AppleSource: Gsm Arena

Apple iPhone 7 was released in September 2016. It has just one rear camera which is a 12 Megapixel shooter. It is a wide-angle lens. The aperture is f/1.8 and the phone weighs 138g. Moreover, it comes with various storage capacities like 32/128 and 256 GB.
We can find it used for $234 and the price can increase or decrease accordingly. The iPhone 7 is the oldest and budget-friendly smartphone by Apple that still sells pretty good. The good news is that the camera is still great in daylight.

It’s not the best iPhone camera but you can get it for really cheap considering it’s an Apple smartphone. It has a high quality 12 MP camera which used to be a standard of smartphone cameras years ago. Like other iPhones, everything is great and looks good.

However general night shots aren’t even matched for Pixel 3a. We can see that it suffers from low light performance because it has no flexibility for using any night mode.

The device still captures great for its poor price tag. The experience of using such a device in 2019 is still great. This is why it is in our good camera budget smartphone list.

8. Huawei P Smart 2019

Huawei P Smart 2019Source: Gsm Arena

This device was released in December 2018. It has a dual-camera setup, the primary one being a 13 Megapixel wide-angle lens with f/1.8 aperture and the other one being a 2MP sensor. The front camera is 16 Megapixels and there’s no OIS. The device weight 160g and it comes with two storage sizes, 32 GB and 64GB. It comes with a price tag of $239 which is cheap.

Huawei P Smart 2019 is the perfect example of a super-cheap smartphone will a good camera. This is because of Huawei’s camera processing that is used in their high-end smartphones.

Night mode is not even near the Huawei’s P30 but it does have a really good dynamic range. Processing is what makes a device’s camera better coupled with a good sensor. It has a good 13 Megapixel main sensor.

It has a fine daylight shot as you would expect to from a device of this range. Moreover, the dynamic range optimization helps the most in overexposed areas that we often see on budget phones. Video is a weak spot for this device. It cannot depend on the software and there’s no 4K capture too. The dark footage will be made in the low light of course. This is just like we see on other smartphones.

9. Asus Zenfone 6

Asus Zenfone 6Source: GSM Arena

The device was released in April 2019. It has a rear camera of 48 MP and the other one is 13 MP. The front camera is 8MP and it does support OIS. It weighs 190g  and comes with a variety of storage sizes from 64 to 512 GB.

With both 48 MP and 13 MP camera, this device can snap some of the best selfie snappers. It is great for Vlogging and Instagram too. But the thing is, there are some other aspects of the phone that outshine even the camera. It has a huge 5000 mAh of battery and it can easily last a full day of usage. The phone does packs a punch in terms of power too, Without an OLED screen the edge to edge display is great to look at.
The primary camera isn’t as good as the main cameras of smartphones that we’ve listed in our list today but it work’s

10. Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung Galaxy S8Source: Gsm arena

The device goes back to 2017. It has only one rear camera of 12 MP and a front camera of 8MP. It does support the OIS and aperture is f/1.7. Moreover, It has Phase autofocus detection which is great. The phone weighs 155g and it comes with 64GB storage size.
It is available very cheap somewhere between 300 and 400 USD. with new devices being launched, we can see the true nostalgia and potential of old smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S8 is a great smartphone.

The consistency of taking pictures and the quick opening camera is fast as always. The autofocus is really good and it even has a brilliant selfie mode for the front camera. Well, for 2019’s standard, it doesn’t have any dual or trip cameras but the daylight and lowlight performance is exceptional. Video recording is good too.

Moreover, the phone has enough power and speed to run anything you will through at it. It has an ideal shape and size for the use of photography phone.

Honorable Mentions for Good Camera Budget Smartphone

Huawei Honor Play

Honor Play is another good looking smartphone that doesn’t get a lot of attention. It has a great screen, a decent batter and it can capture good photos too. There are times when the photos are not good but when it takes photos it does pretty well. There are a bunch of features that Huawei provides to make the device even better for photography and fun. If you don’t want to waste a lot of money on a smartphone then Huawei Honor Play is the one for you.

It has dual rear cameras that hare 16MP and 2MP. A 16 MP front selfie camera with 6.3 inches of FHD+ screen. It has EIS which is good too. This is the reason why Honor play is in Honorable mentions of good camera budget smartphones.

Nokia 7.1

Nokia 7.1 has an excellent screen with a great dual-camera setup that can shoot up to 4K video. The features are really good as it’s made by Nokia and you don’t get to see a lot of smartphone with a camera like this. The camera is pretty good but it’s not a surprise that as the light goes down, it can capture some bad images.

If you are looking for a great looking smartphone with a lot of features and that can create good photos with 4K video recording built-in and a good screen. The Nokia 7.1 is just for you. It a budget-friendly device that is better than its predecessor.

The phone has two rear cameras, one of 12 MP with f1.8 aperture and the other one is 5MP f/2.4 lens made by ZEISS optics. The front camera is 8MP with f/2.0 aperture and it records up to 1080p if we talk about the front camera. All in all, it’s a really good device when we talk about cameras. If you want a good device with a fine camera then the Nokia 7.1 is the one for you.

Honor 9

The honor smartphones are known to be an affordable smartphone range by Huawei. Honor 9 is an awesome smartphone at a more reasonable price. It’s an old smartphone but still, the cameras and features are better to this date.

It has a dual-camera setup with great ram and storage. Moreover, it is a stylish and good looking smartphone if you ignore the notch culture. The camera offers a hybrid zoom which gives it up to 2x zoon with only slight damage to the photo quality. The black and white image is taken on 20 MP camera and noise is well controlled with everything set.

It does not have a waterproof body but it can record all the way up to 4K video. The device does not have an OIS which is bad for both video and photos too. But if you want black and white photos for your self then Honor 9 is the way to go for you. It has a 12MP color sensor of 2.2 aperture, 20 MP black, and the white sensor which is also 2.2 aperture. A front camera of 8mp that can record videos on 30 Fps. It does support EIS but we all know that EIS is software enabled.

Conclusion

These are some of the Good camera budget smartphones that we could find to this date. All smartphones have something unique in their arsenal that’s why they were featured in our article.