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Two in one: LG G5 camera review

Published May 6, 2016 | Lars Rehm

1 Introduction

DPReview smartphone reviews are written with the needs of photographers in mind. We focus on camera features, performance, and image quality.

The LG G5 succeeds last year's G4 and is the first LG smartphone with a dual-camera setup. With an F1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization, the main 16MP module is very similar to the G4 in terms of specification and provides a 78-degree angle of view which is in line with most current high-end smartphone cameras.

But here's where things get interesting: the second lens comes with an F2.4 aperture and 8MP sensor and captures a 135-degree super wide-angle image. In the camera app you can switch between lenses via a button, and when using the digital zoom the camera switches seamlessly between the two modules. As before, the autofocus is assisted by a laser that measures the subject distance.

There is also an optional camera grip that should make the G5 particularly appealing to mobile photographers. The G5's 2,800mAh battery is removable and slots into the device from the bottom. The latter clips away when a release button is pressed which allows you to attach a number of replaceable modules, one of which is the CAM Plus camera grip. It comes with an additional 1,200mAh of battery capacity and offers power, shutter, video and zoom buttons. It also lets you lock exposure and provides a more comfortable grip. We've put the G5 and the CAM Plus grip through its paces. Read our full review to find out how they performed.

Key Photographic / Video Specifications

16MP main camera
F1.8 aperture
Optical image stabilization
8MP secondary super wide angle camera with F2.4 aperture
8MP, F2.0 front camera
4K video
120 fps 720p slow motion video
Optional camera grip with shutter button and control dial

Other Specifications

5.3-inch 1440p display
Snapdragon 820 chipset
4GB RAM
32GB internal storage
microSD support
2,800 mAh battery

Our 9-page review

We've considered every aspect of the LG G5 with the photographer in mind. We examined the user interface of the native camera app and its special features. We experimented with the camera's performance when taking stills and video, and had a play with the device's many special feature modes. Click any of the links below for more information of specific functions and continue to our conclusion for a final summary of our findings.

Tags: review, mobile, android, lg

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Comments

Total comments: 63

Mine will arrive tomorrow! I'm expecting its arrival to test it!

0 upvotes

I am quite surprised by low quality rendering - water color quite often especially in greens. Having V10 and G4 I hardly ever got this level of smearing. I think LG with this model has gone Samsung route - quite heavily overprocessing the JPG. V10 renders - at least in comparable scenes - visibly more naturally - not to mention available full manual video mode.

0 upvotes

The LG G5 jpeg engine is not great. Using the DNG RAW mode shows the potential of this phone. I posted samples here:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57739745

LG should include advanced JPEG options for compression and noise reduction and or improve the jpeg engine.

0 upvotes

Would be really nice if reviews include 35mm-equivalent focal length and sensor size information shown in the spec list. Thanks.

0 upvotes

dont stop at 2.

0 upvotes

My goddness the sound is so good with the B&O Module

0 upvotes

If you are a photographer you will take pictures with what ever is available and you will be able to get better shots than the less experienced. The shots people get with phones never cease to amaze me. You must come to terms with the reality that the opportunity to criticize does not make one a critic. Non photographers (as you would) get meaningful things and have fun doing it. Where's the harm in that? Art, after all, is in the eye of the beholder.

Edited 32 seconds after posting

8 upvotes

well said :)

1 upvote

Although there are undoubtedly some photographers who take pictures with their smarphones, smartphone "photographers" are generally not photographers at all, but merely consumers who take snapshots with their smartphones. Having the ability to hold a camera in your hand and press the shutter does not make one a "photographer" any more than drawing lines on a piece of paper makes one an "artist".

1 upvote

having the ability to post a comment does not make one a pundit any more than typing a sentence on a computer makes one a linguist.

Edited 2 minutes after posting

7 upvotes

I'd sure love to know what the phuck deriding people who can take photographs with ANYTHING WHATSOEVER has to do with this article...specifically.

0 upvotes

Most people who own DSLRs aren't photographers, either.

I don't really see the point you're trying to make. No qualification makes someone "a photographer". Am I a photographer because "I'm really into it"? No. Is someone a photographer only if they're really good at it?

2 upvotes

" No qualification makes someone "a photographer" " - yes there is, the qualification is someone who takes photographs.

0 upvotes

So, the main camera is good, but not great. The wide angle camera is fair, but not really good, but you really like the fact that it's there.

Considering just how bad the reviews for this smartphone overall have been everywhere, it doesn't seem as though these cameras are going to move the sales much. Very few people consider the camera as being more than one aspect of consideration, and rarely the biggest aspect.

Perhaps if this was a better phone overall.

1 upvote

Well, of course we focus our review on the camera and not on the other elements of the device...that said, what exactly is it that's so bad about the G5?

1 upvote

> Very few people consider the camera as being
> more than one aspect of consideration

True, but that's only because no-one has done it right so far. And with current obsession with super-slim phones, I can't see it happening any time soon.

Panasonic DMC-CM10 was a step in the right direction, and LG G5 brought some interesting ideas, but both were/are lacking... Let's wait see what the future holds.

There *is* a market for camera phones. I mean, phones with cameras in them treated at least equally important to the main function. I'm one of potential purchasers since, even though I always carry Sony RX100m2 on my belt, I still find it less convenient than a *proper* camera phone would be under many circumstances.

Edited 36 seconds after posting

1 upvote

I read lot of these LG G5 reviews. I think the implementation of the modular design and build quality could be better. However, I think the phone feels quite well made. Performance wise there is really nothing to complain about. The UI is fast and call quality is excellent. I chose this phone over other phones because of the dual camera and the modular feature. I posted test photos here:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/57725594

Edited 2 times; latest 5 minutes since posting

1 upvote

From what I've seen, all of the latest flagship phones got great reviews and bad reviews. Different people like different things. (Shocking revelation)

I like my G5 just fine. Is it perfect? No. Would I be happier with an S7 or an HTC 10? I doubt it. Are there people who'd be happier with one of those? I'm sure of it.

I don't know where "the main camera is good, but not great" comes from. As smartphone cameras go, it's top-tier. The only complaints the review had were in JPEG rendering, and you can shoot DNG and avoid all of that.

And the wide-angle is better than fair. It's absolutely not on a par with the main camera, but it's infinitely better than the wide-angle lens on any other smartphone out there (because there aren't any).

For me, the modular design was a "so what" feature. But I bought my G5 when the "free battery and charger" promo was running, and I've found it quite liberating to not worry about how much charge is left in my battery, because I've got a charged spare.

0 upvotes

I'm not criticizing your concentration on the camera, it's to be expected. It's also been stated on the site that it's what you're going to do.

I'm just saying that I've not read a review of this phone, overall, despite what some other posters are saying here, that has been better than just ok.

Since your review of the camera itself is good, but not outstanding, the phone itself would need to be very good to compare with the best Android and iOS models, and it's not.

0 upvotes

Lars, interesting review. It seems that the LG G5 doesn't have a shutter prority mode (ISO adjusting automatically to any given speed). I find this omission to be quite irritating in a high end phone (at least, there are many times I wish my LG G4 had this feature). Is there any technical reason for that? Thanks, Tiano

0 upvotes

You can do it with the Camera FV-5 app. But my experience has been that the five-stop adjustment range that ISO offers is too limiting. You really need to be able to vary the shutter speed as well in order to handle the wide range of scenes that the camera will encounter.

Give FV-5 a try on your G4 and see what you think.

1 upvote

What are the chances LG will develop a dual shot feature? The 16mp lens isn't as wide but they could only use the center portion of the 12mp WA frame and average it into the 16mp file. If both shots are fired at the same time/SS it could be a way to reduce noise, even improve resolution.

Is this too much engineering for LG?

0 upvotes

I bought the G5 specifically for the wide angle lens. Now I just can't go back...It is quite remarkable how much more you can fit in!

2 upvotes

The LG G5 looks better in person than in photos. The wide angle lens is fun. Performance wise I agree the jpegs are over processed. The dng files look much better. I'm pretty excited about the possibilities of future modules. The Cam Plus is OK but not something I would use daily. Overall it's a great phone.

1 upvote

I'm glad to see that DPReview is rolling smartphone reviews back into the regular website.
LG is a reputable manufacterer and it's good to see a company that actually innovates. I'm not sure I'm convinced by the battery grip and dual camera setup, but on the other hand, at least LG is trying. Compare that Apple, which had the audacity to update the 2012 vintage iPhone 5 form factor into the "new" iPhone SE. At least LG is trying while Apple literally "phones it in" with the latest iPhone.

7 upvotes

I just bought a G5 two weeks ago. Coming from a Note 3 and 4, i dont mind larger phones, which is why i will get the G5's battery grip. Not so much for photos as i don't use the camera that much, but for another 1200mAh of battery.

I held a demo of it and it will also be more comfortable to just hold the phone that way when im watching Netflix ect. IMO all phones should offer battery accessories.

1 upvote

Apple added back the 4" form factor because people keep asking for it. You can see on the Android side how many people ask for 4" phones with flagship hardware to get an idea.

Go to GSMArena to get iPhone SE's review. SE keeps up with all the latest phones and have better battery than all Android except Galaxy 7.

0 upvotes

LG really screwed up with G5 and the sales number shows it. It is already the ugliest of flagships (especially after the beautiful V10) and the friend modules just make it uglier.

The camera is good, not as good processing as iPhone and Samsung and not as good hardware as HTC. I hope LG put something amazing in the V11

3 upvotes

you're executing lg's master plan of profit exceedingly well. by creating an ugly product, people like you will comment about the beautiful V10 and buy that instead.

0 upvotes

I believe that the flash is single-LED. Also, as far as I know the laser-focus is exclusive to the 16-Mpix main camera; the wide-angle camera uses conventional contrast-detect focusing.

0 upvotes

A non-photographic correction to this statement: "An area of the display is always on, showing notifications, even when the device is in sleep mode."

Although widely reported that way, it's not "an area of the display". The full display is dimly lit, with only a small area actually showing anything. This is an option, so you can shut it off. And the dim backlighting automatically shuts off whenever the proximity detector is triggered, such as when the phone is in a pocket or purse, or lying face-down. So it doesn't use nearly as much power as it sounds.

0 upvotes

I wonder

WHEN

Pentax
(or one of unimportant market-players like Canon or Nikon)
;o)))

gets the right

IDEA:

a FF camera which can be used also as cell-phone.
We have already everything in DSLRs which are small computers as cell phones are ..

Is it so dificult to include bluetooth headset & some cell-phone functions too?
:o))))))))))

Edited 2 times; latest 6 minutes since posting

1 upvote

"a FF camera which can be used also as cell-phone."

You mean with a data connection to a mobile network for uploading images, or are you seriously wanting to take calls on your Pentax K-1?

2 upvotes

Ofcourse .. I was joking - but if I think this joke over once again, wouldn't it be nice to take phone calls also 4 ex. over K-1 conected with phones-net & only with head set .. WHY not?
:o)

0 upvotes

Growing up, i had an alarm clock radio made by Goldstar. That was a great old radio, from the 60s. Who knew that one day, Lucky Goldstar (LG) would have one of the top camera phones out there....? They were mostly known for soap and toothpaste back in the day... :)

5 upvotes

I wonder where cell phone cams are in relation to flagship DSLRs? I would guess many surpass the Nikon D2HS, which came out in Feb 2005 at $3,500. But still quite a jump to the Nikon D3, at $5,000 in 2007--not nearly there yet.

Talking overall performance--not just megapixels. And just a SWAG.

0 upvotes

Aren't smartphone camera reviews supposed to be on the Connect sister site? Has it been incorporated into DPReview?

2 upvotes

it has

4 upvotes

That phone wouldn't fit in a pocket. The "grip" is too big. If you out a grip that doubles the phone area, you should just use a real camera.

1 upvote

well, if you'd read the review you'd know that the grip is an optional accessory that can be as easily removed as it can be attached :)

10 upvotes

Ehh... It's probably still no thicker than some of the first gen smartphones like the HTC EVO/Desire... I like the idea of a combo grip/battery/controls, extra battery could've been bigger tho.

1 upvote

You could literally take any smartphone on the market, double or even triple the thickness of it and it would still fit in your pocket unless you were wearing those ridiculous super skinny jeans.

People seem to forget things like the Nokia 5110 which was described as "diminutive" at the time of release.

2 upvotes

Thank God this didn't take us to the white background website!

11 upvotes

Looks like connect is dead. Now the phone page of dpr.

0 upvotes

Connect as a separate URL has been retired, but mobile reviews and news will live on here.

8 upvotes

That's great, I was never a fan of the dichotomy or the back and forth clicking... This will make the Connect content I care a about more visible (no offense to Lars).

4 upvotes

Now if I could just get the light theme nag to go away on the main page......

4 upvotes

Unless you're trying to mimic a gopro, then a telephoto seems a better option.

0 upvotes

I'd say that totally depends on your requirements and style as a photographer. Independently it is, from an engineering point of view, easier to add a wide angle than a tele to a phone camera.

3 upvotes

Nothing wrong with a wide-angle, but I think most of us would prefer a proper rectilinear ultrawide.

1 upvote

"Independently it is, from an engineering point of view, easier to add a wide angle than a tele to a phone camera."

Is it? Sure a real telephoto is going to extend rather, but we're talking tiny sensors and no actual need of a telephoto lens for the same angle of view as a telephoto.

Meanwhile, the gopro thing is covered. Give us something new.

0 upvotes

He's just saying that because he thinks it's true, but it's not.

0 upvotes

78 degree field of view? What's that.

I think most of us here understand 35mm equiv better. And we're just fine with ignoring the comment arguments for those with 'equiv' issues.

7 upvotes

The problem is aspect ratio. The two rear cameras are 16:9, so converting to a 3:2 35mm equiv is a bit of a challenge. By the way, the 78 degrees (and 135 degrees for the wide-angle) are measured diagonally.

If you look at the diagonal angle of view on a 3:2 aspect ratio, the rear cameras are approximately 27mm and 9 mm. But if you're going to crop your captures back to 3:2 or 4:3, you're going to get a tighter field of view than that.

When compared against a conventional 4:3 camera, the magnification of the main camera is more like a 34mm equiv than 27mm.

6 upvotes

So....it's really not that complicated and dpreview could have given us the equiv 35mm anyway.

0 upvotes

it's not complicated for spies like mr. bond, but you did ask the question

0 upvotes

Well, it's more complicated than that, because "conventional" cameras aren't 4:3, they're wider. Full frame, as well as APS-C cameras, by far the greatest number of conventional cameras have a 3:2 ratio. Small point and shoot digital models tend to be 4:3 more often, but these cameras are dying out rapidly.

But when talking about 35mm equivalent, it's 3:2.

0 upvotes

If you don't need the wide-angle, the main camera is the same as on the G4 .

0 upvotes

same specs but definitely improved processing.

5 upvotes

G5 might be the most ambitious product ever made by LG. Combination of good camera, great sound, fast processor, etc is good, only if these features come in one piece, instead of modules.

7 upvotes

I love Madrid. Wrong food, dude!

0 upvotes

what food are you talking about?

1 upvote

ah, the Korean I assume...once in a while you've just had enough jamon, chorizo and all the other good Spanish stuff and something totally different is in order :)

5 upvotes

Total comments: 63

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Benchmark Performance: Nikon D810 review May 12, 2016	LG launches G5 modular smartphone with dual lens and optional camera grip Feb 22, 2016	Instagram gets a new logo, monochrome interface May 11, 2016	Facebook announces support for 360 degree photos May 12, 2016

LG G5 Smartphone, Display IPS 5.3" QHD, 4G LTE, Doppia Fotocamera 16MP e 8MP Grandangolare con frontale 8MP, Memoria interna 32 GB, 4 GB RAM, Titanio [Italia]●	EUR 516,00
LG G4 Smartphone, Display IPS 5.5" QHD, 4G LTE, Fotocamera 16MP con frontale 8MP, Memoria interna 32 GB, 3 GB RAM, Nero [Italia]●	EUR 401,66
LG Batteria Sostitutiva per G5, Giallo●	EUR 56,90
LG AFD-1200.AEUABK Modulo Hi-Fi Plus con casse B&O, Nero●	EUR 163,28
LG CAM Plus CBG-700 Impugnatura Fotocamera per Smartphone G5●	EUR 106,66
LG View Custodia per G5, Nero●	EUR 35,48
LG View Custodia per G5, Argento●	EUR 38,48
LG G4s Smartphone, Grigio [Italia]●	EUR 196,73
LG R105.AEUATS 360 Camera a 360 Gradi, Argento●	EUR 224,85
Cell Shell ® LG G5 Case / Cover / Custodia / Skin Silicone / Gel / TPU - Disegno Bianco Retro Gameboy●	EUR 0,49

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