Galaxy Note 5 vs. iPhone 6s Plus vs. LG V10: The snow camera field test

Daylight samples

You can't climb a mountain without coming across at least one of these huts. We decided this one would be an excellent starter for our snowy shootout.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus • Huawei Mate 8 • Samsung Galaxy Note5 • LG V10

For the second scene we chose a beautiful scenery, which has a little bit of everything - snow, bushes, pine forests and beautiful mountain peaks.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus • Huawei Mate 8 • Samsung Galaxy Note5 • LG V10

Then we snapped some snow-covered trees and bushes at a closer distance.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus • Huawei Mate 8 • Samsung Galaxy Note5 • LG V10

In these samples the LG V10 captures the widest and sharpest images, which is great, but doesn't automatically makes it the best. With a golden tinge, the iPhone 6s Plus takes more eye-pleasing images than the V10, but the lower resolution means it captures fewer of the finer details.

The Galaxy Note5 is the middle ground - they are good in color reproduction and contrast, and even though they may not be as sharp as the V10's, we liked them most.

If we have to be honest, all of those samples are great and at the end of the day, we'd be happy with either of the cameraphones.

Here is another close up of some snowy bushes. Here the Note5 and V10 turned in noisier photos than expected while the iPhone 6s Plus did the best job even though it has the narrower field of view.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus • Huawei Mate 8 • Samsung Galaxy Note5 • LG V10

The fifth scene is quite demanding, especially if you don't rely on HDR mode. Surprisingly, the iPhone 6s Plus did the best job here - it was the phone with the highest dynamic range, level of resolved detail, the most accurate colors and the lowest noise levels. Still, the other two phones did great, and if you want a wider FoV, then either of the Note5 and V10 will do just perfect.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus • Meizu Pro 5 • Samsung Galaxy Note5 • LG V10

And here is another demanding scene with many trees, shadows, and the sun lurking behind those clouds. The iPhone made the picture warmer when it shouldn't while the Note5 achieved the best colors and contrast. The V10 had some tiny issues with the branches here and there, but nothing to ruin the great experience.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus • Meizu Pro 5 • Samsung Galaxy Note5 • LG V10

Same conditions, different place puts the V10 a notch before the others with incredible detail and sharpness. The Note5 sample came out softer while the iPhone's - warmer than reality.

Apple iPhone 6s Plus • Meizu Pro 5 • Samsung Galaxy Note5 • LG V10

As we said earlier - all three phones did great given the conditions, and it's a matter of personal choice really. If you like the wider photos - the Note5 and V10 will suit you better while the iPhone 6s Plus is better for scenes requiring high dynamic range.