Cameras on rugged devices are usually meant for utilitarian purposes, such as recording progress at a work site, and are not meant to replace your standalone camera. In terms of hardware, the XP Pro has a 50MP main shooter, a 13MP wide-angle camera, and a 2MP macro lens.
(Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
By default, the main and ultra-wide cameras produce images with the same color palette. The main camera uses pixel binning to take 12.5MP pictures, and colors look muted. Far-off details are muddy and overly smooth.
Main camera, 12.5MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
You can shoot at the full 50MP resolution if you wish, and colors take on a different look. In the sample photo below, the sky is blown out and the details aren’t clear. The building’s bricks change to a lighter tone compared with the 12.5MP image.
Main camera, 50MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The 13MP ultra-wide camera struggles to extract detail from shadowy areas, and distant objects appear soft and indistinct. The lawn looks more like a rug than grass.
Ultra-wide camera, 13MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The 2MP macro camera takes grainy shots even with plenty of light, and at full resolution, it’s still limited to just 2MP. I found that cropping regular 12.5MP or 50MP images led to better-quality close-ups.
Macro camera, 2MP (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The 16MP front-facing camera takes images with good color, though harsh light will cast shadows. Portrait mode is not a strong suit. The blurring effect around areas like hair or glasses produces unnatural results.
Left to right: Selfie, Portrait (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar)
The rear camera’s video quality tops out at 4K30, while the front-facing camera maxes out at 1080p30. They both produce similar results with blurry details and muted colors. None of the cameras feature optical image stabilization, so videos look bumpy.
In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro features a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 13MP front-facing camera. Its photos are more in line with what you’d expect from a modern smartphone, with oversaturated colors (typical of Samsung phones) and better detail overall.
