Smartphone camera performance can vary significantly depending on lighting conditions and the type and intensity of movement involved. A device may perform differently when shooting on a tripod, handheld, or while walking, with challenging lighting further exposing differences in stabilization and image quality. In low light, longer exposure times can make images more susceptible to motion blur, while walking introduces continuous movement that can further challenge the camera’s ability to maintain detail and sharpness. Evaluating photo stabilization in a single scenario or through a simple visual comparison therefore provides only a partial view of a device’s capabilities.
In this analysis, we focus specifically on photo stabilization, complementing the video stabilization evaluation covered in DXOMARK’s Camera protocol. To provide a more comprehensive assessment of how smartphones handle still-image capture in challenging situations, we compared the stabilization performance of four flagship devices across a range of lighting and movement conditions. The results highlight how effectively each device maintains image detail and sharpness as shooting conditions become more demanding.
Putting smarthone photo stabilization to the test
We evaluated photo stabilization in our lab using a realistic portrait scene designed to closely reflect user perception. Our All-in-One Portrait setup combines a realistic mannequin, controlled lighting, and a shaking platform, bringing together the key elements needed to quickly assess the main image quality attributes of a portrait under controlled and repeatable conditions. It also allows the same test conditions and movements to be reproduced consistently across devices.
The evaluation covers a lighting range from very low-light to bright-light conditions (0.1 to 1000 lux) and three movement scenarios: tripod, handheld, and walking. By measuring detail preservation on the mannequin’s face across these conditions, we can objectively evaluate how effectively a camera maintains image detail as lighting decreases and movement becomes more complex.
Detail preservation measured on realistic mannequin in our portrait lab
Four flagships, three motion scenarios, and changing light
The benchmark compares the stabilization performance of four flagship smartphones — Apple iPhone 17 Pro, vivo X300 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and OPPO Find X9 Ultra — across multiple lighting levels ranging from 0.1 to 1000 lux. To illustrate the results, we focus on three representative scenarios: 100 lux for indoor conditions, 10 lux for low-light indoor conditions, and 0.1 lux for very low-light or night scenes. At each level, we evaluate performance in tripod, handheld, and walking scenarios, allowing us to assess how detail preservation changes with both illumination and movement.
While differences in color and overall image rendering may also be visible between devices and lighting levels, detail preservation is the key metric considered in this benchmark. Focusing on detail allows us to objectively compare stabilization performance and see how effectively each device maintains image detail as shooting conditions become more demanding.
100 lux – Indoor light
At 100 lux, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra shows relatively consistent detail preservation across tripod, handheld, and walking, with only a small variation between the different motion scenarios. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro retains slightly more detail than the vivo X300 Ultra in indoor light, while the vivo performs slightly better in walking than in handheld and tripod. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra shows the lowest detail preservation among the four devices in these conditions. Overall, the results show different levels of detail preservation and variation between movement scenarios, even in relatively indoor conditions.
10 lux – Low light
At 10 lux, the results reveal an interesting change in processing behavior on the Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, with image quality improving despite the decrease in illumination. This behavior is much less noticeable on the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and is not observed on the vivo X300 Ultra. The OPPO remains more consistent between handheld and walking, while the Apple shows some loss of detail when moving to walking. The Samsung improves compared with its indoor-light performance before losing quality again as lighting decreases further.
0.1 lux – Extreme low light
At 0.1 lux, the differences between the devices become most pronounced. The OPPO Find X9 Ultra maintains good detail preservation across the tested scenarios, while the Apple iPhone 17 Pro continues to perform well but shows a larger difference between handheld and walking. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra preserves the lowest level of detail across tripod, handheld, and walking. The vivo X300 Ultra preserves detail relatively well in tripod and handheld but shows a significant loss of details during walking.
Importance of measuring repeatability and consistency
This test provides quantitative data that allows stabilization performance to be measured objectively across different lighting and movement conditions. The graph below shows how detail preservation varies across the different lighting and movement conditions, providing a clear view of device performance beyond a visual comparison of individual images.
However, quantitative measurements alone do not tell the complete story. To assess repeatability and consistency, we captured 30+ photos for each lighting condition, from 0.1 lux to 1000 lux, and combined the measurements with visual analysis of the individual captures. This approach allowed us to identify failure cases and understand variations that may not be apparent from the overall performance data.
At 0.1 lux, for example, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra shows two distinct clusters of results, with some captures delivering very good quality and others showing lower quality. The vivo X300 Ultra shows the widest disparity between captures and the highest number of failure cases, particularly at 0.1 lux. While it preserves detail relatively well in tripod and handheld conditions, a significant loss of detail is observed during walking. These results illustrate why repeated captures and visual comparison are essential to fully understand the consistency and reliability of a device’s stabilization performance.
OPPO Find X9 Ultra
vivo X300 Ultra
The benchmark highlights clear differences in stabilization performance across lighting and movement conditions. The OPPO Find X9 Ultra delivered the strongest overall stabilization performance, with the smallest variation between tripod, handheld, and walking scenarios, while the iPhone 17 Pro also showed strong performance, particularly in indoor conditions. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and vivo X300 Ultra showed greater variations as lighting and movement conditions became more challenging.
These results highlight the importance of stabilization in real-world photography, where users may capture images handheld, while walking, or in low-light conditions. Evaluating performance across these different scenarios provides a clearer view of how consistently a smartphone can preserve detail when shooting conditions become more demanding.
