Xiaomi is known for releasing best sellers. The Redmi Note series has always had an ardent fan following, thanks to its extremely value for money profile, giving the best hardware at the lowest price. But Xiaomi’s best sellers often have a less popular competition from Meizu. While it doesn’t look like this year’s Meizu E3 will overthrow Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 5 (Chinese Ver.), the former could be better than the Redmi model in some areas, especially in the camera department. On paper, the specs of the device looks pretty impressive, hence we decided to pit the Chinese Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 vs Meizu E3 to check out which one does a better job at capturing shots in different lighting situations.
In this article, we will compare the two cameras in detail, so we’ll pick out a few samples and talk about each one side by side. This way, you know which one does better in which department. So make sure to read the entire article to know the camera performance of both the handsets.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu E3 Camera: Daylight Performance
In general, both have pretty good cameras for its price. So, daylight photos are going to come out well. On paper, you might think that the 12MP + 20MP sensor on the Meizu E3 might perform better than the 12MP+5MP sensors on the Redmi Note 5 (China). However that’s not really the case in real life, especially in daylight.
Both phones manage to capture good quality pictures with decent levels of detail. However, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5’s camera has a wider dynamic range and it makes many of the samples look better than the ones from the Meizu model. Take the example of the samples down below.
In this sample, the Meizu E3 manages to capture better colors which result in bluer blues and greener greens. Having said that, the dynamic range of the Redmi Note 5 is better and it makes this sample from the Xiaomi model look slightly better than the Meizu one. Clearly, the darker areas in the image look better on the RN5’s sample.
Note that in the areas where there’s ample sunlight, Meizu captures better details. For example, just zoom into the building in the background and check out the outlines of the air conditioning. The Meizu E3 has managed to capture those areas with better detail. However, overall, I like Redmi Note 5 Pro’s sample here because of its wider dynamic range.
In another example, where the dynamic range wasn’t put to test, both managed to do quite well, but Meizu was a bit better in terms of capturing intricate details. For example, in the image of the toy gun below, the Meizu E3 captured slightly better details, which makes its sample look better than the one from the RN5. Just zoom into the image and you’d see the slight difference in the quality.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 vs Meizu E3 Camera: Portrait Mode
Portrait mode on both the phones are good, but RN5 seems to be slightly better in this department. We found the Meizu E3’s camera to capture brighter portraits but this makes the colors look washed out at times. On the other hand, the portraits from the RN5 look richer with better blur and focus. Just check out the below samples and you’d know what I’m trying to explain here.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 vs Meizu E3 Camera: Low Light Performance
This is really where Meizu’s camera shines. On most occasions, Meizu E3 managed to capture more saturated samples with less noise. Colors pop out much better than the samples from the RN5 as they look a bit washed out.
For example, let’s consider two cases here.
In the sample of the flower vase above, you can see that the Meizu E3’s sample looks more saturated which makes the yellow background pop out well. We do find the E3 to be a bit nosier than the RN5’s sample but it compensates that with better details. For example, you can see that the flower buds in the sample have better details on the Meizu E3’s sample. So, despite the slightly higher noise, the E3’s sample looks more detailed. Overall, I find the E3’s sample to be better than the one from the RN5.
Let’s take another example and this time at night. The image of the parking lot from the RN5 looks brighter but it comes at the cost of lesser details. On the other hand, the E3’s sample looks richer with better colors and higher details. Just take a look at the cars on the right side of the sample under the street light. E3’s sample shows better details on the cars as compared to RN5. Also, the blacks on the RN5 look a bit washed out. So, E3’s sample looks richer and better than the Redmi Note 5.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 vs Meizu E3 Camera: Conclusion
To conclude, it looks like the Redmi Note 5 does well in daylight and portrait shots. Meizu E3 is also pretty good, but the RN5 might have a slight advantage in many cases due to its wider dynamic range. Things get better with E3 when the sunlight is not that strong, like in the case of the sample of the pink flowers below.
As the light goes down, Meizu E3’s camera starts to shine. In general, the phone manages to capture richer photos with better details. So, when it comes to low light photography, it’s definitely better than Redmi Note 5’s 12MP+5MP dual camera setup at the back.
In short, both the cameras are pretty good. But if you want better low light shots, make sure to spend a little more and get the Meizu E3. However, that’s the only real advantage of the E3’s camera. If low light photography isn’t your primary concern, I would personally go with the RN5 as its camera is pretty good, is cheaper and has a larger battery too.
You can check out our Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu E3 comparison for checking which one does better in other departments.
You can check out all the original samples of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (China) vs Meizu E3 camera comparison from here.
