When Motorola launched the Moto G5 Plus, touting its dual-pixel camera, comparisons with the Samsung Galaxy S7 weren’t far behind. While that may be a far fetched comparison, it’s still a Samsung smartphone that is giving Motorola a run for its money. The recently launched Galaxy J7 Max doesn’t have much to show on paper, but it’s better than the Moto G5 Plus in a myriad ways.
For the most part, the two cameras are incredibly close, but there were many times when the Galaxy J7 Max (review) edged past the Moto G5 Plus (review), ever so slightly.
Outdoor/Daylight
Both phones come out shining in daylight conditions, with little to choose from. The differences are easy enough to spot when you have photos from each phone placed side-by-side, but the same will be difficult to spot otherwise.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max (Left) vs Moto G5 Plus (Right)
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max (Left) vs Moto G5 Plus (Right)
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max (Left) vs Moto G5 Plus (Right)
Having said that, the Galaxy J7 is better at producing the finer details, as shown in the photos of the flowers below. Also, the Moto G5 Plus produces slightly warmer photos, while the Galaxy J7 Max is swayed towards the cooler side. The Moto G5 Plus also produces a brighter frame overall.
All in all though, the photos are tough to separate when in well lit conditions. You have very little to choose from here.
Indoor
The J7 Max continues to produce better and finer details in indoor conditions, although other differences remain the same as in the outdoor conditions. Colours on the Motorola phone are more neutral, although many may prefer the vibrancy in photos taken by the Samsung Galaxy J7 Max.
That said, the brighter photos clicked by the Moto G5 Plus sometimes look better in indoor conditions. The Galaxy J7 Max reduces the overall brightness, which can read to photos that feel somewhat darker.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max (Left) vs Moto G5 Plus (Right)
It’s worth noting that this only comes into play sometimes, so it’s not a great difference. The difference in brightness is visible only when compared side-by-side.
Low Light
Low light conditions is where the differences are more evident, and where the Galaxy J7 Max comes out as the truly stronger device. While the camera hardware isn’t up to Samsung’s flagship standards, you can see shades of those camera algorithms at play here. The Galaxy J7 Max produces brighter low light photos, while softening the details at times.
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max (Left) vs Moto G5 Plus (Right)
The Moto G5 Plus illuminates photos at a pixel level, thereby leading to bleak spots sometimes. However, overall brightness and noise reduction are noticeably better on the Galaxy J7 Max.
Bottomline
It’s a very small difference, but the Galaxy J7 Max could indeed be considered to have the better camera amongst these two phones. To be clear, it is not the better phone still. If you are a camera enthusiast, the Moto G5 Plus is the phone to pick, since it is faster, has a better display and similar build quality. In the unlikely situation that the camera is the only factor affecting your decision, the Galaxy J7 Max has a slightly better camera.
Camera samples from Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
Camera samples from Moto G5 Plus