Google Pixel 7 Pro Actually Challenges My $10,000 DSLR Camera Setup

Google got my attention by boasting about the Pixel 7 Pro phone‘s “pro-level zoom” and asserting that the phone’s photography features can challenge traditional cameras. I’m one of those serious photographers who hauls around a bulky camera and a bunch of lenses, but I love smartphone photography too, so I decided to test those claims.

At its October launch event, Google touted the Pixel 7 Pro’s telephoto zoom for magnifying distant subjects, its Tensor G2-powered AI processing, its faster Night Sight for low-light scenes and a new macro ability for closeup photos. “It cleverly combines state-of-the-art hardware, software and machine learning to create amazing zoom photos across any magnification,” Pixel camera hardware chief Alexander Schiffhauer said at the phone’s launch event. Google wants you to think of this phone as offering a continuous zoom range from ultrawide angle to supertelephoto.

As you might imagine, I got better results from my “real” camera equipment, which would cost £10,000 if purchased new today. Even though my Canon 5D Mark IV is now 6 years old, it’s hard to beat a big image sensor and big lenses when it comes to color, sharpness, detail and a wide dynamic range spanning bright and dark tones. But the Pixel 7 Pro’s photographic flexibility challenges my camera setup better than any other phone I’ve used, even outperforming my DSLR in some circumstances and earning a “stellar” rating from CNET editor Andrew Lanxon.

While my camera and four lenses fill a whole backpack, Google’s smartphone fits in my pocket. And of course that £900 smartphone lets me share a selfie, check my email, pay for the groceries and tackle the daily crossword puzzle.