We subjected the Black Shark 5 Pro to our rigorous SBMARK Camera test suite to measure its performance in terms of photo, video and zoom quality from an end-user perspective. This article analyzes how the device performed in a variety of tests and several common use cases and aims to highlight the most important results of our tests with an excerpt of the data captured.
Overview
Main camera specs:
- Main: 108MP 1/1.52″ sensor, 0.7µm pixels, f/1.75 aperture lens, AF
- Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2 aperture lens, AF
- Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4 aperture lens, AF
Pros
- Accurate target exposure in outdoor and indoor conditions
- Image preview close to capture
- Stable autofocus in photos and videos
- Efficient macro mode
- Good noise level in bright light in videos
Versus
- Limited dynamic range with bright areas usually clipped out
- Visible white balance cast
- In bokeh, visible problems with size and shape
- Low exposure of the target in the video
- Texture artifacts in the video, including distortion
- Low detail when zoomed in
The Black Shark 5 Pro’s camera scored decently in photos and videos due to its capabilities in outdoor and indoor conditions. It also has an outstanding macro function which allows the user to take close-up photos with a good level of detail. However, the camera was underperforming in difficult conditions like HDR scenes and low light when taking photos or shooting videos. In those conditions, some artifacts were visible and the device struggled to accurately render the texture of the scene.
The lack of a telephoto lens in the device means that it relies on a digital zoom, which has had an impact on image quality when zooming.
During video shooting, the Black Shark 5 Pro performed quite similarly to the Xiaomi 12, its closest competitor, but there were some differences in color rendition. The Black Shark 5 Pro also exhibited some issues with video stabilization and had limited zoom capabilities.
Trial summary
About SBMARK Camera Tests: SBMARK’s camera evaluations are conducted in labs and in real-world situations using a wide variety of subjects. Scores are based on objective tests for which results are calculated directly by the measurement software on our lab setups and perceptual tests where a sophisticated set of metrics allows a panel of image experts to compare aspects of quality of the image that require human judgment. Testing a smartphone involves a team of engineers and technicians for about a week. Photo, zoom, and video quality are rated separately and then combined into an overall score for comparing cameras from different devices. For more information on the SBMARK camera protocol, click here. More details on smartphone camera scores can be found here. The following section compiles the key elements of SBMARK’s exhaustive testing and analysis. Full performance evaluations are available upon request. Please contact us on how to receive a full report.
Black Shark 5 Pro camera scores over Premium
This graph compares the SBMARK photo, zoom and video scores between the tested device and the references. The average and maximum scores of the price segment are also indicated. The average and maximum scores for each price segment are calculated based on the SBMARK database of tested devices.
Photo
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Huawei Mate 50 Pro
Huawei Mate 50 Pro
SBMARK camera photo test information
For scoring and analysis, SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2,600 test images in both controlled laboratory environments and outdoor, indoor, and low-light natural scenes using camera presets. The photographic protocol is designed to take into account the main use cases and is based on typical shooting scenarios, such as portrait, family and landscape photography. Evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and by performing objective measurements on laboratory-acquired graph images under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1,000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300 K to 6,500 K.
Black Shark 5 Pro photo scores
Photo tests analyze image quality attributes such as exposure, color, texture and noise under various lighting conditions. Autofocus performance and the presence of artifacts are also evaluated on all images acquired under controlled laboratory conditions and on real-life images. All of these attributes have a significant impact on the final quality of the images captured with the tested device and can help you understand the main strengths and weaknesses of the camera.
Black Shark 5 Pro – accurate exposure and white balance.
Autofocus Ruggedness and Speed: 1000Lux Δ0EV Daylight Handheld
This graph illustrates focus accuracy and speed, and also zero shutter lag capability by showing edge acuity versus shooting time measured on the AFHDR setup over a series of images. All photos were taken at 1000 Lux with Daylight illuminant, 500 ms after blurring. Edge sharpness is measured on the four edges of the Dead Leaves graph and shooting time is measured on the Universal Timer LED.
SBMARK CHART (DMC) Detail Retention Score vs. Lux Levels for Tripod and Handheld Conditions
This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Retention of Detail score with lux level, for two holding conditions. The DMC Detail Retention Score is derived from an AI-powered metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendition on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.
Evolution of visual noise with illuminance levels in portable conditions
This graph shows the evolution of the visual noise metric with lux level under palmar conditions. The Visual Noise metric is the average of the Visual Noise measurement across all patches of the Dead Leaves graph in the AFHDR configuration. The SBMARK visual noise measurement is derived from the ISO15739 standard.
Zoom in
66
Honor Magic4 Ultimate
Honor Magic4 Ultimate
About SBMARK Camera Zoom Tests
SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 400 test images in controlled laboratory environments and natural outdoor, indoor, and low-light scenes using camera presets and pinch zoom at various zoom factors from ultra wide to very long zoom. Evaluation is performed by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and by performing objective measurements of lab-captured map images under varying conditions from 20 to 1000 lux and color temperatures from 2300K to 6500K.
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Zoom vs Ultra-Premium scores
This graph illustrates the relative scores for the different zoom ranges evaluated. The abscissa is expressed in focal length equivalent to 35mm. Zoomed scores appear on the right and zoomed scores on the left.
video
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Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max
About SBMARK Camera Video Tests
SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2.5 hours of video in controlled lab environments and low natural light scenes, indoors and out, using the camera’s default settings. Evaluation consists of visually inspecting natural video taken under various conditions and performing objective measurements on lab-recorded graph video under various conditions from 1 to 1000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.
Black Shark 5 Pro video scores
Video tests analyze the same image quality attributes as still images, such as exposure, color, texture or noise, as well as temporal aspects such as speed, exposure uniformity and stability, white balance and autofocus transitions.
BlackShark 5 Pro – In moving scenes, stabilization performance affects the rendering of the scene even if the color and exposure are adjusted correctly.
SBMARK CHART (DMC) video score for detail retention versus lux levels
This graph shows the evolution of the video DMC detail retention score with the level of lux in the video. The DMC Detail Retention Score is derived from an AI-powered metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendition on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.
Evolution of spatial visual noise with level of illumination
This graph shows the evolution of spatial visual noise with lux level. Spatial visual noise is measured on the visual noise table in the video noise setup. The SBMARK visual noise measurement is derived from the ISO15739 standard.
Time evolution of visual noise with level of illumination
This graph shows the evolution of visual noise over time with lux level. Temporal visual noise is measured on the visual noise table in the video noise setup.
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