Best camera phones under ₹15,000

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro


The Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is only phone under ₹15000 to offer a 48MP camera where most brands only have 12MP and 16MP camera setups. It has a Sony IMX 586 sensor on board – the same one that’s on the Honor View 20 and One Plus 7 Pro.

Keep in mind that when you’re using the phone, you’ll have to manually turn on the 48MP mode in order to take high resolution pictures. The shots aren’t bad but some of the pictures are softened a little too much and it also takes a while for the shutter to process the photo in that mode.

But, even if you choose to stick to snapping photos in 12MP – Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is better than any other 12MP camera in its class. This is isn’t only for well-lit shots but also the case in low lighting, macro shots and landscape photography.

The phone’s front camera also works considerably well and automatically detect when you might need to use HDR for your photos.

Samsung Galaxy M30


Where Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 Pro is the only smartphone under ₹15,000 to offer 48MP goodness, the Samsung Galaxy M30 is the only phone to feature a triple camera rear setup.

The phone has a 13MP primary sensor, an 8MP wide angle lens, and a 5MP sensor for depth sensing. The power of its triple cameras can capture a considerable amount details but as is with ­all Samsung phones, the colors are a little too vibrant. That may not necessarily be a bad thing depending on what you want from your photos, but it does take away from the ‘natural-ness’ of the photo.

The phone is camera capabilities are at par with the Redmi Note 7 Pro, except when it comes to recording videos. The Galaxy M30 can only capture HD videos while the Redmi Note 7 can record 4K videos.

Realme3 Pro

The Realme 3 Pro was the first phone to bring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 into the Indian market and has the same camera as the OnePlus 6T, which costs over ₹30,000.

The camera onboard the phone has a 16MP Sony IMX519 primary sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. It takes good shots in well-lit conditions and also in low-light conditions in comparison to its counterparts. The Realme3 Pro’s AI detection may even be a little faster than the Redmi Note 7 Pro – making the photos a little more saturated than they need to be.

The Realme3 Pro is essentially the best gaming phone that you can buy under rs. 15 000 and requirement that’s only increasing by the day. A fact that is apparent in the fact that Redmi’s Note 7 Pro camera has many more features and customisations available to the user.

But, if you’re looking for the best of the worlds – gaming and photography – Realme3 Pro is the best option under rs. 15000 in the Indian market right now.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a good camera at the price of ₹9,999. The only thing is that its not absolutely consistent. The camera has a leg up over the other phones on this list as having the best color reproduction. What you see is what the camera will capture.

Portrait shots and landscapes in well lit conditions will turn out as well with well defined edges and accurate contrast. But, the minute you try and capture a low-lit image – the camera produces grainy images with vaguely defined edges.

The selfie camera with AI detection also works well and doesn’t go overboard with its ‘beautification’.

Samsung Galaxy M20

When you stack the Samsung Galaxy M30 against the Galaxy M20, there isn’t much of a difference when it comes to the phone’s camera. The camera is quick to focus and the shutter lag is minimal in most shooting conditions.

But, one problem that users have indicated with the Galaxy M20 is that due to the difference in megapixels in the primary and secondary rear lens – the photos sometimes have a ‘fish-eye’ distortion to them, which is obviously noticeable.