Crosscall Action-X5 Camera test

French manufacturer Crosscall is known for smartphones designed for harsh conditions, offering waterproof bodies, shock resistance, and long battery life. The latest model, the Action-X5, is no exception and is aimed at outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. Inside the sturdy case, the Android OS is powered by a Snapdragon 662 chipset and the 5.45-inch display offers HD + resolution.

With a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera, no telephoto or bokeh mode, things look pretty straightforward in the camera department compared to other devices in Crosscall’s price range. Let’s see how this rugged phone compares to more conventional competitors in the SBMARK camera test.

Key Camera Specifications:

• Primary: 48MP sensor, AF
• Ultra-wide: 13MP sensor, 120 ° field of view
• 1080p at 30fps

About SBMARK Camera Tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera reviews, SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 3000 test images and more than 2.5 hours of video in both controlled laboratory environments and indoor and outdoor natural scenes, using the default camera settings. This article aims to highlight the most important results of our tests. For more information on SBMARK Camera Test Protocol, please click here. More details on how we rate smartphone cameras can be found here.

Test summary

With a SBMARK Camera score of 87, Crosscall Action-X5 struggles to compete with the best devices in the high-end segment and achieves one of the lowest scores in its class. Image noise is a major problem in both photo and video modes. There is no bokeh mode and without a dedicated telephoto lens, telephoto images have little detail. However, it might be a good choice for users who prioritize hardware durability over camera performance and who only occasionally take photos and videos in good light conditions.

In this outdoor image, the level of detail is acceptable, but the facial exposure may be brighter, and limited dynamic range results in clipping of the highlights Cons the brighter background.

When recording still images, details are generally acceptable, especially in bright scenes. However, our testers often observed underexposure and limited dynamic range which results in clipping of highlights and shadows. A pink cast of white balance is usually noticeable and gets worse with decreasing light levels. Also, image noise is quite obtrusive, especially in low-light conditions. On the plus side, the lack of strong HDR processing and noise reduction means images are mostly free of blending and loss of texture artifacts.

Compared to some of its competitors, the Crosscall applies very little processing to its images. As a result, the preview image on the display is very close to the final result. The Action-X5 does not have a bokeh mode, eliminating the need to simulate the effect in preview.

Preview: very close to the final capture

The Action-X5 doesn’t come with a dedicated telephoto lens but is equipped with an ultra wide-angle camera that lets you squeeze more scene into the frame than the main shooter. However, the image quality leaves room for improvement. Dynamic range is limited, with clipping often visible for light and shadow tones, and with visible color margins.

Ultra-wide: underexposure, severe lack of detail, artifacts, including color fringes

Given the lack of a telephoto lens, telezoom images lack detail. Dynamic range is also limited and many images show highlight and / or shadow clipping. In addition, the canvas images show strong color fringing, distortion and noise.

Medium canvas, crop: lack of detail, noise

In terms of video quality, the Crosscall is mainly held back by unstable exposure and autofocus. As you can see in the clip below, the exposure is very unstable and the autofocus has trouble tracking the subject. Our testers also observed frequent concentrated breathing. White balance is pretty decent in bright and indoor conditions, but it becomes an issue in low light as well.