We subjected the Honor 90 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:

  • Primary: 200MP 1/1.4″ sensor, 0.56μm pixels, f/1.9 aperture lens, PDAF
  • Ultra Wide: 12MP sensor, 112˚ field of view, f/2.2 aperture lens, AF
  • Depth: 2MP sensor, f/2.4 aperture lens

Pros

  • Accurate target exposure under most conditions
  • Wide dynamic range in bright light conditions
  • Bright and vivid colors, especially in outdoor and indoor conditions
  • Steady and fast autofocus in outdoor and indoor conditions
  • Low video noise level in bright conditions
  • Good level of detail in close-up shots

Against

  • Frequent local loss of texture in low light shots
  • Shadow noise in the photos
  • Sharpness differences between video frames
  • Unwanted artifacts, such as aliasing, blending artifact, and ghosting
  • Loss of detail in tele shots

In our SBMARK Camera tests, the Honor 90 delivered a strong overall performance, with some of the best results for photographic exposure and autofocus we’ve seen on a device in the high-end segment. Target exposure was accurate in most conditions, even in backlit scenes and other challenging lighting situations, and autofocus was more consistent than most other devices in this class. Our experts particularly liked the Honor’s macro mode, which allowed the photographer to get close to the subject and was able to capture very good detail. Most devices in the high-end segment are equipped with less effective macro modes.

On the downside, the trade-off between detail retention and noise reduction could have been better. Our testers found the Honor 90 to suffer from a local loss of texture, especially in low light. Additionally, they noted a severe loss of detail when telephoto zoomed in because the device lacks a dedicated telephoto lens.

Performance in video mode was quite similar to photo mode, with the same good exposure and brilliant colors in daylight and indoor conditions. We also observed the same loss of detail in low light as in still images. Despite some room for improvement, the Honor 90 performed well overall for its class and is a good option for taking photos of scenes without too much movement in decent light, such as portraits of friends and family.

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.

Honor 90 camera scores over the top end

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

128

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

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.

Honor 90 Photo scores vs High-End

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.

Exposure

110

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

Color

102

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

Exposure and color are key attributes for technically good images. For exposure, the main attribute evaluated is the brightness of the main subject across various use cases such as landscape, portrait or still life. Other factors evaluated are contrast and dynamic range, e.g. the ability to make details visible in light and dark areas of the image. Repeatability is also important because it demonstrates the camera’s ability to provide the same rendering when taking multiple images of the same scene.
For color, the image quality attributes analyzed are skin tone rendering, white balance, color shading, and repeatability. With regards to color rendition and skin tone, we penalize unnatural colors but respect the manufacturer’s choice of color signature.

Honor 90 – Precise target exposure, wide dynamic range, natural skin tones

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G: Precise target exposure, wide dynamic range, natural skin tones

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Accurate target exposure, slightly desaturated colors

Auto focus

111

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

Autofocus tests focus on focus accuracy, focus repeatability, shutter lag, and depth of field. Shutter lag is the difference between when the user presses the capture button and when the image is actually taken. It includes the speed of focusing and the ability of the device to capture images at the right moment, the so-called “zero shutter lag” capability. While a shallow depth of field can be nice for a single-subject portrait or close-up shot, it can also be a problem in some specific conditions like group portraits; Both situations are tested. Focus accuracy is also evaluated in all real-life images taken, from infinity to close-up objects and low-light to outdoor conditions.

Autofocus irregularity and speed: 20Lux Δ7EV Tungsten 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 20Lux with tungsten illuminant, 500ms after blurring. In this scenario, the backlit panels in the scene are set to simulate a fairly high dynamic range: the luminance ratio between the brightest spot and an 18% reflective gray spot is 7, which we denote by an exposure value difference of 7 The edge sharpness is measured on the four edges of the Dead Leaves graph and the shooting time is measured on the Universal Timer LED.

Structure

90

Oppo Find X6 Pro

Oppo Find X6 Pro

Texture tests analyze the level of detail and texture of subjects in images taken in the lab as well as real-life scenarios. For natural shots, special attention is paid to the level of detail in the light and dark areas of the image. Objective measurements are performed on map images taken under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The charts used are the proprietary SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.

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.

Noise

86

Honor Magic5 Pro

Honor Magic5 Pro

Noise tests analyze various noise attributes such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture on real-life images and lab-captured graph images. For natural images, special attention is paid to noise on faces, landscapes, but also dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Noise on moving objects is also evaluated on natural images. Objective measurements are performed on chart images captured under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The graph used is the dead leaves graph and standardized measurement such as visual noise derived from ISO 15739.

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.

Artifacts

73

Google Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6

Artifact assessment examines lens shading, chromatic aberrations, geometric distortion, ringing edges, halos, ghosting, quantization, unexpected color tone shifts, among other types of possible effects unnatural on photos. The more serious and frequent the artifact, the greater the deduction of points from the score. The main artifacts observed and the corresponding loss of points are listed below.

Major penalties for photographic artifacts

Preview

64

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

The preview tests analyze the image quality of the camera app’s image preview, with particular attention to the difference between the capture and the preview, especially regarding the dynamic range and the application of the bokeh effect. The uniformity of exposure, color and focus adaptation when zooming from the minimum to the maximum available zoom factor is also evaluated. The preview frame rate is measured using the Universal Timer LED.

Honor 90 – Capture, wider dynamic range than preview

Zoom in

86

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

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.

Honor 90 Zoom Scores vs High-End

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.

Wide

93

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

These tests analyze the performance of the ultra wide angle camera at different focal lengths from 12mm to 20mm. All attributes of image quality are evaluated, with particular attention to artifacts such as chromatic aberrations, lens softness and distortion. The images below are an excerpt from the tested scenes.

Honor 90 – Accurate target exposure, bright and vivid color

Honor 90 – Loss of fine details

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G – Precise target exposure, bright and vivid colors

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G – Loss of fine details

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Accurate target exposure, bright and vivid colors

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Slight loss of detail

tele

54

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

All image quality attributes are evaluated at focal lengths from approximately 40mm to 300mm, with an emphasis on texture and detail. The score comes from a series of objective laboratory measurements and perceptual analysis of real-life images.

SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.

SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.

SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.

SBMARK CHART Detail Retention Score (DMC) by focal length

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC Detail Retention score versus the full-frame equivalent focal length for different lighting conditions. The x-axis represents the equivalent focal length measured for each corresponding shooting distance, and the y-axis represents the maximum detail retention metric score: higher value means better quality. Large dots correspond to the zoom ratio available in the camera application UI.

video

126

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.

Honor 90 Video scores vs High-End

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.

Exposure

97

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Color

100

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Exposure tests evaluate the brightness of the main subject and the dynamic range, e.g. the ability to make details visible in light and dark areas of the image. The stability and temporal adaptation of the exposure are also analysed.
Image quality color analysis examines color rendition, skin tone rendition, white balance, color shading, white balance stability and its adaptation when the light changes.

Honor 90 – Accurate target exposure, slightly limited dynamic range, minor focus inaccuracies

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G – Precise target exposure, slightly limited dynamic range

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Accurate target exposure, slightly limited dynamic range, slight exposure adaptation issues, slight autofocus instability

Structure

91

Oppo Find X6 Pro

Oppo Find X6 Pro

Texture tests analyze the level of detail and texture of real-life videos as well as graphics videos recorded in the lab. Natural video recordings are evaluated visually, with particular attention to the level of detail in bright areas and dark areas. Objective measurements of card images taken under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux are performed. The charts used are the SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.

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.

Noise

112

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

Samsung Galaxy A23 5G

Noise tests analyze various noise attributes such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture, temporal aspects on real-life video recording, as well as graph videos taken in the lab. Natural videos are evaluated visually, with an emphasis on noise in dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Objective measurements are performed on graph videos recorded under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The graph used is the SBMARK visual noise graph.

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 configuration.

Stabilization

95

Huawei P60Pro

Huawei P60Pro

The stabilization rating tests the device’s ability to stabilize footage using software or hardware technologies such as OIS, EIS, or any other means. The evaluation looks at residual motion, smoothness, yellow artifacts, and residual motion blur in walking and running use cases under various lighting conditions. The video below is an excerpt from one of the tested scenes.

Honor 90 – Sharpness differences between frames, slight camera shake, slight frame shift

Samsung Galaxy A54 5G – Slight camera shake, slight frame shift

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G – Slight camera shake, slight frame shift

Artifacts

81

Xiaomi 12S Ultra

Xiaomi 12S Ultra

Artifacts are evaluated with MTF and ringing measurements on the SFR graph in the lab, as well as frame rate measurements using the Universal Timer LED. Natural videos are visually evaluated by paying close attention to artifacts such as aliasing, quantization, blocking, and pitch shifting, among others. The more severe and frequent the artifact, the more points will be deducted from the score. The main artifacts and the corresponding point loss are listed below.

Top penalties for video artifacts

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Philip Owell

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