If you have a good camera phone in your pocket, you don’t need to carry a bulky DSLR around at all times. Smartphone cameras have become ridiculously good over the years. Their primary and telephoto lenses can capture stunning portraits with shallow depth of field and aesthetically pleasing background blur. The best part is that you can find solid camera phones in midrange and budget categories as well. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 mobiles for DSLR-like photography across price categories.
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In This Article
Oppo Find X9 Pro
Oppo’s flagship offering goes all out when it comes to cameras. Its camera island packs a 50MP primary shooter, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a 200MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. This camera setup puts up a versatile display in a wide range of lighting conditions. The telephoto lens allows you to take tasteful portrait shots from a distance. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 SoC and runs the Android 16-based ColorOS 16 out of the box. It flaunts a 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 3,600 nits. The 7,500mAh battery pack supports 80W wired and 50W wireless charging. Read our Oppo Find X9 Pro review to learn more about its photography performance.
Pros
- Great cameras
- Bright display
- Big battery
Cons
- Slightly pricey
Vivo X300 Pro
The Vivo X300 Pro combines flagship-grade camera hardware with intelligent photoprocessing skills. The giant camera cutout on the back panel houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 200MP telephoto lens with 3.7x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. The smartphone does a brilliant job of taking low-light shots with incredible colour accuracy and minimal noise. At the heart of the device lies the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset. Software duties are handled by the Android 16-based OriginOS 6. The 6,510mAh Si/C battery pack supports 90W wired and 40W wireless charging. Dive into our Vivo X300 Pro review to learn more about the smartphone.
Pros
- Amazing cameras
- Bright display
- Fast charging
Cons
- Contains bloatware
Xiaomi 17 Ultra
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has one of the most decked-out camera setups around. Its giant camera panel houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a 200MP periscope telephoto lens with continuous 3.2x – 4.3x optical zoom. You can use the ring around the camera island to control the zoom. The Photography Kit accessory for this smartphone adds pro-grade tools like a two-stage shutter, zoom level, custom dial, thumb support, and a dedicated video button to its arsenal. If you want to up the ante, this is the phone you should go for. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC at the heart of this phone ensures that you’re never left hanging for power. Read our Xiaomi 17 Ultra review for more details about the smartphone.
Pros
- Amazing cameras
- Pro-grade photography kit
- Powerful processor
Cons
- Pricey
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
The top-spec Ultra model in the Samsung Galaxy S26 series doesn’t take a huge leap when it comes to camera specs, but it quietly delivers a rock-solid performance. Its rear camera array comprises a 200MP primary shooter, a 50MP ultrawide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and another 50MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. Having 3 telephoto lenses at your disposal gives you the liberty to zoom in from a distance without losing any of the finer details. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and runs the Android 16-based One UI 8 out of the box. Its 6.9-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2x display comes with a nifty built-in privacy filter. Read our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review to learn more about the device.
Pro
- Privacy display
- Powerful chipset
- Fast charging
Cons
- Lacks an IP69 rating
iPhone 17 Pro
The wide camera plateau of the iPhone 17 Pro houses three 48MP sensors, one each for the primary shooter, ultrawide lens, and 4x telephoto lens. This is one of the best camera setups you can get on a smartphone right now. Powering the device is Apple’s in-house A19 Pro chipset. Software duties are handled by iOS 26 out of the box. The 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display can reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The 3,998mAh battery pack supports USB Type-C and MagSafe/Qi2 wireless charging.
Pros
- Bright display
- Powerful processor
- Good cameras
Cons
- Apple Intelligence needs more work
Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Known for its balanced cameras, the Google Pixel was an easy pick for this list. The Pixel 10 Pro XL’s camera bar houses a 50MP primary shooter, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The telephoto lens kicks in while taking zoomed-in portraits and produces stunning DSLR-like results. The smartphone is powered by Google’s in-house Tensor G5 chipset. It runs Android 16 out of the box. Its 6.8-inch OLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,300 nits. The 5,200mAh battery pack supports 45W wired and 25W wireless charging.
Pros
- Cool design
- Great telephoto lens
- Pixelsnap
Cons
- Runs a little warm
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Vivo V70 Elite
The Vivo V70 Elite is one of the finest upper-midrange camera smartphones that you can buy right now. Its camera island houses a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. All of these cameras are tuned by Zeiss. The portraits taken by this smartphone flaunt precise focus and tasteful background blur. Powering the smartphone is the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor. The 6.59-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 5,000 nits. Read our Vivo V70 Elite review for a better assessment of its cameras.
Pros
- Compact form factor
- Neat design
- Great telephoto lens
Cons
- Could use a better ultrawide lens
Oppo Reno15 Pro Mini
Oppo’s midrange ‘Reno’ series has a reputation for being a portrait master. The Reno15 Pro Mini’s camera array flaunts a 200MP primary shooter, a 50MP ultrawide lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8450 SoC out of the box and runs the Android 16-based ColorOS 16 out of the box. Its 6.32-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach 1,800 nits in High Brightness Mode. The 6,200mAh battery pack supports 80W wired charging. Read our Oppo Reno15 Pro Mini review to learn more about its cameras.
Pros
- Great display
- Good processor
- Amazing cameras
Cons
- Lacks wireless charging
Redmi Note 15 Pro+
The 200MP primary camera on the Redmi Note 15 Pro+ takes stunning pictures and portraits in a myriad of lighting conditions. An 8MP ultrawide lens joins this sensor in the camera island. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 SoC and runs the Android 15-based HyperOS 2 out of the box. Its 6.83-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 3,200 nits. The 6,500mAh battery pack supports 100W wired charging. Read our Redmi Note 15 Pro+ review to learn more about the smartphone.
Pros
- Great main camera
- Durable
- Bright display
Cons
- Contains bloatware
Motorola Signature
Motorola’s midrange ‘Signature’ smartphone has a balanced spec sheet, but its cameras make it truly stand out. The square camera bump houses three 50MP sensors, one each for the primary shooter, ultrawide lens, and a 3x telephoto lens. Powering this device is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 processor. Software duties are handled by Android 16 out of the box. The 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display has a 165Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 6,200 nits. The 5,200mAh battery pack supports 90W wired and 50W wireless charging. Read our Motorola Signature review and go through the sample images taken from its cameras.
Pros
- Good cameras
- Bright display
- Wireless charging
Cons
- Gets warm while gaming
Honourable Mention: OnePlus Nord CE5
If you’re looking for something more affordable, we highly recommend going for the OnePlus Nord CE5. Its rear camera array comprises a 50MP primary shooter and an 8MP ultrawide lens. Up front, a 16MP selfie camera is housed in a punch-hole cutout. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Apex chipset. Its 6.77-inch Fluid AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 1,430 nits. The 7,100mAh battery pack supports 80W wired charging. Read our OnePlus Nord CE5 review to learn more about its cameras.
Pros
- Smooth display
- AI features
- Good main camera
Cons
- Lacks a secondary speaker
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Final Thoughts
These are the top 10 mobiles for DSLR-like photography. Make sure to go through our reviews of these phones to take a look at their sample shots. While you’re here, check out our top 10 flagship phones. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments!
