There was a time when you had to carry a bulky camera to click the best pictures. But the smartphones of today are slim and powerful and also come loaded with a variety of photography-focused features. From sophisticated image processing algorithms to superior camera sensors, a variety of factors can be found in the best smartphones for photography.

These make these gadgets suitable for photography enthusiasts. To help you choose, here are the four best smartphones for photography.

1. Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhones have always been trendsetters when it comes to smartphone camera hardware, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is no exception. The triple rear camera setup with a 12MP primary sensor excels in wide-angle, superwide angle, and telephoto requirements. It also brings crisp night mode for perfect shots, even in poorly lit conditions. With the 12x digital zoom, it is possible to get up close with the subjects without losing clarity. And finally, there is an impressive optical image stabilization for shake-free videos.

2. Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
With a 108MP primary camera, 40MP selfie camera, and 8K video recording capabilities, the camera hardware on this phone is one of its biggest strengths. This also has a rare combination of two telephoto zoom lenses of 3x and 10x zoom capabilities that let you get up to 100x optical zoom for distant subjects. Both day and night shots are brilliant, thanks to its efficient, bright night sensor under the hood.

3. Google Pixel 5
As one of the most elegant-looking smartphones, this one also features a dependable camera performance. Though the hardware on the outside is very basic like that on most iPhones, the camera software that Google packs in this phone is what makes its camera performance really competitive. Ultra-wide shots and low-light shots are the strongest features of the camera system on this phone.

4. Sony Xperia 1 II
The triple camera system at the back features Sony’s signature Zeiss optic setup, which is one of the critical factors that make this one of the best smartphones for photography. The very intuitive camera app on this makes the phone a delightful experience for any photography enthusiast. This lets you tweak your images based on the subject and the ambient conditions as you would do on a DSLR camera. Night shots are great both with front and rear-facing cameras. The 3x optical zoom does a decent job of picking up details without making the picture grainy.

If you are a budding photographer with these best smartphones for photography, you can not only click some great pictures but also edit them as you please and share them on your social media. A single device that takes care of all your photography needs would definitely be a worthy investment to help you follow your passion.