Macroing

Todays AMPCE (i.e. Average Modern Phone Camera Experiment) is about shooting macro. I chose two subjects (i.e one of my watches AND a slab of text on an info sheet from my recent COVID test) The left hand images (top and bottom) were shot with my Lumix LX100 using its Leica Vario Summilux lens. The two images to the right (top and bottom) were shot with the Samsung Galaxy A51 using its anonymous piece of plastic.

I applied no PP sharpening, There was no adjustment for white balance. Both devices were set to "auto" exposure. The files from the LX100 were half as large again as the A51, before being adjusted for dimensions and aspect ratio compatibility within the collage. No particular attempt was made to entirely match the compositions for content or focal length. Not much effort was put into being especially careful. All lighting was supplied by a low colour temperature desk lamp.

I make the following points:
a) Both devices were set to "macro" and brought as physically close to their subjects as could be managed - about the same final distance
b) Effective magnification in the final results was about the same
c) I am not certain how much capture sharpening each device applied although overall final sharpness seems comparable
d) In the matter of colour balance, both devices delivered the watch similarly. As for the text, the camera gave me exactly what I shot, while the phone returned the white paper surface to a theoretical (but inaccurate) ideal
e) The phone offered much more default dof than the camera did.

Some aspects of these results surprised me although the phone experience continues to be the same fiddly, exasperating experience in which the inflexible "smart" software and I do our habitual wrestling match for every frame. Grrrr The camera does what I want, WHEN I want it.

May I thank EVERYONE who commented on yesterday's experiment. Your comments have been most informative, very helpful and highly thoughtful. Good on you. I shall reply to everyone in due course.