It was only a matter of time before Sony, who has a longer and more extensive experience with cameras and imaging, rose to the top of DxOMark’s benchmarking tests. With a score of 79, the Xperia Z2 has grabbed the crown from long-time titleholder, the Nokia 808 Pureview.

This is definitely not the first time a Sony Xperia came close to toppling Nokia‘s contender. Last October, the newly unveiled Xperia Z1 almost accomplished it but came up short with only 76 points versus the Pureview’s 77. By building up on its predecessor’s experience and technology, the Xperia Z2 was able to achieve the highest score to date on the benchmarking site.

The ranking isn’t a straight win, however. Aside from the overall score, DxOMark also separately ranks devices based on their performance on still photos and video. When it comes to stills, the Xperia Z2 may be at the top with a score of 81, but it as actually tied with the Nokia 808 Pureview but still way ahead of late 2014’s flagships like the iPhone 5s, the Galaxy S4 and the Lumia 1020. Interestingly, the Xperia Z2 actually performed poorly compared to the Xperia Z1, managing to score only 73 versus its predecessor’s 74, landing it in third place.

That said, the Sony Xperia Z2 offers the best balance when it comes to camera features. Color and detail preservation are superb and noise levels remain quite low. And while the video recording performance isn’t as high as some might wish, the ability to record in 4K resolutions of 3840×2160 is something you cannot ignore. Overall, the Xperia Z2 does well in proving Sony’s camera chops, leaving digital photography fans looking forward to the next iteration.

SOURCE: DxOMark