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Modern tablets represent an overlap between the powerful processing of a desktop and the portability of a smartphone. With better displays, more megapixels, and better battery life, you can use a tablet to take a photo, process it using power-hungry programs like Photoshop, edit videos and documents, and share your content on the move.

This list contains the best of such tablets, suitable for basic office work, browsing, and casual photography. From premium iPads to more budget choices like Samsung and Lenovo, you will find something that works for you.

Editor’s Picks

Best Overall Tablet Camera - iPad Pro
  • Apple M1 chip for next-level performance
  • Brilliant 12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide color
  • TrueDepth camera system featuring Ultra Wide camera with Center Stage
  • 12MP Wide camera, 10MP Ultra Wide camera, and LiDAR Scanner for immersive AR
  • Stay connected with ultrafast Wi-Fi
Runner Up Tablet Camera - Microsoft Surface Pro X
  • No WiFi, no problem, in addition to WiFi, every model comes enabled with blazing fast LTE Advanced Pro connectivity
  • Perfect for your on the go lifestyle — sleek and slim, in Matte Black, Surface Pro X is just 7.3mm thin and starts at 1.7 pounds
  • See more and do more on a 13” screen. Virtually edge to edge PixelSense Display touchscreen and Surface signature 3:2 ratio gives you the most workspace possible
  • Powered by Qualcomm, the new custom Microsoft SQ1 processor delivers multitasking laptop performance, Long battery life, and faster LTE and Wi Fi connectivity
  • Ultra slim and versatile design. Surface Pro X adapts to you, transforming from the ultra thin laptop, to powerful tablet, to portable studio

Should You Use a Tablet’s Camera for Photography?

Unless you live in a bubble, it’s evident the size and shape of a tablet make it uncomfortable for photography, especially outdoors or while traveling abroad. This is why conventional cameras and smartphones are more practical for photos.

On the other hand, perhaps you need a tablet for school or work, and there is no reason for a DSLR camera or a high-end smartphone. Then it makes sense to invest in a tablet with a great camera.

tablet camera example with iPad Air 4 and Lightroom CC
Image captured with iPad Air 4 with editing in Lightroom CC

For example, graphic designers and illustrators often use tablets for drawing. And they may need to take a photo of an object for tracing. Then it would be practical here to have a tablet with an exceptional camera. Whatever your reason is for getting a high-quality tablet camera, we listed some of the best to make your decision easier.

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The Best Tablet Cameras

1. iPad Pro 2021

iPad Pro 2021

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The flagship tablet of Apple, the 2021 edition of iPad Pro comes in two versions: a 12.9-inch model and an 11-inch model. Both versions are powered by the M1 chip, which delivers terrific processing speed and graphics.

The 12.9-inch version has the Retina XDR display, which will be another helpful feature when you want to edit crucial photos and like to pixel-peep.

iPad Pro comes with an f/1.8 12MP wide-angle and an f/2.4 10MP ultra-wide lens at the back with flash. They respectively offer focal lengths of 28mm and 14mm, and the image quality is best in class. Although the excellent Night Mode and Portrait Mode from iPhone are missing, you get Smart HDR, 4K video recording up to 60p, and time-lapse with electronic stabilization.

The front camera is f/2.4 12MP, whose default 24mm view is created by cropping the actual 20mm. This is great for video calls and selfies, and the clever ‘Centre Stage’ feature can track you if you move around during the call.

And thankfully, you get Portrait Mode with the front camera and 1080/60p video too. One small quirk is that if you hold the tablet in landscape mode, your thumbs will end up covering the front camera.

Overall, the iPad Pro has the best tablet camera.

Pros

  • Front camera is very wide and can track you during video calls
  • Rear cameras offer excellent image quality
  • 4K video recording

Cons

  •  Night Mode and Portrait Mode missing from rear cameras
  • Very expensive
  • Rear camera not placed ideally for landscape use

2. Microsoft Surface Pro X

Microsoft Surface Pro X

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Microsoft’s Surface series is perfect for office workers since it’s basically a Windows laptop put into the body of a tablet. With a 13-inch screen with narrow bezels, stylish looks, and a super-thin keyboard, the Surface slate compete closely with iPads.

The Surface Pro X offers two processor choices: the SQ1 and SQ2. Although these are fast, heavy programs like Premiere Pro might lag a bit, and you will probably have to stick with the SQ2 variant.

At the back, this two-in-one tablet features a 10MP camera with contrast-detect autofocus but no flash. It’s capable of 1080p and 4K video, and the inclusion of dual studio mics makes it an excellent device for shooting home videos.

The image quality is great, although not quite close to the iPad yet. However, the Surface Pro X lets you focus manually, something the iPad does not allow unless you download a 3rd party app.

The front camera is 5MP and offers 1080p video. Surprisingly, the skin tones and dynamic range are great and match the iPad Pro’s front camera. The only thing missing is the ability to switch from a normal focal length to ultra-wide.

Pros

  • Great image quality from the front camera
  • Manual focusing possible with rear camera
  • Rear camera gives decent images and 4K video

Cons

  • Compatibility issues with a few apps due to the ARM-based processor
  • Heavy editing programs may lag

3. Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

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Designed as a direct rival to the iPad Pro and Surface Pro, the Galaxy Tab S7 is Samsung’s flagship detachable tablet. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and 6GB of RAM provide more than enough juice to run the Android 11 OS without slowing down.

One of the biggest advantages of the Tab S7 is its battery life of about 10 hours with reasonable use, which is much higher than what’s offered by its competitors.

Samsung has provided two digitally stabilized lenses at the back: a 13MP lens at 26mm and a 5MP wide-angle. Using the same camera app found in its smartphones, the Tab S7 delivers excellent image quality and 4K/30p video with the 13MP lens, along with additional options like Hyperlapse, Live Focus, Night Mode, Panorama, and a Pro mode with manual focus.

But as is usual with most tablets, the flash is barely usable, and low-light photos from a smartphone look better.

Overall, the 1/3.4″ sensor is excellent in daylight, rendering accurate colors and lighting. Unfortunately, the wide-angle lens is not sharp enough for regular use, and the 5MP leaves no room for cropping.

The front camera is 8MP at 26 mm and f/2.0. It’s bright and provides a lot of detail — even when recording 1080p videos — matching the iPad Pro easily. Easily a good choice if you’re planning on shooting some YouTube videos.

Pros

  • 13MP lens provides great image quality and a manual mode
  • Front camera gives lots of details
  • Good battery life

Cons

  • 5MP back camera is not very sharp
  • 4K video is only up to 30 fps instead of 60 fps

4. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

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The older brother of Pro X, the Surface Pro 7 comes with a more powerful Intel processor but strings along a few drawbacks too.

Compared to the Surface Pro X, the Pro 7 has a smaller screen of 12 inches with a thicker bezel around it. The camera, too, lags slightly.

You get an 8MP rear camera with autofocus and a 5MP front-facing camera. 4K is missing here, although both cameras can capture 1080p videos.

The rear camera is good in daylight — perhaps slightly overexposed — but the low light shots have room for improvement, especially now that we have Samsung and Apple putting smartphone-like cameras in their tablets. Fortunately, you still get the option to control the focus manually, and the 5MP front camera gives excellent colors and lighting for selfies and video calls.

In a nutshell, the Pro 7 is designed more as a full-featured Windows laptop and less as an artist’s tool. Although it will run apps and programs like Photoshop better than the Pro X, its cameras are barely sufficient.

Pros

  • Intel processors provide better power and speed
  • 5MP front camera is great

Cons

  • Only one rear camera of 8MP
  • 4K video is missing

5. iPad Air 4th Generation

iPad Air 4th Generation

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iPad Air is an excellent alternative for people who want a cheaper version of iPad Pro and do not need the extra frills like XDR display. The 4th generation came out in 2020, featuring a 10.9-inch Retina screen, A14 processor, 4G support, and maximum storage space of 256 GB.

Unlike the Pro, the iPad Air has only one f/1.8 12MP camera without an ultra-wide lens. As is expected, the digitally stabilized camera performs very well, and the image quality matches its peers easily, with low light photos coming out even better. You get options like live focus, panorama, smart HDR, and 4K/60p video.

The front camera is a basic f/2.2 7MP one, without portrait mode or the Pro’s ‘Center Stage’ feature. You can still shoot 1080p videos with digital stabilization, making it a decent choice for video making. One persisting quirk is that the front camera awkwardly lies to the left instead of the center if you use the tablet in landscape mode.

The iPad Air is not designed to be a powerful workhorse. But if you are looking for an inexpensive tablet that can be useful for family photos and turn into a laptop, it is a logical choice.

Pros

  • Image quality is great from both front and rear cameras
  • 4K video
  • Less expensive than iPad Pro

Cons

  • No ultra-wide option
  • Portrait mode is missing from both front and rear cameras
  • Not ideal for video calls in landscape mode

6. Lenovo P11 Tab Pro

Lenovo P11 Tab Pro

Only the second Android tablet on this list, the Lenovo P11 Pro, is a convertible tablet for people on a budget. Along with the option to attach a keyboard and pen, the P11 Pro gives an 11.5-inch OLED screen with bezels thinner than the iPad Air, Dolby Vision display, and Dolby Atmos audio, Qualcomm 730G processor, and 4 lenses in total.

The main cameras at the back are 13MP with autofocus and flash, and a 5MP wide-angle with fixed focus and a view of 120 degrees. The 13MP camera works well only in daylight, with low-light images being barely usable. The wider option is lackluster, too, delivering less than accurate colors and low details.

Fortunately, the front cameras are dual 8MP lenses and manage to deliver good detail. There’s even a portrait mode that gives you out-of-focus backgrounds during video calls. The rear 13MP camera and the selfie camera are both capable of 1080/30p videos.

If you need a tablet mainly for Netflix, the P11 Pro will work well enough, as long as you don’t mind the fact that a few Android OS apps do not fit the wide screens of a tablet fully.

Pros

  • Great display with Dolby Atmos
  • Front camera is decent and offers portrait mode
  • Cheaper than most 

Cons

  • Android apps do not always fit the form factor of the tablet screen
  • Image quality of the rear cameras is not very good

7. Microsoft Surface Go 2

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Surface Go 2 is an entry-level tablet designed to be budget-friendly while still giving the Windows experience. The main difference between this and other Surface models like Pro 7 and Pro X are its substantially lower price, a smaller 10.5-inch screen, and a slower Intel Pentium processor instead of the Intel i3 or i5.

Camera-wise, the Go 2 is the same as the Surface Pro 7. There’s an 8MP camera at the back without an LED flash and a 5MP front camera. The rear camera churns out great photos in daylight and even lets you focus manually. Shooting at night or in other low-light conditions is the one area where Microsoft has not been able to catch up to Apple.

The 5MP front camera is excellent, and the colors and details are significantly close to iPad models. The only thing that comes in the way of this otherwise inexpensive all-rounder tablet is its lack of power.

However, as long as you don’t plan on editing cinematic videos and playing graphics-heavy games, the Surface Go 2 will suffice.

Pros

  • Great image quality from the front camera
  • Gives a complete Windows laptop experience without being expensive

Cons

  • No 4K video
  • Low light images are not always usable
  • Processing power is slightly low

Conclusion

It’s certainly awkward to take out a tablet for shooting family photos and selfies. However, for people who need one device that can do it all — create videos, shoot some usable photos, edit, browse and watch movies — a convertible tablet has some value.

Premium tablets like the iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface Pro 7 are powerful devices that give you the simplicity of a smartphone and the power of a laptop. As a result, they are the best tablet cameras. On the other hand, budget-friendly slates will be more appropriate for home entertainment rather than office work.

Aperlust
About the Author: Aperlust

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