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Can you tell these photos were taken with a $130 phone?

The Motorola Moto E4 is one of the cheapest phones you can buy. We took the camera out for a spin to see how good its photos are.

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Patrick Holland
Patrick Holland has been a phone reviewer for CNET since 2016. He is a former theater director who occasionally makes short films. Patrick has an eye for photography and a passion for everything mobile. He is a colorful raconteur who will guide you through the ever-changing, fast-paced world of phones, especially the iPhone and iOS. He used to co-host CNET's I'm So Obsessed podcast and interviewed guests like Jeff Goldblum, Alfre Woodard, Stephen Merchant, Sam Jay, Edgar Wright and Roy Wood Jr.
Patrick Holland
Motorola Moto E4 camera
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San Francisco adventures

The Motorola Moto E4 is one of the cheapest phones you can buy. 

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The San Francisco Armory

It has an 8-megapixel rear camera.

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Graffiti

I took the camera around San Francisco for a spin.

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Espresso

Up close shots are good, with a nice amount of detail. Notice the scratches on the chrome.

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Stella the cat

Stella the cat's fur suffers from the E4's noise reduction.

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Happy dog

The dynamic range is pretty limited. The highlights tend to blow out easily.

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Bookmobile

In daylight, the phone's display can be challenging to see, making framing shots difficult.

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Fire truck

The Moto E4 renders photos with a very true to life look.

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Low-light classic car

It handled low-light shots well with minimal noise in the shadows.

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Selfie flash

The selfie flash worked well for group selfies.

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Four beers

Four beers are better than one. No camera criticism here, just beer.

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Wu Tang plant clan

In mixed lighting, the autofocus took a second or two to find focus on the Wu Tang plant clan.

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Cappuccino

The E4 is good at capturing detail. Check out the foam on this cappuccino.

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Hula hoop

Live action shots gave the camera a run for its money. But here it did well capturing this hula hoop demonstration.

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Mural -- Moto G5 Plus

How does the Moto E4 compare against the more expensive Moto G5 Plus? I took a photo with each. Here's the one from the G5 Plus. Notice the color range and dynamic range.

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Mural -- Moto E4

Here's the same photo taken with the Moto E4. It looks nice, but lacks the detail and dynamic range of the Moto G5 Plus.

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Scooter -- Moto E4

When you compare the Moto E4's 8-megapixel camera against another ultra budget phone, the Samsung Galaxy J3, the E4 has the clear advantage. Here's a shot I took with the E4 of a scooter.

samsung-galaxy-j3-scooter
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Scooter -- Samsung Galaxy J3

Here's the same shot taken with the Galaxy J3's 5-megapixel camera. The Moto E4 photo, has more detail, better color and a better dynamic range.

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Moto E4 review

For more about the Moto E4 check out our full review.

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