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Crosscall Action-X5 Camera test

This device has been retested in the latest version of our protocol. Overall, sub-scores and attributes are up to date. For detailed information, check the What’s New article
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The French manufacturer Crosscall is known for smartphones that are designed for rough conditions, offering waterproof bodies, shock resistance and long battery life. The latest model, the  Action-X5, is no exception and is targeted at outdoor lovers and athletes. Inside the rugged housing, the Android OS is powered by a Snapdragon 662 chipset and the 5.45-inch display offers an HD+ resolution.

With an 48MP primary camera and a 13MP ultra-wide — no tele lens or bokeh mode — things look pretty simple in the camera department compared to some other devices in Crosscall’s price range. Let’s see how this rugged phone stacks up against more conventional competitors in the DXOMARK Camera test.

Key camera specifications:

  • Primary: 48MP sensor, AF
  • Ultra-wide: 13MP sensor, 120° field of view
  • 1080p at 30fps

About DXOMARK Camera tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera reviews, DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 3000 test images and more than 2.5 hours of video both in controlled lab environments and in natural indoor and outdoor scenes, using the camera’s default settings. This article is designed to highlight the most important results of our testing. For more information about the DXOMARK Camera test protocol, click here. More details on how we score smartphone cameras are available here.

Test summary

Scoring

Sub-scores and attributes included in the calculations of the global score.


Crosscall Action-X5
50
camera
51
Photo
62

123

51

125

76

123

80

124

67

116

77

82

25
Bokeh
25

85

46
Preview
46

91

48
Zoom
24

118

66

121

38
Video
53

116

72

119

24

119

59

118

96

119

76

86

93

118

Use cases & Conditions

Use case scores indicate the product performance in specific situations. They are not included in the overall score calculations.

BEST 175

Outdoor

Photos & videos shot in bright light conditions (≥1000 lux)

BEST 165

Indoor

Photos & videos shot in good lighting conditions (≥100lux)

BEST 135

Lowlight

Photos & videos shot in low lighting conditions (<100 lux)

BEST 149

Friends & Family

Portrait and group photo & videos

Please be aware that beyond this point, we have not modified the initial test results. While data and products remain fully comparable, you might encounter mentions and references to the previous scores.

Pros

  • Acceptable detail
  • Good video exposure and white balance in bright light and indoors

Cons

  • Frequent underexposure in photos
  • Strong noise in photo and video, especially in low light
  • Pink white balance cast in photos
  • Limited dynamic range on primary and ultra-wide
  • Unstable video exposure and autofocus
  • Inaccurate white balance and color rendering in low light video
  • Lack of detail in video

With a DXOMARK Camera score of 87 the Crosscall Action-X5 struggles to compete with the best devices in the High-end segment and achieves one of the lower scores in its class. Image noise is one of the main issues in both photo and video modes. There is no bokeh mode and without a dedicated tele lens, tele-zoom images have poor detail. Still, it might be a good choice for users who prioritize hardware durability over camera performance and who only occasionally take photos and videos in good light conditions.

In this outdoor image, the level of detail is acceptable but face exposure could be brighter and a limited dynamic range results in highlight clipping in the brighter background.

When recording still images, detail is generally acceptable, especially in bright scenes. However, our testers often observed underexposure and  limited dynamic range results in highlight and shadow clipping. A pink white balance cast is usually noticeable and gets worse with decreasing light levels. In addition, image noise is quite intrusive, especially in low light. On the plus side, the lack of strong HDR processing and noise reduction means images are mostly free of fusion and loss of texture artifacts.

Texture comparison: The Crosscall Action-X5’s measured texture is lower than the competitors’ but still acceptable.

Compared to some of its competitors, the Crosscall applies very little processing to its images. As a result, the preview image on the display is very close to the final result. The Action-X5 lacks a bokeh mode, removing the need for simulating the effect in preview.

Preview: very close to final capture
Final capture

The Action-X5 does not come with a dedicated tele lens but features an ultra-wide camera that allows you to squeeze more of the scene into the frame than the primary shooter. Image quality leaves room for improvement, though. Dynamic range is limited, with clipping often visible for bright and shadow tones and with visible color fringing.

Ultra-wide: underexposure, strong lack of detail, artifacts, including color fringing

Given the lack of a tele lens, tele-zoom images lack detail. Dynamic range is limited, too, and many images show highlight and/or shadow clipping. In addition, tele images show strong color fringing, distortion, and noise.

Medium range tele
Medium range tele, crop: lack of detail, noise

In terms of video quality, the Crosscall is mainly held back by an unstable exposure and autofocus. As you can see in the clip below, exposure is very unstable and the autofocus has trouble tracking the subject. Our testers also observed frequent focus breathing. White balance is quite decent in bright conditions and indoors, but becomes an issue in low light as well.

Crosscall Action-X5, strong exposure instabilities, unstable autofocus

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