Why all the bad press about the camera on this phone? - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

I took a few test shots, and the images look great! What are your thoughts on the camera guys?

I found that in dimmer lighting, it is not as impressive as advertised.
I think some of the problem is that the camera needs to be kept pretty still, so more pics are blurry due to phone movement.
I might argue that my N1 camera was better. Slower, but better pics in low lighting.
Hopefully some software tweaks can help this.

WilliamStern said:
I took a few test shots, and the images look great! What are your thoughts on the camera guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
compared to the sgs2 it's not as good.

Personally, I'm at a loss. As far as I can tell, 'zero shutter lag' basically means they've just removed auto focus?
Sure it takes instantaneous photos, but they are often blurry and out of focus unless I tap to focus first, then hold the phone super steady and then press the shutter (which is virtually impossible due to no physical shutter button).
So yeah, not that impressive to me and I don't get this whole zero shutter lag business.
Panorama mode is a total gimmick too, pictures are very tiny... though this is a criticism of ICS camera app and not the SGN's camera setup.

I am happy with the camera so far, I like the fact I don't have to wait 5-6s on my older phone to take another shot
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Here is a quick snap no "Focus Tap"
http://twitpic.com/7toyrq

it has been a hit or miss for me.
so probably when they tried it they got alot of misses lol.

i think the main thing is that a lot of people are going "5MP?!... all the other new phones are 8MP!!"
sure, it may not be able to take pictures at higher resolutions or produce quite the same quality as those 8MP cameras, but the fact that it can snap pictures instantly is a big plus.
that and even if you were to take a pic at "8MP", most likely you're not a professional photographer and you're going to be re-sizing the photo anyway.

In answer to your question, it's due to the fact there are plenty of high quality cameras out there on phones slightly older than this that produce superior photos. The GN is a beast of a phone with the latest mobile technology, but the camera is still a generation or two behind. Disappointing to say the least, but not disappointing enough to prevent me from getting it.
That's why.

Are you guys seriously that dumb?
The phone autofocuses still (without using touch to focus). Zero shutter lag means no lag WHEN TAKING THE PICTURE, AFTER IT FOCUSES.
I can't believe some people have no idea how this works lol. You still need to focus the damn thing, or wait for it to autofocus.

I find that the camera is quite good for taking pictures outdoors, but under artificial light the come out a little off. Mind you this is not messing with any settings, just taking pictures out of the box. I will say that no matter where I take the pictures and under whatever lighting, they turn out much better than my Droid 1 (which I fully expected)

I love the new software I think its a step up from the SGS2 even tho its not quite the 8MP. Yes, it may not beat the pants off the iPhone4s but really its a phone and does the job I want it to..... If I need DSLR quality I will take the DSLR out. Also, for me my pics are mostly viewed on the phone for family and friends...not for family portrait books ect. This topic is just like the battery life issue some are happy and some want perfection.... I want it too... but as our devices get better so do our expectations.

I agree the camera works great in natural sunlight, a little funky indoors under artificial light..However, since I've taken the phone out of the store i've been taking random pictures everywhere and none them have sucked so far...focus, clarity, and color are all very acceptable.
---------- Post added at 05:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:14 PM ----------
voxigenboy said:
i think the main thing is that a lot of people are going "5MP?!... all the other new phones are 8MP!!"
sure, it may not be able to take pictures at higher resolutions or produce quite the same quality as those 8MP cameras, but the fact that it can snap pictures instantly is a big plus.
that and even if you were to take a pic at "8MP", most likely you're not a professional photographer and you're going to be re-sizing the photo anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
even if it was a 15MP camera on my phone, i still would take a point & shoot camera for my precious moments..I guess i'm old school..I just use my phone camera for spur of the moment shots..which 5MP is more than adequate for the job.

True, but pics are still only very average even when focused. Poor, poor camera for such an uptodate phone. Google really have dropped the ball on this aspect.
One day a phone will work from all aspects - soon I hope!

It is too early for me to have a solid opinion but definitely better than the Dinc's 8MP. I really like the camera app on my Asus TF I was thinking the stock ICS cam app would be similar.
I think 1080P Video is very good for a phone, second only to iphone for my eye anyway.
---------- Post added at 05:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:11 PM ----------
Danny80y said:
.... want perfection.... I want it too... but as our devices get better so do our expectations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/slowclap
A bit on the nose but yes I wanted a N1 but they never came to verizon so I bought it's "cousin" the Dinc. I was awed by it and still am.
The GN...Makes it look like a ugly chunky brick with a dull screen...but so do most modern offerings.

The flash on people's skin (faces, etc) make you look orange, like you have jaundice or something.
I'm sure it will be fixed, just a bit irritating.
Speed is king, though.

The phone takes really blurry photos when I do try it.
Yes, I know what how to focus. Just seems even after it finishes focuses, the images come out blurry.
I've also compared it side by side to an i4s and it's night and day difference in quality.
http://i4c.org/86
Here's one of the better ones i've taken.
But most seem to come out blurry like this
http://i4c.org/88

my camera works great so far. occasional blurry pic but not often.

Can take some great pics.
Far better than my wife's 5mpx HTC Desire!!
For some reason, people think that zero lag means they can take a crystal clear pic instantly, without any kind of focus. Well DUH! lol!
OCCASIONALLY that'll work, but quite rare.

wonshikee said:
The phone takes really blurry photos when I do try it.
Yes, I know what how to focus. Just seems even after it finishes focuses, the images come out blurry.
I've also compared it side by side to an i4s and it's night and day difference in quality.
http://i4c.org/86
Here's one of the better ones i've taken.
But most seem to come out blurry like this
http://i4c.org/88
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To me the second one looks a bit more like motion blur instead of bad autofocus. 1/17s wasn't such a fast shutterspeed (low light) so you maybe moved the phone too much while taking the picture. It's not easy to hold such lightweight and thin devices really still.
You could try out another app like vignette which offers an option called "steady shot". Then it will take the picture when the phone is hold almost still - just may take a few seconds until it takes the picture then.

Related

WP7 Phone with the Best Camera

Anyone have some input on the best WP7 phone to get if I want to use it to replace my Kodak digital camera? The camera on the HD7 kind of sucks.
Don't go with the LG Quantum either. In bright daylight it's sort of ok, but as soon as you need flash, it's like taking a picture on a RAZR from 2007. Awful.
-edit-
I think the HTC Mozart is the only wp with an 8mp camera. Probably the best?
I would say pretty much all of them are the same; the only phone that has more mp is the HTC Mozart (8mp). Idk if that might make a difference though as mp doesn't necessarily define the whole aspect of good pictures. I hear the focus is nice for taking pictures (in terms of clarity and color balance) as well. It also has the SAMOLED screen, which means the pictures show up more vibrant on your phone
I'm interested in hearing what other people say
Don't know about the Focus, but the Samsung Omnia 7 is definitely the best one available in Europe. I would rank them Samsung, LG, HTC - with the Mozart's 8MP not really being any better than the other HTC phones.
I've been extremely satisfied with the photo quality on my Focus.
its worth pointing out that higher MP does not equal better quality.
Most 5MP cameras will be fine in teh correct lighting conditions, low light is the biggest issue, the reason for this is down to optics and CCD size.
If you had a 12MP camera with a lense the size of the HD2/7 the pictures will be crap in low light as well, to be perfectly honest unless you get a phone with a big arse lense and 5+MP you wont get good "poor" light photos
I find the HD2/7 camera is grand in good lighting, had some cracking shots, mess with the lighting a bit and i pull out my slim line 12MP camera with its 32mm lense
yeah, don't replace your camera.
Just buy a second hand canon Ixus series (60 - 95) for less than £70 on ebay and you won't ever be disappointed! They are ultracompact but the picture quality has always been so good!
I don't really understand people who try to replace their camera with their mobile phone.. the mobile phone will take mediocre shots but i guess you have it with you all the time.
BUt even a cheapo crappy dedicated camera with LOWER MP will shoot better pictures than a 5MP-10MP phone.
Get one of the ultracompacts whcih are actually smaller than a lot of the new smartphones anyway!
I don't think I've used my Omnia 7 camera except for when taking lecture notes on Onenote!
Otherwise I stick to using my Canon 550D and Ixus 95
hboos said:
I don't really understand people who try to replace their camera with their mobile phone.. the mobile phone will take mediocre shots but at least you have it with you all the time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just answered yourself - it's because you've always got your phone with you. The less gadgets you have to carry the better.
I tend to use my Omnia7 for photos several times a day. Quick snaps of just about anything. The fact they're snaps doesn't mean I'll be happy with ****ty quality though, you never know, you might get lucky enough to catch that one moment and decide you want it printed.
Now, if I'm out specifically for taking photos I'll obviously use my Nikon DSLR, but for everyday use I want a phone that gives at least half decent results.
The fact is that all WP7 cameras could be better. Especially the HTC ones.
emigrating said:
You just answered yourself - it's because you've always got your phone with you. The less gadgets you have to carry the better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah agreed it is slightly more convenient..
But I personally don't like swapping quality for slight convenience
I still use my Cowon for music (better sound quality than phone) and carry my ultra compact when out with friends and my DSLR when I want to take decent photos!
I also find that the lens of the phone camera is always grubby resulting in slightly soft photos!
BUt coming back to the topic..I think the OMnia 7 takes fairly decent photos compared to other phones although I don't know how it compares to other WP7
Engadget reckons the Focus has an "impressive camera" and the Omnia 7 has a "good camera" while the others either aren't mentioned in the scorecard or specifically mention "subpar camera"
They've actually posted all the photos so you should have a look yourself.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/29/htc-trophy-review/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/22/samsung-focus-review/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/22/lg-optimus-7-review/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/21/htc-7-mozart-review/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/20/htc-hd7-review/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/20/samsung-omnia-7-review/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/20/htc-surround-review/
I'm having real problems with the focus camera. I can't seem to get a steady shot. Maybe it's because of the hardware button, and I'm slightly moving the camera when I take it. I hope that's it, because it usually takes me 5 or 6 shots to get a decent one...
jmerrey said:
I'm having real problems with the focus camera. I can't seem to get a steady shot. Maybe it's because of the hardware button, and I'm slightly moving the camera when I take it. I hope that's it, because it usually takes me 5 or 6 shots to get a decent one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried holding the camera button down half-way to let it focus before taking the pic? Also, there is an anti-shake setting on Focuses (and other Samsungs, I presume), but unfortunately the setting doesn't save.
yes i use the auto-focus feature, i've tried the anti-shake setting, i've tried lowering the resolution, pretty much everything...i can get a decent shot about 1 out of 5

[Q] Picture quality, day and night?

Hey guys/gals,
Just wondering on how the quality of the pictures are with this phone. I've seen pics taken by reviewers, but it's always better to look at it from a user's perspective. Has anybody tried playing around with the camera?
Also, can someone be kind enough to upload some sample pictures of random shots, like daylight shots, night time, and macro shots? I know the camera is supposedly very good, but it'll be nice to actually see a few real samples, especially the night time shots.
bump, anybody? hehe
Actual pics to come, but from my own experience as both a previous user of the Nexus One AND a hobby digital photographer are;
All of this is using the default Camera, default settings (except for turning OFF the shutter sound).
1. The Nitro does a rather good job in low light situations. Opting to raise the ISO more than use Flash. On more than a few occasions where I expected to see flash, it didn't. When blown-up you certainly can see the picture is grainier without the flash, but for web/facebook viewing the results are quite good and a LOT LESS harsh from not using flash.
2. LONG shot-to-shot time! I wonder what the buffer size with the camera is, IF there's even a buffer that comes with it! Because it takes me about 6 seconds between taking one picture before I'm able to take the next. Even when I try using a 3rd party app (Camera Zoom FX) I only got the time down to 3 seconds. Do NOT plan on using this phone's camera for any kid's birthday parties!!
That's all I've got for the moment, will add more when I've done more playing/testing.
Guess I can upload a bunch I took.
A note, some are taken with HDR + and others with Camera Zoom FX.
http://thewisedumbass.tumblr.com/post/14540968432 (Had to make it a post on Tumblr, pics kept messing up here)
The photos looks decent for a phone, nothing spectacular, at low light is more like "meh" - an average or slightly above, but when it comes to movies at low light I'd prefer have grain (Atrix 4G / Nitro) rather then ghosting (any other phones). On Nitro and Atrix 4G regardless of the light the picture is smooth 30fps, as opposite to Skyrocket or ANY HTC phone with 5fps and all smugged.
Here are some shots to compare:
Nitro with flash (left), no flash (right):
Atrix 4G with flash (left), no flash (right):
Also note Nitro has much lower lens focal length, which makes it capture wider surroundings. The photos were taking from 4 feet away and Nitro's photos captured much more surroundings then Atrix. Even when you hold both phones side by side the image at Nitro looks at pretty much correct distance, rather then on Atrix it looks like zoomed in. Yet, in low light Atrix's ISO captures much more light.
This is first phone camera that beat Atrix's (IMO). /me very happy with it.
Nice!! thanks guys for the details comparisons. I am liking wat i see with the Nitro. Do any of u guys find the auto focus annoying, or is there an option to do manual focus, like the atrix??
Not sure what manual focus you are talking about, but the camera does allow you to touch to pick the area to focus. Still auto-focus to the region, but better than the normal.
aquariuz23 said:
Nice!! thanks guys for the details comparisons. I am liking wat i see with the Nitro. Do any of u guys find the auto focus annoying, or is there an option to do manual focus, like the atrix??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Neither stock nor MIUI camera has manual focus on Atrix...In fact Atrix doesn't allow you pick which part on the picture you want it focus to, it's always at the center.

And this is why I hate the Nexus camera

I made a thread the other day saying how 4.0.3 seemed to fix the focus issues. Well that's great, now maybe an update needs to fix the actual quality? I mean, this is TERRIBLE. Look how dull/dark the picture is on a perfectly sunny day.
After seeing this I took a look at the exif data and it shows a shutter speed of 1/3000? SERIOUSLY?????????? It needs to be around 1/600 to look bright and not so damn dull.
We seriously need manual controls on this camera phone. I'm usually one of the first ones to say, "it's just a phone, get a real camera if you want good pictures," but this is just damn ridiculous now. Pictures look like they came from a flip phone.
What's funny is it looks bright and excellent on the phone. When I first saw it on the phone, I thought, "wow that's a nice picture." Until I looked at it on the computer...
http://i.imgur.com/HiYS6.jpg
What's wrong with the EV controls? Or even the scene settings? I feel I have pretty much control over my pictures from my GN by trying different settings or even another camera app.
I tend to take mobile shots not to seriously as I use a DSLR on a daily basis.
Mobile cameras aren't "there" yet. Period. The older nokias took great mobile pictures, but somehow the necessity for high en cameras got lost in the transitions to smartphones. I've heard the (the name we won't speak) 4S camera is one of the better ones on the market? Tried that?
brian85 said:
I made a thread the other day saying how 4.0.3 seemed to fix the focus issues. Well that's great, now maybe an update needs to fix the actual quality? I mean, this is TERRIBLE. Look how dull/dark the picture is on a perfectly sunny day.
After seeing this I took a look at the exif data and it shows a shutter speed of 1/3000? SERIOUSLY?????????? It needs to be around 1/600 to look bright and not so damn dull.
We seriously need manual controls on this camera phone. I'm usually one of the first ones to say, "it's just a phone, get a real camera if you want good pictures," but this is just damn ridiculous now. Pictures look like they came from a flip phone.
What's funny is it looks bright and excellent on the phone. When I first saw it on the phone, I thought, "wow that's a nice picture." Until I looked at it on the computer...
http://i.imgur.com/HiYS6.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe your monitor isn't set correctly. There's nothing terrible about that picture for a camera phone. It's underexposed by about 1/2 to 1 EV, but not terribly. Automatic metering is often off by that much; you can easily add an EV or 2 of compensation if you're not pleased with the results. Or just run it through Auto-Fix in the built-in editor, the results are actually very good in my experience.
/spectrometer-calibrated monitor here
copkay said:
Maybe your monitor isn't set correctly. There's nothing terrible about that picture for a camera phone. It's underexposed by about 1/2 to 1 EV, but not terribly. Automatic metering is often off by that much; you can easily add an EV or 2 of compensation if you're not pleased with the results. Or just run it through Auto-Fix in the built-in editor, the results are actually very good in my experience.
/spectrometer-calibrated monitor here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My monitor is fine. It's not like this is the only picture I've ever seen on my computer.
fregor said:
What's wrong with the EV controls? Or even the scene settings? I feel I have pretty much control over my pictures from my GN by trying different settings or even another camera app.
I tend to take mobile shots not to seriously as I use a DSLR on a daily basis.
Mobile cameras aren't "there" yet. Period. The older nokias took great mobile pictures, but somehow the necessity for high en cameras got lost in the transitions to smartphones. I've heard the (the name we won't speak) 4S camera is one of the better ones on the market? Tried that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No more excuses. Yes, mobile cameras are "there" now. Look at the galaxy s2. That phone takes excellent pictures, even better than the iphone 4s.
I don't usually take mobile shots seriously either unless they look absolutely terrible.
If this thing can shoot 1080p widescreen it should be able to take widescreen photos.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
brian85 said:
My monitor is fine. It's not like this is the only picture I've ever seen on my computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't mean you've seen them correctly.
Explain what you think is wrong with this photo, because I'm not seeing it.
EDIT: Histogram of your image attached. As I said, 1/2 to 1 EV underexposed, but there's no clipping in the shadows or highlights.
Just use another camera...I'm using miui v17 and it shoots widescreen and takes decent pictures with control over autofocus
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Looks fine to me, but then again it is a phone
So many excuses.
I love my nexus, but it takes terrible photos. Simple as that.
brian85 said:
I made a thread the other day saying how 4.0.3 seemed to fix the focus issues. Well that's great, now maybe an update needs to fix the actual quality? I mean, this is TERRIBLE. Look how dull/dark the picture is on a perfectly sunny day.
After seeing this I took a look at the exif data and it shows a shutter speed of 1/3000? SERIOUSLY?????????? It needs to be around 1/600 to look bright and not so damn dull.
We seriously need manual controls on this camera phone. I'm usually one of the first ones to say, "it's just a phone, get a real camera if you want good pictures," but this is just damn ridiculous now. Pictures look like they came from a flip phone.
What's funny is it looks bright and excellent on the phone. When I first saw it on the phone, I thought, "wow that's a nice picture." Until I looked at it on the computer...
http://i.imgur.com/HiYS6.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, that's not a bad pic at all. Yes, the GSII takes better pics, but that one isn't bad. If you need the best quality pics grab a DSLR or something.
You keep saying everyone is making excuses but you aren't answering any questions. I have taken great pictures with my camera. Would love to post some but I'm at work right now.
What questions?
If you guys don't think that picture looks bad, then you aren't someone who is really into photography.
Dull colors, dark, noisy as hell, grainy, etc.
Just did VERY QUICK adjustment for you. Is this more of what you're looking for??
Much better.
I think the issue here was the shutter speed. I have NO IDEA why it used a shutter speed of around 1/3000. That is WAY too fast to gather any decent amount of light on a cell phone camera.
I've been looking at other pictures I've taken with slower shutter speeds, and they look fine.
Sorry for freaking out guys. I think my issue here was I took a picture in an area with plenty of light, where the nexus camera is supposed to shine, and I was shocked when I actually saw the picture on the computer. Just wish we had manual controls on this thing (shutter speed, iso, etc).
brian85 said:
What questions?
If you guys don't think that picture looks bad, then you aren't someone who is really into photography.
Dull colors, dark, noisy as hell, grainy, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah your right, this is a phone forum not a camera forum...plus people who are really into photography dont do it on their phones...trust me I am married to a photographer...while she snaps pictures of the kids all day on her phone she would NEVER take it out to do a wedding or photo shoot.
madisonjar said:
yeah your right, this is a phone forum not a camera forum...plus people who are really into photography dont do it on their phones...trust me I am married to a photographer...while she snaps pictures of the kids all day on her phone she would NEVER take it out to do a wedding or photo shoot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats not what I mean.
I'm saying if people are happy with flip phone quality photos on a smartphone in 2012, then they don't really know photography at all.
Anyways, see my post above. I'm a little calmer now lol.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
I'm no expert but it looks pretty good to me. Maybe the abundant lighter colored walls reflect too much light and require a faster shutter speed?
Interesting house. I assume the garage doors are hidden in the back.
Electronic rolling shutter vs mechanical shutter
brian85 said:
Much better.
I think the issue here was the shutter speed. I have NO IDEA why it used a shutter speed of around 1/3000. That is WAY too fast to gather any decent amount of light on a cell phone camera.
I've been looking at other pictures I've taken with slower shutter speeds, and they look fine.
Sorry for freaking out guys. I think my issue here was I took a picture in an area with plenty of light, where the nexus camera is supposed to shine, and I was shocked when I actually saw the picture on the computer. Just wish we had manual controls on this thing (shutter speed, iso, etc).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera phones have shutters? This is news to me. They have electronic rolling shutters, but no mechanical shutter. It seems like the shutter speed you're relating to DSLRs is mechanical shutter speed. In this sense, 1/3000 doesn't really mean a whole lot.
In my opinion the camera takes great photos! I have taken a number of photos that are all brilliant quality. I have had the photos printed out on photo paper in a number of sizes and recently had a photo printed on a 16x16 canvas and it looks stunning! There has been no loss in quality with the photo on the canvas and I know that there will be no loss in quality if I have 46x46 canvases made!

Not another camera thread

I just can't handle it anymore! What on earth is wrong with so many people that they speak so lowly of the gnex camera?! Its the best camera I've ever used phone or standalone. I'm sure some photo snobs are going to try and correct me here but I'm just not convinced. People talk about it like its absolute trash and useless at taking pictures!! Can I really be the only one who thinks the camera is pretty awesome? No lag, great auto focus, super bright flash, auto enhance colors for that nice professional Photoshop kinda look that I think is gorgeous. But then again what do I know, I'm just a fool who thinks 5megapixels is plenty
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
betcmrekoapl said:
I just can't handle it anymore! What on earth is wrong with so many people that they speak so lowly of the gnex camera?! Its the best camera I've ever used phone or standalone. I'm sure some photo snobs are going to try and correct me here but I'm just not convinced. People talk about it like its absolute trash and useless at taking pictures!! Can I really be the only one who thinks the camera is pretty awesome? No lag, great auto focus, super bright flash, auto enhance colors for that nice professional Photoshop kinda look that I think is gorgeous. But then again what do I know, I'm just a fool who thinks 5megapixels is plenty
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree
The more read abot the camera and the more exampe I see te more I think some units have faulty lenses.
Some people try to blame the operator but I really do know how to take a phote (focusing and lighting etc) But my GN produces poor pics 70% of the time and average the rest.
its because this camera works two ways, and one of those ways isn't good quality.
regular auto focus with the button takes superb pics. but touch to focus is broken and bad.
i think everyong just uses touch to focus and didnt realize the regular old focus method exists, and not only exists but quality is great. that's why there are many excellent pics in the forum, mixed in with horrible pics.
I find the camera to be acceptable. I came from an iPhone 4, then went to the International Galaxy S II and they both had fantastic cameras.
I personally feel the GN's camera is a step backwards but it works fine.
Good thing you made a thread about camera threads then.
Don't know what's wrong with the camera o.0 is good enough for me. I bet who ever saying its bad thought it was supposed to be for Professional Photography o.0
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
The image quality on this camera fails even compared to phones that are 1+ years old. Stop bring up dslr's or professional photography....we ARE NOT talking about that. We are talking about in comparison to other high end smartphones.
The image quality on this phone is probably the worst I've ever seen on any of the smartphones I've owned. Terrible.
brian85 said:
The image quality on this camera fails even compared to phones that are 1+ years old. Stop bring up dslr's or professional photography....we ARE NOT talking about that. We are talking about in comparison to other high end smartphones.
The image quality on this phone is probably the worst I've ever seen on any of the smartphones I've owned. Terrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the first post talking about comparing to another smartphone? Cool cus that's who I replied to:what:
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Whether or not you can take good pictures is how YOU are able to use it. People are complaining about the physical sensor which is:
1) lower resolution than most phones these days
2) less sensitive (it's the same sensor that was on the Nexus ONE and Nexus S)
So whether people CAN take good pictures is not the issue, but the hardware potential which is seriously limited compared to other phones today.
The instant shutter is software. Given enough memory bandwidth you could easily have instant shutter 8mp+ pictures, it's not exclusive to this 5mp sensor.
Post-processing like "auto enhance" is also software which has nothing to do with their choice of sensor - it'll work on any picture regardless.
RogerPodacter said:
its because this camera works two ways, and one of those ways isn't good quality.
regular auto focus with the button takes superb pics. but touch to focus is broken and bad.
i think everyong just uses touch to focus and didnt realize the regular old focus method exists, and not only exists but quality is great. that's why there are many excellent pics in the forum, mixed in with horrible pics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely wrong. In fact touch to focus is the only way I can get it to focus before hand (where the focus box turns green). Otherwise it has to focus then take the picture. It does very little different as far as the shutter or software is concerned. Pics turn out the exact same if using touch to focus or auto focus.
The only difference I noticed is that it defaults the flash on so naturally shifts the EV balance way down, so be sure to leave flash off.
---------- Post added at 02:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 PM ----------
brian85 said:
The image quality on this camera fails even compared to phones that are 1+ years old. Stop bring up dslr's or professional photography....we ARE NOT talking about that. We are talking about in comparison to other high end smartphones.
The image quality on this phone is probably the worst I've ever seen on any of the smartphones I've owned. Terrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please don't spread misinformation like this. EVERY camera phone I've compared this phone to it either meets or exceeds. That includes the Droid X, OG Droid, Droid Pro, Galaxy S, etc.
mjohnk11 said:
Completely wrong. In fact touch to focus is the only way I can get it to focus before hand (where the focus box turns green). Otherwise it has to focus then take the picture. It does very little different as far as the shutter or software is concerned. Pics turn out the exact same if using touch to focus or auto focus.
The only difference I noticed is that it defaults the flash on so naturally shifts the EV balance way down, so be sure to leave flash off.
---------- Post added at 02:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:14 PM ----------
Please don't spread misinformation like this. EVERY camera phone I've compared this phone to it either meets or exceeds. That includes the Droid X, OG Droid, Droid Pro, Galaxy S, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Misinformation? The camera on this phone is terrible, and that's a fact. Whether it's software or hardware, the image quality is absolutely terrible.
Some of you are in serious denial.
Oh darn I feel great about taking amazing photos with my SGN. Either my expecations are low, or my phone is exclusive (so I am very lucky), or your phones are defected (So I am very lucky too ), there is no way those photos I took are even close to terrible.
Is that a terrible photo really? I just took it in a dark condition, with phones own flash.
brian85 said:
The image quality on this camera fails even compared to phones that are 1+ years old. Stop bring up dslr's or professional photography....we ARE NOT talking about that. We are talking about in comparison to other high end smartphones.
The image quality on this phone is probably the worst I've ever seen on any of the smartphones I've owned. Terrible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
brian85 said:
Misinformation? The camera on this phone is terrible, and that's a fact. Whether it's software or hardware, the image quality is absolutely terrible.
Some of you are in serious denial.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not in denial, I know how to take pictures and how to post process pictures. I have worked extensively with professional photographers. I know what I'm talking about when it comes to pictures and cameras, so please don't try to spread information that I along with others know to be false.
This camera is overall pretty good, obviously you have a defective unit or (the more likely scenario) you just do not know what you are doing. Especially if you are stating that cameras from a year ago are better.
mjohnk11 said:
I am not in denial, I know how to take pictures and how to post process pictures. I have worked extensively with professional photographers. I know what I'm talking about when it comes to pictures and cameras, so please don't try to spread information that I along with others know to be false.
This camera is overall pretty good, obviously you have a defective unit or (the more likely scenario) you just do not know what you are doing. Especially if you are stating that cameras from a year ago are better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, I don't know what I'm doing. Typical response from someone who thinks the camera is good.
Like I said in another thread, I own two DSLR's and a point and shoot. I've been into photography for over 10 years. But yeah, I don't know how to operate a simple cell phone camera. Gotcha.
The camera is not overall pretty good. Obviously when thousands of people and practically EVERY SINGLE review out there for the Nexus bash the camera, there is something wrong.
It's one of the worst cameras I have ever used on a cell phone.
Sorry OP, but I've seen enough of these threads, and there are still plenty of them to have this discussion. This is just going to turn into another argument thread for users.
- Jay (Sssutt Sssutt!)

[Q] Camera quality due to hardware or software or both?

Hello all,
Do you think the issues with the Galaxy Nexus camera are due to software issues or is the camera sensor just really that bad? It seems that the low light capability of this camera is even worse than that of the Nexus S. I've never had any issues with my camera phones in the past producing such crap photos as the one this phone produces(HTC Sensation, Nexus S and original Nexus). I'm thinking about just going back to my Nexus S and selling this one.
I've attached two photos that someone posted on Google+ illustrating how bad the Galaxy Nexus compares to the Asus Transformer Prime's camera. This is really frustrating and if I were Google and/or Samsung, I'd be embarrassed.
Not the same angle, not the same focus point which impacts the validity of this comparison.
Also note that there is a little bit more detail in the more grainy shot. This is something that actually could be improved with a software update.
Valynor said:
Not the same angle, not the same focus point which impacts the validity of this comparison.
Also note that there is a little bit more detail in the more grainy shot. This is something that actually could be improved with a software update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm...each picture look pretty close to the same angle. I'm more concerned with the graininess of the Galaxy Nexus photo. It seems that the camera's ISO is too high which is why it's producing a grainy picture.
oracleicom said:
Hmm...each picture look pretty close to the same angle. I'm more concerned with the graininess of the Galaxy Nexus photo. It seems that the camera's ISO is too high which is why it's producing a grainy picture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It mainly comes down to a balance of exposure time, ISO, picture quality level of the sensor at that ISO and noise reduction algorithms/general software post-processing of the image.
I agree that there is quite some room for improvement in this area on the GN camera. I hope Google/Samsung will address this in an update someday.
Apart from this, any phone camera sucks at low light.
I find the camera really good. The only thing I find kind of strange is how photo's look in a dim room with flash on close up.
Videos look godly
Coming from the SG2 the Nexus certainly is a step backwards. What has impressed me about the Nexus camera is the ability to focus and stay focused, and snap shots almost instantly. The SG2 has issues with focus and delays. In movie mode the SG2 would come in and out of focus even when I have not moved the phone at all. Taking photos of moving objects on the SG2 is a real challenge because of its inability to focus, but having said that the photos that are taken properly do come out very sharp and vibrant, especially given enough daylight.
So where the Nexus improved vastly on focus speed, it fails in image quality. Even in moderate light I see more than usual noise from photos taken with the Nexus.
I look forward to the SGIII.
I just remind myself that I'm taking pictures with a phone. So I don't care. I also have not had issues with photos. Especially when I remind myself, again, that I am using a phone to take pictures with.
mzrdisi said:
I just remind myself that I'm taking pictures with a phone. So I don't care. I also have not had issues with photos. Especially when I remind myself, again, that I am using a phone to take pictures with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah dude, I agree. If I want yo take sick photo's, I'd use a camera anyway, even if the phone is the best "camera" phone on the market. Its for quick shots. I agree aswell that the Gnex could be better... But I've seen/used worse. = )
mzrdisi said:
I just remind myself that I'm taking pictures with a phone. So I don't care. I also have not had issues with photos. Especially when I remind myself, again, that I am using a phone to take pictures with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen!
That's why I lug a DSLR around with me when I go away for work.
REAL camera = photography, cell phone = phone with a point & shoot camera built into it.
For indoor pics just set your phone to Party preset. Works best.
You can get similar / better results by manually choosing the white balance and exposure settings depending on your light conditions. But for quick snaps, just select party mode and see the difference.
Camera is more than decent.
Personally I am using Camera Zoom FX for most of the time. But in certain low light conditions, stock camera app with party preset actually does much better job.
This is one of the worst camera I seen in years.
This is what really holds me back from buying a GN these days...I would be interested in your guys thoughts: Do you think that there will be some software based improvements within the next weeks? Or is it just the lense (or some hardware stuff like that, not my terrain here^^), which can´t be improved?
brooon said:
This is what really holds me back from buying a GN these days...I would be interested in your guys thoughts: Do you think that there will be some software based improvements within the next weeks? Or is it just the lense (or some hardware stuff like that, not my terrain here^^), which can´t be improved?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hardware is always limiting. No amount of software can make something better than it physically can be. I'm not saying that updates cant fix the issues we're seeing, I actually believe the contrary. There is a lot you can do with software to really tweak things. But you can't compare a phone camera to a DSLR or something like it.
I personally believe google will update the camera but the question is when. Personally I think the camera is great. I think it depends on what you're used to taking pictures with, and how ocd/picky you are about quality. The SGS2 has better camera hardware, but do try to remember the issues it had when it first came out. The camera quality issues of it were patched up really nice with a software update so don't give your hopes up.
EddieN said:
Hardware is always limiting. No amount of software can make something better than it physically can be. I'm not saying that updates cant fix the issues we're seeing, I actually believe the contrary. There is a lot you can do with software to really tweak things. But you can't compare a phone camera to a DSLR or something like it.
I personally believe google will update the camera but the question is when. Personally I think the camera is great. I think it depends on what you're used to taking pictures with, and how ocd/picky you are about quality. The SGS2 has better camera hardware, but do try to remember the issues it had when it first came out. The camera quality issues of it were patched up really nice with a software update so don't give your hopes up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your input! Yeah I´m coming from an SGSII, atm I´m on a Galaxy Note...so both of my current devices do have better hardware...in the past there was the HD2, which had some terrible software bugs, that have been worked out within months. The last roms I used with the HD2 really pushed the photoquality...
I came from the sgs2 and they are almost identical, I do find the nexus a bit sharper. Great macro
Sent from my francoPhone using xda premium
I started using Shot Control over the stock camera app. It seems to do a better job of with the settings and does give a higher degree of fine tuning them. Give up the panorama mode though, which I love!
People want the highest quality, buy a freaking camera. Or get over it already, stop making this kind of threads.
i am completely dissatisfied with the camera on this phone. I came from a Nexus One to the Gnex. The Nexus one has an AMAAAZING camera on it. Of course HTC uses better hardware. Ill post comparison pics later... damn samsung!
how can i reduce the noise (or grain... i dont know the exact english term) in the pic??
the pics on first posts explain very good the problem.
thx a lot.
daffyno said:
how can i reduce the noise (or grain... i dont know the exact english term) in the pic??
the pics on first posts explain very good the problem.
thx a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In short...you can't. The hardware in a device this small can't do much more than that.

Categories

Resources