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Hi,
I didn't find information about this yet. I am new to Android but never intended to use stock, so I bought the Z1c and flashed CM11. The only thing I miss are video recordings with 60 or even 120 FPS, as possible with stock firmware. Now, please correct me, if I am wrong. AFAIU it is not easily possible to port the stock camera because of the dependency of Sony's framework (even if I don't understand the difficulties about this and why nobody did it yet?). If I understood correctly, the drivers extracted blobs from stock-ROM, so it not being able to record videos with high frame rates is not an issue of the camera driver but of the camera app. I also didn't find an alternative camera app providing this functionality.
I read that Android L will bring much more possibilities to the camera API, so apps could be able to 'get the full performance of image sensors', as I read in some news article. It will be possible to take RAW images as well as setting the exposure time, aperture, fps etc manually, even if the device manufacturer wants to limit these functions. Do you see maybe a possibility to get high-speed recording with Android L based CM(12?)?
/e: nevermind, did't read properly.
Hi,
I'm the developer of Open Camera, and looking at the OnePlus 3 as a potential new phone and test device, but I'm curious as to its support for Camera 2 API. I was wondering if people could share their experiences of using third party camera apps with Camera2 API enabled - either in Open Camera, or others like Snap Camera and A Better Camera (all these have options to enable Camera2 API)? In particular:
* It seems a lot of devices have problems with flash and Camera2 (either flash doesn't fire, or misfires so pictures come out under or overexposed). I finally managed to get Open Camera flash working on my Nexus 6, but no luck on a Samsung S7 (precapture doesn't seem to trigger). How does the OnePlus Three do with Camera2 and third party apps?
* I see some reports that manual exposure times don't work (e.g., http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/help/camera2-api-broken-oxygenos-3-1-2-t3400886 ), though they mostly refer to the "more than one second" times (which most Android devices don't even offer). I'm less bothered about that, but does manual exposure time (and ISO) work at all (even for less than one second) in Camera2 API on the OnePlus Three?
* Around a year ago I see lots of reports that RAW didn't work on the One Plus devices (either not at all, or pictures were wrong). Supposedly this was fixed, but can anyone confirm that this is working properly on the OnePlus Three?
Thanks in advance!
mark
I use CM 13. So the following observation will most probably differ from Oxygen OS. I hope someone else using the stock ROM provides their input too.
1. Flash is unusable with Open Camera. I tried with Camera2 enabled and disabled. When its enabled, the overexposure is less but overall the picture is still horrible. CM's Snap camera that comes with the ROM works fine however.
2. I have not tested manual exposure yet. Will report back later if no one else does it.
3. There doesn't seem to be any problem while saving RAW files using Camera2 API. Opened it in Ubuntu's image viewer and the image is the same as it's JPEG counterpart (without the flash)
Manual exposure settings work fine. I increased the ISO and exposure time gradually using Open Camera. It let in more light and captured the image without any issues
mdwh said:
* It seems a lot of devices have problems with flash and Camera2 (either flash doesn't fire, or misfires so pictures come out under or overexposed). I finally managed to get Open Camera flash working on my Nexus 6, but no luck on a Samsung S7 (precapture doesn't seem to trigger). How does the OnePlus Three do with Camera2 and third party apps?
* I see some reports that manual exposure times don't work (e.g., http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/help/camera2-api-broken-oxygenos-3-1-2-t3400886 ), though they mostly refer to the "more than one second" times (which most Android devices don't even offer). I'm less bothered about that, but does manual exposure time (and ISO) work at all (even for less than one second) in Camera2 API on the OnePlus Three?
* Around a year ago I see lots of reports that RAW didn't work on the One Plus devices (either not at all, or pictures were wrong). Supposedly this was fixed, but can anyone confirm that this is working properly on the OnePlus Three?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a OP3 and a bunch of camera apps. The flash is overexposing with Open Camera, but in e.g. Footej (which I believe also uses Camera API v2) the image is exposed similarly to the built-in camera app.
Changing ISO manually seems to work as expected.
RAW files that I've tested from the stock app in Lightroom appear fine.
Let me know if you want me to test something else (PM or email works too).
The biggest challenges I have with Open Camera is that the manual focus (at least in video mode) is somewhat jumpy and not as smooth as e.g. Cinema 4K when you drag the slider, so it is only useable when you're not recording, and then it lacks focus assist (zooming in 2x or 4x automatically when you adjust focus). And then, of course touch focus is also broken (it always focuses at the center) when using APIv2.
Oh, and I'm on the mainly release (3.2.6 atm).
Thanks for both your replies!
Regarding flash and Camera2 API, the newly released Open Camera v1.34 has an option under Settings/Photo settings/"Use alternative flash method". Does that work any better? (Interesting that you mention Footej, that's also the only other 3rd party camera app that gets flash working with Camera2 API on my Nexus 6 - I think it's also using the "torch method" that my new option enables as a workaround.)
Another question I have please - does HDR in Open Camera work okay? (Note it won't be the same as the stock camera's HDR, as these will be different algorithms - but does it at least seem to work? In theory it should if manual exposure is working, but there may be additional issues with burst mode.)
A shame that touch to focus isn't working (this seems to be a known issue with Camera2 on the OnePlus 3?) I note from http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3/how-to/oos-3-5-2-comunity-build-t3461648/post68764646 , comment 329, someone says that touch to focus is fixed in the community build 3.5.2 (they tested Open Camera and Snap Camera HDR), so hopefully this fix will soon be rolled out.
I'll take a look at the jerky manual focus, and focus assist.
Wrt flash: Compared to the built-in camera app and to Footej and with/without the new flash setting enabled, then yes: It works with the work-around enabled. Before enabling it, it overexposes (and has an incorrect color balance), but after enabling it, the photo looks almost identical to the Footej one.
As for HDR, then yes, it also works As you say, it's not identical to the built-in camera app, but there is a difference between a single-capture shot and an HDR one: Shadows are lifted and highlights become somewhat subdued. Comparing an OpenCamera HDR shot to the same scene taken with the built-in camera, I'd say the shadows are similar, but the highlights are less compressed with the default app (i.e. OpenCamera makes the highlights darker, and maybe also darker than need to be).
As for touch focus, then we can hope it will be fixed -- I guess it's a problem with the Camera2 API implementation/driver in OP3.
Thanks for your efforts!
Just to say that I got the OnePlus 3T in the end. It's an excellent device - but I've made a new thread at https://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-3t/how-to/camera2-bugs-t3569283 which details the outstanding problems that I seem unable to fix (and seem to affect other camera2 apps too).
Interestingly, touch-to-focus works fine to me (even when I first got it when it was on Android 6), possibly this was something that'd already been fixed.
hi all, since i change to aosp base custom nougat. There is a very big chance the phone "cannot connect to camera". When this happen, the phone will heat up and drain the battery. I think there is a kernel error and cause camera running but unable to show anything on screen. Force close wasn't help to fix this , only reboot.
I always use bacon camera because it come with real manual mode. And the only app with it. I doubt the manual mode(api level) in the app conflict with kernel .
Now i uninstall it and use other app with standard function to keep track if Bacon camera is the root cause of this error.
locolyric said:
hi all, since i change to aosp base custom nougat. There is a very big chance the phone "cannot connect to camera". When this happen, the phone will heat up and drain the battery. I think there is a kernel error and cause camera running but unable to show anything on screen. Force close wasn't help to fix this , only reboot.
I always use bacon camera because it come with real manual mode. And the only app with it. I doubt the manual mode(api level) in the app conflict with kernel .
Now i uninstall it and use other app with standard function to keep track if Bacon camera is the root cause of this error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any clues? I'm experiencing the same problem, and changing rom and/or kernel does not seem to fix it. I'm using bacon camera too, and actually started considering the possibility of it being the problem. Have you discovered something about it?
Carmach said:
Any clues? I'm experiencing the same problem, and changing rom and/or kernel does not seem to fix it. I'm using bacon camera too, and actually started considering the possibility of it being the problem. Have you discovered something about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use moto camera and adjust build.prop to get the manual mode . Bacon camera is not zuk rom friendly
This happened to me while using HDR in Bacon Camera in RR 5.8.4 with Darkmoon Kernel. In my case the system detected no camera at all. Not even AIDA64 showed anything. The only possible solution is to clean reflash of whatever ROM you want (Dirty Flashing doesn't work). I tried the Bacon again on AEX but same problem after sometime. The only equivalent (better actually) I found to Bacon Camera and all its glories is the Snap Camera v8.6.0 (latest). Don't bother if it shows as gallery while installing. Best Manual Camera app I've used by far. Plus it can utilize the legacy mode of Camera2api available on our device. I'm not talking about the snapdragon camera app. This is different. It's package name is -com.marginz.snap-.
Incrovantilist said:
This happened to me while using HDR in Bacon Camera in RR 5.8.4 with Darkmoon Kernel. In my case the system detected no camera at all. Not even AIDA64 showed anything. The only possible solution is to clean reflash of whatever ROM you want (Dirty Flashing doesn't work). I tried the Bacon again on AEX but same problem after sometime. The only equivalent (better actually) I found to Bacon Camera and all its glories is the Snap Camera v8.6.0 (latest). Don't bother if it shows as gallery while installing. Best Manual Camera app I've used by far. Plus it can utilize the legacy mode of Camera2api available on our device. I'm not talking about the snapdragon camera app. This is different. It's package name is -com.marginz.snap-.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snap camera is not a bad app. But I really don't know how to activate manual mode for this app. The only app which support manual mode and working with no bug is moto camera.
locolyric said:
Snap camera is not a bad app. But I really don't know how to activate manual mode for this app. The only app which support manual mode and working with no bug is moto camera.
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Click to collapse
I think for anything more than manual focusing we need Camera2api. Some apps like the Moto Camera or Even Footej support Manual Modes but as far as I've tested them, the manual adjustment is not that accurate (the iso adjustment has little to no effect on the pic). However in the Image Details, the iso is marked to what we set, so many are fooled. I'm a Hobbyist Photographer and have a Good Camera so I have no requirements to take manual photos on my phone. As far as I'm concerned the Snap Camera HDR capture is the best out there yet for our phone and that's all i require out of the above average sensors in our phone. Still if you want Manual Control of Exposure and ISO, try to achieve with post production, either using snapseed or Photo Editor(The Photoshop equivalent in Android, -com.iudesk.android.photo.editor-). Honestly You won't find the difference until you scrutinize in Big Screen. For Any Social Media purposes that's more than enough.
Try the 13 august jaguar kernel and Flash the new camera blobs if the error persists.
But before that you will have to reflash the Rom by wiping dalvik cache/cache/system.
Dont wipe the Data if you need your app configuration to remain the same.
UPDATE: Used hide tags to organize this post better and make information easier to find.
Alright, so you've got a shiny new Moto G5 plus, which supposedly has a similar Sony imx sensor as the one found on flagships like the Galaxy S7 and Pixel2. Yet, you are somehow disappointed by the camera's quality.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Turns out the camera sensor on this thing is actually pretty darned good, and the f/1.7 lens is no slouch, however it is being held back by poorly designed software from Moto/Lenovo.
Before I got into the solutions, let me specifically point out the problems I found with the camera so we're on the same page (click to reveal content, or just skip the fixes below):
1) Overzealous Sharpening and aggressive Noise Reduction are the biggest culprits. It almost looks like a bad filter is being applied to your images, turning fine details into mush and contrasty lines like text into something bizarre and artificial looking. The camera is doing this as part of the internal capture process, so this happens no matter what application it is taken in.
2) Highlights clipping earlier than it should. I'd say this might be a function of the camera's sensor more than the hardware, but analyzing RAW data from the sensor (more on that later) in my admittedly unscientific half-hazard naked eye, I'd go out on a limb and say it seems like we're not being shown all the DR the camera is able to see. To the layman: this means brights turn completely white effectively overexposing parts of the image that should otherwise still look OK.
3) The preview/viewfinder mode is even worse at #1 than the captured image is. That is, the preview mode (the video feed you see before you capture the full resolution image) is still applying the sharpening and NR at the same level as the captured image, however since the resolution is lower for the preview, it looks more exaggerated and ugly. This means two things: A) Its hard to tell what the image you take will look like, as the preview is ugly (and you have to hope the final will look better), and B) some apps use the preview feed as their capture method. For example, snapchat and augmented reality apps like Pokemon Go. It just looks terrible.
The good news is that there is a lot that can be done to improve and fix the camera.
The bad news is that almost all of it requires modifying system files. That means those with locked bootloaders (Amazon ad users or those who are afraid of voiding their warranties) might be out of luck.
You don't necessarily need root access, although some of this can be more easily performed with root. I needed to unlock my bootloader and performed most of this within TWRP, but chose to keep my phone otherwise unrooted. I'm going to split this into sections, fixing and improving.
A) FIXING THE IMAGE PROCESSING ISSUES
If you want to remove/circumvent the aggressive sharpening and NR issues (so that apps like snapchat or other camera applications don't look over-processed, including the stock Moto cam), try the following:
1) Chromatix mod. Shout out to @defcomg for finding and adjusting the values that control sharpening and NR in the system libs. See thread here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5-plus/themes/modcamera-aggressive-sharpening-noise-t3604458
There are two sets of files to replace in your system. Chromatix and LIBMM. NOTE: I don't recommend the LIBMM / binning part. Binning is combining pixels together into an averaged single pixel value, effectively reducing resolution to combat noise on the sensor. In other words, instead of having a large possibly noisy image, you get a smaller less noisy picture. But you can always choose to resize the image in post after you take it with the same resulting effect, so I don't see why this would be desirable to do. I recommend just applying the chromatix mod to remove the sharpening and NR. If you're comfortable using TWRP, there's actually a flashable zip in post #9, which is what I personally did (again, remember I'm not rooted, so I needed to flash/overwrite/etc within TWRP).
After applying this mod, even the stock camera app looks better, and apps that use the live preview (Snapchat, Pokemons AR view, etc) don't have the shadow ghosting from excessive sharpening anymore either. You might want to apply some sharpening and NR in post yourself if the image requires it, but thats always something you can choose but at least you have control over it and even without doing that it looks far better and more natural than stock to me.
2) Enable camera2 API. This doesn't have a direct effect on quality, but will allow other apps to have more direct access to the camera. If you want to improve beyond the results of #1 above, you'll need this.
The stock rom, surprisingly, has Camera2 API included, however it is disabled by the build.prop file. Again, no idea why Moto/Lenovo chose to do this, but the good news is you can enable it again easily. To do this, you need to add the following line to the build.prop
persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1
Or if rooted, via terminal / shell:
su persist.camera.HAL3.enabled 1
Once this is enabled, you can use apps such as the modified freedcam to shoot RAW, as found here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5-plus/how-to/how-to-enable-camera2-shoot-raw-root-t3582392
I found RAW from this app particularly difficult to work with, so I'm keeping it for experimentation purposes but for practical real-world usage, I'd recommend the next item below.
B) IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOS (or, how to install Google Camera!)
Section A was all about how to avoid the crummy filters that get automatically applied to the camera. But your device is capable of even BETTER photos by using Google's magic HDR+ algorithm (the special sauce that makes the Pixel phones so awesome). Here's how to do that:
1) If you haven't already enabled the Camera2 API, you need to do that first (info in section A above).
2) Get a working version of Google Camera with HDR+ for your phone. The last available 32-bit version with HDR+ is Gcam 4.2, so if you're on the stock ROM like I am, you're stuck with only the 32-bit versions (all the new versions with the bells and whistles are 64-bit only). The image quality is remarkably better, both in sharpness and dynamic range in almost any light. I have to admit, I'm in love with the images from this, and have even printed some for my wall.
You can get the APK ported from the Nexus 5x version here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74081041&postcount=3
UPDATE: New version from Savitar on post #44!
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=75483974&postcount=44
Problem is, our cameras use a different focus system than phones like the Nexus and Pixel. So, in photo mode, it doesn't really work correctly. Switching over to video mode, however, DOES work (likely using contrast detection focus, which is slower but more universal, especially for video focus). So the workaround is to swipe over to video mode, focus, swipe back to photos and press-and-hold to lock focus. It's annoying, but HDR+ is that good that I still try to work with it much of the time.
For times that it would be frustrating or not necessary, I'll just resort to the stock camera app or Footej camera, since the chromatix mod makes them mostly usable now. Just not ZOMG AMAZING like the Google HDR+ does.
OPTIONAL #3) Install a 64-bit custom Rom and use the latest Google Camera HDR+ app floating around (v4.4). The recent versions B-S-G released based on the Pixel camera has options to change camera modes in settings, some combination of which supposedly focus properly. You will likely get a more stable camera app experience with this as it requires less modification to work, but you'll have to be committed enough to go off stock.
Check out the app and suggested settings to try here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74999182&postcount=19
Thanks @shanks125 for the info!
Update 1/3/18: I just heard there is a port of the new portrait mode feature from the Pixel2 that is sort of working on 64-bit roms, but I think some modifications will need to be made to avoid focus drift like previous modded gcam versions.
There is also a 32-bit version of the new v4.4 that @Aby lad came up with in this thread:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/google-camera-4-4-arm-device-t3666090
In order to make it more compatible with other devices, it looks like he has disabled the Hexagon DSP, which I think is what makes HDR+ work, so while we can now change settings and focus, HDR+ isn't working. The app still has some Google goodies like Sphere and Blur mode, but without HDR+ the real benefit of Google camera is lost anyway. Might as well use stock with chromatix mod at that point.
Hope some of you find this helpful/useful!
UPDATE 12/28/17: New GCam with 6P features on post #14.
There actually may be some alternate versions of the gcam apk with benefits the one originally linked above doesn't have. I will try to update when if/when I find them.
Dishe said:
There actually may be some alternate versions of the gcam apk with benefits the one originally linked above doesn't have. I will try to update when if/when I find them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be useful!
So if I apply the chromatic mode, do I still have to enable the Camera2 API?
It's my bad. I would like to know if there is a way to disable Camera2 api. I am on Linage 14.1 and I edited my prop.build (yeah, I know). I switched back to the original line of code, but camera app still crashing. How to revert without reflashing the rom? Thanks.
edit. reflashed.
iBART said:
It's my bad. I would like to know if there is a way to disable Camera2 api. I am on Linage 14.1 and I edited my prop.build (yeah, I know). I switched back to the original line of code, but camera app still crashing. How to revert without reflashing the rom? Thanks.
edit. reflashed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try clearing data+cache for the camera app?
iamsonal said:
So if I apply the chromatic mode, do I still have to enable the Camera2 API?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, but it doesn't hurt to so why not? Some apps will have more options in camera2 if enabled.
iBART said:
It's my bad. I would like to know if there is a way to disable Camera2 api. I am on Linage 14.1 and I edited my prop.build (yeah, I know). I switched back to the original line of code, but camera app still crashing. How to revert without reflashing the rom? Thanks.
edit. reflashed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is another way to enable camera2 api if you're using a custom ROM. You need to flash a magisk module.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74081041&postcount=3
Which Google camera works in a complete stock g5? I keep getting a praising error with every one I try.
eemgee said:
Which Google camera works in a complete stock g5? I keep getting a praising error with every one I try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Parsing error means you are probably trying to use a 64-bit or one made for a different version of Android (7.1 instead of 7.0). The one linked above will work.
However, all recent versions of Google's Camera require the camera2 api to work. That's one of the primary reasons to enable the Camera2 api in my opinion. It comes in the stock rom, but it is disabled for some inexplicable reason (G5S model has it enabled, so some people are hoping that we'll get it enabled with an update or at least when Oreo rolls around). The good news is that it only takes one line of text in the build.prop file to enable it on the G5+. However, the bad news is that build.prop is part of the protected system partition, so editing it requires root-level file access. Doesn't seem to be any way to do that without unlocking the bootloader, so either way you won't be able to do it on a 100% stock g5+ as things are right now.
Thanks i managed to get 2.7 working.
I will unlock the bootloader at some point in the next few weeks....
There is also a Magisk module in post #54 on that Chromatix thread. Really helpful!
Hi, so in search for better images from my g5+ camera I stumbled upon this place and rooted my phone to add the chromatix mods and edit the build.prop file .
I downloaded the google camera port v4.2 for the hdr+ but have been unable to install it as I get the error that package may be corrupted.
So could someone please link me to one which is good or upload it.
And BIG thanks to this community.
New gcam from savitar
UPDATE: Better gcam version from Savitar/Defcomg
http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=00826724446841525700
Features:
Burst Mode (hold shutter button)
Focus doesn't drift when switching from video mode (this is a huge fix IMO- old app would drift after setting focus in video mode).
Selfie cam now has HDR as well (with caveats)
RAW image capture with each photo!
Instructions for use are largely the same as the old app, but it works better / more reliably now:
WHEN USING APP FOR THE FIRST TIME, GO INTO SETTINGS AND CHANGE VIDEO TO 4K. This will prevent FCs.
To take a picture:
1) Swipe left to switch to video mode, tap to focus
2) Once focus is achieved, swipe right to return to photo mode. (Focus should not drift in this version)
3) Tap the area again in photo mode, and hit the shutter button.
NOTES:
It appears that you no longer need to press-and-hold to lock focus in photo mode before shooting. I believe this is because the focus system doesn't adjust anymore in photo mode (I'm guessing Savitar/Defcomg removed it to combat that focus drifting problem). It is already locked at wherever you put it in video mode. You DO however need to still tap the screen as if you are focusing. I think this is because the camera needs to think it is focusing, but it is anyway helpful to tap somewhere for metering / exposure reading purposes. Skipping the press-and-hold to lock focus makes it a lot more manageable.
This version of the app is setup to shoot RAW+Jpeg, so you will find your camera roll will have both a jpeg and DNG file of the shot. Be aware that the RAW DNG files are multiple times larger than the jpeg, so you may want to keep an eye on storage if you shoot a lot of them. They're really useful if you want to adjust WB and exposure afterwards, quality is astoundingly good.
Selfie Mode was broken in HDR+ on earlier builds because for some reason the front camera on our phone doesn't return an ISO value to the app (says iso is zero). The HDR+ algorithm would fail. Savitar/defcomg fixed it by setting it always return a value (he picked 100, otherwise it would overexpose in daylight). The catch is that in lower lighting, the selfie HDR+ comes out darker than expected. Thankfully you can take the RAW file and adjust the exposure in post if needed (snapseed, Lightroom mobile, etc). But there might be times it is just too dark to be useful. The difference when it works is big enough that I recommend it trying it at least once to compare.
ENJOY!
Big shout out to @defcomg for this and all his awesome mods!
Landscape gcam 6p
A modified version of the APK above is available which starts the camera off focused at infinity.
http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=31694573387513766779
This was made for people who want to shoot landscapes and/or things far enough away that they don't want to deal with focusing (swipe to video mode, etc). See a beautiful sunset for example, open this app, tap the sky and hit the shutter. Its already focused in the right position.
Otherwise identical to previous post's apk. Can be installed side-by-side, as each app has its own ID.
can't use gcam because it crashes at first run
marcol87 said:
can't use gcam because it crashes at first run
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do u have camera2 API enabled?
Dishe said:
UPDATE: Better gcam version from Savitar/Defcomg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for sharing this.
Add this, BSG GCam MOD with working HDR+ and Touch to Focus for 64bit roms. Settings as per attachment! https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=889964283620770378
Dishe said:
Do u have camera2 API enabled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, I added persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1 to build.prop and rebooted
Dishe said:
persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1or
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Click to collapse
ps: the string persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1 is wrong in the OP
I would like to hear some opinions on this. I noticed some time ago that my videos had very inconsistent colors - there would be visible change of the balance when paning around or filming different objects to an extent that seems odd. After trying out and comparing I did realise that the main camera tends to very aggresively change the auto white balance, even if the scene is basically the same and the phone just slightly changes angle. It seems as it tries to desperately match white balance to every frame and its content (forgive my amateur vocabulary here), which to me seems strange and looking at other phones they just hold a much more consistent balance.
I attach 2 videos to show the issue - keep in mind that the issue isnt as visible always, as I tried very specific scenes/angles to show it.
When I use manual white balance it works great, so it kinda feels like a software issue (?)
Does anybody have a similar experience?
Would you mind trying to film a video in a similar scenario, but after disabling the option "scene optimizer" in the camera settings? I don't know if it does anything, but might be worth trying.
1812CE said:
Would you mind trying to film a video in a similar scenario, but after disabling the option "scene optimizer" in the camera settings? I don't know if it does anything, but might be worth trying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tipp, I'll try to compare it, although I dont think that scene optimizer affects videos
Unfortunately turning scene optimizer off doesnt change it (video attached).
It still feels like a software issue, but since nobody has yet confirmed a similar experience I'm starting to think it might be a problem with my unit. (Btw my A52s seems to have the Samsung image sensor not the Sony one)
Edit: or, I am exaggerating and this behaviour is actually not unusual - havent had a Samsung phone for a few years before my A52s
neat_wheat said:
Unfortunately turning scene optimizer off doesnt change it (video attached).
It still feels like a software issue, but since nobody has yet confirmed a similar experience I'm starting to think it might be a problem with my unit. (Btw my A52s seems to have the Samsung image sensor not the Sony one)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not shoot a lot of video, but in the few videos I did shoot I never saw what is visible in your videos (Sony sensor). It is indeed very jarring. Do you only have it with footage of grass or just always?
In the Samsung camera app, you can go the "Professional Video" mode in the "More" section (so where macro etc. is), and then set whitebalance manually to e.g. 5500K and see whether it is more stable then. But like I said I do not shoot a lot of video, so I certainly do not have experience with that professional video mode.
Edit: I now see that you already mention manual whitebalance yourself. So are there disadvantages to just using professional video mode all the time then?
sanderbos said:
(...)
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It definitely gets more visible in outside scenes, more so if there is a lot of green in the frame - indoors and with artificial light it definitely is hard to spot. As I mentioned above it feels like it tries to match the balance to the content or objects of/in the frame, instead of keeping a consistent balance. I had a video where I stuck my hand in and out of the frame and it would drastically change the whole color to match the hand it seemed (thinking about it, the background was grass also, so ...).
Pro mode is a solution, it's just that I'm not a fan of setting the balance everytime I take a video or photo - and the balance ofc affects photos in the same way, as 2 photos of basically the same scene might have drastically different WB.
Nevertheless thanks a lot for your input - I also very much enjoyed your detailed instructions for Gcam usage
neat_wheat said:
Pro mode is a solution, it's just that I'm not a fan of setting the balance everytime I take a video or photo - and the balance ofc affects photos in the same way, as 2 photos of basically the same scene might have drastically different WB.
Nevertheless thanks a lot for your input - I also very much enjoyed your detailed instructions for Gcam usage
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You would not have to set it every time (probably). In the Samsung camera app I have dragged the Pro Photo (not video) mode to the 'main bar' (from the more menu you can hold and drag items in and out of the main bar for quick access), with a changed fixed ISO (for shooting of fast action scenes), and you set it once and the camera app will remember that setting forever. And I think for all outside scenes around 5600K WB will work fine (it's not like the A52s is a high quality video machine anyway).
I didn't want to bring up gcam because I had no idea whether that would make a difference, but now that you brought it up, does that have the same whitebalance issues for you (in video)?
sanderbos said:
(...). And I think for all outside scenes around 5600K WB will work fine (it's not like the A52s is a high quality video machine anyway).
I didn't want to bring up gcam because I had no idea whether that would make a difference, but now that you brought it up, does that have the same whitebalance issues for you (in video)?
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I meant I would have to set it again for every scene, but you are right, something like 5600 would probably be okay for most outdoor stuff. And with rearranging the icons it wouldnt be such a hassle. I'll try that out for daily use, thanks!
I am using BSG gcam also, because I find the nightmode drastically better but unfortunately the balance issue is the same, so I guess the balance gets set on system level. I also tried gcam awb but it always seems to be a bit off no matter the config - but I prefer the stock app for daylight anyway (apart from the wb)