So far, I'm pretty happy with this phone but very disappointed with the stock camera app. The camera does pretty well outdoors and in low light, but is terrible in moderate light conditions (i.e. normal indoor conditions.) I just took a bunch of blurry, grainy pictures of my kids with their Easter baskets that all snapped 1/2 a second after I clicked the shutter. The thing that makes me think the camera can do better is that everything looks great on the screen up until I ask it to take a photo, then it refocuses and everything goes to hell. I tried Samsung's sports mode, and that is only marginally better. My wife's new S5 is suffering from the same problem.
Has anyone had better luck with other camera apps or a change in settings? Camera Zoom FX and Google's new camera app don't seem any better. I don't care about effects, HDR, manual photo settings or gimmicks; all I want are sharp, in-focus photos that take without a bunch of lag.
Bazirker said:
So far, I'm pretty happy with this phone but very disappointed with the stock camera app. The camera does pretty well outdoors and in low light, but is terrible in moderate light conditions (i.e. normal indoor conditions.) I just took a bunch of blurry, grainy pictures of my kids with their Easter baskets that all snapped 1/2 a second after I clicked the shutter. The thing that makes me think the camera can do better is that everything looks great on the screen up until I ask it to take a photo, then it refocuses and everything goes to hell. I tried Samsung's sports mode, and that is only marginally better. My wife's new S5 is suffering from the same problem.
Has anyone had better luck with other camera apps or a change in settings? Camera Zoom FX and Google's new camera app don't seem any better. I don't care about effects, HDR, manual photo settings or gimmicks; all I want are sharp, in-focus photos that take without a bunch of lag.
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Turn picture stabilization off and it gets rid of the picture lag.
But yes, otherwise similar issues.
That's the thing. The HTC M8 wins on indoor/low light pics (if you don't get that purple blob effect), this will on outdoors. That's where the whole MP vs. sensor size come into play as larger sensor means more light but not as sharp vs. more MP means sharper but due to smaller sensor less light thus not always great.
Anyway I've found it takes me about 2 pictures to get one I like with HDR and image stabilization off. With that on that all seem to suck due to the delay. Would have been nice to have some true optical image stabilization too. Samsung just doesn't seem to learn/care though.
We get good HW but they cheap out on the little things that make it better.
Yeah, turning off stabilization, HDR etc helps, but there's still a noticeable lag. The lag bothers me less than the fact that my near-stationary subject is coming out blurry. If the camera would simply capture the exact image that is on-screen at the moment I hit the shutter, I would be thrilled...
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So here's kinda the problem. And it happens a lot with people taking pictures on your phone.
A phone was not meant to be a camera. It just wasn't. In the early days of low resolution things went faster. When you try to run 16 megabit... things are necessarily going to be harder.
Here's the easiest solution to your problems: Practice taking pictures with the phone. Keep your arms tucked in at your sides, keep the phone closer to your body. Shoot in landscape instead of portrait so your hands are in better position. I use the flip case for this phone which means I can use that as well to have better grip and stability. Take the picture... and keep the camera pointed just where you were taking the picture for at least 1/2 sec after you tap the "shutter release". Shutter lag will only be exacerbated by being too quick to move the phone. Also, you don't have to mash the on screen button, light tap and whatnot. Oh and the 1/3 of a sec focus time is their "fastest" rating. While in truth that is pretty darn decent, it's also the fastest you'll have. Expect a possible 1/2 to 3/4 sec focus time. And make sure you're PICKY about your focus. Do it over and over again if it's not right.
Also, your metering mode will have a big impact on your images. Get used to changing them to suit your subject.
I have 13+ years experience as a photographer. If it weren't absolutely absurd, and say all of my bodies died at the same time... I would be carrying a monopod or tripod for use with my GS5... Stability is the key to image quality. Who cares what you look like when you take the picture, it's the picture that matters.
Oh and one other thing, image blur is exacerbated when objects are either very close, or very far away. One because the contrast elements (edges and such) are easy to distinguish from the rest and when they're blurry... you notice it. The other because detail elements are TINY at that range, down to even 1 pixel width, so any shake makes those disappear entirely into blur.
Just some basic things to do. Honestly if it's a choice between getting the shot with my Nikons... or getting it with my GS5? the Nikons will win every time. But in a pinch, the camera on the GS5 is good enough. Just takes the right hands and the right frame of mind.
Arkanthos2015 said:
So here's kinda the problem. And it happens a lot with people taking pictures on your phone.
A phone was not meant to be a camera. It just wasn't. In the early days of low resolution things went faster. When you try to run 16 megabit... things are necessarily going to be harder.
Here's the easiest solution to your problems: Practice taking pictures with the phone. Keep your arms tucked in at your sides, keep the phone closer to your body. Shoot in landscape instead of portrait so your hands are in better position. I use the flip case for this phone which means I can use that as well to have better grip and stability. Take the picture... and keep the camera pointed just where you were taking the picture for at least 1/2 sec after you tap the "shutter release". Shutter lag will only be exacerbated by being too quick to move the phone. Also, you don't have to mash the on screen button, light tap and whatnot. Oh and the 1/3 of a sec focus time is their "fastest" rating. While in truth that is pretty darn decent, it's also the fastest you'll have. Expect a possible 1/2 to 3/4 sec focus time. And make sure you're PICKY about your focus. Do it over and over again if it's not right.
Also, your metering mode will have a big impact on your images. Get used to changing them to suit your subject.
I have 13+ years experience as a photographer. If it weren't absolutely absurd, and say all of my bodies died at the same time... I would be carrying a monopod or tripod for use with my GS5... Stability is the key to image quality. Who cares what you look like when you take the picture, it's the picture that matters.
Oh and one other thing, image blur is exacerbated when objects are either very close, or very far away. One because the contrast elements (edges and such) are easy to distinguish from the rest and when they're blurry... you notice it. The other because detail elements are TINY at that range, down to even 1 pixel width, so any shake makes those disappear entirely into blur.
Just some basic things to do. Honestly if it's a choice between getting the shot with my Nikons... or getting it with my GS5? the Nikons will win every time. But in a pinch, the camera on the GS5 is good enough. Just takes the right hands and the right frame of mind.
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Lots of truth to your post in regards to the pointers about technique and settings. I've got an EOS-1Ds I use when I plan to take photos, and you need to know how to use your gear and be practiced if you want to take a decent photo.
However, I disagree when it comes to expectations for smartphone camera performance. I used to have the same attitude you expressed about taking photos with a phone, until I recently backed up and printed some of the photos off my wife's old iPhone 4S. The photos it took were shockingly good, and my disappointment with the Galaxy S5 camera stems from the fact that it is getting severely outperformed by the 3 year old iPhone. If the Apple crowd has been able to rely on their iPhones as a competent point-and-shoot camera for years, I see no reason why my flagship Android phone should be no different.
In other news, I've been playing with different settings and apps all afternoon, and still aren't seeing any improvement in performance. Camera Zoom FX allows for ISO 1600, and that's giving me the best performance so far in terms of reducing lag and image blur. (Of course, the images are quite grainy...boo hiss.)
Hello, so I been using this phone for few weeks, and now I gave up. Camera quality is terrible, only close and with flash shots are okay. But even outside, little bit further it comes blurry. What's the problem? Third (3) photo is looking great with flash outside. Second photo is blurry, if just zoom little bit.. Others without flash just look's terrible, and I don't know what's the problem...
itsignas said:
Hello, so I been using this phone for few weeks, and now I gave up. Camera quality is terrible, only close and with flash shots are okay. But even outside, little bit further it comes blurry. What's the problem? First photo is looking great with flash outside. Second photo is blurry too, if just zoom little bit.. Others without flash just look's terrible, and I don't know what's the problem...
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The Mi4c camera seems to be on par with most other midrange Chinese phones. Coming from a Nexus 5, everything about this phone is an upgrade, except the camera - which is a shame because it's not like the N5 had the best camera ever - but it was still better under most conditions than the Mi4c
So this is normal? I mean only close shots are fine, right?
Mi 4C actually has better image quality than most phones at the same price range. But admittedly its auto-focus is a bit problematic. Your photos seems to be the problem of auto-focus as well. My Mi 4C produces very good photos (close or far objects) when focused correctly.
If you are using Snapdragon Camera, try disabling Zero Shutter Lag (press Red Eye Reduction a couple of times to enable developer options).
I have miui 8, and it's stock camera, may you know where to get snapdragon camera? Thanks
Okay, front camera looks like painted if little bit zoomed in. It is because im not using snapdragon camera?
itsignas said:
Okay, I took selfie, and front camera looks like painted if little bit zoomed in. It is because im not using snapdragon camera?
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That's normal. You shouldn't zoom in with a phone camera because there is no optical zooming. Zooming in on a phone is like enlarging a photo on your computer. Of course it will look painted. It's not because you are not using Snapdragon Camera.
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itsignas said:
I have miui 8, and it's stock camera, may you know where to get snapdragon camera? Thanks
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Snapdragon Camera is the default camera in CM13. It's OK if you don't have it.
Try these steps to see if you can take a decent photo:
1. Find an outdoor place with bright sunlight
2. Hold your camera very steadily (find something to support, like a table, light pole, etc)
3. Press the screen to focus
4. Press the shutter button lightly (to reduce camera shake)
The Zero Shutter Lag function keeps making the photo blurry for some reason. I don't know if there is Zero Shutter Lag function in MiUI camera, or whether it can be disabled. If everything fails, try another camera app.
Calebz said:
The Mi4c camera seems to be on par with most other midrange Chinese phones. Coming from a Nexus 5, everything about this phone is an upgrade, except the camera - which is a shame because it's not like the N5 had the best camera ever - but it was still better under most conditions than the Mi4c
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My Mi4c takes way better photos than my N5 ever did. That was one of the worst cameras I ever owned.
Karly Johnston said:
My Mi4c takes way better photos than my N5 ever did. That was one of the worst cameras I ever owned.
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Interesting. I find with the Mi4c that the pictures come out ok only if taken in full daylight and the subject is perfectly still. The N5 camera captures objects in motion. For example, my 2 year old splashing in the pool. The Mi4c will show the pool and surroundings well enough, but the kid and the water splashes are just a blur. The N5 will capture the kid in motion and even the individual drops of water.
I admit, that on release in 2013 , the N5 camera was a bit of a potato, but subsequent updates to Google camera turned it into a relatively decent shooter.
Calebz said:
Interesting. I find with the Mi4c that the pictures come out ok only if taken in full daylight and the subject is perfectly still. The N5 camera captures objects in motion. For example, my 2 year old splashing in the pool. The Mi4c will show the pool and surroundings well enough, but the kid and the water splashes are just a blur. The N5 will capture the kid in motion and even the individual drops of water.
I admit, that on release in 2013 , the N5 camera was a bit of a potato, but subsequent updates to Google camera turned it into a relatively decent shooter.
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So use Google camera. I get better focus from it, not to mention 4k.
Karly Johnston said:
So use Google camera. I get better focus from it, not to mention 4k.
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Which ROM are you using? I'm on TSCM 13.1 and Google camera doesn't seem to work well.. at least not the version I had on the phone (3.2 I think)
Calebz said:
Which ROM are you using? I'm on TSCM 13.1 and Google camera doesn't seem to work well.. at least not the version I had on the phone (3.2 I think)
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sMiUI, it required a fix to enable HDR but no problems sense.
Calebz said:
Interesting. I find with the Mi4c that the pictures come out ok only if taken in full daylight and the subject is perfectly still. The N5 camera captures objects in motion. For example, my 2 year old splashing in the pool. The Mi4c will show the pool and surroundings well enough, but the kid and the water splashes are just a blur. The N5 will capture the kid in motion and even the individual drops of water.
I admit, that on release in 2013 , the N5 camera was a bit of a potato, but subsequent updates to Google camera turned it into a relatively decent shooter.
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The difference between N5 and Mi4C that you mentioned is probably due to the difference in lighting conditions. When you took the photo with N5, you were likely under very bright sunlight so the camera used a fast shutter speed (e.g. 1/500s), freezing everything in the frame. When you took the photo with Mi4C, you might be under weaker sunlight (e.g. overcast) so the camera used a slower shutter speed (e.g. 1/50s), so everything that was staying still appeared sharp and everything that was moving (your kid and the water splash) appeared blurry.
If you still have your N5, try both phones under the same lighting condition. I think Mi4C will give better results. If Mi4C still gives blurry shots in good lighting, try manually setting a high ISO value (e.g. ISO1600) to force the camera to use a fast shutter speed.
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Calebz said:
Which ROM are you using? I'm on TSCM 13.1 and Google camera doesn't seem to work well.. at least not the version I had on the phone (3.2 I think)
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Google Camera doesn't work well on CM13. There is probably no fix for that. I think Snapdragon Camera (the default camera in CM13) is very good, despite its slightly inconvenient UI.
legacyofthevoid said:
The difference between N5 and Mi4C that you mentioned is probably due to the difference in lighting conditions. When you took the photo with N5, you were likely under very bright sunlight so the camera used a fast shutter speed (e.g. 1/500s), freezing everything in the frame. When you took the photo with Mi4C, you might be under weaker sunlight (e.g. overcast) so the camera used a slower shutter speed (e.g. 1/50s), so everything that was staying still appeared sharp and everything that was moving (your kid and the water splash) appeared blurry.
If you still have your N5, try both phones under the same lighting condition. I think Mi4C will give better results. If Mi4C still gives blurry shots in good lighting, try manually setting a high ISO value (e.g. ISO1600) to force the camera to use a fast shutter speed.
---------- Post added at 02:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:34 AM ----------
Google Camera doesn't work well on CM13. There is probably no fix for that. I think Snapdragon Camera (the default camera in CM13) is very good, despite its slightly inconvenient UI.
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Unfortunately, it wasn't a difference in conditions. I had one phone in each hand in full daylight.
By no means am I suggesting that the N5 is the best camera in the world, or that the Mi4c is terrible. The Mi4c clearly smokes the N5 in terms of how long it takea to start the camera, how fast it can take pictures (though using HDR, it's probably a wash), and ability to focus on still objects at much closer range.
I read as widely as I could when looking for a new phone and overall am still eminently pleased with my choice. I just wish for once that a professional reviewer would take into account the idea that sometimes people take pictures of living things that move instead of just trees, random buildings or the crap on their desks :lol:
Calebz said:
Unfortunately, it wasn't a difference in conditions. I had one phone in each hand in full daylight.
By no means am I suggesting that the N5 is the best camera in the world, or that the Mi4c is terrible. The Mi4c clearly smokes the N5 in terms of how long it takea to start the camera, how fast it can take pictures (though using HDR, it's probably a wash), and ability to focus on still objects at much closer range.
I read as widely as I could when looking for a new phone and overall am still eminently pleased with my choice. I just wish for once that a professional reviewer would take into account the idea that sometimes people take pictures of living things that move instead of just trees, random buildings or the crap on their desks :lol:
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If the lighting condition is the same, it's probably the difference in algorithm in exposure calculation that causes the difference. Try using a high ISO on Mi4C, or switch to "Sports Mode" (if any). Maybe that'll help.
Post samples, it's very possible that your unit has a faulty lens.
Gabbbbbbb said:
Post samples, it's very possible that your unit has a faulty lens.
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Added.
I still think it is the problem of focus.
When the camera focuses correctly, everything in the frame is very sharp:
But when the camera screws up the focus (which happens quite often), then the photo becomes blurry like the one you have shown:
Your last 2 samples look like serious lens decentering, but then before the decentering seems to be on the other side. Almost as if a lens element, or an element group is lose.
Alright, I took few more photos few days ago. Last photo looks very sharp, maybe good focused, but that was hell a pain. Almost every photo is out of focus then. Only that looks fine, and close shots while steady.. It's kinda really hard to get focused shot even steady.
Can anyone confirms this? Almost 4 units i tested from sony stalls has this issue.
The photos taken by camera turns out to be overly sharpened, with lots of artifacts.
Turning on or off image enhancements does not help.
I am seeing this as well. And most of the reviews I saw also reported this.
Currently I am trying a few third party camera apps to see if they do the same
Haiz.. Why can't they make the camera right for once?
I concurred this. Mine focused good. I learned a trick that you actually have to tap the screen then press and hold the camera button on screen or side until it is clear. When i first got it, all my photos was focusing on the wrong spot. However, now with that trick i could get sharp images but zooming in they look very blurry and a lot of noise.
Do you experience this is good or low light? You do have to work a little bit harder with the camera settings as the light drops off to get the right image. And use the designated camera button too rather than the on screen one.
Good lightings... Not to mention if its poor lighting conditions. Guess have to wait for a new firmware.
Yep so much sharpening in all lighting conditions. Hoping for a software update soon.
Here is samples pictures from my XZ. It has undoubtedly the best selfies camera under daylight. Lowlight shooting takes a bit to get used to it. It was bad as first but if you toggle on "tap - focus and brightness" in setting it will improve tremendously as it uses it light sensor to automatically brighten the photos. Overall, I'm happy with the camera. It beats Iphone 7 Plus and on par with the S7Edge. My beef with the XZ is the small size and 3GB. I would prefer 5.5 and 4GB for a $600 phone. But if you can get it for $450 or $500, this phone is definitely worth every penny.
http://imgur.com/a/1S4Si
I am not talking about selfies. I am talking about the main camera. Very bad quality here. So fall 8 sets i have tried, same issues
Noticed this myself, not impressed with the image quality. Seems to be worse than my Z2. Hoping when they eventually drop Nougat it'll iron out some of the issues.
About blure and noise, increse ev to +0.7 or 1
A very good example of xz camera samples. You can guess which photos are by xz. The oversharpening of images when zoomed in.. Soo much artifacts.
http://m.gsmarena.com/blind_shootout_iphone7_galaxy_s7_xperia_xz_lg_g5
I have OnePlus 7 for exactly one week, use the stock camera on auto with default settings and took under 20 pictures. Even though I take images in bright summer light and my daughters are in little to no move, I often end up with these poor artifacts.
I will try switching HDR off. Any other suggestion (except trying GCam)? Does anyone else experience something like that? (Am I using it wrong? I had no issues with Samsung Galaxy S7.)
Have similar issues. Portrait mode comes out with artifacts as well. Stock cam sucks despite what everyone else says. Not sure if the OP7pro's cam is as bad.
I think OP needs to put more effort into marketing the OP7 globally (not just the pro) and improving the cam. I am very disappointed.
Have just installed GCam to try. Hopefully it is better.
HDR is and never will be made for super low shutter speeds.
As I reckon these kids are moving quickly there is simply not enough time for the phone to quickly burst shoot and merge those 5 or so pictures for HDR
Just my guess. Try holding your phone still and shoot a static object and see if these problems persist
The attached pictures were taken with shutter speeds of 1/50 to 1/450 sec and on Oxygen OS 9.5.5. I'm now on 9.5.6 but I still experience issues with HDR so I keep it off.
The thing is that with Samsung (S7), only really low shutter speeds of around 1/10 s and low light caused issues - but then objects were blurred, which is what I expect. Not weird artifacts like the samples.
I basically never have enough time to play with settings so I only use auto.