As a "proper" camera, the unit seems to be missing some things I'd expect by default. How do you turn off auto-focus an focus manually... taking pictures at night - the stars etc - invariably the images are out of focus.
Also auto-exposure control - you can turn that off easily for images but for videos there seems to be no way to turn off the auto exposure - which makes the end product look very amateurish.
Finally whenever I go out at night, the LCD dims, I can't seem to stop that and it dims WAY too much?
Any ideas chaps?
scargill said:
As a "proper" camera, the unit seems to be missing some things I'd expect by default. How do you turn off auto-focus an focus manually... taking pictures at night - the stars etc - invariably the images are out of focus.
Also auto-exposure control - you can turn that off easily for images but for videos there seems to be no way to turn off the auto exposure - which makes the end product look very amateurish.
Finally whenever I go out at night, the LCD dims, I can't seem to stop that and it dims WAY too much?
Any ideas chaps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It appears that you cannot turn Auto Focus off but you might be able to find a third party camera app in the Play Store that allows this
Settings for video are sparse it's true and again there is no control over the exposure etc.
I didn't notice the LCD dimming, The camera doesn't have an auto brightness LCD so I am not sure what's causing that. Turning the brightness up from the drop down notification bar is easy enough though.
Sorry these are not the answers you are looking for but we have to remind ourselves that this is a premium camera not a pro camera however.
apprentice said:
It appears that you cannot turn Auto Focus off but you might be able to find a third party camera app in the Play Store that allows this
Settings for video are sparse it's true and again there is no control over the exposure etc.
I didn't notice the LCD dimming, The camera doesn't have an auto brightness LCD so I am not sure what's causing that. Turning the brightness up from the drop down notification bar is easy enough though.
Sorry these are not the answers you are looking for but we have to remind ourselves that this is a premium camera not a pro camera however.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. I will indeed look out for such an app. Agree with you that it's not a "pro" camera - but for example - on the iPhone who's video handling is equally dire, there's an app that completely compensates by letting you shoot 16:9 with auto exposure, auto focus and auto-white all turned off at the touch of a button. This camera really does need such controls to make it useful for anything other than "party" videos. Its a big disappointment that Samsung would miss off such obvious controls having taken the effort to make a special camera app in the first place.
there are only 2 focus modes as far as I can tell, auto and macro.
night sky shots have worked fine for me using auto focus though.
I made some nice pictures of a crescent moon without a tripod or manual focus, and it was sharp enough to see the craters on the moon.
using manual camcorder under expert you can set the brightness, and white balance for video recording manually(wb is under the settings gear)
lcd dimming: settings gear - general - display brightness
the settings gear is hidden under the > and the expert mode can be accessed through the mode button.
don't be so afraid to dig a bit through settings.
I often see complaints about missing/misbehaving features in apps when it's all available through a settings screen.
EDIT: apprentice: auto brightness works using the camera sensor, so it only works while in the camera app.
Thanks for that - so solved the LCD brightness, but I've gone through all the settings and cannot figure out how to turn off the auto-focus or the auto-brightness. Put your hand in front of the lens - and both kick in whether you want them or not... any ideas anyone?
thedicemaster said:
there are only 2 focus modes as far as I can tell, auto and macro.
night sky shots have worked fine for me using auto focus though.
I made some nice pictures of a crescent moon without a tripod or manual focus, and it was sharp enough to see the craters on the moon.
using manual camcorder under expert you can set the brightness, and white balance for video recording manually(wb is under the settings gear)
lcd dimming: settings gear - general - display brightness
the settings gear is hidden under the > and the expert mode can be accessed through the mode button.
don't be so afraid to dig a bit through settings.
I often see complaints about missing/misbehaving features in apps when it's all available through a settings screen.
EDIT: apprentice: auto brightness works using the camera sensor, so it only works while in the camera app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I can tell in camcorder mode, the one thing you can set - brilliance- is only relative brilliance - the exposure still bobs up and down like a YoYo.... making the movies look terrible - surely guys there has to be a way to turn this off?
Related
Let us start a summary of features we want from Samsung.
- Remote-Viewfinder with all functions like the camera app itself
- manual whitebalance (within Auto-Mode and easier accessing)
- manual focus
- face recognition in auto-mode
Sent from my GT-P5110 using xda premium
-forced flash light in automatic mode
There is manual white balance feature, but not in automatic mode.
OndrejP said:
There is manual white balance feature, but not in automatic mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh hell, yes i found it. Not really easy accessible and usable. I changed my feature-request ^^
Sent from my GT-P5110 using xda premium
-an API for manual control of the camera in our own apps, ex: shutter speed, Aperture, everything in "expert" mode, etc.
-time lapse option that bypasses the preview requirements. ex: time lapse with screen off to save battery
-unlimited continuous mode. ex: take pictures as fast as hardware allows and save them until the SD card is full
checking for protrusions in front of the lens when camera is activated on start up or activated by apps
else this happenshttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=38367332#post38367332
Speaking of remote, how about publishing the remote protocol so we could write special purpose apps with vastly greater control than just launching a "take picture" intent.
And two new options in settings:
1) Don't start camera on power up.
2) Remember my default preference for using the sdcard, don't keep asking on every power up.
Claghorn said:
Speaking of remote, how about publishing the remote protocol so we could write special purpose apps with vastly greater control than just launching a "take picture" intent.
And two new options in settings:
1) Don't start camera on power up.
2) Remember my default preference for using the sdcard, don't keep asking on every power up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for these 2
evSril afflicted
Only owned mines for a few hours now
but
+ 1 : Don't start camera on power up., straight to dashboard would be better
+1 for some type of Focus Control
:- 30 Second Shutter Window instead of 16 seconds
:- Different Flash Modes, maybe its me but I can only see auto, Rear ,Slow Fill etc.
hello
it was helpful thanks
- advanced panorama features like in LG's new phone (LG G Pro) and Samsung WB850F compact camera
- 3D panorama
- action panorama
-3D photo with one lens (as in WB850F)
Normal voice phone calling!
+1 To remember SD card setting on start up
+1 To not start Camera App on start up
+1 Flash auto fill mode
+1 Higher resolution Panorama modes
+1 3D Photo Options
What about untimed video recording option? Currently limited to 25 minutes.
And of course the most important:
PLEASE ALLOW NORMAL VOICE PHONE CALLING!
Sv: What features do you want updated/integrated from Samsung?
+100000000 for most of those named earlier.
Personally, I am really disappointed with the lack of fine-grained manual controls (even in manual mode). What I would really appreciate is
manual focus control
manual flash control (mostly intensity)
smarter handling of flash in all modes: when popping up the flash in auto-mode, chances are, I did it on purpose. If the light conditions don't seem to make use of flash necessary, use it for fill-in, already.
better use of screen estate / refined controls in manual mode. Of course, the huge dials for manual settings do work, but at least for me, they simply steal focus from taking the image. Give me onscreen buttons to modify the function of the zoom-rocker in real time instead, as is done with the dialer on SLRs: hold button for AE and the rocker changes exposure compensation instead of zooming etc...
Sent from a compact camera (Samsung Galaxy Camera, EK-GC100)
Manual focus control
Manual flash control
Faster and better autofocus
Manual White Balance, Can make phone calls maybe because for now i fell interrupted with no native app phone call... when i want check balance of my sim card i should swap to another phone and new features on camera like sgs 4 :fingers-crossed:
i need Manual focus control, Manual flash control
Manual focus slider
+1 for all above,
personally I've mostly missed manual focus, as I like to take shots of moving objects, or objects that are not yet in view.
is there any workaround app for the manual focus ?
also full remote controls for the remote viewfinder would be nice.
+1 dont start camera on power up !
like every digicam has a switch for viewing pictures without turning on lens motor ..
HI, guys. I have a new Z1 on the way. I have read and seen comparisons that claim that the auto modes introduce a lot of noise and that, while the camera is capable of great shots, the software often lets it down.
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the best manual settings are to use. I know they will be different for each setting (dark settings, etc.), but is there a go-to group of manual settings that you use most of the time rather than superior auto?
Thanks!
greyhulk said:
HI, guys. I have a new Z1 on the way. I have read and seen comparisons that claim that the auto modes introduce a lot of noise and that, while the camera is capable of great shots, the software often lets it down.
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the best manual settings are to use. I know they will be different for each setting (dark settings, etc.), but is there a go-to group of manual settings that you use most of the time rather than superior auto?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In manual mode you must stop breathing to not shake the device and capture best detailed photo with less or no noise.
You can also disable flash and use exposure to capture bright photos without flashlight.
You can select manual ISO, which is for light sensitivity. Or....
The ISO number is how sensitive to light the camera
is. It's descended from film cameras, then it would be
how sensitive the chemicals were. The higher the ISO
setting the more light your camera picks up, useful
for low light conditions. However, as the ISOs get
higher so does the amount of 'noise' (visible pixels
that aren't supposed to be there) on your photos. It's
up to you to decide what's a suitable level of noise
and how sensitive you need your camera for each
particular photo.
in other terms
The ISO function sets the light sensitivity of the
camera's image sensor (this is similar to the speed
rating of film. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive
the image sensor and therefore the possibility to take
pictures in low-light situations.
If you find the camera is using a shutter speed that is
too slow (1/60 sec. and slower) to handhold the
camera steady and shake-free then you might select
the next higher ISO which will then allow you to
select a faster shutter speed.
F-stop is the measure of the aperture setting on a
lens. The greater the number, the less light it allows
in, which means the aperture gets smaller, making the
depth-of-field more extensive.
f_u_006 said:
In manual mode you must stop breathing to not shake the device and capture best detailed photo with less or no noise.
You can also disable flash and use exposure to capture bright photos without flashlight.
You can select manual ISO, which is for light sensitivity. Or....
....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We can edit the aperture? HOW??
aooga said:
We can edit the aperture? HOW??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, we can't edit aperture and this guide was not only for Xperia Z1 's manual mode but every camera is.
f_u_006 said:
LOL, we can't edit aperture and this guide was not only for Xperia Z1 's manual mode but every camera is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thought so. I was excited for a minute.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk
aooga said:
Thought so. I was excited for a minute.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope you didn't had a heartattack!
Just got my mi A2 - love it. but noticing big issues with regular video recording - I am seeing this pulse or pop often once per second - a pulsing on all my videos - not sure if it is the auto focus or what. It is a regular endless pulsing on all videos where slow closeups show it the best. Looks like a defect and I would return. Or suggestions of how to fix?
See videos of what it looks like:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iEqVUjq6jNt2zUjk6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aSp9jBFoB7vmEd368
is there a setting that can help here - or is it a defect. ( bad autofocus)
anyone seen this problem - should I return it?
steveblue said:
Just got my mi A2 - love it. but noticing big issues with regular video recording - I am seeing this pulse or pop often once per second - a pulsing on all my videos - not sure if it is the auto focus or what. It is a regular endless pulsing on all videos where slow closeups show it the best. Looks like a defect and I would return. Or suggestions of how to fix?
See videos of what it looks like:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iEqVUjq6jNt2zUjk6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/aSp9jBFoB7vmEd368
is there a setting that can help here - or is it a defect. ( bad autofocus)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like a problem with either the cameras or the software. I'd probably RMA it.
I have the same Problem.
I have the same problem. It's an issue with the autofocus. It's searching for something to focus on and it does that. It can probably be fixed with a software update.
Does everyone have this problem - or just a bunch of us? Is there a way to force the autofocus to turn off for certain shots? This is a deal breaker for me as I do allot of closeup work with nature.
steveblue said:
Does everyone have this problem - or just a bunch of us? Is there a way to force the autofocus to turn off for certain shots? This is a deal breaker for me as I do allot of closeup work with nature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm hoping the October update fixes it.
Can anyone using a camera mod - like gcam, let us know if there same autofocus pulsing happens on those apps?
-steve
In bright daylight i dont have this pulsing Problem.
But in Darkness with synthetic Lights on it happens.
gcam, same Problem. You need an Videoapp with "Autofocus Lock"
Same issue here with low light indoor shoots.
did the new update fix this issue ( raining here - hard to test) - or does anyone know of a autofocus lock app or technique to get around it.
steveblue said:
did the new update fix this issue ( raining here - hard to test) - or does anyone know of a autofocus lock app or technique to get around it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the "open camera" app, which is free and lets you block the focus.
I have the latest October patch (2nd) and encountering the pulse problem using the native cam app. Using the Open Camera app I am not seeing the pulse issue.
Hi, same problem ..... very bad for video recording, issue or solution ? sorry for my english, i'm french
cabe_porsho said:
I use the "open camera" app, which is free and lets you block the focus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how do you block focus on open camera - do not see option. am i missing it.
yes - open camera app - does work. in that it has a focus lock. How do we let Xiaomi know about this problem it it can be fixed (is there a offical way)?
open camera app
I did find how to do it: (https://opencamera.sourceforge.io/help.html)
Focus - Controls the focusing method used. Available options depend on your device. These may include:
Continuous focus iconContinuous (default) - The camera focuses continuously. This is generally the best mode - the preview will usually always be in focus, and taking photos is quick when the preview is already in focus. Note that you can still manually focus by touching the screen.
Auto focus iconAuto - The camera focuses when you take a photo, or when you touch to focus.
Infinity focus iconInfinity - The camera focus will be fixed for objects far away.
Macro focus iconMacro - This behaves similarly to auto focus, but is optimised for close-up objects.
Locked focus iconLocked - The camera does not focus, unless you manually touch to focus.
Manual focus iconManual - A slider appears allowing you to manually control the focus distance (only available if Camera2 API is used).
Fixed focus iconFixed - The focus remains fixed.
Fixed focus iconEDOF - Extended depth of field (EDOF). Focusing is done digitally and continuously.
Is there anyone who can confirm that issue has solved with android pie, or not.
Isue with video pulsing isn't solved with pie update. I have also made wipe data/factory reset after pie update but problem stil exist.
You can lock focus on stock camera app by holding on any spot of the screen
I have the unlocked Exynos variant and on the latest pie update. When I set the HDR(Rich tone) option to always enabled, the resultant shots don't look like they have any HDR processing applied, but if it's set to auto, the same shot comes with much better controlled highlights.
I'm new to this phone, albeit this is my first Samsung.
With previous phones I've used, whenever HDR was forced to on, it applied HDR to every shot taken.
Am I missing something here? Any help would be much appreciated.
Tilman said:
I have the unlocked Exynos variant and on the latest pie update. When I set the HDR(Rich tone) option to always enabled, the resultant shots don't look like they have any HDR processing applied, but if it's set to auto, the same shot comes with much better controlled highlights.
I'm new to this phone, albeit this is my first Samsung.
With previous phones I've used, whenever HDR was forced to on, it applied HDR to every shot taken.
Am I missing something here? Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
i have read on some website that when you set HDR to on but not "Always apply" but "Apply when needed" the photos come out better.
Unfortunatly i cannot find that site atm.
Also i often pull down exposure a bit in bright sunlight because despite hdr some hightlights get clipped sometimes.
Just in case you dont know, exposure compensation works by tapping on the viewfinder to focus, then use the "bulb" slider that appears briefly just above the "trees" ( wide-angle - telephoto switch). It can be hard to see in bright light though.
Hope that helps a bit
Hello,
I noticed that certain photos no longer seem to have any HDR applied. Is it when using certain lenses?
I'll see shots that have one part underexposed/too dark. Or, other shots will have blown out highlights too bright. That didn't happen before, because the phone would automatically apply HDR to get good exposure on the bright and dark spots.
Attached is the latest example, where the dark parts of the lighthouse are underexposed, because the camera set the exposure based on the bright clouds.
Anyone else notice that HDR never kicks in? What settings could cause this?
I'm running the Good Lock add-on called "Camera Assistant" so I wonder if that is interfering with HDR? The settings for Camera Assistant are turned off for Picture Softening and Auto lens switching, but I'm not sure why that would prevent auto HDR from kicking on?
In my Samsung camera app, the setting for "Auto HDR" is turned on.
For comparison, I've attached a wide-lens photo showing a more accurate exposure of the same lighthouse. I'm not sure why the normal 1x shot has proper exposure for the lighthouse, but the telephoto shot underexposes the lighthouse? Why didn't the telephoto use HDR like it normally would in earlier versions of the software?