Related
I have to buy a new phone,and i found an offer on this model.
I was wondering if the lg 2x camera is good as the iphone 4 >_<
Personally yeah. i think its better.
My housemate has one and we are forever arguing which one is better. And i think the O2X camera is ace IMO.
I think it is :-??
The camera of the 2x is one of the worst cameras in a smartphone. I have other 3 smartphones and all of them are better.
regards!
McGiverGim said:
The camera of the 2x is one of the worst cameras in a smartphone. I have other 3 smartphones and all of them are better.
regards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O_O they say that is better than the GS2 one >_<
McGiverGim said:
The camera of the 2x is one of the worst cameras in a smartphone. I have other 3 smartphones and all of them are better.
regards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would be nice if youd mention those other smartphones.
Ot: personally i think the camera quality is pretty damn decent , alot better than my gf's iphone 4 imo
Sent from my Optimus 2X using XDA App
Well, it IS better than the iPhone 4.. i mean, without the backcover, i just makes some very nive pictures.. and it can shoot 1080p vids ;D
With enough lighting, they are pretty close in term of quality. But in low light, the iPhone 4 is noticably better. It clearly fares better than the o2x.
McGiverGim said:
The camera of the 2x is one of the worst cameras in a smartphone. I have other 3 smartphones and all of them are better.
regards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not. Maybe yours is faulty?
When I bought my O2x I had the option to choose between SGSII, O2x and one HTC something, I compared the photos on the reviews and O2x was the second best (the first was SGSII), but when I went shopping the Samsung was hefty overpriced, like 150 EUR more than the O2x and I ended buying the LG.
The camera is nice, but of course, you can't expect a Nikon or Canon DSLR quality from such small sensor.
Personally i dont like the o2x's camera. And my mates SGS2 is way better IMO.
The thing about reviews online, is that they rarely test the device's camera in low light conditions. And there is where a good camera sensor shines. And frankly, the o2x, in low light conditions is quite bad.
i think it's good with a good illumination but when the sun go down the camera works bad..
Indeed, the camera in low light, or night setting is awful, in software.
The preview is fine, then one takes the photo, and the image is frozen,
and then the image processing kicks in, and most of the detail is lost,
with just a few bright dots, and over-saturated lighting now remaining!
The over-saturated lighting is also a problem with daytime lighting too.
This is in such stark contrast to my previous Nokia E90. On that, I was
able to take a photo in apparent darkness, the frozen image would be
almost black, then the image processing brought out excellent detail,
sometimes more than I could see with a naked eye. Truly remarkable!
Since the problem is software, as far as I see it, there could be a fix.
Richard.
The camera is decent for a smartphone. There is very few smartphones with better cameras. One is the Samsung Galaxy SII, which in general is a better phone, but also more expensive and I like the O2X's look better.
The camera takes very nice pictures in snapshot mode. When taking pictures in bad lighting condition, it still outdoes many other cameras in snapshot mode but for good pictures you should use Night mode or manually alter the ISO value.
The LG camera App has many settings that can be altered.
The Pictures show more detail than the ones taken with an iPhone 4. The iP4 has hardly any settings and uses automatic enhancement software like HDR or enhance. With the O2X and an app like camera360 the HDR looks better then on an iP4 and you can adjust the level of photo enhancement.
However, the pretty good LG camera software does not work with CM7.1. So if you plan to flash CM on your phone, you have to bear with a very basic camera software which I reckon is the reason for some people in this thread calling the O2X camera "bad".
mike-o2 said:
The camera is decent for a smartphone. There is very few smartphones with better cameras. One is the Samsung Galaxy SII, which in general is a better phone, but also more expensive and I like the O2X's look better.
The camera takes very nice pictures in snapshot mode. When taking pictures in bad lighting condition, it still outdoes many other cameras in snapshot mode but for good pictures you should use Night mode or manually alter the ISO value.
The LG camera App has many settings that can be altered.
The Pictures show more detail than the ones taken with an iPhone 4. The iP4 has hardly any settings and uses automatic enhancement software like HDR or enhance. With the O2X and an app like camera360 the HDR looks better then on an iP4 and you can adjust the level of photo enhancement.
However, the pretty good LG camera software does not work with CM7.1. So if you plan to flash CM on your phone, you have to bear with a very basic camera software which I reckon is the reason for some people in this thread calling the O2X camera "bad".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeap, I agree with mike, and it is even better if you use a modified/patched stock LG camera such as by AndiCP which gives better picture and especially video because of the increased bitrate.
Overall, its a decent camera, abit on the downside when it comes to low light conditions, some say the back cover if taken off gives a more better picture, but hey.. this is the cheapest dualcore phone with 8mp and full HD recording you can get.. can't really complain.
Cheers!
tablighs said:
this is the cheapest dualcore phone with 8mp and full HD recording you can get.. can't really complain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's for sure
From 1.to10.
Daylight - 7.5
Lowlight ( without flash ! ) - 4
For me Carl Zeiss makes best sensors for mobile cameras `for now` ... e.g. N8...
and yes , N95 8gb makes better pictures than most newest android phones ....
Has anybody seen this thread. Mindblowing that O2X camera can shoot these pics. Appears too good to be true. Credit to "mimstyle", the shooter for talking such brilliant photos with O2X.
http://www.optimus2x.net/index.php?topic=401.0
Ok so I love face timing on my iPod and iPad with friends and family and recently I decided to give it a go on my Note with Skype on my iPod and the results sucked.
First of all I see the image from my iPod's camera in my note but not my note's camera on my iPod which is super weird
Next is the front facing camera sucks, the resolution is so low, I know its a 2 Mega pixel cam but I'm sure its not suppose to look like a no pixel cam. The image is very grayed out its visibale to see but very grayed out. Is it just my phone or is it like that for every one or is there like a setting
Is there an alternative apply or something?
#ALMOSTPERFECT
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
fabu09 said:
Ok so I love face timing on my iPod and iPad with friends and family and recently I decided to give it a go on my Note with Skype on my iPod and the results sucked.
First of all I see the image from my iPod's camera in my note but not my note's camera on my iPod which is super weird
Next is the front facing camera sucks, the resolution is so low, I know its a 2 Mega pixel cam but I'm sure its not suppose to look like a no pixel cam. The image is very grayed out its visibale to see but very grayed out. Is it just my phone or is it like that for every one or is there like a setting
Is there an alternative apply or something?
#ALMOSTPERFECT
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Open the camera app and switch it around so it's using the front camera. How does it look? If it looks good, then you probably have a software problem, or skype problem.
I haven't tried Skype on the Note yet, but I recall it downsamples quite a bit on Android!
Using windows Skype scales the quality in order to keep up with the network's speed.
Maybe it tries the same on Android. Were you on wifi?
How's Google Talk?
Yea I was on wifi and no I didn't try google talk but anyways its not about skype its about the camera quality like when I try for self portrait with friends and stuff it with sucks, can it be adjusted in the settings because I don't think its low lighting
#ALMOSTPERFECT
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
maxh said:
Open the camera app and switch it around so it's using the front camera. How does it look? If it looks good, then you probably have a software problem, or skype problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still looks the same actually very visible gray stuff sorta looks like an effect is applied like black and white
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
If you mean the image is less saturated, you are right.
I find this more than acceptable for a frontfacing camera.
Did you take all the plastic film off?
I quickly snapped a pic, so you can compare.
Cheers,
Daan
edit: XDA Scales it down a bit! But for color comparison it should do okay.
Yea its kinda like in the picture you showed, its a 2megapixel cam should it suck that much???
#CANITBECHANGED
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
Two megapixel is just not that good. Even with a good lense it won't be very high quality. There is just too little information stored.
The frontfacing camera in phones are always lower quality.
Two megapixel is really a lot for a frontfacing cam.
I wouldn't say it "sucks". It performs better than any other frontfacing cam I ever owned.
Touch Diamond, Hero, SGS, Incredible S.
If you want more saturation maybe you can use a different camera app.
Camera 360 for example, maybe that has more settings.
Still, don't expect high quality pics from any frontfacing cam on a phone on the market right now.
i think it looks awesome. i have done video chat on skype on H+ signal and the video quality is great. output from my end is always great both on video calls to the uk and usa. But video input from the uk was good although usa video was poor but that was their internet speeds that was causing trouble.
i have tried it multiple times as my child likes to do the video chat and finds it fun, so we just log into skype on laptop with my wifes account (connected via wifi) and on the phone (connected via H+) with my account and my child enjoys video chat.
I frankly doubt that video could get better on any current phone or probably even laptop for skype video calls.
for reference over 3g connection (i sometimes get 3g but most times get better H or H+ connection) with uploads speeds ranging from 2600kbps to 3500kbps and download speeds ranging between 3600kbps to 6000kbps and my wifi speeds (for laptop via landline) for downloads are about half that and upload speeds are about 3-4 times slower! having an unlimited data connection helps as i dont keep count of the data used now.
photos and videos shot even in a slightly dark room are good too from the front facing camera.
do you have a screensaver film applied over the front facing camera that is spoiling the image???? common mistake on new laptops where people complain about webcam quality but would have forgot to take protective film from the lense off after removing it from the packaging.
DaanJordaan said:
Two megapixel is just not that good. Even with a good lense it won't be very high quality. There is just too little information stored.
The frontfacing camera in phones are always lower quality.
Two megapixel is really a lot for a frontfacing cam.
I wouldn't say it "sucks". It performs better than any other frontfacing cam I ever owned.
Touch Diamond, Hero, SGS, Incredible S.
If you want more saturation maybe you can use a different camera app.
Camera 360 for example, maybe that has more settings.
Still, don't expect high quality pics from any frontfacing cam on a phone on the market right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really into using the front cam for pictures more need for video chat, that's a huge part of my life and I don't expect get quality but at least something clear to see in
#TANKS4HELP
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
bubblesmoney said:
i think it looks awesome. i have done video chat on skype on H+ signal and the video quality is great. output from my end is always great both on video calls to the uk and usa. But video input from the uk was good although usa video was poor but that was their internet speeds that was causing trouble.
i have tried it multiple times as my child likes to do the video chat and finds it fun, so we just log into skype on laptop with my wifes account (connected via wifi) and on the phone (connected via H+) with my account and my child enjoys video chat.
I frankly doubt that video could get better on any current phone or probably even laptop for skype video calls.
for reference over 3g connection (i sometimes get 3g but most times get better H or H+ connection) with uploads speeds ranging from 2600kbps to 3500kbps and download speeds ranging between 3600kbps to 6000kbps and my wifi speeds (for laptop via landline) for downloads are about half that and upload speeds are about 3-4 times slower! having an unlimited data connection helps as i dont keep count of the data used now.
photos and videos shot even in a slightly dark room are good too from the front facing camera.
do you have a screensaver film applied over the front facing camera that is spoiling the image???? common mistake on new laptops where people complain about webcam quality but would have forgot to take protective film from the lense off after removing it from the packaging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I don't have any film on my cam, I rather video chat over my phone than my laptop as 1 the laptop screen is too big making the picture from the other end really blur and its also heavy to carry around the house. Its much more convinient to do video calls over my note as the screen is bigger than a phone but smaller than a tablet sorta making it the almost perfect size for video chat, I'm wondering is there any alternative to skype where an ipad and my galaxy note can video chat
#NJOYURVIDEOCHATWITURCHILD
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
Lighting...Lighting...LIGHTING.
2MP aint much, but it's a whole lot better than apple/ipod touch .7mp
alternative = tango
fyi, it's gonna look uglier on a tablet. Image resolution expands.
ngocdao said:
Lighting...Lighting...LIGHTING.
2MP aint much, but it's a whole lot better than apple/ipod touch .7mp
alternative = tango
fyi, it's gonna look uglier on a tablet. Image resolution expands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok ill check tango out but I'm not video chating on a tablet, just a 5.3 inch screen phone
#ITSBIG
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
fabu09 said:
Ok ill check tango out but I'm not video chating on a tablet, just a 5.3 inch screen phone
#ITSBIG
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats up with these weird hashtags man?
#WEIRD
rhn said:
Whats up with these weird hashtags man?
#WEIRD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just for fun plus its kinda my thing
#TWITTERSTYLE
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
fabu09 said:
No I don't have any film on my cam, I rather video chat over my phone than my laptop as 1 the laptop screen is too big making the picture from the other end really blur and its also heavy to carry around the house. Its much more convinient to do video calls over my note as the screen is bigger than a phone but smaller than a tablet sorta making it the almost perfect size for video chat, I'm wondering is there any alternative to skype where an ipad and my galaxy note can video chat
#NJOYURVIDEOCHATWITURCHILD
Composed on my Samsung Galaxy Note using XDA Premium app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THAT
10charbrah
Own and love the Galaxy Nexus, I think 16gb is well more than enough storage for on-the-go music and app combination.
The two major issues I have with it however are:
1) The camera quality.
I find the image quality quite grainy after taking photos. The camera just doesn't cut it for me. However I'm hoping that the 8MP camera on the Nexus4 (I know megapixels isn't everything) will solve that issue.
***2) THE SPEAKER LOUDNESS***
I think of the old Christmas poem "Night Before Christmas"...
"'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even the Gnexus at max volume".
That'll be the deciding factor on if I'll be picking up the phone or not, in all honesty.
Love you XDA,
-Aero
Well its not release yet, but we can take a few clues.
Base on this review: www.youtube.com/watch?v=a24txcFBWyE
the LG Optimus G have very weak speaker, saying that when on its back, one might even miss a phone call. Although that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the same for the Nexus 4.
As for camera, I have no proof that the 8MP camera of this device is similar to one on the Optimus G for ATT, but maybe if it is, we can look at those sample shots posted online. I think the general consensus is its not that great and might have trouble under low lighting. Overall I think it will be at least better than the current 5MP which is enough for me.
Just wait for feedbacks from other buyers before making the purchase.
PS. I still laugh at the fact when the Galaxy Nexus was just released people claimed its 5MP camera is better than the SII camera, even with side by side pictures comparison.
I'm disappointed it won't support GLONASS, base on the specs from the PlayStore.
The camera uses a Sony BSI Sensor, so I'm sure images will be crisp and sharp. Not sure what aperture it uses though, hopefully a f2.4/2.6.
kotaro_14 said:
The camera uses a Sony BSI Sensor, so I'm sure images will be crisp and sharp. Not sure what aperture it uses though, hopefully a f2.4/2.6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
f2.4
i really love Nexus 4 but One X camera is amazing
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Well, just a very very simple thought: they advertise with their new feature, that panorama thing .. that's one selling point.. so the camera quality MUST be good, right?
Oh man, but I just remember Apple's Maps service ... hmmm.
Here's hoping both are better on the Nexus 4 as they are both somewhat of a disappointment on my Galaxy Nexus for me.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
From Josh Topolsky's initial impressions, he stated that the camera performance was a big improvement, and that Google has specifically concentrated on low-light performance. I have high hopes that a Sony sensor, let alone a BSI sensor, leads to respectable if not admirable image quality. If the f/2.4 aperture is an indication, we could easily see this sensor beat the GS3 in terms of how much light it lets in, but it all comes down to how aggressive noise correction is, which is entirely software, and affects image sharpness the most.
While the camera is a big deal to me (a BIG deal), what I'm more worried about is the speaker/earpiece output. As everyone knows, the GNex speaker and earpiece aren't great (that's putting it mildly), so I'm really hoping this phone has great speaker/earpiece volume. Do I expect it to rival my SIII? No. But being able to actually use the phone as a PHONE in a crowded place and being able to hear would be nice.
According to Cnet- The battery life and Camera are the two weakest points of the Optimus G (ATT)- its unbelievable how the google nexus phones have sourly disappointing cameras year after year.
It is becoming a HUGE feature for people- and while software can correct come issues- hopefully it does, it has to have a good sensor to start- which the LG should.
I guess we will have to wait for a proper review to get some camera samples. that is def make or break for me. coming from a One X, so camera bar is set rather high
Sony makes the camera for the legendary iPhones so I don't see why they would disappoint now.
Wonder how it would compare to the Lumia 920
shea-bird said:
According to Cnet- The battery life and Camera are the two weakest points of the Optimus G (ATT)- its unbelievable how the google nexus phones have sourly disappointing cameras year after year.
It is becoming a HUGE feature for people- and while software can correct come issues- hopefully it does, it has to have a good sensor to start- which the LG should.
I guess we will have to wait for a proper review to get some camera samples. that is def make or break for me. coming from a One X, so camera bar is set rather high
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ATT Optimus G has 13 mpx camera and LTE.
maybe that's why google decided to go without the 13 mpx camera and without LTE.
the 8 mpx camera which is also used in the sprint version is supposed to be better.
and leaving out LTE saves battery.
hsrn said:
ATT Optimus G has 13 mpx camera and LTE.
maybe that's why google decided to go without the 13 mpx camera and without LTE.
the 8 mpx camera which is also used in the sprint version is supposed to be better.
and leaving out LTE saves battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you got it reversed, Att model has the 8mp camera while the sprint version has the 13mp camera.
kotaro_14 said:
The camera uses a Sony BSI Sensor, so I'm sure images will be crisp and sharp. Not sure what aperture it uses though, hopefully a f2.4/2.6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im sorry but how do you know that it has a Sony BSI Sensor ?
I mean that would be great as Sony makes the best sensors right now …
Thats pretty much one of my biggest selling points as i use the cameras a lot..
It was mentioned in the video done by The Verge.
Gayga
Sent from my LG-P990 using xda app-developers app
Aerolith514 said:
Wonder how it would compare to the Lumia 920
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont expect the 920 to be great...the 900 was overhyped with the ziess lens and was garbage. the 920 will have GREAT low light photos- that much we know...as for regular performance, I think it will still be slightly below the top notch camera phones (S3, OneX, iphone, etc)
Praying the nexus 4 has a great camera...if so, I will snatch it up.
and what about capture speed ?
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
The One Series camera's and the Lumia 920 have a lower aperture f2.0 which is better suited for low light conditions. Now I'm pleased with the HOX camera, this has to be on par at least for day shots as I rarely take that many low light shots.
Be interesting to know what BSI module it uses so we can make comparisons!
I hope the camera is good same as speakers..
Hello everybody,
I'm going to buy a Moto X because I really like it, but I noticed that it has two problems.
1. The camera quality is good (if it could be improved, it'll be better), but in low light the video has a bad focus but above all a low frame rate.
2. The audio recorded has a nice quality; however, with loud volumes like concert or wind, it has distorsion.
Are these problems solvable in some ways or is the Moto X hardware limitated?
Thanks. Bye!
I guess we'll have to live with this camera. (Indoor mode is not great).
And audio I'm not sure!
Sent from my XT1052 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Okay; I'm waiting for other replies before deciding to buy a Nokia Lumia...
Lumia? It's just a camera with calling feature
Sent from my XT1052 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I know, but I need a good camera with good audio quality.
Moto X isn't bad at all, but I can't buy it if I couldn't solve that problems!
Andrea45 said:
Hello everybody,
I'm going to buy a Moto X because I really like it, but I noticed that it has two problems.
1. The camera quality is good (if it could be improved, it'll be better), but in low light the video has a bad focus but above all a low frame rate.
2. The audio recorded has a nice quality; however, with loud volumes like concert or wind, it has distorsion.
Are these problems solvable in some ways or is the Moto X hardware limitated?
Thanks. Bye!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you in a hurry to buy a phone? If not, I'd suggest waiting it out until the X+1 comes out later this summer/early fall. From what I've read, it sounds like a beast of a phone. If it lives up to the hype, I'll be getting one when my contract expires in November. Otherwise, you really can't go wrong with the usability of the X. The camera could use improving, but don't let that sway you from buying this device. I had my reservations about it as well when I first got mine, but I have no regrets.
Yes, I need a phone now!
If Moto X's video with low light and audio recording at a concert or disco could be improved, I'll buy it surely.
most def get the moto x u won't be disappointed the camera isn't that bad n u can install different camera apps to adjust setting also I find the audio on this phone to be great compared to other android other than HTC one'
Sent from my XT1053 using XDA Free mobile app
Andrea45 said:
Yes, I need a phone now!
If Moto X's video with low light and audio recording at a concert or disco could be improved, I'll buy it surely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds to me like you need a new camera more so than a new phone... Lol.
Uhm... yeah... plus or minus... lol
But I use phone for call, browse, music and camera... Call, browse and music are common in all smartphones, camera not. I like Moto X camera, but it has the two issues I wrote, so I'd like to know if they are hardware limits or software solvable limits.
Andrea45 said:
Uhm... yeah... plus or minus... lol
But I use phone for call, browse, music and camera... Call, browse and music are common in all smartphones, camera not. I like Moto X camera, but it has the two issues I wrote, so I'd like to know if they are hardware limits or software solvable limits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah I totally hear ya I was just picking on you. Not everyone carries around a DSLR for the hell of it, most people just have their phone. With the advancements Moto has made with the camera software, I honestly think the hardware is in the right place. From what I understand 4.4.4 is supposed to bring even better camera improvements over 4.4.2. Just pull the trigger and get one!
Yeah, but I tried a Moto X; in disco the audio is crappy (so at a concert I think it'll be even worse), and if there isn't a lot of light, the frame rate slows (for example, at night in a road or in a house with low lights).
4.4.4 solves this problems? If not, are they solvable with mod, tweaks, etc.?
Andrea45 said:
Yeah, but I tried a Moto X; in disco the audio is crappy (so at a concert I think it'll be even worse), and if there isn't a lot of light, the frame rate slows (for example, at night in a road or in a house with low lights).
4.4.4 solves this problems? If not, are they solvable with mod, tweaks, etc.?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No mod or tweaks can help it. If camera is a priority for you then you might wanna stay away from Moto X. Also 4.4.4 might bring some colour accuracy, but there will not be any significant changes. Go for XZ1C, again, if camera is the priority. The main problem with X's camera is it's inconsistency, you need to depend on your luck with it. Also there is slight purple hazing on low light shots, the sensor is far from being good, along with the optics.
Then buy a nice camera. Phones are phones with cheap cameras thrown in for kicks and giggles. ?
KJ said:
Then buy a nice camera. Phones are phones with cheap cameras thrown in for kicks and giggles. ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this meant for me?
devilsdouble said:
Is this meant for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Anyone.
Every phone "camera" is terrible compared to even my $99 Kodak camera. Which is tiny and quite easy to carry around....especially if I know I'm gonna want to take pics where I'm going.
Phones are nice for those "crap...I don't have my camera" moments....but they are just never going to replace an actual camera...not if you want consistently decent pics. Yet people seem to expect phones to make "better" cameras all the time. Or are disappointed by the "cameras" their new phone has. Phone cameras will never be great.....not when the "real estate" for camera hardware is miniscule compared to an actual camera.
Just my 2 cents.
Opinions will vary, and to each their own. ?
---------- Post added at 08:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:56 PM ----------
BTW....if phone cameras were sold separately... With no phone, they'd be worth about $25. That should put the phone camera quality discussions in perspective.
Any news or other comments? Are there some camera or audio recording improvements for this phone?
Are camera's problems like low frame-rate and bad focus in low light and audio distorsion with high volume like concerts solvable in some way?
I am in the market for a new phone. I use an old Samsung S3 now. The Z3Compact seems perfect, but my only concern is the camera. I use my phone as my main camera, but general consensus seems to be that it is not as good as the camera on the S5 of iPhone6. I like to shoot directly in HDR mode, but that seems to be a problem on the Z3. Without rooting, could I install the Google Camera apk and if so, would the Z3C be able to use the HDR mode from the Google Camera app?
Or should I change my plans and go for the S5?
The Google camera app on the Play Store installs fine. I'll post some comparison shots later this morning.
My sister has an S3 and we were taking comparison photos in her kitchen yesterday - obviously the z3c is a significant step up in quality from the S3, though I realize that's not really your question.
Thanks! And it is no problem to use the HDR setting in the Google Camera app? On my Nexus 7 the HDR is greyed-out in the Google Camera App, it will nog show up on every device i read in the Google Q&A
Google camera app permits HDR on the z3c.
Sony camera app also has HDR toggle in manual mode, but is grayed out if resolution is set higher than 8mp.
I know of several reviews claiming that Sony's Superior Auto mode isn't HDR, but since that mode captures at 8mp I'm wondering if it doesn't use it's internal HDR algorithm in auto mode, despite what I've seen the reviewers claim. I can't really tell the difference between Superior Auto and Manual 8mp HDR photos taken with the Sony camera app.
---------- Post added at 12:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 PM ----------
Ok, here are some comparison pictures of the Z3C's camera, using both the Sony Camera App, and the Google Camera App from the Play store.
I have uploaded the pictures to an imgur album, and added descriptions for the six photos. Just for clarity's sake, I should mention I am not really into photography that much, and my skills are probably not up to par for composing or technique, so take that into account.
There are six pictures (they're labeled appropriately in the album, but I'm reproducing them here so people can decide if they're interested before viewing them, since the images are large):
1) Sony App, Superior Auto setting (8mp), No Flash
2) Sony App, Superior Auto setting (8mp), Flash
3) Sony App, Manual Setting at 20mp, No Flash
4) Sony App, Manual Setting at 20mp, Flash
5) Google App, HDR setting at 20mp, No Flash
6) Google App, HDR setting at 20mp, Flash
Here is the link to the imgur album:
http://imgur.com/a/KjL4D#0
Hope this is helpful.
I just did a quick Google cam vs stock cam test myself. The stock cam in auto mode definitely takes pics that are a little on the cold side. In manual mode though, it was more accurate. The google cam seemed more or less the same. I'm sticking with the stock Sony cam.
DrPanz said:
I am in the market for a new phone. I use an old Samsung S3 now. The Z3Compact seems perfect, but my only concern is the camera. I use my phone as my main camera, but general consensus seems to be that it is not as good as the camera on the S5 of iPhone6. I like to shoot directly in HDR mode, but that seems to be a problem on the Z3. Without rooting, could I install the Google Camera apk and if so, would the Z3C be able to use the HDR mode from the Google Camera app?
Or should I change my plans and go for the S5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People shouldn't act as if the camera is bad, it's not bad at all. Just in some situations it under performs against iOS and the S5 for example, but in other situations it' better.
Check out the topic I made for people with doubts, you can see samples there:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/themes-apps/post-pictures-xperia-z3-compact-t2889119
Thank you. Not quite made up my mind yet. I read a lot of horrorstories on broken glass... maybe the S5 proves out to be a more secure option. Good camera, waterresistant and plastic - which in my S1 and S3 has survived a lot of drops.
I think it comes down to how important the form factor and potential battery life advantages are over other stuff.
There are choices with slightly better cameras and certainly ones less vulnerable to accidental damage.
For me, coming off Nexus 5 and Note 3, I am really prioritizing battery longevity, pocket friendliness and better one-handed comfort and use. So far I'm pleased but it's still early days so the jury's still out for me.
Be sure you can live with TouchWiz and other Samsung bloat (bugs with erroneous Knox warnings on the AT&T Note 3 model nearly drove me crazy). It really ruined my Note 3 experience for me and is what drove me to the Nexus 5, which in turn was somewhat spoiled by awful battery life despite rooting and aggressively optimizing (to the point of limiting usefulness) power consumption. Never got more than 8-10 realistic hours on the 5 no matter what I tried.
Form factor is great. As is battery life. That's one side. Other side is the camera, and how it stands up to a drop from the pocket. That last bit worries me.
Well I haven't had the Sony long enough to try and convince you the advantages outweigh the drawbacks - I may drop mine and destroy it this afternoon!
But I'm not sure any unprotected high end smartphone stands all that good a chance of surviving any particular dropping incident, and adding a protective case to a smaller device still nets you a slightly larger small device that is still a a lot smaller profile than a bigger device with a protective case. Just my. 02 worth.
It's not only dropping, but also spontanious cracks when carrying the Z3C in te front pocket. of your jeans. Been reading a lot of reports on that the last days.
Most of those reports are duplicates. Only a few confirmed cases.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
As far as I'm concerned, every other phone has more so-called "dealbreakers" than the Z3C. This phone has so many plusses that outweigh any possible negatives that people need to imagine faults and come up with ridiculous issues not to get it, and that's their loss.
In this German test of the Z3C the back panel cracked spontaniously:
http://www.areamobile.de/handys/4275-sony-xperia-z3-compact/testbericht
Sony states it was an isolated incident. Yeah...
DrPanz said:
I am in the market for a new phone. I use an old Samsung S3 now. The Z3Compact seems perfect, but my only concern is the camera. I use my phone as my main camera, but general consensus seems to be that it is not as good as the camera on the S5 of iPhone6. I like to shoot directly in HDR mode, but that seems to be a problem on the Z3. Without rooting, could I install the Google Camera apk and if so, would the Z3C be able to use the HDR mode from the Google Camera app?
Or should I change my plans and go for the S5?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you like to take nature photos, and if you are planning to watch the photos on something larger than the phone display, the Z3/compact is a bad choice. In this post is a comparison with the galaxy note 3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=55980596&postcount=127
Now, this is viewing the pixels 1:1, which probably most people won't bother with. But even when scaling down this particular photo to about 2MP, the compression artifacts can still be noticed, and the GN3 photo is the better one! And it definitely proves that in certain cases, like photos with much detail, there are much better cameras out there.
But in other cases the Z3 camera produces beautiful images (if you don't look too closely), and it is great for low light photos. But for anything with trees or grass - definitely no!
radicans said:
If you like to take nature photos, and if you are planning to watch the photos on something larger than the phone display, the Z3/compact is a bad choice. In this post is a comparison with the galaxy note 3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=55980596&postcount=127
Now, this is viewing the pixels 1:1, which probably most people won't bother with. But even when scaling down this particular photo to about 2MP, the compression artifacts can still be noticed, and the GN3 photo is the better one! And it definitely proves that in certain cases, like photos with much detail, there are much better cameras out there.
But in other cases the Z3 camera produces beautiful images (if you don't look too closely), and it is great for low light photos. But for anything with trees or grass - definitely no!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. the camera performance issues, the fact that HDR is a bit of a hustle to reach, and the reports of cracking displays have made me nervous enough to put my plans for buying the Z3C on hold, and maybe buy the S5. Not as pretty as the Z3C, but it may prove out to be a safe choice for now.
DrPanz said:
Thanks. the camera performance issues, the fact that HDR is a bit of a hustle to reach, and the reports of cracking displays have made me nervous enough to put my plans for buying the Z3C on hold, and maybe buy the S5. Not as pretty as the Z3C, but it may prove out to be a safe choice for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HDR is easy, you just have to set it to 8MP or less, then HDR switch becomes available. And with the Z3 there is no point whatsoever to shoot in anything larger than 8MP anyway!
But yeah, if I would have known about the camera compression/oversharpening issues I would have settled for another phone. And speaking of compression, the funny thing is that in the comparison photos i posted, the file size of the inferior Z3 photo is about twice as large over the galaxy note photo!! Nice one Sony..
What would have been the smartphone you would have chosen in stead?
Well, there are not many options, if you want to keep pocketability, form factor and dedicated camera button.
I have some nice results with Pro Capture, but compared to stock camera app with a little touch of post processing (Snapseed e.g.), the camera is capable of some nice shots. But it's nothing THAT special really.
Still, beats my Nexus5 in terms of focus speed, which is kinda important for me, so...
But, YMMV.
DrPanz said:
What would have been the smartphone you would have chosen in stead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I really want the "small" form factor of Z3c, but without compromises. So that leaves most phones out I guess. Samsung galaxy alpha would have been nice, if it wasn't for the battery time and the big price tag. Probably would have waited with the purchase another 6 months or so, and see what the market looked like at that point.
I know I have ranted lots on the camera, but all things considered, it's still a great phone!