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OK... first of all I would just like to clarify that though I, as a normal human being when distraught, have to express my disappointment, I am not here to whine and complain just for the sake of complaining. I am not here to just bash down this camera. But I am merely explaining my experience with it so far hoping that you would help me reach some sort of peace-of-mind... So please bare with me, and share with me your thoughts and experiences.
I've been using different compact point-and-shoot cameras for a fairly long time, I was used to taking shots with cameras even before digital ones were commercially available. and I've owned many different phones with cameras all of different qualities. So I know what to expect. I have some sort of a broad sense of what outcome I should remotely expect and what limits I have to stop my hopes at.
Having said that, I have to sadly say that the Samsung Galaxy Camera has been THE WORST camera I have ever owned, probably even one of the devices that caused me the most disappointment.
But I keep asking myself... is this how this camera really is? is this how it's supposed to behave? is this the limits of its abilities?
I wonder because of this little story:
When I bought the camera, I bought it from a "reseller"... meaning that they are not the official dealer in the country for Samsung products nor do they even have direct contact with them. I say and assume this because they're selling the camera with NO WARRANTY. Any other retailer sells it with some sort of guarantee.
I know it was a mistake to go for something without guarantee, especially since I was on a very tight budget. But I still bought it because I REALLY wanted the camera, and they sold it for a price a lot lower than anybody else.
When I first bought, and on the very first use.. after I set up the device, and then started testing the camera, a few minutes later it suddenly shut down completely! Black screen, no response whatsoever. I did a battery pull, and the device would reboot then just as it is supposed to start again, it shut down again, sometimes even with the lens open and stretched out just like that. The only way to restart the camera would be to attach the charger usb to it then reboot it.
The same thing kept happening over and over again, so I took it back to them to change it for me or give me my money back. They tried to get away with it saying that "We told you there's no guarantee". Anyway after a long discussion I forced them to take it and fix it.
A week later, they gave it back.. the problem is gone. But that incidence alone kept me always skeptic... especially that now I'm EXTREMELY disappointed with the outcome of this camera.
Let me show you... and please do tell me, is this how the Galaxy Camera behaves? are these the kind of pictures it can take?
I'm comparing pics to those taken by a Sony HX20V, not for the shear purpose of comparing, but to show that I have no problem holding my hands "normally" stable, and there is no serious problem with the lighting of the place.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o1sxni5t9sw44x3/20130409_080009.JPG
now compare it to this:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/guh9p21t7yydq99/DSC08308.JPG
Can you see the GREAT difference?? and there's just enough light to capture an at least "decent" image..!
Now look at this one..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qz1pxtzvybkxi7x/20130409_080040.JPG
Compare it to what the Sony took
https://www.dropbox.com/s/dbgxksjp0om81cz/DSC08310.JPG
Yes the image isn't super sharp and clear but it's extremely acceptable and useable!
Check this one out
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cwivq3mklltq0by/2013-04-09 00.44.00.JPG
notice how it's obvious there's a bright chandelier lit on in the room..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7key32wi9kvyy2d/DSC08294.JPG
Taken by the cybershot even AFTER the bright light was turned off!!
Now this one was taken outside a couple of hours before sunset.. there was enough light
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kbr9c5wpndqox3p/2013-04-08 18.35.38.JPG
I expected the lousy Galaxy Camera to take something at least remotely similar to what the Sony took
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3bs940xqmssnhy4/DSC08288.JPG
See the great difference?!
Don't miss this one
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9u13ducrbgkghoj/20130410_204801.JPG
Here I'm comparing it to what I captured right at the same place, a couple of minutes apart, with a Galaxy Note N7000!!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wxyzb5t1o5you9i/2013-04-10 20.49.50.jpg
Do you see now what I'm talking about??
This hideous, annoying, extremely distorting BLUR! Why is it there??
Does this camera have no capability of stabilizing the shots whatsoever??? Why would Samsung release a product that takes pictures worse than a cheap phone camera?!
Then again I have to ask, is this how this camera really takes shots??
I mean look at this:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fld1vqvjzw2mjrr/2013-04-14 09.49.47.JPG
What is this?? seriously wtf is this?!
and it's only because I zoomed in the lens for only x2.8!! You can see in the background how the sun is glaring and there's more than enough light.. I mean I swear even in extremely well lit conditions like this, zooming is like the picture is writing it's own suicide note!
Yes the camera did take some okay shots here and there.. but without zoom, with my hands leaning against something to help stabilize it further, and after several tries, and waiting for seconds before finally fully pressing the button to take the shot.. so what's the use?? if this is how more than most of the pictures turn out like??
How is this considered a point-and-shoot camera? it's more like point-and-hold-your-breath-completely-and-pray-for-the-best-and-shoot-then-get-disappointed camera!
The way the pictures turn out renders this camera useless! I wanted this to be my primary carry around camera in my travels, in holidays and so... but when it behaves like this, then I will be able to take almost NO decent pictures ever... and this is very very sad because it has great functionalities what with it being based on an android system and all.. I really had very high expectations and they have not been remotely met..
Dear fellow Galaxy Cam owners... please tell me what is wrong? IS there something wrong anyway with the device I have? Did I get some sort of pre-mass-production prototype? Is there a way I can tell if that's so? Because I also noticed that everything in and around the camera is French and nothing but French. We don't bring models made exclusively for the French market here in this country...
So tell me... is this the kind of pictures your cameras are capturing? Are you facing the same problem? Do you suffer from the same UGLY blurring problem??
I'm awaiting your answers, hoping I'd finally be able to reach a resting point from where I can decide what to do..
Thank you for your time...
Hi,
Sorry to hear your camera is dissapointing. But if it seriously takes these kind of pictures, the camera is broken, or you might have a serious case of parkinsons. My camera makes perfect pictures, with all settings. Okay, it's not as perfect as a DSLR camera, but that is to be expected. Even when I'm a bit shakey, it doesn't blur like on your pictures. So I think it's safe to assume you've bought a broken camera.
If the store where you bought it is giving you trouble, try contacting Samsung directly for a solution, it might take a bit longer, but they're probably a bit more friendly.
good luck solving your problems.
Incanity said:
Hi,
Sorry to hear your camera is dissapointing. But if it seriously takes these kind of pictures, the camera is broken, or you might have a serious case of parkinsons. My camera makes perfect pictures, with all settings. Okay, it's not as perfect as a DSLR camera, but that is to be expected. Even when I'm a bit shakey, it doesn't blur like on your pictures. So I think it's safe to assume you've bought a broken camera.
If the store where you bought it is giving you trouble, try contacting Samsung directly for a solution, it might take a bit longer, but they're probably a bit more friendly.
good luck solving your problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for your reply! I assure you parkinsonism is one thing I'm sure I don't suffer from, lol! XD
so you're saying that even in normal, not extremely brightly lit conditions, the camera manages to normally process and stabilize the image, as should any decent camera? Good, very good to know..
Thanks again, and I still want to hear more from all other users
I can't even make such horrible photos from a moving car with my galaxy camera.
I can even do decent night-shots without a tripod, and those are incredibly sensitive to movement.
unless your camera is set to a night, light, or water flow mode(slow shutter speed) it really shouldn't make pictures like that, and is most likely broken.
thedicemaster said:
I can't even make such horrible photos from a moving car with my galaxy camera.
I can even do decent night-shots without a tripod, and those are incredibly sensitive to movement.
unless your camera is set to a night, light, or water flow mode(slow shutter speed) it really shouldn't make pictures like that, and is most likely broken.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow so the camera is supposed to be THAT good??
All those photos were taken with the "Auto" mode. Sometimes it even shows "hold still while camera takes shots" which I'm not sure if it's supposed to happen on auto mode but it does. Anyway as you can see.. If there's no bright shiny sun light, it's such a pain taking a close-to-decent photo with the cam I have...
Thank you so much for your reply!
the auto mode in the galaxy camera is a bit smarter than most cameras as it will actually use things like night-shot(which is what gives the "hold still" message) while other cameras only slightly tweak some settings.
thedicemaster said:
the auto mode in the galaxy camera is a bit smarter than most cameras as it will actually use things like night-shot(which is what gives the "hold still" message) while other cameras only slightly tweak some settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I figured so. Thanks for the clarification
Isn't this the big Question?
Never have I been so fuzzy about choosing a phone. I have got hold of LG G2 (which got warm, produces antutu scores of louzy 20 000, has aggressive noise reduction on photos and a screen that did not survive a 20 cm droptest after 24 hours - now in repair) and currently a 48 hour old Z1 that produces a little less noise and does not get overly hot dueing captures after the last update, but eats away battery when capturing photos. These new devices. I was actually seriously considering requesting my old xperia S back!
After googling for 12 hours I could not find answers to the following question, so I sent the questions to Sony and are waiting for an answer:
1. Is it a sensor\hardware or a software issue that produces this amount of grain and noize, particulary in the 50% peripheral part of the picture?
I used the perfectly evely lit computer screen matrix to test before and after the update. There is an actual improvement. A macro shot before the update showed marked noize in the periphery. It still does after the latest update, but it is far from as bad! It is still worse than note 3 i suspect.
This makes me inclined to say that the lenses (under macro shots at least) has peripheral distortion. The best optics one always gets when having as few lenses as possible in the objective. I guess there are quite a few in z1 compared to the competition?
2. Some rumour say that different batches of phones are of different quality. Needless to say: this has been the case on some previous massproduced gadgeds, and different fabrics might have different production quality. I have read that low quality items often are sold slightly cheaper on Ebay. So; anyone got some more "evidence" to prove such a suspicion for Z1? If so: what batches should we try to avoid?
krimskram said:
I think this is the big question. Never have I been so fuzzy about choosing a phone. I have got hold of LG G2 (which got warm, produces antutu scores of louzy 20 000, has aggressive noise reduction on photos and a screen that did not survive a 20 cm droptest after 24 hours - now in repair) and currently a 48 hour old Z1 that produces a little less noize after the last update, but eats away battery when capturing photos and occasionally gets so warm that it shuts down the camera app. Crikey! These new devices. I was actually seriously considering requesting my old xperia S back!
After googling for 12 hours I could not find answers to the following, so I sent the questions to Sony and are waiting for an answer:
1. Is it a sensor\hardware or a software issue that produces this amount of grain and noize, particulary in the 50% peripheral part of the picture?
Without uploading any picture: the computer screen matrix is evenly lit and "perfect". A macro shot before the update showed marked noize in the periphery. It still does after the latest update, but it is far from as good. This makes me inclined to say that the lenses (under macro shots at least) has peripheral distortion.
2. Some rumour say that different batches of phones are of different quality. Needless to say: this has been the case on some previous massproduced gadgeds, and different fabrics might have different production quality. I have read that low quality items often are sold slightly cheaper on Ebay. So; anyone got some more "evidence" to prove such a suspicion for Z1? If so: what batches should we try to avoid?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I have used a g2 and the z1 quite a bit. The Z1 seems to have better software. I don't care about benchmarks as they all cheat anyway. But the better software definitely makes the z1 feel snappier. I haven't noticed any major difference in apps though. The lg launcher is slow.
The camera on the g2 is OK. It is decent all round and in good light can be stunning. It takes consistently decent shots. The camera on the z1 feels totally broken even with the latest software update. I suspect there must be a hardware fault. I have yet to take a single picture I am happy with in any light conditions and it is useless in low light.
Does anyone else think we have a hardware issue here with the Z1?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
The Jones said:
So I have used a g2 and the z1 quite a bit. The Z1 seems to have better software. I don't care about benchmarks as they all cheat anyway. But the better software definitely makes the z1 feel snappier. I haven't noticed any major difference in apps though. The lg launcher is slow.
The camera on the g2 is OK. It is decent all round and in good light can be stunning. It takes consistently decent shots. The camera on the z1 feels totally broken even with the latest software update. I suspect there must be a hardware fault. I have yet to take a single picture I am happy with in any light conditions and it is useless in low light.
Does anyone else think we have a hardware issue here with the Z1?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well not mine, I also used G2 and now z1. My z1 takes better photo in low light.
Maybe its your z1 only...
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
marc_ecko28 said:
Well not mine, I also used G2 and now z1. My z1 takes better photo in low light.
Maybe its your z1 only...
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe. I do wonder if I have a faulty unit. It is so poor and shots have no detail, a ton of noise, poor focus.
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
That's a real issue of viewpoint. In and by itself the Z1 camera isn't "bad" and the 245 firmware update fixed many issues, such as the purple fringing and the oversharpening. It doesn't however, bring the camera into "amazing" land.
Sony's much-touted DxOMark scores aren't all that cut out. While video pulls the device in second place, after the Nokia 808 and before the iPhone 5s, if you look at images alone it's 6th place, after Nokia, iPhone, and the Samsung Galaxy S4. In terms of clarity, if you neglect autofocus, the iPhone 5, non-S, beats it as well.
That's still great for a phone camera, it's just sad that the much hyped November model, running on excellent hardware, gets beat by the June model from Samsung. If you do a lot of video in good light and shoot only manual then you have a decent camera phone. If you want to go out and replace your point and shoot with this thing on a field trip or vacation, there are six or seven older phones that beat the Z1 in picture quality.
Now, I believe that 99% of those issues are software issues. Technically Sony's approach is sound. The BIONZ processor is one of the best IP on the market in this bracket, the Exmor RS backlit sensor used in the Z1 is also used in the iPhone 5s and RX100, and a powerhouse. So that stuff is there. The mini G-lens has great spatial properties and is one of the best when it comes to luminance. What doesn't seem to work so well is all in the software portion of the equation.
I am not giving up on Sony. I have great hardware, I hope firm- and software will catch up.
Software is something they will change, even though Sony have a bad track record in Software you should have seen the Xperia S, I had it for a few days before I had a refund, software was unbearable with the random reboots. There getting better every time.
I was not very happy with camera until last week but I received latest update and I can't be happier
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I'm still amazed that these threads are popping up. It's like I'm using a completely different product from the rest of you, I swear.
Sure, low-light images can be a little noisy and grainy but guess what; so are ones from my point-and-shoot - there are very few stand-alone cameras in this bracket (around the £150 mark) that are entirely noise free in low light. The noise is far from "terrible" especially with the most recent firmware, and the up-side to it all is that I'm able to take picture in far lower lighting than I've even been able to on a phone before.
Here's the thing: Superior Auto, though now very much improved, still uses an ISO that borders on the insane. In low light, just put the phone on manual (I'd recommend 4:3) and snap away. Less noise and very detailed results. Indeed, the latest firmware means that both 20mp and 8mp manual shots are very respectable in low light.
I was walking around the National Railway Museum in York yesterday, taking pictures with both the QX10 and the Z1 - in many instances, the Z1 was sharper or, at least, just as sharp. And the lighting was poor.
I also did a side-by-side with my old C905 the other day. Until this point, I would've (still) put it up against any smartphone camera on the market (to me, it was Sony's last "great" camera phone). The Z1's 8mp shots were consistently better, with the exception of the Zenon Flash shot.
In response to the OP, however; the G-lens is highly convex. This results in some barreling in the corners of the image and means that the centre will always be ever-so-slightly sharper than the rest of the image (the effect is small, however). Nothing can be done about this - many point and shoot cameras and DSLR's are the same. I've had quite outstanding results from mine.
Sounds like your camera might be better than mine. Maybe what we should to is to compare shots where everyone takes a photo of the same item? I cannot think of anything easier an more available perfectly lit surface than a computer or notepad screen completley white on max luminance.
Anyway, even though my camera has some obvious distortion, it is nothing more or less than what is revealed in the numerous reviews. However - some morons have posted, what seems to be, og DSLR photos on the xperia blog an some other places claiming it to be produced with a Z1. I guess some people live to annoy other people.
Regarding the last awesome cameraphone from Sony I will give xperia S my vote. It did get a lot of pepper but it shined after several updates, and after I realized there was a prefabric screenprotector that were scratched, not my screen. Not using 2 screen protectors did help. The camera on X S excelled i macro shots and were great allround. For most users sony HOWEVER decided to kill the phone with the last update making it slow and less responsive. It lost the premium feel. An obvious sales trix. Sony replied to my question about the slow XS that "It is to be expected as your phone is too slow to effextuvley handle our new update". Well well.
Xperia S had a troublesome birth and death. For most of the time it shined. I hope this is what we are experiencing with the Z1.
krimskram said:
Sounds like your camera might be better than mine. Maybe what we should to is to compare shots where everyone takes a photo of the same item? I cannot think of anything easier an more available perfectly lit surface than a computer or notepad screen completley white on max luminance.
Anyway, even though my camera has some obvious distortion, it is nothing more or less than what is revealed in the numerous reviews. However - some morons have posted, what seems to be, og DSLR photos on the xperia blog an some other places claiming it to be produced with a Z1. I guess some people live to annoy other people.
Regarding the last awesome cameraphone from Sony I will give xperia S my vote. It did get a lot of pepper but it shined after several updates, and after I realized there was a prefabric screenprotector that were scratched, not my screen. Not using 2 screen protectors did help. The camera on X S excelled i macro shots and were great allround. For most users sony HOWEVER decided to kill the phone with the last update making it slow and less responsive. It lost the premium feel. An obvious sales trix. Sony replied to my question about the slow XS that "It is to be expected as your phone is too slow to effextuvley handle our new update". Well well.
Xperia S had a troublesome birth and death. For most of the time it shined. I hope this is what we are experiencing with the Z1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had an Xperia S and, yes, it did take very detailed shots. It's white balance wasn't always the best, however, and it was fairly terrible in poor lighting. I high contrast shots, though, the C905 would give better results - I did quite a bit of testing between the two
For examples of my work with the Z1, please look here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157635983420745/
jluster said:
That's a real issue of viewpoint. In and by itself the Z1 camera isn't "bad" and the 245 firmware update fixed many issues, such as the purple fringing and the oversharpening. It doesn't however, bring the camera into "amazing" land.
Sony's much-touted DxOMark scores aren't all that cut out. While video pulls the device in second place, after the Nokia 808 and before the iPhone 5s, if you look at images alone it's 6th place, after Nokia, iPhone, and the Samsung Galaxy S4. In terms of clarity, if you neglect autofocus, the iPhone 5, non-S, beats it as well.
That's still great for a phone camera, it's just sad that the much hyped November model, running on excellent hardware, gets beat by the June model from Samsung. If you do a lot of video in good light and shoot only manual then you have a decent camera phone. If you want to go out and replace your point and shoot with this thing on a field trip or vacation, there are six or seven older phones that beat the Z1 in picture quality.
Now, I believe that 99% of those issues are software issues. Technically Sony's approach is sound. The BIONZ processor is one of the best IP on the market in this bracket, the Exmor RS backlit sensor used in the Z1 is also used in the iPhone 5s and RX100, and a powerhouse. So that stuff is there. The mini G-lens has great spatial properties and is one of the best when it comes to luminance. What doesn't seem to work so well is all in the software portion of the equation.
I am not giving up on Sony. I have great hardware, I hope firm- and software will catch up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that is really annoying thing with Sony, they obviously haven't learnt anything from Xperia Z launch, release substandard firmware in the final release to public that everyone uses to review, therefore gets reviews that are not as good as they could have been, which will loose them sales. If they want to reach their goal of Number 2 Android selling phone. They have to wake up, trawl through the main forums, and review sites and make sure the phone they release is top notch, and make tiny tweaks later on.
Really why can't Sony get their sensor to work as well as Apple? Surely they should be able to get the most out of their sensors than anyone else?
The only substandard part of the hardware that I have noticed moving to Sony is the accelerometer and GPS accuracy, the rest has been robust and fixed with firmware updates.
If you want to get the best from the camera, you must run in manual mode. Because the software makes some pretty bad decisions a lot of the time.
Timaustin2000 said:
I had an Xperia S and, yes, it did take very detailed shots. It's white balance wasn't always the best, however, and it was fairly terrible in poor lighting. I high contrast shots, though, the C905 would give better results - I did quite a bit of testing between the two
For examples of my work with the Z1, please look here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157635983420745/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice shots! I've been scratching my head though with one of the shots you had, the one of the food / burger stall.
It seemed REALLY sharp and detailed so I looked in the exif data and saw it was ISO 64 / 100! Shutter speed was just a mere 1/8s so I'm wondering how did that happen with that particular low-light scenario?
The other pictures I can relate to
Here are a couple shots I took (though not as good as yours I am thinking)
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B6YHwWcrqzNhbEtLUGFKNmk1SVU&usp=sharing
All taken in Manual Mode too (plant / garden shots are taken in 153 firmware)
bloodfire1004 said:
Nice shots! I've been scratching my head though with one of the shots you had, the one of the food / burger stall.
It seemed REALLY sharp and detailed so I looked in the exif data and saw it was ISO 64 / 100! Shutter speed was just a mere 1/8s so I'm wondering how did that happen with that particular low-light scenario?
The other pictures I can relate to
Here are a couple shots I took (though not as good as yours I am thinking)
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B6YHwWcrqzNhbEtLUGFKNmk1SVU&usp=sharing
All taken in Manual Mode too (plant / garden shots are taken in 153 firmware)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The burger stall image was actually taken with Superior Auto (I know!). It decided to throw the phone into "Spotlight" shooting mode and that was the result. A very good result.
By the way, I really like your Garden party image. Well exposed, nicely detailed.
I completely agree with the comments, above, about Sony missing a trick by releasing hardware with incomplete software. There was a very distinct feeling of the camera firmware being unfinished on release. It is now firing on all cylinders but the review damage has been done.
You can see the difference when you look at GSM Arena's initial review of the phone and their following camera comparisons, post update. One is "disappointed", the others are full of praise.
And Sony have no-one to blame but themselves, for that.
Timaustin2000 said:
The burger stall image was actually taken with Superior Auto (I know!). It decided to throw the phone into "Spotlight" shooting mode and that was the result. A very good result.
By the way, I really like your Garden party image. Well exposed, nicely detailed.
I completely agree with the comments, above, about Sony missing a trick by releasing hardware with incomplete software. There was a very distinct feeling of the camera firmware being unfinished on release. It is now firing on all cylinders but the review damage has been done.
You can see the difference when you look at GSM Arena's initial review of the phone and their following camera comparisons, post update. One is "disappointed", the others are full of praise.
And Sony have no-one to blame but themselves, for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, basically everyone so far think it is a software issue.
I took some afternoon shots driving in 80 . The camera performs - now- without noise and got a crisp picture at what must be a really low shutterspeed. WTF?!
A situation Im never likøey to ever use the camera in again. Sigh, at drive by shooting it excels.
At indoor shots, it is agamble. Even with thenew firmware. It i proves markedly by manual exposure.
A total conclusion: it would be interrestimg having raw file possibilties. The camera is markedly better after the firmware update, and having the features in the camera button I am very pleased, however, where Im likley to use the camera most , indoors, it really needs an overhaul. I dont aleays have the time to enter manual mode! It is annoying that it defaults to full auto. Let me diecide!
Any other opinions
krimskram said:
So, basically everyone so far think it is a software issue.
I took some afternoon shots driving in 80 . The camera performs - now- without noise and got a crisp picture at what must be a really low shutterspeed. WTF?!
A situation Im never likøey to ever use the camera in again. Sigh, at drive by shooting it excels.
At indoor shots, it is agamble. Even with thenew firmware. It i proves markedly by manual exposure.
A total conclusion: it would be interrestimg having raw file possibilties. The camera is markedly better after the firmware update, and having the features in the camera button I am very pleased, however, where Im likley to use the camera most , indoors, it really needs an overhaul. I dont aleays have the time to enter manual mode! It is annoying that it defaults to full auto. Let me diecide!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, any other opinions?
krimskram said:
So, any other opinions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One: you can set your camera to launch in Manual from the launcher dock without having to re-set it. Just add a "shortcut" to your homescreen, select camera and select manual. Pop that in the docked section at the bottom of the screen and you'll always have quick access to it.
Just a shame they don't give you the option to launch camera in manual by long-pressing the camera button.
Oh, and to the fella above who says that there are "6 other models" from earlier in the year that will beat the XZ1 in good light? With respect, I'm going to disagree: There's no way that an S4, One or G2 can beat the Z1 in good light - and I'm not sure I could point to any other Android that does. (note: the iPhone 5 isn't as good but the 5s comes darned close,... in good light. Thought it over-saturates light a *****).
The S4 over-saturates, the G2 has even worse post-processing than Sony (it's artifact central on a G2 - FAR too much artificial sharpening) and the One? Well, it's the One, isn't it? Yuck. And the Z1 has better detail and dynamic range than all of the above in good light - it has been remarked on numerous times in a good many reviews.
The only place it really falls down is exposure - sometimes it blows out light objects if left to it's own devices. But you have an exposure toggle to fix that so problem solved.
In all honesty, I don't think I've ever been as happy with a phone camera. In any light.
Hi
I'm having problems with the camera.
I bought a Moto x three weeks ago and noticed that sometimes (often), when taking pictures, somo red and blue stripes appear while and after taking the photo. Those stripes appear and desapear. The only way of getting rid of them is to focus the camera for a long time (like 5 or more seconds) and even if they desapear, sometimes they come back
I thouht my phone was damaged so I claimed my warranty and they gave me a new one last thursday but the new one has the same problem.
Is anyone experiencing this problem too?
I'm not sure if it's a general problem or if I should go back and claim the warranty again .
Here is an example of a photo taken on my room with the lights on to a white paper.
I forgot to say that sometimes the stripes are not red and blue. Instead they are gray like in the picture I attached.
Thank you for your suggestions.
Yes. It happens for me when I have a fluorescent light in the room. I tested this on demos at the store and same thing.
So I assume this is a general problem. That makes me feel realy upset with the phone.
I hope some update fix this.
Love the camera on this phone! Am I the only one?
I saw this at the Verizon store on two different Moto X's. I have also seen this on my Nexus 4, but only under some settings in FV5 (never with stock camera app). Guessing it is a software issue but it is definitely a little disconcerting.
For those experiencing the issue, make sure your a squeaky wheel about it to Motorola if you want to see it fixed.
Jess813 said:
Love the camera on this phone! Am I the only one?
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Love may be a strong word here. I think the X can take some really good pics, in the right lighting. But if you are in a low light situation, pics are garbage...lots of noise. The camera is the ONLY reason I miss my Samsung devices, they took really good pics.
jmill75 said:
Love may be a strong word here. I think the X can take some really good pics, in the right lighting. But if you are in a low light situation, pics are garbage...lots of noise. The camera is the ONLY reason I miss my Samsung devices, they took really good pics.
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I've yet experience a pic that I've said is terrible ... Best phone I've had and that's coming from N5 and G2
perri.etb said:
Hi
I'm having problems with the camera.
I bought a Moto x three weeks ago and noticed that sometimes (often), when taking pictures, somo red and blue stripes appear while and after taking the photo. Those stripes appear and desapear. The only way of getting rid of them is to focus the camera for a long time (like 5 or more seconds) and even if they desapear, sometimes they come back
I thouht my phone was damaged so I claimed my warranty and they gave me a new one last thursday but the new one has the same problem.
Is anyone experiencing this problem too?
I'm not sure if it's a general problem or if I should go back and claim the warranty again .
Here is an example of a photo taken on my room with the lights on to a white paper.
I forgot to say that sometimes the stripes are not red and blue. Instead they are gray like in the picture I attached.
Thank you for your suggestions.
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this seems like a banding issue to me, which i'm surprised the camera app doesn't include a setting to eliminate. try a different camera app, like camerazoom fx to see if you can correct the problem with software. if it doesnt go away, it may be worth replacing.
I take a lot of pics indoors and they are terrible. No complains about photos taken outside.
I would not care using another app if I could keep the twist to activate thing : /
Sent from my XT1058 using xda app-developers app
Hi, just recieved my GSM developer edition Moto X yesterday and I've been having trouble with severe artifacts in low light photos. Is this amount of banding/lines normal for the moto x? I'm wondering if it's a sensor issue and it's worth trying to exchange my phone. I have not noticed this level of artifacts in any low light sample photos.
Even if I cover the camera sensor it shows red lines where it should be black. See the samples below.
It's most noticeable in low light but the lines seem to be always present. In the camera app the lines shimmer on the screen and flicker from red/purple to blue in dark areas. I tried the camera FX app with anti-flicker set to 60hz but it didn't make much of a difference.
I have rooted the phone but would that cause this? Thanks for any advice!
I think it is normal, otherwise all three moto x's I have used have been defective. I hope to see a software fix for this.
Maybe different versions have slightly different internals. I have the Rogers version and mine doesn't have those lines /bands.
Sent from my Moto X cell phone telephone...
kj2112 said:
Maybe different versions have slightly different internals. I have the Rogers version and mine doesn't have those lines /bands.
Sent from my Moto X cell phone telephone...
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I am willing to bet that you just haven't noticed them yet. Try it on a low contrast object like a light colored counter, under fluorescent lighting.
These are the types of situations where it is most easily reproduced.
It only happens on the front camera for me.
I think it's related to certain fluorescent lighting. I've been testing the camera around work today under various lighting conditions and the lines are nowhere near as severe around LED and HID lamps. CFL bulbs, seem to cause the line artifacts the most while standard tube fluorescent lights don't seem to have as much of an effect. I'll play around with it some more.
The camera appears to have a very slow refresh rate, as a result you can see it beating with the 60hz from certain light sources. Every Rogers Moto X I have seen does it so I am sure it's a problem with all Moto X's. Could be a hardware limitation, if it can however be fixed in software I hope Motorola is working in a fix.
Steve-x said:
The camera appears to have a very slow refresh rate, as a result you can see it beating with the 60hz from certain light sources. Every Rogers Moto X I have seen does it so I am sure it's a problem with all Moto X's. Could be a hardware limitation, if it can however be fixed in software I hope Motorola is working in a fix.
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I believe that it's software as I have seen the same banding in my Nexus 4, but only with some settings applied with FV5 (not the stock camera app).
The HTC one had a similar issue and it seems that using HDR fixed it. Could someone with the Moto x try using HDR in the same lighting conditions and see whether or not it still bands?
I've tried using hdr and photos were still terrible.
I'm using camera zoom fx And with it I'm not having stripes. The problem is it only takes 5 mp photos and obviously loosing the twist to activate the camera thing.
Please, report this issue on Motorola's website. We have to make pressure in order to have a fix.
Sent from my XT1058 using xda app-developers app
I played around with a couple of moto X's on display at best buy and compared the camera live view side by side to mine. Neither of the display models, both AT&T branded, had the banding/lines flashing across the screen problem while my phone, a dev edition, did display the banding issue. I didn't think to check what version the display models were running but mine does it on both 4.2.2 and 4.4.
Frustrating... I'm going to contact motorola support about a replacement. I can't get a single decent photo out of mine. Also any video I take is covered in dancing red/blue lines.
Edit: Also HDR mode makes the problem worse if anything, hard to tell.
sethes302 said:
I played around with a couple of moto X's on display at best buy and compared the camera live view side by side to mine. Neither of the display models, both AT&T branded, had the banding/lines flashing across the screen problem while my phone, a dev edition, did display the banding issue. Frustrating... going to contact motorola support about a replacement. I can't get a single decent photo out of mine. Also any video I take is covered in dancing red/blue lines.
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Interesting, I played with two at the local Verizon store and they both did it.
Just saying... These are phone cameras.... If guys need to take real low light pics with no flash... Perhaps you need a real camera?
Every pic I've taken... Outdoors, inside day time... No flash... And inside night or day with flash... And haven't seen anything wrong. The pics all blow my S2 camera away.
I understand being more picky about pic quality than maybe I am.... But that's what real cameras are for. Phone cameras suck even compared to the cheapest real cameras.
just saying. Maybe my phone doesn't have the issue... Or at least I haven't done any pic taking in the right conditions yet.
But to say the moto x camera is crap.... Is ridiculous. It's just fine..... For a phone.
Sent from my Moto X cell phone telephone...
kj2112 said:
Just saying... These are phone cameras.... If guys need to take real low light pics with no flash... Perhaps you need a real camera?
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I am aware it's just a phone camera however I do not expect there to be lines all over the images. In live view on the camera of your Moto X does the image flash between red and purple hues a lot? I'm trying to determine if mine has a defect. Any pictures I take, especially in dark conditions, have these lines all over them as in the example below. Do you see similar from your Moto X?
Specifically, it is most reproducible in artificial light with lots of white or, in general, low contrast subjects (a piece of paper, a counter, top of a washing machine). I have not been able, under any circumstances, to reproduce it in natural light or DC light sources (no flicker).
I spent an hour this morning with a tier 2 moto tech to try and get him to reproduce it. He couldn't, and I have a theory as to why, but won't be able to test it until nightfall. Stay tuned... I WILL pin this down and then we can start a discussion in Moto's forums and try and get their attention.
Having the same issue. The excuse that this is a "camera phone" is ridiculous. I've had plenty of other "camera phones" that work without issue.
The lines are clearly visible in the attached pic. I have to wait a few seconds for the lines to go away to snap a picture.
This phone may be going back.
Solutions Etcetera said:
Specifically, it is most reproducible in artificial light with lots of white or, in general, low contrast subjects (a piece of paper, a counter, top of a washing machine). I have not been able, under any circumstances, to reproduce it in natural light or DC light sources (no flicker).
I spent an hour this morning with a tier 2 moto tech to try and get him to reproduce it. He couldn't, and I have a theory as to why, but won't be able to test it until nightfall. Stay tuned... I WILL pin this down and then we can start a discussion in Moto's forums and try and get their attention.
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That second pic I posted in the post above with red lines on the bottom was taken in my car at night with only DC light sources around. I've got a few video clip with those lines dancing all over the place under different lighting conditions, I'll post them when I can.
I believe there are two separate issues on my Moto X. One being the alternating orange/blue lines that show up under fluorescent lighting which most Moto X's seem to have a problem with and the second being these noise lines throughout the entire image under any lighting condition besides outdoor sunlight that seems to be a less common issue.
Interested to find out what your testing uncovers.
sethes302 said:
I am aware it's just a phone camera however I do not expect there to be lines all over the images. In live view on the camera of your Moto X does the image flash between red and purple hues a lot? I'm trying to determine if mine has a defect. Any pictures I take, especially in dark conditions, have these lines all over them as in the example below. Do you see similar from your Moto X?
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Tonight after work I'll try the same. No flash right? Near dark?
Sent from my Moto X cell phone telephone...
kj2112 said:
Tonight after work I'll try the same. No flash right? Near dark?
Sent from my Moto X cell phone telephone...
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Flash or no flash, easiest to see the lines in the poor lighting but they show up around the short edges of medium lit shots and also show up in video. They disappear in sunlit photos. I'm going to take a video of the liveview on my Moto X to better illustrate what I'm seeing. I'll post better examples when I get home. Interested to see what your photos look like.
I'm on the phone with tech support. They had me download another camera app (Camera MX), it exhibit the exact same issues
They want to do an exchange.
Sending back my Nexus 6p to replace with op3t been wanting this phone for some time. Aside from asking many different questions my main thing would be the camera . Initially videos and blogs on the camera said it's in n par with a s7 or note 5 quality . But I'm hearing negative talk about the rear cam blur and clarity. Is there a known issue ? A camera mod or fix or is this just bias opinion. I guess I'll find out soon .
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers Legacy app
androidddaaron said:
Sending back my Nexus 6p to replace with op3t been wanting this phone for some time. Aside from asking many different questions my main thing would be the camera . Initially videos and blogs on the camera said it's in n par with a s7 or note 5 quality . But I'm hearing negative talk about the rear cam blur and clarity. Is there a known issue ? A camera mod or fix or is this just bias opinion. I guess I'll find out soon .
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers Legacy app
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For me the camera it just fine , I mean I don't expect professional results it is a phone camera if I want better results go for a pro one
One a bright day the camera is perfect wonderful pics , but as light reduces the camera loss some quality and sharpness
I mean for 439 dlls it a good camera
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk
I love this phone and the latest. Oxygen OS update fixes alot of the camera issues witch were fine according to me but im not a camera guy. I got it for the processor and 6 gigs of ram and so far this thing has only impressed at ever corner you can't go wrong with this phone especially at this price point.
I'd say given good amount of lightning, the camera gets pretty decent performance. Once its in lowlight, it definitely has some catching up to do compared to devices like S7, 6p.
There is apparently an issue with the camera on OnePlus 3T where focus stops working. I have read multiple reports now and I am affected myself. Some say this is a hardware issue and some had their phones already fixed by OnePlus. Someone else said a software update fixed it for him so maybe there are multiple issues at work. But those are all defects where the camera stops working properly. Until this happened, the camera was fine and I couldn't complain about the quality at all.
Outdoor photos with any degree of sunlight are excellent. Indoors, with any amount of sun coming through windows also are great. Indoors, with artificial lighting is where it gets trickier. The lower the light, the longer it takes to auto focus; and if your subject is moving, the pics are more likely to blur. If you have some patience, and know how to take pictures, you can get decent results. And you may have to take several photos, knowing some will have blur.
The best example would be indoor pics of my young kids (which I take a lot) which can never stand still for long, even for a picture. But even with some decent amount of artificial light, and a bit of patience, I get some very good pics most of the time.
Another option on the OP3T, is you can change the camera to "manual" mode. This allows you to manually set the ISO, white balance (type of light), etc. This can get you faster focus and better results in lower light. But not everyone may want to take the time to manually tweak these settings.
I take a good amount of smartphone pics, and the camera is important to me. Overall, I'm pleased with the camera on the OP3T. But given, I'm coming from an older phone, the HTC M8 (which is going on 3 years old). On the other hand, the amount of effort it takes to get unblurred photos on the OP3T is not out of line with when I use my DSLR camera.
Maybe a phone like the Samsung GS7 can take more focused pictures, more consistently, and with less effort. And of course there is something to be said about that. But there is also a price. Most folks who criticize the camera on the OP3T are comparing it to flagships like the iPhone 7 or Samsung GS7 which cost almost twice as much (okay, the price of phones vary a lot over time and by region - but you see what I'm getting at). The OP3T simply can't compete as it lacks the fancy features such as dual camera, laser focus + phase detection etc. which all cost money. But what you have is a phone which competes with the current flagships on almost every level (processor, RAM, build quality) with just a bit of compromise on the camera, screen resolution, and waterproofing.
came from a 6p, have had trouble getting my camera to focus, but still love the phone