Database Develop

Desire Cam vs Stock Nexus Camera - still shots

I wanted to create a thread specifically for showing pictures taken with either the Desire Camera ported to the Nexus, or the stock camera app. In my opinion, the desire camera takes better pictures, even if very slightly. But who knows? And maybe we can learn something from each other about how to take better pictures with this awesome phone?
Please put along with your photos:
Camera (Desire or Stock)
Lighting source (indoors/outdoors)
Megapixel level
ISO Level
Changes in brightness/contrast/saturation/sharpness or any relevant settings
Focus (Auto/Off/Tap to Focus)
White Balance
Any other settings changed from default, or relevant information.

Pens at my work
After clicking on link, Right click on picture and hit View Image in Firefox (and whatever is the equivalent method in IE and other browsers)
Desire Camera
Indoor lighting
5 Megapixel level
ISO 100
Tap to Focus (on yellow marker)
Auto White Balance

I should really do some comparison shots, Ive got a stock N1 I can get my hands on, 720p'ed rooted custom etc N1, a stock desire and a froyo'ed desire

I compared the stock camera and the one that comes with CM RC3 and it turns out that both have almost same output. Camera360, however, does a pathetic job sometimes. The night mode (and the enhance contrast mode) on Camera360 does a *brilliant* job though.

santoshgs said:
I compared the stock camera and the one that comes with CM RC3 and it turns out that both have almost same output. Camera360, however, does a pathetic job sometimes. The night mode (and the enhance contrast mode) on Camera360 does a *brilliant* job though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What camera comes with CM RC3?

How is this in the QandA section? This isn't a question! Mods please move it back to general!

[Q] Camera Problem

Recently i purchased Galaxy Note & i really love it but i dont like its camera.
When i open my camera app picture look beautiful & very clear but when i shot the picture it becomes dull. I tried several other camera apps also same result.
I think its because of HD display picture looks beautiful before capturing it. After capture the picture it becomes dull. I am confused why so? its because of HD display or software problem or hardware problem??
Anyone facing this problem or am i alone??
Cam FW Version: OOEI08
Phone FW Version: OOEI08

Please reply me friends. if its hardware fault then i have to return it

i have problems in zooming...autofocus works very bad..
Without zooming i have good pics,expecially macro
Cam FW Version: OOEI08
I think in software problems,not hardware
Waiting for next Firm upgrade...and android 4...

You are not alone. I was about to post a thread with the exact same problem. I'm really disappointed at the moment as I'm uncovering more and more problems with the phone each day.

Software issue
I was having the same problem, go to settings, ISO, remove from auto to 800, the pics wouldn't become dull anymore... i hope...

enobrec said:
i have problems in zooming...autofocus works very bad..
Without zooming i have good pics,expecially macro
Cam FW Version: OOEI08
I think in software problems,not hardware
Waiting for next Firm upgrade...and android 4...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All cameras with digital zoom will look very bad if zoomed in. It is because the image is enlarged using its pixels rather than the lens....so as you zoom in the pixels just get bigger. I t's just like when zooming in on a photo using pinch to zoom.. ..if you zoom right in you can see individual pixels and the image will look blurred.
This is not a fault, just one of the downsides of using digital zoom.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

It's not digital zoom, it's definitely the auto focus.
I have a batch of good pics from when I first started using the Note, so makes me believe the latest firmware update messed things up, especially since macro pics look fantastic.
---------- Post added at 03:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:57 PM ----------
Forgot to mention, I am experiencing the same problem as the original post. The pictures look perfect in the frame a micro-second before capturing, then the actual image turns out a bit fuzzy.
victor19nyc said:
It's not digital zoom, it's definitely the auto focus.
I have a batch of good pics from when I first started using the Note, so makes me believe the latest firmware update messed things up, especially since macro pics look fantastic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

victor19nyc said:
It's not digital zoom, it's definitely the auto focus.
I have a batch of good pics from when I first started using the Note, so makes me believe the latest firmware update messed things up, especially since macro pics look fantastic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are right...!
how can we do to return to old "camera software"??
i tried to hard reset...but my first firmware results the same...236 ...nothing older for me...

maniacscorpio said:
Recently i purchased Galaxy Note & i really love it but i dont like its camera.
When i open my camera app picture look beautiful & very clear but when i shot the picture it becomes dull. I tried several other camera apps also same result.
I think its because of HD display picture looks beautiful before capturing it. After capture the picture it becomes dull. I am confused why so? its because of HD display or software problem or hardware problem??
Anyone facing this problem or am i alone??
Cam FW Version: OOEI08
Phone FW Version: OOEI08
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem, but I think I have solved the problem now. When I took picture, it turned out to be very dull. I was playing around with my case today and all of a sudden, I found a clear film attached to the lens. After removed, the new picture taken became well again. You may want to see if you also has the film on the lens not removed.

I wish it was that simple.
Something in the image processing is softening the image before it's saved to the phone. If anyone has any suggestions please reply (though I've pretty much used up all the combinations).
Note, (ha!) the front facing camera takes nice crisp images, what I would also expect from the main camera.

Yes im facing same problem! I see a nice preview and when i take a pic it looks really bad ! It is disappointing really...It was not like that on the Galaxy SII.

A few things to try.Enable the anti shake function and try to keep the phone still when taking pictures.No phones take good pictures in low light situations,so when abundant light is not available switch to night mode.This will brighten the picture considerably.
Also I find the auto ISO tends towards the low setting even when light is poor so adjust the ISO manually.This might explain why some people find pictures a bit dark.

The image for me after taking an image is very dull. Like the recorded colours are reduced from what you see on the screen before capture. This is also true for video recording. I have attached a photo compairing the images of captured vs shown on the screen before capture. Hopefully someone can fix this. It must be a software issue because the hardward already shows great images before capture.
Check out my examples HERE

Presjar said:
The image for me after taking an image is very dull. Like the recorded colours are reduced from what you see on the screen before capture. This is also true for video recording. I have attached a photo compairing the images of captured vs shown on the screen before capture. Hopefully someone can fix this. It must be a software issue because the hardward already shows great images before capture.
Check out my examples HERE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which firmware version are you running?

hi. actually i got this problem on first time. i got this problem fix after i reset camera setting. try it yourself

I suggest you turn off the auto brightness and set the display brightness to Max and turm auto adjust screen power then try again.
I think you think the pictures are dull after they were taken because of the screen auto brightness .
I figure the camera app will increase your screen brightness for whatever brightness setting you are on and the gallery app. Wouldn't.
So you will see a duller image in gallery preview versus the camera app viewfinder , hence lead you a misconception of the picture look dull compare to the camera viewfinder.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App

It actually has nothing to do with the screen, rather it's how the image is captured. The software is softening the image, so even downloaded images appear dull.
And it's only the rear camera. My front camera images are crisp both on the Note's screen and when uploaded elsewhere.
darkinners said:
I suggest you turn off the auto brightness and set the display brightness to Max and turm auto adjust screen power then try again.
I think you think the pictures are dull after they were taken because of the screen auto brightness .
I figure the camera app will increase your screen brightness for whatever brightness setting you are on and the gallery app. Wouldn't.
So you will see a duller image in gallery preview versus the camera app viewfinder , hence lead you a misconception of the picture look dull compare to the camera viewfinder.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

darkinners said:
I suggest you turn off the auto brightness and set the display brightness to Max and turm auto adjust screen power then try again.
I think you think the pictures are dull after they were taken because of the screen auto brightness .
I figure the camera app will increase your screen brightness for whatever brightness setting you are on and the gallery app. Wouldn't.
So you will see a duller image in gallery preview versus the camera app viewfinder , hence lead you a misconception of the picture look dull compare to the camera viewfinder.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your right, brightness was set at 0% but camera app always goes to full.
Silly me!
However, the problem is still there but not so obvious as in the images I posted. The colour is undersaturated compaired to viewfinder and its also blurred/ not as sharp. That is also when taking a photo using a perfectly still stand.

I'm noticing the same thing. The pictures are dull and not as sharp as what I see on the screen. this is a huge disappointment that I hope Samsung will fix soon.

i would like to know some fix about this too... hopefully there is a nice reasoning to image becoming dull...
faced kinda a similar prob on my HTC desire hd wherein the pics became yellow however changing the AUTO WHITE balance helped me.... However on my note it doesnt.

Improve Camera Quality in Automode?

Hello,
i just got my hands on the Z3 Compact and took it out to test it on a sunny day.
Back home i noticed that the picture quality is really bad in auto mode!
I made a quick comparison picture to my old phone: a Xiaomi Mi2 (not the S Model) with 8m Camera.
The picture shows the text quality of the Xperia Z Ultra Power Pack which is the best example i can do now.
The automode settings are: ISO-800, F/2, 1/50 Sec, no flash
The Mi2 automode settings are: ISO-488, 1/16 Sec (no data on the F), no flash
Directlink:
http://abload.de/img/neuebitmapoksb8.png
And here the same with manual mode and a lower ISO (100 instead of 800 that was used in auto mode):
The complete settings were: ISO-100, F/2, 1/8 Sec, no flash
Directlink:
http://abload.de/img/dsc_0099emqqy.jpg
Heres another example of a picture i took when i was outside (without zoom, i just cut away some parts to make it smaller):
The automode settings here: ISO-50, F/2, 1/320sec, no flash
Directlink:
http://abload.de/img/dsc_0036lujf6.jpg
Any idea why automode causes such very bad picture quality? Any ideas on how to improve it?
Thank you for help!

Why bother so much about the auto mode? You can take such great pictures in manual mode when you play with the settings. In the end auto mode will never be great, because it does what it says: auto mode, it adjusts the settings to what it thinks is best in each situation.
Playing with the manual mode will also give you more knowledge of basic photography.
Sent from my D5803

Auto mode became better over time on the Z1C, I guess they'll keep improving it. Dunno if they made a step back here.

Dsteppa said:
Why bother so much about the auto mode? You can take such great pictures in manual mode when you play with the settings. In the end auto mode will never be great, because it does what it says: auto mode, it adjusts the settings to what it thinks is best in each situation.
Playing with the manual mode will also give you more knowledge of basic photography.
Sent from my D5803
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Auto mode will always be handy.. no one wants to mess with settings most of the times.. its a phone camera and if i want manual controls i would pick a dslr. Thats why iphone wins in camera department. Take it out and snap a pic instantly with great output. Even on my galaxy s5 i take pictures on auto and i havent seen anyone setting things up manually each and every time to take a damn photo

Auto mode uses a technique called oversampling to gather information with the 20MP sensor, then heavily processes the photo to whatever the software (Sony) decided was best (post-processing). The idea is you get the detail of a 20MP sensor, in a auto-corrected and down-sized 8MP resolution photo. Oversampling is also why the Z3 has a small amount of "lossless" zoom. (ever tried "zooming" with other phone cameras? It usually leaves you with a terrible blob of digital noise)
As with any automatic post-processing, there are pros and cons. The truth is, the software doesn't really know what you're taking a picture of, so it tries to give it's best guess on correcting exposure, colour, noise, etc. The result you're seeing in the auto-mode photo is a result of heavy post-processing (Noise Reduction), bad focus, and camera shake.
The reason your "manual" photo is better is because manual mode drops the post-processing. It also looks like you were able to hold the camera steadier for the manual shot.
"Auto" mode is far from perfect, but it will often save you more times than you know. Over time, you'll learn the strengths and weaknesses of "auto mode", and you'll know when you need to switch to Manual for the better shot. Auto mode can also be easily improved upon via software updates.
PS: A little trick I use to minimize camera shake while taking a photo is to set a quick 2 second self timer. This will allow you time to press the shutter button and then stabilize the phone for minimal "camera shake"

I have read the z3 Compact camera is great, great, great...but yeah I have been grossly underwhelmed by the auto mode. The auto mode is THE mode...sure have a manual mode if you want...if you have time. But I use my phone for quick snaps...QUICK being the operative word. I want to pull it out aim and shoot. My iphone5 took very acceptable pictures. The z3 compact has shown me grainy, bland looking shots in auto.
I don't get why auto mode isn't the most important mode for designers. It's a phone...not a camera...so make the auto mode work

Yeah, camera is definitely underwhelming. That being said though, it's better than most. My Moto X took absolutely horrid shots for the most part.

Crewville96 said:
Yeah, camera is definitely underwhelming. That being said though, it's better than most. My Moto X took absolutely horrid shots for the most part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from 2 years on the iphone5...I was under the impression that camera technology was pretty well mastered across the board. iphone makes it look easy. There's even an annoying lag between pressing the button and the shot being taken on the Z3...what the hell is up with that?

Eclypz said:
Auto mode uses a technique called oversampling to gather information with the 20MP sensor, then heavily processes the photo to whatever the software (Sony) decided was best (post-processing). The idea is you get the detail of a 20MP sensor, in a auto-corrected and down-sized 8MP resolution photo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, my z3c is still on the way. I have a question. Will the 8MP pictures I take in Manual mode be oversampled as well?
Because the sensor is still 20MP and if I manually adjust it to take only 8MP pictures what advantage do I have in having a sensor that is 20MP? I never print photos. Only watch it on my phone, laptop or my LED tv which is 1080p and 50" screen. I don't want photos that are too big in file size unless it is benefiting me in some sense other than for the purpose of printing and viewing in very large resolutions. I see that oversampling in auto mode is benefiting from a 20MP sensor but is that the case if I take 8MP pics in manual mode?

coolmalayalee said:
Well, my z3c is still on the way. I have a question. Will the 8MP pictures I take in Manual mode be oversampled as well?
Because the sensor is still 20MP and if I manually adjust it to take only 8MP pictures what advantage do I have in having a sensor that is 20MP? I never print photos. Only watch it on my phone, laptop or my LED tv which is 1080p and 50" screen. I don't want photos that are too big in file size unless it is benefiting me in some sense other than for the purpose of printing and viewing in very large resolutions. I see that oversampling in auto mode is benefiting from a 20MP sensor but is that the case if I take 8MP pics in manual mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By selecting 8MP in manual mode, all you're doing is resizing the photo from 20MP (post processing). The sensor will always capture at its full resolution.
If you know you only want a 8MP photo, there is a small benefit in resizing the photo at the phone:
The first benefit is obviously file size, but before I get into the second reason, I need to explain something first: A picture that has been converted to JPG is considered to be post processed. The compression that the JPG engine performs means your image loses details and thus has been altered. I know I said above that Manual mode means the image isn't processed, but I really only said that for the sake of explaining things easier. The average user does not consider JPG compression as post processing and they probably don't care to know. The truth is, unless Sony allows us to capture images in RAW format, the act of converting all our images to JPG means our images are all being post processed whether we like it or not. The difference between manual and auto mode is really about "how much" post processing occurs. In manual, Sony is most likely just compressing to JPG (and probably lens distortion correction but I won't get into that now) , and not applying corrections like noise reduction.
As for how it may be beneficial to resize at the phone; JPG compression is usually the final step in post processing. So by resizing at the phone, the theory is the image is captured in [email protected] > resized to 8MP while still in RAW format > compressed to JPG.
This means you benefit from the photo being resized before it is "post processed". In theory, this method should leave you with a higher quality 8MP photo versus resizing from a computer. Resizing from a computer means you're applying post processing to an already "post processed" photo.
For the average user, 8MP is more than enough, however, this is not to say all phone cameras should come in 8MP. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between an image captured by a 8MP sensor vs being captured by a 20MP sensor and then resized to 8MP. The 20MP sensor can capture much more detail with proper/sufficient lighting.

@wooki (OP):
Especially the first comparison "Xperia Z Ultra Power Pack", the one you made with the Z3C is nothing but blurred. So what is it you're trying to show/compare? I mean, yes, may the Z3C doesn't come with the best camera on the market, and yes, the "Auto mode" does not always provide the best results. Not really sure you're into photography or not, but what can be expected from a lens not even half the size of a fingernail? Not too much, right?! Get an SLR with decent lenses and a full frame sensor if you need more/better.
However, the attached fotos were one of the first ones I made with the Z3C (in Auto Mode) and think it's quite ok. No processing, just resized them.

@sxtester
I was comparing my Z3C with my old phone (a 2 year old Xiaomi Mi2) which seems to have a very good auto mode. Was just asking if i was the only one who has had a bad automode experience and if someone knows how to improve it.
How do your pictures look like without resizing?
As i'm owning a WQHD Screen all my automode pictures look very bad!
I don't want to set up the manual mode every time i want to take a picture, this phone has a shutter button to make fast pictures and with the setup phase i lose time even if manual mode gives me excellent pictures.

Eclypz said:
Auto mode uses a technique called oversampling to gather information with the 20MP sensor, then heavily processes the photo to whatever the software (Sony) decided was best (post-processing). The idea is you get the detail of a 20MP sensor, in a auto-corrected and down-sized 8MP resolution photo. Oversampling is also why the Z3 has a small amount of "lossless" zoom. (ever tried "zooming" with other phone cameras? It usually leaves you with a terrible blob of digital noise)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The manual mode uses oversampling as well, if you select a lower resolution. I've compared an auto mode shot with a manual mode shot of the same scene, and both were equal in terms of details and noise. The main difference was that the auto mode shot looks far worse because it tends to use that horrible HDR which just washes out the photo and ruins the contrast to near non-existence. I find that "multi" light metering mode, selectable in manual mode, gives far better results than HDR on this phone.
---------- Post added at 07:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 PM ----------
Auto:
http://i.imgur.com/er38iZn.jpg
Manual:
http://i.imgur.com/Oqwl3KE.jpg
---------- Post added at 07:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:32 PM ----------
Furthermore, the pictures from this phone's camera would look a lot better if Sony used a better algorithm for their oversampling.
Here is a comparison between a 100% crop of an image taken using Sony's oversampling (8mp) (former attachment) and a 100% crop of a photo taken at 20mp, and then downsampled to the 8mp dimensions using Irfanview (latter attachment):

I agree....Sony's software is lacking compared to everybody else. Auto mode seems kind of hit or miss. Their camera sensors are excellent, as I believe the iPhone uses a Sony sensor, but the difference being Apple is able to process better looking images with their software. I also have a iPhone 5s, and I must agree that 7/10 times, I'll get a better looking image from the iPhone. In terms of capturing details, i think Z3C is better (as expected), but all my images from the Z3C are on the "red" side when shooting in auto-mode. In the end, the iPhone comes out with the better looking photo because I'd much rather have better colour re-production over slightly more detail that you wouldn't even notice unless you had a photo to compare against.
I still think the Z3C's camera is on par with the best from Samsung's Galaxy S5 and LG's G3 (Sony sensor). It's way better than my old HTC One M8's "ultrapixel".
On the Android side of things, I think Z3C is still top 3, and Top 5 in the Smartphone world (iPhone and Lumia above it).

wooki said:
@sxtester
How do your pictures look like without resizing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@wooki:
Here you go, all unedited made in Auto Mode:
http://imgur.com/uMiM0Sh
http://imgur.com/0mYsf5U
http://imgur.com/vJ32fjT
http://imgur.com/8g7oJD7

degraaff said:
Here is a comparison between a 100% crop of an image taken using Sony's oversampling (8mp) (former attachment) and a 100% crop of a photo taken at 20mp, and then downsampled to the 8mp dimensions using Irfanview (latter attachment):
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony's approach looks way better because it doesn't blur that heavily. If I want to blur away all the details, I can still do that myself.

This is a bit off-topic, but I don't really want to start a new thread just to ask such a silly question.
I've been playing with the camera app some more and is there seriously no "rule of thirds grid" in Sony's Camera app? I often like to use the grids to assist in making sure my shot is straight.

Iruwen said:
Sony's approach looks way better because it doesn't blur that heavily. If I want to blur away all the details, I can still do that myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Sony's approach is full of over sharpening artifacts and -auras, doesn't look better at all IMO.

One dumb quetion.
If i use another camera APP, it will improve the photo quality?

point_pt said:
One dumb quetion.
If i use another camera APP, it will improve the photo quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends. I choose CFV-5 and PNG image saving (rrather than JPG) and it looks much better then Superior auto, and sometimes better than Sony's Manual mode.

Question Camera motion blur

Has anyone found a solution for the lag/motion blur when taking photos? Stationary shots are fine, but any movement of the subject and it's likely to blur, even in reasonable light. On top of this is the clear delay between pressing the button and the photo taking (motion picture does help with this slightly but still not ideal).
GCAM appears to be able to take quick shots with less blur, so I feel like it's not a hardware limitation? I would stick with gcam but obviously lacks the depth of shooting options of the stock camera
Aware pro mode could be used but I feel like auto should do the job well enough

mtm1401 said:
Has anyone found a solution for the lag/motion blur when taking photos? Stationary shots are fine, but any movement of the subject and it's likely to blur, even in reasonable light. On top of this is the clear delay between pressing the button and the photo taking (motion picture does help with this slightly but still not ideal).
GCAM appears to be able to take quick shots with less blur, so I feel like it's not a hardware limitation? I would stick with gcam but obviously lacks the depth of shooting options of the stock camera
Aware pro mode could be used but I feel like auto should do the job well enough
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone?

it's a samsung thing. i have never had a samsung that did not do this. GCAM is a decent work around though. some people try the live picture setting, others try taking video and screenshotting the frame they want, there is a noticeable loss in quality doing that though.

Question OIS not working

A request to those who have updated to 12.1, check the optical stabilization. In the camera application, in photo mode, on the main module, with micro movements, the picture should be static. Or through instagram, telegrams, etc. Stabilization should also work there.
(I just can’t understand either a mechanical failure, or OIS disappeared after the update)

Same here. OIS only works on video mode, not in photo mode.

The preview is shakey but the picture seems focused nicely. So i dont see any issue here.

maxellxl said:
The preview is shakey but the picture seems focused nicely. So i dont see any issue here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is more difficult to take a night photo without a tripod. Or a long exposure photo.

maxellxl said:
The preview is shakey but the picture seems focused nicely. So i dont see any issue here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ this summarize OPPO hahaha
the preview while your taking the photo is sh*t like it's not focusing(it keep saying go further or go near the target) , not colorful enough and somewhat pixelated but after taking it and OPPO applied AI correction and HDR it would turn out really beautiful
usually i just ignore warning like go near or further the target since it would still take the photo anyway

ineedroot69 said:
^ this summarize OPPO hahaha
the preview while your taking the photo is sh*t like it's not focusing(it keep saying go further or go near the target) , not colorful enough and somewhat pixelated but after taking it and OPPO applied AI correction and HDR it would turn out really beautiful
usually i just ignore warning like go near or further the target since it would still take the photo anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont get any warnings like you do. In addition preview is shakey when you shake your phone, but when you click shutter button the picture is cristal clear and sharp in my case

If you dial *#899# then go to manual test - camera, you can see how the stabilization should work in the photo.
It's not a bug, it's a feature
Hope it comes back in the next update.