Camera and audio quality - Moto X Q&A

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?

Related

Speaker + camera quality.

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
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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..

[Q] Zr's extremely poor quality front face camera

Anyone knows if there's anything that can be done to make the front facing camera look better ? I understand that resolution is limited, but the fr can surely improve. When recording video, its fluid enough, but if you're just shooting pictures, it's sloppy as hell. Any ideas?
Jiggoloh said:
Anyone knows if there's anything that can be done to make the front facing camera look better ? I understand that resolution is limited, but the fr can surely improve. When recording video, its fluid enough, but if you're just shooting pictures, it's sloppy as hell. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its VGA bro.you should consider this minus before buyng the phone.Nothing can be done for improvement. :highfive:
Yeah, i must add that it's a bit strange for a mid to high end device but i can easily live with it.
I Never use the front cam
Sent from my C5503 using Tapatalk
Well, evrthing is perfect and flawless in this phone except the front camera. What do u expect from vga camera. It doesn't bother much to me though.
Sent from my C5502 using xda premium
yeah .... the ZR seems to be a high end device for 3rd world countries , like where i am from .
in that part of the world, its very rare to use video calling , because it is toooooo expensive , some service providers even don't support video calling.
so for me, i will buy the ZR (which i did) even if it will not have a front camera at all..
i think this is the perfect phone if you dont like the additional .6 inch size.. 5 inch is just too big for me.. although, I used to use xperia active for 2 years and I lived with it...
anyway, I would gladly get this vga front facing camera because it wont eat much my monthly bandwidth if I do video calling through hangouts or skype in 3G... consider if you have 1mpxl or 2mpxl how you will burn through your 2g-5g limit per month?
my only gripe here is that this phone has no ant+...
so I take back my 1st statement.. this phone is almost perfect for me...
Does anyone know what the front camera video recording quality is? There's nothing in the specifications mentioning this.
Codename_Falcon said:
Does anyone know what the front camera video recording quality is? There's nothing in the specifications mentioning this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The front camera are only 0,3 megapixel.
They could have skipped it completely, its very poor image quality.
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I mean video resolution, not photo resolution.
Even i cant imagine that such a quad core, 2gb ram phone comes with 0.3 mega pixel front camera.
So when I got my Xperia ZR i didnt look into the front camera much -- i believed that it will be good.
But it is really worse and worse than my previous phone, Xperia SL.
With this camera, please dont even think about picture or video and waste your time.
I made up my mind that my XZR does not have a front camera -- that is the only way, i guess.
I think you are forgetting the main function of a front camera, is for video call, and for that purpose and with a 3g data plan it accomplish the purpose

So camera noise is normal. Can it be fixed or is it a hardware problem?

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.

better photo qualitty

Hello,
Is there some way for better picture qualitty took by z3compact?
I tried many photo apps (mx camera, open camera, a better camera, google camera, camera fv5) but photoes sucks still.
I have got fw.291 with locked bootloader
thank you
you can flash camera mod (cyberian for example) or google about photography on internet, z3c photos are far from suck
-CRO-Maher said:
you can flash camera mod (cyberian for example) or google about photography on internet, z3c photos are far from suck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
..but they're also not great, at least compared to Samsungs and (obviously) iPhones.
schnidex said:
..but they're also not great, at least compared to Samsungs and (obviously) iPhones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then buy samsung or iphone, there's no other way dude, it is like it is, you can't just replace camera on phone, at least not yet, let us pray for modular phones
-CRO-Maher said:
then buy samsung or iphone, there's no other way dude, it is like it is, you can't just replace camera on phone, at least not yet, let us pray for modular phones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aside from better software you mean? I refuse to believe that the physical cameras themselves in Sony phones aren't capable of taking the same kind of pictures that Samsungs, Apples do etc.!
schnidex said:
Aside from better software you mean? I refuse to believe that the physical cameras themselves in Sony phones aren't capable of taking the same kind of pictures that Samsungs, Apples do etc.!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's probably possible, if you can reverse engineer all the firmware and camera related libs yourself.
@OP, I don't think there's a magical way to make the photo quality as good as any Samsung's or iPhone's photos.
pajos.gabros said:
Hello,
Is there some way for better picture qualitty took by z3compact?
I tried many photo apps (mx camera, open camera, a better camera, google camera, camera fv5) but photoes sucks still.
I have got fw.291 with locked bootloader
thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you have now undoubtedly discovered, the best way to get decent photos out of this device is to use the stock Sony software. You'll have to learn to play with manual mode because auto-mode on this devices consistently yields over-exposed, soft, and/or noisy images. But to be clear, it's not a bad camera, it just doesn't excel in the point and shoot category in the same way that nearly every other flagship does.
pajos.gabros said:
Hello,
Is there some way for better picture qualitty took by z3compact?
I tried many photo apps (mx camera, open camera, a better camera, google camera, camera fv5) but photoes sucks still.
I have got fw.291 with locked bootloader
thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera sucks, even a mid range phone takes better pictures. The only advantage of this phone, its size, design and of course battery life.
Btw no nougat support, low custom rom activity, camera sucks, low performance according to price (laggy and freeze sometimes), low internal storage, non removable battery, headphone jack sucks i think all of z3 compact have this problem, some software problems such as wifi, gps etc.
I am not happy with this phone, i miss my note 4.
Barua said:
Camera sucks, even a mid range phone takes better pictures. The only advantage of this phone, its size, design and of course battery life.
Btw no nougat support, low custom rom activity, camera sucks, low performance according to price (laggy and freeze sometimes), low internal storage, non removable battery, headphone jack sucks i think all of z3 compact have this problem, some software problems such as wifi, gps etc.
I am not happy with this phone, i miss my note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Sony has been screwing it up lately. I don’t know why are they launching so many different phone models when they are all basically the same since the first Xperia Z.
I think Sony should focus on only offering one device that excels in every aspect, otherwise I think they are going down.
david7380 said:
Yes Sony has been screwing it up lately. I don’t know why are they launching so many different phone models when they are all basically the same since the first Xperia Z.
I think Sony should focus on only offering one device that excels in every aspect, otherwise I think they are going down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony just produces bunch of similar mid range phones and sells them with high price. Samsung phones are crappy too, but at least deserve that money.

Question How's the 30 Ultra performing overall, now that it's been out for a month?

I'm looking for some "long-term" users that have the phone since release now.
Did the camera get better with updates? (especially the auto focus bug when shooting 4k60fps videos)
Or is motorola at least acknowledging these bugs?
I'm probably going for the 30 Ultra nonetheless, but still not 100% sure if I might get the Pixel 7 Pro.
Camera is not fixed yet and Motorola does not communicate with us. No idea if they are planning to fix it.
Other than that the phone is brilliant. I'd wait until december and see if they fix it, if not go for the Pixel.
Gonna swap phones and never return to Motorola if they dont fix it by the end of the year. Sadly.
I like it. My only problem and a important one. When inside a car peoples i talk with tell me they hear mew very bad. Cant tell why. Better quality on messenger or app calls. Terrible quality when having regular call insider a moving car.
memocatcher said:
I'm looking for some "long-term" users that have the phone since release now.
Did the camera get better with updates? (especially the auto focus bug when shooting 4k60fps videos)
Or is motorola at least acknowledging these bugs?
I'm probably going for the 30 Ultra nonetheless, but still not 100% sure if I might get the Pixel 7 Pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been using the phone (X30 Pro) for over a month now.
For the price I bought it (~USD630) and at 512gb storage, I would not complain.
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent display
- Powerful and very loud stereo speakers
- Vibration motors are top-notch
- Very smooth performance. No lags, stutters
Main camera - it has better image quality/color science than the Edge 30 Pro but autofocus is slower. It's not slow but Edge 30 Pro's very fast "all-pixel" auto focus is just on a different level. I'd say it focuses as fast (or slow) as the latest Galaxy S22 series.
Portrait Lens - no OIS means, it's difficult to use when you are holding your phone in one hand. To me, this is the weakest point. The saving grace is the f1.6 (probably this was intentional to compensate the lack of OIS hardware).
Ultrawide/macro - not a fan of this lens. I'm ok with it and will only use in daylight shots.
Video -- it's just fine. Also not into video recording and I can use Google photos to edit the video quality.
Front camera -- I think this is the strongest camera of the bunch. Very pleasing (little to no beautifying effects).
Motorola CN ROM -- Even if the Edge 30 Ultra is sold at the same price, I would still choose Moto's CN ROM.
Motorola Device Shield app has all the customizations I need on a phone.
Native app locker, background processing, native app clone, etc...
ijuanp03 said:
Been using the phone (X30 Pro) for over a month now.
For the price I bought it (~USD630) and at 512gb storage, I would not complain.
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent display
- Powerful and very loud stereo speakers
- Vibration motors are top-notch
- Very smooth performance. No lags, stutters
Main camera - it has better image quality/color science than the Edge 30 Pro but autofocus is slower. It's not slow but Edge 30 Pro's very fast "all-pixel" auto focus is just on a different level. I'd say it focuses as fast (or slow) as the latest Galaxy S22 series.
Portrait Lens - no OIS means, it's difficult to use when you are holding your phone in one hand. To me, this is the weakest point. The saving grace is the f1.6 (probably this was intentional to compensate the lack of OIS hardware).
Ultrawide/macro - not a fan of this lens. I'm ok with it and will only use in daylight shots.
Video -- it's just fine. Also not into video recording and I can use Google photos to edit the video quality.
Front camera -- I think this is the strongest camera of the bunch. Very pleasing (little to no beautifying effects).
Motorola CN ROM -- Even if the Edge 30 Ultra is sold at the same price, I would still choose Moto's CN ROM.
Motorola Device Shield app has all the customizations I need on a phone.
Native app locker, background processing, native app clone, etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's honestly a shame that the CN Rom has so much more useful features than the Global one.
They removed double tap to lock and hide navbar pill in global rom which is really dumb imo. Makes me question if I'm better off rooting my 30 ultra to get those features through magisk/lsposed
memocatcher said:
It's honestly a shame that the CN Rom has so much more useful features than the Global one.
They removed double tap to lock and hide navbar pill in global rom which is really dumb imo. Makes me question if I'm better off rooting my 30 ultra to get those features through magisk/lsposed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just stay with your stock ROM. Rooting isn't just worth all the hassle you'll get after your phone's bootloader has been unlocked. Once unlocked, you can't relock it. I think the main reason is to discourage resellers as there is a huge difference in price of Moto CN vs Moto global phones.
Can the phone record video in 4K on ultrawide and tele?
Blescik said:
Can the phone record video in 4K on ultrawide and tele?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can. With 3rd party apps not with the current stock camera version.
Hey guys, just a quick question, I bought X30 but Netflix, Disney+ and HBO max don't seem to work at all, do you have any idea of what's happening? Vendor told me to go with a factory reset but tbh I don't think that would get that solved, thanks.
aquino.andres said:
Hey guys, just a quick question, I bought X30 but Netflix, Disney+ and HBO max don't seem to work at all, do you have any idea of what's happening? Vendor told me to go with a factory reset but tbh I don't think that would get that solved, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to your carrier access point name.... In that select apn protocol to IPv4....
It's a network carrier problem... It worked for me in past ... And hopefully for you too
amanujkumar said:
Go to your carrier access point name.... In that select apn protocol to IPv4....
It's a network carrier problem... It worked for me in past ... And hopefully for you too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey buddy! I don't know if you could be so kind and attach some screenshots, have been looking for IP protocol edit or something like that on carrier options, thanks!
aquino.andres said:
Hey buddy! I don't know if you could be so kind and attach some screenshots, have been looking for IP protocol edit or something like that on carrier options, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay... I am attaching screenshots... Hope it helps you out.
amanujkumar said:
Okay... I am attaching screenshots... Hope it helps you out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks bro! Already tried it out, selected that and rebooted but still same error message :c
I just recently became a proud owner of this phone, but the first thing I noticed right off the bat was that the buttons are not as clicky and tactile as I'm used to being, coming from the OnePlus 6 I can definitely say the button feels a bit stiff and quite mushy, I'm using it with the default silicone case. Is it just me?
I think it all comes down to personal preference since I like more mushy buttons, not a Big fan of clicky ones :c
aquino.andres said:
I think it all comes down to personal preference since I like more mushy buttons, not a Big fan of clicky ones :c
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So it's not something to do with my specific unit I guess.
Nope, mine's mushy as well
Hello my dear friend: do you have any idea how to make the exposure last more than a minute in astrophotography with the Motorola edge 30 Ultra? Is there any option to increase the time or to be able to modify it, can you enable it?
ijuanp03 said:
Been using the phone (X30 Pro) for over a month now.
For the price I bought it (~USD630) and at 512gb storage, I would not complain.
- Excellent build quality
- Excellent display
- Powerful and very loud stereo speakers
- Vibration motors are top-notch
- Very smooth performance. No lags, stutters
Main camera - it has better image quality/color science than the Edge 30 Pro but autofocus is slower. It's not slow but Edge 30 Pro's very fast "all-pixel" auto focus is just on a different level. I'd say it focuses as fast (or slow) as the latest Galaxy S22 series.
Portrait Lens - no OIS means, it's difficult to use when you are holding your phone in one hand. To me, this is the weakest point. The saving grace is the f1.6 (probably this was intentional to compensate the lack of OIS hardware).
Ultrawide/macro - not a fan of this lens. I'm ok with it and will only use in daylight shots.
Video -- it's just fine. Also not into video recording and I can use Google photos to edit the video quality.
Front camera -- I think this is the strongest camera of the bunch. Very pleasing (little to no beautifying effects).
Motorola CN ROM -- Even if the Edge 30 Ultra is sold at the same price, I would still choose Moto's CN ROM.
Motorola Device Shield app has all the customizations I need on a phone.
Native app locker, background processing, native app clone, etc...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you didn't sell the device (I hope so), you are using this device for almost 8 months now.
I am planning to buy the CN version (X30 Pro).
Can you take some time and share your long-term experience, please?
One thing I am worried about that, in some youtube reviews they say, the metal frame on the side is really sharp which makes it kinda uncomfortable to hold. Is it true? If yes, how much uncomfortable/annoying is it? Actually ,I want to use this phone without any case.
[email protected] said:
if you didn't sell the device (I hope so), you are using this device for almost 8 months now.
I am planning to buy the CN version (X30 Pro).
Can you take some time and share your long-term experience, please?
One thing I am worried about that, in some youtube reviews they say, the metal frame on the side is really sharp which makes it kinda uncomfortable to hold. Is it true? If yes, how much uncomfortable/annoying is it? Actually ,I want to use this phone without any case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's right, a sharp frame is present. It didn't bother me much but not everyone might like it, it's pretty obvious...

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