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Real Camera Experience - P20 Pro Vs Pixel 2 XL - DxoMark lies? or faulty software?

I have both devices currently and from my very brief short time with the P20 pro , the pictures taken with it don't even come close to the quality you can get from the Pixel 2 XL.
Please tell me its just a case of faulty software, else I think I may be taking this phone back sadly.
Problems so far
Images lack any real detail and are very soft
HDR mode still hidden
Night Mode whilst great is still a 4 sec picture.. (but still soft ) - (The advantage you get from those 4 secs does not seem worth it from my quick test - but i'll keep testing)
Camera UI is rubbish... (subjective i know)
But it will be interesting to know if anyone else as similar experiences , as most reviewers online appear to suggest that this is the best camera phone ever!

Can't say my photos come out soft, mine are pretty close to what I see with my eyes. Not as sharp as some cameras that seem to over sharpen via post processing. More natural images than most cams I have used.
With the P20 Pro you do have to fiddle a bit in different situations, it's definitely not as versatile as the pixel if you just want to point and shoot. Some of my pics come out better when I bump up the megapixels. Some need nightmode or for me to disable the AI.
You can adjust pretty much everything. You don't need to always take 4 second night shots, you can adjust the time for the situation. Sometimes a second is enough.
The UI is a bit of a pain I agree, although I did expect that with the sheer amount of options provided. There is a lot going on. I'm having great success in Pro mode in my limited testing so far. It is a bit or a learning curve with the P20 Pro compared to other phones though for sure.
---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 AM ----------
I forgot to add that the front camera is a different story, not that I take many selfies but...damn. Beauty mode seems to be undefeatable. Even when turned off I come out looking like a Ken doll. They really need to provide some kind of fix for that. The camera itself is capable of better pics, looks like they gimped the software.
I emailed them about it, because as it is, it's not that useful.

What i can say from my experience using several huawei phone is that, ever since P9,
The phone built with a photographer user (not really common point and shoot user) in mind,
Manual or semi auto setting always work best in various condition. Especially if the user understand well the corelation between apperture size, speed and ISO sensitivity and how it affect the picture quality/result.
That being said, someone who come from pixel 2 (i own pixel 2 xl myself as well) might find that the camera app UI and the auto mode is not as easy/versatile to use compare to google one. But the potential is definitely there.
Honestly, when using huawei camera, i mostly shoot in RAW and do the post processing later on myself. Auto mode is good enough for daily usage like shooting food or friend for instagram use. But the true power is in manual mode. Thats where all those leica software engineer chime in.

Thanks guys
Can you give me some examples of your images after post-processing ?
I'm more than happy to use pro mode (I also had a V30) , but even in pro the images just don't look right at all.
Also it was mentioned that the colours are more true to life but again i'm not seeing this when compared to the pixel (I took a very quick random picture of a orange t-shirt and it came out yellow on the p20 pro... )

Horses for courses. If you only want to point n shoot then Pixel or S9, if you're more into photography than that then easily the P20 Pro over anything else on the market right now. DxO ratings have always correlated poorly to actual general use, I thought everyone had worked that out by now.

Highspeed123 said:
Can't say my photos come out soft, mine are pretty close to what I see with my eyes. Not as sharp as some cameras that seem to over sharpen via post processing. More natural images than most cams I have used.
With the P20 Pro you do have to fiddle a bit in different situations, it's definitely not as versatile as the pixel if you just want to point and shoot. Some of my pics come out better when I bump up the megapixels. Some need nightmode or for me to disable the AI.
You can adjust pretty much everything. You don't need to always take 4 second night shots, you can adjust the time for the situation. Sometimes a second is enough.
The UI is a bit of a pain I agree, although I did expect that with the sheer amount of options provided. There is a lot going on. I'm having great success in Pro mode in my limited testing so far. It is a bit or a learning curve with the P20 Pro compared to other phones though for sure.
---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 AM ----------
I forgot to add that the front camera is a different story, not that I take many selfies but...damn. Beauty mode seems to be undefeatable. Even when turned off I come out looking like a Ken doll. They really need to provide some kind of fix for that. The camera itself is capable of better pics, looks like they gimped the software.
I emailed them about it, because as it is, it's not that useful.
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Click to collapse
Could you please share some of the settings that helped you? I for one am not able to find the setting to disable the AI [Edit - Did you mean the Master AI setting? It seems to only affect the Photo mode]

Not a point an shoot quite yet
I would say the Samsung Note 8 or S8/9 are easier to use but the colours on the P20 Pro seem more realistic once you have disabled AI.
If you like to work in Pro mode and use the manual focus you can get some very good results on the P20 Pro but everything set to auto and its random whether the shot works out or not.
In particular for close ups manual focus is infinitely more effective than trying to wait for the auto focus which sometimes fails completely.
If you use the P20 Pro like you would a camera the depth of abilities are way up there but AI doesn't quite work well enough yet to provide reliable results.
Remember DX0 is only about sensors not ease of use or UI etc its just about sensor performance.
My 2p worth..

After more playing around with the p20 pro i've come to the conclusion that its not for me.
I'm more of a point and shoot guy and the p20 pro is too random with its pictures to really be a good point and shoot.
I'm going to stick with the pixel 2 xl, and would advise anyone looking for a simple point and shoot camera to look elsewhere.
P.S Surely the LG V30's manual mode is superior to the p20 pro if you want to play with manual settings?

Tiger33 said:
After more playing around with the p20 pro i've come to the conclusion that its not for me.
I'm more of a point and shoot guy and the p20 pro is too random with its pictures to really be a good point and shoot.
I'm going to stick with the pixel 2 xl, and would advise anyone looking for a simple point and shoot camera to look elsewhere.
P.S Surely the LG V30's manual mode is superior to the p20 pro if you want to play with manual settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree with you, if you simply need a point and shoot camera. Pixel 2 XL wil do better for you
P20 Pro, just like the "Pro" moniker it bring along, will suit a seasoned photographer more.
As for manual mode conparison between LG v30 and P20, i would say, no. LG is nowhere close to huawei manual/pro mode. But again, that is a subjectivity. Someone who were common with a DSLR / Mirrorless camera manual set up, will appreciate huawei software more. Since it resemble their old "real" camera gear more. DxO is quite an oldtimer in photography area, and what they did with their test, is what normally a photographer will do as well. Unfortunately, thats not always the case with the rest of mobile phone user. Thats why the result is oftenly unrelateable.
Btw, before you actually ditch your P20 pro, can you give it one more chance, but this time,
Try to shoot everything using night mode (even in daylight). I think you will find the result totally different with your previous experience.
Thats all i can suggest for now. If you wonder, why nigh mode ?? Maybe this video can help you get a better idea :

Tiger33 said:
P.S Surely the LG V30's manual mode is superior to the p20 pro if you want to play with manual settings?
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I don't think the number of settings and the options given to the photographer are nearly as good with LG. Huawei are in a class of their own in that regard, at the moment. UI can definitely be improved a bit though.
Also, the V30 uses a tiny 1/2.9" sensor, like the iPhones.

Right, I've created a very quick group in flickr with some pictures taken with both p20 pro and pixel 2 xl.
would love to get your opinions.
In all cases i'm just using Auto with no AI for the P20 Pro,
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/
Again in my eye the pixel 2 xl is 'alot' better than the P20 Pro ( bad photographer? = me )
So yes i just pointed, focused and shot the picture.
Just using auto and no AI for the pictures too.
let me know if you think i should adjust settings and i'll continue making adjustments.
I have a few more days with phone before making final decision.

I've added another 3 pictures to the group
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/
1 taken with pixel 2 xl
1 taken with p20 pro auto
1 taken with p20 pro night mode (as suggested earlier)
Night mode just appears to oversharpen the image badly IMO?? , whilst auto is too soft
Picture 7 - P20 Pro - Night Mode
Picture 7 - P20 Pro - Auto
picture 7 - Pixel 2 XL

Looks to me very close although I think the P20 shots on Auto are a slightly over exposed but have less noise and the Pixel shots are better exposed but have more noise.
I would say the P20 will be better for night shots if you are happy waiting 6 seconds for a shot, but the Pixel 2 XL will take better auto day time shots.

Tiger33 said:
Right, I've created a very quick group in flickr with some pictures taken with both p20 pro and pixel 2 xl.
would love to get your opinions.
In all cases i'm just using Auto with no AI for the P20 Pro,
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/
Again in my eye the pixel 2 xl is 'alot' better than the P20 Pro ( bad photographer? = me )
So yes i just pointed, focused and shot the picture.
Just using auto and no AI for the pictures too.
let me know if you think i should adjust settings and i'll continue making adjustments.
I have a few more days with phone before making final decision.
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iI've checked your album,
and i would agree that the roof top auto result from P20 Pro is lPretty bad. Sky was overblown. And pedestrian area is not looks that good as well. But for the night mode shoot, i wont say that as an oversharpen image though. The detail on trhe brick is quite good, sky is not clipping, and in overall, it has less noise compared to the pixel 2XL.
same case with ST. Pancras shot, i would say that in term of detail and noise level, P20 pro has an advantage here. You can check the detail on the top decoration, as well as near the ceiling. While Pixel 2 XL already abit of smudgy because of the noise, P20 result still showing the fine detail. So am not sure what you mean by "soft". (check my attachment to understand which area am talking about)
what confused me is the dinning room shot. I check the ISO and Shutter Speed of both shot. And in both shoot, Pixel 2 using faster shutter speed and lower ISO, yet the result is much darker in P20 Pro shot. This doesn't really go well with a photography theory, LoL. Slower speed and higher ISO should always resulting abrighter image. Yet the P20 Pro image is so bad at retaining the dark area.
May i know some details from you :
1. How do you point your focus/metering ? Do you always focus on same area/spot when shooting using the two phones ?
2. What resolution did you use on P20 Pro ? 40MP or 10MP ? 40MP use full resolution, but will deject the post processing, causing softer & darker image, but good for self post editing. But will looks bad if you plan to use the picture directly. In contrary, 10MP will use the post processing engine more, resulting in more pleasant picture for mobile use.

Sorry i left the attachment

otonieru said:
iI've checked your album,
and i would agree that the roof top auto result from P20 Pro is lPretty bad. Sky was overblown. And pedestrian area is not looks that good as well. But for the night mode shoot, i wont say that as an oversharpen image though. The detail on trhe brick is quite good, sky is not clipping, and in overall, it has less noise compared to the pixel 2XL.
same case with ST. Pancras shot, i would say that in term of detail and noise level, P20 pro has an advantage here. You can check the detail on the top decoration, as well as near the ceiling. While Pixel 2 XL already abit of smudgy because of the noise, P20 result still showing the fine detail. So am not sure what you mean by "soft". (check my attachment to understand which area am talking about)
what confused me is the dinning room shot. I check the ISO and Shutter Speed of both shot. And in both shoot, Pixel 2 using faster shutter speed and lower ISO, yet the result is much darker in P20 Pro shot. This doesn't really go well with a photography theory, LoL. Slower speed and higher ISO should always resulting abrighter image. Yet the P20 Pro image is so bad at retaining the dark area.
May i know some details from you :
1. How do you point your focus/metering ? Do you always focus on same area/spot when shooting using the two phones ?
2. What resolution did you use on P20 Pro ? 40MP or 10MP ? 40MP use full resolution, but will deject the post processing, causing softer & darker image, but good for self post editing. But will looks bad if you plan to use the picture directly. In contrary, 10MP will use the post processing engine more, resulting in more pleasant picture for mobile use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep that is what was so frustrating, I noticed the night shot of St pancras Hotel sign and could see it looked do much better yet that was the only example
All other pictures the pixel looked better
I'm using 10MP and I'm focusing on the same area with both phones

otonieru said:
Sorry i left the attachment
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Which images are taken with which phone?

scook94 said:
Which images are taken with which phone?
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Warmer tone is P20 Pro

otonieru said:
Warmer tone is P20 Pro
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Images 2&4? They certainly seem the superior pictures.

So far I'm not too wowed by the camera either :/
Hoping to learn to use it properly because some sample shots I've seen look amazing but I can't seem to get anything like that.

Google Camera Mod for P20 Pro

Hello @Arnova8G2,
I saw your work with the Google Camera Mod for various phones and I just want to say impressive work! I am using the Huawei P20 Pro and absolutely hates the Front Camera functionality. Tried to download your file to use on my phone but was unable to do so. When I try downloading it is says there as a problem parsing the package. Do you by any chance know if it would work with the P20 Pro? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much in advance.

Dear @Arnova8G2 & @miniuser123,
I had S8 and you do fantastic job porting Pixel Xl 2 camera to all SD845 phones. And some other make port for LGV30 dual camera - rear camera and second wide angle camera.
Please make Pixel Xl 2 camera port for Huawei P20 Pro for 40MP, 10MP and camera zoom 3x, 5x.

isko01 said:
Dear @Arnova8G2 & @miniuser123,
I had S8 and you do fantastic job porting Pixel Xl 2 camera to all SD845 phones. And some other make port for LGV30 dual camera - rear camera and second wide angle camera.
Please make Pixel Xl 2 camera port for Huawei P20 Pro for 40MP, 10MP and camera zoom 3x, 5x.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It makes absolutely no sense to do 40MP. It's the inferior mode, and processing overhead would be insane for HDR, even with full optimisation (which you'll never see on a port). It wouldn't work.
Only 10MP makes sense.
5x is a hybrid zoom. You'd need the Huawei software. Google Camera currently has no such functionality. Not that it supports any optical zoom (3x) by default either.
You can perhaps hope for 10MP with working HDR+ and front camera. Anything else? I'd say it's completely unrealistic / unnecessary.
After the software updates, the only thing I'd really see Google Camera as being useful for is the front camera and / or for AOSP when that becomes stable on the P20 Pro. But by then, a working port of Huawei Camera on the P20/Pro is quite likely - or at least more likely, and certainly more desirable than a Google Camera port.

mudnightoil said:
It makes absolutely no sense to do 40MP. It's the inferior mode, and processing overhead would be insane for HDR, even with full optimisation (which you'll never see on a port). It wouldn't work.
Only 10MP makes sense.
5x is a hybrid zoom. You'd need the Huawei software. Google Camera currently has no such functionality. Not that it supports any optical zoom (3x) by default either.
You can perhaps hope for 10MP with working HDR+ and front camera. Anything else? I'd say it's completely unrealistic / unnecessary.
After the software updates, the only thing I'd really see Google Camera as being useful for is the front camera and / or for AOSP when that becomes stable on the P20 Pro. But by then, a working port of Huawei Camera on the P20/Pro is quite likely - or at least more likely, and certainly more desirable than a Google Camera port.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I am just hoping for the Front Camera to have the same Portrait Mode as the Google Camera as the Beauty Mode post-processing is through the roof even with it turned to zero. I am just hoping to use the Front Camera I have on the P20 to achieve the same Portrait result as I did from the Pixel 2 XL. Everything else about the P20 camera I can live with. Thank you.

Spacemanglam said:
Hello @Arnova8G2,
I saw your work with the Google Camera Mod for various phones and I just want to say impressive work! I am using the Huawei P20 Pro and absolutely hates the Front Camera functionality. Tried to download your file to use on my phone but was unable to do so. When I try downloading it is says there as a problem parsing the package. Do you by any chance know if it would work with the P20 Pro? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! Finally someone who has the same struggle as I have!
P20 pro is a pretty expensive phone and I am beginning to feel disappointed with the less than stellar quality of its front camera.
I know that its a fixed focus lens on the front but how come Gogle Pixel was able to implement a sharp shooter front camera with a fixed focus? To think that it has 24 Megapixels?!?! Such a scam

Archer Casio said:
Yes! Finally someone who has the same struggle as I have!
P20 pro is a pretty expensive phone and I am beginning to feel disappointed with the less than stellar quality of its front camera.
I know that its a fixed focus lens on the front but how come Gogle Pixel was able to implement a sharp shooter front camera with a fixed focus? To think that it has 24 Megapixels?!?! Such a scam
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you understand what scam means.
Also, whilst not ideal, I suggest you learn how to work with fixed focus. You will not get bad results with it if you do, now that 'beauty' is in check.

mudnightoil said:
I don't think you understand what scam means.
Also, whilst not ideal, I suggest you learn how to work with fixed focus. You will not get bad results with it if you do, now that 'beauty' is in check.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi @mudnightoil,
sorry for the rather strong term that I used. But yes, I have been trying to learn some workarounds with a fixed focus front camera. It's just that, it's difficult to adjust because I was just so used to autofocus front cameras like Asus Selfie. I just feel like the 24 megapixel camera of the p20 pro is a wasted potential.
Another argument that I have is with Google Pixel's 8 mp fixed focus lens producing more vivid and sharper selfies than P20 pro's 24 mp.
Both the background and the foreground are sharp. Dynamic range is better! I mean come on! I really hope it could be fixed via software update very soon!
---------- Post added at 05:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ----------
Archer Casio said:
Hi @mudnightoil,
sorry for the rather strong term that I used. But yes, I have been trying to learn some workarounds with a fixed focus front camera. It's just that, it's difficult to adjust because I was just so used to autofocus front cameras like Asus Selfie. I just feel like the 24 megapixel camera of the p20 pro is a wasted potential.
Another argument that I have is with Google Pixel's 8 mp fixed focus lens producing more vivid and sharper selfies than P20 pro's 24 mp.
Both the background and the foreground are sharp. Dynamic range is better! I mean come on! I really hope it could be fixed via software update very soon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Update:
Other than the shortcomings of the front camera, I have no other complaints with the P20 pro.

Spacemanglam said:
Yes, I am just hoping for the Front Camera to have the same Portrait Mode as the Google Camera as the Beauty Mode post-processing is through the roof even with it turned to zero. I am just hoping to use the Front Camera I have on the P20 to achieve the same Portrait result as I did from the Pixel 2 XL. Everything else about the P20 camera I can live with. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue here ...the rear cameras are great ..but the front camera beautification is just too agressive even when set to zero . A google camera mod with HDR+ in just 10mp for rear camera and portrait enabled on both the front and rear will be really helpful .

someone has any idea what's changed on this camera mod?
http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=898279&view=findpost&p=72790522
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/61dj4t0ca716v7a/P20ProCamera-Magisk15+.zip?dl=1

starbase64 said:
someone has any idea what's changed on this camera mod?
http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=898279&view=findpost&p=72790522
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/61dj4t0ca716v7a/P20ProCamera-Magisk15+.zip?dl=1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I saw that too, and curious what's changed in that. I assume that you need to be rooted to flash that?

starbase64 said:
someone has any idea what's changed on this camera mod?
http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=898279&view=findpost&p=72790522
Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/61dj4t0ca716v7a/P20ProCamera-Magisk15+.zip?dl=1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not a GCam port, that's to install the P20 Pro Camera software on a non-pro P20.

So far as I'm aware you'll need the libs to get it to work properly.
Tbh the pro has a monster camera set up.
The 40mp is more for landscape pics, the 10 for point and shoot.
the selfie cam has been great for me so far.
But then I've only had it since 11am 24th may so I'm sure I'll find some issues.

The rear cameras are great and on average they take better pictures than my Pixel 2. I also end up with pictures that I just otherwise would never have been able to capture with another cameraphone. There are some downsides though where I would love to use a hypothetical GCam port. Outdoor photography is a chore thanks to the auto "greenery" AI thing that cranks the saturation. The 10 MP auto mode also oversharpens like crazy. Pro mode is sometimes useful, but you lose things like HDR or aperture simulation which are lame tradeoffs.
The biggest issue for me though is the front camera, which is completely unusable thanks to the beauty mode that can't actually be fully disabled. I'm using Retrica right now which works pretty well but you lose the nice aperture/bokeh simulation of the P20 camera app. Small price to pay for a human looking face, but anyway that's mainly why I'm hoping for a GCam port.

I am very interested in development. Maybe it's possible.

dladz said:
So far as I'm aware you'll need the libs to get it to work properly.
Tbh the pro has a monster camera set up.
The 40mp is more for landscape pics, the 10 for point and shoot.
the selfie cam has been great for me so far.
But then I've only had it since 11am 24th may so I'm sure I'll find some issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tested the 40MP on everything... it's fantastic. The detail I get out of each picture is a huge step up even from my old DSLR. Granted, I did not have an expensive lens, but the processing power on this phone easily surpasses that camera!

sarichter said:
I've tested the 40MP on everything... it's fantastic. The detail I get out of each picture is a huge step up even from my old DSLR. Granted, I did not have an expensive lens, but the processing power on this phone easily surpasses that camera!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lovely, perhaps the lineage ROM in the development section may be able to use it?

sarichter said:
I've tested the 40MP on everything... it's fantastic. The detail I get out of each picture is a huge step up even from my old DSLR. Granted, I did not have an expensive lens, but the processing power on this phone easily surpasses that camera!
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Click to collapse
very unusual on fw 120 and previous
we get best results with 10mpx AI OFF
what do you set when you shot 40mpx?
Inviato dal mio CLT-L29 utilizzando Tapatalk

saturnspike said:
The rear cameras are great and on average they take better pictures than my Pixel 2. I also end up with pictures that I just otherwise would never have been able to capture with another cameraphone. There are some downsides though where I would love to use a hypothetical GCam port. Outdoor photography is a chore thanks to the auto "greenery" AI thing that cranks the saturation. The 10 MP auto mode also oversharpens like crazy. Pro mode is sometimes useful, but you lose things like HDR or aperture simulation which are lame tradeoffs.
The biggest issue for me though is the front camera, which is completely unusable thanks to the beauty mode that can't actually be fully disabled. I'm using Retrica right now which works pretty well but you lose the nice aperture/bokeh simulation of the P20 camera app. Small price to pay for a human looking face, but anyway that's mainly why I'm hoping for a GCam port.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also agree for the front camera pics quality

guybrush2099 said:
very unusual on fw 120 and previous
we get best results with 10mpx AI OFF
what do you set when you shot 40mpx?
Inviato dal mio CLT-L29 utilizzando Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 10MP mode is superior in almost any setting. Hence why it's the default mode. That the 40MP mode is even exposed is mainly for marketing reasons.

mudnightoil said:
The 10MP mode is superior in almost any setting. Hence why it's the default mode. That the 40MP mode is even exposed is mainly for marketing reasons.
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Click to collapse
That's not the case at all from my experience comparing 10 vs 40 vs 3x zoom in various situations.
In low light, 40mp is poor, but in well lit places, 40mp is far more detailed, less over-sharpened, and significantly nicer overall.
It's generally less processed, and HDR etc doesn't seem to be enabled on it, but it's certainly not inferior to 10mp in general, but is occasionally.
If you want to do any post processing, the 40mp is probably better in general... though I guess few would want to do this!

P20 Pro Camera problems

Believe it or not, P20 pro shoots terrible photos! Zoom in and see the details they are absolutely terrible. Especially when shooting close-ups the phone performs poorly and the images are blurry. I don't know why the problem occurs but it shouldn't be how so called the worlds best camera would perform. Anyone else has this problem?

Sure. But it looks nice on the phone display. This is what people want.

all the pugs said:
Sure. But it looks nice on the phone display. This is what people want.
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but why is it even worse than my old huawei p8 lite.

I don‘t know. I also wonder. For me, zoom is not usable, and I only use pro mode, because it processes the images differently. Auto, night and hdr mode are currently just outputting bad, blurry and oversharpened images. Hoping for a firmware fix but I often read that other users like the look, so it‘s probably how huawei wants them to look.

Jeph gonna Steph said:
Believe it or not, P20 pro shoots terrible photos! Zoom in and see the details they are absolutely terrible. Especially when shooting close-ups the phone performs poorly and the images are blurry. I don't know why the problem occurs but it shouldn't be how so called the worlds best camera would perform. Anyone else has this problem?
Click to expand...
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no problem here (Macro)
Upload macro photo pls(Untouched original files /original size)
Ty

I noticed that the zoom sensor isn't always stabilized: in low light and in close up shots it loses his stabilization, thus it produces awful results. Few days ago I took a picture of a little cat with 3x zoom, in a very low light scenario. This is the result I got (see attachment).
I also have attached a video where you can clearly see the stabilized zoom lense kicking in, and how shaky the image is when the stabilization goes off (focus on how the images "stretches" when I zoom to my little Wi-Fi antenna and to my mouse).
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AJiWNjdbFyMj3UeKA

Another quick comparison (attachments):
3x Without Stabilization (closer to subject) vs 5x With Stabilization (Farther)
Same light conditions, I just moved farther and closer to reach the distance needed to lose stabilization.
I think our zoom lense is intended to work just with far objects and not to take closer macro shots.

solefero69 said:
Another quick comparison (attachments):
3x Without Stabilization (closer to subject) vs 5x With Stabilization (Farther)
Same light conditions, I just moved farther and closer to reach the distance needed to lose stabilization.
I think our zoom lense is intended to work just with far objects and not to take closer macro shots.
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Mate! yes!
When capture close photo with 3x zoom not the TELE lense working .!!!Regular lense with DIGITAL zoom
Tele lense useless for macro shots! Minimum distance 1, 1.5 meter need.
Your absolutly right!

kabirjedi said:
Mate! yes!
When capture close photo with 3x zoom not the TELE lense working .!!!Regular lense with DIGITAL zoom
Tele lense useless for macro shots! Minimum distance 1, 1.5 meter need.
Your absolutly right!
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I roughly measured the distance: it's about 50-60cm. Getting farther from this with good light conditions will enable Stabilized Zoom Lens. In low light scenario, stabilization doesn't work at any distance for me.

Jeph gonna Steph said:
Believe it or not, P20 pro shoots terrible photos!
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Click to collapse
I agree! Especially in scenes with high contrast (landscapes in bright sunlight...) 1. dark surfaces (mostly shadows) turn into deep black (no more structures...) and 2. all details lost when you zoom into the picture (And no, i am not a pixelpeeper, but pls compare the 100%-View with another flagship...).
Intelligent Auto-HDR has to come, like in iOS or Samsungs Galaxys...
I also agree with the statement, these p20 pro pictures were made for good looking at the small display, not more!

holgerka75 said:
I agree! Especially in scenes with high contrast (landscapes in bright sunlight...) 1. dark surfaces (mostly shadows) turn into deep black (no more structures...) and 2. all details lost when you zoom into the picture (And no, i am not a pixelpeeper, but pls compare the 100%-View with another flagship...).
Intelligent Auto-HDR has to come, like in iOS or Samsungs Galaxys...
I also agree with the statement, these p20 pro pictures were made for good looking at the small display, not more!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mate too much,,,
One of the best camera yet.
Thsi is auto with ai and ai off
Imigine pro mode...
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IExHyzoJMEEjiQfe36m1r82PEEPNLCK9
https://drive.google.com/open?id=17WkXYeaM48DrOc1RXsVWjid9Hp_IcJuk

no camera problems here
3x Zoom by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr
5x Zoom by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr
crop from 40MP no Zoom by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr
no zoom by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr
3x zoom by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr
5x zoom by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr
10x zoom by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr

holgerka75 said:
I agree! Especially in scenes with high contrast (landscapes in bright sunlight...) 1. dark surfaces (mostly shadows) turn into deep black (no more structures...) and 2. all details lost when you zoom into the picture (And no, i am not a pixelpeeper, but pls compare the 100%-View with another flagship...).
Intelligent Auto-HDR has to come, like in iOS or Samsungs Galaxys...
I also agree with the statement, these p20 pro pictures were made for good looking at the small display, not more!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry but that's not totally correct. When AI is turned on, it automatically enables HDR when needed and is surprisingly good.

All shot and edited on P20 Pro. I love it.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

I think you may be the problem with your photos.
1st is 3x lens
2nd is 5x hybrid further away.
The 3x is clearly better.
Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk

3x
5x
10x
2018-06-19_09-22-23 by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr

Obviously there are shortcomings with the zoom which users should be aware of when using it. The big one is the aperture which if i remember correctly is only f/2,4 or something like that. A big difference from the other lenses as it let's in a lot less light to the sensor. It also answers the questions why it performs poorly when the light disappears. Use zoom only when you have enough light to get a good shot, if the light is poor shoot at 40mpix shot and then crop it in post.
I'm having no big issues with the zoom myself as i only use it in good daylight situations and i avoid the 5x zoom since it looks way to artificially enhanced. Just crop into a 1x or 3x shot is enough.
I do wish Huawei toned down on sharpening and noise reduction as it would improve detail rendering to a much greater degree. A little sensor noise is not a bad thing, it gives photos a bit more character and personality.
/ Magnus

Magnus3D said:
Obviously there are shortcomings with the zoom which users should be aware of when using it. The big one is the aperture which if i remember correctly is only f/2,4 or something like that. A big difference from the other lenses as it let's in a lot less light to the sensor. It also answers the questions why it performs poorly when the light disappears. Use zoom only when you have enough light to get a good shot, if the light is poor shoot at 40mpix shot and then crop it in post.
I'm having no big issues with the zoom myself as i only use it in good daylight situations and i avoid the 5x zoom since it looks way to artificially enhanced. Just crop into a 1x or 3x shot is enough.
I do wish Huawei toned down on sharpening and noise reduction as it would improve detail rendering to a much greater degree. A little sensor noise is not a bad thing, it gives photos a bit more character and personality.
/ Magnus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree with you
Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk

solefero69 said:
I'm sorry but that's not totally correct. When AI is turned on, it automatically enables HDR when needed and is surprisingly good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In auto mode HDR is also used automatically when deemed appropriate with AI turned off. The only way to disable auto HDR is to use pro mode (and likely some of the other modes, but they are obviously more specialized).

Magnus3D said:
I do wish Huawei toned down on sharpening and noise reduction as it would improve detail rendering to a much greater degree. A little sensor noise is not a bad thing, it gives photos a bit more character and personality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely +1!
---------- Post added at 10:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:15 AM ----------
MikeMTS said:
In auto mode HDR is also used automatically when deemed appropriate with AI turned off. The only way to disable auto HDR is to use pro mode (and likely some of the other modes, but they are obviously more specialized).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry you both(solofero & MikeMTS)! It may be right that HDR comes with Auto (with AI or w/o AI doesn´t matter)... But that intelligence when HDR turns on is crappy, most pics I wish they had HDR comes without it. So I have to turn on HDR manually for most situations...

Blurred photo on moving objects

Hi any advice please.
When taking a photo of someone who is moving or waving that body part is blurred.
Is there a certain setting required.
Many thanks
Richard

use pro mode higher iso lower shutter

Thanks for reply. Would have thought just the normal photo mode would have done a better job. I know it was a pic taken in a bowling alley but not that dark!

It all depends on the available light, auto mode cannot itself determine the shutterspeed required to freeze a subjects motion in whatever type of ambient light it has to work with. That's when you should use Pro mode as suggested and feed it with a suitable settings for the subject you are trying to capture.
/ Magnus

I find the P20 Pro to take very sharp pictures of moving objects compared to many other phones...shutter speed is instant even in dimmer conditions

For someone waving, a shutter speed of 1000 could be enough. That requires a lot of light and unless it's a bright sunny day, it's not happening on a smartphone camera.

Just buy the pixel it dies the job way better. Huawei cameras are over rated

The nokia n8, a 10 year old phone did a fantastic job of frozen motion pictures, the xenon flash made a huge difference, you didnt need pro mode and all this complicated stuff, I cant believe nobody makes phone cameras like that anymore.

nsn27 said:
Just buy the pixel it dies the job way better. Huawei cameras are over rated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel cameras are the one over rated, my pixel 3 do screw photos of moving object more often than my huawei P20 pro or my P30 pro, and Top shot gives AWFUL 1Megapixel size photos that are kind of a joke

Is the camera really that bad?

I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.

Chippelchen said:
I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why you make a new topic about this because its been talked about and some hate it but many love it. But why focus on words when you can judge for your self when you go to places like flickr and see how each phone takes them photo's

Chippelchen said:
I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point and shoot is second to none.
The pro and night modes are both second to none..
Telephoto lens is superb
Only thing is say ia better is HDR on the pixel.
Besides that the p20 Pro stands alone. Even against late 2018 phones.

Unbeatable point & shoot camera performance. Never seen a camera fair that well on phone before.
Pixel 3 camera is very good but not as refined or versatile as the Huawei system.

If you don't know how to tame it, you will not like it. But if you can tame it and know the capabilities and limitations of the sensor, you will love it!
I'm having a blast with it, because i know how it works inside out and now i can push it to it's limits.
/ Magnus

I love it

The thing I don't like is that I often get blurry images if I point and shoot

Hello,
For "HDR" effect, yu can use "night mode" in the day time. Otherwise I love the camera... competely... Have been using this phone on daily bases for 3 months and I'm astonished.
Here are some pictures - point and shoot
https://imgur.com/a/wcyZP4q

FOXTEiN said:
Unbeatable point & shoot camera performance. Never seen a camera fair that well on phone before.
Pixel 3 camera is very good but not as refined or versatile as the Huawei system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got your hands on Pixel 3 already? Weird I thought they're not supposed to deliver until sometime later.

Not at all, There is a entire thread showing the amazing photos this phone can deliver, this phone camera is versatile, it has the best nightmode out there, the best zoom, and the main 40mp sensor can capture a lot of detail, Last night i manage to take a photo of a lighting (https://i.imgur.com/32TxPqG.jpg).
a flicker with P20 pro photos :
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/

Yea, i love the P20 pro camera and night mode is freaking awesome! Only negative things i can think off is no stabilization on 4k video and the selfie cam could be a bit better but besides these 2 i think this camera is pretty much the best you can get right now for a cheap price.

for me it doesn't matter what i read or what other peoples say.
The camera of this phone is insane. Especially the night mode. Never saw something like this. Night shots looks brighter than with the human eye?
The only thing i don't like is the post processing of the camera app (oversharpening)

P20 Pro camera is neither bad, nor cheap, but both of those are highly subjective opinions. And you know what they say about opinions....
I am enjoying mine very much.
Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk

Chippelchen said:
I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The front/selfie camera is what most people are complaining about, esp. the color saturation. It gives a plasticy color to human skin.
The main camera is superb.

The camera is really bad on this phone.
Pictures are so over processed and lake dynamic range.
In 10mpx it's inusable and in 40mpx il't noisy. Video recording is also bad.
This phone is just horrible. My olds S8+ and Xiaomi Mi9t are much better except for zooming and low light. S9+ destroys completely the p20 pro.
I really regret my purchase.

achour7 said:
The camera is really bad on this phone.
Pictures are so over processed and lake dynamic range.
In 10mpx it's inusable and in 40mpx il't noisy. Video recording is also bad.
This phone is just horrible. My olds S8+ and Xiaomi Mi9t are much better except for zooming and low light. S9+ destroys completely the p20 pro.
I really regret my purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cannot second that. The only thing i can complain about is video recording.
Main shooter is more than capable to take great pics. It's incomparably better than op 7t.

The camera quality on this phone is really good. Anyone who says it's crap is objectively wrong.

The camera quality in the p20 pro still today better than many flagship, more than one year later, I compare the camera with the recents iPhone 11 pro max, pixel 4, mate 30 pro, samsung note 10, and it's nothing to envy of them, the kirin 970 is slower in games, but is smooth and very fast still

what is the best siting of camera ? in 10 m pixel or 40m pixel ?

Depend on the situation, with good daylight 40, 10 if you don't want big pictures files, for zoom, night and difficult light conditions better 10, normally I use 10, because Huawei optimized the software and the cams to work together in this setup, working main, telephoto and monochrome camera sensor together for improvement results
maahmd said:
what is the best siting of camera ? in 10 m pixel or 40m pixel ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse