UltraPixel camera is really the best one? - One (M7) General

Actually,the important factor of I am attracted by the HTC One is its UltraPixel, I have read the technology description on HTC's website, and I just wonder if it really performs better than the typical smartphone with just 4MP camera.

There's threads about this
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Dannyada1988 said:
Actually,the important factor of I am attracted by the HTC One is its UltraPixel, I have read the technology description on HTC's website, and I just wonder if it really performs better than the typical smartphone with just 4MP camera.
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In my eyes, it doesn't. It does well and certain lighting conditions i do have to say but for most of the shots ive seen like the iphone vs. HTC One camera, the iPhone did better in nearly all of them to me. Once people get the non-demo models though we'll be able to see what others think.

#cameraname
Dannyada1988 said:
Actually,the important factor of I am attracted by the HTC One is its UltraPixel, I have read the technology description on HTC's website, and I just wonder if it really performs better than the typical smartphone with just 4MP camera.
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To get some idea of how well the camera on any phone performs in different lighting hastag its name on Instagram
I personally am jealous of the camera on the iphone 4s/5. They seem to produce the sharpest pictures on Instagram and Facebook!

We can't tell yet the device software is not final and HTC didn't lift the reviews embargo yet and the didn't post many official samples either

Normally, I would like to see dpreview's comments for any camera reviews. gsmarena's camera section is also decent.

I think the argument is unless you're wanting to print photos on huge canvases etc then 4mp is more then enough for Facebook etc that most people use their camera phones for. And if you can develop a 4mp camera that is high quality with low light performance you're basically giving the majority what they want and need.
As a photo enthusiast I am glad to see them trying to get closer to what's necessary and needed rather then having a medium quality high pixel camera that I'll never use for top notch shots. I have a DSLR for that.
Sent from my Desire HD using xda app-developers app

Yup trading pixel detail for low light

From a lot of comparisons I saw, there's no doubt that the best available mobile camera is Nokia 920 but hey, it's a windows phone.
Recently Sony released a Firefox OS ROM for some xperia phones. If Nokia decided to do the same releasing an oficial android ROM for Lumia series I could think about buying one but, that's not the case.
And about HTC One camera, maybe it's not the best but it's great enough for me.
Tapatalked from my GNex

joelteixeira said:
From a lot of comparisons I saw, there's no doubt that the best available mobile camera is Nokia 920 but hey, it's a windows phone.
Recently Sony released a Firefox OS ROM for some xperia phones. If Nokia decided to do the same releasing an oficial android ROM for Lumia series I could think about buying one but, that's not the case.
And about HTC One camera, maybe it's not the best but it's great enough for me.
Tapatalked from my GNex
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I never got why Nokia jumped on the Windows Bandwagon... i guess maybe because Android has SO much competition?
WP OS is pretty naff though, the person that thought of having text going off the screen so you scroll over... looks daft

joelteixeira said:
From a lot of comparisons I saw, there's no doubt that the best available mobile camera is Nokia 920 but hey, it's a windows phone.
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Although I was blown away by the 920, that was my exact point of not buying the device. At the moment there is no camera that can make me buy a Windows Phone

its not the best, but is good to me, only 13 days for release!

kalo88 said:
I never got why Nokia jumped on the Windows Bandwagon... i guess maybe because Android has SO much competition?
WP OS is pretty naff though, the person that thought of having text going off the screen so you scroll over... looks daft
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When Maemo was in the transition of replacing symbian as nokia's primary OS they suddenly appointed a new CEO which came from Microsoft. And few months after they decided to ditch support for maemo & meego and decided to partner with windows. So most likely the reason why they went windows and not android is because microsoft infiltrated their administratiion. It all started with Stephen Elop.

How about Apple releasing iOS version for Lumia 820 and 920? Hahahha Nokia and android too much optimistic thought but let Nokia fall down again I think Nokia is under Microsoft's debt and ms is hypnotised Nokia to save their reputation in mobile world, Nokia will show their true color when his debt from Microsoft has finish atm Nokia don't want to angry Microsoft coz ms has been heavily feeded Nokia to make him healthy
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

kalo88 said:
WP OS is pretty naff though, the person that thought of having text going off the screen so you scroll over... looks daft
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I think it's a perfectly good OS, my sister has it. Very fast and fluid for what its a cheap phone.
I think they went with WP as they will be the manufacturer associated with it. Think iOS, think Apple (obviously) but for Android most people will automatically think Samsung.

I'd like to reiterate again, that demo units and preview units with unfinalized software have NEVER made a difference (for any phone) in the final quality of the camera. It'll be released in a few weeks. If it's **** now, it will still be **** later on. No more excuses. Optimism is no excuse for stupidity.
Here's one big problem with the HTC One. The 4MP is 4MP. You can go on and on about how it doesn't matter for facebook, but if we are going to place smartphone cameras to a higher standard (HTC says so), this compromise is almost dealbreaking. It's one step forward, two steps back. I take pictures of menus and sheets of paper and murals and such with text quite frequently. Even my Galaxy S2 with 8MP is sharper and easier to read than the blurry and poorly defined text the HTC One takes. Here's a text comparison.
http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one-review-902p6.php
That's what you sacrifice with low resolution. Resolved detail. The text images are just the easiest way to see the problem with low resolution. It extends far beyond just text, Blurry faces, undefined outlines, and blur in general.
The other problem. The touted low light performance seems to be overblown. If you sacrifice megapixels for better low light, and the low light doesn't deliver, you just shot yourself in the foot. Here's a comparison in low light with the Nokia 920 and 720.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/HTC-One-vs-Nokia-Lumia-920-and-720-low-light-comparison-video_id40344
You can see the giant ass blotches of noise and grain, because the HTC image blows up the lighting and makes the noise and grain even more apparent. There's no fine detail, just a smear of color. Compared to the Lumia 920, it's almost like it has no OIS at all and the "ultrapixels" mean diddly squat. Most damning of all, is that the budget Lumia 720 takes better low light pictures. It doesn't have fancy OIS nor the same large pixels.
There are many more examples of the poor low light performance scattered about the net. This is the thing HTC touted as better than the rest, but so far its just middling if not mediocre.
In summation. If you want an average camera, or say "I don't give a shiz it's a camera-phone", this phone will fit the bill. But if you were expecting something more, some sort of major progress, you won't find it here. You will be better off with the Lumia 920 and its OIS. Or wait for the Lumia 1000 EOS which will even give point and shoot cameras a run for their money. But right now this is just a half-hearted attempt by HTC, with plenty of money thrown at advertising it but no confidence in making it a reality wit a bigger sensor, more pixels, better OIS, etc. The Galaxy IV will probably have a better camera. Hell, the Galaxy II and III have better cameras.

Can we close these threads?
Until the device is released this is all speculation and all I'm reading is people whining and complaining about this device
Plain and simple, don't like it then gtfo and don't get the device
Sent from my One X using Tapatalk 2

superchilpil said:
Until the device is released this is all speculation and all I'm reading is people whining and complaining about this device
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Funny you say that seeing as the post right above yours states the following:
katamari201 said:
I'd like to reiterate again, that demo units and preview units with unfinalized software have NEVER made a difference (for any phone) in the final quality of the camera. It'll be released in a few weeks. If it's **** now, it will still be **** later on. No more excuses. Optimism is no excuse for stupidity.
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I looked through all the demo pictures and the ones taken by reviewers at MWC and the pictures where on par or better than the competition.
As for that GSM arena review, they describe the quality as being sharper and better overall than the LG G but then have photos that are blurry and say it is the One pictures but they don't match the full size pictures at the bottom of their review so I don't quite trust that source.
Honestly, if you want to take great pictures buy a point and shoot camera or a DSLR as nothing in a phone is going to out match them.

here are some samples from the One vs Nokia 920 and 720

Related

HTC risked itself unnecessarily with the 4 ultrapixels camera

I think HTC could have been a big contender to the galaxy S IV but will be dismissed by the average consumer because of the "poor" 4 ultrapixel camera, i dont get how a company struggling to sell would do such a thing , i love that they took a risk but maybe they should have waited until they had profits again, what do you think people is going to do when they go to buy a phone and see that the camera on the one is "just" 4 megapixels vs 13 megapixels on the galaxy S IV?
8 ultrapixels would have been great, also the daylight pictures are less than spectacular, the one x/xl takes better pictures at daylight ,lets see how turns out for HTC, i fear it wont be the best outcome :crying: , such a shame that "the best" will lose
So far seeing pictures taken against the iPhone 5, Galaxy S4, etc... I think they made the right choice. It takes some really nice pictures.
You are ignorant, HTC One along with Lumia taking the best photos in market at the moment. before coming up with a topic like that learn to check to results please.
But yeah, one thing is clear, people like you will think "hmm, 4 mp is bad i should get S4 because of that" and get S4. That is the only downside of the idea. Which I'm hoping wouldn't be a problem because noone is telling that it is 4 mp, they are marketting it as Ultrapixel Camera as a whole phrase, which is working relatively well.
You are right. While the tests seem to show, that the camera is really awesome and isn't worser than the 13 MP one the majority of people are still getting their phones direct from the store and deciding basically from the specs and the general appearance. I hope HTC will profit at least from their design and aluminium body this year.
Only ignorant consumers purchase items based on just numbers...
Education is key.
Many reviews show that its the second best on the market, after 808 and just beating the N95. Lesser pixels are also needed to process in the Zoe mode. So my conclusion will be it isn't a "poor" or "unnecessary" change. In fact, it's proving to be one of the best cameras (obviously if you don't print your photographs in full size)
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Dharkan said:
You are ignorant, HTC One along with Lumia taking the best photos in market at the moment. before coming up with a topic like that learn to check to results please.
But yeah, one thing is clear, people like you will think "hmm, 4 mp is bad i should get S4 because of that" and get S4. That is the only downside of the idea. Which I'm hoping wouldn't be a problem because noone is telling that it is 4 mp, they are marketting it as Ultrapixel Camera as a whole phrase, which is working relatively well.
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That true no one has told me its a 4mp camera in shops, they say 4 ultra pixel.
Also when I played with the phone and compared pics to the xz and and s3 etc it blew them away which is one of the reasons there is a lovely silver HTC One sitting on my desk charging right now.
Also regarding charging, battery life for me so far is great: seeing as I had to send stuff to the phone yesterday it got charged to 61% before I took if off the usb at aprrox 1.30pm yesterday and started using it: screen 30% bright, power saver on, all connections off unless I need them, playing some music, generally looking at the phone, a bit of internet browsing, mostly phone calls and texts and the battery was on 6% at about 10 am this morning and I went to bed at 2am.
Btw the this is the same pattern i do for all phones I have 30% brightness and power saver. I will be able to properly judge when its actually charged to 100% though and compare it to my others phones bar the note 2 where it will clearly lose.
Actually there is still noise in the images on the 4MP sensor, but less than a 13MP for sure in low light.
HTC made a deliberate decision that a phone camera is more utilized to pictures of family, friends when you go out somewhere like a restaurant, bar etc. In those circumstances good low light performance is essential and you don't need (in fact you don't want) to see the highest resolution possible on people's faces etc
You only really need 13MP when you are shooting landscape. In the case of Sony, they try and incorporate a camera that is more aimed towards tourist pictures. During the daylight, the resolution advantage will be clear to see on detailed scenes.
Personally, I do not use my phone as a replacement for a good camera. I use it exactly as HTC considered, incidental photos when out with friends and to keep memories of those occasions.
Having said that, it is not the best 4MP sensor...it should really have been even better (less noise). So while I think HTC did play a gamble here, and to some extent, there is a good amount of logic behind their decision...the implementation is still not as good as I would have hoped. It is just possible that software updates will improve its performance further.
R89SONY said:
which is one of the reasons there is a lovely silver HTC One sitting on my desk charging right now.
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Amen!
jonstatt said:
Actually there is still noise in the images on the 4MP sensor, but less than a 13MP for sure in low light.
HTC made a deliberate decision that a phone camera is more utilized to pictures of family, friends when you go out somewhere like a restaurant, bar etc. In those circumstances good low light performance is essential and you don't need (in fact you don't want) to see the highest resolution possible on people's faces etc
You only really need 13MP when you are shooting landscape. In the case of Sony, they try and incorporate a camera that is more aimed towards tourist pictures. During the daylight, the resolution advantage will be clear to see on detailed scenes.
Personally, I do not use my phone as a replacement for a good camera. I use it exactly as HTC considered, incidental photos when out with friends and to keep memories of those occasions.
Having said that, it is not the best 4MP sensor...it should really have been even better (less noise). So while I think HTC did play a gamble here, and to some extent, there is a good amount of logic behind their decision...the implementation is still not as good as I would have hoped. It is just possible that software updates will improve its performance further.
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The noise problem was with prerelease software, if you see the photos now, there's way much less noise
From USA Gizmodo:
Another pleasant surprise: the camera's UltraPixels actually live up to the hype. In our testing the One performed as well as if not better than the top smartphone shooters out there (check out our comparison). It also took better low-light (read: in bars) photos than any phone I've used, and I was extremely impressed by how accurate the color rendering was. Now, if you're planning on printing your photos on 8x10s, maybe you'll miss the extra megapixels, but who really does that with their phone cam? For the web, you won't be able to tell the difference in resolution, and you will be able to tell the difference in low-light.
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Check out the photo thread
NiCk.JaY said:
The noise problem was with prerelease software, if you see the photos now, there's way much less noise
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk 2
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I have one...I still see some noise. I am not saying it is bad. Just I guess I had such high expectations that it would take super clean images.
jonstatt said:
I have one...I still see some noise. I am not saying it is bad. Just I guess I had such high expectations that it would take super clean images.
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Have you updated it to the latest version? Because the pics from Gizmodo, Engadget, Verge are superb
SteelH said:
Only ignorant consumers purchase items based on just numbers...
Education is key.
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This. Also quality beats quantity!
Sent from my HTC One V using Tapatalk 2
NiCk.JaY said:
Have you updated it to the latest version? Because the pics from Gizmodo, Engadget, Verge are superb
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There is no update. I definitely have the most current release on the phone. I think it was just my expectations were too high. Don't get me wrong, it takes great pics.
I think that it will be very important for in-store signage of the HTC One show the comparison of the HTCs photo quality against "the others". They can't leave it to the uninformed general public or the uninformed sales staff to simply look at point form notes on the phone spec
AW: HTC risked itself unnecessarily with the 4 ultrapixels camera
And... Megapixels are nothing. It is all about the sensor and the lense. It is time to stop that Megapixel hype... Just look at the S4... 13mp on a damn small sensor, I guess you will not see a difference between my 1S and the S4...
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
4mp should of NEVER been banded about because in work people were going 'Omg the HTC ONE only has a 4mp camera.... who would want that' and then you have to explain it to them etc....
It was a risk but it should of just been left at 'Ultrapixel' and not compared to a megapixel count.
x3
I personally as a Photographer like their decission.
Remember the Foveon X3 Chip. If HTC manages to get something more out of that technique, they will get much better results.
At first saw no difference with the quality from the x. Now after a few dozen photos. There is a difference.close up shots capture loads of detail
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
First of all, I think that HTC from the quality point of view made the right decision. The camera appears better than sufficient - for the ordinary smartphone user that is. HTC's approach is different, I think: Remember "Friend Stream" in Sense? Now it is "Blinkfeed". My impression is that HTC bets on that users will shoot more photos if the photos can be uploaded to FB and other social networks quicker and thus in bigger numbers thanks to their smaller size. Photos go up easier to the Dropbox storage, too. The camera with 4 megapixels only is really more usable.
In the end the photo quality debate is a "luxury issue", the "ordinary" customer will not see a quality issue in the images. But the fact that he/she can really easily share their photos shot with the One - which they in real life can't with photos from their Samsung and other phones due to the sheer size of the images - this must be communicated to the customer. In addition, 32 GB built in storage on the One due to the difference in size of the camera's images in real life equal 50 GB storage on the Samsung.
To my opinion, therefore the success of the HTC One is not so dependent on the question whether 13 megapixels are better than 4 (or vice versa), but on the question whether they succeed in explaining the potential of smaller image files to the masses. My serious concern is, that even HTC and their marketing people are not aware really, what HTC's development department had in mind.

mobile-review Galaxy S4 camera compared to others including HTC One

http://translate.google.com/transla...review/samsung-galaxy-s4-camera.shtml&act=url
The 4MP resolution on the HTC One really suffers compared to all the other test cameras, in outdoor shots, overcast shots (pretty much everything there in Russia), macro shots, indoor shots, etc. I thought the "ultrapixels" would give it an edge in indoor and darker shots. Nope. Its just as grainy/noisy as the GS3, with half the pixels worth of detail. The GS4 seems to be a real substantial upgrade from the GS3. It is much much clearer and far less noisy than the GS3 at night and indoor. It goes from a grainy, overexposed, blurry ghost image (my GS3 does this alot) to a relatively usable, clean, and sharp image.
Some of the links are broken, but you should download the really large MP4 video files as well. I don't know why people keep on saying how SMOOTH the HTC One is with OIS when every video I've seen of it is super shaky. It's classic HTC super shaky. The exposure adjustment is wonk with it randomly getting way brighter for no apparent reason (typical HTC) and the darker areas are always super crushed like the shadows and the dark jacket the guy is wearing (also typical HTC). The GS4 video is far smoother, evenly lit, no crushed details, etc.
It's great that HTC is pushing the ultrapixel thing and bucking the megapixel trend, but they really shouldn't have been the ones leading the charge. Their camera performance has always been subpar in their previous phones and they have no "real" expertise in the field like Sony or Samsung who actually make and sell standalone cameras. Any one of them would have done a better job supersizing the pixels. It was probably pure wishful thinking or some kind of delusion on HTC's part, but the shortcomings should have been very apparent in their testing from the beginning. They could've thought, oh it sucks!, and quickly slapped a 13MP Exmor RS camera on the back instead. But the wishful thinking prevailed. It's kinda like releasing a bad electric car and souring the appeal of owning one, making it harder for future and much better electric cars by better companies to break into the mainstream.
Like many reviews have already said, its not a "bad" camera. It's just not particularly cut out to compete with the best cameras on phones from Samsung, Sony, LG, Nokia, Apple, etc. Not even last year's models.
katamari201 said:
Like many reviews have already said, its not a "bad" camera. It's just not particularly cut out to compete with the best cameras on phones from Samsung, Sony, LG, Nokia, Apple, etc. Not even last year's models.
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Thats just one review and they have mentioned that they were not using final product (its pre-production unit they tested).
To quote from the link you've given:
While it is impossible to assess the quality HTC One (not the final hardware is still not)
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There are many other reviews out there that say HTC One camera is better (e.g. Engadget, pocketnow, allaboutSymbian etc). I think its pretty stupid to form an opinion based on just one review (that may or may not be biased).
I'm sorry but do not trust that site its a Pro-Samsung site and the owner and chief-editor is on samsungs pay roll so its a miracle if Samsung products come out anything other than favorable, its dubbed for "consultancy work" but we all know real reason.
If you are working for samsung no matter the capacity its dishonest of them to not to be clear and upfront about it when doing product reviews.
Eldar Murtazin is the biggest a$£ blogger of them all who pretends to be a journalist.
btw theres a thread for reviews at the top
actually this review actually seems to have one of the good HTC One cameras (if two sensors are indeed used)
expand the images, the HTC One 4MP images are not bad at all
in macro detail its doing better
Macro example: One vs S4
MP detail: One vs S4, One vs S4
notice the field of view is just miserable on the S4
anyway yes, lets not fool ourselves its a big compromise that HTC made and not everyone would like to eat it (im finding difficulty myself, i love the 8MP camera on my One X)
as for OIS, gsmarena showed very impressive OIS stability tests

Best of Sony... is not really great..

First, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to hate on Sony or bash them, just pointing out that what they call "the best of Sony" isn't exactly great or better than the competition, though I really just want to point out about the display and camera. I moved on from the Note 3 to the Z1 (lost my Note 3, wanted a good phone with a good camera for a low price so I got an Xperia Z1), and here's what I've noticed.
Display:
Well, there's no other way to say it: for a flagship phone, the Z1's display isn't that great. Viewing angles are poor, and viewing it at even small angles puts a whitish hue over it that just doesn't look good. It might be good for privacy, but otherwise it's plain to see that they're using an inferior IPS tech than other manufacturers. The Note 3 or the Nexus 5's displays are clearly much better, and so is the one on the HTC One from early 2013. I've heard that the Z1 Compact finally has a great screen among Sony devices, so that's great, but I feel that many Sony fans are clearly ignorant of how much greener the grass in on the other side when it comes to displays.
Camera
To be honest, this is the biggest disappointment I've had with the Z1. I don't know if Sony was focusing purely on lossless zoom when adding the 20MP camera, but when it comes to resolved detail and visible noise, the Note 3's camera was better despite no fancy tech and standard sensor. Sure, it has a 13MP camera while the Z1 takes photos at 8MP after downsampling, but in general its photos are clearer and more detailed. I've tried taking 20MP pics, and they just do not come out as great as one would expect (if they focused on lossless zoom, even that hasn't worked out well in general outdoor photos), and Sony has basically squandered a nice opportunity.
But on the flip side, I love some things about the camera. It's fast to open (mainly thanks to the camera button), it's smooth, and is quick to change modes, which helped a lot on my weekend trip with my family.) I don't like that HDR isn't a dedicated mode and is simply a switch when you select 8MP photos in Manual, but other than that, it's pretty good overall. In fact, the quickness and the shutter button are what make me ignore the fact that in quality I've come down to a noticeably not-so-great-at-capturing-detail camera (the Note 3 took ages to select modes, open the camera app, and open pictures.)
That's something that's true in Sony's software overall: it's beautiful, sleek, and quick and responsive. I do miss some features from the Note 3 (Multi-Window, Smart Stay (extremely useful when you can't be bothered touching the screen to keep it awake), some camera modes, and the better multitasking (my Z1 is abysmal at holding apps in memory, and not because it's just 2GB of RAM.) It feels good to use, and that's a pretty good thing.
But again, the screen and camera have let me down considerably. Again, on the flip side, I love the phone's build (though it's a bit too bulky, but then it is waterproof), and things like the lanyard slot and camera button (conveniences manufacturers have forgotten in their quest to copy and follow Apple since the first iPhone arrived on the market).
So in the end it's clear that "the best of Sony" just isn't the right thing to say when your tech is behind the competition in some things and just isn't as great as owners of flagship devices of the competition have become used to. The pricing is great, though, but I kinda don't think I'd want to save a few bucks next time I want a phone, not unless Sony focuses on making the hardware more complete regarding awesomeness.
Sorry for the rant, and again, I wasn't bashing, overall I like my Z1, just don't love it (yet)!
P.S.: My Galaxy Gear is also now sitting idle, but I guess we can blame Samsung for making its watch incompatible with other devices. It's a useful watch, but not in use anymore. There is a hack to make it work with others, I tried it with the Z1, but most stuff just doesn't work. So I guess I'll buy Sony's smartwatch next. :silly:
P.P.S.: I hope KitKat comes soon. I like that Sony takes time to test its software, but with Samsung and HTC moving pretty quick with KitKat despite having heavy skins, and Samsung has even managed to not introduce any quirky bugs (they disabled third-party accessories, but an update over the weekend reversed that), I really want KitKat to come quick. I want wireless printing support (Samsung had this even before KitKat, one of the few reasons I appreciate Samsung's bloat sometimes, it has some useful features), and it might also solve the issue of lack of RAM on the Z1, even if only a little bit.
This is what you do on Sunday afternoon? We know Z1 is not best like expected.
eclyptos said:
This is what you do on Sunday afternoon? We know Z1 is not best like expected.
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It's Sunday night where I am, and I had to get my thoughts out there after using the Z1's camera extensively the last two days (I bought the phone on Thursday.)
addicted2088 said:
It's Sunday night where I am, and I had to get my thoughts out there after using the Z1's camera extensively the last two days (I bought the phone on Thursday.)
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Saturday Night? You should be in some club! ..ahah...just kidding...I know...I am really disappointed by the camera too....what I can surely said is that the problem of the camera quality is related to the Software, but I don't know if we will get better pictures. Many telling me that the Z1 make amazing pictures but mine is not fake and I still not get clear pictures like it should be. Full of Noise, and with Unlocked Bootloader get even worse.
I understand what you're saying, and you have valid points, but these type of complaints come up with every phone out there.
The HTC One has exactly the same Camera complaint that you do. The UltraPixel was a big disappointment for some. The thing about the Z1's camera is that it CAN be improved. The camera is actually extremely good if you use it in manual, and the pictures that come out are the best I've seen on an Android phone. Superior Auto is a bit of a mess though. That's a software problem, not hardware, so we hope kitKat can fix that.
The display is a valid complaint, but I feel head on it's better than the Note 3. The Z1 has one of the most color accurate screens out there, which I prefer over AMOLED oversaturation. The viewing angles personally for me isn't a problem but yes, it is a negative about this phone.
So in the end it's clear that "the best of Sony" just isn't the right thing to say when your tech is behind the competition in some things and just isn't as great as owners of flagship devices of the competition have become used to
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Well, the Z1 IS the best of Sony...not sure what you're trying to say. I still feel like the Z1 is one of the best phones out there. Although lacking in some parts, the overall package is hard to beat: Snapdragon 800 processor, great battery life, great camera (Yes the camera is still very very good, just not as good as advertised), and best of all premium feeling. There is really no other phone that has all that together in one package right now. The Note 3 is better in some respects but for me feels cheap, and that is a HUGE con for me that overshadows anything else. The Nexus 5 has meh battery life and camera. The HTC One has a meh camera and lower end specs. The Galaxy S4 is no longer talked about when discussing high-end phones.
The point is there's no 'perfect' phone, and I concede that the Z1 does have weaknesses, but so does every other electronic device out there
addicted2088 said:
First, I'd like to say that I'm not trying to hate on Sony or bash them, just pointing out that what they call "the best of Sony" isn't exactly great or better than the competition
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Uh huh.
My advice to you, since it appears you wrote this to practice the writing career you're hoping to have, is to consider other career options. You're not good at this.
learn to make the picture and you will find Z1 camera is great. all the comparatives with Note 3 and the other smartphones take Z1 on the top of Android world
display is very good. poor viewing angle are not a gap, but I can assume it is subjective.
when I watch photos and videos on Z1 display they are much nicer than on other displays.
kantk20111 said:
I understand what you're saying, and you have valid points, but these type of complaints come up with every phone out there.
The HTC One has exactly the same Camera complaint that you do. The UltraPixel was a big disappointment for some. The thing about the Z1's camera is that it CAN be improved. The camera is actually extremely good if you use it in manual, and the pictures that come out are the best I've seen on an Android phone. Superior Auto is a bit of a mess though. That's a software problem, not hardware, so we hope kitKat can fix that.
The display is a valid complaint, but I feel head on it's better than the Note 3. The Z1 has one of the most color accurate screens out there, which I prefer over AMOLED oversaturation. The viewing angles personally for me isn't a problem but yes, it is a negative about this phone.
Well, the Z1 IS the best of Sony...not sure what you're trying to say. I still feel like the Z1 is one of the best phones out there. Although lacking in some parts, the overall package is hard to beat: Snapdragon 800 processor, great battery life, great camera (Yes the camera is still very very good, just not as good as advertised), and best of all premium feeling. There is really no other phone that has all that together in one package right now. The Note 3 is better in some respects but for me feels cheap, and that is a HUGE con for me that overshadows anything else. The Nexus 5 has meh battery life and camera. The HTC One has a meh camera and lower end specs. The Galaxy S4 is no longer talked about when discussing high-end phones.
The point is there's no 'perfect' phone, and I concede that the Z1 does have weaknesses, but so does every other electronic device out there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not so sure about that ...
HTC has the best software updates ATM and fastest after Google.
It has the best low light camera + best smart flash with the 5 modes
Average daylight shots
best front cam with wide angle
The best mics hdr mics
The best speakers
The best headphones sound
It's the most quality phone
It has the best screen in overall
It has unmatched feel in the hand
Ir blaster
Ois
60 fps video + zoe + really working hdr video
BlinkFeed which is still unmatched with copies
Decent battery life
Great xda development
Most of these things aren't yet matched by the competition which is shame imo since htc one is 1 year old and it's still considered the best overall package phone even in 2014 and I doubt anything but HTC one 2 will surpass it which is only a month or two away.
A lot on that list are gimmicks and a few items there are disputable. If HTC were as ahead of everyone as you make them appear to be, then that's extremely incongruent to the terrible shape the company is in.
Another "OMG Sony why did you do this to me" thread.
Sony rules!!
Shan89 said:
Not so sure about that ...
HTC has the best software updates ATM and fastest after Google.
It has the best low light camera + best smart flash with the 5 modes
Average daylight shots
best front cam with wide angle
The best mics hdr mics
The best speakers
The best headphones sound
It's the most quality phone
It has the best screen in overall
It has unmatched feel in the hand
Ir blaster
Ois
60 fps video + zoe + really working hdr video
BlinkFeed which is still unmatched with copies
Decent battery life
Great xda development
Most of these things aren't yet matched by the competition which is shame imo since htc one is 1 year old and it's still considered the best overall package phone even in 2014 and I doubt anything but HTC one 2 will surpass it which is only a month or two away.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't want to get in a fight about whose phone is better, but everyone's got different preferences in a phone. A lot of the points you mentioned are opinions, and really can't be said in a comparison.
The most 'quality' phone and 'ummatched feel' is extremely subjective.
The Z1 is no less in quality than the HTC One and has as premium materials.
The Moto X and Z1 compact both have better feel, just because they're smaller.
Z1's battery life has been much better for me than HTC One in my experience.
Headphone sound is exactly the same for me. Beats is a gimmick and just a equalizer preset which I can also set on my Z1.
I will admit the HTC One's speakers is miles ahead of the Z1's and the display is better.
Camera as well is a lot better in the Z1 in daylight, but I remember you're the guy who wrote that HTC One vs Z1 camera test and I don't want to get in a fight again about that, so I won't go there. HTC One's better in low light, but the Z1 isn't that bad either.
The Z1's camera has a ton more features as well that are pretty cool to play around with. Gimmicks? Sure, but they're still fun. Also the Z1's viewfinder is much smoother.
All front facing cameras suck equally and don't believe there's a 'best' front facing camera.
edit: Oh, also concerning updates: This is the first time HTC have actually done well with updates. We'll see a year from now how they treat HTC One users. One X and One X+ users are stuck with official 4.2 while the Xperia T, which came out around the same time+, just got updated to 4.3. Sony might be slower at giving updates but they support their phones longer.
See, I just refuted half of your points. Of course you will disagree with me, but that's what's great about Android: everyone has different preferences and different opinions on what's the best. The HTC One is a fantastic phone and is my number 2 after the Z1, but it's still not the best for me. Nothing wrong with that.
omnius1 said:
A lot on that list are gimmicks and a few items there are disputable. If HTC were as ahead of everyone as you make them appear to be, then that's extremely incongruent to the terrible shape the company is in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly is gimmic ?
Ir blaster is very useful
Ois is very helpful in low light / movement or any other type of using the camera / 60 fps video is smooth as camera app on z1 and looks like you're looking thru the glass when watching an video / hdr video is awesome as well at low light , so is the zoe especially if you wanna take out some snaps after which are full sized , I forgot slow motion video as well which is fun tho.
Smart flash is very useful indeed and can take photos from 5cm in pitch black up to 10 meters , with the walls it can go even further
Stereo frontal speakers ...how is this a gimmic lol , anything you do on a phone sounds crazy good + loud + it hits you in the face.
Full metal body is always a good thing , it screams premium ...
Feel in the hand indeed is unmatched due metal + device shape
hdr mics pick up the sound you wouldn't believe that the phone is doing it.
I've forgot also talking via phone is unmatched as well , you get stereo sound + you can talk in super loud environment perfectly fine.
Headphones sound wouldn't be a gimmic as well lol ... Ppl just use that ...on daily bases ..
Software updates is definitely not an gimmic we all want fast and working updates ASAP ,which is not the case with the Sony , it's far from it.
Xda development for me personally is very important since I love to flash + the fact HTC one has about 9/10 times more development it's a must have for me.
The only gimmicky thing would be if you don't like the the BlinkFeed that'd be all which can be turned off.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
We have to open a thread " @@Shan89 VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
lol
I had Xperia z1 , camera sucked , phone was too hot and screen is utter **** , so I changed to HTC one for the same stuff you wrote here!
Honestly I am huge fan of HTC but actually I do not brought HTC One, which was cheaper, just because there is no micro SD Slot, and when Apps to SD will be available on Z1, or even Apk on internal and Data on SD on Custom Roms, I will not have regrets to have Z1.
eclyptos said:
We have to open a thread " @@Shan89 VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah mate it ain't fight Lol. I was just pointing that there are devices which are quite more complete. Of course I can't think of anything else besides z1 that comes equal to m7 pretty much all devices lack design and quality which both z1 and htc have.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
eclyptos said:
We have to open a thread " [MENTION=3721363 [user=4914682]@Shan89[/user][/MENTION] VS @kantk20111 " ..hahah..
Ladies and Gentlemen may I present, Shan89 from HTC Section VS kantk20111 from Sony section, Round 2.
FIGHT!
:laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No more fighting lol, just 2 guys who really love their phones alot . For me the HTC One and Z1 will always be the top of Android, with Samsung, LG and the rest way below. Sony and HTC have style along with awesome hardware.
edit: @Shan89 beat me to it
Came from the GSIII and this phone blows it out of the water, so I'm happy.
Sent from my C6916 using xda app-developers app
I came from htc one to z1 for reasons like low battery camera quality purple tint issue and worst of all its easily breakable body which produced dents on a simple fall
Sent from my C6902 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Shan89 said:
HTC has the best software updates "ATM" and fastest after Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from a T-Mobile HTC One S and being left hangin' with no further updates from 4.1 Jellbean...I jumped off their bandwagon and upgraded to the Sony Xperia Z1S.
I'm glad that HTC is finally wiling to support their top tier products, but a bit too late for me...HTC lost in my book.
The clear winner (for me) is Sony! :good:

Nexus 6 Camera Samples

https://plus.google.com/photos/+DuanDao/albums/6070583356055960369
raazman said:
https://plus.google.com/photos/+DuanDao/albums/6070583356055960369
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They don't look very impressive to say the least... Pictures were taken in Irvine CA. I wonder who has access to a Nexus 6 this early down there?
How do we know these pictures were taken with a Nexus 6?
As far as the pictures go, they are very hit or miss. There are a few decent ones, but the majority of them don't look very good.
msal said:
How do we know these pictures were taken with a Nexus 6?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it could be faked but:
Camera shamu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In photo details.
This is quite disappointing, Nexus cameras aren't known to be amazing but for $649 I'd surely expect more than this.
Click on the posters image. He had the nexus 5 test device.
The colors look oversaturated, which I guess is typical for cell phones (except a handful of the older flagship Nokia phone cameras).
Anyway, preproduction devices often do not have fully calibrated cameras, so I wouldn't put too much stock in how these images look. This person is also clearly not a professional photographer. I don't think any meaningful judgments can be made until reviews come out from some of the better sites for photography in phones.
msal said:
How do we know these pictures were taken with a Nexus 6?
As far as the pictures go, they are very hit or miss. There are a few decent ones, but the majority of them don't look very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The good ones were sadly made w/ an iPhone.
Underwhelmed to say the least.
650+ Should buy a high end everything, especially camera. They could of at least out sourced the camera for that price.
ericerk said:
The good ones were sadly made w/ an iPhone.
Underwhelmed to say the least.
650+ Should buy a high end everything, especially camera. They could of at least out sourced the camera for that price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can you tell it's from an iPhone?
msal said:
How can you tell it's from an iPhone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Photo details button. It's on the right of the picture.
ericerk said:
The good ones were sadly made w/ an iPhone.
Underwhelmed to say the least.
650+ Should buy a high end everything, especially camera. They could of at least out sourced the camera for that price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand what you're talking about. Motorola doesn't make camera sensors. Neither does Google. Just about every phone manufacturer outsources the camera and there are only a handful of companies that actually make camera sensors for phones. The Nexus 6 has a Sony IMX214 Exmor RS sensor. The Sony sensors are in a lot of phones these days. The Sony sensors aren't bad. And it is absolutely absurd to make any conclusions about the Nexus 6 camera based on a couple random photos, from a bad photographer, on a pre-production device.
That aside, what do people expect anyway? The Nexus 6 has a 1/3 sensor like basically every other phone out there these days (including the iPhone) and that just makes for a mediocre camera. They are all more or less equally mediocre and there's no reason to expect anything different from the Nexus 6. It's not about megapixels, its about the actual physical size of the sensor. Phones have not changed from 1/3 sensors for a long time (because they can't do it and remain thin). Only the OIS is an interesting feature on the Nexus 6.
If you want a good camera, get a Nokia 1020 or Nokia 808 and just deal with the operating systems on those phones. They have huge sensors that are far superior to anything and everything else. Even five year old Nokia cameras, like in the N86, have much larger sensors than every phone out there. The only single exception is the Galaxy S5, which has a 1/2.5 sensor like the five year old N86, but the S5 is still nowhere remotely close to the 1020 or 808.
Those are your real choices. Everyone else has just thrown their hands in the air and excepted "good enough" cameras, because they'd rather make the phones super thin, than put good sensors in them. Superficial numbers and specs change, but phone cameras really are not progressing anymore. (Even Nokia has dropped the ball, now that Damian Dinning, the person behind the great cameras at Nokia like the 808, has left the company and the cell phone business.)
cb474 said:
I don't understand what you're talking about. Motorola doesn't make camera sensors. Neither does Google. Just about every phone manufacturer outsources the camera and there are only a handful of companies that actually make camera sensors for phones. The Nexus 6 has a Sony IMX214 Exmor RS sensor. The Sony sensors are in a lot of phones these days. The Sony sensors aren't bad. And it is absolutely absurd to make any conclusions about the Nexus 6 camera based on a couple random photos, from a bad photographer, on a pre-production device.
That aside, what do people expect anyway? The Nexus 6 has a 1/3 sensor like basically every other phone out there these days (including the iPhone) and that just makes for a mediocre camera. They are all more or less equally mediocre and there's no reason to expect anything different from the Nexus 6. It's not about megapixels, its about the actual physical size of the sensor. Phones have not changed from 1/3 sensors for a long time (because they can't do it and remain thin). Only the OIS is an interesting feature on the Nexus 6.
If you want a good camera, get a Nokia 1020 or Nokia 808 and just deal with the operating systems on those phones. They have huge sensors that are far superior to anything and everything else. Even five year old Nokia cameras, like in the N86, have much larger sensors than every phone out there. The only single exception is the Galaxy S5, which has a 1/2.5 sensor like the five year old N86, but the S5 is still nowhere remotely close to the 1020 or 808.
Those are your real choices. Everyone else has just thrown their hands in the air and excepted "good enough" cameras, because they'd rather make the phones super thin, than put good sensors in them. Superficial numbers and specs change, but phone cameras really are not progressing anymore. (Even Nokia has dropped the ball, now that Damian Dinning, the person behind the great cameras at Nokia like the 808, has left the company and the cell phone business.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you're saying is fair, but It's not just random bias. I haven't seen a wonderful camera on a Moto phone since.... EVER.
I'm not getting it for the camera, I had the M8... I just want something that has a good camera. Something that doesn't shoot duds. I don't want a potato cam.
ericerk said:
What you're saying is fair, but It's not just random bias. I haven't seen a wonderful camera on a Moto phone since.... EVER.
I'm not getting it for the camera, I had the M8... I just want something that has a good camera. Something that doesn't shoot duds. I don't want a potato cam.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know a lot of people think the Moto cameras recently have been mediocre, but I really think, for the reasons I said, it's making a big deal out of relatively small differences. All of these phones have mediocre cameras with various limitations. The difference between good mediocre and medium mediocre is not that meaningful to me.
Like I said, if you want the best of the middle of the road cameras, get a Galaxy S5. If you want a truly great camera in a phone, get a Nokia 1020 or Nokia 808. Everything else is splitting hairs.
That said, I think the Nexus 6 (and Moto X) will be fine. As noted, it has a 1/3 Sony Exmor sensor, the likes of which can be found in perfectly respectable phones like the iPhone 4 and 5 and the Galaxy S4. It's not one of the newer generation Exmor RS sensors, but the advantages of those sensors has been overplayed. They're mostly still 1/3 sensors and so, whatever. A 1/3 sensor is never going to make for a great camera. But it is the status quo these days so it's not going to be subpar either (like for example the Nexus 4 that has a tiny 1/4 sensor).
cb474 said:
I know a lot of people think the Moto cameras recently have been mediocre, but I really think, for the reasons I said, it's making a big deal out of relatively small differences. All of these phones have mediocre cameras with various limitations. The difference between good mediocre and medium mediocre is not that meaningful to me.
Like I said, if you want the best of the middle of the road cameras, get a Galaxy S5. If you want a truly great camera in a phone, get a Nokia 1020 or Nokia 808. Everything else is splitting hairs.
That said, I think the Nexus 6 (and Moto X) will be fine. As noted, it has a 1/3 Sony Exmor sensor, the likes of which can be found in perfectly respectable phones like the iPhone 4 and 5 and the Galaxy S4. It's not one of the newer generation Exmor RS sensors, but the advantages of those sensors has been overplayed. They're mostly still 1/3 sensors and so, whatever. A 1/3 sensor is never going to make for a great camera. But it is the status quo these days so it's not going to be subpar either (like for example the Nexus 4 that has a tiny 1/4 sensor).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you'd like to chip in on the 700+ I have to put into this phone, I feel the right to have my own opinion on it.
I like a decent cam in the device.
I want to to be up to my standards, now yours. We don't know if this is the final hw version of the camera. We'll see that in a few weeks.
I want a nexus, w/ a non moto esque camera. The N5 was good enough. Except able.
For example the moto X took decent pictures... but they were really bad, and grainy and had weird artifacts. There was grain, and distortion in high light.
The moto x 2014 is crap in low light, the light ring isn't really conducive to light up anything.
The nexus 6 has the same set up, which makes me nervous. The camera is in theory the same as well.
All I'm saying is their track record is bad. Googles been talking about making better cameras on their flag ship devices for ages. So we're hoping w/ this one it's a home run
They weren't restricted in price in this variation. They put in very high end spec, and components. If the camera isn't just as good as the Galaxy S4 I will be upset. Very upset.
The S4 had a wonderful camera.
That's my bench mark.
ericerk said:
If you'd like to chip in on the 700+ I have to put into this phone, I feel the right to have my own opinion on it.
I like a decent cam in the device.
I want to to be up to my standards, now yours. We don't know if this is the final hw version of the camera. We'll see that in a few weeks.
I want a nexus, w/ a non moto esque camera. The N5 was good enough. Except able.
For example the moto X took decent pictures... but they were really bad, and grainy and had weird artifacts. There was grain, and distortion in high light.
The moto x 2014 is crap in low light, the light ring isn't really conducive to light up anything.
The nexus 6 has the same set up, which makes me nervous. The camera is in theory the same as well.
All I'm saying is their track record is bad. Googles been talking about making better cameras on their flag ship devices for ages. So we're hoping w/ this one it's a home run
They weren't restricted in price in this variation. They put in very high end spec, and components. If the camera isn't just as good as the Galaxy S4 I will be upset. Very upset.
The S4 had a wonderful camera.
That's my bench mark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have the right to have your opinion but that doesn't make it a thoughtful opinion.
If you think the Nexus 5 was good enough, with a Sony Exmor IMX179 1/3.2 sensor, than it makes zero sense to think that the Nexus 6 with a newer technically better Sony Exmor IMX214 and slightly larger 1/3.06 sensor is worse, and it makes even less sense to think that the 2nd Gen Moto X with a newer generation Sony Exmor RS IMX135 and also slightly larger 1/3.06 sensor is worse.
People make all these subjective judgements about the cameras in the phones and don't realize that they all have more or less the same sensor in them from Sony.
What's more you based your initial judgement about the Nexus 6 camera on a couple random poorly taken snapshots linked to in the OP, from a pre-prodcution Nexus 6 that may not have even had the same sensor in it as the final production unit.
So yes you have a right to your opinion. But it is a very poorly reasoned, jumping to unfounded conclusions opinion, based on a misunderstanding of the actual sensors in these phones. Wait for a good site, like Dpreview to test the camera in the Nexus 6 or Moto X and then maybe you will have a basis for coming to some sort of conclusion.
But in the end, with the 1/3 sensors, these phones are still going to all be in the same ballpark. People can make a big deal out of minor distinctions, if they want to, but it's silly and not meaningful in real world situations. The reason to spend a lot of money on a phone like this is not for the camera.
cb474 said:
You have the right to have your opinion but that doesn't make it a thoughtful opinion.
If you think the Nexus 5 was good enough, with a Sony Exmor IMX179 1/3.2 sensor, than it makes zero sense to think that the Nexus 6 with a newer technically better Sony Exmor IMX214 and slightly larger 1/3.06 sensor is worse, and it makes even less sense to think that the 2nd Gen Moto X with a newer generation Sony Exmor RS IMX135 and also slightly larger 1/3.06 sensor is worse.
People make all these subjective judgements about the cameras in the phones and don't realize that they all have more or less the same sensor in them from Sony.
What's more you based your initial judgement about the Nexus 6 camera on a couple random poorly taken snapshots linked to in the OP, from a pre-prodcution Nexus 6 that may not have even had the same sensor in it as the final production unit.
So yes you have a right to your opinion. But it is a very poorly reasoned, jumping to unfounded conclusions opinion, based on a misunderstanding of the actual sensors in these phones. Wait for a good site, like Dpreview to test the camera in the Nexus 6 or Moto X and then maybe you will have a basis for coming to some sort of conclusion.
But in the end, with the 1/3 sensors, these phones are still going to all be in the same ballpark. People can make a big deal out of minor distinctions, if they want to, but it's silly and not meaningful in real world situations. The reason to spend a lot of money on a phone like this is not for the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My opinion is based off of the moto x 2014. Nothing concrete has been released about the camera internals that I've seen.
I'm buying this phone even if it doesn't have a camera (That's a lie)
As I note above more than once, the Nexus 6 has the Sony Exmor IMX214 sensor. That information is readily available online. See: http://www.devicespecifications.com/en/model/617b3011. This is the same sensor as in the OnePlus One, a phone for which the camera has been praised a lot and the OnePlus One doesn't even have OIS.
That being said, the 2nd Gen Moto X, as I said, has a Sony Exmor RS IMX135. This is the same sensor as in the Galaxy S4, making it completely silly that you're so down on the 2nd Gen Moto X, but hold up the Galaxy S4 as your minimun standard that a phone camera has to meet. The IMX135 can also be found in the LG G3, the LG G2, the Note 3, amongst many other phones, further putting the lie to the idea that there are big differences between the cameras in these phones.
Doesn't camera software also play a role in how well a photo is taken?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
DirgeExtinction said:
Doesn't camera software also play a role in how well a photo is taken?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To some degree yes. But it's relevance is pretty minor. Sometimes there are problems when a phone first comes out that are later corrected in software updates(colors being off one way or another). A lot of phones favor oversaturated colors, instead of more realistic colors, which is something determined by how the image is processed by the phone after it is captured. Some phones apply more sharpening effects, which at first glance make an image look, well, sharper, but actually eliminate some detail in the image (though you will only notice if you zoom all the way in to the pixel level--which is not what most people are doing, most people are downsizing images to send to people and therefore eliminating most of quality of the image to begin with). But again, this is all fiddling around the edges to compensate for what are essentially very small sensors that are simply physically limited in what they can do.
Also, these software effects are pretty much all things that can be changed in post-processing on a computer, so they are not ultimate limitations to the images that can be produced with a particular phone. But the sensor is such a limitation, there is no getting beyond what it is or is not possible with a paritcular sensor.
Looks like we're gonna get another mediocre camera in a Nexus device, nothing abnormal here. I don't mind too much, I rarely, if ever, use my phone as a camera. If I anticipate taking photos, I'll bring a real, decent camera with me. Otherwise the mediocre shots from the Nexus'll be just fine.
Was kind of hoping that they'd get the camera right this time, though. I would have been nice, especially for others who rely on it more, but it seems they put their money elsewhere.
PewPewK said:
Looks like we're gonna get another mediocre camera in a Nexus device, nothing abnormal here. I don't mind too much, I rarely, if ever, use my phone as a camera. If I anticipate taking photos, I'll bring a real, decent camera with me. Otherwise the mediocre shots from the Nexus'll be just fine.
Was kind of hoping that they'd get the camera right this time, though. I would have been nice, especially for others who rely on it more, but it seems they put their money elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you look at my posts above? The Nexus 6 has the same Sony camera sensor as the OnePlus One, which a lot of people have praised for it's photos. Plus it has OIS. Yes the Nexus 5 and especially the Nexus 4 had subpar cameras, by today's standards. But the Nexus 6 is pretty much on a par with all other flagships out there. It should be a step up (on a par with the LG G3, iPhone, Galaxy S4, etc.).
That being said, as I've argued above, all of the latest flagship phones these days have mediocre cameras, because of their 1/3 sensors, so in that sense the Nexus 6 will be no different. The only truly good flagship phone camera is the Galaxy S5, which has a larger 1/2.5 sensor. And the only phones with what could be called next generation, big step forward cameras, are the Nokia 1020 and the Nokia 808, with huge 1/1.5 and 1/1.2 sensors (respectively), mechanicals shutters, and other advances way beyond anything else.
But I think there's no reason to be down on the Nexus 6 for it's camera. It's keeping up with the pack.

My camera showdown! OPO vs Nexus5 vs i6+

Welcome to my camera comparison!
2/15/2015 - Updated to include the iPhone 4s, for people who were offended by comparing the flagship killer to a flagship which is newer and twice as expensive (this, despite all flagships being more expensive than the OPO, and the Nexus 6 for example—which uses the same sensor as the OPO—being both newer and more expensive).
Landscape
Great Lighting
Indoors Person
Indoors Fine Detail
All pictures were taken at highest quality with autofocus. For each scenario I provided a gallery of 8 shots:
- OPO AUTO = OnePlus One, stock camera, Auto mode
- OPO HDR = OnePlus One, stock camera, HDR mode
- OPO GOOGLE AUTO = OnePlus One, Google Camera, HDR disabled
- OPO GOOGLE HDR = OnePlus One, Google Camera, HDR enabled
- 6PLUS AUTO = iPhone 6 Plus, stock camera, HDR disabled
- 6PLUS HDR = iPhone 6 Plus, stock camera, HDR enabled
- NEXUS5 AUTO = Nexus 5, stock camera, HDR disabled
- NEXUS5 HDR = Nexus 5, stock camera, HDR enabled
My thoughts:
If I had to choose one, it would be the iPhone 6 Plus without a second thought. It opens in one second, has OIS and catpures an HDR shot in a split second, captures more low light detail in either mode regardless of overall lighting, and in general it captures fine detail better than the OPO (check the keyboard in the Indoor Fine Detail gallery) or, at worst, the same albiet with better color reproduction. Between the OPO with either camera app, and the Nexus 5, I find the Nexus 5 to be preferable because it has OIS which means I'm able to get more fine detail than the OPO despite the OPO's higher resolution, and further the Nexus 5 is able to pull more detail out of the highlights and shadows of shots that have extremes of both (like a foreground subject backlit by a bright sky). Overall the OPO camera is incredibly disappointing; It takes forever to take HDR shots or Clear Image shots, and I can't get consistently good shots in any mode with any camera app. What's more, the only time OPO doesn't seem like it has an 8MP shooter is in Clear Image mode, which is unfortunately plagued by being as inconsistent as any other shot by the OPO in any other mode with any other camera app. In dim-ish to low light, you'd be better off drawing a picture by hand than trying to capture anything useful with the OPO.
I've taken some really fantastic shots with the stock camera on my OPO, I honestly believe it's just a matter of knowing how to use it and playing to its strengths.
Transmitted via Bacon
timmaaa said:
I've taken some really fantastic shots with the stock camera on my OPO, I honestly believe it's just a matter of knowing how to use it and playing to its strengths.
Transmitted via Bacon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These camera shootouts and other comparisons have always been useless IMO. The OPO has consistently taken great photos for me; knowing the angles the camera needs to capture more light and using some common sense about where to take photos goes a long way. If being able to snap a photo anywhere is a must for you buy a DSLR
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Renosh said:
These camera shootouts and other comparisons have always been useless IMO.
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It's just an objective demonstration and comparison. If it's of no use to you then who am I to complain. It is what it is.
timmaaa said:
some really fantastic shots...it's just a matter of knowing how.
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I'm not here to talk **** about the OPO camera, even if I do think it's terrible. I did the comparison for myself (and decided to publish it after the fact) precisely because I think it's terrible. So to me it's curious how people are happy to defend it. For example, your statement is the opposite of what a marketing team would want to say, and I'm sure it's the opposite of what smartphone camera software engineers aim for. These are intended to be point and shoot, not for people who "just know how." Per OPO's own ad, it's supposed to take "astounding shots, any time, day or night, without suffering the problems of other cameras." Without a doubt the nighttime performance of this camera is horrendous, but even it's automatic performance falls short. The fact that you have to wrestle it into submission even during reasonable conditions is a testament to how far they missed the mark with this.
.psd said:
I'm not here to talk **** about the OPO camera, even if I do think it's terrible. I did the comparison for myself (and decided to publish it after the fact) precisely because I think it's terrible. So to me it's curious how people are happy to defend it. For example, your statement is the opposite of what a marketing team would want to say, and I'm sure it's the opposite of what smartphone camera software engineers aim for. These are intended to be point and shoot, not for people who "just know how." Per OPO's own ad, it's supposed to take "astounding shots, any time, day or night, without suffering the problems of other cameras." Without a doubt the nighttime performance of this camera is horrendous, but even it's automatic performance falls short. The fact that you have to wrestle it into submission even during reasonable conditions is a testament to how far they missed the mark with this.
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You were claiming you're making an objective comparison yet you were biased from the beginning. Nice try though. You probably half assed your way to get the results you expected.
Using marketing ads to form an opinion is dumb, they'll all exaggerate. Use the camera figure out it's strengths and enjoy it. I don't have the luxury of a secondary phone. Came from a G2 though and it took similarly good photos. Still had to figure out angles and right conditions to take shots, as well as a steady hand helps. Only camera that I've had that was downright abysmal was the Nexus 4.
Next time you wanna compare phones do it for yourself to make a choice on which phone to keep or whatever reason you did it. There are tons of sites like gsmarena that do these comparisons. Once you start comparing anything between phones instead of liking something for what it can offer, it never ends
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.psd said:
I'm not here to talk **** about the OPO camera, even if I do think it's terrible. I did the comparison for myself (and decided to publish it after the fact) precisely because I think it's terrible. So to me it's curious how people are happy to defend it. For example, your statement is the opposite of what a marketing team would want to say, and I'm sure it's the opposite of what smartphone camera software engineers aim for. These are intended to be point and shoot, not for people who "just know how." Per OPO's own ad, it's supposed to take "astounding shots, any time, day or night, without suffering the problems of other cameras." Without a doubt the nighttime performance of this camera is horrendous, but even it's automatic performance falls short. The fact that you have to wrestle it into submission even during reasonable conditions is a testament to how far they missed the mark with this.
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I'm not trying to defend it, it has flaws, like any smartphone camera does. For example, Samsung shots are over-saturated and look awful. Nexus 5 HDR shots are too aggressive and look ridiculous (but then again, 99% of smartphone users have no idea what HDR is, how it works, how to use it, or even when you should be using it, they just use it because they think the result "looks cool"). Like the other fella said, forget whatever the marketing guys say because they're paid uber dollars to make you want something. They exaggerate, they lie.
Transmitted via Bacon
its amazing what coloros has on camera quality. It blows cm or cm s out of the water
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bachera said:
its amazing what coloros has on camera quality. It blows cm or cm s out of the water
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And now you can use it on CM.
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timmaaa said:
And now you can use it on CM.
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am testing it haha
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Thanks for your comparison. To really compare the picures, I think you guys should download them and watch them on your PC.
I will do so later, so I won't comment on them now.
Speedwise I can say, the opo camera from latest OTA opens in one second too.
I made a small collection of pictures where I think they are caught really good. These are by far not the best motives, just some examples to show what
can be achieved with a smartphone camera. All taken with the standard camera app, some are auto, some hdr, I think it is visible which are which...
Would you call them incredibly disappointing?
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/72qofxzgo2d9tjg/AAARPpNIsAQFkFPFAK3k87joa?dl=0
and no, these were not the best shots taken out of 20 made, but basically the only ones I took in these situations, especially at the Harry Potter expo which was really crowded!
Download them, as they are badly compressed when opened through dropbox online.
I can't believe people are so down on this comparison just because of its conclusions. Especially because I agree 100%. Nexus 5 camera was better than the OPO's, which is a huge disappointment to me.
All this nonsense about finding the right angle, etc, is just that - nonsense. Yes, it is good to know the limitations of the hardware and do your best to overcome them, but that doesn't mean the limitations are OK and you shouldn't acknowledge them/"stop complaining".
Both on XDA and the OPO forums there is always a huge amount of backlash against any criticism of this phone and the company, and I think that's really terrible. The OPO is a good phone but it isn't perfect and it and the company are certainly not above reproach.
The OPO camera subsystem in particular was poorly designed. 13mp with 6 lenses sounds great, but without OIS it falls down against camera's whose spec sheets don't read as nice.
The iPhone 6+ should be expected to take better pictures, being a generation newer and 2.5x the cost. This isn't exactly a level playing field.
Renosh said:
You were claiming you're making an objective comparison yet you were biased from the beginning. I don't have the luxury of a secondary phone.
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The comparison is objective. My opinion doesn't bear on the actual content of any given picture, and the fact that reviewers tend to agree with my assessment is just coincidence. I went in open minded because, unlike you, I do have the luxury of having other devices. Here's the thing: almost any camera can take a good shot "sometimes" or "if you use it right", but the reason marketers don't say "this is an incredible smartphone camera sometimes, if you use it right" is because that's basically the same as saying, "as a flagship killer smartphone camera, this misses the mark."
CafeKampuchia said:
The iPhone 6+ should be expected to take better pictures, being a generation newer and 2.5x the cost. This isn't exactly a level playing field.
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What if the iPhone 4s on iOS 6—cheaper and older by far—performs better, or at least favorably? What would you say then? And what about the Nexus 5—older and the same price (cheaper used)?
Anyways, I should have clarified in the OP that I did this comparison for myself because I own the phones and it seemed the OPO camera was terrible compared to my memory of the Nexus 5, so I wanted to test my memory against reality. I only published it after the fact in case others might find value in it.
AcmE85 said:
I made a small collection of pictures where I think they are caught really good.
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Appreciated, but of course we don't know how other cameras would have performed...
I originally came from a Nexus 5, and I agree that for general day to day use I would rather have the Nexus 5 camera. OIS makes a huge difference, and the google camera software works well, however it is quite limited when it comes to features (like setting exposure times and what not, this is where the OPO camera is better). Really not surprised that the iPhone 6+ delivers the best results all around, as this was the consensus among internet reviews.
I honestly think that the OPO's camera performance is moreso a result of poor software optimization more than anything (other than the lack of OIS). I have used CM for previous phones (samsungs, HTC) and I always found picture quality to be worse on CM than on stock software. And for those bashing the comparison, if you are gonna call yourself a "flagship killer", be prepared to be compared to said flagships.
A bunch of crap.
Had a N5 before and the picture quality can't compare. Learn to take pics and don't blame the lack of OIS.
The OPO camera is one of the best ones on Android's out there. Everyone say's that, but there is always some lame cheap ass with a lame crappy test trying to prove everybody is wrong.
And yes my opinion is not gonna change based on biased tests. I had two of the devices compared up there and clearly the N5 camera is a piece of crap on quality.
IPhone > Top tier Samsungs > OPO > lots of devices > Nexus
lordneopt said:
A bunch of crap.
Had a N5 before and the picture quality can't compare. Learn to take pics and don't blame the lack of OIS.
The OPO camera is one of the best ones on Android's out there. Everyone say's that, but there is always some lame cheap ass with a lame crappy test trying to prove everybody is wrong.
And yes my opinion is not gonna change based on biased tests. I had two of the devices compared up there and clearly the N5 camera is a piece of crap on quality.
IPhone > Top tier Samsungs > OPO > lots of devices > Nexus
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I feel like saying "learn to take pics" doesn't make sense - if the OP doesn't know how to take pics, their incompetence is constant over all devices ... in which case the comparison is still valid :highfive:
I didn't come here to defend the OPO camera, I've made a bunch of ****ty pictures with it myself, but in this test I actually like the OPO pictures the most. I downloaded them to check if maybe it's only because I'm looking at a downsized version, but even so they really seem the best.
I actually think this is one of the most OPO favoring comparisons I have seen.
You did name them correct, right?
MarkusLi said:
I didn't come here to defend the OPO camera, I've made a bunch of ****ty pictures with it myself, but in this test I actually like the OPO pictures the most. I downloaded them to check if maybe it's only because I'm looking at a downsized version, but even so they really seem the best.
I actually think this is one of the most OPO favoring comparisons I have seen.
You did name them correct, right?
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Ya they're named properly, I was very careful about that (I'm sure the metadata will confirm as well). Anyway you seem reasonable, you even gave the pictures a close inspection; and I'm not here to fight either, so I'm curious whether you feel the OPO outperformed objectively (and if so, where), or if you just like its pictures best subjectively?
Off topic: I've done the iPhone 4s pictures too now, I'll upload them tomorrow. Spoiler alert: 4s does a damn fine job for a 3.5 year old phone without HDR on a 2.5 year old OS (I keep it on iOS 6 because **** an iPhone 4s on iOS 7 or higher). Figured I'd do it for the haters saying its unfair to compare the OPO to newer, more expensive devices.

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