Galaxy Camera review and samples - Galaxy Camera General

This is a review I made for the Galaxy Camera after a week's use. It's stunning and completely incomparable to other high end compacts.
A few features that I love: the smart modes (especially rich tones, light trace and burst shot), the slow motion video recording and of course, the Android 4.1.1 which is perfect for such a device.
Here's my Dropbox folder for the camera photo and video samples: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ocgbtdcra4zm8q/LjNTonk7PR
What you should check out: the difference between normal shots and rich tones (taken at the same time by the camera, the second one is HDR) to see just how much better it is than anything else, the slo-mo shots of seagulls on Dambovita river in Bucharest, the light trace pictures (some are taken without using a tripod) and the macros.
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy

I will check out the review later.
But, since you have played with the camera more than me, I have a question:
Is there a way to set manual focus? I wanted to record some equipment at work and as the equipment moves, the camera keeps refocusing. And it often focuses on part of the robot, not the part of the system I want to record. With other cameras you can set the focus and turn off auto focus.
floiancu said:
This is a review I made for the Galaxy Camera after a week's use. It's stunning and completely incomparable to other high end compacts.
A few features that I love: the smart modes (especially rich tones, light trace and burst shot), the slow motion video recording and of course, the Android 4.1.1 which is perfect for such a device.
Here's my Dropbox folder for the camera photo and video samples: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ocgbtdcra4zm8q/LjNTonk7PR
What you should check out: the difference between normal shots and rich tones (taken at the same time by the camera, the second one is HDR) to see just how much better it is than anything else, the slo-mo shots of seagulls on Dambovita river in Bucharest, the light trace pictures (some are taken without using a tripod) and the macros.
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

You can always click on the screen on the part of the image you want focused or you can set it in expert mode and change the settings there manually (f, ISO, exposure, shutter speed etc)

I am recording videos, so I don't want to have to keep refocusing.
And the robot is moving while recording.
floiancu said:
You can always click on the screen on the part of the image you want focused or you can set it in expert mode and change the settings there manually (f, ISO, exposure, shutter speed etc)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

floiancu said:
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be great to see how it behaves in low-light and with/without using the flash. Samsung cameras are notorious to fail in their operations (focus, video etc) at Low Light levels.

To be fair I haven't taken any indoor low light photos, but you can see the exterior night shots in the shared Dropbox folder. I no longer have the camera, but I can ensure you the flash does a hell of a job and I can't see why you wouldn't use it.

Well... This guy is not very happy with the horrible cracking noise when zooming in/out, and another guy says he can't use the flash as a light while shooting video... So I don't know what to think about this $500+ "thing"...

My zooming was smooth and pretty silent, although you could notice it in the videos. You can't use the flash when filming because it's a discharge flash as opposed to LED flashes on mobile phones.

This is a really good review! I especially like the way you have incorporated the sample clips in the video with good examples also of the different settings.
---------- Post added at 03:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:51 PM ----------
floiancu said:
I no longer have the camera, but I can ensure you the flash does a hell of a job and I can't see why you wouldn't use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come you no longer have the camera??!

apprentice said:
How come you no longer have the camera??!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had it from Samsung for reviewing. You can check my Youtube account and my other posts on XDA to see other devices I've tested for them.

E:V:A said:
Well... This guy is not very happy with the horrible cracking noise when zooming in/out, and another guy says he can't use the flash as a light while shooting video... So I don't know what to think about this $500+ "thing"...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well... this is a photo camera which is also able to take video clips. If you want a video camera, get one.
If you want a touchscreen and Android on a point & shoot camera this is the one to buy. If you can live without them you can buy much cheaper cameras with the same picture quality.

Before buying the Galaxy Camera or even commenting on it you need to understand its purpose and specs / advantages.
It's NOT a DSLR. It doesn't aim to be a professional camera (although it gives you plenty of manual settings) and it certainly won't take pictures as good. It does offer the smart modes such as rich tones (for which you need filters on a DSLR), macro and light trace (which takes tweaking and setting on a DSLR as opposed to two clicks), 21x zoom without buying extra lenses etc.
It's NOT a regular compact camera. The price tag, build quality, specs and features stress that out pretty well.
The main purpose of the Galaxy Camera is the Android OS which means fast sharing, cloud integration, picture editting on the spot, not to mention all apps available for regular smartphones.
If you judge it on these terms and actually find out it's what you need, it's the perfect camera. Otherwise get a DSLR or a compact camera. Nobody will be upset

floiancu said:
Before buying the Galaxy Camera or even commenting on it you need to understand its purpose and specs / advantages.
It's NOT a DSLR. It doesn't aim to be a professional camera (although it gives you plenty of manual settings) and it certainly won't take pictures as good. It does offer the smart modes such as rich tones (for which you need filters on a DSLR), macro and light trace (which takes tweaking and setting on a DSLR as opposed to two clicks), 21x zoom without buying extra lenses etc.
It's NOT a regular compact camera. The price tag, build quality, specs and features stress that out pretty well.
The main purpose of the Galaxy Camera is the Android OS which means fast sharing, cloud integration, picture editting on the spot, not to mention all apps available for regular smartphones.
If you judge it on these terms and actually find out it's what you need, it's the perfect camera. Otherwise get a DSLR or a compact camera. Nobody will be upset
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Well Said. I love my camera!!

floiancu said:
This is a review I made for the Galaxy Camera after a week's use. It's stunning and completely incomparable to other high end compacts.
A few features that I love: the smart modes (especially rich tones, light trace and burst shot), the slow motion video recording and of course, the Android 4.1.1 which is perfect for such a device.
Here's my Dropbox folder for the camera photo and video samples: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/1ocgbtdcra4zm8q/LjNTonk7PR
What you should check out: the difference between normal shots and rich tones (taken at the same time by the camera, the second one is HDR) to see just how much better it is than anything else, the slo-mo shots of seagulls on Dambovita river in Bucharest, the light trace pictures (some are taken without using a tripod) and the macros.
I'm available for any type of question, don't hesitate to ask! Enjoy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice review.
On your drop box photos, one of them shows the white, black and red versions, where is the red version available please for customers to buy. I don't mean demo versions.
Does a 64 GB card work in ex fat or does it need to be in fat32.
Is there a video editor and can it edit the videos shot on the camera itself. Can't seem to find an official case. On amazon uk there is a deal for this camera to get a discount on the short manfrotto tripod. Do you think that tripod would be fine for video as well as photos or would one need a different head for that tripod. Just looking for tips on that count.
On amazon different people say sgs2 or sgs3 battery works. Any idea which one actually works. Guessing its the sgs2.
Does it have USB OTG functions. If so does it need sgs2 or sgs3 USB OTG cable. I know you don't have the camera but since you seem to be a Samsung mobiler I am hoping you know about this.
My Samsung note can shoot videos longer than 30 mins. I read on other posts on XDA that this camera can't record more than 29mins 59secs. Is there a setting to increase this limit?
Did any of the Samsung remote apps work from your phone to control the camera like mobile link or remote view finder etc. Does the DSLR controller or any similar app work with this camera by wifi or USB.

I don't know about the red (I would say pink) version, in Romania none are available yet.
I don't exactly know about the filesystem type required for 64 GB microSDs, but I'm sure it's the same as the SIII, whatever that is.
There is Video Wizard, an app similar to Photo Wizard for editing videos shot on it, it's pretty cool and has more than the functionality you need on a camera, but I would rather use my PC for that so I didn't cover it... Maybe I will do an extra video specifically for that.
The tripod hole is standard, I used mine without any problems.
The battery has the same capacity with the S II, however I don't know if it's exactly the same. I will ask.
Yes, USB OTG is supported.
I never tried to shoot videos longer than a couple of minutes, but being a dedicated camera I'd be surprised if it had a time limit (besides the storage space).
The remote viewfinder option was available in the menu of the camera app, but after an update to the latest firmware it's gone. I haven't tested any remote shooting modes besides voice commands (which works like a charm, but you need silence and you can't see what you're shooting). If there are dedicated remotes for Android (not necessarily made by Samsung), then they should work on the Galaxy Camera without issues.

Thanks. On the engadget post about covers for this they show covers in white black red pink and orange. So i assume those are the proposed colors to be released. But can only find white and black online for now.

Related

[PHOTOS] Trip to Japan with the HTC One Camera - Pushing the Limits of the Camera

Hi all,
TL;DR - Pretty pictures taken with the HTC One here: Click
I've been very interested in the HTC One's camera ever since it was announced, as I believe that the philosophy behind the trade-offs made in its design are a step forward for the mobile phone camera industry.
I've recently returned from a trip to Japan and as an experiment, used the HTC One as my only camera (clearly not because my P&S was stolen two years ago!). I have taken nearly 8,000 shots over the 14 days I was in Japan and after nearly a hundred (if not more) hours spent in post-processing, I think I have a decent set of pictures.
I have annotated some of the pictures in a travel-journalistic manner. If you are a experienced traveller, I am probably not saying anything you do not already know. If you have never been to Japan, I hope they provide you with some insights.
A few observations I've made in the process of shooting said pictures:
The wide angle lens on the HTC One is wonderfully versatile, especially for landscape and architecture shots. Framing the shot is effortless and as it turns out, of utmost importance.
The most controversial aspect of the One's camera, the 4MP resolution does come with a very real drawback. You have little room in post-production to recover a badly framed shot. Cropping in post-production is often an unhappy compromise as you are left with less room to compensate for noise and blur. I would hazard to say that shooting with only the One for an extended period of time may be a great way to improve your composition skills.
The HTC One's camera software and auto-focus is fast and responsive, you can compose, re-focus/expose and shoot in a blink of an eye, which is something I took advantage of to take the multiple exposures required for the HDR pictures.
While no aspect of the HTC One's camera is exceptional, the package of a very fast f2.0 lens, optical image stabilization and above average sensor sensitivity means that vis-a-vis other mobile phone cameras, you will nail shot after shot in daylight and have a decent chance of grabbing something usable in low-light.
Will I do something like this again? Unlikely. The next time I can afford to travel, I will almost certainly be packing a decent camera. Do I regret the experience? Definitely not. Shooting with a camera like the One forces you to learn to frame your shots well. I like to think that technically, I am a decent photographer, but as far as composing a picture well, I have a long way to go.
Links to the various albums below. Sorry if you dislike Google+, but its easy to upload and annotate and it has a really clean interface. The albums are all public, so there is technically no need to sign in, but Google+ prompts you to login if you happen to be signed into another Google service. If you really want to avoid signing in, simply open the links in a incognito window.
If you are impatient, Kyoto and the Highlight albums are probably the best.
Comments, feedback and questions welcome. Wasn't sure if I should have created a new thread, if not, please merge into the photograph thread, thanks moderators.
Highlights
Tokyo (東京)
Odaiba (お台場)
Sensoji Shrine (浅草寺)
Meiji Shrine (明治神宮)
Tsukiji Fish Market (築地市場)
Hama-Rikyu Gardens (浜離宮恩賜庭園)
Osaka (大阪)
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan (海遊館)
Nara (奈良市)
Himeji (姫路市)
Kyoto (京都)
Kanazawa (金沢)
Shibuya Scramble Crossing (Youtube Video)
---
Photomatix Presets
edit: converted text to links
edit2: added link to timelapse of Shibuya scramble crossing
edit3: link to the photomatix presets I've used
Wow! Those are some very nice photos! Just goes to show how much power is behind our phone. It makes me want to go out and use my camera now.
Excellent shots! You clearly have a lot of talent! And that is some good post-processing too.
It would be great to know if you touched up the HDRs in post-production in anyway or are they mostly untouched?
ankanb said:
Excellent shots! You clearly have a lot of talent! And that is some good post-processing too.
It would be great to know if you touched up the HDRs in post-production in anyway or are they mostly untouched?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the HDR shots are not in-camera HDR shots, they are multiple pictures of the same shot combined in post.
Every picture has been touched up in post. The natural looking ones are probably just simple lighting/contrast adjustments, the surreal looking ones took more effort.
Love Japan. Absolutely love Kyoto. You took some really good shots
One thing I am a bit disappointed with is the amount of noise the camera has. (still love it hough)
Some of your shots (especially the HDR) are way too noisy for my liking, but that's a matter of taste or sometimes plain nitpicking.
Which settings did you mainly use?
Did you leave the phone in charge of most of the settings or did you do it manually?
I agree, you took some beautiful shots!
Makes me want to travel. Lol.
MartinS13X said:
Love Japan. Absolutely love Kyoto. You took some really good shots
One thing I am a bit disappointed with is the amount of noise the camera has. (still love it hough)
Some of your shots (especially the HDR) are way too noisy for my liking, but that's a matter of taste or sometimes plain nitpicking.
Which settings did you mainly use?
Did you leave the phone in charge of most of the settings or did you do it manually?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With respect to the noise, agreed. In most cases, with some work, as its only really bad for the uniform areas of the picture, the noise is entirely cleanable in post. But in most cases, I've chosen not to for effect. And the HDR process does tend to accentuate the noise and would typically not be visible if I had processed it for a natural look.
Still, it doesn't surprise me that much. I picked up a Fujifilm f100fd, a P&S as my last camera. It was supposed to be really good with low-light photography due to its excellent noise control. While clearly better then the HTC One, I found myself running into the same problems when post-processing the f100fd's shots vis the HTC One's shots. I think if you really want clean, low light shot, a DSLR/interchangeable lens camera with a fast prime lens is the only way to go, that or a tripod, depending on the picture you want.
Sharpness at -2 for virtually all the shots. Occasionally exposure at -1 is very useful, when you are sure that you can capture enough detail in a darker picture. You're essentially telling the camera, hey, I'm OK with a dark picture, take the next shot as fast as a shutter speed as you can. For that reason, almost all the aquarium shots are with exposure -1, as you don't really care about the walls of aquarium being properly exposed, you just want the fish exposed.
For the multiple shots needed for the HDR pictures, tapping at a bright spot, taking a picture, then quickly tapping at a dark spot, then taking another picture... The problem is that sometimes having the camera focus at a bright/dark spot means you screw up focus entirely.
The HTC One's backlight mode is incredibly useful when you want to take portrait shots with something bright in the background. I've used the landscape and HDR modes a few times, but I'm still not entirely sure what landscape mode gets me.
So... Long story short, normal mode, with sharpness at -2, with lots of tapping on the screen.
edit: oh, also, I manually flashed to 4.2.2, which meant that I had access to AF/AE lock. That came useful for the epic panorama of Himeji castle's surroundings.
Exposure -1 is indeed good in some cases. I've used that too.
I also want to try setting the ISO manually in dark photos as I believe there is room for lower ISO in some cases and the camera just increases it a lot.
I'm also not a fan of noisy, instagram-y photos like some of yours but you have some very nice shots.
I saw a link with a timelapse video. What's the deal with that? Is it yours?
Ooops, error.
Corduroy-21 said:
Exposure -1 is indeed good in some cases. I've used that too.
I also want to try setting the ISO manually in dark photos as I believe there is room for lower ISO in some cases and the camera just increases it a lot.
I'm also not a fan of noisy, instagram-y photos like some of yours but you have some very nice shots.
I saw a link with a timelapse video. What's the deal with that? Is it yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The timelapse video is mine yes. If it helps, the noise is inherent in the picture, and not added for "authenticity"
edit: I think the One generally makes good decisions when it comes to ISO, it priorities shutter speed over anything else, which I think, given the fact that in any low-light shot, you are going to get unhappy amounts of noise, is a good choice. A blurred shot is usually totally unusable.
shasderias said:
The timelapse video is mine yes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you do it?
Did you use the One?
Corduroy-21 said:
How did you do it?
Did you use the One?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. Sideloaded the stock android camera, used the timelapse function. Waited...
The pictures you have posted are just amazing.
Although I have a HTC One but I don't take much pictures. You have motivated me to take more pictures from this phone now.
The filters you have used in this are given ones or some other application for that?
Wow. I just went through every album. Those all turned out amazing.
Great pics! :good:
rahulwadhwani said:
The pictures you have posted are just amazing.
Although I have a HTC One but I don't take much pictures. You have motivated me to take more pictures from this phone now.
The filters you have used in this are given ones or some other application for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No filters used, photos are all taken normally and edited in post. Photoshop for all editing, Photomatix for most of the HDR pictures.
shasderias said:
Yup. Sideloaded the stock android camera, used the timelapse function. Waited...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
which timelapse function did you use? How come my phone doesnt have it?
aceonetwothree said:
which timelapse function did you use? How come my phone doesnt have it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't use the HTC One's camera app, I sideloaded the camera app from stock android (the one with photosphere) to do the timelapse.
Incidentally, the photospheres for some reason, turned out super low-res.
How do you manage to take photos with the phone using 3 exposure values, going into the menu and changing the value after each photo while keeping the phone perfectly still?
Love these! The Shibuya Scramble pictures gave me to flashbacks to The World Ends With You.

Photographer's perspective on the LG G3

These topics have been widely discussed, I just find this funny. I do professional photography, and I thought this phone would be great for me. Not only could I show off my photos on a glorious 2k screen, but it was supposed to have a great off-duty camera as well. Ironically, it's instead hitting some photographer pet peeves real bad.
1) The screen sharpening is bad. I see amateur photographers get over enthusiastic on sharpening, cause the sharper the better, right? No, you make ugly artifacts like halos. Now my entire phone does it nonstop. It hurts! This goes beyond the font issue that's widely been talked about. I love viewing photos through my Nexus 7 or HTC M7 because it's like looking through a window. Photos on the G3 just look artifical.
2) Another is the camera noise reduction. Noise is bad, so let's crank the noise reduction. No, some grain and more detail is much preferable to pics that look like watercolors.
3) I knew this one going in, but as the Andantech review pointed out, the color accuracy is bad. I can spend time editing a photo on my phone and paste it to Facebook, just to realize once I'm viewing on a pc that the pic looks nothing like my meticulous edit. Great.
I know I'm hypersensitive to these issues because of my profession. My wife didn't notice the sharpening. But it's funny that what I thought would be my ideal phone is such the opposite.
supposedmonster said:
3) I knew this one going in, but as the Andantech review pointed out, the color accuracy is bad. I can spend time editing a photo on my phone and paste it to Facebook, just to realize once I'm viewing on a pc that the pic looks nothing like my meticulously edit. Great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How long ago was last time you calibrated your PC monitor? Does your monitor have sRGB mode? And, BTW, maybe you even use some notebook with cheap junky TN panel in the first place? :laugh:
I use an ASUS PA246 wide gamut monitor regularly calibrated with a Colormunki Display, so yes, I have a good benchmark.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
supposedmonster said:
so yes, I have a good benchmark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad for you, well then did you try to compare pix from the net to view both on monitor and on G3 and compare colors? Like I did
Check that topic also, maybe you bought G3 with blueish panel
Man this was not an easy shot to pull off. It's hard to tell from the pic, but LG is on the left and Nexus 7 is on the bottom. The LG would equate to quite a few notches of saturation boost in Lightroom.
This photo doesn't quite show it well, but the Nexus is actually slightly less saturated than the calibrated monitor.
The colors aren't that bad in either devices (I mean you can only expect so much, I get these aren't meant to be crazy calibrated panels), but I'd rather edit on the Nexus and find them slightly more vibrant on other devices than on the LG and find it decidedly dull.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
supposedmonster said:
These topics have been widely discussed, I just find this funny. I do professional photography, and I thought this phone would be great for me. Not only could I show off my photos on a glorious 2k screen, but it was supposed to have a great off-duty camera as well. Ironically, it's instead hitting some photographer pet peeves real bad.
1) The screen sharpening is bad. I see amateur photographers get over enthusiastic on sharpening, cause the sharper the better, right? No, you make ugly artifacts like halos. Now my entire phone does it nonstop. It hurts! This goes beyond the font issue that's widely been talked about. I love viewing photos through my Nexus 7 or HTC M7 because it's like looking through a window. Photos on the G3 just look artifical.
2) Another is the camera noise reduction. Noise is bad, so let's crank the noise reduction. No, some grain and more detail is much preferable to pics that look like watercolors.
3) I knew this one going in, but as the Andantech review pointed out, the color accuracy is bad. I can spend time editing a photo on my phone and paste it to Facebook, just to realize once I'm viewing on a pc that the pic looks nothing like my meticulous edit. Great.
I know I'm hypersensitive to these issues because of my profession. My wife didn't notice the sharpening. But it's funny that what I thought would be my ideal phone is such the opposite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just curious about number 3 up there, and I'm not trying to be an ass, but why would any professional photographer spend time editing a photo on a phone meticulously, instead of putting the photo on the PC and editing it with PS? I mean, if you edit it with the PC, its a lot easier, and you also get a WYSIWYG.
Haha, well my camera has WiFi. When in on vacation it's fun being able to post professional quality pics to social media from my phone.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
The G3 display can be somewhat manually adjusted in color contrast, did you tweak it a bit? Maybe it'll improve.
Thanks, I have read about that. Without being able to use a preview image to calibrate I think it'd drive me crazy. Plus I doubt it'll help because it seems to only adjust color and contrast, not saturation, which is the bigger issue.
What bugs me more though is the sharpening, but I have faith that'll be fixed either by LG or the community since enough people have raised a hallaboo.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I can live with the screen sharpening (since it's all software and don't affect the photos themselves). I can also live with so-so color reproduction. But gawd, that NR pisses me off. What's the point of having a good sensor when you're gonna mess up the photos with mediocre processing. That being said... photos still look pretty decent in good lighting ;P
supposedmonster said:
These topics have been widely discussed, I just find this funny. I do professional photography, and I thought this phone would be great for me. Not only could I show off my photos on a glorious 2k screen, but it was supposed to have a great off-duty camera as well. Ironically, it's instead hitting some photographer pet peeves real bad.
1) The screen sharpening is bad. I see amateur photographers get over enthusiastic on sharpening, cause the sharper the better, right? No, you make ugly artifacts like halos. Now my entire phone does it nonstop. It hurts! This goes beyond the font issue that's widely been talked about. I love viewing photos through my Nexus 7 or HTC M7 because it's like looking through a window. Photos on the G3 just look artifical.
2) Another is the camera noise reduction. Noise is bad, so let's crank the noise reduction. No, some grain and more detail is much preferable to pics that look like watercolors.
3) I knew this one going in, but as the Andantech review pointed out, the color accuracy is bad. I can spend time editing a photo on my phone and paste it to Facebook, just to realize once I'm viewing on a pc that the pic looks nothing like my meticulous edit. Great.
I know I'm hypersensitive to these issues because of my profession. My wife didn't notice the sharpening. But it's funny that what I thought would be my ideal phone is such the opposite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sorry but you have me totally confused.......
I agree the G3 does have over sharpening which depending on how and what you shoot can have detrimental effects on the scene shot.
However, why on earth are you getting so annoyed with what is in effect simply a smartphone camera sensor?
Although I do not take photos as a profession I have however owned a camera since... Hang on a second......1963. Throughout time I learned many various methods and art in photography, travelling the world shooting all manner of photos with compacts and SLR's to the more recent DSLR and smartphone.
Yet, there is no way on earth would I take a professional shot with a smartphone nor would I expect it to achieve something which could be of use in a professional manner.
I do apologies but it does annoy me when I hear from someone first stating they are a 'professional' and use this word as their basis for a debate.
If you have an issue with the G3, fine I can live with that as you are very much correct, certain aspects of the software could be improved but let us not forget.
1. It is a smartphone.
2. It is software which means if you do not like the camera app that controls the shooting then use a different camera app.
I personally use the app 'A Better Camera' which is excellent.
I am sure as a professional photographer you must have heard of this app and learned the author is not just another coder but does have an understanding of photography.
With 'A Better Camera' as your tool you will find first it gives you back the manual controls and second it then allows you to be as creative as a smartphone will allow you.
Having said all this I have never ever ever been happy letting the camera dictate the shot but the G3 is the first type of camera that I am happy shooting 'casual photography' in auto mode.
Beards said:
I am sorry but you have me totally confused.......
I agree the G3 does have over sharpening which depending on how and what you shoot can have detrimental effects on the scene shot.
However, why on earth are you getting so annoyed with what is in effect simply a smartphone camera sensor?
Although I do not take photos as a profession I have however owned a camera since... Hang on a second......1963. Throughout time I learned many various methods and art in photography, travelling the world shooting all manner of photos with compacts and SLR's to the more recent DSLR and smartphone.
Yet, there is no way on earth would I take a professional shot with a smartphone nor would I expect it to achieve something which could be of use in a professional manner.
I do apologies but it does annoy me when I hear from someone first stating they are a 'professional' and use this word as their basis for a debate.
If you have an issue with the G3, fine I can live with that as you are very much correct, certain aspects of the software could be improved but let us not forget.
1. It is a smartphone.
2. It is software which means if you do not like the camera app that controls the shooting then use a different camera app.
I personally use the app 'A Better Camera' which is excellent.
I am sure as a professional photographer you must have heard of this app and learned the author is not just another coder but does have an understanding of photography.
With 'A Better Camera' as your tool you will find first it gives you back the manual controls and second it then allows you to be as creative as a smartphone will allow you.
Having said all this I have never ever ever been happy letting the camera dictate the shot but the G3 is the first type of camera that I am happy shooting 'casual photography' in auto mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speaking of which, is it possible to set long exposure (for night shots with a tripod, for example) with A Better Camera? Other than the automatic "Night Shot"...
fabripav said:
Speaking of which, is it possible to set long exposure (for night shots with a tripod, for example) with A Better Camera? Other than the automatic "Night Shot"...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not presently...... But note, this is not the problem with the G3 or A Better Camera.
It is Android or should I say Google who limited the speed to just under 1sec.
However, under Android L all will change as among the 400+ camera api's introduced camera speed is one of them. So 'hopefully' developers will raise to the challenge and add this vital missing setting.
Beards said:
Not presently...... But note, this is not the problem with the G3 or A Better Camera.
It is Android or should I say Google who limited the speed to just under 1sec.
However, under Android L all will change as among the 400+ camera api's introduced camera speed is one of them. So 'hopefully' developers will raise to the challenge and add this vital missing setting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, can't wait for that update for many reasons, camera included.
It's weird though that the Oppo Find 7 camera (for example) has a shutter speed that goes up to 32 seconds. How did they manage to make it avalaible? The sensor is a simple Sony IMX214.
I wonder if all the features of Camera FV-5 work on the G3, anyone tried it yet? (my G3 has yet to arrive)
fabripav said:
Yeah, can't wait for that update for many reasons, camera included.
It's weird though that the Oppo Find 7 camera (for example) has a shutter speed that goes up to 32 seconds. How did they manage to make it avalaible? The sensor is a simple Sony IMX214.
I wonder if all the features of Camera FV-5 work on the G3, anyone tried it yet? (my G3 has yet to arrive)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Oppo Find 7's camera doesn't actually keep the lens open for 32 seconds, it does a trick similar to what Camera FV-5 does in that it takes a series of shots from a thumbnail (hence why it's small and lacks any detail).
Re your query on Camera FV-5 ~ everything with the exception of ISO works. With ISO the dials say it has altered ISO but when you take the shot you find it has altered nothing.
A Better Camera on the other hand does alter the settings and does apply them to the shot.
It's the only app out there which utilises all the manual controls that are open to write permission, this also includes AE and WB Lock which again no other camera app uses.
[/COLOR]
fabripav said:
Yeah, can't wait for that update for many reasons, camera included.
It's weird though that the Oppo Find 7 camera (for example) has a shutter speed that goes up to 32 seconds. How did they manage to make it avalaible? The sensor is a simple Sony IMX214.
I wonder if all the features of Camera FV-5 work on the G3, anyone tried it yet? (my G3 has yet to arrive)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it does. I haven't tried the long exposure in FV-5 though.
Beards said:
Re your query on Camera FV-5 ~ everything with the exception of ISO works. With ISO the dials say it has altered ISO but when you take the shot you find it has altered nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera FV-5's ISO setting works fine for me.
ISO 100 1/60 F/2.4
http://i1.minus.com/iMbhMmPuhI3Es.JPG
ISO 1600 1/680 F/2.4
http://i7.minus.com/iNJO0u9CN5xvf.JPG
I'm a photographer (;P). I know what I'm talking about.
You have the D851 which is Tmob.. which doesnt have the sharpening effect.. at least anecdotally. same model i have and theres zero sharpening going on. the colors mind you are off, but its no galaxy S4 or G2.. but as was stated dont plan to edit on your phone and you wont be frustrated by using the wrong tool for the job.
dont bring a 400mm telephoto zoom to a job that requires a 35mm prime or vice versa.
Itaintrite said:
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Yes it does. I haven't tried the long exposure in FV-5 though.
Camera FV-5's ISO setting works fine for me.
ISO 100 1/60 F/2.4
http://i1.minus.com/iMbhMmPuhI3Es.JPG
ISO 1600 1/680 F/2.4
http://i7.minus.com/iNJO0u9CN5xvf.JPG
I'm a photographer (;P). I know what I'm talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really...... Thank you.
When was the App last updated?
Beards said:
Really...... Thank you.
When was the App last updated?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using v1.7.3. Updated June 27th.
Itaintrite said:
I'm using v1.7.3. Updated June 27th.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great... I'll give it another go against A Better Camera; although ABC does have many more controls.

Making the most out of the camera

Hey guys, would just like to start a discussion on tips/tweaks that are possible on the edge's camera. I'm by no means a professional photographer but would like to learn how to take a good photo from a smartphone. Maybe someone who is pro and in the know can help.
Tbh, its not like edge's cam is bad but I envy the iphone 6's camera performance especially in too bright (they just come off darker) and low light (not bright enough) scenarios. This is most apparent when I try to take a spherical/panoramic shot with google camera, the sky wont just have the same 'brightness' when the spherical photo is stitched completely.
It seems Ip6 users can just take good photos effortlessly. In dark scenarios, ip6 users have that feature where you can just click on the area thats too dark and it magically becomes brighter without spoiling the overall photo quality.
Spec wise the edge's cam should be superior so imo the edge cam can perform close to if not as good as the ip6's with the right settings/tweaks. So hoping someone can share their knowledge regarding this. Thank you.
I love the camera so far. I also use Procamera and A Better Camera. I downloaded the add ons and am playimg with them all. I really like the placement of the controls on the Edge. It takes a bit to get used to in landscape mode, however. I would like a "low light" or "night" setting. Maybe I just haven't found it yet!
Update 2/9/15: found out the camera automatically switches to night mode in low light. Pretty cool!
I've been using Camera Zoom FX for when I need the most amount of manual adjustments to my camera.
Most the time the stock camera app can handle most situations but sometimes manual is needed and Camera Zoom has always done the job for me.
But this is an app that requires some photography knowledge and not sure if this is what you are looking for since you are looking for something that is easy to use like the I6 camera.
I've been playing more and more with the camera. I am really liking it. I was getting frustrated with the "shot and more" mode until I realized some only work in the landscape mode. Panning really gives a great effect,! This api is very intuitive. I hear the Lollipop version is even better. Can't wait.
Are there any recommended setting for the Camera ?
Thanks
I've been playing around with it and usually leave it at a lower size (between 2-3m). I find you have to hold it really still. Action shot mode always comes out more blurry. I tend to like the shot and more mode so I can choose the best picture. Auto does great for closeups and distant, plus I like how it automatically changes to night mode in darker settings.
If you are having difficulty, try a higher ISO, like 800. I had to do that on my HTC Inspire.
May i know which canera audio file to delete when click in android 6?
Sent from my SM-N915G using Tapatalk

Which camera app?

Just got the phone today and I'm really enjoying it. Camera seems to take pretty decent photos, I'm just not liking the UI of the stock app itself. What are you guys using?
cas239 said:
Just got the phone today and I'm really enjoying it. Camera seems to take pretty decent photos, I'm just not liking the UI of the stock app itself. What are you guys using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock.
If you use another camera, it won't work with the Moto wrist flick action.
Darnell_Chat_TN said:
Stock.
If you use another camera, it won't work with the Moto wrist flick action.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I figured as much. I can almost live without that though. Coming from a Note 4 and i'm used to touch to focus.
cas239 said:
Yea, I figured as much. I can almost live without that though. Coming from a Note 4 and i'm used to touch to focus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Moto camera app has touch to focus. You just have to turn off the auto focus..
I'm trying to live with the Moto camera app....I also like it for the barcode scanner...... But, I found the HTC One camera app here on XDA. I've used that app for the last 3 years and have always wished it was available for other phones. It's in the Android apps and games section (here's the link to the thread): http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4/themes-apps/mod-htc-one-m9-camera-gallery-t3143538 I like the gallery too.
I've also tried MANY other cameras and the one I like the best so far, and it's new, is: ProShot
I also like Camera FV-5..... I just purchased it today. The 3.0 update that's coming out looks pretty good, that's why I got it now. I don't like the 21mp ratio aspect and if you change it, it takes off 5mp, but we'll see what happens?
Also like: A Better Camera - pretty good, but don't like the UI
AZ Camera - Manual Pro Cam - Just tried it this week, seems ok for a freebie
Open Camera - This one really impressed me for a free camera
Snap Camera - Looks like an upgrade to Open Camera, but I have some "touch" issues with it from time to time
Cameringo+ Effects camera - It has great reviews and 4.6 stars, but I just didn't like the UI either.
CameraMX - Pretty good for a freebie too
Google Camera - It's Google Camera Not much more to say
I plan on messing around with Camera FV-5 tonight to get a better feel for it......But I'll probably always use the Moto camera for the ease of access to it.
Thanks for the suggestions. Do any one of the cemera apps you mentioned allow users to manually set e.g. ISO? (I don't own a MXPE yet so I can't test this myself)
tele_jas said:
I'm trying to live with the Moto camera app....I also like it for the barcode scanner...... But, I found the HTC One camera app here on XDA. I've used that app for the last 3 years and have always wished it was available for other phones. It's in the Android apps and games section (here's the link to the thread): http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4/themes-apps/mod-htc-one-m9-camera-gallery-t3143538 I like the gallery too.
I've also tried MANY other cameras and the one I like the best so far, and it's new, is: ProShot
I also like Camera FV-5..... I just purchased it today. The 3.0 update that's coming out looks pretty good, that's why I got it now. I don't like the 21mp ratio aspect and if you change it, it takes off 5mp, but we'll see what happens?
Also like: A Better Camera - pretty good, but don't like the UI
AZ Camera - Manual Pro Cam - Just tried it this week, seems ok for a freebie
Open Camera - This one really impressed me for a free camera
Snap Camera - Looks like an upgrade to Open Camera, but I have some "touch" issues with it from time to time
Cameringo+ Effects camera - It has great reviews and 4.6 stars, but I just didn't like the UI either.
CameraMX - Pretty good for a freebie too
Google Camera - It's Google Camera Not much more to say
I plan on messing around with Camera FV-5 tonight to get a better feel for it......But I'll probably always use the Moto camera for the ease of access to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
case-sensitive said:
Thanks for the suggestions. Do any one of the cemera apps you mentioned allow users to manually set e.g. ISO? (I don't own a MXPE yet so I can't test this myself)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, most of those do.
The Camera FV-5 and Cameringo+ are capable of being almost fully manual. The ProShot has several of those too and the HTC camera even has several manual settings. Not sure about the others, I didn't explore them that much? Pretty sure they'll say in the description? If you get it narrowed down or need more specific info, I can *try* to help by downloading (one I own) and trying something with it? I'm a little restricted on time later this week, headed to St Louis for a business meeting (and Cardinal's game).
Are any of these apps able to shoot 720p in 120 fps? In the other cameras I have tried, I get a pop-up saying fps over thirty isn't supported even on 720p
tele_jas said:
Yeah, most of those do.
The Camera FV-5 and Cameringo+ are capable of being almost fully manual. The ProShot has several of those too and the HTC camera even has several manual settings. Not sure about the others, I didn't explore them that much? Pretty sure they'll say in the description? If you get it narrowed down or need more specific info, I can *try* to help by downloading (one I own) and trying something with it? I'm a little restricted on time later this week, headed to St Louis for a business meeting (and Cardinal's game).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! When you get a chance, could you use one of these apps to take a couple of photos in low light setting, and see if manually setting the ISO and/or (probably and?!) extending the exposure time would improve the camera's low light performance (without flash)? You probably need a (very?) steady hand
THANKS!
case-sensitive said:
Thanks! When you get a chance, could you use one of these apps to take a couple of photos in low light setting, and see if manually setting the ISO and/or (probably and?!) extending the exposure time would improve the camera's low light performance (without flash)? You probably need a (very?) steady hand
THANKS!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I had a few minuted today, so here's the setup..... I play in a band (just a weekend thing), so I went into my music room (aka, my bedroom) and turned off the light, but left the door half-way open and the hall light on... I then took some pics of my gear.
I snapped several pictures using 4 different apps.... There was almost no difference with any of the apps vs the Moto camera as far as quality goes. One disappointing thing, when I tried to change the ISO, 3 of the 4 apps crashed and the 4th didn't allow me to click on the different speeds?? It's almost like the ISO is locked to auto? They all offered a "night mode" which made it brighter, but added quite a bit of noise. There was also an exposure compensation that brightened up the image, but basically did the same thing as night mode and added noise.
I didn't post any of the images, since there was no difference and it wasn't the best of settings. I'll try to get some better testing this evening and see if I get anything worth posting?
The stock camera sucks, because it doesn't have different pic sizes. Only 16m for 4:3 or 21m on 16:9. Witch results in huge file sizes. I take a lot of pics for work and 2m is big enough. The lack of options is weird.
I have tried a bunch of camera apps with this phone.
Stock camera .....very poor quality compared to other apps.
These are the best (not in order):
Snap camera ...takes great pictures, probably the best of the three with the right settings ..... but currently buggy though with this phone ...auto-focus is not that sharp in low light, touch to capture works great and takes sharp focused pictures but is buggy (you often have to double tap to capture, but if you can live with that until it's fixed..) and also the video mode doesn't currently work
Camera FV-5 ....very good quality pics, sharp, detailed, on par with snap, no bugs found
Open Camera ....Very good quality pics, auto focus works best of all the apps, or on par with Camera FV-5 ...no bugs found ....video mode works ....and it's free
Does this app like snap camera or open camera drain more battery than stock caméra ?
Took this one last night at the St Louis Cardinals game.. The post game fireworks.. Not too bad for stock, set on automatic.
Darnell_Chat_TN said:
Stock.
If you use another camera, it won't work with the Moto wrist flick action.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock is ok but wow does the files really have to be so large. Kinda stupid. You don't have enough control to change picture size before taking a pic. Most of the time I am just emailing and texting pics you don't need a 7MB pic for that.

One Plus X Camera Samples

Here are some one plus x camera samples, I hope this thread helps others to get an idea about one plus x camera.
Video Samples of One Plus X Camera by some youtuber.
Front Camera - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMyjawiSG4s
Rear Camera - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAvlGPNpxvw
TL;DR, it looks like the X will probably have a decent daylight camera that produces somewhat soft & noisy images in low light, with quick focus & decent colors but a so-so AOSP-ish camera app.
GSM Arena's hands-on review is one of the few with any camera samples or evaluation.
HDR Off
HDR On
The image quality can vaguely be described as good. We could only test it indoors in poor lighting conditions. Considering the odds were stacked against it, we'd say the camera fared well and despite the lighting, the images are usable with good amount of detail and acceptable amount of noise. We'd like to test it more thoroughly in different lighting conditions but from our brief experience with it we are willing to bet the overall image quality is going to be pretty good.
The camera speed is also impressive. The camera launches and shoots quickly. The phase detection autofocus occasionally falters but is still quick even in low light.
The camera software is similar to the one on the OnePlus 2, which means it's really not very good. It follows the Google Camera app too closely, which honestly is far from user-friendly. There aren't many shooting options available and the app makes you feel like a novice who has just figured out how to take a picture. Those who want more control are bound to be left frustrated.
The camera app doesn't have any quick launch gesture by default but you can assign any of the capacitive buttons below the display to launch the camera by double tapping, but this only works if the phone is unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---------- Post added at 10:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:31 AM ----------
Add this to the evaluation:
engadget.com said:
An immediate worry is the OnePlus X's camera -- the 13-megapixel sensor is supposed to be a highlight of the device, but I wasn't all that impressed. On the 28th floor of a tower in central London, the photos it spat out looked a little soft and noisy. With large windows on either side, the room wasn't exactly dark or dingy, so low-light performance could be an issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cnet.com said:
I snapped a few photos and images looked sharp with accurate colors. The camera also operated quickly, with touch focus that adjusted smoothly. Its interface is kept to a minimum with few on-screen editing options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
COOL
cool
One Plus X Quick Camera Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87CxoFJBq2o
Looks good to me but then im not a photografer
I have a z3 compact and I consider the X. Even though the z3c is, by many, appreciated for it's camera, for me, it's terrible. Mainly because of the freaking long time it takes to snap a photo (impossible to get a good photo of my kid). So I'd take a downgrade in "perfect conditions" for a faster camera that's reliable of snapping usable pics.
What do you reckon?
Adebisi666 said:
I have a z3 compact and I consider the X. Even though the z3c is, by many, appreciated for it's camera, for me, it's terrible. Mainly because of the freaking long time it takes to snap a photo (impossible to get a good photo of my kid). So I'd take a downgrade in "perfect conditions" for a faster camera that's reliable of snapping usable pics.
What do you reckon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hard to say. At this point we have very little information on the camera since no full reviews have been published.
Adebisi666 said:
I have a z3 compact and I consider the X. Even though the z3c is, by many, appreciated for it's camera, for me, it's terrible. Mainly because of the freaking long time it takes to snap a photo (impossible to get a good photo of my kid). So I'd take a downgrade in "perfect conditions" for a faster camera that's reliable of snapping usable pics.
What do you reckon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Who knows, with a bit of editing, the photos might turn out to be pretty good. My old HTC One V had only a 5mp camera, but it was really fast. In good lighting and with a little tweaking, it managed to take some surprisingly good photos. I think the OnePlus X camera will do just fine, especially for the price.
Sent from my iPad Mini Retina using Tapatalk
Here are mine ! I'm not a photographer at all. I'm an amateur, i even was a little bit shaky on the flower picture
Front camera
PoloB49 said:
Here are mine ! I'm not a photographer at all. I'm an amateur, i even was a little bit shaky on the flower picture
Front camera
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post some low light / night photos?
Thank you so much
qwerty123321 said:
Can you post some low light / night photos?
Thank you so much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be great if you wouldn't quote his entire post including the pictures.
Here's a look at the OnePlus X's camera:
OnePlus X camera samples: What does $250 get you? | technobuffalo.com
qwerty123321 said:
Can you post some low light / night photos?
Thank you so much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's night outside, i used night mode with the app ProShot.
In normal mode :
The images look quite good. I wasn't expecting them to be that good.
How is the camera performing in taking quick snapshots? That will be my primary use for the camera.
Thanks mate
I found this interesting comparison with the camera on the Galaxy S6 Edge+.
ubergizmo.com said:
While the S6-series win if images are viewed in detail on a computer (no contest), they look quite similar on a phone screen or on Social Media. This means that for most usages (FB, Instagram, email, text…) the OnePlus X photo quality is quite comparable to the best out there. It is only when you inspect the photos from up close, that the higher resolution of high-end phones truly shows the difference:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source: ubergizmo.com
Please delete
I can't find the Option in the camera APP to change the storage mode from pictures to SD card. Anybody know that?
criz.89 said:
I can't find the Option in the camera APP to change the storage mode from pictures to SD card. Anybody know that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my question.
Why do low light shots have so much noise in them? My Nexus 5 has that too, I'm sure there is a technical term for it; what does one look out for when buying a camera to avoid that? Is there a way to clean it up with software?
Naatan said:
Why do low light shots have so much noise in them? My Nexus 5 has that too, I'm sure there is a technical term for it; what does one look out for when buying a camera to avoid that? Is there a way to clean it up with software?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main problems are a small sensor (collects less light) and sub-par lensing giving a high f-stop (lets in less light). The software has to compensate by increasing ISO (sensitivity of the image sensor), and that's what causes the noise. It can't be photoshopped out completely, and trying will always cause a loss of image detail.
What to look for: A camera with a large sensor, large pixels, low f-stop and image stabilization.

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