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[Q] Is the G2 camera not good?

I'm looking for switching from Lumia 920 to an Android phone with a good camera like the one in 920. I was close to getting a HTC One but I read horrible stories about purple fringing and so dropped that idea. Then I looked at HTC One X, but it seems to be an outdated phone and so dropped that plan too. All my friends have iPhone or Samsung and so I don't want to get them either.
Finally when I read the reviews for G2 it seemed to be the most perfect phone for me as it's said to have a nice camera, 5 inch display, Android and fast. On top of it AT&T has also promised an early free upgrade for G2. But when I read some of the threads here they talk about the camera being too slow and not good for indoor. I also read the thread about the Xdabbeb Mod and it seems promising but some folks in that same thread say that even after updating with that Mod the camera is still not that good.
So here I'm, so confused now knowing if I should get G2 or not. What's your opinion on G2's Camera? Again I'm looking for a decent camera that could take good pictures like my Lumia 920 whether indoor or outdoor. Any help is greatly appreciated.
(I'm sorry about the long post and for the wrong techy terms that I might have used here)

ratibars said:
I'm looking for switching from Lumia 920 to an Android phone with a good camera like the one in 920. I was close to getting a HTC One but I read horrible stories about purple fringing and so dropped that idea. Then I looked at HTC One X, but it seems to be an outdated phone and so dropped that plan too. All my friends have iPhone or Samsung and so I don't want to get them either.
Finally when I read the reviews for G2 it seemed to be the most perfect phone for me as it's said to have a nice camera, 5 inch display, Android and fast. On top of it AT&T has also promised an early free upgrade for G2. But when I read some of the threads here they talk about the camera being too slow and not good for indoor. I also read the thread about the Xdabbeb Mod and it seems promising but some folks in that same thread say that even after updating with that Mod the camera is still not that good.
So here I'm, so confused now knowing if I should get G2 or not. What's your opinion on G2's Camera? Again I'm looking for a decent camera that could take good pictures like my Lumia 920 whether indoor or outdoor. Any help is greatly appreciated.
(I'm sorry about the long post and for the wrong techy terms that I might have used here)
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G2 camera is excellent in my opinion. I never had a problem with it or had to install a modded camera on it. I didn't really use it but when I did the pictures were crisp & clear. I'm running AOSP now and the camera is still performing well. It all depends on what you want to use it for. The mods that you mentioned are great and if you ever have problems with the G2 camera flashing one of them will solve it. :victory:

It's exactly like what you've read. Shots with plenty of lighting are fantastic and stunning. Shots with lower lighting (as in indoors) are terrible with the stock camera--it takes way too long to take a shot after you hit the shutter button, as in 5 seconds sometimes. So if you have a moving target, you will miss the moment, or get a blurry mess.
Plus, the denoising algorithm is terrible. Detail on low light shots get lost and people's faces often look like a watercolor painting and unrealistic. Camera mods like xdabebb's help quite a bit, but still the camera has a lot to be desired.
Coming from the Lumia, you will be VERY disappointed.

beezar said:
Coming from the Lumia, you will be VERY disappointed.
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yes he will, but compared to other android phones it is one of the best cameras available, for the next 2-3 months or so. there are some pretty saucy rumors about the s5 camera though.

I used to have an HTC One before picking up the LG G2 earlier this month and it had a great camera. Until it started malfunctioning with the purple/blue/pink tint issue. The low light performance was awesome and the audio recording was the best I've had on a phone due to the dual microphones that it had. I haven't really had a chance to test out the G2's camera much but it's been alright so far. Just disappointed in the low light and microphone performance. The G2 does capture a lot more details with more accurate colors in normal conditions because of the higher megapixel count though.
These are really the only pictures I took to compare the two cameras before I sent in my HTC One to my insurance company:
http://imgur.com/a/OJlTa
Here are some photos I took with my HTC One before the sensor went bad:
http://imgur.com/a/9lRiz

The camera in decent light and with still objects is great. Like others have said, it doesn't do too well in low light conditions or with moving objects. I would expect that with the speed in which the phone takes pictures, that it would do much better with moving objects but you do get a blurry mess. It's a fantastic phone in every other regard, however, the camera could use some improvement.

I love the G2's camera. If you don't think it takes good photos, just look at these. None of these are edited, and straight from the camera. Photobucket reduces the quality a bit as well.

Thanks everyone. So it looks like I can't get pictures as good as the ones I get in my 920 but it seems I can still get decent pictures. I think that should be enough for me. I'm not looking for digital camera quality pictures but just the ability to capture good moments and share it with others. As long as those pictures are not bad I should be ok with that (yes, I'm convincing myself! ).
geoff5093 said:
I love the G2's camera. If you don't think it takes good photos, just look at these. None of these are edited, and straight from the camera. Photobucket reduces the quality a bit as well.
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Those are nice pictures. Were they taken using a camera MOD?

ratibars said:
Thanks everyone. So it looks like I can't get pictures as good as the ones I get in my 920 but it seems I can still get decent pictures. I think that should be enough for me. I'm not looking for digital camera quality pictures but just the ability to capture good moments and share it with others. As long as those pictures are not bad I should be ok with that (yes, I'm convincing myself! ).
Those are nice pictures. Were they taken using a camera MOD?
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A mix really, some with the stock LG camera, some using the AOSP camera, and some using the 1.5.0 camera mod.

Why should I keep the Turbo?

I've been running into the usual problems, at least, I think. The camera is so slow - I'm coming from a Galaxy S3, and I actually use that phone around the house as a camera because of how much clearer the pictures come out (regardless of the number of megapixels...). The volume on calls is low. And today, using the speakerphone, I hear complaints of an echo immediately.
I'm honestly considering switching to an iPhone - just because the camera and battery life seem on par with this phone, or at least better than what I'm used to with the S3.

Lower the resolution if its an issue.
It takes quite speedy pics at 8mp, just like your s3.
As for battery life, no the iPhone isn't on par.

I've turned the size down on Google's camera, it's frustrating that you can't do it on the stock camera. It doesn't really change the speed for me, too. The speed of focus on the S3 was much, much faster, and that's what resulted in better pictures. Not the size of the picture, or the amount of pixels taken in. Plenty of threads in this forum say the same thing.

Then take it back.
You don't need us to convince you otherwise.
I've taken great pics with this camera. I am not one to subject myself to phones I dont like for the sake of a camera either.
Always buy a device for what it can do, not what it might do in the future. It sounds like there is a device you rather have. You should get it.

You're right. Just trying to see if anyone has had any luck with updates, or any other camera app, before I make the switch. I bought it in the holiday return period timeline, so I technically have until January 15th. I'm not super ready to leave android, but it might end up happening after 6 years.

Is what it is as the saying goes. If an iPhone will make you happier that's what you who should get.

This will provide you with no help at all. But I'm going to toss in one, lol at the iPhone battery being on par with the droid turbo. If camera is your number one thing though, I would suggest the iPhone. No one will deny it takes the best pictures. And if anybody does, there foolish. You can't crop them lol but for a point-and-click nobody does it better

have u try to clean cache ?

I just picked up the phone last night. Im used to the camera automatically focusing. Am I missing something here.

robmc826 said:
I just picked up the phone last night. Im used to the camera automatically focusing. Am I missing something here.
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It does focus automatically, and the nice thing about it is that you can actually pick the object you want it to focus on by moving the shutter. It just takes 1-3 seconds to actually focus properly.

mikethecat said:
It does focus automatically, and the nice thing about it is that you can actually pick the object you want it to focus on by moving the shutter. It just takes 1-3 seconds to actually focus properly.
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Before you switch give this camera app a try. I've had better results with it. Lenovo Super Camera download version 3.6.7. @Demiurge7 has a good explanation of how the resolutions work here.

I'll try it out! Honestly, I really want to like this phone, but the camera is a huge dealbreaker for me. I really love so much else about it, but I'm coming from a phone that had a fantastic camera, even if the sensor isn't technically as high quality.

Because this is the best phone right now and with lollipop it will only get better.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app

rhouse1983 said:
Because this is the best phone right now and with lollipop root it will only get better.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
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Is there a way to make the double-twist open a different camera app? That would be awesomesauce.

If you want a better camera and want to stay on Android (seriously, iOS will drive you nuts), then you might consider the LG G3. The G3 has a fantastic camera with super fast laser focus and OIS. My wife has a 5s and the G3 definitely takes a better pics - especially indoors. The unlockable bootloader is a nice perk too. Debloated and Xposed, it runs flawlessly. My only gripe is the rear power and volume buttons.

OnePlus 5 Worth it

With the whole Jelly Scrolling effect with the 1+5, is it worth to get it at the moment or go for another phone

lg is trash

not lg at least.. a comparable model would be xiaomi mi 6..

I have seen many youtube videos where , OP5 easily beats Iphone and Mi6 in speed test. Apart from that, the camera is too good and if not the best but equal to iphone camera.
yes OIS is one thing lacking and it has impacted a lot.

ant_tony_sg said:
With the whole Jelly Scrolling effect with the 1+5, is it worth to get it at the moment or go for another phone
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Mine has no jelly effect. It is fast, slim, and works very well. The camera is meh, but I honestly don't care as I rarely take photos. I just want a beast of a performer with a (near) stock UI, great battery life, and that's what the 5 is. That I can root/ROM it easily is a bonus.
:laugh:
Is it worth it? Yes. The only other phone I would consider is the G6, but you take a hit on battery and performance. but it sure does look pretty.

Got mine yesterday, intended as potential replacement for my S8.
So far I am pretty happy with everything, fast, fluid, good handling - more impressions will come over time....
One thing that suprised me was, after all the discussions about the camera quality, a comparison of some shots between the S8 and the OP5 (with HQ-mode and latest firmware) - from my impression they are pretty close., and that was in a rather dim room. Will make more shots to compare for different kind of situations.
My take is: its worth it ! No longer a big bargain like the previous OP-phones but still a good deal !

Extremely Disappointed with the Camera

I come from LG G4 and the only reason to buy this phone was the camera for me and boy do I hate the goddamn camera on this phone! I loathe both the Rear and Front camera shots. I hate that their image processing is terrible. Their implementation of noise reduction algorithm is horrible for the front camera, and the lack of OIS doesn't help with the shots.
So I guess I am stuck with using pro mode - clicking RAW and processing just to avoid their horrible software implementation.
I just want to get rid of this phone or I prolly will end up using this as a backup phone just for its dash charging ! That is the only thing good thing about this device.
My LG G4 shots here - https://www.flickr.com/photos/giripix/with/37340217741/
I don't have any pictures to compare with OP5 cos the camera is so horrendous !

At this stage of the phone being released 3 months ago you should've already known about the camera 'qualities' from reviews?!

Dont you go for reviews prior to purchasing anything.
The camera isnt that bad, has got better with updates, and here at XDA, smartphones are a lot more than just a camera device.

you bought the phone because of the camera but didn't do enough research for it.
Most people buy this phone because of the Google stock feeling or the overall performance and dev support of the phone.
If you bought it just for the camera might aswel return it ^.^

Agreed with the users that have replied thus far. If you read enough reviews you would know the camera didn't live up to its hype post launch. That's not to say it's a bad camera by any means, but it should have given you a better idea of whether or not this device is for you.
If your primary purchasing factor is the camera, the Google Pixel or Galaxy S8 would have been better options.
Personally I don't find the camera to be that bad, it's really solid in good lighting as well, but to each their own!

The front camera is one of the better ones I've used, and the rear camera isn't "bad" (though could be better).
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

Who buys a phone for its camera? Its not a primary feature of any phone seeing how its so small it will never receive optimal amounts of light or have a large enough lens to get quality shots at all in any circumstances. Buy a phone for software not hardware. If hardware is nice consider it a bonus. A really good camera is only about 150 dollars. Just carry a nikon around.

Actually, OnePlus heavily marketed the camera; even making a note of it on the sides of the box. It's no surprise at least some people would have bought this thinking the camera was top-notch.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

venkig said:
I come from LG G4 and the only reason to buy this phone was the camera for me and boy do I hate the goddamn camera on this phone...
I just want to get rid of this phone or I prolly will end up using this as a backup phone just for its dash charging ! That is the only thing good thing about this device...
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NorthernLight_ said:
At this stage of the phone being released 3 months ago you should've already known about the camera 'qualities' from reviews?!
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a senior member on xda and no research before purchase
why don't you go an get this https://www.ebay.com/p/LG-G4-H815-32GB-Metallic-Gray-Unlocked-Smartphone/218349514

It's a SMARTPHONE camera. It's never going to replace a DSLR. Its actually a good camera. I don't have a problem with the quality at all (though I'm an enthusiast Photographer and know that no phone camera will like a DSLR). Most of the reviews flame the camera as much worse then it really is. That being said... It's totally the OP's fault for there are 50 or more YouTube video reviews on the camera.
To say it's the worst phone you've bought... lol you sound bitter as this phone is the fastest, smoothest phone out there with the best battery and fastest charging phone out there. It's got a very good display, but not the best. I think that is really the only area this phone lags behind flagships... the display.

Im finding it about on par with my I7, slightly worse in low light but focuses much faster.
Worse than my note 8, better than my XZp

It's like the only device that had day 1 reviews from tons of known reviewers so you had all the time in the world to research about the product you're buying and yet you didn't. Yeah camera is crap compared to other flagships, we don't care, move along.

I don't mind the camera, it's decent.

How can you be "extremely disappointed" ?
I receive my OP5 about a week ago and is by far the best smartphone I ever had in term of photos.
I'm coming from a Galaxy S6 how he's a "one of the best photos taker". He has a better camera that the LG G4 if you read the reviews. The best part it's that I think the S6 has a decent rear camera and a awful front camera who made your skin like a doll. Do you know why ? Because Samsung use a simple trick to avoid the noise in the photos : blur all the picture in low light and we can tell that our phones are really good in low light. I can tell you that this phone is really, but really better that my previous S6.
But I have compared with a S7 too (the S8 have the same lens and is considered one of the best photos takers of the market) and a iPhone 6s. He out-performed well all this phones. I don't even talk about the front camera who is simply the best in the market.
The only issue with the rear camera is in the low light, but this can be fixed with the Pro mode or the Google Camera modded with HDR+.

Mi A1: could it be the best choice for a budget phone?

Hi everyone.
I'm looking for a new phone that could be solid and valuable for everyday use, but I have a budget limit of 250 $. I'll certainly buy a top of the line device later but, since my needs are really basic, I prefer to have a cheaper phone along this period, and change it without too many worries once I'll have the chance.
The Mi A1 seems really promising, but I also read mixed thoughts about it. I mainly use the phone for social apps, light gaming and I like to do a lot of photos, but always intended for social use. I'll try to summarize all my doubts:
1) the update plan: A1 is an Android One device. Can I expect a reasonable amount of updates compared to other phones or other devices by Xiaomi with Miui? I'd really hate to buy a phone that will be "dead" (under the updates point of view) soon.
2) Camera: as I said before, I use the camera a lot. I read that A1 allows to take good photos for its price range. The only cons is the quality of the camera under low-light conditions. Beside this, does it have a good camera? Are its limits solvable with updates or are they hardware limits?
3) Front Camera: is it good? I watched some tests, and I noticed it can make good selfies, but I'd like some other feedbacks. Is the front camera good, even if it only is a 5 mp?
So, the final question: do you recommend this phone according to my budget? Are there better phones around with better camera and performance?
As far as I know, A1 is a best buy, since it's difficult to reach the same overall quality price ratio at that price. Other phones on the same price range have better cameras, but worse performances, or they won't get updates anymore. I'd like some other feedbacks before deciding.
Thanks in advance!

as from experience, value for money, YES the MiA1 provide that kan of leverage.. and without NFC though... just to keep that in mind
the front facing camera with 5MP sensor is horrible.. and the rear facing ones, in outdoor light it is great but in low light it doesn't count much in sattisfaction
BUT for the camera purpose, you could root the device with magisk then sideload GCam HDR+ for a better an awesome results :victory: the hardware has many potential, but the software side it's provided by xiaomi themselves and until this day no software update is present..

wait for this years release of phones including note 5, moto g6 play etc. They will have better processor, oreo out of the box( meaning they will have Project Treble). Even with Snapdragon 630 you will get bluetooth 5.0.

adfds said:
wait for this years release of phones including note 5, moto g6 play etc. They will have better processor, oreo out of the box( meaning they will have Project Treble). Even with Snapdragon 630 you will get bluetooth 5.0.
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Go with 630.

wawing_b said:
the front facing camera with 5MP sensor is horrible.. and the rear facing ones, in outdoor light it is great but in low light it doesn't count much in sattisfaction
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That's a really bad news, since the front camera is one of my priorities I was sure it was good, the quality of the shots I found online was more than average :crying:

adfds said:
wait for this years release of phones including note 5, moto g6 play etc. They will have better processor, oreo out of the box( meaning they will have Project Treble). Even with Snapdragon 630 you will get bluetooth 5.0.
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That's a really good advice. Thanks. I guess I have to find a really cheap phone that allows me to survive until some interesting devices come out.

Heisenbear said:
That's a really bad news, since the front camera is one of my priorities I was sure it was good, the quality of the shots I found online was more than average :crying:
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well it might be good..
but if you wanted the best quality in front facing camera I guess you have to look elsewhere and streching your budget a bit to strive fort that quality.. at least a minimal of 8 MP or above for the front camera
and if you still wanted the MiA1, you could side load GCam HDR+ after rooting it... and another one, Portrait cam if I'm not mistaken.. on the hardware side it's plausable, but then on the software side xiaomi hasn't publish any cam app update (yet)

wawing_b said:
well it might be good..
but if you wanted the best quality in front facing camera I guess you have to look elsewhere and streching your budget a bit to strive fort that quality.. at least a minimal of 8 MP or above for the front camera
and if you still wanted the MiA1, you could side load GCam HDR+ after rooting it... and another one, Portrait cam if I'm not mistaken.. on the hardware side it's plausable, but then on the software side xiaomi hasn't publish any cam app update (yet)
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I know, a 8 mp camera would be a sensible improvement, but my low budget limit is due to the fact that it will be only a temporary device, until the moment I'll buy a top-of-the-line smartphone later.
I just need a reliable phone for this period, capable of doing almost everything in an acceptable way.
This explains my question. Is the front camera so horrible? I was pretty satisfied with my iphone 5 front camera, which is only a 1,2 MP. I doubt the shots of a 2017 phone could be worse than those ones

It's not so much the MP that really matters, it's the processing and the sensor. In good lighting, the front camera is not bad. In lower lighting, it makes everyone look like a wax figure (bad processing + high ISO + heavy noise reduction).

goofball2k said:
It's not so much the MP that really matters, it's the processing and the sensor. In good lighting, the front camera is not bad. In lower lighting, it makes everyone look like a wax figure (bad processing + high ISO + heavy noise reduction).
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That's true. It's undeniable, the pics under low-light conditions are really insufficient. I clearly noticed this watching the various samples around. I could be wrong, but it's a common problem for low budget phones, so there're not many choices within that range of price.
I have another doubt, speaking of xiaomi phones. How is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x, compared with A1 or other low budget phones? Could it be a valid alternative?

The camera is a shocker and the android one program a joke. Don't even consider it.
Wait.

Value for money.. Yes.. considering the cost to hardware ratio definitely VFM..
Updates is under Mi.. Dont fall for the android one tag.. Buggy os, poor updates.. Almost 5 months and they couldn't solve the contact linking issue..
Back camera takes good pics in good lighting condition.. Front camera module is same as that of Redmi note 4, i've read.. Only problems most pics don't look natural..
Loudspeakers actually loud.. I can hear ringtones for once..
Havent felt audio is that great.. havent experienced white noise issue..
Batterys good..
The biggest letback of the device is its os.. Very poorly developed.. Lots of bugs.. I've had more than 5 redmi devices.. The software experience was solid.. But here its pathetic & very frustrating.. U often get the feeling u r running a WIP custom rom.. So much potential in the phone & very much wasted.. This is the most frustrating device i have used till date.. So this is one device i won't recommend..

as an owner of mia1 , now i would have bought the new nokia 6 (2018) , xiomi is a total disaster with software, i got mia1 thinking google would take care of the software but that would have been to good to be true

wawing_b said:
as from experience, value for money, yes the mia1 provide that kan of leverage.. And without nfc though... Just to keep that in mind
the front facing camera with 5mp sensor is horrible.. And the rear facing ones, in outdoor light it is great but in low light it doesn't count much in sattisfaction
but for the camera purpose, you could root the device with magisk then sideload gcam hdr+ for a better an awesome results :victory: The hardware has many potential, but the software side it's provided by xiaomi themselves and until this day no software update is present..
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Click to collapse
i bought a1 in october and got about 15 updates .

Best choice?
Yes and no.
Some like it some hate it.
I bought it, because it's dirt cheap and has all I need.Clean android(with mi camera and remote), good battery, dual sim, nice design.If you like that and don't want to spend money on pixel, this is a poor man pixel.
If you don't like clean android, it's not for you.
I optimised it, have zero bugs, don't have issues with hissing or screen, or reboots or whatever is reported here.
But others here are reporting that they have bugs.So there might be quality control issues.You can end up with a good unit, or with a bad one.
Bad thing is no kernel source yet, though it's xiaomi, they always delay that for months, but there was a rumour that they will release it till the end of january.We'll see.As a user point of view, not a big deal...but as a developer, it's a crap.
So if you are a developer, it's not for you.
As for updates, they are regular, don't know what others had before, but, just like nexus/pixel line(although it gets updates days after them and it is not on 8.1 yet) it will be covered for 2 years with updates and 3 with security patches.
So...no one can help you with that, but you.If you can, check it in a store, to see if you like it or not.
Sent from my Mi A1 using Tapatalk