Seeking feedback re: camera quality... just how bad IS it? - Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers

hi folks,
been excited about this device since it was announced but have been real disappointed by the negative feedback on the camera. still considering the purchase but am worried i'll regret it. i am coming from the z3 (non-compact) so i have difficulty gauging just what people mean when they talk about, in particular, poor low-light performance. just how poor are we talking? like you can't shoot indoors at all or just that photos in dark areas will be grainy? will it be at least as good or better than my z3?
there have been some really helpful posts in this thread and i've read a range of opinions from "it's actually quite good" (see this android central review) to "i am returning this piece of garbage immediately" (various forum posts).
from what i can gather the device is a winner is most other areas (including all the ones that matter to me) but this camera stuff is a real sticking point. i mostly only use it to take pictures of my kids and tbh the z3 does a mostly good enough job so i'll probably be happy with any improvement at all.
thanks for any guidance you can provide, low light samples would be super helpful as well.

I think it takes better pictures than my X Performance, Z3, or Z2 ever did. I haven't noticed any grainy photos. I don't use auto focus a ton but when I've tried it the photos turned out fine.

GSMArena has quite a lot of sample pictures for various scenarios.
It will be a step up from the Z3, especially the speed (I have a kid myself, capturing the split second moment is now possible).
But if you want the absolute best camera on a smartphone, then this is not the phone you are looking for.
Also, from the same review, they have a photo that quite clearly shows the distortion people were complaining about, including me. Note how the building looks warped.
The same distortion is actually present in all photos, but as you can see from the other photos, one would be hard pressed to actually perceive anything strange about it thanks to the way our brains work.
Chances are you'll never notice any distortion for the majority of photos you take, unless you happen to have a grid-like background or object to magnify the effect.

mhaha said:
GSMArena has quite a lot of sample pictures for various scenarios.
It will be a step up from the Z3, especially the speed (I have a kid myself, capturing the split second moment is now possible).
But if you want the absolute best camera on a smartphone, then this is not the phone you are looking for.
Also, from the same review, they have a photo that quite clearly shows the distortion people were complaining about, including me. Note how the building looks warped.
The same distortion is actually present in all photos, but as you can see from the other photos, one would be hard pressed to actually perceive anything strange about it thanks to the way our brains work.
Chances are you'll never notice any distortion for the majority of photos you take, unless you happen to have a grid-like background or object to magnify the effect.
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thanks, that is really great. and yeah wow that distortion example is wild isn't it, makes that building look like some kind of wacky art installation.

Distortion is horrible, but only seen if some photos.
Overall the camer is good, not the best like from note 8, pixel2 or iphone 8 but still ok

profyler said:
Distortion is horrible, but only seen if some photos.
Overall the camer is good, not the best like from note 8, pixel2 or iphone 8 but still ok
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I agree. Overall camera performance is better than in Z3c, especially at low light and in department of focus speed.
But when you take a photo when distortion is visible, it makes you sad But in my case it was ~5% of photos.

Distortion is not really noticeable to me, but Sony's smoothing algorithm is.
Often, lots of detail is lost it parts of the image when viewing at full res.
I'll experiment with lower resolutions to see if it's still as agressive there.
Other than that, the camera is really fast to focus and make shots, and HDR seems to work reasonably well.
Haven't tried manual mode yet.
Super Slo-mo is a very interesting feature to play with.

Related

Nexus 5 is the best camera phone you will ever own, and heres why.

Right, so with a bold statement like "the nexus 5 is the best camera you have ever owned" you probably think i'm completely crazy. But I would like to try and see if I can explain why I made such a statement in the first place. With many of you mentioning how the camera doesn't measure up to other phones on the market and comments discrediting it all over the forum I though I needed to point out a few things.
1) The image stabilization is amazing. Literally stunning. Having recently been to see Bring me the horizon I decided to use the phone to take a few photos and some video of the gig. Now while the nexus 5 may not be the only phone on the market with good OIS it is most definitely one of the best. Have a look at some of the videos below, all were filmed completely hand held, and while the audio may be poor (ill get to this later) it is still a very good image considering the conditions.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/evPUs6pIeW0
http://www.youtube.com/embed/K2u-gR-XLVc
2) Low light performance is amazing too. Many people have compared this to the photos from the HTC One, and iPhone 5 saying that the Nexus 5 doesn't bring out enough light in certain areas and that the colours are off, but if you look at it properly and check the colours you find that the Nexus 5 produces much sharper, less over saturated and less hazy night time shots. Some people like the over-saturated look but honestly from the point of view of a photographer, your better to take a 'flat' image from the phone and edit it than try and edit a poor image from the HTC One. Of course I will admit the Lumia 1020 blows any other phone out of the water, but its hardly a fair fight..
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Although the G2 appears brighter in this image, the nexus 5 still wins on colour accuracy, that is however subject to opinion.
3) The Nexus 5 is aimed with amateur photographers in mind. The little ring around the back camera, yep that glass bit. Its magnetic which makes for very easy mounting of mobile extension lenses, this coupled with the very powerful new image editing tool in the gallery seems to hint that Google want to help you get more out of your photos. More importantly the editor is now non destructive, meaning you can undo all changes and get your original image back very easily. :good:
4) Nexus 5 images are a editors dream (when it comes to smartphones anyway). As mentioned above the Nexus 5 creates almost reference style images it makes editing, colour correction, exposure correction amazing and camera software updates on the way and a few improved camera apps in the play store, it can out put some very detailed near RAW quality images which a a joy to edit, not some of the over processed rubbish the iphone 5 and HTC output.
5) The aperture, while only being f2.4 it is still a reasonably wide aperture which means that it can do lovely close ups and in good lighting conditions its better than most point and shoot cameras. The camera is very sharp when compared to many other and while some people may say that the videos and photos in low light can get a little grainy but I think its at an acceptable level.
Sound quality, now although above I said the sound quality was poor, under normal conditions it performs very well, the problem in my videos was that I was at Brixton O2 and they have a 9000w audio system (for comparison your average disco is around 2500w) and this is made worse by me being stood three meters away from the subs.
Shutter lag, something I forgot when first writing this, is completely software based, many of the free camera apps on the play store fix this issue and I am sure goggle will fix this with an update soon!
So what im really trying to say is...
The Nexus 5 is the phone Google are branding as a way to keep memories, right from the first ad its has been sold as the phone to document life with and I think it really does a good job of that, yes the photos aren't DSLR standard but thats not what its about, its about making sure you get the shot, that memory captured to keep with you. I think the real ethos of the nexus 5 is the phone for life, and in that sense I think it does an amazing job.
But really the most important thing to remember is that
The best camera in the world is the one that you have on you at the time!​
You didn't address the long focus times and terrible shutter lag. Thanks for your effort but you are not convincing me of anything. You should also change your title to reflect if taking pictures of non moving objects only because anything that moves won't stay still long enough for the N5 to focus and actually snap the picture.
Your title also does not reflect your statement below either:
Of course I will admit the Lumia 1020 blows any other phone out of the water, but its hardly a fair fight..
-Reserved-
Please, post your opinions along with your own photos and videos taken with the nexus 5
User Photos
afraaa said:
i also wonder how ppl complaining ... in low light its awesome .. pictures are talking here and other review sites look here and see how nexus 5 beats iphone 5s s !!
it alos awesome on focus picturing : see for yourself and then you will ocnvinced
http://narenji.ir/sites/default/files/uploaded/pw/2528/2013/11/Google-Nexus-5-narenji-20131105.jpg
http://narenji.ir/sites/default/files/uploaded/pw/2528/2013/11/Apple-iPhone-5s-narenji-20131105.jpg
and also its about colors .nexus 5 has better natural colors :
http://narenji.ir/sites/default/files/uploaded/pw/2528/2013/11/Google-Nexus-5-narenji-20131105_0.jpg
http://narenji.ir/sites/default/fil...013/11/Apple-iPhone-5s-narenji-20131105_0.jpg
http://narenji.ir/sites/default/files/uploaded/pw/2528/2013/11/Google-Nexus-5-narenji-20131105_3.jpg
http://narenji.ir/sites/default/fil...013/11/Apple-iPhone-5s-narenji-20131105_3.jpg
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[email protected] said:
You didn't address the long focus times and terrible shutter lag.
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Shutter lag, something I forgot when first writing this, is completely software based, many of the free camera apps on the play store fix this issue and I am sure goggle will fix this with an update soon!
thanks for reminding me
I would also say thats not true, moving objects are not a huge problem its the focusing which again is only a massive problem if your taking photos of something very fast moving like sports, I also think this is easily fixed with software updates
Oli1122 said:
Shutter lag, something I forgot when first writing this, is completely software based, many of the free camera apps on the play store fix this issue and I am sure goggle will fix this with an update soon!
thanks for reminding me
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I am yet to find a 3rd party app that fixes the issue. So far they all have some kind of issue of their own.
Until we see a fix from Google this is how the camera is acting today and any review or opinion should based on current usage and not in the hopes of an update. No one knows when Google will fix this if they can fix it at all.
[email protected] said:
I am yet to find a 3rd party app that fixes the issue. So far they all have some kind of issue of their own.
Until we see a fix from Google this is how the camera is acting today and any review or opinion should based on current usage and not in the hopes of an update. No one knows when Google will fix this if they can fix it at all.
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Google are working on a fix to come out soon apparently but until then ive been using the Moto X camera apk much faster and generally much better. Another solution is to record a video and then tap the screen for instant photos. Once done just delete the video
nfl46 said:
I'm not sure why I started laughing while reading the OP's post. I thought they were being sarcastic, but they are really serious.:highfive:
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Yep, im serious
Oli1122 said:
Shutter lag, something I forgot when first writing this, is completely software based, many of the free camera apps on the play store fix this issue and I am sure goggle will fix this with an update soon!
thanks for reminding me
I would also say thats not true, moving objects are not a huge problem its the focusing which again is only a massive problem if your taking photos of something very fast moving like sports, I also think this is easily fixed with software updates
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If you think the camera only has problems capturing fast moving things like sports you did not really use your camera enough to write up your opinion article here. lol
Not saying the camera can't be fixed with software, I am just saying you can't review the camera based on an if Google updates it. When Google updates it, you can then update your review to reflect the update. Until then your review should be a tell all of the camera today for people who might be deciding on the N5 not what might be later on.
If you can't tell I am extremely annoyed at the camera on the N5 and Google for releasing it like this. lol
I've been using the MotoX APK and getting great quality pictures, very little lag and overall a much better experience. If I need HDR then I will use the stock camera. Focus time and lag shouldn't matter in HDR anyway since it's not moving.
[email protected] said:
If you think the camera only has problems capturing fast moving things like sports you did not really use your camera enough to write up your opinion article here. lol
Not saying the camera can't be fixed with software, I am just saying you can't review the camera based on an if Google updates it. When Google updates it, you can then update your review to reflect the update. Until then your review should tell all of the camera today for people who might be deciding on the N5.
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My review is based on what ive experienced with it so far with the stock camera app and im not guessing at what Google will fix or wont fix, ive used the camera in very different conditions and only found a problem with very fast moving subjects, but its not a massive problem and can be solved with other camera apps that are available now for free. I don't see your problem?
Oli1122 said:
My review is based on what ive experienced with it so far with the stock camera app and im not guessing at what Google will fix or wont fix, ive used the camera in very different conditions and only found a problem with very fast moving subjects, but its not a massive problem and can be solved with other camera apps that are available now for free. I don't see your problem?
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Please tell me what camera apps will help me right now because currently I cannot get any picture of my kid on my phone because he does not like to pose like a flower or a building. I am always willing to listen and have tried a few apps on the Play Store that need to be updated for the N5.
[email protected] said:
Please tell me what camera apps will help me right now because currently I cannot get any picture of my kid on my phone because he does not like to pose like a flower or a building. I am always willing to listen and have tried a few apps on the Play Store that need to be updated for the N5.
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Like I said try the MotoX apk, does a much better job than the stock one in most everything but video and HDR+
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2380199
Oli1122 said:
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Based on the samples the camera does seem very capable (albeit with high level of inconsistency), but it's dynamic range is subpar. Look how much clipping is going on, nothing burned out on the 5S photo while mustache fella's body is clipped all over the place. I guess that's more of a lens issue than sensor, but I do not like that in normal condition (non HDR) you rarely see a photo without clipping.
Certainly is the best in it's price range. I don't expect the best camera in a 350€ phone, but it's very good for what I need it. If I need to take quality pictures, I have my nikon dslr, which blows any phone out of the water anyway.
BoneXDA said:
Based on the samples the camera does seem very capable (albeit with high level of inconsistency), but it's dynamic range is subpar. Look how much clipping is going on, nothing burned out on the 5S photo while mustache fella's body is clipped all over the place. I guess that's more of a lens issue than sensor, but I do not like that in normal condition (non HDR) you rarely see a photo without clipping.
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Yes, you make very good points, I also think its good that it has good dynamic range and optics rather than amazing colours as you can edit those in post. You cant change physical factors like lenses in post. :good:
BoneXDA said:
Based on the samples the camera does seem very capable (albeit with high level of inconsistency), but it's dynamic range is subpar. Look how much clipping is going on, nothing burned out on the 5S photo while mustache fella's body is clipped all over the place. I guess that's more of a lens issue than sensor, but I do not like that in normal condition (non HDR) you rarely see a photo without clipping.
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Exactly, if you look at the N5 versus the others you will notice on both Finn and Jake there are overexposed, blown out portions you don't find on the others. This was a problem with the HTC One as well in my testing.
I am just hopeful Google releases a real fix, not some BS excuse for a camera fix. Having come from the HTC One I am happy with the overall quality of the N5's camera with the following caveats - most photos have to be shot in HDR+ and forget about pics of moving kids. I've actually been doing what was suggested earlier - take video and then quick tap the screen to take many single frames, keep the best. The one issue is if you do want to keep the video it stutters everywhere you took a photo - what the hell is with that!?
To the OP - I applaud your courage to buck the trend and make this review. Everyone's opinion counts!
Oli1122 said:
Yes, you make very good points, I also think its good that it has good dynamic range and optics rather than amazing colours as you can edit those in post. You cant change physical factors like lenses in post. :good:
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lol, you didn't address any points brought up in the post you quoted. The dynamic range of the Nexus 5 SUCKS, waaaaaaaay to many highlights blown out, and you can't fix all of it in PP from my experiences.
And for action shots, FORGET ABOUT IT, its a nightmare in frustration. Too slow to load, too slow to focus, unbelievable shutter lag. By the time the picture is taken, the moment is long gone. Unlike other people who say the camera is fine, I don't just take pictures of inanimate objects.
Face it, the only reason you made this post is that you're justifying to yourself that the camera is good
Oli1122 said:
Like I said try the MotoX apk, does a much better job than the stock one in most everything but video and HDR+
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2380199
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So this camera seems to only take pictures in 1920x1080 (2MP) and is only about 300KB in size. Is there a way to change these settings?
That can also be why the shutter might seem quicker?
flippingout said:
Exactly, if you look at the N5 versus the others you will notice on both Finn and Jake there are overexposed, blown out portions you don't find on the others. This was a problem with the HTC One as well in my testing.
I am just hopeful Google releases a real fix, not some BS excuse for a camera fix. Having come from the HTC One I am happy with the overall quality of the N5's camera with the following caveats - most photos have to be shot in HDR+ and forget about pics of moving kids. I've actually been doing what was suggested earlier - take video and then quick tap the screen to take many single frames, keep the best. The one issue is if you do want to keep the video it stutters everywhere you took a photo - what the hell is with that!?
To the OP - I applaud your courage to buck the trend and make this review. Everyone's opinion counts!
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Thank you. Im trying to change the way people view it. I think we go in to these camera comparisons looking for the wrong thing. After all these are mobile phones not DSLRs so if you want amazing photography go buy a camera, I just think the Nexus 5 has several tactical advantages that make it slightly better for documenting life than many others, the few miner problems appear to be basic software stuff.
walie said:
lol, you didn't address any points brought up in the post you quoted. The dynamic range of the Nexus 5 SUCKS, waaaaaaaay to many highlights blown out, and you can't fix all of it in PP from my experiences.
And for action shots, FORGET ABOUT IT, its a nightmare in frustration. Too slow to load, too slow to focus, unbelievable shutter lag. By the time the picture is taken, the moment is long gone. Unlike other people who say the camera is fine, I don't just take pictures of inanimate objects.
Face it, the only reason you made this post is that you're justifying to yourself that the camera is good
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No, im more than happy with my purchase, much more than happy. My phone is for android and the occasional photo, if i want to take pictures I use my 5D III, im not stupid. Im simply making this because I believe Google have the right idea.
Oli1122 said:
Thank you. Im trying to change the way people view it. I think we go in to these camera comparisons looking for the wrong thing. After all these are mobile phones not DSLRs so if you want amazing photography go buy a camera, I just think the Nexus 5 has several tactical advantages that make it slightly better for documenting life than many others, the few miner problems appear to be basic software stuff.
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You are claiming the Nexus 5 is the best camera phone we will ever own. No one here is expecting DSLR quality but if I am going to snap a picture when I am out, at this point I am grabbing my wifes HTC One and snapping away.
Maybe after a software update my mind will change but for now, the camera is to slow. Not saying the pictures are bad, it is just waaaaaaay to slow for my needs.
If I want DLSR quality photo's I will use my Nikon but I do want to be able to capture pictures with my phone other then flowers.

[Q] Z3 Compact camera any better than Z1 Compact?

Hi. I've searched through some of the forum threads and can't find a direct comparison by actual owners so apologies in advance if this has been covered already....
I have a iphone 4s; the camera is good. I have tried to move to a android phone twice now, (HTC one and a Sony Z1 Compact) and was not impressed with the camera on either so I went back to my iphone 4s.
The HTC uses 4k ultra pixels so is good in low light but mediocre in normal daylight.
The Z1 compact camera just seemed flat, slow, blurred and I took several pics with my 4s and the 4s blew the sony out the water, which surprised me given it's age and much lower pixel count. (which I know isn't everything)
I want a compact phone, android with a excellent camera. Has anyone had experience using the Z3 AND the Z1 compacts?
Other than the camera on the Z3 compact which has mixed reviews, I'm very tempted by this phone as its small, has good battery life, decent specs but I'm weary after my bad experience with the Z1 compact.
Can anyone alley my fears or confirm the camera quality?
thanks
rcbmulder said:
much lower pixel count. (which I know isn't everything)
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The higher pixel count is actually counterproductive since each individual cell collects less light and there's additional space between them even increasing the effect (same with high density displays). Unless you do some kind of binning. That's been a trend since at least ten years, my ancient 4MP camera still takes very good low-light shots.
I received my Z3C yesterday so I don't have a lot of experience with it but my first impression is that you will be also disapointed with the camera like you were with the Z1C. Why that? Because I am a disappointed myself. I had the Z1C for 9 months before selling it of the Z3C. I also had the iPhone 4S before and I have to admit that the iPhone is a way more reliable device when it comes to instant photography.
What a pity to embed such a great hardware and not being able to get the most of it.
Rexet...
Thanks for the response. I feared that maybe the case. What a shame. I can't find a decent, small android phone with a top camera.... im hoping the nexus x may be the answer but who knows then that will be released..
iphone 6 (compact) seems to be the logical upgrade but i want to go back to android without sacrificing the camera and refuse to pay what is in my opinion too much for the iphone.
To answer your original question, the z3c camera is MUCH better than the z1ç. This is in both low light, and normal lighting.
HOWEVER my wife ip5s still take better pictures ...
Comparing with Z1 Compact which I had for 6 months, yes it's better with a noticeable margin.
In my opinion, the Z3c (1 week so far) takes roughly the same quality photos as the Z1c (4 months). It's a little snappier and that may be to the slightly faster chipset. The physical button is more sensitive on the Z3c which seems to capture faster.
In both cases, I think the cameras are super competitive with other phones but only if you use manual mode and learn how to shoot with it. You can take some pretty amazing photos with it but Sony makes you work for it. The Superior Auto is crap in my opinion since it often picks the wrong white balance.
Ive both and the z3c is slightly better than the z1c specially at low light. the 12800 ISO actually works (ie z1c == black picture where you see stuff on the z3c)
in bright light its hard to spot any difference.
as for the washed out colors and slight blur look, this is all post processing settings. washed out looking colors generally are actually natural colors. if you change the white balance and sharpness filter they'll look better than the iphone4 pictures.
I compared with colleague's iphone 6. In bright light (ie sun light) they look very similar once the image has been processed for the z3c. Otherwise it does look less contrasted etc. and the iphone6 picture looks better by default. All pics were taken in manual mode, they tend to suck in superior auto...
You can use the Google photo enhance for auto processing if you dont want to do it yourself, it does an okayish job of changing contrast, white balance and sharpness settings.
In low light the z3c is much better than the iphone6.
Hope it gives you an idea. Check the picture thread for samples http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-...ost-pictures-xperia-z3-compact-t2889119/page5
bilboa1 said:
as for the washed out colors and slight blur look, this is all post processing settings. washed out looking colors generally are actually natural colors. if you change the white balance and sharpness filter they'll look better than the iphone4 pictures.
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You mean applying a filter after you take the picture, or a setting you can change before and/or during taking a picture?
theres some things you can do while you take the picture, some you can do after. you can actually do the exact same changes after as you can do before except for SCN modes which change the sensor settings.. all other settings appear to be post processing (happening as you take the picture thought).
Most programs will let you do that. I change them in Gimp most of the time, when im lazy and didnt do it in the camera i just use google auto enhance from their photo app.
To look more like the iphones and galaxy phones tho, the settings i generally have to boost are whitebalance (a lot), sharpness (a fair amount) and just a bit of contrast.
I believe you cannot adjust the sharpness within the sony camera app.
With a phone camera, the last thing I want to do...and I bet many others too...is root around with post processing (what the hell??!) and with tweaking in manual mode.
I want to take it out of my pocket and press capture...snap. Done. Like the iphone.
Why is it so hard to do this?
In same position, bought the z3 compact to replace my iPhone 5.
In short, the camera is the only disappointing feature of the phone, and it really is a big disappointment. Washed out colours, terrible shutter lag, slow focus, very soft focus. Have tried all the different camera options (superior auto, different manual options, scenes options) and found nothing adequate yet.
A real shame as I really want to move away from ios, the rest of the phone is superb, if the camera isn't important then it's a fantastic device!
Yep automatic modes arent very good.
Manual modes are okay / mostly on par with competition.. That exludes phones like the lumia 1020 of course. One would hope sony work on the software a bit more in this area
News said z3/z3c camera software will be re-written on Android L(not sure about z1/z1c/z2), so now on 4.4.4 it won't be any better than z1c. I've got a z1c and only played z3c in a local phone store, the phone got faster focus but I think that is pretty much all of this. The quality is just same with Z2, not any better til Android L out. Z3/z3c used a slightly improved cmos(IMX220 vs IMX200) and G lens but you only got better at low light, day time quality has no different at all.
HTC, Samsung, Iphone all got better focus, so they always got a sharper picture and Sony is soft. Speaking for the photo quality, indeed z1/2/3 is real good at low light(when you focus right) and even slightly better than HTC/Samsung/Iphone(this is my experiences and you can notice that from many reviews too) but day time just not that good though acceptable.
TheEndHK said:
News said z3/z3c camera software will be re-written on Android L
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They did? I mean, you're not talking about the extended Android API but Sony's actual camera software?
Iruwen said:
They did? I mean, you're not talking about the extended Android API but Sony's actual camera software?
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I'd like a source on this as well. It really is a shame that Sony's camera software isn't on par with the rest of this fantastic device despite the superior hardware. I understand manually adjusting the camera is a solution, but for the layperson who doesn't have the time nor the know-how to make those adjustments, a simpler solution is preferred and a revamp/improvement of their software would go a long way in achieving that.
rcbmulder said:
I want a compact phone, android with a excellent camera. Has anyone had experience using the Z3 AND the Z1 compacts?
Other than the camera on the Z3 compact which has mixed reviews, I'm very tempted by this phone as its small, has good battery life, decent specs but I'm weary after my bad experience with the Z1 compact.
Can anyone alley my fears or confirm the camera quality?
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In my limited experience with the z3c, the camera is very poor when it comes to fine details like trees and leaves etc. If camera performance is important for you, then definitely look elsewhere. Shame on such a good phone otherwise.
radicans said:
In my limited experience with the z3c, the camera is very poor when it comes to fine details like trees and leaves etc. If camera performance is important for you, then definitely look elsewhere. Shame on such a good phone otherwise.
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The trees and leaves needs an extremely low compression rate to maintain the fine details because of JPG problem(too old). However, the compression rate is often too high on all Sony phones. RAW image is very possible being a basic requirement on Android L according from Google speaking, so this problem might be solved in the future.
---------- Post added at 01:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:51 AM ----------
Iruwen said:
They did? I mean, you're not talking about the extended Android API but Sony's actual camera software?
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Click to collapse
Why not? Android L is a total new OS so Sony is forced to rewrite anythings(though I believe Sony is lazy and actually doesn't want to do it... lol)
---------- Post added at 02:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:57 AM ----------
boojay said:
I'd like a source on this as well. It really is a shame that Sony's camera software isn't on par with the rest of this fantastic device despite the superior hardware. I understand manually adjusting the camera is a solution, but for the layperson who doesn't have the time nor the know-how to make those adjustments, a simpler solution is preferred and a revamp/improvement of their software would go a long way in achieving that.
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Click to collapse
Sony keen to Fix Image Algorithms in Xperia Z3
http://smartphonetechie.com/sony-keen-to-fix-image-algorithms-in-xperia-z3/
The SA mode works good to me, the only problem on SA for most people because it very actively detects the handshake and switch to sport mode and turn up shutter speed and ISO in the end, it will ruin the overall quality and may increase/decrease the brightness in a wrong way but it will also help for folks who got seriously handshake.
TheEndHK said:
Sony keen to Fix Image Algorithms in Xperia Z3
http://smartphonetechie.com/sony-keen-to-fix-image-algorithms-in-xperia-z3/
The SA mode works good to me, the only problem on SA for most people because it very actively detects the handshake and switch to sport mode and turn up shutter speed and ISO in the end, it will ruin the overall quality and may increase/decrease the brightness in a wrong way but it will also help for folks who got seriously handshake.
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Click to collapse
Ah, but from the sounds of it, the fix was supposed to come with the Z3 series, but clearly that never happened. Fingers crossed with Android L then, but I wouldn't get my hopes up.
is the camera really that bad, all the reviews say its pretty good, not quite the gold standard iphone 6 level but close enough? The pics posted on this forum from the z3 compact look good too IMO.

[Q] Missing OIS in Turbo's camera?

I currently have a Nexus 5, and I'm thinking to get the Droid Turbo, preferably the international version that would be announced this week (hopefully). I would say I'm between a normal and advanced user, not development or heavy stuff, just the normal usage and some ROM/Kernel flashing when bored.
I have read tons of threads here in XDA and also in other forums about camera, battery life and all the Turbo features; I found many opposite opinions across people about camera and battery life, but my question is more oriented to know if the missing OIS feature in the Turbo's camera mean low quality in pictures or videos.
Also, I don't really know how much the OIS feature helps in taking pictures or if there is any notable difference between having a camera with it or not for pics; I'm so not worried of videos because I hardly record one but I'm wondering if it is useful when in any way when not taking videos.
Thanks to everyone.
OIS does help in certain situations. From my understanding its in lower light enviorments with a longer exposure times. Im not sure its a deal breaker though. I think its more helpful on expensive cameras with higher zooming capabilities. When your not zoomed in its much less useful. Its also more helpful on much heavier devices that are hard to hold still. Overall smartphone cameras are for daily photos, quickly capturing moments. They will never be professional level picture takers. I can say the camera takes awesome pictures for me so far. I havent had issues without OIS.
thecaptain0220 said:
OIS does help in certain situations. From my understanding its in lower light enviorments with a longer exposure times. Im not sure its a deal breaker though. I think its more helpful on expensive cameras with higher zooming capabilities. When your not zoomed in its much less useful. Its also more helpful on much heavier devices that are hard to hold still. Overall smartphone cameras are for daily photos, quickly capturing moments. They will never be professional level picture takers. I can say the camera takes awesome pictures for me so far. I havent had issues without OIS.
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Click to collapse
Thanks so much for the answer, I'm not the guy who want the best camera on my phone, but at least I want decent pictures, and I think my Nexus 5 already make that, so I hope the Turbo could be the same or a little better.

Photo quality

Say "cheese", then rate this thread to express how photos taken with the Moto G4 Plus come out. A higher rating indicates that photos offer rich color (without over-saturating), sharp detail (with all subjects in-focus), and appropriate exposure (with even lighting).
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Above average
is it that good?
I keep seeing reviews and comments talking about the great quality of this camera (above the average, at the level of high end...), however, my phone does not cope very well with some situations and I do not know why. Is it defective? is it low light? I am going to post some images but right now I am going to describe the behaviour.
For some reason the main camera struggles a lot when taking pictures of thing in movement. I does not expect a shutter speed of 1/1000 but I cannot make my son to be more steady either. The image seems focused except the moving part which is always blurry. This happens in low light but also in conditions which I consider good light (exteriors, rooms with 25W LED + side lamp...)
The front camera IMHO does not deserve any compliment, it struggles a lot to focus, more than half the pictures are blurry and/or out of focus, most of them have a lot of noise like in low light. It is a bit better after turning on the flash in screen but, again, is this normal?
I will thank any comment on this.
Picture 1_room_with_side_ window_light.jpg: Room with a side window where you do not need to turn the lights on for things like writing or sewing.
Pictures 2 and 3 has very good light in my opinion and the camera struggles.
4 and 5 are made with the front camera and both are below the standard IMHO.
1of3isgood shows how I needed 3 pictures to take one OK
sunlight shows how the camera struggel even with sunlight in the scene
whatIexpect are 2 very good photos this is what I expect
I have to say, the camera is at least VERY inconsistent on it results. It is capable of a lot but it only demonstrates some times
What do you think?
I honestly think that the camera on the Moto G could have been much better. I like the camera APP interface itself, but the photo quality is mediocre. Aside from picture quality, anyone notices their camera lens getting scratched up? Mine is.
You're right.
foxaxel said:
I keep seeing reviews and comments talking about the great quality of this camera (above the average, at the level of high end...), however, my phone does not cope very well with some situations and I do not know why. Is it defective? is it low light? I am going to post some images but right now I am going to describe the behaviour.
For some reason the main camera struggles a lot when taking pictures of thing in movement. I does not expect a shutter speed of 1/1000 but I cannot make my son to be more steady either. The image seems focused except the moving part which is always blurry. This happens in low light but also in conditions which I consider good light (exteriors, rooms with 25W LED + side lamp...)
The front camera IMHO does not deserve any compliment, it struggles a lot to focus, more than half the pictures are blurry and/or out of focus, most of them have a lot of noise like in low light. It is a bit better after turning on the flash in screen but, again, is this normal?
I will thank any comment on this.
Picture 1_room_with_side_ window_light.jpg: Room with a side window where you do not need to turn the lights on for things like writing or sewing.
Pictures 2 and 3 has very good light in my opinion and the camera struggles.
4 and 5 are made with the front camera and both are below the standard IMHO.
1of3isgood shows how I needed 3 pictures to take one OK
sunlight shows how the camera struggel even with sunlight in the scene
whatIexpect are 2 very good photos this is what I expect
I have to say, the camera is at least VERY inconsistent on it results. It is capable of a lot but it only demonstrates some times
What do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not good as described in media
The photo quality is not as described. Image stabilization seems just not there are or not working properly.
Photo quality is good only if still photos are taken during day time with more light in. That is all.
But for the cost of around $200 its a good phone but not a camera phone.
How do I access camera debug options?
As far as I'm concerned the camera quality is really above average. Your problem seems to find his cause elsewhere.
To keep it simple, your photos may be blurry because of the lack of light indoor. Smartphone are known to have small objective (while real camera have big one) that can't gather a lot of light by themselve. It means that you'll have to sacrifice quality if the environnement is not well lit. In this case, you're phone try to make up for the lack of light by gathering more light before taking the photo which cause a more blurry photo. You can also manually set it to take it faster but you'll have to use a higher iso (which mean more noise).
If you want a good photo you need :
- light (even for a galaxy S7)
- A good objective (also the bigger the better but we're on a smartphone so...)
- A clean objective (I can't stress how this matter ! Even more if we consider that it's really use to put à finger on the objective of the moto g4)
Here you go, hope it helped, if you want to test your camera to see if it has some problem you should do it outdoor with the sun at zenith and some cloud to avoid bad shadows and blinding effects.
kayet95 said:
As far as I'm concerned the camera quality is really above average. Your problem seems to find his cause elsewhere.
To keep it simple, your photos may be blurry because of the lack of light indoor. Smartphone are known to have small objective (while real camera have big one) that can't gather a lot of light by themselve. It means that you'll have to sacrifice quality if the environnement is not well lit. In this case, you're phone try to make up for the lack of light by gathering more light before taking the photo which cause a more blurry photo. You can also manually set it to take it faster but you'll have to use a higher iso (which mean more noise).
If you want a good photo you need :
- light (even for a galaxy S7)
- A good objective (also the bigger the better but we're on a smartphone so...)
- A clean objective (I can't stress how this matter ! Even more if we consider that it's really use to put à finger on the objective of the moto g4)
Here you go, hope it helped, if you want to test your camera to see if it has some problem you should do it outdoor with the sun at zenith and some cloud to avoid bad shadows and blinding effects.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your answer kayet95. The main point is that the camera is not reliable enough and you end up taking 5 pictures each time just to be sure one will be fine. Of course with the lighting you suggest the camera does well, it would be a complete rubbish if not, but take a look at my attachment sunlight. The window was fully open, there where sun coming into the scene and the camera struggled once.
I agree the camera is capable of taking great pictures, but it is nor reliable.
My experience is that the camera in G4Plus is above average for a phone. I think that who expects more is delusional, you need to buy a real camera to take good pictures - in low light or with any level of zoom.
One that I clicked this morning
just wanting to share a photo taken by my Moto G4 plus .
No special Arrangement , everything on Auto
I love this camera.... Sunny day and auto mode....
---------- Post added at 10:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 AM ----------
Another one. Raining and almost running by night. Just shot under the rain.... lot of noise but the connditions were really bad!!
SoNic67 said:
My experience is that the camera in G4Plus is above average for a phone. I think that who expects more is delusional, you need to buy a real camera to take good pictures - in low light or with any level of zoom.
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Click to collapse
I agree 100%. :good:
This camera is very good for a phone camera, especially one of this price. To expect high quality pix from it in every lighting or motion situation is simply ludicrous.
Two more photos:
One tree
Royal Palace, Madrid, Spain
the color quality is good, but sometimes i cant take a picture, might be my hand is wet, or the phone lagging
The camera is capable of good pictures, however mine seem inconsistent. Sometimes take the same shot a couple times to get good one, even in good lighting. I upgraded from last year's moto g, and consistently got excellent pictures with it.
Overall I feel the camera on the g4 plus isn't quite as good as last year's moto g. I was really expecting better.
hi , i use OpenCamera and it`s much better.

Replace my iPhone 7 with this...?

Hi guys, I'm an owner of an iPhone 7 (second hand, but perfect) and a few months ago I had a Xperia X Compact (that I loved). I use both systems (iOS and Android) but I was thinking to come back to the little green robot. Do you think I'll lose so much in terms of video and pictures ? For the others specs I think it's a great phone, but I still have some doubts for the camera performances...
I hope in your point of view
Viossy81 said:
Do you think I'll lose so much in terms of video and pictures ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The video camera is top notch and no sign of any distortion, aparently enabling steady shotseems to correct the image.
I think the problems with the stills camera are overblown, I've been taking lots of pictures since I received the phone and it's hardly noticable.
Given that it's an algorithum that fixes it, I am sure it's only a matter of time before Sony release a fix.
There are so many things that the phone does right. This is such a step forward fromm the X compact.
Didgesteve said:
The video camera is top notch and no sign of any distortion, aparently enabling steady shotseems to correct the image.
I think the problems with the stills camera are overblown, I've been taking lots of pictures since I received the phone and it's hardly noticable.
Given that it's an algorithum that fixes it, I am sure it's only a matter of time before Sony release a fix.
There are so many things that the phone does right. This is such a step forward fromm the X compact.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for your answer Didgesteve, I really appreciated that! One more question: what about the video quality in general? is it good? Especially for the Full HD (30 or 60 fps, I don't use 4k so much)...
Viossy81 said:
Thank you so much for your answer Didgesteve, I really appreciated that! One more question: what about the video quality in general? is it good? Especially for the Full HD (30 or 60 fps, I don't use 4k so much)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Video quality is very good, better than the photo quality. The main ACTUAL problem with the camera is no OIS, so pictures can come out soft, especially in low light.
This may not compare well to your Iphone7 in many ways, but Android is a different animal, altogether. camera is not on par with Iphone7, but unless you are one of these camera snobs it isn't going to bother you much. Also, Android O has some bugs to be worked out, but nothing serious.
WaxysDargle said:
Video quality is very good, better than the photo quality. The main ACTUAL problem with the camera is no OIS, so pictures can come out soft, especially in low light.
This may not compare well to your Iphone7 in many ways, but Android is a different animal, altogether. camera is not on par with Iphone7, but unless you are one of these camera snobs it isn't going to bother you much. Also, Android O has some bugs to be worked out, but nothing serious.
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Click to collapse
I see...no, I'm not so snob about it , I loved X Compact camera so much, and I found it much fun and interesting than the iPhone (in terms of software functions and possibilities), It's just curiosity because I read a lot of gripes about distortions, bad colours, and so on... I'm seriously thinking to give it a chance
Viossy81 said:
I see...no, I'm not so snob about it , I loved X Compact camera so much, and I found it much fun and interesting than the iPhone (in terms of software functions and possibilities), It's just curiosity because I read a lot of gripes about distortions, bad colours, and so on... I'm seriously thinking to give it a chance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
colors do come out a bit red-ish in low light sometimes. you won't really notice the distortion unless taking a picture of a brick wall, checkerboard or something of the like.
if you liked the X compact that much, you will likely appreciate the XZ1 compact to a great degree. the camera is (arguably) the worst feature on the phone, and i still think it's a great camera. keeping in mind that it's not an s8 or iphone8, you'll have very little issues with XZ1C.
I bought a XZ1C for these reasons, (It will arrive this week)
1. Form factor - this phone is quite a bit smaller than the iPhone 7, and the 7 is already considered small. It is a tad bit bigger than the iPhone 5 (which had the best in hand feeling to me)
2. Battery life - Champion. I need a phone that will lasts all day and i've read nothign but amazing things
3. Android 8.0 - No other device than the Pixel 2 series has this update yet. Thats cool.
4. Camera Capabilities - It can do so much, including the 3D AR thing. Pretty fun, even if it isnt the best!
5. Headphone Jack - There is one, albeit the quality and loudness not the best, but it exists.
6. Memory card slot - Self explanatory.
FWIW, Sony have revealed that they have made a camera feature to fix or minimize the distortion on stills.
Refer to https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74266872&postcount=60 that post to see. If the camera was your only hesitation for the xz1c, this should alleviate a lot of that.
You can refer to Amazon and sell it off Đánh giá iPhone 7: Sức hút đến từ đâu?

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