Google Camera Mod for P20 Pro - Huawei P20 Pro Questions & Answers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related

Photo quality

Say "cheese", then rate this thread to express how photos taken with the Google Pixel 2 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!
Not taken by the "average consumer" but I have to admit that these picks are AMAZING! Cant wait to have my 2XL in hand to test it out! https://9to5google.com/2017/10/07/google-pixel-2-photos-videos-samples-gallery/
Updated link with Full Res Pics
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=WEdYT3BMNFZGdUlwQ0l6aEdFT1UwVlg2LUZESDhn
I haven't taken more than a few photos, but oh my lord this camera is absolutely awesome. Depth of field trick is snazzy and works perfectly 99% of the time. Color accuracy on photos is mind-blowing.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AWwB8R1uW2CQJPBh1
Took some sample pictures with Pixel 1 and Pixel 2, compared images on PC, they look identical but some are better on Pixel 1. Pixel 2 colors are more saturated and there is no flare....
I have been comparing the photos from the Pixel 2 to the iPhone 8 Plus if anyone is interested ?
Daylight and Night time
Took pictures today after dusk, same thing. Most images look identical to Pixel 1, but when I zoom in I can see that lens on Pixel 1 is a little bit sharper with less noise.
Edit: also noticed that automatic white balancing is off sometimes. Pixel 1 gets it right while Pixel 2 doesn't.
But all negatives are relatively small, I wouldn't say one is better then another
I don't find the camera miles better than previous phones I've owned (S7, S8, 5s pixel port etc). But it's capable, fast, a good allrounder and DOF mode is okay for a single lens construction. Hdr+ is a joy and considered, that Google don't yet utilize the new chip empowering this function it's FAST.
Sendt fra min Pixel 2 med Tapatalk
I have been able to take amazing pictures with the N5,N5X,N6P and now with the Pixel 2.
HDR+ does a great job in all these phones I owned.
The main quality difference between the N5 and the latest 3 I mentioned, are the megapixels. (But HDR+ quality was still solid in the old 5).
They main difference between the 5X/6P and the Pixel 2 is the speed to take photos, launch the camera, focus and process the HDR+ but the quality is really close.
I've decided to stick with HDR+ enhanced (which is similar to the old HDR+ in the Nexus) to minimise the risk of getting unfocused areas that sometimes with the HDR+ are not so detailed. So I'm sacrificing speed to capture photos to try to get always a perfect HDR+ shot.
Sent from my Pixel 2
thesebastian said:
I have been able to take amazing pictures with the N5,N5X,N6P and now with the Pixel 2.
HDR+ does a great job in all these phones I owned.
The main quality difference between the N5 and the latest 3 I mentioned, are the megapixels. (But HDR+ quality was still solid in the old 5).
They main difference between the 5X/6P and the Pixel 2 is the speed to take photos, launch the camera, focus and process the HDR+ but the quality is really close.
I've decided to stick with HDR+ enhanced (which is similar to the old HDR+ in the Nexus) to minimise the risk of getting unfocused areas that sometimes with the HDR+ are not so detailed. So I'm sacrificing speed to capture photos to try to get always a perfect HDR+ shot.
Sent from my Pixel 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
do you think it's better then middle range budget mirrorless camera ?
julianalaqrua said:
do you think it's better then middle range budget mirrorless camera ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know because I stopped using cameras for my trips, since I got a Nexus 5 with HDR+ and before that I mostly used the typical compact Sony cyber shot with Carl Zeiss lense.
And I only regret to use smartphone as main camera when I switched from the N5 to Z5 Compact and went to Paris and took ugly photos. Specially nightly photos and closeup photos. This is the main reason I sold that phone after 6 months and went for the 5X.
Probably you can get better details with those cameras you mention. But there are some key features in HDR+ (this is all post processing) that do a lot of magic:
- Focus in most of the areas. (You can focus on a person's face and still capture the details behind a window that points to the street / or the clouds in the sky/ or other faces; as if you had focused directly on that window or clouds).
- More dark skies at night. The night photos look amazing. Nightly skies try to be converted to a more solid dark colour.
- Same good quality with sunny photos that have a lot of sunlight or sun rays and you can't see well trough the camera app when taking the photo because of the high brightness. After HDR+ you could have a good result more opaque.
Other things I like from the latest Google phones cameras:
- Panoramas. Sometimes I take a panorama with just 1 captured image, because of the increased FoV to fit a building. And sometimes you need to take more than 1 because the building still doesn't fit.
- Capture photos when walking: In previous HDR+ Nexus cameras when you press the shutter, camera starts capturing and you can have blurry photos if you were moving. In The Pixel 2 when I press the shutter of the camera (also walking and with HDR+ enhanced) phone camera blocks and take some time to capture to maximize the possibility of a crisp shot. (And if you press the shutter and starts shaking the camera it won't capture till you stop shaking)
So I'm taking photos when I don't have time to stop now.
- Minimum focus distance: I love close-ups / macro shots and the latest Google phones had a good minimum focus distance and mixed with HDR+ the result is amazing.
(The Z5 Compact I owned used to have a wide angle but terrible minimum focus distance I hate this).
What I don't really care is the new portrait mode. You get 2 photos when using it. With blurry unfocused areas and the original with no blur. I think this is only useful for CV photos or some close-ups or special cases. There is a lot of people that loves this feature. I personally prefer the photo that contains more data for 99% of my captures.
Sent from my Pixel 2
Absolutely love the camera on my Pixel 2. Below are some examples shot really quickly from The Shard in London.
I had the iPhone 8 plus briefly and although similar, I'd probably say the Pixel 2 is a bit better, I also think the portrait mode is insanely good considering it only has one camera! :highfive:
Pixel 2 vs Pixel 1 (Auto, flash off, lens clean, no case)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/FTyfRvJHxWAx38e93
julianalaqrua said:
do you think it's better then middle range budget mirrorless camera ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
absolutely not.
however, the pixel takes decent pictures completely automatically while you can completely mess up a picture on a mid range a mirrorless camera if you don't know how to use the settings - and the fully automatic mode of the mirrorless cameras tend not to be actually as good as the pixel
(technically, the pixel is also a mirrorless camera btw - just that the sensor and lens are tiny, get less light and aren't as sharp, basically - but they have much better automatic processing)
sstanton86 said:
Absolutely love the camera on my Pixel 2. Below are some examples shot really quickly from The Shard in London.
I had the iPhone 8 plus briefly and although similar, I'd probably say the Pixel 2 is a bit better, I also think the portrait mode is insanely good considering it only has one camera! :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
amazing shots. that's auto mode or you have used lightroom or photoshop ?
sammyalexandro said:
amazing shots. that's auto mode or you have used lightroom or photoshop ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! And it was through a glass window too! No Lightroom or any other editing app. Just HDR!
Very happy with the camera.
took pixel 2 for a two weeks Europe trip, omg! The pictures are amazing!!!!
elijahmendelson said:
what about bokeh? is it possible to make background blur on pixel 1 like pixel 2 in portrait mode ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pixel 1 does not have Portrait mode (or at least not yet). Pixel 1 has Lens Blur mode, it works but not as good
---------- Post added at 12:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 AM ----------
bilboa1 said:
absolutely not.
however, the pixel takes decent pictures completely automatically while you can completely mess up a picture on a mid range a mirrorless camera if you don't know how to use the settings - and the fully automatic mode of the mirrorless cameras tend not to be actually as good as the pixel
(technically, the pixel is also a mirrorless camera btw - just that the sensor and lens are tiny, get less light and aren't as sharp, basically - but they have much better automatic processing)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had Canon G5 ($500 compact camera) and gave it away with a purchase of Pixel 1. I think P1 pictures are much better.
kolyan said:
Pixel 1 does not have Portrait mode (or at least not yet). Pixel 1 has Lens Blur mode, it works but not as good
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
is it possible to activate portrait mode on pixel 1 ? this is only software thing as I understand, right?
alfonsocoralles said:
is it possible to activate portrait mode on pixel 1 ? this is only software thing as I understand, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you can't activate it, not sure if it's software or some hardware thing. Maybe Google will enable it later

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

I have both devices currently and from my very brief short time with the P20 pro , the pictures taken with it don't even come close to the quality you can get from the Pixel 2 XL.
Please tell me its just a case of faulty software, else I think I may be taking this phone back sadly.
Problems so far
Images lack any real detail and are very soft
HDR mode still hidden
Night Mode whilst great is still a 4 sec picture.. (but still soft ) - (The advantage you get from those 4 secs does not seem worth it from my quick test - but i'll keep testing)
Camera UI is rubbish... (subjective i know)
But it will be interesting to know if anyone else as similar experiences , as most reviewers online appear to suggest that this is the best camera phone ever!
Can't say my photos come out soft, mine are pretty close to what I see with my eyes. Not as sharp as some cameras that seem to over sharpen via post processing. More natural images than most cams I have used.
With the P20 Pro you do have to fiddle a bit in different situations, it's definitely not as versatile as the pixel if you just want to point and shoot. Some of my pics come out better when I bump up the megapixels. Some need nightmode or for me to disable the AI.
You can adjust pretty much everything. You don't need to always take 4 second night shots, you can adjust the time for the situation. Sometimes a second is enough.
The UI is a bit of a pain I agree, although I did expect that with the sheer amount of options provided. There is a lot going on. I'm having great success in Pro mode in my limited testing so far. It is a bit or a learning curve with the P20 Pro compared to other phones though for sure.
---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 AM ----------
I forgot to add that the front camera is a different story, not that I take many selfies but...damn. Beauty mode seems to be undefeatable. Even when turned off I come out looking like a Ken doll. They really need to provide some kind of fix for that. The camera itself is capable of better pics, looks like they gimped the software.
I emailed them about it, because as it is, it's not that useful.
What i can say from my experience using several huawei phone is that, ever since P9,
The phone built with a photographer user (not really common point and shoot user) in mind,
Manual or semi auto setting always work best in various condition. Especially if the user understand well the corelation between apperture size, speed and ISO sensitivity and how it affect the picture quality/result.
That being said, someone who come from pixel 2 (i own pixel 2 xl myself as well) might find that the camera app UI and the auto mode is not as easy/versatile to use compare to google one. But the potential is definitely there.
Honestly, when using huawei camera, i mostly shoot in RAW and do the post processing later on myself. Auto mode is good enough for daily usage like shooting food or friend for instagram use. But the true power is in manual mode. Thats where all those leica software engineer chime in.
Thanks guys
Can you give me some examples of your images after post-processing ?
I'm more than happy to use pro mode (I also had a V30) , but even in pro the images just don't look right at all.
Also it was mentioned that the colours are more true to life but again i'm not seeing this when compared to the pixel (I took a very quick random picture of a orange t-shirt and it came out yellow on the p20 pro... )
Horses for courses. If you only want to point n shoot then Pixel or S9, if you're more into photography than that then easily the P20 Pro over anything else on the market right now. DxO ratings have always correlated poorly to actual general use, I thought everyone had worked that out by now.
Highspeed123 said:
Can't say my photos come out soft, mine are pretty close to what I see with my eyes. Not as sharp as some cameras that seem to over sharpen via post processing. More natural images than most cams I have used.
With the P20 Pro you do have to fiddle a bit in different situations, it's definitely not as versatile as the pixel if you just want to point and shoot. Some of my pics come out better when I bump up the megapixels. Some need nightmode or for me to disable the AI.
You can adjust pretty much everything. You don't need to always take 4 second night shots, you can adjust the time for the situation. Sometimes a second is enough.
The UI is a bit of a pain I agree, although I did expect that with the sheer amount of options provided. There is a lot going on. I'm having great success in Pro mode in my limited testing so far. It is a bit or a learning curve with the P20 Pro compared to other phones though for sure.
---------- Post added at 10:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:13 AM ----------
I forgot to add that the front camera is a different story, not that I take many selfies but...damn. Beauty mode seems to be undefeatable. Even when turned off I come out looking like a Ken doll. They really need to provide some kind of fix for that. The camera itself is capable of better pics, looks like they gimped the software.
I emailed them about it, because as it is, it's not that useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you please share some of the settings that helped you? I for one am not able to find the setting to disable the AI [Edit - Did you mean the Master AI setting? It seems to only affect the Photo mode]
Not a point an shoot quite yet
I would say the Samsung Note 8 or S8/9 are easier to use but the colours on the P20 Pro seem more realistic once you have disabled AI.
If you like to work in Pro mode and use the manual focus you can get some very good results on the P20 Pro but everything set to auto and its random whether the shot works out or not.
In particular for close ups manual focus is infinitely more effective than trying to wait for the auto focus which sometimes fails completely.
If you use the P20 Pro like you would a camera the depth of abilities are way up there but AI doesn't quite work well enough yet to provide reliable results.
Remember DX0 is only about sensors not ease of use or UI etc its just about sensor performance.
My 2p worth..
After more playing around with the p20 pro i've come to the conclusion that its not for me.
I'm more of a point and shoot guy and the p20 pro is too random with its pictures to really be a good point and shoot.
I'm going to stick with the pixel 2 xl, and would advise anyone looking for a simple point and shoot camera to look elsewhere.
P.S Surely the LG V30's manual mode is superior to the p20 pro if you want to play with manual settings?
Tiger33 said:
After more playing around with the p20 pro i've come to the conclusion that its not for me.
I'm more of a point and shoot guy and the p20 pro is too random with its pictures to really be a good point and shoot.
I'm going to stick with the pixel 2 xl, and would advise anyone looking for a simple point and shoot camera to look elsewhere.
P.S Surely the LG V30's manual mode is superior to the p20 pro if you want to play with manual settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would agree with you, if you simply need a point and shoot camera. Pixel 2 XL wil do better for you
P20 Pro, just like the "Pro" moniker it bring along, will suit a seasoned photographer more.
As for manual mode conparison between LG v30 and P20, i would say, no. LG is nowhere close to huawei manual/pro mode. But again, that is a subjectivity. Someone who were common with a DSLR / Mirrorless camera manual set up, will appreciate huawei software more. Since it resemble their old "real" camera gear more. DxO is quite an oldtimer in photography area, and what they did with their test, is what normally a photographer will do as well. Unfortunately, thats not always the case with the rest of mobile phone user. Thats why the result is oftenly unrelateable.
Btw, before you actually ditch your P20 pro, can you give it one more chance, but this time,
Try to shoot everything using night mode (even in daylight). I think you will find the result totally different with your previous experience.
Thats all i can suggest for now. If you wonder, why nigh mode ?? Maybe this video can help you get a better idea :
Tiger33 said:
P.S Surely the LG V30's manual mode is superior to the p20 pro if you want to play with manual settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think the number of settings and the options given to the photographer are nearly as good with LG. Huawei are in a class of their own in that regard, at the moment. UI can definitely be improved a bit though.
Also, the V30 uses a tiny 1/2.9" sensor, like the iPhones.
Right, I've created a very quick group in flickr with some pictures taken with both p20 pro and pixel 2 xl.
would love to get your opinions.
In all cases i'm just using Auto with no AI for the P20 Pro,
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/
Again in my eye the pixel 2 xl is 'alot' better than the P20 Pro ( bad photographer? = me )
So yes i just pointed, focused and shot the picture.
Just using auto and no AI for the pictures too.
let me know if you think i should adjust settings and i'll continue making adjustments.
I have a few more days with phone before making final decision.
I've added another 3 pictures to the group
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/
1 taken with pixel 2 xl
1 taken with p20 pro auto
1 taken with p20 pro night mode (as suggested earlier)
Night mode just appears to oversharpen the image badly IMO?? , whilst auto is too soft
Picture 7 - P20 Pro - Night Mode
Picture 7 - P20 Pro - Auto
picture 7 - Pixel 2 XL
Looks to me very close although I think the P20 shots on Auto are a slightly over exposed but have less noise and the Pixel shots are better exposed but have more noise.
I would say the P20 will be better for night shots if you are happy waiting 6 seconds for a shot, but the Pixel 2 XL will take better auto day time shots.
Tiger33 said:
Right, I've created a very quick group in flickr with some pictures taken with both p20 pro and pixel 2 xl.
would love to get your opinions.
In all cases i'm just using Auto with no AI for the P20 Pro,
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/
Again in my eye the pixel 2 xl is 'alot' better than the P20 Pro ( bad photographer? = me )
So yes i just pointed, focused and shot the picture.
Just using auto and no AI for the pictures too.
let me know if you think i should adjust settings and i'll continue making adjustments.
I have a few more days with phone before making final decision.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iI've checked your album,
and i would agree that the roof top auto result from P20 Pro is lPretty bad. Sky was overblown. And pedestrian area is not looks that good as well. But for the night mode shoot, i wont say that as an oversharpen image though. The detail on trhe brick is quite good, sky is not clipping, and in overall, it has less noise compared to the pixel 2XL.
same case with ST. Pancras shot, i would say that in term of detail and noise level, P20 pro has an advantage here. You can check the detail on the top decoration, as well as near the ceiling. While Pixel 2 XL already abit of smudgy because of the noise, P20 result still showing the fine detail. So am not sure what you mean by "soft". (check my attachment to understand which area am talking about)
what confused me is the dinning room shot. I check the ISO and Shutter Speed of both shot. And in both shoot, Pixel 2 using faster shutter speed and lower ISO, yet the result is much darker in P20 Pro shot. This doesn't really go well with a photography theory, LoL. Slower speed and higher ISO should always resulting abrighter image. Yet the P20 Pro image is so bad at retaining the dark area.
May i know some details from you :
1. How do you point your focus/metering ? Do you always focus on same area/spot when shooting using the two phones ?
2. What resolution did you use on P20 Pro ? 40MP or 10MP ? 40MP use full resolution, but will deject the post processing, causing softer & darker image, but good for self post editing. But will looks bad if you plan to use the picture directly. In contrary, 10MP will use the post processing engine more, resulting in more pleasant picture for mobile use.
Sorry i left the attachment
otonieru said:
iI've checked your album,
and i would agree that the roof top auto result from P20 Pro is lPretty bad. Sky was overblown. And pedestrian area is not looks that good as well. But for the night mode shoot, i wont say that as an oversharpen image though. The detail on trhe brick is quite good, sky is not clipping, and in overall, it has less noise compared to the pixel 2XL.
same case with ST. Pancras shot, i would say that in term of detail and noise level, P20 pro has an advantage here. You can check the detail on the top decoration, as well as near the ceiling. While Pixel 2 XL already abit of smudgy because of the noise, P20 result still showing the fine detail. So am not sure what you mean by "soft". (check my attachment to understand which area am talking about)
what confused me is the dinning room shot. I check the ISO and Shutter Speed of both shot. And in both shoot, Pixel 2 using faster shutter speed and lower ISO, yet the result is much darker in P20 Pro shot. This doesn't really go well with a photography theory, LoL. Slower speed and higher ISO should always resulting abrighter image. Yet the P20 Pro image is so bad at retaining the dark area.
May i know some details from you :
1. How do you point your focus/metering ? Do you always focus on same area/spot when shooting using the two phones ?
2. What resolution did you use on P20 Pro ? 40MP or 10MP ? 40MP use full resolution, but will deject the post processing, causing softer & darker image, but good for self post editing. But will looks bad if you plan to use the picture directly. In contrary, 10MP will use the post processing engine more, resulting in more pleasant picture for mobile use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep that is what was so frustrating, I noticed the night shot of St pancras Hotel sign and could see it looked do much better yet that was the only example
All other pictures the pixel looked better
I'm using 10MP and I'm focusing on the same area with both phones
otonieru said:
Sorry i left the attachment
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which images are taken with which phone?
scook94 said:
Which images are taken with which phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Warmer tone is P20 Pro
otonieru said:
Warmer tone is P20 Pro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Images 2&4? They certainly seem the superior pictures.
So far I'm not too wowed by the camera either :/
Hoping to learn to use it properly because some sample shots I've seen look amazing but I can't seem to get anything like that.

Better to take photos in 40 or 10mpx?

Sorry if someone already explained but I've not found an answer.
I would like to understand when is better to take pictures with 40mpx sensor and when is better with 10 mpx option.
Sorry but this huawei is new for me and I would like to understand how to make the best photos
Thank you for help
if the situation permits, then 40mp. the worse the conditions, the more compromises.
As far as I can tell 40mp is useful in Pro mode and i have posted the difference it makes on my insta. HDR and night mode revert to 10mp. You can have a look if you search my feed tag justaninstaguy there is a a few pics. I can't upload on the XDA app it keeps coming up with bad request.
you can post your Photos on Flickr with hashtag #huaweip20pro > https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/huaweip20pro
starbase64 said:
if the situation permits, then 40mp. the worse the conditions, the more compromises.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which are the conditions for the 40 mpx?
Socialnotworking said:
As far as I can tell 40mp is useful in Pro mode and i have posted the difference it makes on my insta. HDR and night mode revert to 10mp. You can have a look if you search my feed tag justaninstaguy there is a a few pics. I can't upload on the XDA app it keeps coming up with bad request.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer.
At the moment the photo I've taken are better in 10mpx. Anyway I can't see much difference with the s9 plus, to be honest many pics are better in s9 plus
marko68 said:
Thank you for your answer.
At the moment the photo I've taken are better in 10mpx. Anyway I can't see much difference with the s9 plus, to be honest many pics are better in s9 plus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite possibly, I think the hardware in the P20 Pro is right up there but they just don't have the development refinement of Samsung or perhaps Google as yet. It was the same on the Mate 10 Pro, on paper it was perfect but niggles made it frustrating. That's the attraction with Apple, it may not be good value or offer but 99% of users can experience 99% of the capability of the phone whereas with the P20 Pro and Mate 10 Pro you really have to try hard to get the best out of it right now.
marko68 said:
Which are the conditions for the 40 mpx?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a sunny day or tripod in low light
Socialnotworking said:
Quite possibly, I think the hardware in the P20 Pro is right up there but they just don't have the development refinement of Samsung or perhaps Google as yet. It was the same on the Mate 10 Pro, on paper it was perfect but niggles made it frustrating. That's the attraction with Apple, it may not be good value or offer but 99% of users can experience 99% of the capability of the phone whereas with the P20 Pro and Mate 10 Pro you really have to try hard to get the best out of it right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree
after hundreds of shots...I prefer 10mpx. Details, sharpness , lights, everything is better
40mpx sensor is useful only for particular situations and to take compensated photos (night mode, ecc but this automatically happens)
40mp by far in daylight. In low light 10mp.
Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
This is a good explanation I found on another site "Now, you don't actually want to take 40MP pictures. Tap that image size in the settings menu and you won't get access to the other lenses. Instead, you want to leave it on the 10MP setting. This doesn't retire the 40MP lens. Here, it will oversample the picture and make it the best it can be when it's squeezed down to the lower, 10MP resolution. It also lends a hand when zooming beyond 3x. The 8MP camera takes great detailed images at that range, but bump it up to 5x and hybrid zoom will mix in the feed from the 40MP sensor to help improve overall clarity."
At least at daylight, taking 40MP and resized to 10MP, the result is much better than taking 10MP directly.
The main problem of 10MP is it's over-sharpen, 40MP resized to 10MP reduced the problem although still some.
marko68 said:
Sorry if someone already explained but I've not found an answer.
I would like to understand when is better to take pictures with 40mpx sensor and when is better with 10 mpx option.
Sorry but this huawei is new for me and I would like to understand how to make the best photos
Thank you for help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you need to change zoom then 10 is the way as you can't with 40..
If you're stationary and perhaps taking a wide angle image like a landscape or a city or sky or a large group of people, something you need detail for them 40 is the way.

Is the camera really that bad?

I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.
Chippelchen said:
I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why you make a new topic about this because its been talked about and some hate it but many love it. But why focus on words when you can judge for your self when you go to places like flickr and see how each phone takes them photo's
Chippelchen said:
I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The point and shoot is second to none.
The pro and night modes are both second to none..
Telephoto lens is superb
Only thing is say ia better is HDR on the pixel.
Besides that the p20 Pro stands alone. Even against late 2018 phones.
Unbeatable point & shoot camera performance. Never seen a camera fair that well on phone before.
Pixel 3 camera is very good but not as refined or versatile as the Huawei system.
If you don't know how to tame it, you will not like it. But if you can tame it and know the capabilities and limitations of the sensor, you will love it!
I'm having a blast with it, because i know how it works inside out and now i can push it to it's limits.
/ Magnus
I love it
The thing I don't like is that I often get blurry images if I point and shoot
Hello,
For "HDR" effect, yu can use "night mode" in the day time. Otherwise I love the camera... competely... Have been using this phone on daily bases for 3 months and I'm astonished.
Here are some pictures - point and shoot
https://imgur.com/a/wcyZP4q
FOXTEiN said:
Unbeatable point & shoot camera performance. Never seen a camera fair that well on phone before.
Pixel 3 camera is very good but not as refined or versatile as the Huawei system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got your hands on Pixel 3 already? Weird I thought they're not supposed to deliver until sometime later.
Not at all, There is a entire thread showing the amazing photos this phone can deliver, this phone camera is versatile, it has the best nightmode out there, the best zoom, and the main 40mp sensor can capture a lot of detail, Last night i manage to take a photo of a lighting (https://i.imgur.com/32TxPqG.jpg).
a flicker with P20 pro photos :
https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/
Yea, i love the P20 pro camera and night mode is freaking awesome! Only negative things i can think off is no stabilization on 4k video and the selfie cam could be a bit better but besides these 2 i think this camera is pretty much the best you can get right now for a cheap price.
for me it doesn't matter what i read or what other peoples say.
The camera of this phone is insane. Especially the night mode. Never saw something like this. Night shots looks brighter than with the human eye?
The only thing i don't like is the post processing of the camera app (oversharpening)
P20 Pro camera is neither bad, nor cheap, but both of those are highly subjective opinions. And you know what they say about opinions....
I am enjoying mine very much.
Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk
Chippelchen said:
I'm curious because I've read that a lot of people don't like the camera. Why is that? I'm not sure if I should buy that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The front/selfie camera is what most people are complaining about, esp. the color saturation. It gives a plasticy color to human skin.
The main camera is superb.
The camera is really bad on this phone.
Pictures are so over processed and lake dynamic range.
In 10mpx it's inusable and in 40mpx il't noisy. Video recording is also bad.
This phone is just horrible. My olds S8+ and Xiaomi Mi9t are much better except for zooming and low light. S9+ destroys completely the p20 pro.
I really regret my purchase.
achour7 said:
The camera is really bad on this phone.
Pictures are so over processed and lake dynamic range.
In 10mpx it's inusable and in 40mpx il't noisy. Video recording is also bad.
This phone is just horrible. My olds S8+ and Xiaomi Mi9t are much better except for zooming and low light. S9+ destroys completely the p20 pro.
I really regret my purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I cannot second that. The only thing i can complain about is video recording.
Main shooter is more than capable to take great pics. It's incomparably better than op 7t.
The camera quality on this phone is really good. Anyone who says it's crap is objectively wrong.
The camera quality in the p20 pro still today better than many flagship, more than one year later, I compare the camera with the recents iPhone 11 pro max, pixel 4, mate 30 pro, samsung note 10, and it's nothing to envy of them, the kirin 970 is slower in games, but is smooth and very fast still
what is the best siting of camera ? in 10 m pixel or 40m pixel ?
Depend on the situation, with good daylight 40, 10 if you don't want big pictures files, for zoom, night and difficult light conditions better 10, normally I use 10, because Huawei optimized the software and the cams to work together in this setup, working main, telephoto and monochrome camera sensor together for improvement results
maahmd said:
what is the best siting of camera ? in 10 m pixel or 40m pixel ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Question Defect or normal - ultra wide raw quality

Hi, bought the phone 2 days ago, because it's not with 888, it's not with curved display and has a ultra wide camera with AF and macro capabilities with raw support.
To my surprise, the quality of the raw file from the ultra wide is worse than from the periscope - there are some strange bright dots when you zoom in to 100%, which lead to overall bad quality of the ready image. I guess they are the phase focus pixels, but they shouldn't be visible without any heavy editing.
So, is it just me, or the problem is global, so I know how to proceed with this? I'm leaving a crop depicting the problem.
Are you sure the ultra wide angle has AF? but yeah it looks weird...
Qidamin said:
Are you sure the ultra wide angle has AF? but yeah it looks weird...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I chose this phone, for the af of the ultra wide.
I don't see it mentioned anywhere but as you have the phone you should know it better than me!
bo6o said:
That's why I chose this phone, for the af of the ultra wide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right, the Edge 20 review on GSMArena mentions the AF for wide angle. A good thing, but it's strange that the ultra wide angle pictures seem a bit blurry then. Did you try with Gcam?
Not yet.
Qidamin said:
You are right, the Edge 20 review on GSMArena mentions the AF for wide angle. A good thing, but it's strange that the ultra wide angle pictures seem a bit blurry then. Did you try with Gcam?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried gcam, same story...
Which Gcam version you use? Try enabling Sabre and see if it makes a difference.
I tried the latest bsg, but removed it, cause the results weren't satisfactory or better than using the stock app as a real camera.
bo6o said:
I tried the latest bsg, but removed it, cause the results weren't satisfactory or better than using the stock app as a real camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey did you manage to solve this issue? Any suggestions for the lackluster RAW outputs from the stock camera app??
The battle is legendary. Still no success defeating the defect. If it is a demozaicing problem, Motorola should fix it.
bo6o said:
The battle is legendary. Still no success defeating the defect. If it is a demozaicing problem, Motorola should fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THanks for the reply. I wonder how happy you are overall with the cameras? I've found that the front facing one is quite dark and has WB issues. In general the photos coming out of the stock camera seem riddled with artifacts and oversharpened.
sazinas said:
THanks for the reply. I wonder how happy you are overall with the cameras? I've found that the front facing one is quite dark and has WB issues. In general the photos coming out of the stock camera seem riddled with artifacts and oversharpened.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera Is great as I see in reviews from owners and websites .
I don't even bother shooting in jpg, this is Motorola and they suck in camera performance and resolution logic.
But, I shoot raw, which is possible even with the selfie cam, and after a minute of editing I get sharp and impressive images, and that's why I bought it - the sensors itself are quite capable. If I find a solution to the problem with the ultrawide, the phone is a keeper...
fire159 said:
Camera Is great as I see in reviews from owners and websites .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually own it. Reviews and (average) owners don't understand what we're talking about. Some offence.
bo6o said:
I don't even bother shooting in jpg, this is Motorola and they suck in camera performance and resolution logic.
But, I shoot raw, which is possible even with the selfie cam, and after a minute of editing I get sharp and impressive images, and that's why I bought it - the sensors itself are quite capable. If I find a solution to the problem with the ultrawide, the phone is a keeper...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hate the selfie cam and when video calling tho.... I look like a waterpainting and tanned
sazinas said:
I hate the selfie cam and when video calling tho.... I look like a waterpainting and tanned
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Learn to make your own jpg and you'll be able to see the dirt in your wrinkles on the selfies.
bo6o said:
I don't even bother shooting in jpg, this is Motorola and they suck in camera performance and resolution logic.
But, I shoot raw, which is possible even with the selfie cam, and after a minute of editing I get sharp and impressive images, and that's why I bought it - the sensors itself are quite capable. If I find a solution to the problem with the ultrawide, the phone is a keeper...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you try Google cam ?
fire159 said:
Have you try Google cam ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Answered already here. Jpg from phones and actual cameras suck. The raw from gcam is also worse than using the phone as a real camera. Here's an example, learn photography if you expect miracles from a tiny sensor...
bo6o said:
Answered already here. Jpg from phones and actual cameras suck. The raw from gcam is also worse than using the phone as a real camera. Here's an example, learn photography if you expect miracles from a tiny sensor...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hasli's LMC Google camera mod seems to be working better with the wide angle cam (no artifacts)

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