Is there a way to modify / lower camera flash brightness (output) in ICS?
When taking photos in darker environment, flash 'burns' the photo i.e. colors are washed out and photo is overexposed. I also noticed when the flash is activated during focusing, its brightness is normal.
As far as I remember, this was not the case in GB based ROMs (in which I always used ported stock LG camera app).
I've yet to try out alternative camera apps (zoom fx, ucam...), but I'd like to stick to the stock LG software.
TIA
same problem here,but i used Jbcamera+ for taking pictures (it has great autofocus and the flash is ok) and camerazoomfx for video recording,(the stock one not focusing and the jbcamera+) because the stock camera is bit annoying for me
I havent used the lg stock camera but as you have said the photos are over exposed when using flash so isnt there an option to decrease the exposure? I use the 4.2 Camera and when taking night shots depending on how close the target I set exposure to -1/-2 and get decent low light shots, flash wise that is.
Well, there is exposure compensation on stock camera app, just haven't thought of that before. Will try tonight both camera JB from play store and LG's app with exp -1 and -2.
Thanks.
vEget7 said:
same problem here,but i used Jbcamera+ for taking pictures (it has great autofocus and the flash is ok) and camerazoomfx for video recording,(the stock one not focusing and the jbcamera+) because the stock camera is bit annoying for me
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I thought camerazoom fx only took photos?
Yes, the exposure is way too high. Generally the photos are affected by the flash burns. The only solution i found was to decrease the exposure to -1 or -2.
OK, much better with exposure at -1 and -2 (depending on the surrounding light level).
I just wish LG camera app were a bit more 'intelligent' to figure exposure compensation on its own, but then again it would probably have to rely on some DSLR-like metering methods that would certainly double the size of camera/CCD (and the bulge where it sits) as well as its price...
If this were top priority to me, I'd probably be carrying a 'stupidphone' with an enormous camera at its back (nokia 808, anyone
HI, guys. I have a new Z1 on the way. I have read and seen comparisons that claim that the auto modes introduce a lot of noise and that, while the camera is capable of great shots, the software often lets it down.
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the best manual settings are to use. I know they will be different for each setting (dark settings, etc.), but is there a go-to group of manual settings that you use most of the time rather than superior auto?
Thanks!
greyhulk said:
HI, guys. I have a new Z1 on the way. I have read and seen comparisons that claim that the auto modes introduce a lot of noise and that, while the camera is capable of great shots, the software often lets it down.
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the best manual settings are to use. I know they will be different for each setting (dark settings, etc.), but is there a go-to group of manual settings that you use most of the time rather than superior auto?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In manual mode you must stop breathing to not shake the device and capture best detailed photo with less or no noise.
You can also disable flash and use exposure to capture bright photos without flashlight.
You can select manual ISO, which is for light sensitivity. Or....
The ISO number is how sensitive to light the camera
is. It's descended from film cameras, then it would be
how sensitive the chemicals were. The higher the ISO
setting the more light your camera picks up, useful
for low light conditions. However, as the ISOs get
higher so does the amount of 'noise' (visible pixels
that aren't supposed to be there) on your photos. It's
up to you to decide what's a suitable level of noise
and how sensitive you need your camera for each
particular photo.
in other terms
The ISO function sets the light sensitivity of the
camera's image sensor (this is similar to the speed
rating of film. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive
the image sensor and therefore the possibility to take
pictures in low-light situations.
If you find the camera is using a shutter speed that is
too slow (1/60 sec. and slower) to handhold the
camera steady and shake-free then you might select
the next higher ISO which will then allow you to
select a faster shutter speed.
F-stop is the measure of the aperture setting on a
lens. The greater the number, the less light it allows
in, which means the aperture gets smaller, making the
depth-of-field more extensive.
f_u_006 said:
In manual mode you must stop breathing to not shake the device and capture best detailed photo with less or no noise.
You can also disable flash and use exposure to capture bright photos without flashlight.
You can select manual ISO, which is for light sensitivity. Or....
....
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Click to collapse
We can edit the aperture? HOW??
aooga said:
We can edit the aperture? HOW??
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LOL, we can't edit aperture and this guide was not only for Xperia Z1 's manual mode but every camera is.
f_u_006 said:
LOL, we can't edit aperture and this guide was not only for Xperia Z1 's manual mode but every camera is.
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Thought so. I was excited for a minute.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk
aooga said:
Thought so. I was excited for a minute.
Sent from my C6916 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope you didn't had a heartattack!
Sorry for yet another camera app battle but so far, I haven't seen the two being compared against each other.
Since I found the Twisty Switch Xposed module, I've wanted to change the camera app into one of these two apps.
My MAIN uses for the camera are just to take pictures of documents [therefore I need the text to be seen clearly] and to take pictures of everyday things [in bright lighting]. I'm also looking to see which does better in taking pictures in yellow lighting [light isn't white bright, but it isn't dark either]. So, which better suits my needs.
Why don't you use both and see for yourself? Obviously FV-5 is going to give you more control.
I can't use FV-5 because whenever I change the ISO mode to lower value the images coming through the viewfinder get very poor framerates to become unusable. It's not a problem of the app or a specific device, both my Moto X have it regardless of apps used, it's just something to do with the Moto X camera.
Hello,
i just got my hands on the Z3 Compact and took it out to test it on a sunny day.
Back home i noticed that the picture quality is really bad in auto mode!
I made a quick comparison picture to my old phone: a Xiaomi Mi2 (not the S Model) with 8m Camera.
The picture shows the text quality of the Xperia Z Ultra Power Pack which is the best example i can do now.
The automode settings are: ISO-800, F/2, 1/50 Sec, no flash
The Mi2 automode settings are: ISO-488, 1/16 Sec (no data on the F), no flash
Directlink:
http://abload.de/img/neuebitmapoksb8.png
And here the same with manual mode and a lower ISO (100 instead of 800 that was used in auto mode):
The complete settings were: ISO-100, F/2, 1/8 Sec, no flash
Directlink:
http://abload.de/img/dsc_0099emqqy.jpg
Heres another example of a picture i took when i was outside (without zoom, i just cut away some parts to make it smaller):
The automode settings here: ISO-50, F/2, 1/320sec, no flash
Directlink:
http://abload.de/img/dsc_0036lujf6.jpg
Any idea why automode causes such very bad picture quality? Any ideas on how to improve it?
Thank you for help!
Why bother so much about the auto mode? You can take such great pictures in manual mode when you play with the settings. In the end auto mode will never be great, because it does what it says: auto mode, it adjusts the settings to what it thinks is best in each situation.
Playing with the manual mode will also give you more knowledge of basic photography.
Sent from my D5803
Auto mode became better over time on the Z1C, I guess they'll keep improving it. Dunno if they made a step back here.
Dsteppa said:
Why bother so much about the auto mode? You can take such great pictures in manual mode when you play with the settings. In the end auto mode will never be great, because it does what it says: auto mode, it adjusts the settings to what it thinks is best in each situation.
Playing with the manual mode will also give you more knowledge of basic photography.
Sent from my D5803
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Click to collapse
Auto mode will always be handy.. no one wants to mess with settings most of the times.. its a phone camera and if i want manual controls i would pick a dslr. Thats why iphone wins in camera department. Take it out and snap a pic instantly with great output. Even on my galaxy s5 i take pictures on auto and i havent seen anyone setting things up manually each and every time to take a damn photo
Auto mode uses a technique called oversampling to gather information with the 20MP sensor, then heavily processes the photo to whatever the software (Sony) decided was best (post-processing). The idea is you get the detail of a 20MP sensor, in a auto-corrected and down-sized 8MP resolution photo. Oversampling is also why the Z3 has a small amount of "lossless" zoom. (ever tried "zooming" with other phone cameras? It usually leaves you with a terrible blob of digital noise)
As with any automatic post-processing, there are pros and cons. The truth is, the software doesn't really know what you're taking a picture of, so it tries to give it's best guess on correcting exposure, colour, noise, etc. The result you're seeing in the auto-mode photo is a result of heavy post-processing (Noise Reduction), bad focus, and camera shake.
The reason your "manual" photo is better is because manual mode drops the post-processing. It also looks like you were able to hold the camera steadier for the manual shot.
"Auto" mode is far from perfect, but it will often save you more times than you know. Over time, you'll learn the strengths and weaknesses of "auto mode", and you'll know when you need to switch to Manual for the better shot. Auto mode can also be easily improved upon via software updates.
PS: A little trick I use to minimize camera shake while taking a photo is to set a quick 2 second self timer. This will allow you time to press the shutter button and then stabilize the phone for minimal "camera shake"
I have read the z3 Compact camera is great, great, great...but yeah I have been grossly underwhelmed by the auto mode. The auto mode is THE mode...sure have a manual mode if you want...if you have time. But I use my phone for quick snaps...QUICK being the operative word. I want to pull it out aim and shoot. My iphone5 took very acceptable pictures. The z3 compact has shown me grainy, bland looking shots in auto.
I don't get why auto mode isn't the most important mode for designers. It's a phone...not a camera...so make the auto mode work
Yeah, camera is definitely underwhelming. That being said though, it's better than most. My Moto X took absolutely horrid shots for the most part.
Crewville96 said:
Yeah, camera is definitely underwhelming. That being said though, it's better than most. My Moto X took absolutely horrid shots for the most part.
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Click to collapse
Coming from 2 years on the iphone5...I was under the impression that camera technology was pretty well mastered across the board. iphone makes it look easy. There's even an annoying lag between pressing the button and the shot being taken on the Z3...what the hell is up with that?
Eclypz said:
Auto mode uses a technique called oversampling to gather information with the 20MP sensor, then heavily processes the photo to whatever the software (Sony) decided was best (post-processing). The idea is you get the detail of a 20MP sensor, in a auto-corrected and down-sized 8MP resolution photo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, my z3c is still on the way. I have a question. Will the 8MP pictures I take in Manual mode be oversampled as well?
Because the sensor is still 20MP and if I manually adjust it to take only 8MP pictures what advantage do I have in having a sensor that is 20MP? I never print photos. Only watch it on my phone, laptop or my LED tv which is 1080p and 50" screen. I don't want photos that are too big in file size unless it is benefiting me in some sense other than for the purpose of printing and viewing in very large resolutions. I see that oversampling in auto mode is benefiting from a 20MP sensor but is that the case if I take 8MP pics in manual mode?
coolmalayalee said:
Well, my z3c is still on the way. I have a question. Will the 8MP pictures I take in Manual mode be oversampled as well?
Because the sensor is still 20MP and if I manually adjust it to take only 8MP pictures what advantage do I have in having a sensor that is 20MP? I never print photos. Only watch it on my phone, laptop or my LED tv which is 1080p and 50" screen. I don't want photos that are too big in file size unless it is benefiting me in some sense other than for the purpose of printing and viewing in very large resolutions. I see that oversampling in auto mode is benefiting from a 20MP sensor but is that the case if I take 8MP pics in manual mode?
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Click to collapse
By selecting 8MP in manual mode, all you're doing is resizing the photo from 20MP (post processing). The sensor will always capture at its full resolution.
If you know you only want a 8MP photo, there is a small benefit in resizing the photo at the phone:
The first benefit is obviously file size, but before I get into the second reason, I need to explain something first: A picture that has been converted to JPG is considered to be post processed. The compression that the JPG engine performs means your image loses details and thus has been altered. I know I said above that Manual mode means the image isn't processed, but I really only said that for the sake of explaining things easier. The average user does not consider JPG compression as post processing and they probably don't care to know. The truth is, unless Sony allows us to capture images in RAW format, the act of converting all our images to JPG means our images are all being post processed whether we like it or not. The difference between manual and auto mode is really about "how much" post processing occurs. In manual, Sony is most likely just compressing to JPG (and probably lens distortion correction but I won't get into that now) , and not applying corrections like noise reduction.
As for how it may be beneficial to resize at the phone; JPG compression is usually the final step in post processing. So by resizing at the phone, the theory is the image is captured in [email protected] > resized to 8MP while still in RAW format > compressed to JPG.
This means you benefit from the photo being resized before it is "post processed". In theory, this method should leave you with a higher quality 8MP photo versus resizing from a computer. Resizing from a computer means you're applying post processing to an already "post processed" photo.
For the average user, 8MP is more than enough, however, this is not to say all phone cameras should come in 8MP. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between an image captured by a 8MP sensor vs being captured by a 20MP sensor and then resized to 8MP. The 20MP sensor can capture much more detail with proper/sufficient lighting.
@wooki (OP):
Especially the first comparison "Xperia Z Ultra Power Pack", the one you made with the Z3C is nothing but blurred. So what is it you're trying to show/compare? I mean, yes, may the Z3C doesn't come with the best camera on the market, and yes, the "Auto mode" does not always provide the best results. Not really sure you're into photography or not, but what can be expected from a lens not even half the size of a fingernail? Not too much, right?! Get an SLR with decent lenses and a full frame sensor if you need more/better.
However, the attached fotos were one of the first ones I made with the Z3C (in Auto Mode) and think it's quite ok. No processing, just resized them.
@sxtester
I was comparing my Z3C with my old phone (a 2 year old Xiaomi Mi2) which seems to have a very good auto mode. Was just asking if i was the only one who has had a bad automode experience and if someone knows how to improve it.
How do your pictures look like without resizing?
As i'm owning a WQHD Screen all my automode pictures look very bad!
I don't want to set up the manual mode every time i want to take a picture, this phone has a shutter button to make fast pictures and with the setup phase i lose time even if manual mode gives me excellent pictures.
Eclypz said:
Auto mode uses a technique called oversampling to gather information with the 20MP sensor, then heavily processes the photo to whatever the software (Sony) decided was best (post-processing). The idea is you get the detail of a 20MP sensor, in a auto-corrected and down-sized 8MP resolution photo. Oversampling is also why the Z3 has a small amount of "lossless" zoom. (ever tried "zooming" with other phone cameras? It usually leaves you with a terrible blob of digital noise)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The manual mode uses oversampling as well, if you select a lower resolution. I've compared an auto mode shot with a manual mode shot of the same scene, and both were equal in terms of details and noise. The main difference was that the auto mode shot looks far worse because it tends to use that horrible HDR which just washes out the photo and ruins the contrast to near non-existence. I find that "multi" light metering mode, selectable in manual mode, gives far better results than HDR on this phone.
---------- Post added at 07:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 PM ----------
Auto:
http://i.imgur.com/er38iZn.jpg
Manual:
http://i.imgur.com/Oqwl3KE.jpg
---------- Post added at 07:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:32 PM ----------
Furthermore, the pictures from this phone's camera would look a lot better if Sony used a better algorithm for their oversampling.
Here is a comparison between a 100% crop of an image taken using Sony's oversampling (8mp) (former attachment) and a 100% crop of a photo taken at 20mp, and then downsampled to the 8mp dimensions using Irfanview (latter attachment):
I agree....Sony's software is lacking compared to everybody else. Auto mode seems kind of hit or miss. Their camera sensors are excellent, as I believe the iPhone uses a Sony sensor, but the difference being Apple is able to process better looking images with their software. I also have a iPhone 5s, and I must agree that 7/10 times, I'll get a better looking image from the iPhone. In terms of capturing details, i think Z3C is better (as expected), but all my images from the Z3C are on the "red" side when shooting in auto-mode. In the end, the iPhone comes out with the better looking photo because I'd much rather have better colour re-production over slightly more detail that you wouldn't even notice unless you had a photo to compare against.
I still think the Z3C's camera is on par with the best from Samsung's Galaxy S5 and LG's G3 (Sony sensor). It's way better than my old HTC One M8's "ultrapixel".
On the Android side of things, I think Z3C is still top 3, and Top 5 in the Smartphone world (iPhone and Lumia above it).
wooki said:
@sxtester
How do your pictures look like without resizing?
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Click to collapse
@wooki:
Here you go, all unedited made in Auto Mode:
http://imgur.com/uMiM0Sh
http://imgur.com/0mYsf5U
http://imgur.com/vJ32fjT
http://imgur.com/8g7oJD7
degraaff said:
Here is a comparison between a 100% crop of an image taken using Sony's oversampling (8mp) (former attachment) and a 100% crop of a photo taken at 20mp, and then downsampled to the 8mp dimensions using Irfanview (latter attachment):
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony's approach looks way better because it doesn't blur that heavily. If I want to blur away all the details, I can still do that myself.
This is a bit off-topic, but I don't really want to start a new thread just to ask such a silly question.
I've been playing with the camera app some more and is there seriously no "rule of thirds grid" in Sony's Camera app? I often like to use the grids to assist in making sure my shot is straight.
Iruwen said:
Sony's approach looks way better because it doesn't blur that heavily. If I want to blur away all the details, I can still do that myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Sony's approach is full of over sharpening artifacts and -auras, doesn't look better at all IMO.
One dumb quetion.
If i use another camera APP, it will improve the photo quality?
point_pt said:
One dumb quetion.
If i use another camera APP, it will improve the photo quality?
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Click to collapse
It depends. I choose CFV-5 and PNG image saving (rrather than JPG) and it looks much better then Superior auto, and sometimes better than Sony's Manual mode.
It seems some camera options are not very well documented. Thought I would start a thread to share tricks to help improve photos. There is another thread for tips and tricks but that one focuses on other things. Since camera is one of the highlights of this phone I figured a dedicated thread was worth it.
Here are a few I found. Feel free to share yours!
1. When tapping to focus on a point, if you do a long touch instead, it will set a focus point but add a second movable frame for exposure so you can have an exposure point that is not your focus point (IE focus on someone but expose for highlights)
2. If short tapping to focus, you can then tap/drag the focus point up or down to adjust exposure level (exposure compensation).
3. From my early tests, it looks like the camera hdr is better at recovering shadows instead of highlights. When having high contrast scene, change exposure so the highlights are better exposed when looking at picture frame. Shadow details will come out better (don't over exaggerate this or shadows will remain too dark). Adjusting exposure for shadows never seem to recover highlights properly.
4. I've seen some reviews where pixel 3 has a better exposure using their night scene function. If the mate night function yeilds results too dark, you can force the time and Iso to use (tap the icons in bottom left and right). So far I found that if I look at the picture info and see the auto mode exposed say 4 sec with Iso 400, usually keeping 4 sec but doubling Iso (800 in that case), will produce a better exposure similar to the pixel. I don't want to get into color/detail comparison between the 2 devices.. This is just to get a better exposure. Guessing they'll sort this out in a future update.
For now that's what I found that didn't feel intuitive.
Please share your findings!
Let me share my suggestions:
1. In case of pro mode ,shutter speed is restricted to 30s of exposure whereas night mode can give up to 52s (max I have seen) exposure.
2. You can try different light painting modes to achieve low-light shots as well. I tried with star trails and got good results ( but exposure gets throttled and(or) locked at some point.
3. in Pro mode, If you are taking low-light snaps in an enclosed area such that your flashlight can reach, then you will get very good photos for reasonably smaller exposure times.
4. Use tripods for all night shots (bluetooth trigger will make it even better), don't rely on stabilization unless there is ample light and that exposure time will be around 1/125 , because even night mode can be affected despite the claim that OIS stabilization will be sufficient.
5. lowering the exposure while taking close-up flash photography will help in partially retaining data that would have been lost due to flash overexposure.
Thanks,
Rakesh