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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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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
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Which images are taken with which phone?

scook94 said:
Which images are taken with which phone?
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Warmer tone is P20 Pro

otonieru said:
Warmer tone is P20 Pro
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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.

Google Camera Mod for P20 Pro

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!
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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!

Blurry photos of (slightly) moving objects. Advice?

Hello everyone,
I am really frustrated with this devices ability to take any other photo outside landscapes, stones and any other stationary thing.
The camera start slow, takes photos really slowly and there is absolutely no focus. The memories of going to the pool... Ruined. Selfies... Ruined. Photos of my dog... Ruined. It is REALLY annoying.
I have the L29 C432 (Germany) with EMUI 8.1.0.161. 4D focus is activated (but I don't think it is working), Master Ai makes things worse because it takes a second to determine the scene (and switches to portrait when exactly when I want to snap the photo).
Will updating to EMUI 9 help? Should I root and flash AOSP???
I have the unlock code, but didn't use it until now.
Thanks in advance for your help!

I have the same German version, though I have updated to Pie. I say updated and not upgraded.
The camera to horrible for moving object. 4D focus does nothing to help. You may try changing to the low resolution. I honest do not know why this phone gets good reviews from the camera. My iphone 6 took better photos. My 20015 motorola X pure took better photos. Then Nexus 6P took much better photos.
Literally the ONLY thing this phone is good at is very low light. That's it. The rest is crap, especially for what this phone costs.

remusgod86 said:
Hello everyone,
I am really frustrated with this devices ability to take any other photo outside landscapes, stones and any other stationary thing.
The camera start slow, takes photos really slowly and there is absolutely no focus. The memories of going to the pool... Ruined. Selfies... Ruined. Photos of my dog... Ruined. It is REALLY annoying.
I have the L29 C432 (Germany) with EMUI 8.1.0.161. 4D focus is activated (but I don't think it is working), Master Ai makes things worse because it takes a second to determine the scene (and switches to portrait when exactly when I want to snap the photo).
Will updating to EMUI 9 help? Should I root and flash AOSP???
I have the unlock code, but didn't use it until now.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this is the main problem with this camera, using pro settings helps, but if have to set every time the speed and iso you will loose the moment...

Like you've said, pro mode is only for "arranged" photoshooting. Is the Google camera app, in its current state a good alternative? Will an AOSP firmware make a difference (because it should be lighter and faster)?

@remusgod86
Use Pro Mode next time and manual exposure time, 1/500 or shorter = 1/640 and other setting on "auto".
Settings of my sample - exposure time = 1/1000 - other = Auto

starbase64 said:
@remusgod86
Use Pro Mode next time and manual exposure time, 1/500 or shorter = 1/640 and other setting on "auto".
Settings of my sample - exposure time = 1/1000 - other = Auto
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
like he said, in that case, he would lose the moment.
Also, IMO that photo looks horrible. So un-sharp it looks like it was taken through a water lens. I think my old motorola razr got more detail than that.

or buy a "camera"...
settings: ISO200 1/200 f10
The "camera" can take pictures with the flash in completely dark conditions.
a flash will freeze everything!
Handy vs DSLR in der Nacht - just for fun by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr

@starbase64 thanks for the exposure tip. I'll try it.
Regarding the "camera" advice, I will suppose that you mean a handheld or a dslr. I don't want dslr level photos. What I want, is to take USABLE photos with "the world's best smartphone camera". Which was more than possible with my 3 year old Galaxy S6 Edge+.

@remusgod86
the simplest way is go back to galaxy s6 EDGE+

remusgod86 said:
Hello everyone,
I am really frustrated with this devices ability to take any other photo outside landscapes, stones and any other stationary thing.
The camera start slow, takes photos really slowly and there is absolutely no focus. The memories of going to the pool... Ruined. Selfies... Ruined. Photos of my dog... Ruined. It is REALLY annoying.
I have the L29 C432 (Germany) with EMUI 8.1.0.161. 4D focus is activated (but I don't think it is working), Master Ai makes things worse because it takes a second to determine the scene (and switches to portrait when exactly when I want to snap the photo).
Will updating to EMUI 9 help? Should I root and flash AOSP???
I have the unlock code, but didn't use it until now.
Thanks in advance for your help!
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The camera issue is known since the .156 firmware which is broke the camera. Since then no 4D predictive focus, night mode is worst, overall picture quality in photo mode bad. I'm in the same boat as you, I have got 4 updates but the camera issue is still not fixed! I'm also really upset.

My negative feelings regarding this device seem to have brought it to its doom. My wife dropped it on tile flooring and the display cracked in the worst way possible. Just ordered a Poco F1 (on which I will install the Google Camera App) to use until next year (after CES).
I am still really disappointed with Huawei and I feel that it is becoming the "new Samsung", in regards to the business model. It is sad, because in my eyes, they make the best hardware (the Mate series of phones and laptops) on the market, but their slow, bloated and buggy software/-updates make them noncompetitive.
I thank you for your advice and wish you all good luck.
PS- maybe we'll see each other on the Poco forums

Hi Guys,
I'm interested in the P20 Pro for its camera tech. Most pics I take will be of family kids and pets etc so lots of movement unfortunately. I'm worried about the comments above. Is this everybody's experience with lots of motion blur or is it maybe restricted to certain handsets?
Thanks

breenod said:
Hi Guys,
I'm interested in the P20 Pro for its camera tech. Most pics I take will be of family kids and pets etc so lots of movement unfortunately. I'm worried about the comments above. Is this everybody's experience with lots of motion blur or is it maybe restricted to certain handsets?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got no issues what so ever.
Really love this camera.

breenod said:
Hi Guys,
I'm interested in the P20 Pro for its camera tech. Most pics I take will be of family kids and pets etc so lots of movement unfortunately. I'm worried about the comments above. Is this everybody's experience with lots of motion blur or is it maybe restricted to certain handsets?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more like the camera app is broken for certain firmware versions. Most of the people reported the issue starting with version 156. For me, I'm still with version 155 and the camera is awesome. Best phone camera I've ever use. That's it. Comparing to my DSLR, the AI photo editing is a little bit overdone. Maybe it's just my taste, but comparing with other phones, this is the best for now. Maybe Mate20 Pro could be better but I haven't try it out yet.

breenod said:
Hi Guys,
I'm interested in the P20 Pro for its camera tech. Most pics I take will be of family kids and pets etc so lots of movement unfortunately. I'm worried about the comments above. Is this everybody's experience with lots of motion blur or is it maybe restricted to certain handsets?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honesty, you would be nuts to buy this phone. I was also nuts and definitely regret buying. I "try" to use it a lot to capture moments from my 2 month old baby. So.. he barely moves at all, yet that tiny amount of moment is too much for this horrid phone.
If you hold perfectly still, you "might" be able to get an ok image.
Each update makes the camera even worse. Huawei also offers basically zero tech support to solve any issues. DO NOT DO IT!!!!
Just buy a pixel 3 XL. It's cheaper (marginally), the camera app is massively better AND you will actually get real software updates as soon as they come out.
Not to mention, you get unlimited photo storage at full resolution.
I have been searching for someone to trade a pixel for this crap box, but as you can imagine... no takers so far.

If anyone tells you the camera on the P20 Pro is amazing then, frankly, they're talking rubbish. The sensor is big, it has optical zoom and the Night Mode sometimes produces some nice results. That's about it.
If you want a phone with a good camera and you're *not* the sort of person who sees a phone as a pro photographer tinkering tool (that you'll only ever use in Pro mode and only ever shoot in raw with) then, honestly, there are so many phones that are better than the P20 Pro at capturing fleeting moments. I have a P20 Pro, a 10S Max and a Pixel 2 and both of those latter two phones are so much better at capturing spontaneous, clean shots in auto mode that I often don't even bother using the P20 Pro for its camera at all when I'm out and about. Huawei's image processing is smeary and destructive and the camera is frankly incapable of capturing human beings doing anything with any semblance of movement in anything but ideal light.
Most of the "see, it *is* good" photos people upload to demonstrate the camera's qualities are in beautiful warm light with stunning vistas or architecture that even a potato could do a good job with.
I've bought enough phones this year to be comfident about what 'good' or 'bad' is within the current flasghip phone space and if any phone reaffirms my belief that DxOmark are completely full of sh*t then it's this phone.
I think all the free devices Huawei hand out to social media influencers is having a 'Kool Aid effect' on consumers to be honest. The sulky comments these Huawei flat-earthers often spout along the lines of 'well go back to your old phone then' - as if only positive comments need apply - reinforce my belief that people are suffering a zombie effect driven by either marketing or cost-justification.
What I will say is that I really like the overall hardware on the P20 Pro, and that's the only reason I keep hold of it. Would I buy a Mate 20 Pro for its photography process based on the views of the 'reviewers' so far? HELL NO.

starbase64 said:
or buy a "camera"...
settings: ISO200 1/200 f10
The "camera" can take pictures with the flash in completely dark conditions.
a flash will freeze everything!
Handy vs DSLR in der Nacht - just for fun by Maik Reifschneider, auf Flickr
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Click to collapse
In automatic mode, ever moving fire.
Sent from my CLT-L29 using Tapatalk

Disappointed in the camera

I did some comparative shots with one of my work colleagues. He has a Samsung Galaxy S9+. We took the same photos in the same conditions and all his photos were sharper, more detailed and with less noise. Even low light shots where I had night mode enabled, his still took better pictures and he doesn't even have night mode.
Pretty disappointing.

upload the samples, let us judge it too

I've come from the S9+ and the Mate 20 Pro is better

Biggenz said:
I did some comparative shots with one of my work colleagues. He has a Samsung Galaxy S9+. We took the same photos in the same conditions and all his photos were sharper, more detailed and with less noise. Even low light shots where I had night mode enabled, his still took better pictures and he doesn't even have night mode.
Pretty disappointing.
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Hmm.... I don't have so but I have s8 to compare.. Mp20 takes way better pictures in any situations.. Please post the samples you are comparing.. Maybe it's just the Samsung screen is better than our Mp20.

I'm also coming from the S9+ and the shots on the Mate 20 Pro are consistently better, with more details.
What I noticed, though, is that OIS on the S9+ seems to be superior to the stabilization on the M20Pro - specifically in low light situations. But we are talking about subtle nuances here ....

I think camera is superb

My mate 20 pro camera is way better at night than my note 9 ugly camera

You got defective unit, the only camera that beats mate at times, is the Pixel.

Derpling said:
You got defective unit, the only camera that beats mate at times, is the Pixel.
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ok, I have this problem too!
Bought a mate 20 pro yesterday and today I was comparing the pictures with the S9 and the Mate and all of them are way better with more detail in the S9.
I'm in panic now!
i will post the comparative pictures.
edit:
Left one is from a Galaxy S9 and the right one is the Mate.

sousa_2005 said:
ok, I have this problem too!
Bought a mate 20 pro yesterday and today I was comparing the pictures with the S9 and the Mate and all of them are way better with more detail in the S9.
I'm in panic now!
i will post the comparative pictures.
edit:
Left one is from a Galaxy S9 and the right one is the Mate.
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Click to collapse
The photo you took is totally different composition, the monitor LED light might effect the result also. Should take a photo with same composition.

another ones
edit:
don't know why the S9 image stays always upside down after uploading..

pogi.paul0119 said:
Hmm.... I don't have so but I have s8 to compare.. Mp20 takes way better pictures in any situations.. Please post the samples you are comparing.. Maybe it's just the Samsung screen is better than our Mp20.
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Do you think the m20p is a good upgrade from the s8/s8+ especially including the free pre order gifts?

anyone know if this phone has diferent camera sensores like samsung (Sony and samsung sensor)?
I can't believe that my S9 with only one camera take way BETTER shots than the Mate 20 pro.
Too much disappointed with this!
Don't know if I'm doing anything wrong...
I bought this because I was tired of the Samsung ui and the slow (NO) updates... but payed a lot more for this phone and comparing the pictures.. 90% of them are worst than the S9.
The pictures in the Huawei are way more darker...
first- S9
Second -Mate

Auto Setting in both phones.
Huawei with AI off

merewood bebox said:
Do you think the m20p is a good upgrade from the s8/s8+ especially including the free pre order gifts?
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Well yeah.. The phone itself is nice. Good upgrade if your coming from s8..

Ok, while I really like this phone for it's camera capabilities, it's fair to say my experience with the M20Pro shooter has been a bit mixed. I am coming from a S7 edge (great camera for its time). My girlfriend has an iPhone XS, so that's also a good reference.
The good: the wide angle lens is amazing, great for pictures of architecture and nature, shots look dramatic and fairly unique. Night mode is also good, when it get's it right, it renders a really impressive picture. Portrait mode is a bit agressive, but does an above average job bluring the foreground as well as the backgroud. Aperture mode is neat and more natural looking than portrait. AI is ok, it get's things right more often than not. I haven't used much the 3x zoom yet, but I guess it can come in handy.
The bad: no optical image stabilization - it may seem like nitpicking, but this phone takes a lot of blured shaky picures for a flagship, especially in low light situations. You may find yourself having to have to hold it steady and firm for a good second or two in some situations to get a usable shot. If you're trying to take pictures from moving subjects, like pets or kids, this device is not your greatest friend. The dinamic range is also not the best, lagging significantly behind iPhone and Pixel - the shadows tend to be darker while the highlights do blow sometimes. I found that a little post production goes a long way with the M20P shots - when you recover those shadows, add a tad of sharpness and maybe a bit of saturation you can make a rather dull pic look amazing - but I can understand how the average user might not want to go throught that. Also not great is the HDR, firstly because it's a separate hidden mode in the extras (when it should be a toggle always readily available on the interface), secondly because, as mentioned, while usable, it's not top class - and again the lack of OIS makes things trickier.
All in all, I am mostly pleased with this camera because of its versatility. You can acomplish pictures with the M20P that no other phone can match - like a wide angle night shot. Having said that, it's certainly not the best point and shoot phone camera out there - to get the most of it you have to wrestle through the endless menus and modes and sometimes work a bit on the post production. So, if you don't care abou the wide angle lens and just want a phone camera that spits out eye catching images 9 times out of 10, I guess you could be better served with a Pixel 3, iPhone Xs or even a Galaxy S/Note 9.
Those are my two cents, but I'm curious to read what you guys think.
Cheers.

helder_gz said:
Ok, while I really like this phone for it's camera capabilities, it's fair to say my experience with the M20Pro shooter has been a bit mixed. I am coming from a S7 edge (great camera for its time). My girlfriend has an iPhone XS, so that's also a good reference.
The good: the wide angle lens is amazing, .....
Those are my two cents, but I'm curious to read what you guys think.
Cheers.
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Nice sharing, agreed the M20P photo is not the best in certain situation, video too, but i bought it just because the wide angle camera, the huge battery and the fast charging.
---------- Post added at 06:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 PM ----------
sousa_2005 said:
anyone know if this phone has diferent camera sensores like samsung (Sony and samsung sensor)?
I can't believe that my S9 with only one camera take way BETTER shots than the Mate 20 pro.
Too much disappointed with this!
........
first- S9
Second -Mate
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Click to collapse
Hi there, what firmware you are on?
Mine is 9.0.0.126, seem like ok.

sousa_2005 said:
anyone know if this phone has diferent camera sensores like samsung (Sony and samsung sensor)?
I can't believe that my S9 with only one camera take way BETTER shots than the Mate 20 pro.
Too much disappointed with this!
Don't know if I'm doing anything wrong...
I bought this because I was tired of the Samsung ui and the slow (NO) updates... but payed a lot more for this phone and comparing the pictures.. 90% of them are worst than the S9.
The pictures in the Huawei are way more darker...
first- S9
Second -Mate
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40mp or 10 mp ?
to use 40, you need are really well lit environment, otherwise its always 10 mp for hdr effect.

hi just know what happened ..... shame on me...

sousa_2005 said:
hi just know what happened ..... shame on me...
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And?

S10 Astrophotography!

Hello everyone, I'm here to ask you if you have had experience with astrophotography and S10, more specifically capturing pictures of night sky, or even Milky Way. My first experience of astrophotography and smartphone was with Galaxy S7, I could take nice photos of stars (Milky way was impossible to shoot). I have tried with S10 and same settings in Pro Mode (10 seconds exposition, more or less same ISO and White Balance), but the result has not been the same, pictures are even worse (more noise, stars not clear as in S7's pictures). I'm glad to know if you have more experience with this, because after Pixel 4 and P30 Pro I asked myself if S10 can take the same pictures. For example, GCam's new version has an own function for astrophotography, it would be nice if even S10 can have his version through porting.

Poor Astrophotography
lorenzo122 said:
Hello everyone, I'm here to ask you if you have had experience with astrophotography and S10, more specifically capturing pictures of night sky, or even Milky Way. My first experience of astrophotography and smartphone was with Galaxy S7, I could take nice photos of stars (Milky way was impossible to shoot). I have tried with S10 and same settings in Pro Mode (10 seconds exposition, more or less same ISO and White Balance), but the result has not been the same, pictures are even worse (more noise, stars not clear as in S7's pictures). I'm glad to know if you have more experience with this, because after Pixel 4 and P30 Pro I asked myself if S10 can take the same pictures. For example, GCam's new version has an own function for astrophotography, it would be nice if even S10 can have his version through porting.
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I have the Galaxy Note 10 plus, and likewise, I too have been deeply disappointed with the astrophotography results. My settings were essentially identical to yours using 'Pro' mode, and I believe the camera technology in our two phones is exactly the same. Even the raw pictures displayed terrible artifacts. I'm not sure if 'banding' or 'contouring' would correctly describe what I saw, but the sky was broken up into sections that looked something like a jigsaw puzzle put together.
Eric

Calm down guys, i understand your dissapointment, but this astrophotography trend started way after the s10 family came to the market... Anyway, it's more of a "software trick" than anything related to hardware itself, so we can almost certanly expect Sammy will add that feature via software update. I believe it will come with android 10. Why you may ask, well because they already added 30s exposure time in android10 beta... So it's not farfetched to believe some kind of astrophotography mode is coming. But take notice, even on other phones that do support it, you apsolutely need a tripod or some kind of stative, the phone has to be very still to enable astrophotography...

Yup very disappointing ive also tried it even with TRIPOD! the stars become blurry (pro mode 10 sec) so sad.. maybe they will fix it sometime.. (google pixel is good, P30 is over saturation- still look good and alot better then S10, some will like it over the pixel)

Like i said, we will most probbably get the astrophotography mode, it's just a matter of time, but i see no reason why you can't capture great pictures of the night sky with pro mode. Especially if you know the right settings and have a tripod. I took some amazing pics way back with my old S7, now with S10 they come out even better... Btw, you can't capture the Milky Way unless you are in complete darkness and away from any light pollution...
I didn't have the time to test the new pro mode (30sec exposure) in android10 beta, but i will soon. If you want i can send you links so you can see some of my photos for yourself.

I'm calm...
Thank you for your input, and fear not I was not hyperventilating. I shoot astrophotography from time to time with my Nikon DSLR's and occasionally linking that up with my Meade ETX-125 telescope.
So I have a solid foundation and understanding of the hardware requirements to properly shoot the night sky. I have also enjoyed using my Galaxy Note 10 plus with the Zhiyun Smooth 4 gimbal along with the excellent Filmic Pro software (app).
Would not have purchased that additional equipment had I not been extremely impressed with the optics of the camera technology in these phones both in terms of video and still photography. I never thought smartphones would be competitive with prosumer camera technology but under certain circumstances no question we have reached that point. It is with those higher expectations, that led me to be surprised when the quality took a nosedive when attempting to shoot long exposure night photography. I always attempt to shoot with the longest exposure and the lowest ISO to minimize noise.
But the final results were still riddled with noise and artifacts, even the raw output. I'm not upset by this, in fact as recently as a year ago I would not have even thought of attempting this with a smartphone. So I just chalk it up to reaching the limitations of where things are at this moment. I will be interested to explore the Android update to which you referred and maybe that will greatly improve things. Under normal circumstances, I'm still amazed at the capabilities are these cameras.

dryslot said:
Thank you for your input, and fear not I was not hyperventilating. I shoot astrophotography from time to time with my Nikon DSLR's and occasionally linking that up with my Meade ETX-125 telescope.
So I have a solid foundation and understanding of the hardware requirements to properly shoot the night sky. I have also enjoyed using my Galaxy Note 10 plus with the Zhiyun Smooth 4 gimbal along with the excellent Filmic Pro software (app).
Would not have purchased that additional equipment had I not been extremely impressed with the optics of the camera technology in these phones both in terms of video and still photography. I never thought smartphones would be competitive with prosumer camera technology but under certain circumstances no question we have reached that point. It is with those higher expectations, that led me to be surprised when the quality took a nosedive when attempting to shoot long exposure night photography. I always attempt to shoot with the longest exposure and the lowest ISO to minimize noise.
But the final results were still riddled with noise and artifacts, even the raw output. I'm not upset by this, in fact as recently as a year ago I would not have even thought of attempting this with a smartphone. So I just chalk it up to reaching the limitations of where things are at this moment. I will be interested to explore the Android update to which you referred and maybe that will greatly improve things. Under normal circumstances, I'm still amazed at the capabilities are these cameras.
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Nice to know you're calm , it was nothing more than a figure of speech - i bet you already knew that
Anyway, i wrongly asumed i was dealing with a rookie but it's nice to see you know a great deal about night photography... As i sad, i really doubt Pixel has better optics or camera hardware in general in comparison to a Galaxy S10/N10, it all comes down to software as we all know. IMO, Google has mastered night photos and now astrophotography mainly because of their Ai software/hardware technology and ofcourse the sheer experience. They are after all "in the forefront of AI"... Also, i believe Samsung could do something similar if they wanted, it all depends on the market and popularity of that specific feature. They don't lack the funds as they invest billions in R&D. Ofcourse i could be wrong, this is just my opinion.

Which lens/sensor are you using for this? Telephoto lens/sensor is weaker in low light situations (smaller sensor, smaller aperture).
I have also an S7 Edge and the night mode of the S10 is indeed comparable (identical sensor?). But that's only the normal wide sensor/lens!
Specs S10 main:
12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.6", 1.0µm, AF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide), 1.0µm, Super Steady video
Specs S7 main:
12 MP, f/1.7, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS

LOL, I would bet money that the average buyer of the S10 even knows or cares what astrophotography is. If it's that important to someone then I'd suggest researching phones and buying one that does this rather than being disappointed in something the phone wasn't designed for. Hell, that Samsung engineer sitting in that little cubicle in Seoul, South Korea probably doesn't give a rat's a** whether that phone will take pictures of the stars or not.

What about Gcam mod, that has built in astrophotography which I think works only on Android 10 for some version of Gcam.

Hmm... quality improved
So after I ran across this thread, I went out again last night for kicks, and the artifacts were greatly reduced. Still noisy/grainy, but to be expected from almost any camera not carefully configured for these challenging circumstances. I'm wondering if one of the several OS updates I've had since the first attempt two months ago contributed?
To Kemby13: Of course, no problem, your posts were great and helpful. I couldn't resist a little tongue-in-cheek myself.
To Sonic 67: Great tips and worth double-checking that.
To Tel 864: I'm rather certain you would win that bet. For my part, just interesting to push the limits on the latest tech. And I like knowing if I'm ever in a pinch if it's even worth the trouble pulling it out of my pocket.
To Ndaoud360: Reading up on that now, thank you very much!

How exactly do you get stars in focus? Also, no matter what I have tried there is no way around getting the exposure to go over 10s!
Could you please share your method for astro on s10? I have the snapdragon version as well. Thanks.

everybodylovesfebs said:
How exactly do you get stars in focus? Also, no matter what I have tried there is no way around getting the exposure to go over 10s!
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You don't need to, or the sky will "move". The trick is using a telescope or even a binocular to gather more light. Use higher ISO if needed.
https://www.amazon.com/binoculars-camera-adapter/s?k=binoculars+camera+adapter

Specs
Hello everyone , i have s10 and i am really interested in astrophotography. I a very hyped for new update(one ui2.0) because in leaks there is astrophotography mode. So before this software is launched, please guys can you suggest what settings should i use to record night sky??
Thank you in advance

I think the problem is on optical stabilizer itself. Even on dslr cam you need to turn off oss when using a tripod. thats why we get blurry pic on s10 -10s shutter. I can take a better night sky pic using vivo v17 pro. Coz the software of the phone give us a real Pro mode. I cant wait a long 30s shutter and more serious pro mode of samsung update in a future for our s10 family.