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Hi everyone,
I've had my Vibrant with me at a local music festival this weekend, and thought it would be a fantastic time to exercise the HD video capture. Unfortunately, every single video I've taken has had such terrible audio that it's unwatchable. I kept digging around in camera settings but found that there's no way to adjust the mic sensitivity. Anyone else have a similar experience or any idea of a workaround?
In my experience the Vibrant's got excellent mic sensitivity and the sound quality is even quite good. Unfortunately, this means that things like concerts are going to be distorted. I've actually seen very few video cameras that can properly record a live concert, much less ANY cell phone.
I absolutely understand that recording a live concert through a microphone designed around voice for telephony is not going to be in any way, shape or form, ideal. I feel like the Vibrant could do better. I just wonder if it's something that could be corrected for in software, if it's a hardware limitation, or if it's just my particular unit. My dad was also with me at the festival, and recorded the same shows using my old Blackberry 9700. The Blackberry did a markedly better job.. It's not what I would call good by any means, but the video isn't intolerable to watch for memory's sake. I just find it frustrating since the phone takes such incredible video. I agree that it does very well in low volume situations, and I absolutely love the phone overall.
I have a couple of comparison example videos on Youtube from the festival but due to my new user status I can't post a link to them. PM me if you're interested.
I also took my phone to a trance festival, the image is amazing but the sound is rubbish. I was also standing very close to the speakers so I don't really blame the mic since it's not really built to handle such a strong volume input.
If there is a possible way to fix it software wise that would be great, but I'm no that optimistic about the chance it's fixable that way.
I agree, the sound just pops... Same song recorded by the og droid was MUCH BETTER... of course my video LOOKED amazing.
I agree my wife and I recently went to the Honda Civic Tour. I used my Vibrant while a friend used one of those little flip HD cameras. We both got the same picture quality however, her sound was amazing. The thing I find funny is those cameras only cost like $249.
Sent from my Samsung Vibrant using the XDA app.
TGA_Gunnman talks about the same thing here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734515
Though doesn't say exactly which one of the settings is what adjusts the mic gain.
I too would be very greatful to know how to turn the thing down.
-Greg
Here are the first photos I have seen on the web.
http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/review/htc-ace-en.shtml#4
(edit: more shots in post #6 below)
It probably doesn't come as a surprise to most of you: the iphone is still king.
It is sad that such an expensive phone with an 8M pixels camera still makes such poor pictures in 2010/2011, when my 10 years old 3M pixels Fuji camera (which is far from high end) has been making perfect shots for the past 10 years.
After the iphone with its great camera and the galaxy s with its great super amoled screen, HTC comes out with a new high end dream phone: old gen LCD screen and old gen camera. (Oh yeah, it does have a faster CPU and more RAM - this should make me feel much better, considering the Desire/N1 was almost unusable with its bad performance..... /sarcasm off).
Seriously, there's no excuse when the iphone can do so much better with a 5M camera.
Ok, these were taken with an engineering sample. But knowing HTC, do you believe this can improve when it releases in 2 weeks?
PS: and for those wondering about the video quality, it isn't better than what we have seen from the Desire, but the fps is more stable thanks to the faster cpu: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8202670&postcount=83
HTC simply doesn't give a rat's ass about photo & external speakers quality. That's all fine and dandy, but then they shouldn't label their devices with "HD" when they clearly aren't hd.
It's a shame that Nokia N8, whose only downside is that unlucky Symbian OS, will be cheaper than Desire HD. Actually, it's the other way around, it's a shame Desire HD will be more expensive than N8.
think imma skip this one. In fact, I'll skip all HTC's untill they start using better cameras and better speakers.
Photos were taken under poor lighting conditions, which effect the white balance, and noise and they are blurry (slow shutter speed).
Not the ideal test imo... I'd rather wait for some outdoor performance.
Iphone - King?
was just wondering... since when has the iphone become King of pictures?
I dunno about Iphone4, but when I compare the 3gs with my Desire, the Desire clearly takes better pictures, and in bad light conditions, the Iphone wont even shoot a decent picture (no flash) :/
If someone is the king of picture/video it must be sony ericsson.
Even though, I still think HTC makes quiet okay pictures outdoors in daylight.
Haven't heard of Iphone beeing better at this?
larsn84 said:
was just wondering... since when has the iphone become King of pictures?
I dunno about Iphone4, but when I compare the 3gs with my Desire, the Desire clearly takes better pictures, and in bad light conditions, the Iphone wont even shoot a decent picture (no flash) :/
If someone is the king of picture/video it must be sony ericsson.
Even though, I still think HTC makes quiet okay pictures outdoors in daylight.
Haven't heard of Iphone beeing better at this?
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Well, we are talking about new phones coming out in 2010/2011, so of course I am talking about the iphone 4 and not the old iphone 3. Furthermore, keep in mind that you are comparing a new 2010 Desire with the old iphone 3.
In every comparative review I have seen the iphone 4 camera always comes out on top. It takes pictures that are at the beginning of something worth keeping, whereas the HTC cameras are just "okay", as you say, good enough if you want to show something to someone, but who would want to keep such horrible pictures in their photo album?
The iphone 4 shots, while not perfect, are something you can keep.
Anyway, we'll be seeing some more shots soon; I am still hoping for the best
Some more shots on this page: http://www.eprice.com.tw/mobile/talk/?prod_id=4018&tid=4509706
The 8MP quality is quite poor, but the advantage with such a high resolution, is that once you resize the pictures and make them smaller it isn't bad at all anymore.
I think a good test would be to take a pic with the iphone 4 at 5MP and the same pic with the Desire HD at 8MP, and then resize it to 5MP to compare.
(reload the page if the pics don't load, or go to the above link and then reload the page. The remote site seems a little strange at times)
larsn84 said:
I dunno about Iphone4,
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There goes your problem. The iPhone 4 really is very good at taking pics.
They became the king of pictures since the iPhone 4.
The video capture is also very good. Even better than those mini camcoders.
Check out the sample shots from the same site.
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/apple-iphone4-en.shtml#8
Saying that, the lighting condition wasn't fair in the Desire HD review.
BigMango said:
Some more shots on this page: http://www.eprice.com.tw/mobile/talk/?prod_id=4018&tid=4509706
The 8MP quality is quite poor, but the advantage with such a high resolution, is that once you resize the pictures and make them smaller it isn't bad at all anymore.
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very true.
My laptop at 1600x900 is pretty high res, but i still need to make the 8mpx shots smaller to see the whole pic. After resizing the quality looks pretty damn good. Much sharper.
I hate iphone but fact is iphone pixture quality is brilliant compared to any htc phone. I'm fan of htc but do feel let down by their camera, video and sound quality. Having said this I well probably still purchase dhd as everything else they do pretty well im comparison to any other smartphone.
Htc always promises great things but tend to short change thier loyal customers with their cheap skate antics.
Early indications show that the camera in the HTC Desire isn't noticeably better (if at all) than the Desire - have to say that for a high end phone costing nearly £500 this is disappointing at best!
wywywywy said:
There goes your problem. The iPhone 4 really is very good at taking pics.
They became the king of pictures since the iPhone 4.
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Not sure I agree with that. Most pupular perhaps but certainly not the best. Nokia have always had Apple licked in this department and I can't see that changing any time soon.
One of the big let downs of the Desire for me was the camera and audio quality, if this has not been improved I see no reason to dash out and buy these new models.
Early indications show that the camera in the HTC Desire isn't noticeably better (if at all) than the Desire - have to say that for a high end phone costing nearly £500 this is disappointing at best!
One of the big let downs of the Desire for me was the camera and audio quality, if this has not been improved I see no reason to dash out and buy these new models.
wywywywy said:
There goes your problem. The iPhone 4 really is very good at taking pics.
They became the king of pictures since the iPhone 4.
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Not sure I agree with that. Most p0pular perhaps but certainly not the best. Nokia have always had Apple licked in this department and I can't see that changing any time soon.
Right now all I am concerned about is the audio quality for recording. The evo had sucky sound quality from recording video, because of the stupid AMR codec, have they fixed that yet or what?
mupet0000 said:
Right now all I am concerned about is the audio quality for recording. The evo had sucky sound quality from recording video, because of the stupid AMR codec, have they fixed that yet or what?
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judging from the videos posted here, the DHD records in AAC format, with a sampling rate of 44.1 KHz at 65 Kbps. I think this is an improvement, but im not sure of the EVO's output. If someone knows where i can download an evo clip to compare..
SupremeBeaver said:
judging from the videos posted here, the DHD records in AAC format, with a sampling rate of 44.1 KHz at 65 Kbps. I think this is an improvement, but im not sure of the EVO's output. If someone knows where i can download an evo clip to compare..
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Yeah I just now watched this clip of the DHD and I'm happy with it, a LOT better sounding than the evo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VGxi9X3wzo
This is an evo clip I watched, but there are many on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_SPR_3wNQ0
mupet0000 said:
Yeah I just now watched this clip of the DHD and I'm happy with it, a LOT better sounding than the evo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VGxi9X3wzo
This is an evo clip I watched, but there are many on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_SPR_3wNQ0
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Click to collapse
It would be preferable to compare with the original clip, not one uploaded to youtube. I'll do some snooping.
edit: looks like the EVO only does 8 Khz compared to the DHD's 44 Khz. Not sure on the bitrate though.
second edit: EVO records audio at 12.8 kbps compared to DHD's 65 kbps. Huge difference.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/0...evo-4gs-720p-hd-video-camera-paris-in-videos/
If the figures are correct then it's very promising. However the youtube clip is not making me excited about the quality. I certainly hope it's better then the evo but I have lowered my expections as far as the camera, video quality is concerned. This way I won't be dissappointed. Simples.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
The i-Phone may now be good at shooting but it's definitely not the King.
Have you seen shots and video taken on the Galaxy S?
They are amazing.
This is part down to a very good sensor with a nice low 2.3 f-stop making it ideal for low light shooting.
I was hoping so much for the Desire HD but if what is so far seen to go by there is nothing to whet my appetite.
Beards said:
The i-Phone may now be good at shooting but it's definitely not the King.
Have you seen shots and video taken on the Galaxy S?
They are amazing.
This is part down to a very good sensor with a nice low 2.3 f-stop making it ideal for low light shooting.
I was hoping so much for the Desire HD but if what is so far seen to go by there is nothing to whet my appetite.
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Click to collapse
According to the dozens of reviews and comparative tests I have seen, the Iphone 4 always comes out on top.
Yes, the Galaxy S is good (most of the time comes out 2nd behind the iphone4), but Iphone 4 is better.
For example, here is iphone 4 vs android video comparison (galaxy s, desire and nexus one): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_v4EJT3aTg (at 0:22 you can click on each phone to get the big video for each).
As you can see, the iphone 4 is far above everything else (but I agree the Galaxy is not bad).
As for photo, here:
Galaxy S: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_p9pmpIdf0q4/TI5bjpyyxuI/AAAAAAAAAi8/tfNGrB8CsGI/s1600/S16.jpg
Iphone 4: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_p9pmpIdf0q4/TI5bi08vgZI/AAAAAAAAAi0/9-6SJY9Bkzw/s1600/I16.JPG
And there's more here (iphone 4 vs galaxy s): http://androidhd.blogspot.com/2010/09/test-iphone-4-vs-samsung-galaxy-s.html
Seriously, once you have seen the many comparisons on the net you can only see that the Iphone 4 being better really isn't open to discussion. (and no I never had and probably never will have an iphone).
edit: but I agree, the galaxy s is very good in low light conditions. Many complain about the absence of flash, but it does much better without a flash than most other phones with flash do.
BigMango said:
Seriously, once you have seen the many comparisons on the net you can only see that the Iphone 4 being better really isn't open to discussion. (and no I never had and probably never will have an iphone).
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Apologies and I say this with all sincerity but I don't need to see or read the comments on the net.
My remarks are based on actual usage of the GS and first-hand observations of the Desire and i-Phone 4 operating at the same time.
I don't know who took the shot using the GS but they most certainly did not use the phone correctly... It is exceptionally bad.
All it takes is for the lens to be very slightly to the right/left/up/down of a another shot to pick up differing light patterns which in turn can cause all manner of display issue.
I have no issue whatsoever with the i-Phone's camera, indeed it very good and a marked improvement over the i-Phone 3g.
But from a personal point of view I find it difficult to accept it being termed 'The King'..... But each to their own and I most certainly would not knock your opinion or observation.
Beards said:
Apologies and I say this with all sincerity but I don't need to see or read the comments on the net.
My remarks are based on actual usage of the GS and first-hand observations of the Desire and i-Phone 4 operating at the same time.
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Click to collapse
Well, to me dozens of different testers (some amateurs and some professionals) can't be wrong. Especially when the iphone 4 never failed to come out on top.
And I really did a lot of research on this as I was about to get a GS myself (before deciding to wait for the Desire HD).
But of course, I am glad you are very pleased with the GS. This is the most important in the end, isn't it.
Beards said:
I don't know who took the shot using the GS but they most certainly did not use the phone correctly... It is exceptionally bad.
All it takes is for the lens to be very slightly to the right/left/up/down of a another shot to pick up differing light patterns which in turn can cause all manner of display issue.
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Click to collapse
So lets summarize the Galaxy S:
- Buggy GPS, sometimes it works for some people, sometimes it doesn't
- Laggy phone, sometimes it lags... sometimes not...
- Buggy camera, sometimes it works great for some people, sometimes it doesn't...
Iphone 4: it just works.
Beards said:
But from a personal point of view I find it difficult to accept it being termed 'The King'..... But each to their own and I most certainly would not knock your opinion or observation.
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Click to collapse
Well, that's not just my opinion. It's the conclusions of almost all of the testers on the web, amateurs and professionals as well.
By the way, I have posted several supportive links. Where are yours? (just kidding, this is a Desire HD thread after all)
I know the device isn't out just yet, but I was wondering if anyone has seen a sample of Nexus 4 camcorder yet? (Front & Back). I rely heavily on my cameras for work & for other reasons & not to bash the G-Nex, but the camera sensor on this device is a little underwhelming to say the least. I heard the camera hardware was based off of the AT&T 8mp Optimus G, but I'm not sure if that's an actual spitting image of what we can expect from the N4.
Any links or input would be greatly appreciated in advanced. Worst case scenario, 10 days isn't too far away!
Here you have some video samples:
Hope is what are you looking for :good:
Nexus 4 said:
Here you have some video samples:
Hope is what are you looking for :good:
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Thanks sooo much for the quick reply with content. The actually image quality is quite an improvement, but my problem lies with the FPS & the audio to a certain extent. I wasn't expecting perfection, so I'm overall happy with what we have here. I'm sure it'll get better between camera mods & software updates. Thanks again.
The mic makes the video so crap, I tried to record video with my GS2 once upon a time and it was far worse than my old iPhone 4 which had such amazing audio quality. I mean I went to Reading last year and the iPhone 4 was super clear, picked up good bass and sounded great but the GS2 just sounded like I was rubbing a plastic bag over the mic and the bass just killed the mic all together.
So if the audio sucks then there is no point to it shooting video tbh. I just have a separate camera though so it doesn't bother me too much though.
I would love it if someone uploaded the original video file from the phone. Youtube seems to always use an aggressive compression on user uploads, I rarely see good 1080p videos on the site, even from pro cameras.
Make sure to go fullscreen when watching the video and turn your youtube video to 720p HD.
Can anyone help ....
I get HEAVY compression artifacts on the video recordings at 1080p on the nexus 4 itself - even when I upload to the PC. The sound and video is compressed sounding too.
So Ive had my XA2 for 4 days now.. and Ive got to say.. for a £200 phone (I paid), its pretty darn good...
I love the XZ3 style curved edged screen and the slightly curved back, and... even though the back plate is plastic.. it has a nice weighty feeling in the hand, it doesn't feel like a sub-£300 device..
The LCD screen is nice a clear and while, even at brightness 100%, its not fantastic in direct sunlight... its still pretty good... one of the best sub £500 screens for viewing outdoors Ive seen..
The speaker is surprisingly good and gets very VERY loud, so ringer and Msg tones are not a problem to hear at all, even in crowded places, although the speaker gets so loud that music can be tinney it doesn't distort, even past 90% volume... Its great.. the ear piece on recieving Calls is fantastically crisp, loud and clear
I don't play games on a 5.2" phone, so I cant comment on benchmarks, but so far.. Ive had no slow downs or stutters from the SD 630, its all liquid smooth and a breeze to use...
Also, the battery life is fantastic.. it really is... I am a moderate user and Ive only charged it once in 4 days and im still on 30%.. yep its really good... especially if you use Data saver in Google, turn your Location settings to "Battery Saving".. its Really good... and I haven't had any heat issues either... cool all the way, even using a QC3.0 fast charger.
One thing I have noticed.. Iam using a SanDisk 128GB 90M/S SDCard… but have found that its slow to access music using the SONY Music Player (album art is slow to load and songs can sometimes take a second or so to play.. .. yet on Google Music.. its nice and fast, but the XZ2 has the same issue so I don't think its the SD630 SoC ... strange that one..
Now, the camera... I purchased my XA2 and updated to build..123 (Dec 18), so I cant speak for previous issues, but I gotta say... the XA2 camera:
The Good..
Excellent in Daylight shots, great colour balance and lighting, Very clear and crisp, not bad on slow moving subjects, plenty of detail, hardly any barrel distortion or edge softening, no over-sharpening. great "Auto" Mode, great EIS..
The Bad
Poor in low light, but even when using the flash in low light.. it takes about 2 - 3 secs to actually take the image, so camera shake happens sometimes .... even when taking daylight shots, the camera can be slow to focus, over-exposes {like 90% of all phone cameras do} and I don't do selfies so I don't care about this but it has a terrible Selfie camera..
But hand on heart, this XA2 has a better camera than the old XZ Premium and XZ1.. Take all my "Good Points" and convert them to "Bad Points", plus the "Bad Points" ive already said... and you've got the XZP camera... Aside from the 4K 5.5" screen and Stereo speakers... IMHO, the XA2 is a better device than the XZP and XZ1. Ive owned 4 XZPs and an XZ1.. and ALL of them have had Terrible cameras, terrible Barrel distortion from the Z5 days, woolly, fuzzy edge softening as much as 15% on each image... Over-sharpening, terrible blurry images through rubbish EIS .. Believe me, Im still scratching my head at this XA2 compared to my XZP and XZ1 nightmares.
So, IMO its a no-brainer.. better than the P20 Lite and the Nokia 7 Plus... if you can put up with the "Sometimes" slow to focus times on the camera, not a selfie person or poor hand held low light images.. then Buy It.. this is easily the best phone under the OnePlus 5 for images and ease of use... its a joy to use, just remember it is only a 5.2" display
I'm considering getting the XA2 as a dedicated video camera for my Osmo mobile 2 gimbal. I've read some pretty damning reports that the audio when recording video is pretty awful. I have tried to find out if there has been any changes since the update but to no avail. Can you tell me if the audio has been improved? does it affect 3rd party camera apps too? Any info you can provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks
montgomary69 said:
I'm considering getting the XA2 as a dedicated video camera for my Osmo mobile 2 gimbal. I've read some pretty damning reports that the audio when recording video is pretty awful. I have tried to find out if there has been any changes since the update but to no avail. Can you tell me if the audio has been improved? does it affect 3rd party camera apps too? Any info you can provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks
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Yes, it has been corrected. Now the audio recording is quite good. And yes, initially it was terrible !
montgomary69 said:
I'm considering getting the XA2 as a dedicated video camera for my Osmo mobile 2 gimbal. I've read some pretty damning reports that the audio when recording video is pretty awful. I have tried to find out if there has been any changes since the update but to no avail. Can you tell me if the audio has been improved? does it affect 3rd party camera apps too? Any info you can provide would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for late reply, but as emcom has pointed out... the audio is great on videos.. but I came to the XA2 using build 123, so I dont know about previous issues.. but IMO, Ive had NO issues at all and its nice and clear
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Sony Xperia 1 II, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia 1 II is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
One of my all time favorite phones / camera's
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
Main Things I Didn't Test
* Gaming
* Video
Look and Feel
I personally really like the look and feel of this phone. It has some iPhone 4 qualities to it. By which I mean it feels like a device/tool with nice buttons, very high quality materials. It feels like a tool, like a device that is build for usability rather than build for the wow factor (if that makes sense).
It doesn't have a crazy high screen to body ratio. So something like S20 (or the S10 i used previously) is a bit more awe inspiring. But as soon as you slap a case on a S10 this will disappear any way. But what it has is a uninterrupted screen with no notches or punch hols, it has two front facing high quality speakers. It is function over form rather than form over function. That is not to say that it is not a good looking device it is very nice build it look really great. Although I'm not a fan of mirror polishing but you will not notice that as soon as you slap a cover on it (and it looks way better than the ugly blue s10). I have the official Sony case with stand which will still allow you to see the very nice sides of the phone; they are beautifully machined and have a nice color (especially with the purple one).
The buttons of the volume and the power feel really nice, they have a reassuring click to them. The only thing I'm missing is a click for the shutter button. Perhaps it is not implemented to make sure you don't move the phone while clicking. This has a bit of a downside when you don't have a shutter sound enabled. As the camera is crazy fast and it is therefor hard to see / notice if you took the photo or not. A click would have been nice. But when using the phone more often I got used to it.
Screen
The screen is absolutely amazing especially in creator mode. Colors are very accurate and it is a real joy to watch media on this phone be it movies, clips or photos. Because of the very high PPI reading news or books is possible with small letters it basically looks like it is printed. Compared to my old s10 which has a amazing screen as well I prefer the Sony as it has such natural colors and this printed feel to it. Also the colors are good with low luminescence something the s10 could not manage. That being said the max brightness is a bit less than the s10 and I feel that the display is a bit more reflective. But this could be caused by the fact I keep the brightness down with the Sony as thing look really good with low brightness. That being said I did not encounter any problems reading the screen outside on a bright day.
The screen ratio is really handy. I never used split screen a lot on previous devices. But since it is slightly taller than a s10 (while having the same width) it makes more sense to use it and I use it for more often now (watching YouTube while messaging). I don't feel it is a big phone. It is a bit heavier than the s10 but also it feels better build than the s10. Compared to a Note 10+ the height is similar but the width is significantly less.
Sound
Front facing speaker are great far better than the S10 or any other phone I used. Switching on Dolby Atmos is mandatory as without it is not that good. You really have stereo sound and both speakers are equal in terms of loudness positioning and quality.
The sound quality from the audio jack is good and you have quite a lot of options to set the sound to your tasted. As I mostly use wireless atm I have not tested this comprehensively.
Speed
It is fast, sometimes notably faster than the s10. I think is mostly because of faster memory as I don't to that much cpu intensive stuff. That being said I think the most phones for the last couple of years are fast enough for most of the tasks any way.
5G / reception
5G works no idea if it is faster than 4g. didn't run any test as 4g didn't give me any problems. Reception seems to be very good at least better than the S10. Some places where I did not have a great reception or didn't have any reception with the s10 I do have with the 1ii. Maybe this could be because of 5G (as it uses multiple connections), or maybe not, I have no Idea . WiFi is stable and fast. Bluetooth as well.
Call quality.
It is great, voice is really good, again better than the s10
Battery
it is good, I'm a heavy phone user as I use it for lot's of reading, emailing, work stuff, music and YouTube. No complains and even slightly amazed considering is has "only" a 4000Mha battery
Camera (and a little bit about pricing)
Properly the most important part of this phone it the camera. As Sony did not release a "cheaper" version of the phone with 64GB like the iPhone 11 pro it is a very expensive device and the camera is it's main selling point. Although you could argue it should be compared with a 11 pro max which makes the Sony cheaper than a iPhone 11 pro max (256GB) or similar priced to the 64GB version. I don't understand reviewers that give a lower rating because of the price. It should be compared to an 11 pro (max) or S20+ / Ultra. Personally I think it comes out ahead in many comparisons to these phones. The 1ii is a "pro" phone with a pro price. But than again a "pro" phone is a silly concept to begin with (the only pro phone I ever used was the blackberry passport, best professional / work phone ever, but bad at anything else).
First a small disclaimer. I didn't use the android camera at all (only for scanning a QR code) as you get a photo pro app which should be used if you buy this phone. Secondly I like photography I have used many camera's over the years and also may phones. Up till now my two favorite camera phones where the Lumia 950XL for color and the Mate 9 for b&w photography. The Lumia still amazes me to this day and Nokia/Microsoft did not get enough credit for there work. It was the only phone I knew that could really capture light. Also I don't care for AI powered camera apps. I understand that this is really handy if you just make snapshot and don't care about doing photography your self. I don't care for "HDR" images as all it accomplish is that it removes shadows and makes for a equal brightened image regardless of how the scene looks. If you like these things I'm not sure that this is the phone for you as Google, Samsung and Apple are better at these things
The camera app phone combination is amazing. It really gives you the feel that you are using a camera and more importantly that you are in control. It is a unbelievably fast combinations. For instance; I tried to take a photo of a dog and I was sure I mist it. As he started moving as soon as I pressed the shutter button but to my amazement the camera took the picture, it must have been less than a second between me clicking and the dog moving. I think it might be faster than my RX100m6. If you like to tinker and you know what shot you want and how you want it to look there is not better phone atm. (the Samsung pro camera is highly unusable and Huawei sadly doesn't have Google apps).
The 20fps works really good as well, it is amazing to use on a phone and to be so sure of the results (yes I know I'm using the word amazing a lot). Another surprise is the performance of the digital zoom it is far better than expected is highly usable. Also it is quit nice to have a 70mm option, although I feel that it doesn't perform on the same level as the other two sensor / lens combinations it seems a bit softer and not as sharply focused. The hero of this phone is the main 24mm sensor / lens combo it performs the best and has all the possible options. For the xperia 1iii I would like to see a 50mm included as well. The colors are natural and this gives you the opportunity to post processes the picture your self more easily than say a iPhone or Samsung.
There are some things I would like to see in a software update. Mainly the ability to zoom in normal focal lengths instead of continues (so from 24 to 28 to 35 to 50 etc). To change the shutter sound to a soft click sound. The ability to set sharpness , contrast and saturation. Last but not least RAW support. Also I had a couple of times the app freeze on me but as this is the first version I presume they will fix this.
a bunch of pictures with various focal length and lighting conditions:
https://we.tl/t-8rRytOUylm
Video
didn't really use it and on cnet there is a great review about its video capabilities including a nice short movie. It's great; one of the best reviews ever for any phone or product https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-xperia-1-ii-review-yep-thats-a-real-telephoto-lens/
If you have any questions I will try to answer them (I will not install apps to check stuff )
stefanve said:
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
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see link in original post for full rez pictures
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
Tmel14 said:
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
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I've had the phone for two days. I'd say this is not a phone you'd buy to be "point and shoot" camera. The main camera app takes good photos but not the best. To get best photos, you should use the camera pro app. It is a solid app/camera and I feel like I have a close to DSLR camera in my pocket. Colors are very natural and accurate compared to manipulated photos you get from Samsung or even Pixel camera app. It does have a portrait mode that works fine however in Camera Pro if you learn to adjust focus manually can have similar effect even better.
Thanks for the heads up. Any tweaks you'd recommend to the default settings on the camera pro app?
The pro mode has a auto mode which is quit good. And I used it for a couple of shots I shared. So it can work really well. I guess it is depending on the look of the auto mode settings and if the other pros of this phone are of interest to you
stefanve said:
see link in original post for full rez pictures
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OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
Love and Hate from me. Eagerly waited for it since announcement and first adverts. High expectations, not only because of SONY´s promises but mostly because of my experience with and long - term SONY user / devices. Most of my SONY phones delivered good images: my XZ Premium, XZ2 Premium, even my last addition, the X, gives me proper images. Not counting the older device along my lifetime (SE68, W-Series, K-Series and so on). But this MK2 is more Hate than Love. Gorgeous design, screen, speakers. Fast and, finally, more storage (novum at SONY!). But the camera - system is a no-go. Mediocre image quality from all but the main camera, even with the 24 lens it delivers inconsistent material. Videos are simply said...to forget. Focus is a hit and miss game when light conditions are different from sunny - outdoor. From 10 images half is usable, depending what lens was used. Not to talk about the front camera. I just informed Sony about my complain and offered them my image and video material to check it. Dunno if they will give me reply....
WarVic said:
OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
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I have to say I really like most out of camera photo's, but they don't sharp the photos or use HDR ( you can switch it on) but I guess in the end is about personal taste. to my eyes they look miles better than anything samsung.
just to show what you can do with the out of camera photos (I hope raw support will be added soon) look at the different versions of two photos.
But indeed this phone is not for some one that wants a camera that " just works"
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
WarVic said:
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
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Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
stefanve said:
Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
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I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
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Not saying or thinking you are an idiot, just checking
Funny how different people see different things looking at the same image. That being said if the main reason of this phone is to have a great camera than indeed it's disappointing and it's better to get a RX100V or what ever and a mid range phone for the same money. I guess no phone is worth 1200 it is way to much for any phone and perhaps especially for a android as the long term support is non existing.
I just have fun snapping with it and i am pleased with the output (considering that it is a phone
Noticed gaming performance is dropping, guess I've installed something....
Playing COD, every 10 odd seconds it shows, then goes back to normal.
Notice this in other games to, even silly idle games that should be pulling no demand. One of them even said, drop to low performance mode, your phone is struggling. WTF!
My previous phone, one lower chip model and g card model never had any problems.
Must be done software conflicts, but dunno how to find them
Am I the only one who doesn't see what's wrong with the pictures that have been posted?
They are perfectly fine. But if you are used to processed photos from Samsung, Google or Apple you might not like the look as these are basically not altered by some algorithm.
Burst shot of me Pooch : https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=18Os3AQ2j0TuqaFjJ6c9h-TvFGr2zyIk1
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
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This guy is not an idiot either
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zevK7xMsYdA&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
Geoffxx said:
This guy is not an idiot either
&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
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You can't use someone on the Xperia YouTube channel to counter the comment from someone criticising the quality as it'll just be massively biased towards Sony lol
If it's like the Xperia 1 you'll be waiting forever for the improvements to come so I wouldn't hang around.