Database Users

[GUIDE][REVIEW]Samsung Galaxy S3 Camera Guide/Review

I have written this guide quite some time back during the first week of launch of this Galaxy S3 and forgotten to share this here in xda too. Hope this is able to help some newbie on using their S3 camera. Advance users probably will find my guide too basic.
I do welcome any feedbacks or comments if you found any mistakes or misleading information.
Disclaimer: This is not a professional review and all the findings and opinions are based on my own experience only.
Part 1: Hardware and Features
Part 2: User Interface
Part 3: Limitations
Part 4: Shooting Mode
Part 5: Scene Mode
Part 6: Summary and Conclusion
I'm aware for the new firmware I9300XXBLFB for the camera. Check the changelog
Some sample pictures you will find in the post.

Sample pictures
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

very nice review and good conclusion. well done. keep it up.
did you do any post processing at all on those pictures ? i notice less noise (compared to mine) even on high ISO ! i find lot of noise anything more ISO 200!
BTW my cam firmware ZDFE02.

nope, no PP was done. all straight out of camera..
probably have to do with the brightness of the object u r shooting i guess. indoors with ISO 200 still give quite an amount of noise too.

Camera Changelog for LFB/LF1 firmwares
blog updated with latest description for LFB/LG1 updates:
Camera Changelog for LFB/LG1 firmwares

nice work @op
can you make some comparison of pictures @ poor lighting conditions?

Great post. I know this camera isn't the best one you can get in a smartphone (probably still the iPhone 4S? Or the One X?), but it takes some really good shots, and knowing how to use it properly is all-important.
Thanks!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

I love this guide, really useful, thanks!

bala_gamer said:
nice work @op
can you make some comparison of pictures @ poor lighting conditions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what type of low light photos u looking for?
- low light indoor?
- low light outdoor?
- with flash or without flash?
i do have some poor lighting condition photos in the blog anyway. have a look.
or comparisons done by this forum member
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1771006
jgristy said:
Great post. I know this camera isn't the best one you can get in a smartphone (probably still the iPhone 4S? Or the One X?), but it takes some really good shots, and knowing how to use it properly is all-important.
Thanks!
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, and no. the One X is not a better shooter when compared to S3. Reason bcz One X is not able to capture as much detail and sharpness as S3. The One X is only capable of getting a cleaner image during low light, thanks to its f2.0 lens. Other than that, S3 is a better shooter.
iPhone 4S on the other hand comes in neck in neck. it wins S3 in indoor shots, thanks to its f2.4 lens. But it's a no match for sharpness and details as well to the S3. the metering on 4S however seems better.
i will provide some links to let u have a look on the comparison shots.
http://www.gsmarena.com/pureview_blind_test-review-773.php
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_iii_vs_htc_one_x-review-759p5.php
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/samsung-galaxy-s3-vs-iphone-4s-vs-htc-one-x-vs-xperia-s-camera-test-50008056/
juliano_q said:
I love this guide, really useful, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
welcome.. just to help..

Thanks, really useful guide, especially for the point-and-hope-for-the-best user - i.e. me....
Should be stickied IMO.

farscope said:
i will provide some links to let u have a look on the comparison shots.
welcome.. just to help..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for those links. Very informative. Reading all this information about my new camera phone, I find I don't have all the new effects under the wand button (even though I've downloaded all available updates), and I don't have the button which lets you take photos during video recording.
Why do you think this might be?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

jgristy said:
Thanks for those links. Very informative. Reading all this information about my new camera phone, I find I don't have all the new effects under the wand button (even though I've downloaded all available updates), and I don't have the button which lets you take photos during video recording.
Why do you think this might be?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
probably yr country hasn't receive the updates yet.. just wait for it..

Thanks for the guide It whas very usefull

Strangely when the update came the camera is getting worse not better , yes more options and modes but a lot of distortion .......
I'm talking about the LFB one....

A small question for those who have moved over to an AOSP rom, does the camera take longer to snap a photo? I ask this because obviously the Samsung Rom was built for the zero shutter lag and I have seen demos of the speed in which it snaps photos. But in some videos I have seen CM9 on the S3, it seems when hitting the button it has a small delay where it stills tries to focus before it snaps.
thanks!
ps: getting my S3 on Monday and debating which rom to use as I probably would like to mess around with the new S3 roms.

m00moo said:
A small question for those who have moved over to an AOSP rom, does the camera take longer to snap a photo? I ask this because obviously the Samsung Rom was built for the zero shutter lag and I have seen demos of the speed in which it snaps photos. But in some videos I have seen CM9 on the S3, it seems when hitting the button it has a small delay where it stills tries to focus before it snaps.
thanks!
ps: getting my S3 on Monday and debating which rom to use as I probably would like to mess around with the new S3 roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, the S3's camera is using touchwiz framework.. CM9 is not.. hence the slower performance..
demmo81 said:
Strangely when the update came the camera is getting worse not better , yes more options and modes but a lot of distortion .......
I'm talking about the LFB one....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
distortion at the corners? hmm.. i will try to check on mine.. but as far as i'm concerned, distortion mainly due to lens..

farscope said:
yes, the S3's camera is using touchwiz framework.. CM9 is not.. hence the slower performance..
distortion at the corners? hmm.. i will try to check on mine.. but as far as i'm concerned, distortion mainly due to lens..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not only on the edges but i feel all the pics specially with low light...
anyway ill provide some samples later on today to explain ... Thanks

demmo81 said:
its not only on the edges but i feel all the pics specially with low light...
anyway ill provide some samples later on today to explain ... Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
awaiting yr samples then.. cz i dont see any significant difference in my pictures in terms of distortion..

farscope said:
awaiting yr samples then.. cz i dont see any significant difference in my pictures in terms of distortion..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here r some I just took in the office the camera is trying to increase the light as much as it can although the light conditions r normal but the pic is coming pixeled u know...
Also I noticed the camera is trying to get all the light in that's why its getting worse....
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

demmo81 said:
Here r some I just took in the office the camera is trying to increase the light as much as it can although the light conditions r normal but the pic is coming pixeled u know...
Also I noticed the camera is trying to get all the light in that's why its getting worse....
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm.. i don't really get what u mean by distortion. my understanding of distortion is the lens distortion where u get straight lines becomes curvy like a barrel distortion for wide angle lens, or the fish eye effect for fish eye lens.
in your sample picture, i cant really get the distortion that u mean. did u mean the deviation away from normal exposures? if that's the case, then it is because most of the subjects in your picture are black/dark colours. Hence, the camera's metering is fooled, by thinking you are shooting in low light and hence increases the exposure. it happens to all camera, it's a weakness of digital metering.

Camera Comparison of DOOM (Warning: if you have bandwidth caps, steer clear)

OK so here it is. I took some time this evening with an old Galaxy S, a new(ish) Galaxy S2, a shiny new Galaxy S3, and an iPhone 4S (for good measure).
Problem statement: Samsung has been accused of equipping some versions of the Galaxy S3 with an inferior image sensor, providing degraded low light sensitivity when compared to the Galaxy S2 and other top phones. This is bad because customers expect to be purchasing a tested and true level of quality with their new device, not buying into a game of chance "which sensor do you get with your $200 and two year contract?"
Background: Samsung, like most large companies, has a limited supply chain. Many times with a product launch such as large as this, they will take shortcuts. Usually, these shortcuts are not major problems. Apple does this all the time, they use memory modules from different manufactures, capacitors from different places, etc. Samsung does this as well. It only becomes a problem when something major, such as the camera/battery/glass/etc is enough different to change the user experience. It has been proven that on the Galaxy S2 and Galaxy S3 samsung has sourced their image sensor from two locations:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Methods: Well, this is no lab test. I tested these phones side by side, one at a time. I took at least 3 pictures for each image shown and selected my favorite. The first images use auto everything because that is going to be the most common setting (and in the case of the iPhone, the ONLY setting, minus HDR mode). Following this I enabled night mode on the androids and took another set of images. Pictures were selected with 100% bias towards what I thought looked nice overall, nothing more. No tripod was used, but I tried to keep each phone as steady as possible. It's my job to perform microsurgery (on occasion) so I think I'm qualified to hold the phone still enough. No other settings were messed with.
I did not try to find good angles for the phones, instead I placed them in situations where the lighting was poor/hellish. The pictures were all taken indoors with few/no lights on, with ambient light messing up the shots, and no flash (which would have made all of these shots 10000x better). It was overcast and late in the evening.
First off, camera firmware for the S2 and S3
The iPhone should be shaking with all this epicness in front of it
In this set, the iphone would autofocus both outside and inside so both images are shown. No matter where I tapped to focus with the Galaxy's, I could not get the chair to come out clear. I could have adjusted the settings manually I guess. I re-sized the S1 image here accidentally (it's 5MP not 8MP). The iPhone, S1 and S3 all did well, with the edge going to the iPhone and S1 (surprisingly)... the S2 and S3 were very temperamental.
This set threw in some motion. I wouldn't try to quantify it, however. When that dog gets excited there isn't a camera anywhere fast enough to avoid motion blur. The framing was difficult as I was trying to keep the dog in the picture, but anyway, the S3 on auto had my favorite results overall. With night mode enabled
the S2 and S3 both looked good, I feel the S2 took the best shot with night mode.
In this set, the S3 night mode and HDR beat everything else hands down. The S2 looked good, but I had issues keeping it still, the S3 was very sharp each time despite the increased exposure.
Getting into pure darkness without a flash (who does this???), I only compared the S2 and S3. The S1 did surprisingly well here... but it's old tech so nobody cares. The iPhone was just black screen, nothing to compare. As for my take on these... yes, the S3 is REALLY red. That means the S3 has a crappy IR filter. But all hope is not lost... anybody that knows anything about night vision knows that IR and near-IR light is the most valuable. The fact that the sensor is able to collect this much IR really helps it "see" in the dark, even if it's primarily one color. While this may cause some minor problems at normal light levels (very minor, since this light is hardly present, remember the lights are almost totally off here), by passing the S3 image through some very minor filters in photoshop the image comes out beautiful. The third image looks almost identical to how the scene looked to my own eyes, slightly yellow hue from the dim lights, redish wood table. IMO at least.
Moving into some real situations, here is a macro shot of the S1 and S3
And in finale, my dirty car. The S1/2/3 all had good color reproduction, with the S2/3 having more detail, and the S3 the best overall. The iPhone kept trying to focus on the wheel (It either thought it was a face, or Siri was getting hot for the rims) which was the cause for the bad white balance.
In conclusion, in three generations of camera's, the biggest change is in detail. In all of the S1 images, noise is present in much higher amounts, although it held in WAY better than I expected for its age. As for the S3 being worse than the S2, for at least these tests I do not believe this to be the case. If anything they are very comparable. While some see the excess near-IR on night shots as a bad thing, remember it is always a tradeoff. Less IR (red) makes the shot more balanced naturally, but since the other wavelengths will be so sparse you will have little (or no) detail. At least with the red, you can regain vasts amounts of detail, and post process a little bit later to get a very nice picture. On a side note, I noticed the S3 compresses its pictures more than both the S2 and the iPhone4S. The only phone with smaller images was the S1, and it has a 5mp camera. This may not be a factor for anything, but I did find it interesting.
To not offend any apple fans, considering the fact they have zero control over the functioning of the camera, it did pretty well. Had the flash been used (like they should have been), I believe the S3 and iPhone would have been pretty much tied. I don't like apple, but I did try my best to be fair and take good pictures with all phones.
I do apologize for not having the GDxxxx firmware S3, as many were looking forward to seeing it in this comparison. I hope this helps somebody out there regardless. Lastly, unadulterated pictures can be found https://picasaweb.google.com/117440914475223218617/CameraComparison?authuser=0&feat=directlink with all the exif data you could ever need if you can sort through them.

hmm, looks like not many images are showing up... i'll add links instead
*edit* gotta give it lots of time to load

Nice review
Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

thank you for taking the time to put this together, excellent job!

Great comparison shots. Thanks! :good:

How do you enable night mode? I looked in camera settings and I do not see it, I'm using the AT&T version.

newtoandroid99 said:
How do you enable night mode? I looked in camera settings and I do not see it, I'm using the AT&T version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Camera - > settings - > scene mode - > Night
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

do you think there's a difference between the Samsung and Sony image sensor for the S3? If so which is better?

I don't believe that has been determined yet, but hopefully it will be soon. It seems like the general consensus is the Sony sensor has better low light performance and may have less blooming in bright light, but we are still trying to get a direct comparison so anything anybody says right now is just a guess. Hopefully I will be able to make a quick comparison this weekend if I can get away from my work for a while. Personally, I am happy with the samsung sensors performance as it is very good, but it's always nice to know which sensor is the king.

So how do I determine which Image sensor my S3 has?

Nice comparison. I feel like my wife's 4S takes better photos sometimes.
Thanks for taking the time
Sent from my SGH-T999

georgei11 said:
Nice comparison. I feel like my wife's 4S takes better photos sometimes.
Thanks for taking the time
Sent from my SGH-T999
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup same here, some pictures look better in my wife phone. Sad thing is that iPhone 4s came out last year, now iPhone 5 will probably have even better camera this year, but I'm fine with the gs3 I only use the pictures for Facebook and mms
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

jdpdata said:
So how do I determine which Image sensor my S3 has?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
type *#34971539# in the dialer, then click Phone/CAM FW Ver Check at the top.
If the string of numbers at the bottom starts with a ZDxxxx you have a samsung it is believed, while a prefix of
GDxxxx is believed to be the Sony image sensor.
It doesn't surprise me that the iPhone4S takes better pictures in normal conditions for many, the camera, audio chip and video processor are the best designed pieces on the 4S imo and remain the bar. The camera app is totally automated and does a lot of processing in the background invisible to the user. These pictures were mainly set up to compare the cameras in situations that small cameras innately struggle with. I mostly put the 4S in as a type of standard/control since I felt a real camera would make them all look silly, and many are familiar with the 4S.
Comparing the 4S to the S2/S3/OneX in typical lighting situations is something that has been beaten into the ground by many, with everything from tripods to image analysis software with no obvious winner (depending on who you ask). The only things I feel comfortable saying are that the 4S is easier to take good pictures with, while our phone takes practice and skill due to many more options, and that the 4S is utterly useless in darkness while our phones are only somewhat useless. Anyway I'm no photographer, just a science nerd with some fancy phones

I posted this over on the international, but for anyone concerned about the camera. I'm going to attempt to swap out the camera for the other module. My Pebble Blue AT&T has the Metal Housing that people talk about along with the ZD firmware. I took my phone apart and checked, it's super easy. I went on Ebay and found what appears to be the Sony module based on pictures from the International forum and the iFixit page. The cameras, parts and the way these phones come apart are essentially identical. There were even some labels on the inside that said GT-I9300. I'll let you guys know when I get the parts.

duowing said:
I posted this over on the international, but for anyone concerned about the camera. I'm going to attempt to swap out the camera for the other module. My Pebble Blue AT&T has the Metal Housing that people talk about along with the ZD firmware. I took my phone apart and checked, it's super easy. I went on Ebay and found what appears to be the Sony module based on pictures from the International forum and the iFixit page. The cameras, parts and the way these phones come apart are essentially identical. There were even some labels on the inside that said GT-I9300. I'll let you guys know when I get the parts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 32gb blue Sprint version with the ZD firmware and im pretty upset about it. I exchanged it and got another one with a ZD firmware. I'm beginning to think that the GD Firmware (sony) modules are only in the 16gb versions. Are there any folks out there with 32gb blue's that have gd firmware?

spydc said:
I have a 32gb blue Sprint version with the ZD firmware and im pretty upset about it. I exchanged it and got another one with a ZD firmware. I'm beginning to think that the GD Firmware (sony) modules are only in the 16gb versions. Are there any folks out there with 32gb blue's that have gd firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have 16gb claro panama blue and it ZD version. chill, there is not a huge difference in quality both are BSI
and ZD is only firmware, u may still ahve sony imx 175 bsi sensor

First full day with my Moto-x and Iphone pic comparision

I purchased a moto-x yesterday out of contract to give it a "road test" and If I liked it I would return it and order 32gb as my Iphone 5 replacement. I had to make a trip to NYC today. My train ride into Penn station is typically 1 hr 10 minutes and today I waited another 10 at the platform. I started out at 100% and started streaming Spotify over LTE and sat on reddit and google chrome for most of the way along with a few games of solitaire and burnt it down to 65%. I fared about the same with my Iphone 5 while making the same run pre-IOS7 however expect worse performance after the update. I was in battery park for the most of the day and lost another ~10% in the subway roaming/intermittent streaming. By the time I got on the train 7 hours later I was at 35%, I used the navigation for about 10 minutes to get some food (awesome btw).
Things I like about the phone.
The screen size is nicer than the Iphone 5 however may not be "as bright" I assume this has to do with the OLED screen.
The Active notifications has to be my favorite feature. It really is quite nice and I dread going back to my Iphone 5 without it.
The active feature while driving is nice however I haven't given it the full test yet.
Google Hangouts is amazing, it really is and I am going to force my girlfriend to use it on her iphone.
Android feels like a smart phone that wants to "help you". I'm sure that doesn't make sense. It just has some mystical google type power IMO.
Things I don't like.
I was hoping battery life would be a little better based on reviews, however I find it good enough.
The camera however this is an AT&T phone without the latest update. The camera will make or break this phone for me as I have a room full of fishing pictures, most are really good and taken with smartphone camera's (Iphone's.)
Also I tried to scan a barcode and it was just NOT happening while on the train, something the iphone did no problem (using myfitnesspal)
It also doesn't charge as fast as my iphone, however that may be because of the larger battery?
Also, when I return this phone this weekend, is there A way I can have everything backed up, so when I get my new phone I won't have to set everything up again and download all these apps over?
Here is the pic comparison, done side by side. http://imgur.com/a/tywmw

I'm actually having trouble making my picture look as bad off as you did and I am not able to reproduce it.
The color in my photos is spectacular, way better than my HTC One. I just took this of my salt water fish tank and it's way more than close... It's impeccably accurate.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Doing photo comparisons at this point is a waste of time. Att is going to have the update out very soon so why bother. The camera is great after the fix.
Compare then.
To answer your question you have the option to back up ur apps through your Google account. They redownload as soon as you log in on the next phone

osiris355 said:
Doing photo comparisons at this point is a waste of time. Att is going to have the update out very soon so why bother. The camera is great after the fix.
Compare then.
To answer your question you have the option to back up ur apps through your Google account. They redownload as soon as you log in on the next phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yesterday... i have just flash the tmo firmware on my unlock bootloader rogers version... and update ! my wife now want the white moto x ! pictures quality is just like the day and night... equal or better to the iphone 5... equal to the sg4 ...
... mmm i have say the tmobile firmware is excellent ... no brand no bloat ( retail en us on the about ) ...

Would you say the battery life is pretty similar for both phones? also how much thicker is the moto x?

mhsbrian said:
I'm actually having trouble making my picture look as bad off as you did and I am not able to reproduce it.
The color in my photos is spectacular, way better than my HTC One. I just took this of my salt water fish tank and it's way more than close... It's impeccably accurate.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't think i'm dissing the phone, I like it more than the iphone5
I'm just waiting for the update.

People tend to like the over saturated photos that the iPhone and Samsung produces... The Moto X creates pictures closer to real life colors.
Its the same with DSLR's, Canon processes photos with colors close to real life but the Nikon gives it more saturation - newcomers tend to go Nikon for this reason.
I prefer the real life colors, and I'll add saturation if needed later on.
Edited.

rman18 said:
People tend to like the over saturated photos that the iPhone and Samsung produces... The Moto X creates pictures closer to real life colors.
Its the same with DSLR's, Canon processes photos with colors close to real life but the Nokia gives it more saturation - newcomers tend to go Nokia for this reason.
I prefer the real life colors, and I'll add saturation if needed later on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree 100 percent, iPhone photos always bleed colors and it's especially seen in very detailed things.
In terms of Nikon and canon, I shoot with a Canon and only would buy an older Nokia if I was to but one myself.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2

mhsbrian said:
Agree 100 percent, iPhone photos always bleed colors and it's especially seen in very detailed things.
In terms of Nokia and canon, I shoot with a Canon and only would buy an older Nokia if I was to but one myself.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-_- Nokia? I think you mean Nikon.

mentose457 said:
-_- Nokia? I think you mean Nikon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SwiftKey filled it in for me lol
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2

rman18 said:
People tend to like the over saturated photos that the iPhone and Samsung produces... The Moto X creates pictures closer to real life colors.
Its the same with DSLR's, Canon processes photos with colors close to real life but the Nokia gives it more saturation - newcomers tend to go Nokia for this reason.
I prefer the real life colors, and I'll add saturation if needed later on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again I think you mean NIKON. I never experienced excessive saturation on any of Nikon DSLRs. I never used retard mode or full retard mode on them though. If you are using those modes on your Canon, well, congratulations.

mentose457 said:
Again I think you mean NIKON. I never experienced excessive saturation on any of Nikon DSLRs. I never used retard mode or full retard mode on them though. If you are using those modes on your Canon, well, congratulations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NIKON, as you say.. Makes great cameras I don't see what your point here is besides starting a war that's been waged since the dawn of personal photography.
On another note, my main camera is a pentax k-5, that doesn't mean it shoots way better photos. But it's weather resistant and takes the best night pictures of any camera I've ever owned.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2

mhsbrian said:
NIKON, as you say.. Makes great cameras I don't see what your point here is besides starting a war that's been waged since the dawn of personal photography.
On another note, my main camera is a pentax k-5, that doesn't mean it shoots way better photos. But it's weather resistant and takes the best night pictures of any camera I've ever owned.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just pointing out that any camera that has manual control can be adjusted to take life like colors. IMO comparing auto modes on manual cameras is stupid.
My boss shoots a k-5, its an attractive camera. I like that the image stabilization is in the camera not the lens.

mentose457 said:
Just pointing out that any camera that has manual control can be adjusted to take life like colors. IMO comparing auto modes on manual cameras is stupid.
My boss shoots a k-5, its an attractive camera. I like that the image stabilization is in the camera not the lens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's a fantastic camera... The biggest turn on for me was the Iso noise is tremendously low even at very high Iso ranges.
Sent from my XT1056 using Tapatalk 2

Absolutely disappointed with the camera

is anyone else? i came from a G2 hoping for a much better camera, as I preferred the GS4 camera to my G2...yeah, well I get my GS5, and i'm sitting here looking at the pics i've taken, and good god they're awful. they just look horrible compared to what the G2 shoots.
and low light? FORGET IT. if you can even get it to focus without the flash on (which it won't, at all, after numerous attempts of me trying with even lights on behind me) it's going to look like garbage anyway.
now i'm sitting here wondering if I should return it or not. I spent full price on the damn thing (after selling a GS4 and a Gnex) and i'm really wondering if it's even worth it to keep because i was honestly expecting a good camera, especially from all of the raving about it i've seen.

Camera looks great here
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

terrible. it can't even focus on something with lighting in the room...and the outdoors pic? is this phone for real?

There were some reviews about the galaxy s 5 camera, the reviewers seemed to not like the camera.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

Maybe stating the obvious, but did you remove the plastic film over the lens?
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

JBeXX said:
Maybe stating the obvious, but did you remove the plastic film over the lens?
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, first thing i did. if ya notice, the plastic doesn't cover the sensor itself..only the outer portion.
oh well, i gave up on the S5. on top of build quality issues (the creaking/shifting body that Samsung is known for..) and that crappy camera, I just went and returned it tonight. had to pay a $35 restocking fee, but whatever. got my $600 back.
wish you guys the best!

jayochs said:
yep, first thing i did. if ya notice, the plastic doesn't cover the sensor itself..only the outer portion.
oh well, i gave up on the S5. on top of build quality issues (the creaking/shifting body that Samsung is known for..) and that crappy camera, I just went and returned it tonight. had to pay a $35 restocking fee, but whatever. got my $600 back.
wish you guys the best!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You got a dud. That's too bad. it happens. My pictures are nothing like yours.
Untitled by Mechatricity, on Flickr
Untitled by Mechatricity, on Flickr
Untitled by Mechatricity, on Flickr

S5 has abandoned Sony sensors right? That would explain OP. Maybe new Samsung sensors are just not as good as Sony's. We all know megapixel is secondary anyway....

My cam is fine...I posted a pic in other thread. You got a bad phone. Exchange it. Those pics you posted aren't good.

I'm happy with the cam as well. Haven't tried any outdoor shots yet but it looks at least as good as my s4 so far. I like the new options and cleaner access. Just snapped this on a whim...
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I'll second this. Not near as bad as Jayochs, but not any better than the S4, and worse, IMHO, in bright outdoor shots where the S4 was incredible. Medium to low-light is improved only because you can see the images more - but if you don't use stabilization mode, they're horribly noisy. If you do use stabilization mode, they look better, but then a LOT of your indoor shots, even if they're not low light, will end up asking you to hold still for 3-4 seconds.
And I don't know about y'all, but my camera is relatively slow to load. Keeping in mind I'm comparing to a 5S and M8. So far the laggier camera experience and not-as-great-as-they-said-it-would-be images have me liking the M8's camera more... it's just so darn fast, and consistent and focusable and can take medium-lit shots quickly.
Edit: full disclaimer... I'm a nitpicky phone camera snob!

Put me down as another who is disappointed in the camera. Outdoor shots are great for me, but indoor shots are extremely lackluster. Even with stability on, they're disappointing. The indoor capabilities of the iPhone 5S blow this one out of the water. Given the pixel size, I didn't expect it to be better at indoor shots than the 5S or the M8, but I was definitely hoping that it would be better than it is.
I'm going to give it a few more days, but this is potentially a deal breaker for me. That's very disappointing, especially since there's very little else that I dislike about the phone.

bsweetness said:
Put me down as another who is disappointed in the camera. Outdoor shots are great for me, but indoor shots are extremely lackluster. Even with stability on, they're disappointing. The indoor capabilities of the iPhone 5S blow this one out of the water. Given the pixel size, I didn't expect it to be better at indoor shots than the 5S or the M8, but I was definitely hoping that it would be better than it is.
I'm going to give it a few more days, but this is potentially a deal breaker for me. That's very disappointing, especially since there's very little else that I dislike about the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, same here. Though others have said their camera loads up quite fast - my experience is it's pretty laggy moving in and out of it. But I also love just about everything else about it, so if I can get used to the camera, or maybe figure out what I'm missing (if anything??), it'll be good. If not, it'll be the M8 for me likely... though I don't like how slippery / heavy it is.
I hate to say it (ok I don't really hate it), but after all of the devices I've used, I still feel like the 5S is still the best all around mobile camera experience when you combine the usability with image quality. The M8 is on par when it comes to speed and usability - heck it might even be faster. But image quality is still better on the 5S.
And good to see you b! I've been pretty forum-inactive for awhile...

jntdroid said:
Yep, same here. Though others have said their camera loads up quite fast - my experience is it's pretty laggy moving in and out of it. But I also love just about everything else about it, so if I can get used to the camera, or maybe figure out what I'm missing (if anything??), it'll be good. If not, it'll be the M8 for me likely... though I don't like how slippery / heavy it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt you're missing anything. I've gone through every setting and tried a host of things to get better pictures out of it to no avail. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday taking the exact same shots with the S5, Note 3, and iPhone 5S. Outdoors during the day, the S5 reigned supreme, with both the Note 3 and 5S close behind. Outdoors at night, the 5S was the clear winner with the S5 and the Note 3 providing similar results (with the S5 coming out slightly ahead between the two). Indoors, the 5S came out on top again in every lighting situation, both without a flash and with a flash. The S5 was slightly better than the Note 3 indoors, but really not by much.
Given that the overall image quality between the S5 and the Note 3 isn't a huge difference, I'm leaning towards returning the S5 and just keeping the Note 3 for now.
jntdroid said:
I hate to say it (ok I don't really hate it), but after all of the devices I've used, I still feel like the 5S is still the best all around mobile camera experience when you combine the usability with image quality. The M8 is on par when it comes to speed and usability - heck it might even be faster. But image quality is still better on the 5S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. The 5S that I use for work is just solid all around when it comes to the camera, providing really great shots in almost all lighting conditions. The only phone I've used that's better is the Lumia 1040, but it doesn't have the speed that the 5S does. Apple really nailed the camera for the 5S.
The S5 has officially been approved as a device we can use for work, so I was hoping to replace both my Note 3 and my 5S with it and only have to carry one device for personal and business use. But so far, the camera on the S5 makes that impossible.
jntdroid said:
And good to see you b! I've been pretty forum-inactive for awhile...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I've been out of the country for work for an extended period, often in places with little to no internet service. I'm back in the States for a little bit, so I'll be popping up a little more often.

Anyone know why it's so bad? I don't understand how some are getting great pics and others are getting not so good. I'm in the not so good group. Some pics I feel like my rezound takes just as good. Lol
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

jagrave said:
Anyone know why it's so bad? I don't understand how some are getting great pics and others are getting not so good. I'm in the not so good group. Some pics I feel like my rezound takes just as good. Lol
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can take great pics, don't get me wrong - though even when it's great, I'm not convinced it's better than the S4.
I think it's a combination of a new sensor, a new "style" of auto-focus, and post-processing issues.

jntdroid said:
It can take great pics, don't get me wrong - though even when it's great, I'm not convinced it's better than the S4.
I think it's a combination of a new sensor, a new "style" of auto-focus, and post-processing issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's one of the biggest problems. Even in well-lit situations, sometimes things - like people and animals - can come out looking like an oil painting. That's one of the biggest problems with indoor shots as well. Turning off the stabilization helps a little with that, but not as much as one would think. I've tried all of the major third-party camera apps, and none of them give much better results. For indoor shots, the sensor just isn't big enough to let in the amount of light that's needed to take an above average picture.
I think some of the discrepancies in what various people are reporting with the quality comes down to photo quality preferences, what different people are used to with the phones in their cameras, and at times a more discerning eye for quality. The S5 camera is certainly no slouch, and I'd place it above pretty much all other Android phones right now as far as being an all around shooter (there are others that do certain things better, but not everything), but it's not the big step forward that I really wanted it to be.
I'm going to be returning it and going back to my Note 3 for the time being.

bsweetness said:
I think that's one of the biggest problems. Even in well-lit situations, sometimes things - like people and animals - can come out looking like an oil painting. That's one of the biggest problems with indoor shots as well. Turning off the stabilization helps a little with that, but not as much as one would think. I've tried all of the major third-party camera apps, and none of them give much better results. For indoor shots, the sensor just isn't big enough to let in the amount of light that's needed to take an above average picture.
I think some of the discrepancies in what various people are reporting with the quality comes down to photo quality preferences, what different people are used to with the phones in their cameras, and at times a more discerning eye for quality. The S5 camera is certainly no slouch, and I'd place it above pretty much all other Android phones right now as far as being an all around shooter (there are others that do certain things better, but not everything), but it's not the big step forward that I really wanted it to be.
I'm going to be returning it and going back to my Note 3 for the time being.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the note 3 do you like better? And how does the note 3 camera compare?
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

jagrave said:
What about the note 3 do you like better? And how does the note 3 camera compare?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I typed up a little summary of the comparison I did between the cameras a few posts up.
bsweetness said:
I doubt you're missing anything. I've gone through every setting and tried a host of things to get better pictures out of it to no avail. I spent quite a bit of time yesterday taking the exact same shots with the S5, Note 3, and iPhone 5S. Outdoors during the day, the S5 reigned supreme, with both the Note 3 and 5S close behind. Outdoors at night, the 5S was the clear winner with the S5 and the Note 3 providing similar results (with the S5 coming out slightly ahead between the two). Indoors, the 5S came out on top again in every lighting situation, both without a flash and with a flash. The S5 was slightly better than the Note 3 indoors, but really not by much.
Given that the overall image quality between the S5 and the Note 3 isn't a huge difference, I'm leaning towards returning the S5 and just keeping the Note 3 for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In short, the S5 is an improvement, but not a big one. The differences were pretty marginal in most cases.
As for what I like better about the Note 3 it really comes down to two things - the size of the screen and the S-Pen.

jayochs said:
if ya notice, the plastic doesn't cover the sensor itself..only the outer portion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahem.....it most certainly DOES cover the entire lense.
Best find a girl with a sharp fingernail and pay her to scrape it off for you.
!edit!
BTW, mine is fast, and sharp, and works nearly as well as my Canon camera.

[PHOTOS] OnePlus One user photo and video discussion thread

This is the OnePlus One user photo and camera discussion thread
Camera features:
Image sensor: Sony BSI Exmor IMX214 CMOS, 1/3.06" sensor size
Lens: F2.0, 6-element auto-focus system
Maximum photo resolution: 4160x3120, 13 megapixels
Front facing camera: 5 megapixels w/80º wide angle
Maximum video resolution: 3840x2160 = 4k at 30FPS, 1920x1080 at 60FPS, 1280x720p at 120FPS
Features: HDR, panorama, image stabilization, face detection, tap to focus, geo-tagging, face-detection
The official OnePlus One camera samples
For more info, full size and EXIF, please visit the OnePlus website here: http://oneplus.net/one#features

If this photos are true i can only say " Its Amazing great!! "
Cheers

xenix96 said:
If this photos are true i can only say " Its Amazing great!! "
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The IMX214 is a very capable sensor, and 1+'s ISP (Qualcomm?) looks quality too. Of course much will depend on speed, reliability and low light, I'll be looking to find more shots.

BoneXDA said:
The IMX214 is a very capable sensor, and 1+'s ISP (Qualcomm?) looks quality too. Of course much will depend on speed, reliability and low light, I'll be looking to find more shots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As soon as the first users here own a device, this thread will be flooded with shots, I'm sure...

Not my picture but this was my favourite from some of the ones I saw from preproduction models.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I certainly hope that with real world conditions it can deliver quality like shown above.

The best part is the 2 sensors that i have noticed that perform beautifully are the IMX179 and IMX214. Obvious 214 will be even better for sure.. Really hope they launch the phone around the different parts of the world soon.
Low light capabilities are incredible, if you search you will understand that how its better than A Nikon D3100 in low light.

Jishnu Sur™ said:
The best part is the 2 sensors that i have noticed that perform beautifully are the IMX179 and IMX214. Obvious 214 will be even better for sure.. Really hope they launch the phone around the different parts of the world soon.
Low light capabilities are incredible, if you search you will understand that how its better than A Nikon D3100 in low light.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you going to be picking up this device? I don't care much for cameras but this caught my eye and since you're on here I'm even more excited about the camera.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

FuMMoD said:
Are you going to be picking up this device? I don't care much for cameras but this caught my eye and since you're on here I'm even more excited about the camera.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello Sir !
Nice to see you here too..I'm trying to get this device from Europe somehow.. Seems too good to be true! What interests me is the IMX214 sensor lol..I really need that system dump too!

Jishnu Sur™ said:
Hello Sir !
Nice to see you here too..I'm trying to get this device from Europe somehow.. Seems too good to be true! What interests me is the IMX214 sensor lol..I really need that system dump too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can be sure to get one from me if I get picked with the first batch of invites. If I have to smash my Nexus 5 then I'll do it to get a system dump for the community lol.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Jishnu Sur™ said:
The best part is the 2 sensors that i have noticed that perform beautifully are the IMX179 and IMX214. Obvious 214 will be even better for sure.. Really hope they launch the phone around the different parts of the world soon.
Low light capabilities are incredible, if you search you will understand that how its better than A Nikon D3100 in low light.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A good Sony IMX sensor with a proper lens and image signal processor can bring wonderful images, see iPhone 5S. Which is why I'm puzzled to this day how come Sony's own Xperia Z, Z1 and even some Z2 shots look so over-processed, showing some lens inconsistencies and some SW errors too. Both the Oppo Find 7 and the OnePlus One launch with the new IMX214, and I'm curious how will they fare compared to other Exmors, the Lumias and ISOCELL. So far it is promising.

FuMMoD said:
You can be sure to get one from me if I get picked with the first batch of invites. If I have to smash my Nexus 5 then I'll do it to get a system dump for the community lol.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool ! I'll start arranging the money then! hahahaha .. Yes that would be awesome. This thing is surely worth the price they are asking.
Off topic : Thanks are over, cant press Sorry! :crying:
BoneXDA said:
A good Sony IMX sensor with a proper lens and image signal processor can bring wonderful images, see iPhone 5S. Which is why I'm puzzled to this day how come Sony's own Xperia Z, Z1 and even some Z2 shots look so over-processed, showing some lens inconsistencies and some SW errors too. Both the Oppo Find 7 and the OnePlus One launch with the new IMX214, and I'm curious how will they fare compared to other Exmors, the Lumias and ISOCELL. So far it is promising.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you on the Sony Devices part. I have seen that actually. Sony likes to complicate stuff, i really don't know why. Where they can have a easy way to fi thing, they go the other way. Trust me they have 3-4 different apps for the camera. You tell me who in 2014 does that?! lol .. And I read an article, the ISOCELL vs the IMX179 comparison. (Here). The IMX was better
I really need to have a look at the Lumia's though, they have almost DSLR type quality..

The S5 camera is much, MUCH better than the Nexus 5 to be frank. But the IMX214 is a new generation Sony sensor.

aren't you guys a bit scared about the camera app?
i've tried few phones with cyanogen camera app and they were all a lot worst than the original rom camera app (samsung devices especially)
at least this time they are working on their hardware so i really hope it'll be a lot better

Nirael said:
aren't you guys a bit scared about the camera app?
i've tried few phones with cyanogen camera app and they were all a lot worst than the original rom camera app (samsung devices especially)
at least this time they are working on their hardware so i really hope it'll be a lot better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
their camera on this phone is completely new and we have seen the pictures right? i dont think it will suck

BoneXDA said:
The IMX214 is a very capable sensor, and 1+'s ISP (Qualcomm?) looks quality too. Of course much will depend on speed, reliability and low light, I'll be looking to find more shots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if picture #3 is indeed the correct photo here low light looks amazing
https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/contest-guess-the-oneplus-one-photo.368/
---------- Post added at 01:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:29 AM ----------
FuMMoD said:
You can be sure to get one from me if I get picked with the first batch of invites. If I have to smash my Nexus 5 then I'll do it to get a system dump for the community lol.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you do that the community may have to buy you another nexus to have you keep developing for it :crying: "for the community"

jeremykersh said:
if picture #3 is indeed the correct photo here low light looks amazing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember that these pictures are taken directly from OP's press page—they might have been doctored/photoshopped. On the other hand, I'd be amazed if the camera actually was this good.

klvnhng said:
Remember that these pictures are taken directly from OP's press page—they might have been doctored/photoshopped. On the other hand, I'd be amazed if the camera actually was this good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depending on scene and light conditions, today's smartphones can take impressive photos, see some form my S5 review. As far as dynamic range and per pixel sharpness, 1+1 fits right in among the best of Android photography based on what I've seen so far.

Some of these look really good.
She's a cutie too.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/First-camera-samples-from-the-OnePlus-One-appear_id55043#32-

She is not that bad