Database Users

(Q) Does your Nexus have shutter lag? (Camera)

Just wondering if anyone else has quite a bit of shutter lag on their nexus camera? I personally do unfortunately, is this normal? Many people say theirs is instant .
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

The N4 doesn't have a zero shutter lag for me either.

HDR setting will slow things down but will make the pictures nicer. Try toggling that and see if it helps.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

lag variation between N4s
Just bumping this topic. I recently started using burst mode on the CM10.1 camera, and noticed the shutter on my wife's camera is able to take twice as many pictures as mine in the same amount of time. She and I have nearly identical Nexus 4's.... both running CM10.1. I was using a custom kernel (Franco), so I reverted to the stock CM kernel, but the lag persisted. I'm hoping that it's some sort of software configuration issue... but it's starting to look like there is simply some variation in the Nexus 4's that have been manufactured. Can anyone else comment on the shutter speeds of their respective N4s? What ROM/Kernel combos are you all using?

I don't have this problem but sometimes when I use the camera right from the lock screen.. exit camera, go to gallery, exit come back to gallery after some time have pass, all my pictures are blank. I can't view them until i FC the gallery.. Occasionally when I go to the camera app, instead of the lock screen too.. Only bug, I know with my first nexus 4 and my replacement..
Sent from my Nexus 4

It's of course going to vary on how well it can focus and what kind of focus mode you have.
With point and shoot cameras, the general advice in the past (back when they were a bit slower than they are now), was to eliminate as many automation possible (ie: if possible manually set iso, white balance, etc). Can also set the focusing mode to something else rather than continuous.
I'm not a huge fan of the camera's lag, but the quality is higher than past camera phones I've had, but because the sensor element is probably larger, it's probably more likely to delay as it gets better focus (Smaller sensor will have wider depth of field so won't need to take as much time to focus, but the clarity isn't as good either).
I kind of wish you could set stuff like shutter speed, f-stop and such on the N4's camera, but it doesn't really surprise me that I can't (besides just how many aperture stops could it possibly have in such a lens before diffraction hits it).

Increase camera shutter speed

Is there any way to increase the camera shutter speed? I want to capture pictures faster and clearer. Pictures I'm taking seem to have a tendency to blur if I don't have completely steady hands. It seems even slower than my GS2, and much slower than my gf's Note 2. I've tried some apps such as the highly rated procapture and camera fv-5 but with unsatisfying results. I just want to get more out of my phone not trying to insult the Nexus 4 or anything...so don't flame me. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

I agree with you. I wish to use the stock camera app. as it uses complete screen without any cluttered menus but its shutter speed is very slow..due to its focusing. I know ppl will flame by saying it needs time to focus but why does it has to be with Nexus 4 only? All other high spec'd phones cameras take shots very quickly. The hardware is of course very capable...its just the scripting of stock app I guess.
Moreover for the shaky pics.I use third party Cam Apps like Camera FZ Zoom and ProCapture (tried a few others too but they were just ok), the pictures turn out to be better than stock.

If only this is fixable, i have missed so many shots because of such long period to focusa nd then take a pic. Infact by the time that is done, i end up getting hazy pics anyways.

No. If there is someone hasn't come up with one. The specs of the camera is determined by the hardware and the software probably already uses it to its full capability despite other options which can be set by the user in the camera app.

I agree that the camera tends to default to slower shutter speeds. Of course faster shutter speeds raise ISO which results in more noise.
What was unsatisfactory about your experience with FV5. My recollection is that it allows you to hard set the ISO higher which will result in faster shutter speeds.
Also the 'action' mode on the stock camera will try to use faster shutter speeds as well.

Solutions Etcetera said:
I agree that the camera tends to default to slower shutter speeds. Of course faster shutter speeds raise ISO which results in more noise.
What was unsatisfactory about your experience with FV5. My recollection is that it allows you to hard set the ISO higher which will result in faster shutter speeds.
Also the 'action' mode on the stock camera will try to use faster shutter speeds as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No matter what I do, it's just really slow. I really think it's just the camera's not that amazing. It's satisfactory and is be able to to take pictures though; I guess that's what counts. I mean this was a budget phone, how can you sell it for 349 off contract, that's amazing. You have to skimp somewhere. Doesn't hold a candle to the Note 2 though sadly. That phone can burst shot a whole bunch of pictures in a millisec. I hope I'm wrong though and our developers can figure out a way to improve this phone's camera.

caaznkid said:
No matter what I do, it's just really slow. I really think it's just the camera's not that amazing. It's satisfactory and is be able to to take pictures though; I guess that's what counts. I mean this was a budget phone, how can you sell it for 349 off contract, that's amazing. You have to skimp somewhere. Doesn't hold a candle to the Note 2 though sadly. That phone can burst shot a whole bunch of pictures in a millisec. I hope I'm wrong though and our developers can figure out a way to improve this phone's camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1

JamesInsights said:
No. If there is someone hasn't come up with one. The specs of the camera is determined by the hardware and the software probably already uses it to its full capability despite other options which can be set by the user in the camera app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats like the biggest joke! Software used to its full potential! Its a software! Can be fixed very well!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Download FAST BURST CAMERA from app store. It will not only give you BURST MODE but also crazily increase the shutter speed. Try it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

filthykid said:
Download FAST BURST CAMERA from app store. It will not only give you BURST MODE but also crazily increase the shutter speed. Try it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But at the cost of seriously downsampled resolution.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I realized, that when you put the scene mode to sunset mode. the shutter speed will stick at 1/20 all the time. which is pretty good.
will be my default mode from here now on. dont worry about the white balance. its pretty ok.

[Q] Video Camera Focusing

has anyone been able to find a video camera app that solves the slow stock video camera focusing? on my g2, it takes up to 8 sec for the camera in 1080p 60fps mode to focus. and you have to have the phone be still for the camera to register it's time to focus. if there's any movement and the video is currently blurry, it will stay blurry til the phone has been perfectly still for some seconds. it's very annoying. this was not the case on my gs4 or my lumia 920. both of those would focus regardless if the phone was moving or not.

yeah the video camera is pretty damn awful on this phone. hoping a dev makes a mod that can lock focus like the gs4 does.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk 4

Both photo camera and video camera are pretty bad. Pictures don't look nearly as bad though. Videos are just terrible. I'm hoping what the guy above me said.

Just tap where you want to focus. It tracks whatever object you tap.
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk 4

The only time where I say slow focusing is under low light conditions. Besides that, I just tap where I want to focus and it locks on pretty quick.

Why do I remember a manual focus option on this phone?
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda app-developers app

mrbungle999 said:
Why do I remember a manual focus option on this phone?
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because it's there for pics not videos.
also, the framer ate drops even below 30fps when in lower light. I don't mean darkness, i mean room lighting. it's pathetic.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk 4

Mine doest do more than 1-3 max to focus in 1080p 60fps...its the F320S k version.

Well, I bought this phone to be a decent pocket cam as well and bought into the 1080p 60fps hype. Disappointed that it is awful for indoor recording at a gym and even in good lighting shows blurriness. Wasn't the 60fps a big selling point for their camera? I'm hoping it's a software or kernel issue but at the moment, LG has gotten me twice with their specs marketing.

@mediumraresteak
Not trying to be flippant here, but are you aware of many other smartphones that can do what you were expecting this one to?
Just thinking that perhaps the combination of fast moving objects and relatively low light without being able to manually compensate is just unrealistic for most smartphones. I've never been much of a sports photographer so if others could help us out that would be great.

Higher the frame rate the greater need for available light this holds true for shutter speed as well. It's just physics at work. Even a high speed film camera needs more light to properly expose at high frame rates or shutter. You can compensate with higher iso but only to a point plus the grainier it will be. Remember light is your friend.
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda app-developers app

xyltha said:
@mediumraresteak
Not trying to be flippant here, but are you aware of many other smartphones that can do what you were expecting this one to?
Just thinking that perhaps the combination of fast moving objects and relatively low light without being able to manually compensate is just unrealistic for most smartphones. I've never been much of a sports photographer so if others could help us out that would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I can think of a phone. Nokia lumia 1020 or 920 or 925. I have a 1020. Have tested these both side by side and the 1020 in low light video recording doesn't blur half as bad as my g2. That doesn't mean I don't like my g2, it just means the camera for video recording didn't live up to my expectations. For pictures it's nice. In 30 fps mode there is a tap to focus after you start the recording. But in 60 fps mode there is only auto focus and it pretty slow. Why they would not give the best quality mode no focus other than its slow auto focus makes no sense.
Sent from my LG-D800 using xda app-developers app

Dealbreaker?

Hey guys, I've had my Moto X for a week now and I might return to my Note 3. I really like this phone overall, but man the camera really is that bad. I read all the stories but hoped the update would be good enough for me. Unfortunately it hasn't been.
I can't even imagine how bad the camera must have been before the update. The camera is simply dreadful. Do I have a defective Moto X or is it really this bad?
If I'm not outside on a sunny day or in a really well lit room, it's the worst camera I've ever had on any smartphone that I've ever owned. And that includes phones from over 4 years ago. Is it really this bad?
Here are some sample shots. I took these same shots with my Note 3, and those shots blew these away. I will try to post those later.
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Yes, It is that bad. Coming from a S4 and I know what you mean. But I still love being free with a unlocked bootlaoder and would not go back.

Ughh, I was afraid of that. I really like the phone, but not sure I can deal with this. Thanks bro.
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I don't think the camera is bad at all. I didn't get to experience how it was before any of the updates though.
So far color representation looks to be spot on. I was even impressed by the low light quality. I took a picture last night in a dimly lit room and was astounded at how good the picture came out. It's way better than my last phone (EVO 3D).

ahhh ya i came from an iPhone 4 which is 3.5 yrs old and the camera on that was better in every category except low light performance.

Are you using HDR?
I also see that your flash seems to be firing. I have Auto Flash OFF because the pictures to look very washed out with the bright white flash. I find that the camera works much better and has much better saturation in lower light with the flash off.
If I'm just taking a picture of a list or piece of paper and I only need to be able to see/read it, I use the flash, otherwise I keep the flash off for "nice" photos.

Have you tried using any camera apps. I would recommend the following two apps :"a Better Camera "almost fully functional in the free version and FV-5, a paid app and I don't believe there is a trial version. I have been experimenting with both apps and have been quiet successful getting some really decent low light shots. Both apps allow you to set the ISO level and "a Better Camera" allows you to set the amount of noise reduction for low light shots (the options are None, Minor & Hard). Worth trying out either app in my opinion.
Sent from my XT1060 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I've got pics of the kids inside at night, with flash on... And the pics are easy better than my s2 was. I find background light can make the pic taking tricky tho. I have to move slightly one easy or the other and when I get it right the pics are just fine. Maybe other phones handle background light easier.... But with a little practise, I find this camera pretty good.
That's just me.
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 PM ----------
And yes... Sometimes you think you need a flash inside... When you don't. And the pics are easy better with no flash. Again... I had to play around and get to know how and where the best pics turn out.
But again.... I'm one of those, it's just a phone camera guys... I'm maybe not as picky. I'm not trying to sell my pics, so I'm happy. If I know I want to take very good pics somewhere... In advance... I bring my camera.
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk

Right about now it would be nice to see 4.4.2 with camera update. Noise/quality are un-exeptable for a $500+ phone. Yes S4 is night and day difference with Moto X in camera.
S4 was the FIRST camera in phone that I used and I took many pictures, most came out usable and some pretty impressive. With MX, most pictures indoors I cant even look at.....I delete all of them right away.

The only place I find camera quality to be bad is in low light, but it's not the hardware, it's the software. The camera software just sets the ISO higher than it should and overexposes everything in low light. I use FV-5 to manually set a lower ISO and manually set the metering point so that it doesn't overexpose the shot, and then I can get great shots in low light. If you don't know a little about cameras or aren't willing to take the time to manually adjust low light shots though, you'll be disappointed. In decent lighting I can get some great shots even with the stock camera app though, especially with HDR.

gtg465x said:
The only place I find camera quality to be bad is in low light, but it's not the hardware, it's the software. The camera software just sets the ISO higher than it should and overexposes everything in low light. I use FV-5 to manually set a lower ISO and manually set the metering point so that it doesn't overexpose the shot, and then I can get great shots in low light. If you don't know a little about cameras or aren't willing to take the time to manually adjust low light shots though, you'll be disappointed. In decent lighting I can get some great shots even with the stock camera app though, especially with HDR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps you are right. But how hard is it for a TEAM of developers at Motorola/Google to figure this out ? We are on 2nd camera update here its still ****
PS. on S4 I used only 2 modes and didnt even touch settings, Auto and Night Mode......thats all I needed to take excellent photos.
few night/low light shots from S4, last one was taken in almost complete darkness, camera just picked up light from night club flashing lights

I agree. I love this phone but the camera sucks. Snoop Dogg came to my Christmas party and I was so excited to get some shots.
They all came out blurry all my buddies with S4s got killer shots. I don't know, maybe I'll blame it on the alcohol....
That ticked me off a bit.
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

gtg465x said:
The only place I find camera quality to be bad is in low light, but it's not the hardware, it's the software. The camera software just sets the ISO higher than it should and overexposes everything in low light. I use FV-5 to manually set a lower ISO and manually set the metering point so that it doesn't overexpose the shot, and then I can get great shots in low light. If you don't know a little about cameras or aren't willing to take the time to manually adjust low light shots though, you'll be disappointed. In decent lighting I can get some great shots even with the stock camera app though, especially with HDR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. For low light shots, I either use fv5 or take the photos with the stock camera and run them through Perfectly clear. I've gotten a lot of fantastic shots with my X. Low-light is the only setting in which I need to kind of finagle anything.

WizeGuyDezignz said:
Hey guys, I've had my Moto X for a week now and I might return to my Note 3. I really like this phone overall, but man the camera really is that bad. I read all the stories but hoped the update would be good enough for me. Unfortunately it hasn't been.
I can't even imagine how bad the camera must have been before the update. The camera is simply dreadful. Do I have a defective Moto X or is it really this bad?
If I'm not outside on a sunny day or in a really well lit room, it's the worst camera I've ever had on any smartphone that I've ever owned. And that includes phones from over 4 years ago. Is it really this bad?
Here are some sample shots. I took these same shots with my Note 3, and those shots blew these away. I will try to post those later.
Sent from my XT1058 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you take a pic of your tree with an SLR with the same exposure settings and you'll get an equally awful pic.
honestly i think the camera on the X is fine. i think it could be better but i think overall its a pretty good camera, on par with some point and shoots i've used. it all comes down to lighting, plus the HDR mode really helps.

Been using Camera FV-5 for whenever I need low light shots. First one is the stock camera app and the second shot is via Camera FV-5. These were shot in very low light conditions.

il buono said:
Been using Camera FV-5 for whenever I need low light shots. First one is the stock camera app and the second shot is via Camera FV-5. These were shot in very low light conditions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gonna give it a try. Big difference there

kolyan said:
Gonna give it a try. Big difference there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CameraZoomFX lets you pick the ISO setting too, which could increase the exposure.

640k said:
if you take a pic of your tree with an SLR with the same exposure settings and you'll get an equally awful pic.
honestly i think the camera on the X is fine. i think it could be better but i think overall its a pretty good camera, on par with some point and shoots i've used. it all comes down to lighting, plus the HDR mode really helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am curious if these photos were taken with the stock camera app or a 3rd party app?
Sent from my XT1060 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

telefoner said:
I am curious if these photos were taken with the stock camera app or a 3rd party app?
Sent from my XT1060 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock. You can tell from the image properties.
EDIT: I take it back. There's no specific information that says what app took the pic, only what device. Technically we're talking about the inability of the Moto X's sensor to perform adequately. Different apps can force different settings/processing techniques, but you're still limited to the sensor/lens capability of the device.
Here's a CameraZoomFX photo taken with a DROID4:
It's all about lighting.

I'm with you on this one WizeGuy. At first I didn't think the camera was as bad as people said it was. But after using it in the wild and over the course of a week, it really is disappointing. The biggest issue for me is consistency. I CAN get a decent shot if I try to. Low light performance is terrible however and it's really tough to get a good shot most of the time. I was also coming from an S4 and didn't expect it to be on the same level obviously, but now that I've played with it enough, I'm positive even my S3 was better overall. In fact, I've been comparing it with an old iPhone 4S and I couldn't say it's better than that camera (except when there is ample lighting). I take a lot of pictures and it is important to me. Yes it is a camera phone, but downgrading is harder to accept than I thought it would be. I guess I value something that is consistent and easy in auto mode when it comes to my phone. Much sadder is the fact that I really like everything else about this phone, much more than the s4. I prefer the size the moto x by far to anything out there, but the nexus 5 is tempting me right now.

Shutter speed vs Galaxy S6

Can anyone provide some detail or a video of how fast the shutter speed is on the G4? I have a galaxy s6 now and love that I can capture my kids and dog running around without any blurring. The camera is impressive. Can the G4 compete in that regard? Any sample photos?
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Seems real fast to me. My wife has the gs5 active and seems just as fast. Came from a nexus 5 that took 5-10 seconds to focus so it seems like lightning to me. Hope that helps
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

Laser focus helps keeping objects Sharp and crisp real quick. That alone might improve your moving target less blurred.
Sent from my LG-H811 using XDA Free mobile app

On good light condition, it's really fast focus.

I have them both and s6 camera feels more complete. Lg needs to do lots of work in the software field.
Sent from my SM-G920T

emplox said:
Can anyone provide some detail or a video of how fast the shutter speed is on the G4? I have a galaxy s6 now and love that I can capture my kids and dog running around without any blurring. The camera is impressive. Can the G4 compete in that regard? Any sample photos?
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung camera software has been really good for a long time. I agree that the LG camera software is lacking in the polished department compared to Samsung. It's not too bad once you get used to the layout though.
Software aside, I found the S6 camera to be slightly faster than the G4. Both take incredible pictures for a phone, but the S6 snaps instantly with zero delay while there is a very short delay in the G4 in auto mode. It is very close though. You'll only notice the delay coming from an S6. Most G4 users probably don't notice.
Honestly, I actually preferred the S6 auto mode over the G4 auto mode. The S6 seemed to focus more accurately on quick shots. I'm hooked on the G4 manual mode with auto focus though. It more than makes up for the occasional errant focus. The S6 had them occasionally too, but less often.
As far as shutter speed goes, the G4 allows adjustment from 30 seconds down to 1/6000 of a second, so I think it can probably snap as fast as you'd ever need. I'll do some testing with it at the kids' sports games this week. It doesn't matter how quick the shutter speed is if it can't get the focus right when you need it...

stl-soldier said:
The Samsung camera software has been really good for a long time. I agree that the LG camera software is lacking in the polished department compared to Samsung. It's not too bad once you get used to the layout though.
Software aside, I found the S6 camera to be slightly faster than the G4. Both take incredible pictures for a phone, but the S6 snaps instantly with zero delay while there is a very short delay in the G4 in auto mode. It is very close though. You'll only notice the delay coming from an S6. Most G4 users probably don't notice.
Honestly, I actually preferred the S6 auto mode over the G4 auto mode. The S6 seemed to focus more accurately on quick shots. I'm hooked on the G4 manual mode with auto focus though. It more than makes up for the occasional errant focus. The S6 had them occasionally too, but less often.
As far as shutter speed goes, the G4 allows adjustment from 30 seconds down to 1/6000 of a second, so I think it can probably snap as fast as you'd ever need. I'll do some testing with it at the kids' sports games this week. It doesn't matter how quick the shutter speed is if it can't get the focus right when you need it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for the information. I look forward to hearing back
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Thanks everyone!
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

sharpehenry said:
Laser focus helps keeping objects Sharp and crisp real quick. That alone might improve your moving target less blurred.
Sent from my LG-H811 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, but the G3 also had laser focus, and was pretty bad in regards to shutter speed. Was hoping for a big improvement. Nobody ever mentions shutter speed comparisons in phone reviews and it's annoying. It's a huge factor for me.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

emplox said:
Yea, but the G3 also had laser focus, and was pretty bad in regards to shutter speed. Was hoping for a big improvement. Nobody ever mentions shutter speed comparisons in phone reviews and it's annoying. It's a huge factor for me.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've taken a number of nice pictures of my kids, and so far the camera seems really nice and capable. I don't have the S6, so I can't really speak to it in comparison (after Note 4 LP experience I had, I don't think I'll buy another Sammy). It takes them faster than any other device I've had. The picture quality is better than any phone I've owned (and if you look at my signature, I've owned some from virtually every manufacturer).
I haven't noticed any lag on taking a picture. I'll admit I've mainly used it to take pictures during the daytime.

anybody feels like the g4 camera has too much noise indoors, everything auto?
Sent from my SM-G920T

ambervals6 said:
anybody feels like the g4 camera has too much noise indoors, everything auto?
Sent from my SM-G920T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had a couple pictures do that...it kinda felt like it was focusing on the background instead of what I was trying to take a picture of at first...I just tapped on screen where I wanted to focus seemed to fix.

stl-soldier said:
It doesn't matter how quick the shutter speed is if it can't get the focus right when you need it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep 2 meteres distance from the subject. set focus to infinity. Everything at 2m and beyond is in focus and anything closer than 2m will be soft. Make sure you keep that distance if they are moving. This means you're on your feet and moving with them.
The next bit is shutter speed. 1/125, slower will make things soft.
Resize to 2MP. If light is low you will get a noisy image but resizing will reduce the noise and it will be sharper.
Focus speed is never really an issue even with older devices as you can focus on something where they are and recompose by keeping your finger pressed on the shutter button. The problem has always been about getting a fast enough shutter speed and sensitivity, these are high iso images by definition anyway.
One way to reduce shutter speed is how they move across the frame. moving straight across requires the fastest shutter, at an angle means slower, moving in a backwards or forwards motion is the easiest. The fewer pixels that move the slower the shutter can be.

Th3Bill said:
I've had a couple pictures do that...it kinda felt like it was focusing on the background instead of what I was trying to take a picture of at first...I just tapped on screen where I wanted to focus seemed to fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not what noise is, sounds like you're talking about photos being out of focus.
To the other posted, I've seen this as well. Even outdoors at ISO 100, there is a lot of noise in the photos.

geoff5093 said:
That's not what noise is, sounds like you're talking about photos being out of focus.
To the other posted, I've seen this as well. Even outdoors at ISO 100, there is a lot of noise in the photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuse my photo-related ignorance.