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[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
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"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
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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.

Nokia 925 Vs Htc One's camera. Nokia better?

Seems like Nokia 925 is giving HTC One's camera a run for its money.
It has similar features while have double the MPs and better low light performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_vPz6hcW0&list=HL1373932162

No one said the one's camera was the end all, be all of performance.
Sent from my HTC One

ECEXCURSION said:
No one said the one's camera was the end all, be all of performance.
Sent from my HTC One
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a major part of htc one. the main feature that set it aprt form the rest including dual speakers and 1080p screen res.
but for the camera to be better they had to cut down to 4mp.
Nokia seems to have achived better results with 8mp which is sad for me as a htc one owner.
Ofcourse nokia uses windows which truly sucks.

Something "better" always comes out after you purchase the "latest and greatest."
Performance is always improving and considering the 925 is an update on the 920, what did you expect?
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

I think the camera in my 920 totally blew away the camera in my One, but I get the impression the One can still be improved with some software tweaks. The 920 wasn't awesome on the initial software either.
Sometimes though I get really great pictures out of my One, its just not very consistent.

RaXxaa said:
Nokia seems to have achived better results with 8mp which is sad for me as a htc one owner.
Ofcourse nokia uses windows which truly sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They HAVE to have one killer feature to make people forget that they'll never get any apps.
Sent from my HTC One

Oh good grief. It's packing a slightly better camera but the same dual-core S4 processor that was in last year's One XL, only 16GB of storage, and an inferior 332ppi display. It's an obsolete phone and it hasn't even been released yet.

Well you couldn't have seriously thought the ones camera would be forever superior to all future devices...
Sent from my HTCONE using xda premium

iElvis said:
Oh good grief. It's packing a slightly better camera but the same dual-core S4 processor that was in last year's One XL, only 16GB of storage, and an inferior 332ppi display. It's an obsolete phone and it hasn't even been released yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your other points were valid, but 332ppi inferior?
Like the cameras in our phones, people take ppi too seriously.

RaXxaa said:
It is a major part of htc one. the main feature that set it aprt form the rest including dual speakers and 1080p screen res.
but for the camera to be better they had to cut down to 4mp.
Nokia seems to have achived better results with 8mp which is sad for me as a htc one owner.
Ofcourse nokia uses windows which truly sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to hate on Nokia and windows. Why do you need more than 4MP? I doubt you have a single display higher than 2-3MP.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

eallan said:
You don't need to hate on Nokia and windows. Why do you need more than 4MP? I doubt you have a single display higher than 2-3MP.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Holy cow that's a terrible argument.

Well, I have just swapped from Lumia 920 to HTC One and I knew straight away, that the upgrade will be a real camera downgrade, and not just because of megapixels.
HTC One's camera handles very poorly at very bright sun light, hdr is underperforming as well but other than that, it is more then enough for daily shots.
Moving from WP back to Android was absolutely worth it, I don't know why I was tempted to give WP a chance.
Very little quality apps, terrible battery life. The only thing I miss is the WP keyboard

henrybravo said:
Holy cow that's a terrible argument.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure it is guy. That's why your rebuttal was so good
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium

eallan said:
Sure it is guy. That's why your rebuttal was so good
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Arguably, the Bayer filter makes it equivalent to a 1MP photo.
The filter basically means that the photo is in a Pentile layout. That means effective resolution compared to a theoretical RGB sensor is less.

RaXxaa said:
Seems like Nokia 925 is giving HTC One's camera a run for its money.
It has similar features while have double the MPs and better low light performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_vPz6hcW0&list=HL1373932162
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should probably go buy the Nokia. Thank you.

I Am Marino said:
Your other points were valid, but 332ppi inferior?
Like the cameras in our phones, people take ppi too seriously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC One's 468ppi > Nokia's 332ppi
Therefore the Nokia's display is inferior to the HTC One's I'd say. At least on paper...

I Am Marino said:
Your other points were valid, but 332ppi inferior?
Like the cameras in our phones, people take ppi too seriously.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My One X had a display in that range, and I could see the difference between the two. 332 isn't bad, it's just inferior to 468.

eallan said:
Sure it is guy. That's why your rebuttal was so good
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh yes, you are correct - my uncharacteristically poor rebuttal was lame because it was 2 in the morning here and I was going to bed. I will get back to being myself below.
"Why do you need more than 4MP? I doubt you have a single display higher than 2-3MP"
Try cropping and zooming an image that is 4 mp versus one that is, say, 8 mp or higher, and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Let's take this photo for instance. It's one I just randomly pulled off the public internet, hence the watermark.
The original:
Cropped:
If this were a 4 mp photo, since I have cropped roughly 50% of the area of the photo, it would now be a 2 mp photo. Everyone will tell you, rightly, that a 2 mp photo these days is pretty unacceptable - no one remotely interested in taking good photos would buy a phone or camera with a 2 mp sensor. You can't print the photos very big and they will just look soft. You can argue that the photographer should have just been closer to the people to begin with and framed the shot better in the first place. Well, in the world of walking around with a smartphone, when taking candid unplanned photos it is impossible to always frame the shot to the point where cropping isn't desirable.
Now I'm not saying people that are manipulating photos like this will necessarily be the type to use a 4 mp smartphone camera, but it does happen. Recently I took a picture of one of my sons at his graduation using my HTC One (my wife had the Canon DSLR camera). The picture quality was good, but there was a jubilent kid within the frame of the shot giving the "devil horns" symbol and sticking his tongue out to someone. When I cropped this kid out of the shot, I was left with basically a 2 mp photo. Had this picture been taken on 10-20 mp camera for example (a common pixel count range for middle to upper-middle quality cameras these days) the final result would have been a much more acceptable 5-10 mp. Of course, more megapixels is not always better (sensor quality is paramount), but that is an entirely different topic that's been discussed ad nauseum.

The problem is that most here on xda think cell phone companies are only manufacturing devices for us here on xda. Which we're only a small percentage.
Cell phone companies are manufacturing devices for the general consumer which excludes us since we have a more understanding of how things or some things work and know they can work better.
My point is that the general consumer, well most, will never crop nor will go and print out a poster size picture they took with their mobile device. They are just going to snap a shot, share it on a social site or to a friend or family.
By the way, didn't mean to thank you on your other post. Freebie

RaXxaa said:
Seems like Nokia 925 is giving HTC One's camera a run for its money.
It has similar features while have double the MPs and better low light performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_vPz6hcW0&list=HL1373932162
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use HDR, that guy probably used night mode for HTC One. Nokia also uses some kind of software editing after it takes the picture to make it brighter.
Here is a HDR Photo in extreme low light. The only light in the room is that light comes from monitor.
{
"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"
}
And same image with night mode
And this is from HTC Sensation, low light mode

Camera Tests Z1 - Post your pics here...

Camera Really is good!
http://cdn.recombu.com/mobile/images/news/M19527/1378734152.jpg
http://cdn.recombu.com/mobile/images/news/M19527/1378734206.jpg
http://cdn.recombu.com/mobile/images/news/M19527/1378734309.jpg
http://cdn.recombu.com/mobile/images/news/M19527/1378734366.jpg
http://cdn.recombu.com/mobile/images/news/M19527/1378734396.jpg
and in gsmarena have some samples too
http://blog.gsmarena.com/sony-xperi...d-to-nokia-lumia-1020s-41mp-pureview-monster/
Nokia 1020
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics//13/09/xperia-z1-vs-nokia-lumia-1020/camera/gsmarena_001.jpg
Xperia Z1
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics//13/09/xperia-z1-vs-nokia-lumia-1020/camera/gsmarena_002.jpg
Nokia 1020
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics//13/09/xperia-z1-vs-nokia-lumia-1020/camera/gsmarena_005.jpg
Xperia Z1
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/pics//13/09/xperia-z1-vs-nokia-lumia-1020/camera/gsmarena_006.jpg

matheus_sc said:
Camera Really is good!
and in gsmarena have some samples too
http://blog.gsmarena.com/sony-xperi...d-to-nokia-lumia-1020s-41mp-pureview-monster/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Link for the pics??? how are we supposed to evaluate 250x250 pixel photos
---------- Post added at 10:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 PM ----------
recombu.com
guess I didn't see the writing on the wall...but a link would have been easier

shea-bird said:
Link for the pics??? how are we supposed to evaluate 250x250 pixel photos
---------- Post added at 10:52 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 PM ----------
recombu.com
guess I didn't see the writing on the wall...but a link would have been easier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
in gsm have full quality pics, i pick the links and add in topic.

It seems much better than xperia z!!!

Not impressive. Not much better than other phones with smaller sensors. Others even have OIS which the Z1 lacks. It can only shoot in 8MP in 16:9 and with the default superior auto mode. The resolution is no better than other cameras, nor the pixel size. It always amazes me how Sony can screw up using their own sensors, like they did with the Xperia Z, when other companies can use their Exmor RS sensors and do wonders, like Samsung and Apple. These images aren't convincing me of the ONE SONY. The Cybershot division is probably hanging up their phones and turning up their noses in disgust whenever the smartphone division tries to collaborate. Old traditions and rivalries die hard. They sure aren't gonna divulge any secrets for such petty things as CELLPHONE cameras.

katamari201 said:
Not impressive. Not much better than other phones with smaller sensors. Others even have OIS which the Z1 lacks. It can only shoot in 8MP in 16:9 and with the default superior auto mode. The resolution is no better than other cameras, nor the pixel size. It always amazes me how Sony can screw up using their own sensors, like they did with the Xperia Z, when other companies can use their Exmor RS sensors and do wonders, like Samsung and Apple. These images aren't convincing me of the ONE SONY. The Cybershot division is probably hanging up their phones and turning up their noses in disgust whenever the smartphone division tries to collaborate. Old traditions and rivalries die hard. They sure aren't gonna divulge any secrets for such petty things as CELLPHONE cameras.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the 3rd post made by you in which you act like a baby. I ask again, what is your problem? Don't post at all if the only thing you have to say is that sony screwed everyone and everything. You repeat it over and over again in every reply I have seen in Z1 part of the forum.
Get out of here if you can't act like a normal human being!

katamari201 said:
Not impressive. Not much better than other phones with smaller sensors. Others even have OIS which the Z1 lacks. It can only shoot in 8MP in 16:9 and with the default superior auto mode. The resolution is no better than other cameras, nor the pixel size. It always amazes me how Sony can screw up using their own sensors, like they did with the Xperia Z, when other companies can use their Exmor RS sensors and do wonders, like Samsung and Apple. These images aren't convincing me of the ONE SONY. The Cybershot division is probably hanging up their phones and turning up their noses in disgust whenever the smartphone division tries to collaborate. Old traditions and rivalries die hard. They sure aren't gonna divulge any secrets for such petty things as CELLPHONE cameras.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sony doesn't have OIS because it doesn't need them, they already have Steadyshot which is a hardware + software stabilizer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SteadyShot
". It uses motion sensors to detect the user's movements. SteadyShot then compensates for some of these movements, in some versions by moving the optics and in some versions by moving the image sensor in an opposite direction to the movement."
only time will tell who is better...
Go buy your G2 or HTC, we will buy the Z1, and lets see who will be the first to sell his phone

Morlock O said:
Sony doesn't have OIS because it doesn't need them, they already have Steadyshot which is a hardware + software stabilizer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SteadyShot
". It uses motion sensors to detect the user's movements. SteadyShot then compensates for some of these movements, in some versions by moving the optics and in some versions by moving the image sensor in an opposite direction to the movement."
only time will tell who is better...
Go buy your G2 or HTC, we will buy the Z1, and lets see who will be the first to sell his phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, for some time already Sony is using digital version of Steadyshot for video cameras and even in their flagship DSLT's.
It gives results comparable to sensor shift stabilisation but without drawbacks like increased power consumption and heat generation.
So in case of video recording that is good that they have included Steadyshot for video recording that really makes a difference and isn't only typical digital stabilisation with different name.

Thanks for those examples not looking bad at all at this stage.

katamari201 said:
Not impressive. Not much better than other phones with smaller sensors. Others even have OIS which the Z1 lacks. It can only shoot in 8MP in 16:9 and with the default superior auto mode. The resolution is no better than other cameras, nor the pixel size. It always amazes me how Sony can screw up using their own sensors, like they did with the Xperia Z, when other companies can use their Exmor RS sensors and do wonders, like Samsung and Apple. These images aren't convincing me of the ONE SONY. The Cybershot division is probably hanging up their phones and turning up their noses in disgust whenever the smartphone division tries to collaborate. Old traditions and rivalries die hard. They sure aren't gonna divulge any secrets for such petty things as CELLPHONE cameras.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Superior auto in demo is beta, said em some videos.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app

Wishmaster89 said:
It's the 3rd post made by you in which you act like a baby. I ask again, what is your problem? Don't post at all if the only thing you have to say is that sony screwed everyone and everything. You repeat it over and over again in every reply I have seen in Z1 part of the forum.
Get out of here if you can't act like a normal human being!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Though the Xperia Z1 easily aces through the rest, he feels extremely insecure about Sony grand success. Don't worry. It's normal for a Samsung fanboy. Even Recombu, the one who took and posted the photos say XPERIA Z1 is the winner.

It's true, maybe the camera from z1 is not very good, but that's probably because of firmware. I took some photos in low light conditions and pictures are full of noise.. Let's wait for some updates.

Some real positives in this test, look great compared to the 808 and HTC One mini.
http://mblog.gsmarena.com/a-shootou...8-pureview-shows-great-promise-from-the-sony/
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

Maybe is best Android smartphone camera until now.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app

matheus_sc said:
Maybe is best Android smartphone camera until now.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's looking that way
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

matheus_sc said:
Maybe is best Android smartphone camera until now.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean it is the best camera now! Just needs the software to be update then will be perfect!

Sony Xperia Z1 vs Nokia Lumia 1020 shootout surfaces, yields surprising results
http://blog.gsmarena.com/sony-xperi...d-to-nokia-lumia-1020s-41mp-pureview-monster/

Xperia-Lover said:
It seems much better than xperia z!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not it's not, also the 20Mpxl pics are resampled to 8MPxl by the phone with bad compression system :
http://www.androidpit.fr/test-sony-xperia-z1
{
"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"
}
Maybe it's due to bad settings etc... we can make easy extrapolations but the camera doesn't seems to be really better than the Z, and it's still worst than the latest Lumia, Carl Zeiss stuff can't be beat...

QualQuek said:
Not it's not, also the 20Mpxl pics are resampled to 8MPxl by the phone with bad compression system :
http://www.androidpit.fr/test-sony-xperia-z1
Maybe it's due to bad settings etc... we can make easy extrapolations but the camera doesn't seems to be really better than the Z, and it's still worst than the latest Lumia, Carl Zeiss stuff can't be beat...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow,Hope the upgrade will solve those problems!

Xperia-Lover said:
Wow,Hope the upgrade will solve those problems!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are right when i purchase htc one photo quality very poor then i update one then photo quality improved
i think update improve quality

Engadget Review

Engadget Review is out:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/24/sony-xperia-z1-review/
looks like they have some nice words for the Z1.
I will get my Z1 sometime this week and we'll see how it turns out, but im quite optimistic :victory:.

The benchmarks of this review are wrong
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app

theres one problem with everyone regarding sony phones they never ever like them they always like the samsung iphones and htc
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free

matheus_sc said:
The benchmarks of this review are wrong
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got mine, still 518 fw though
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Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app

Ame123 said:
theres one problem with everyone regarding sony phones they never ever like them they always like the samsung iphones and htc
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - now Free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you're right, but considering how engadget gives it's critics to other devices, I think it says allot that they are pretty pleased with the Z1
Gesendet von meinem Xperia T mit Tapatalk 4

They fail to point out that all the camera issues can be fixed with a software update!

TheCraig said:
They fail to point out that all the camera issues can be fixed with a software update!
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Click to collapse
a camera update isnt going to make the camera better than the lumia 1020. the problem with the engadget review is they compare it only to the 1020. 42 mp sensor vs 21 not really a fair comparison. No amount of software updates are gonna make them even.
Never the less i turned off x reality and have seen an improvement in battery life. Gotta thank this review for that

billybobjones said:
a camera update isnt going to make the camera better than the lumia 1020. the problem with the engadget review is they compare it only to the 1020. 42 mp sensor vs 21 not really a fair comparison. No amount of software updates are gonna make them even.
Never the less i turned off x reality and have seen an improvement in battery life. Gotta thank this review for that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Software updates can address the Xperia Z1's current issues (noise, etc) and I never expected its camera to be on par or even exceed Illumina's 1020...

TheCraig said:
Software updates can address the Xperia Z1's current issues (noise, etc) and I never expected its camera to be on par or even exceed Illumina's 1020...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
then you dont understand camera sensors and I would suggest you read more on what makes a camera good. Lumia 1020 has a better sensor and no matter how good the xperia z1 may be, it cant reach lumia 1020 level. If it by some miracle does, that means nokia should update their lumia software and it would beat the z1 again.

billybobjones said:
then you dont understand camera sensors and I would suggest you read more on what makes a camera good. Lumia 1020 has a better sensor and no matter how good the xperia z1 may be, it cant reach lumia 1020 level. If it by some miracle does, that means nokia should update their lumia software and it would beat the z1 again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.. did you even bother to read the post you were responding to?
Anyways, considering the Z1 didn't ship with its final camera firmware it's been doing pretty well for itself so far. Very excited to see what improvements will come when the proper software is released.

billybobjones said:
then you dont understand camera sensors and I would suggest you read more on what makes a camera good. Lumia 1020 has a better sensor and no matter how good the xperia z1 may be, it cant reach lumia 1020 level. If it by some miracle does, that means nokia should update their lumia software and it would beat the z1 again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you actually read my post then you would know I accept that the Z1 can not match the 1020. Take the time to read instead of jumping to conclusions before you get to the end of the sentence.
And as far as my sensor understanding goes there are two types, CCD and CMOS. The Exmor happens to be a CMOS, CCD normally has less noise with CMOS having more noise, I also think that CMOS is MUCH more power efficient, CCD also captures more light. It's not much but its more than what the average consumer knows.
Anyway you got that from my initial post? Did I even say the Xperia Z1 has a camera even rivaling the 1020? My post was a sentence and you didn't get to the end.

So I read the review (I've been thinking about buying this phone, as I need a camera, and a new phone), and I noticed that Engadget said:
To explore this, we had to switch back to manual mode and set resolution to 20.7MP again. It's worth noting that this kills a bunch of camera options, such as HDR, scene selection and digital image stabilization -- but it was the only way to push the Z1's sensor to its limits.
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This made me sad. Does this mean that the phone won't take 20MP HDR photos?
Other than that, it seems to be a good phone.
Connor Baker

TheCraig said:
If you actually read my post then you would know I accept that the Z1 can not match the 1020. Take the time to read instead of jumping to conclusions before you get to the end of the sentence.
And as far as my sensor understanding goes there are two types, CCD and CMOS. The Exmor happens to be a CMOS, CCD normally has less noise with CMOS having more noise, I also think that CMOS is MUCH more power efficient, CCD also captures more light. It's not much but its more than what the average consumer knows.
Anyway you got that from my initial post? Did I even say the Xperia Z1 has a camera even rivaling the 1020? My post was a sentence and you didn't get to the end.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey sorry just looking out from in the guy your debating with actually said he does not think that the z1 can keep up with the Nokia but hopes that a update can help with some noise issues and softness , not to beat the Nokia but to overall help with the IQ of the z1. Hope that helps. And software can help with image quality as in proper exposure and the right ISO and shutter speed settings when in auto. Its true that you can not help grain pattern because this is a sensor specific thing but the amount of grain or noise can be helped and the amount of processing e.g sharpening can also be helped with software.
Z1 has great specs they need to work on the software to help it shine.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

TheCraig said:
If you actually read my post then you would know I accept that the Z1 can not match the 1020. Take the time to read instead of jumping to conclusions before you get to the end of the sentence.
And as far as my sensor understanding goes there are two types, CCD and CMOS. The Exmor happens to be a CMOS, CCD normally has less noise with CMOS having more noise, I also think that CMOS is MUCH more power efficient, CCD also captures more light. It's not much but its more than what the average consumer knows.
Anyway you got that from my initial post? Did I even say the Xperia Z1 has a camera even rivaling the 1020? My post was a sentence and you didn't get to the end.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read through all the posts and no where did you state it would be better or even match the 1020 with a software update you just mentioned it needs a software update to get the best out of the Z1 camera.
I agree the camera should be way better than what it is and if it can produce a clean image with minimal noise AND fix that superior auto then that is all that matters imho.
There is a lot of potential in this phone and I hope Sony can really get the most out of it.

I think we can all agree that it isn't challenging the 1020 at the moment and isn't likely to do so. But yeah software updates to clear up the current issues should help a lot.

TheCraig said:
I think we can all agree that it isn't challenging the 1020 at the moment and isn't likely to do so. But yeah software updates to clear up the current issues should help a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Took some proper photos outside today and detail was fine but for some reason lighting was a bit ****ed up... It came out a bit dark.. They really need to fix the camera firmware ASAP!

Xperia Z1 2nd Place in DxO Mark's Overall Mobile Camera Ranking

Apparently, DxO Mark just gave out a score to Xperia Z1 and amazingly, just sits at 2nd place behind the Pureview 808 in overall Mobile Camera Ranking! :victory:
And that's without the "firmware updates" that will supposedly improve the camera!
I can't post the link as I'm still within the new user limitation of posting outside links. But if you're curious to see it, just do a quick google search for DxOMark and Xperia Z1!
More details:
Actually, the stills for Z1 stands at 5th place, however the video was deemed to be outstanding and the best in the mobile cameras and just 2nd place in their database behind the GoPro Hero 3!
If you're wondering what happened to the 1020, they also have an article on it and while they deemed the stills to be amazing and 2nd only to the 808. However, video was said to be lacking.
What are your thoughts?

bloodfire1004 said:
Apparently, DxO Mark just gave out a score to Xperia Z1 and amazingly, just sits at 2nd place behind the Pureview 808 in overall Mobile Camera Ranking! :victory:
And that's without the "firmware updates" that will supposedly improve the camera!
I can't post the link as I'm still within the new user limitation of posting outside links. But if you're curious to see it, just do a quick google search for DxOMark and Xperia Z1!
More details:
Actually, the stills for Z1 stands at 5th place, however the video was deemed to be outstanding and the best in the mobile cameras and just 2nd place in their database behind the GoPro Hero 3!
If you're wondering what happened to the 1020, they also have an article on it and while they deemed the stills to be amazing and 2nd only to the 808. However, video was said to be lacking.
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the big sensor is the key here. Dxomark doesn't reflect the real life though. I'm not very happy with the z1 camera... far too noisy especially at 20mp. Still better than my older nexus 4 anyway.

j0sh0 said:
I guess the big sensor is the key here. Dxomark doesn't reflect the real life though. I'm not very happy with the z1 camera... far too noisy especially at 20mp. Still better than my older nexus 4 anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just curious, what settings are you using? I'm pretty satisfied with the Z1 Camera of mine, but that was after tweaking some of the shooting settings I'm in. At first, I was pretty disappointed as well but now I think I'm good.

bloodfire1004 said:
Just curious, what settings are you using? I'm pretty satisfied with the Z1 Camera of mine, but that was after tweaking some of the shooting settings I'm in. At first, I was pretty disappointed as well but now I think I'm good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the phone yesterday so I'm still testing it. At the moment I like to shoot in manual mode at 8mp with image stabiliser on.

j0sh0 said:
I bought the phone yesterday so I'm still testing it. At the moment I like to shoot in manual mode at 8mp with image stabiliser on.
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Click to collapse
Ah ok. That's good then. Shooting at 20MP especially in low-light results in (I'm not sure why) worse pictures than shooting at 8MP 4:3 .. in my tests, it resulted in darker images.
I also like to shoot at 8MP 4:3 to take advantage of the oversampling and leave the rest of the settings to Auto. One thing though is that I turn off the Stabilizer. I found that turning it on resulted in the camera choosing a much higher ISO than intended compared when leaving it off. This may be due to its detection of slight handshake movements and it tries to compensate by upping the ISO in favor of a faster shutter speed.

bloodfire1004 said:
Ah ok. That's good then. Shooting at 20MP especially in low-light results in (I'm not sure why) worse pictures than shooting at 8MP 4:3 .. in my tests, it resulted in darker images.
I also like to shoot at 8MP 4:3 to take advantage of the oversampling and leave the rest of the settings to Auto. One thing though is that I turn off the Stabilizer. I found that turning it on resulted in the camera choosing a much higher ISO than intended compared when leaving it off. This may be due to its detection of slight handshake movements and it tries to compensate by upping the ISO in favor of a faster shutter speed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes shooting at 20mp is useless. Pics are so noisy... it's a shame. At 8mp the image quality is pretty good and yes, with the stabiliser on the iso is higher for that reason. But I prefer a bit more noise other than a blurred image.

j0sh0 said:
Yes shooting at 20mp is useless. Pics are so noisy... it's a shame. At 8mp the image quality is pretty good and yes, with the stabiliser on the iso is higher for that reason. But I prefer a bit more noise other than a blurred image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice. What metering and focus are you using? Particularly for macro / night shots. I find that using Single Auto Focus setting doesn't keep the whole image in focus and just the middle part, but I find that the multi-auto focus setting doesn't do too well either particularly in macro shots. Currently, I shoot in landscape mode when shooting macro.

I'm using metering average (it seems to do a better job with white balance as well). About focus I always use touch focus... I like to choose what I want in focus...
I love th bokeh management of the lens.. look at this for example
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j0sh0 said:
I'm using metering average (it seems to do a better job with white balance as well). About focus I always use touch focus... I like to choose what I want in focus...
I love th bokeh management of the lens.. look at this for example
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ohh nice, I'm gonna try that out Thanks!

j0sh0 said:
I bought the phone yesterday so I'm still testing it. At the moment I like to shoot in manual mode at 8mp with image stabiliser on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And there's you mistake - the software image stabiliser introduces noise. Switch it off.

Timaustin2000 said:
And there's you mistake - the software image stabiliser introduces noise. Switch it off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I know... but as I said I prefer a slighty noiser image than a blurred one. I'll try again without stabiliser anyway.

j0sh0 said:
Yeah, I know... but as I said I prefer a slighty noiser image than a blurred one. I'll try again without stabiliser anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully new update has improved superior auto mode...

Try night mode can reduce noise.
Sent from my GT-I9500 using xda app-developers app

Why is everyone so scared of noise I just don't get it. If the fine detail is their don't worry about the noise.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Yeah. The Z1 does lovely bokeh.

here is theDxO report for the Z1 which i could not find on DxO's website.
matheus_sc said:
I dont think samsung software is better, have more mods, but is very large and camera lags, i have gs4 9500 until last week
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What i find telling from that review is this graph.
Above 80 lux the S4 shots have more 'texture' than the Z1.
Contrary to what people might think the Z1 has the best noise reduction indoors.

bloodfire1004 said:
Apparently, DxO Mark just gave out a score to Xperia Z1 and amazingly, just sits at 2nd place behind the Pureview 808 in overall Mobile Camera Ranking! :victory:
And that's without the "firmware updates" that will supposedly improve the camera!
I can't post the link as I'm still within the new user limitation of posting outside links. But if you're curious to see it, just do a quick google search for DxOMark and Xperia Z1!
More details:
Actually, the stills for Z1 stands at 5th place, however the video was deemed to be outstanding and the best in the mobile cameras and just 2nd place in their database behind the GoPro Hero 3!
If you're wondering what happened to the 1020, they also have an article on it and while they deemed the stills to be amazing and 2nd only to the 808. However, video was said to be lacking.
What are your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not much of a fan of them anymore, after I wrote to them to see if they would do the Xperia Z test again after Sony updating the firmware to fix the bad camera quality, they didn't even respond to me. On the flip side it is Sony's fault for shipping substandard equipment, get all the important things right first, especially the camera when they are making such a big deal about how amazing it is.

DxO finally got around to testing the G2. Overall G2 placed 6th. However in the photo section it ties with the Z1 in terms of score. A closer examination of the parameters tested shows the Z1 edges ahead slighlty.
Where the Z1 comes out ahead : Exposure & Contrast, Colour, Noise Reduction, Flash
Where the G2 comes out ahead : Autofocus, Texture, Artifacts
4 > 3 or Z1 ahead by a little.
What lets the G2 down is video, where its ranked 15th to the Z1's 2nd place.
If you consider phones alone, Z1 has the best video out there.
Now we have to wait for DxO to test the Note 3 to see whether it will affect the Z1's ranking.

Sorry to jump here like that, I don't even know all this stuff but after read what you guys saying is like the camera on Z1 was made for experienced people who know how to set up the device. This is a phone anyway and I like to go around and shooting everything but almost of the pictures are crap. That how shouldn't be with a camera on a phone with 20mpx.