Related
I am not happy either but it seems that 4S is really the best that you can buy in mobile phone when it comes to camera.
http://www.gsmarena.com/8mp_shootout_2011-review-673.php
Yep, they did it again. I wonder why OEMs don't try to make better cameras with good lenses on Android devices...
5m is good enough for me
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Megapixels are not important at all, iPhone 4S has Sony camera and yet SE can not come close to iPhone camera in mobile phones, I really dont get it, they at Samsung should buy 10 iPhones and then try everything to make somethin better in camera department and also in housing quality, sometimes I think that people in Samsung have never seen iPhone in person or felt how it feels in hands with that perfect quality.
Not so fast.. They used one daylight and one night shot. The difference between the 4S and the GS2 was pretty small, with the GS2 winning some of the measures. It depends on priorities. For me the GS2 just takes it actually.
Video on the GS2 can be modified to have higher bit rates than the 4S, and it does improve the video.
I would too like to see better camera improvement on future generation phones. Yes, phones aren't dedicated cameras and won't give the same quality as one, but using your phone as a camera is just so convenient, especially carrying around a thin phone compared to a bulky camera. Would like to see a camera that snaps quick like the Galaxy Nexus with a better lens/sensor.
Absolute BULL****!
Hands down iphone4s offers best video recording?
If you prefer un-natural colours, poor low light footage and an 'extremely choppy video- when moving sideways....
Are they for real?
Funded by apple?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
this is BS gsmarena has already done a test and they said the gs2 was far superior so were do they get this crap from
PC World did a much more thorough comparison:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/241955-2/smartphone_camera_battle_iphone_4s_vs_the_android_elite.html
Great cameras on both phones!
damirbusic said:
Megapixels are not important at all, iPhone 4S has Sony camera and yet SE can not come close to iPhone camera in mobile phones, I really dont get it, they at Samsung should buy 10 iPhones and then try everything to make somethin better in camera department and also in housing quality, sometimes I think that people in Samsung have never seen iPhone in person or felt how it feels in hands with that perfect quality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you havent seen an Xperia arc camera. Ive had one and it beats the iphone hands down. Not only have I seen this online but me and friends with iphones have compared them and even they concede that the arc is superior.
Granted the 4S is better than the 4 but then its a newer phone, expect newer sony phones to beat it again all over.
I have S2 and 4s, but I have to say 4s is better (for me) when taking a pic..
such as capture speed, exposure, and color..
similar but better, how should I say that
but when it comes to video recording S2 rocks
I'll post both photos from S2 and 4s later..
diggedy said:
Maybe you havent seen an Xperia arc camera. Ive had one and it beats the iphone hands down. Not only have I seen this online but me and friends with iphones have compared them and even they concede that the arc is superior.
Granted the 4S is better than the 4 but then its a newer phone, expect newer sony phones to beat it again all over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Comparing your arc to your friend's iPhone 4S does not constitute a proper test. Post picture comparisons here and let us judge for ourselves, because unless you do so, your argument is void and you come off as a simple fanboy. I mean you are arguing that the tests done by review sites are completely full of ****, yet fail to provide any evidence to prove your point other than your word. So in your opinion, in whom do you think we have more faith: you, or the tech sites that have years of experience and none of the obvious bias?
Looking at comparison shots across multiple review sites that have the know-how on how to take a proper photograph, I have yet to see a single shot taken with the Xperia Arc that would immediately crown its camera the king of those found in mobile phones. Its camera is good, but far from the best. The N8 is the clear winner there.
Judge for yourself(arc s left and iPhone 4s right):
{
"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"
}
Have to give that one to the 4S. The Arc looks unfocused (way less texture detail in the walls).
iPhone 4 has perfect 720p video but it is shaky as hell ! GS 2 has also great video but I think that it could be sharper and also I dont see stabilization option in video department ? I also use only 720p because I dont need 1080p.
Higher bitrate on Galaxy does not have better video, sound is great now with that tweak but I think that there is no test on the internet that says that Galaxy SII has better camera than iPhone 4S, I dont like that but I must accept it, and Galaxy is out for a long time now.
damirbusic said:
iPhone 4 has perfect 720p video but it is shaky as hell ! GS 2 has also great video but I think that it could be sharper and also I dont see stabilization option in video department ? I also use only 720p because I dont need 1080p.
Higher bitrate on Galaxy does not have better video, sound is great now with that tweak but I think that there is no test on the internet that says that Galaxy SII has better camera than iPhone 4S, I dont like that but I must accept it, and Galaxy is out for a long time now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The PC World test I linked to did put the SGS2 ahead of the iPhone 4S, but the pictures clearly speak for themselves; the camera in the iPhone 4S is much better.
I can't figure why anyone even bothers doing pointless amateur comparisons, I only can guess that flaming and clicks...
When it comes to photo, there's usually more than meets the eye that should be taken in consideration when considering a shoot-out:
1. Details about the camera: the sensor itself ( circuitry and pixel pattern/array),pixel density on the sensor, optics ( CZ vs plastic)
2. Details about the camera usage specs- firmware dependent: init time, focusing interval, focus points, capture response time, ISO values-what values are useable, dynamic range, shutter speeds.
MAYBE most important
3. OS-dependent details: jpeg/compression algorithm, color rendering algorithm, noise reduction algorithm, ...
Give me a RAW file from any sensor and I can make the photo better looking than anything.
Given that fact they are making a review about cameras, though cell phones cameras, they should have the decency to ask someone that has written a review about cameras.
It's like writing about wines and declaring one to be the best solely by the time and volume it took to get the girl into the bed.
This is interesting. I would like to have a phone with the perfect camera. Such a thing doesn't exist. So I have chosen the phone that is best all around.
If all I wanted was a great camera and didn't care about any other features I would take what my wife has, a Nokia N8.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
I have both the phone. The quality and video recording is indeed better on the iPhone 4S from what I can see in my eyes.
But c'mon guys? When did the S2 come out? You really gonna think 'Apple' won't be spying or checking up on competitors to release something 'atleast' better during iPhone 4S production?
These reviews are easilly manipulated.
PC world gave a much better non biased review and it puts the SGS2 above the Iphone 4s in the camera department.
One thing is sure is that the SGS2 gives better night shots then the Iphone 4S.....The Iphone 4S gives a brighter picture but loose a lot of details.
I've hated phones that use noise reduction/edge sharping to scrub out the detail and replace it with digital artifacts. Whats wrong with grain.
So from that stand point I love what Apple is doing with their unit. Detail isn't something you can get back once its lost.
I have decided to do a little comparison test with the Galaxy note 2 and my old iPhone 4. I have only recently come aboard the good ship Android, so I am still finding my way around. Although I fully understand that the camera does not make or break the phone, for me it is one of the features that I rely on now and again.
I love taking a picture with my SLR but there are times when you cannot use the SLR, or times when you do not want to take it out so for me the camera is something I use. If it had been my sole requirement i would have probably chosen the Nokia 808 Pureview, but Nokia decided to cripple their phones using their chosen software - but that's is another debate.
I didn’t want to do a tremendous amount of testing so I decided to use the stock apps on both phones. I have paid a little more detail to the Note 2 with looking at the normal picture setting and the low light function. I may use another application on the note as the standard camera app is not the best.
I placed a book, a battery and a sound card in my photo booth. The reason for these items was to get something with a plain colour (the book) something that is small but has a little bit of detail (battery) and something that has a lot of detail (sound card). All tests were conducted indoors, nothing outdoors as of yet.
iPhone image:
{
"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"
}
Note 2 Image:
From both images you can see there is a definite difference. The iPhones image has a little more ‘viberance’ to it. Overall the colour on the iPhone looks better overall whereas the note 2 image looks a little washed out, however this is purely subjective and I like my photos to have a little more saturation. When viewing photos on the AMOLED screen they do look incredibly vibrant, however, on a normal monitor they do not. What is quite interesting is that the file size of the iPhone 4 image is actually larger than that of the 8 mega pixel file form the Note 2. This could be for a number of reasons; one could be the amount of sharpening applied in the processing, another could be the amount of saturation the software adds to give it a little more ‘zing’.
When testing the sharpness and detail of a camera most magazines tend to do 100% crops showing how much detail can be resolved. The comparisons have been done below.
iPhone first, then Note 2.
Crop with low light mode enabled
From this quick demo you can see that there is a slight difference between the iPhone and the Samsung photos. Personally I don’t think its hardware related, I’m pretty sure that it is software related. I am going on the browse for some add free, free camera software and take a few photos with that.
Once again I would like to stress that this is just an indoor shot, and I have simply not had time to do any outdoor shots. Maybe I will try some on the weekend and report back then.
What do you lot think?
Like yourself it seems, photography is a big hobby of mine and whilst I use a DSLR normally too, I'm more than happy to have my Note 2 with me for quick snaps.
Looking at your test shots, I'd say overall there's not much between them.
iPhone is definitely more vibrant, but the Note 2 shots look more natural. Looking at the uncropped shots, the Note 2 seems to give a clearer image but when viewed at 100% the iPhone seems to have captured slightly more detail. I'd say the Note 2 controls noise better, especially with low light mode. Even without low light mode the Note 2 seems to use more noise control than the iPhone. The downside to this is that more noise control can lead to softer shots, which is why the iPhone shots looks a touch sharper, if a little grainy.
Could all just be my eyes though
Random fact... the Note 2 was originally meant to ship with a 13MP Sony sensor, but Sony couldn't produce enough in time to meet Samsung's deadline so instead it shipped with an 8MP sensor. As you probably know, more MP doesn't always mean a better image as cramming more pixels on a small sensor means each pixel can capture less light, but it would have been interesting to see what the images would have been like had it got the 13MP sensor.
I really wish nokia would have licensed their Pureview tech to Samsung. Would make it a little better.
Though the GS2 and the GN2 both have an 8MP camera, I find the GN2's camera far superior. I suspect this may have something to do with the faster CPU, but not sure. I have used both extensively.
Dylanlewis2000 said:
I really wish nokia would have licensed their Pureview tech to Samsung. Would make it a little better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really wish Nokia would produce android devices as well...
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
The iPhone clearly takes sharper images in this comparison, at the expense of noise. Contrast appears to be much better with the iPhone as well, the GN2 photos look a little 'washed out'. Colours are more vibrant with the iPhone as well but perhaps too much?
A semi pro photographer here, hobby too. I never liked any cell phone's camera to be honest. But when I had my C905, things were little better. It had an impressive camera, almost replaced my Ixus for now and then, here and there shots. Then I got the Satio. Another good one. Then don't know what happened, I stepped into Samsung! My first Sammy was a i8910, it had a good camera. So I thought let's continue with Samsung. Next was Wave S8500, I didn't buy it for camera anyway. Then I got the infamous SII. Well after using it for more than year, I can say I was 'fairly' happy with it. Now, Note 2, I don't know, right from the first shot, till now, I DO NOT like this camera, how the photos are appearing, are below average in my eyes.
It's always about 'post software processing' in a mobile camera. A tiny sensor can never produce great photos. So it all matters how the photo is being processed after taking it via the camera firmware provided. That's where a brand plays it tricks. Most of them have Sony's sensor, so talking about hardware is meaningless. Now, here in Note 2, the post processing seems either to be not full or poorly done. Optimizing a photo is bad! An average user, who really would care about the 'background' processes, all they will see the ultimate photo, and there Note 2 fails. Photos turn out grainy, with noise. The biggest letdown is the led flash. At night, in parties, when it's dark, and you don't have your SLR or it's not the place for it, of course you'll need flash. The flash is terribly weak, and badly spread.
Anyway, writing too much, I'm short, after owning 7 or 8 high end cell phones, with their average camera, this Note 2 camera is the most disappointing in my eyes.
However, I don't give a damn, I always (you know what I mean) carry my 350 or D90 (yeah, I know, they are average DSLR), so I'd not bother much about this, BUT not everyone is like me or like OP, for them a 700$ mobile phone should provide 'fairly good' output, where this device, F A I L S.
Now, one thing you see, I really won't bother by some fanboys quoting my comment and say otherwise, knowing I've spent my hard time and money, for more than a decade behind photography. So thanks to them in advance anyway
Sent from my GT-N7100
The main issue comes down to the camera using iso 800 on auto mode in many scenes, i.e indoors, which is just bizarre. Set it to a lower value manually and the graininess gets a lot better.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2
If you want more vibrant colours in the settings select SCN/Panorama.
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s4_vs_htc_one-review-913.php
A must read
AW: GSM Arena One vs S4
It's really the best and most thorough comparison, I've read in a long time. Ultimately it's up to personal preference, which phone you choose.
paranoid2007 said:
It's really the best and most thorough comparison, I've read in a long time. Ultimately it's up to personal preference, which phone you choose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it did not make my decision easier, I want them both after reading it
It seemed like a good article although I think they were a bit biased towards the S4 without real justification at times.
For instance, they list the screen size as being in favour of the S4. That is entirely subjective as we know. Personally I prefer 4.7 to 5. Some will rather have 5.
I saw somewhere in local forums that S4's camera is very bad. But GSMarena are in fact saying otherwise.
it's clearly biased in a lot of areas
especially with this BS "it couldnt care less about it looks in a way its making a stronger statement than it's competitor"
a draw in the design area? are you kidding me?
also the screen and battery tests are both very flawed
he did not mention the power saver or brightness during the battery tests (actually brightness)
as for the screen, nothing makes sense, the One has a brighter screen and better view angles, nearly every other review said so
i am willing to accept the ultra pixel comparison, if Samsung indeed is giving a proper 13MP sensor without noise or low light issues than it will definitely destroy the HTC One camera but i have to say they did not do a real low light test
but yes yes if i have to chose i would go for the camera on the S4, its still better than than the big sacrifice in detail
i'm pleased OIS really works on the One and disappointed by the extremely narrow field of view on the S4
Surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has the better low-light camera performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What.
Eggcake said:
What.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but dont miss this, it means the s4 is using a slow shutter speed in low light:
Samsung Galaxy S4. Surprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has the better low-light camera performance. You'll have to snap several photos to make sure you have a good one, but the end result will be better than what the HTC One produces. The Galaxy S4 has a slight advantage in low-light video too.
The HTC One is more reliable - thanks to its OIS you can snap just one photo and know it will be about as good as it gets. But the camera's performance is simply nothing to write home about, and there are cases when OIS just isn't helping at all (when shooting moving subjects).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eggcake said:
What.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some blogs consider evening light as "low light" - then traditional cameras still take better pics. Ultrapixels shine when "low light" means night in a city or a pub.
AW: GSM Arena One vs S4
hamdir said:
a draw in the design area? are you kidding me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it's a draw in the hardware area, which the S4 scores only because of its sd slot and removable battery. I think that's a fair judgement.
As to pure design quote :
From a pure design standpoint, the HTC One wipes the floor with the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Brac20 said:
It seemed like a good article although I think they were a bit biased towards the S4 without real justification at times.
For instance, they list the screen size as being in favour of the S4. That is entirely subjective as we know. Personally I prefer 4.7 to 5. Some will rather have 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude the two phones are the same size. 5 inch is obviously better than 4.7 if the overall size is the same. But you dont get boomsound on the s4.
My only complaint with this review is what they considered low light.
It was still enough light for my OG EVO to capture a decent picture.
Other than that very detailed comparison.
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
yea they missed the low light point completely
the area the S4 wins is brightness and not light capture, you can easily adjust this on the HTC One using the settings
but like i said i personally would go with a camera like on the S4 but it's not fair to say to claim we are not winning anything at all in low light
we saw tons of samples to prove this already
and most important shutter speed remains the most important area in a smartphone camera, unless you like repeating your photos
epicfailguy2 said:
Dude the two phones are the same size. 5 inch is obviously better than 4.7 if the overall size is the same. But you dont get boomsound on the s4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but i disagree. In one handed use i can reach all points on a 4.7 inch screen but not on a 5 inch. So for me the overall unit size isn't the key. Also The One has vastly superior sound so is worth the extra size.
But this is exactly what I mean. It is a completely subjective decision, so putting it in pros and cons in an objective review is biased.
and yes the sound, they say its slightly better but that is also untrue, its vastly as confirmed by many reviews
The worst review I ever seen on photo part. Whatever photo once upscale, it will be bad in quality.
Only GSMArena reviewer will ever upscale the photo size for comparison, fail!
Beside this, the review was obvious biase in certain part.
by the way Gsmarena camera results are really worrying
im almost convinced there are two different sensors used in the HTC One
If you think this could be a reliable test, take a look at this...
{
"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"
}
+47 minutes equals -15 hours??
hamdir said:
by the way Gsmarena camera results are really worrying
im almost convinced there are two different sensors used in the HTC One
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, apparently HTC is working on a software update to help with the camera "issues" that the One is having. I'll withhold judgement on the camera until that is put out and we have time to see how it affects camera performance.
I think the GSMArena takes manipulation of the mind to the level an art (like others do too), the way they twist some characterstics to seem like advantages and then go completely the other way around when it comes to others. Even when they give high praise to a phone's characteristic they can make it so that you feel like the other one is even better. It is an art which is played mostly at an subconscious level.
In the end it's not a conspiracy, it is problably just a need for good web traffic=money and they can make it so by praising the dominant company. There are probably dozens of millions of Samsung users and it is better to make them think and be at ease with the Samsung product they have chosen, being gratified with the fact that they are on the best side - its just a mind calming factor + gets your site lots of mouse clicks.
S4 is a beast but for me the qualities i seek in a phone put the HTC One on top and the S4 problably not even second.
PS: the most worrying thing is what hamdir said about the camera. Hope it does not turn out to be true but there seem to be a big difference in the quality of the photos between different reviews. Seems like this delayed launch is good for me as i can look further into this problem.
I just bought this phone, and I'm extremely disappointed in the camera. My wife has a note4 which takes great photos, which I've been using pretty much every day as we recently had a child (our first). My main reason for buying a new phone was to always have a good camera on hand for taking photos of our son. I hate big phones though, hence why I didn't buy the note4.
Anyway, after buying the z3c, it turns out that I hate the photos it takes They are all completely lifeless and cold. When I take a photo with the note4, what I see on the screen is pretty much exactly what I see in real life. With the z3c I can clearly see the difference right away (and it's not just the phone screen). I've tried experimenting with settings in manual mode as well, but I'm not having much luck. Granted I'm not claiming to know much about these things. I don't care if it's not the highest resolution or the sharpest details (or not at this stage at least), I just want some colors that looks like what I'm seeing with my eyes. I've gone back to using the camera from my wifes phone again despite my own phone only being a week old, which is a bit sad.
Is there anything I can do about this? I feel like there should be a simple adjustment somewhere, but I can't find it. The colors on the screen were horrid as well, but I've adjusted those by using the "white balance" settings (where I significantly increased red and green while leaving blue at 0). Is there a similar setting for the camera or is there a different app I can download where I can make this adjustment?
I just want to be able to use my camera...
Here is an example. I took two photos, one after the other, using the z3c and the note4. He moved a little bit so they are not identical, but zoom in on his face and you'll see what I mean. One of the photos has got some color and in the other he looks pale and lifeless. The color in the first photo seem to match what I am seeing in real life (he is half asian, so somewhat yellow skin tone) It's a bit hard to show, but you'll just have to trust me that the photo which has more yellow in it is significantly more accurate. This is not even the worst photo either, this one is probably passable if looked at in isolation, but just one example I quickly snapped just now. They are all like this (or often worse) and it has led me to not wanting to use my camera at all.
EDIT: as a new user I was not able to add a link, but as this is just to dropbox, I hope it's OK that I present it like this. You will have to piece it together if you want to view it:
www dropbox com/sh/vb68vqquykxj13m/AAArXwsdSZHKdJCzz25Tu3Qxa?dl=0
Any suggestions on how I can fix this without having to manually post process the photos are much appreciated. I should note that I really love the phone in all other aspects so far, but the main reason I bought it was for the camera as mentioned.
EDIT: sorry, maybe this belongs in the questions forum. If so I apologize and feel free to move it.
EDIT: to clarify, I found what looks like a white balance setting, but it's only 4 preset modes. But maybe that is all we've got. I'll try and experiment with them and see if any produces better result than wb auto.
EDIT: those settings above seems to seriously mess with the colors, at least in current low light room I'm in. Despite loving the phone, I'm considering cutting my losses while it's still current and try to sell it In which case i would probably pick up a Samsung galaxy s6 instead, which should have an equivalent camera to the note 4. It's much bigger than I prefer though, and inflated price due to hype and being a new model as well
The s6 has a better camera in most conditions. That said the difference isnt that bad. On my screen both photos look very similar.
Anyway the usual thing, try in manual mode 8mp, slightly lower expo, multi, and adda tiny bit of clarity in google photos - seems to give best results on average
bilboa1 said:
The s6 has a better camera in most conditions. That said the difference isnt that bad. On my screen both photos look very similar.
Anyway the usual thing, try in manual mode 8mp, slightly lower expo, multi, and adda tiny bit of clarity in google photos - seems to give best results on average
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not the best example, you probably have to zoom in on face to see the difference. I might try and take a better example photo, but basically I lose all yellow in his skin tone and all I get is white and red.
I'll try your suggestions as well. Thanks.
You'll see from my camera thread and others that the Z3 is simply a poor performing camera indoors. There's little you can do to fix it.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
PuffDaddy_d said:
You'll see from my camera thread and others that the Z3 is simply a poor performing camera indoors. There's little you can do to fix it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read your thread now, and it doesn't paint a very positive picture. I still don't understand why it's so bad though, especially since the hardware seems good. From my point of view, I would be OK if pictures are not sharp enough or not capturing as much details as they could, but the poor color replication is a deal breaker.
Do you know if there is any sign that they are working on improving the software? Maybe with the release of z4/z3+ they might release a software update applicable to z3 as well? I know I'm grasping at straws, but still. You'd think they'd try and fix it. If nothing else, it's embarrassing that all competitors are significantly better despite using sonys sensor. This should be their absolute strongest point, their ace card, and instead they are getting destroyed.
White balance is the key for my photos... Auto WB always produces unatractive photos. Cloudy, and sunny settings add some warmth to the photo.
tompab said:
I've read your thread now, and it doesn't paint a very positive picture. I still don't understand why it's so bad though, especially since the hardware seems good. From my point of view, I would be OK if pictures are not sharp enough or not capturing as much details as they could, but the poor color replication is a deal breaker.
Do you know if there is any sign that they are working on improving the software? Maybe with the release of z4/z3+ they might release a software update applicable to z3 as well? I know I'm grasping at straws, but still. You'd think they'd try and fix it. If nothing else, it's embarrassing that all competitors are significantly better despite using sonys sensor. This should be their absolute strongest point, their ace card, and instead they are getting destroyed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree with you more. I read an article where someone managed to compare the display of the Z3 vs the Z3+ and noticed that the plus has a warmer tone. Probably still to early to know is the camera software has improved any though. Sadly, I've started to use filters on the shots that look too cold to help earn them up a bit... More of a workaround than a solution.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
tompab said:
I just bought this phone, and I'm extremely disappointed in the camera. My wife has a note4 which takes great photos, which I've been using pretty much every day as we recently had a child (our first). My main reason for buying a new phone was to always have a good camera on hand for taking photos of our son. I hate big phones though, hence why I didn't buy the note4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got a Z1c(not Z3c) and S6 but I think I can share you some ideas here. Sony tends to like cold WB while S6 produces warm WB. Indeed, they both got pros and cons in my experiences bcoz Samsung is also easy to produce over-warm coast and sometimes not real good, it is just too warm, though in your case I admit this time warm WB got real better result.
If you want a smaller phone, you can consider the upcoming S6 mini(SM-G9198) with 4.6" 720P, s808, 2GB ram, 16GB rom, NFC, 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera. Sony focus is just all bad(actually the image quality isn't bad though you can't compete it with Note4/S6) and Samsung is like 10 times better when you talking about the speed and focus part.
TheEndHK said:
I've got a Z1c(not Z3c) and S6 but I think I can share you some ideas here. Sony tends to like cold WB while S6 produces warm WB. Indeed, they both got pros and cons in my experiences bcoz Samsung is also easy to produce over-warm coast and sometimes not real good, it is just too warm, though in your case I admit this time warm WB got real better result.
If you want a smaller phone, you can consider the upcoming S6 mini(SM-G9198) with 4.6" 720P, s808, 2GB ram, 16GB rom, NFC, 16MP rear camera, 5MP front camera. Sony focus is just all bad(actually the image quality isn't bad though you can't compete it with Note4/S6) and Samsung is like 10 times better when you talking about the speed and focus part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will be very interested to see how that 16mp cam performs, if its anything like the S5 or S6 I may very well convert. Especially if they get the nicer build of the S6 in too, Just please no glass back.
S6 build also means glass back. I have no problems with glass. I'm not too fond of the diplay, Pentile matrix means less subpixels (=less sharpness) and effective resolution similar to qHD. It's clearly visible (rubbih harpness/dottiness) and just bad for the money.
PuffDaddy_d said:
I couldn't agree with you more. I read an article where someone managed to compare the display of the Z3 vs the Z3+ and noticed that the plus has a warmer tone. Probably still to early to know is the camera software has improved any though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Z3+ takes warmer pictures indeed but there's even more digital noise reduction:
{
"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"
}
majaczos said:
S6 build also means glass back. I have no problems with glass. I'm not too fond of the diplay, Pentile matrix means less subpixels (=less sharpness) and effective resolution similar to qHD. It's clearly visible (rubbih harpness/dottiness) and just bad for the money.
Z3+ takes warmer pictures indeed but there's even more digital noise reduction:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I can't even see the difference in color tone between these photos. At most, I see that the plus didn't focus properly in this shot.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
PuffDaddy_d said:
Honestly, I can't even see the difference in color tone between these photos. At most, I see that the plus didn't focus properly in this shot.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here... its splitting hairs to say there is any difference in color tone. That could easily be randomness with the Z3 being warm in the next shot.
Look at the concrete. It's much warmer. Another pictures (from gsmarena):
Z3:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3/camera/gsmarena_015.jpg
Z3+:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3plus/camera/gsmarena_102.jpg
majaczos said:
Look at the concrete. It's much warmer. Another pictures (from gsmarena):
Z3:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3/camera/gsmarena_015.jpg
Z3+:
http://cdn.gsmarena.com/vv/reviewsimg/sony-xperia-z3plus/camera/gsmarena_102.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, yeah, the concrete does look warmer with the plus, but these are very obvious. Though, I question why it appears that so much time passed between shots. The sky is clear in one photo but is cloudy in the next. Overcast conditions will affect the white balance as well. Still a bit too soon for me to judge.
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
Cronis said:
I will be very interested to see how that 16mp cam performs, if its anything like the S5 or S6 I may very well convert. Especially if they get the nicer build of the S6 in too, Just please no glass back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no much info yet so I can't tell about S6 Compact but we can make some safe guess here and probably quite close to the true specification.
1. Probably used the new ISOCell 16MP to save cost. We all know that S6 got two sensors which is Sony IMX240 and Samsung ISOCell. This time the ISOCell is improved and better than the one on S5, so it is a 2nd gen. It got better color during at low light while IMX240 got more details. On day time, both sensors are almost identical. Mine S6 got IMX240.
2. OIS is removed for cost.
3. Aperture down to f/2.2 or f/2.4 depending the price strategic
If Samsung willing to give it a f/2.2 then it is safe to say it is a killer for Z3c though Z3c will still own some advantages like waterproof and best battery life. Not sure about microSD card thing. Consider it got a powerful s808 so as a small flagship, very possible to own a f/2.2 aperture.
https://shopmeenova.appspot.com/st/p/mrg2.html
I use this otg to solve my storage problem on S6.
Aperture eans nothing without sensor's size. Z3 can have higher aperture because IMX220 one of the biggest sensors on the (mobile) market right now.
We know nothing about the S6 mini, SM-G9198 sounds like SM-G9098's replacement:
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/samsung-sm-g9098-1608
majaczos said:
Aperture eans nothing without sensor's size. Z3 can have higher aperture because IMX220 one of the biggest sensors on the (mobile) market right now.
We know nothing about the S6 mini, SM-G9198 sounds like SM-G9098's replacement:
http://gadgets.ndtv.com/samsung-sm-g9098-1608
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is impossible to be the next G9098 bcoz it got only 3.7" size while G9198 is 4.6" with such powerful s808 cpu, they are in total different market segment.
Aperture is real meaningful in any size bcoz my One S(8MP 1/3.2") got f/2.0 so I know about it and Iphone 5s/6/6+ got only 8MP 1/3" f/2.2 but they are doing very well at low light too.
TheEndHK said:
I think it is impossible to be the next G9098 bcoz it got only 3.7" size while G9198 is 4.6" with such powerful s808 cpu, they are in total different market segment.
Aperture is real meaningful in any size bcoz my One S(8MP 1/3.2") got f/2.0 so I know about it and Iphone 5s/6/6+ got only 8MP 1/3" f/2.2 but they are doing very well at low light too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe they want to reduce bezels? Or make it bigger? SM-G9098 has very powerful CPU as well, actually it was the most powerful back in 2014..
They're ok in low light situations (partially thanks to decent image processing) but you can't trick physics.
majaczos said:
Maybe they want to reduce bezels? Or make it bigger? SM-G9098 has very powerful CPU as well, actually it was the most powerful back in 2014..
They're ok in low light situations (partially thanks to decent image processing) but you can't trick physics.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G9098 is 3.7" size while G9198 is 4.6", the different is big enough because there is no 4.6" size flip phone becoz when you put a 4.6" screen together with a physical keyboard, the phone will be very fat and large and customer will end up prefer to get a Note4/5 instead with similar size. But I like the good old day flip phone style, actually I want to see more coming out.
Thanks for all the help guys. Just thought I'd give an update if anyone is interested.
I still really dislike the z3c camera and was considering selling the phone and picking up a galaxy s6. I do however like the other aspects of the z3c, so I ended up buying a proper camera instead. I can use my wife's note4 for a quick snap if I don't have my camera nearby. It's a compromise, but I think it made more sense.
As a previous z5 compact user, I am really really strugling to like this phone.... It's bigger, thicker, not waterproof.
Do you think this phone will get some die hard fans, like we have in the z5c and z3c community?
Why not, is very good on the camera level and paring SD650 with 720p and that battery should provide a good performance and stamina. I previously own Z3 Compact and Z5 compact and I will buy this one because of the camera specs and the size , the waterproof featured I used 2 times since I bought the old ones and is not a key feature for me.
Dean F said:
As a previous z5 compact user, I am really really strugling to like this phone.... It's bigger, thicker, not waterproof.
Do you think this phone will get some die hard fans, like we have in the z5c and z3c community?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly!
I already think phones are too big these days and the Z3C is the largest phone I've ever owned. I don't want to use one any larger and the XC is now nearly as large as the iPhone 6. Those bezels are too large and the phone is clearly not a flagship. I'd only get one if they don't release anymore compacts ever again and my existing Z3C broke and there was no way to replace it. Even then, I'd probably just get any other phone because the XC is now almost as big as the 5" phones.
Honestly the XC looks better than then the Z5C, why? The camera is better, it's faster (comparisons show real life speed is better), battery life should be better. Either way the 650 outperforms the 810 because the 810 is capped in the Z5C and still it will consume more, people also tend to forget that the soc in the compact line only needs to drive 720p and a S650 is overall better suited taking battery life into considaration. Also one more thing which is better is the screen. For me reasons enough to choose the XC over the Z5C just waiting for the price to come down.
I'm very tempted to get the x compact, simply because I've owned the Z3C and Z5C, and love the small form factor and squarer, chunky feel of the phones. I recently lost my Z5C, so I'm tossing up whether to re-buy it for $400 or invest in the X compact for only $50 more (on Amazon they have $50 off pre-orders already). I'm just considering the pro's and con's that everyone is talking about - the lack of waterproofing, no 4k, and a thicker plastic body, but improved camera and looks like a higher contrast screen. It seems like even though the chip set is in theory more average in the X compact, reviews have shown that it is either comparable or runs quicker in real world usage vs the Z5 compact, and I'd assume battery life and heat might be better too because of the difference. I guess I know what I'd be getting with the Z5C, but I'm excited to try the X. The important question though - black or white?! I loved the yellow Z5C, wish that was an option on the X!
I would need a phone with a bit more future-proofing. The X Compact has a processor that only has comparable performance to LAST YEAR's flagship. So, it's technically already outdated in terms of performance. I don't see it keeping up with the performance of devices being released over the next year or two. My Z3C has aged very well considering it was released in 2014 and still runs smoothly today. Next year though, it will be necessary to upgrade and I hope Sony has something better than the XC available at that time.
PuffDaddy_d said:
I would need a phone with a bit more future-proofing. The X Compact has a processor that only has comparable performance to LAST YEAR's flagship. So, it's technically already outdated in terms of performance. I don't see it keeping up with the performance of devices being released over the next year or two. My Z3C has aged very well considering it was released in 2014 and still runs smoothly today. Next year though, it will be necessary to upgrade and I hope Sony has something better than the XC available at that time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what, exactly do you need the performance for? Much like PCs where once the processors reached the point of being able to run excel, surf the web and display embedded 1080p HD videos - everything else is more or less just efficiency. Unless, you are hard core gamer or heavily into data processing most modern CPUs don't give you any better ways of doing the things that you actually need to do.
Phones are like that stage now. The processing power is reaching the plateau for requirements and the battery life in my XC seems stunning.
The XC is plenty future proof. HD audio, camera which the processing may be tweaked, SD card which the storage chips keeps growing and a processor which for a communications device is more than sufficient. USB-C plug. I'm not fussed yet about 4k filming, if I needed that I'd get a 4k video camera as much like a phones camera (apart from the Panasonic DMC-CM1) is never going to match a dedicated SLR spec in terms purely the CCD capture size. The screen is stunning, the speakers are more than sufficient for playing music (from a device that size) things like Skype etc work perfectly for video calls.
All in all, I guess you get the idea that i'm very happy to have one of these phones and is one of the few that I would wholeheartly recommend to someone who is looking for a phone. I'm not comparing it with something that has a 6" screen or similar as these are clearly for a different use and tethering the XC to my larger tablet was trivial anyways for if I do need a larger screen.
flyinglow said:
what, exactly do you need the performance for? Much like PCs where once the processors reached the point of being able to run excel, surf the web and display embedded 1080p HD videos - everything else is more or less just efficiency. Unless, you are hard core gamer or heavily into data processing most modern CPUs don't give you any better ways of doing the things that you actually need to do.
Phones are like that stage now. The processing power is reaching the plateau for requirements and the battery life in my XC seems stunning.
The XC is plenty future proof. HD audio, camera which the processing may be tweaked, SD card which the storage chips keeps growing and a processor which for a communications device is more than sufficient. USB-C plug. I'm not fussed yet about 4k filming, if I needed that I'd get a 4k video camera as much like a phones camera (apart from the Panasonic DMC-CM1) is never going to match a dedicated SLR spec in terms purely the CCD capture size. The screen is stunning, the speakers are more than sufficient for playing music (from a device that size) things like Skype etc work perfectly for video calls.
All in all, I guess you get the idea that i'm very happy to have one of these phones and is one of the few that I would wholeheartly recommend to someone who is looking for a phone. I'm not comparing it with something that has a 6" screen or similar as these are clearly for a different use and tethering the XC to my larger tablet was trivial anyways for if I do need a larger screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see your point, and agree that it's more than powerful enough to do what we need today, but as VR, augmented reality, and multi window multitasking become more prevalent, it's hard to know for sure that a phone with last year's processing power can keep up with the demands for the next 2 years.
PuffDaddy_d said:
I see your point, and agree that it's more than powerful enough to do what we need today, but as VR, augmented reality, and multi window multitasking become more prevalent, it's hard to know for sure that a phone with last year's processing power can keep up with the demands for the next 2 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally faster CPUs require more power and thus heat and the engineering to move this heat somewhere.
Google recommend Snapdragon 810 for their VR Gear (found in the nexus 6P). Snapdragon 650 in XC.
Not much in terms of CPU.
{
"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"
}
Of course, GPUs are a bit different - but would still be capable of doing VR and augmented reality for screen with the resolution of the XC. Multi window doesn’t require much extra processing, but of course using an external screen connected to the phone is a different thing again. Running two heavy data apps on the screen at the same time, might be an issue.
source
http://www.antutu.com/en/view.shtml?id=8200
I've had mine for a day now, and I absolutely love it. The battery life is insane, and the camera is far, far better than I thought it would be.. Pictures are sharp and full of detail, manual mode with the new shutter control is great for night shots too!
As for build quality, don't get what the fuss is about the plastic build, it feels sturdy and strong. I'm quite a fan of these polycarbonate builds anyway.
Mine is coming this week. I'm pretty excited. Previously owned a Nexus 5, HTC One, Z3 Compact, Nexus 6p. I personally like the plastic bodies. This phone reminds me of the great Lumia phones.
sstanton86 said:
I've had mine for a day now, and I absolutely love it. The battery life is insane, and the camera is far, far better than I thought it would be.. Pictures are sharp and full of detail, manual mode with the new shutter control is great for night shots too!
As for build quality, don't get what the fuss is about the plastic build, it feels sturdy and strong. I'm quite a fan of these polycarbonate builds anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like mine as well. I could care less that it uses a mid-range processor because I don't do any gaming. Its fine for what I do. I went through 2 Z5 compacts and I find this phone runs buttery smooth. There's no overheating, lag, random restarts, bluetooth problems that plagued the Z5 compact out of the box.
Only thing bugging me was the small added size to the chin and thickness but that I can deal with it. This phone will hold me off nicely until the next compact phone comes out.
Does it grip well. Looking at unboxing and pics it looks like it has some grip. Polished plastic usually has better grip than glass.
I've had mine since last Friday. I've tested it a lot on every aspects and :
this is the best smartphone i've ever owned.
i've owned the iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6 edge, Z5 compact, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P (and a lot more).
Critics are very harsh on this phone. OK on paper, it's not flagship material, but in real life it is :
The build quality is amazing even though it's plastic, it's a good plastic and it looks really good from front to rear. It has a very good grip not like iPhones, and the compact format is amazing.
Sony's customizatoin of Android is amazing, even with a 650, I've never own an Android phone that smooth and fast at the same time, not burning like the z5 compact used too. Even when restoring all my apps, the phone was smooth -> I've never experienced that on any phone. Even the S7 lags at this stage.
I'm not a player but the game I have runs perfectly (clash royal).
The photo part is not the best on the market OK, but huge improvement from the z5 compact. Videos are blasting, photos in day light are great, his flaws come from low lights situations but it is acceptable.
Putting on top of that the price considering all that, it's just the phone I've been waiting for sooooooo long.
Well you guys are starting to make me come around. What color do you guys think is the best? I like the white but let me know what you guys have.
Also
Does anyone know the amazon us return policy?
Notchr302 said:
What color do you guys think is the best? I like the white but let me know what you guys have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mist Blue. It's not black, and is snazzier than white.
Notchr302 said:
Well you guys are starting to make me come around. What color do you guys think is the best? I like the white but let me know what you guys have.
Also
Does anyone know the amazon us return policy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the Mist Blue.
Amazon is a 30 day return policy. If you don't like it, you can easily return it.
exploreresp said:
I've had mine since last Friday. I've tested it a lot on every aspects and :
this is the best smartphone i've ever owned.
i've owned the iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S6 edge, Z5 compact, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P (and a lot more).
Critics are very harsh on this phone. OK on paper, it's not flagship material, but in real life it is :
The build quality is amazing even though it's plastic, it's a good plastic and it looks really good from front to rear. It has a very good grip not like iPhones, and the compact format is amazing.
Sony's customizatoin of Android is amazing, even with a 650, I've never own an Android phone that smooth and fast at the same time, not burning like the z5 compact used too. Even when restoring all my apps, the phone was smooth -> I've never experienced that on any phone. Even the S7 lags at this stage.
I'm not a player but the game I have runs perfectly (clash royal).
The photo part is not the best on the market OK, but huge improvement from the z5 compact. Videos are blasting, photos in day light are great, his flaws come from low lights situations but it is acceptable.
Putting on top of that the price considering all that, it's just the phone I've been waiting for sooooooo long.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mate same here. Just like you I've owned all the same, the latest and greatest. But for some crazy reason this XPERIA x Compact is definitely up there with the fastest phones I have used. Haven't come across pay once. I agree with everything else you've said too, aside from the camera bit. The camera is phenomenal and can take some absolutely incredible photos in daylight. Even low light impresses me, in low light switch to manual, and with a steady hand with 1 sec shutter you can get some fantastic shots. So far it's one of the best cameras I've used on a phone.
Notchr302 said:
Well you guys are starting to make me come around. What color do you guys think is the best? I like the white but let me know what you guys have.
Also
Does anyone know the amazon us return policy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I liked white too, but last minute impulse told me to buy the mint one, and I wouldn't change it for any other colour
Blue not too feminine? I'm in construction so I don't want to give my work mates any material. Lol
Notchr302 said:
Well you guys are starting to make me come around. What color do you guys think is the best? I like the white but let me know what you guys have.
Also
Does anyone know the amazon us return policy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the black one, it's truely something. Really elegant and manly, and in direct sunlight, it turns a little bit into a deep grey/blue still near black but really nice shade.
Fingerprints aren't too visible and that's a good surprise too !
---------- Post added at 05:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:27 PM ----------
sstanton86 said:
Mate same here. Just like you I've owned all the same, the latest and greatest. But for some crazy reason this XPERIA x Compact is definitely up there with the fastest phones I have used. Haven't come across pay once. I agree with everything else you've said too, aside from the camera bit. The camera is phenomenal and can take some absolutely incredible photos in daylight. Even low light impresses me, in low light switch to manual, and with a steady hand with 1 sec shutter you can get some fantastic shots. So far it's one of the best cameras I've used on a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the great advice ! I'll definitly try that. I'm not disappointed in the camera, just saying it's not the best i've seen when considering all aspects !
Samsung is a little bit faster for taking pictures in all situations and low lights photos seem to have little less oversharpening or at least a different maybe less aggressive one.
but it's great for sure !
Do you stay in 8Mp when in manual mode for low lights ? Think it capture more light with this resolution than the 23Mp.