Let me just first put it out there that I'm a loyal Sony guy. I've owned the Xperia TL, Xperia ZL, Xperia Z1 and now the Xperia Z3C.
With that said, I knew the Sony cameras took subpar pics, whether in full auto or manual mode, they just look bad. Add low light or indoor to the mix, and you've got what looks like a pic from a 2005 Nokia phone. Sorry, I know we all love our Xperias, but Sony should be ashamed of themselves for doing this, considering that they make awesome DSLRs and point and shoots.
So why am I being a rabble rouser all of a sudden? Well, I just got a Note 4 as my work phone and needless to say, I was blown away by the camera results. The differences are night and day between the two. Sadly, I'm supposed to be carrying my work phone just during work days, but I found myself leaving my Z3C at home and going out with the Note 4 this weekend, and you should see the pics I took.
I don't know if the lens is good but the software is bad on the Sony, but if there is any hope that Lollipop will make it better with RAW, I sure hope Sony takes advantage of it.
I agree. The camera of the Lumia 925 that I had, was much better than the camera's compact Z3.
To be honest, this camera does not please me one bit, outside the fact that it does not have optical image stabilizer.
Check the "post pictures that you have taken with your z3c" or something thread. Also, photos will naturally look better on amoled. Transfer your z3c pictures to Note 4 and then look at them again. Might seem better. I find both cameras great by the way
Sent from my D5833 using XDA Free mobile app
I wouldn't say suck. I'd just say average.
If you buy this phone for the camera, you're doing it from the wrong direction.
It'd be like buying this phone for the 'best speakers on the market', when HTC One's are those.
The Z3C phone is the best for compact and power; it's a pocket rocket and that's what it specializes at first and foremost, second being its water proof-dust proof without being some rugged phone.
So why am I being a rabble rouser all of a sudden? Well, I just got a Note 4 as my work phone and needless to say, I was blown away by the camera results. The differences are night and day between the two. Sadly, I'm supposed to be carrying my work phone just during work days, but I found myself leaving my Z3C at home and going out with the Note 4 this weekend, and you should see the pics I took.
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Click to collapse
If you're taking around a Note 4, then you're clearly weren't in for the Z3C's compact and pocket rocket in the first place, and you're now choosing the best camera in stead.
Please just tell me that you're comparing pictures on a PC.
Moist said:
Please just tell me that you're comparing pictures on a PC.
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Click to collapse
EXACTLY.
Sent from my D5833 using XDA Free mobile app
You are comparing a quad HD display to a 720p. You're not comparing the camera performance. Just the display. I'd do the comparison again on a PC
I still don't understand what is wrong with Sony's compact camera ... my compact camera is taking great pictures :laugh:
No, I've been comparing the photos on my thunderbolt display, so no bias toward the Note 4's screen in any way.
And no, I'm not all sold on the Note 4, I still can't live without the compactness of my Z3C.
I will take identical photos from both phones today and post here.
Z3c camera doesn't suck, it's "just" above average.
The only other phone with superior camera that rivals Z3C's performance, size and specs is the iPhone 5s to be honest.
Samsung phones have the best cameras overall, but their devices aren't one-hand friendly.
If you want top notch pictures then you need to buy a decent camera.. For a mobile phone camera it does its job, I have no issues with it.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium HD app
pricey2009 said:
If you want top notch pictures then you need to buy a decent camera.. For a mobile phone camera it does its job, I have no issues with it.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Lumia920. I still prefer it.
Compare any Nokia you want against an alpha 6000 (or any dslr or mirrorless camera).
Once you go big lenses and big sensors, you never go back.
ro_explorer said:
I still don't understand what is wrong with Sony's compact camera ... my compact camera is taking great pictures :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm curious what's settings are you using?(mode, iso, etc)
Any tip to improve my photos?
XQC said:
Z3c camera doesn't suck, it's "just" above average.
The only other phone with superior camera that rivals Z3C's performance, size and specs is the iPhone 5s to be honest.
Samsung phones have the best cameras overall, but their devices aren't one-hand friendly.
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Click to collapse
Pretty much this.
I see nothing but good things about Samsung's phones, but when they get smaller and remove those physical buttons, I'll consider grabbing one... which may be never since it's their signature.
cerberustri said:
I'm curious what's settings are you using?(mode, iso, etc)
Any tip to improve my photos?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no universal recipe for taking good photos. All parameters are heavily dependant on the camera specs.
In my case, I'm taking usable photos even at ISO6400 and, with a size reduction afterwards, I can even go higher (12800).
The aperture is dependant on the lens you are using. A too large aperture will lead to blurry edges and soft images on cheap lenses. A too closed one will generate light fringing leading to artefacts. Then there is the focal length .... again, the lenses are behaving totally different.
It's all coming down to trial and error and understanding the limitations of your equipment.
And coming back on-topic, I would love to have full manual controls over the Z3C's camera (including long exposure and RAW data). That will allow for truly great photos with this tiny camera.
The most terrible thing I am concerned about is "soft skin" effect that seems to be always turned on.
See the discussion here: https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z3-Compact/Soft-Skin-effect/td-p/838361/highlight/false/page/4
ro_explorer said:
There is no universal recipe for taking good photos. All parameters are heavily dependant on the camera specs.
In my case, I'm taking usable photos even at ISO6400 and, with a size reduction afterwards, I can even go higher (12800).
The aperture is dependant on the lens you are using. A too large aperture will lead to blurry edges and soft images on cheap lenses. A too closed one will generate light fringing leading to artefacts. Then there is the focal length .... again, the lenses are behaving totally different.
It's all coming down to trial and error and understanding the limitations of your equipment.
And coming back on-topic, I would love to have full manual controls over the Z3C's camera (including long exposure and RAW data). That will allow for truly great photos with this tiny camera.
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I think, he thought you took the picture of the camera, with your Z3C. And so, was asking what settings you had on your phone to make the picture of the camera look so good compared to his.
ogyct said:
The most terrible thing I am concerned about is "soft skin" effect that seems to be always turned on.
See the discussion here: https://talk.sonymobile.com/t5/Xperia-Z3-Compact/Soft-Skin-effect/td-p/838361/highlight/false/page/4
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Click to collapse
Yeah. It's still not fixed in lollipop update.
I just don't understand why they don't fix this bug. It's a simple thing to fix i think, and because of that, front camera isn't useable at all!!
Calvat said:
I think, he thought you took the picture of the camera, with your Z3C. And so, was asking what settings you had on your phone to make the picture of the camera look so good compared to his.
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Actually I took that picture with the z3c just to show what I'm actually using to take photos . The phones camera was on auto but, the camera itself is only part of the picture. There is also framing and there is also light.
BTW, these are a bunch of samples captured today, on manual mode, with z3c running lollipop (for who is interested). In my opinion the quality of the camera is pretty low but still, usable in case of emergency.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B08eVSlv8mIUNnBTcTc5YmlHcVk/view?usp=sharing
// sent from my phone //
Related
Z1 vs G2 vs S4
Here's my Z1, G2 and S4 going head to head.
I'm at work at the moment so they're not the best comparisons
The Z1 was shot in 8mp Superior Auto and 20mp Manual
The G2 was shot in 10mp Auto
The S4 was shot in 9.6mp Auto
Z1 Manual
Z1 Auto
My opinion is....
1st = G2
2nd = Z1
3rd = S4
Let me know what you think.....
Lol, planning on doing some more comparisons? As only one photo doesn't say too much...
But owning the Z1 and the G2 myself as well I tend to give the first place in good light to the G2 as well, the Z1 has more potential (especially in lower light situations) but somehow it doesn;t work too great yet. Especially with autosettings the G2 is the winner for me.
dagrim1 said:
Lol, planning on doing some more comparisons? As only one photo doesn't say too much...
But owning the Z1 and the G2 myself as well I tend to give the first place in good light to the G2 as well, the Z1 has more potential (especially in lower light situations) but somehow it doesn;t work too great yet. Especially with autosettings the G2 is the winner for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol of course i''ll add more but it's all i can do at work, i'll do more when im home
Yeah i agree the G2 wins it for me, i used it all weekend and i was impressed with every picture but after using the Z1 for a few weeks, im usually dissapointed with most pictures. some low light pictures with the Z1 were really impressive, but the others were just ruined by noise.
I know the Z1 can produce some great shots in manual but 99% of pictures i take are spontaneous pictures, i quickly pull out my phone, snap a pictures and away i go, for this the Z1's 'Superior Auto' is not as good as the G2
Btw, I didn't mean to sound like an ass with that first line... No insult intended
But indeed, you shouldn't have to tweak in manual settings to get decent pictures. In my opinion at least 90% of the people just want to take a quick snap. Really torn between the Z1 and G2 myself, I love the screen, battery, wifi/data connection and partially the camera of the G2 but the feel and software (and partially the camera) of the Z1... Still can not decide but using the G2 as the main phone atm.
Am truely hoping the Z1 camera will get improved more in the near future...
dagrim1 said:
Btw, I didn't mean to sound like an ass with that first line... No insult intended
But indeed, you shouldn't have to tweak in manual settings to get decent pictures. In my opinion at least 90% of the people just want to take a quick snap. Really torn between the Z1 and G2 myself, I love the screen, battery, wifi/data connection and partially the camera of the G2 but the feel and software (and partially the camera) of the Z1... Still can not decide but using the G2 as the main phone atm.
Am truely hoping the Z1 camera will get improved more in the near future...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will put the Z1 down as a huge dissapointment as Sony over promised and over hyped it with PR bull like it having a Triluminous and X-Reality display and having 'Superor Auto' camera etc.. but in reality the screen is shocking and the cameras 'Superior Auto' is actually poor.
Sony should of just advertised the Z1 as the best waterproof phone on the market and its excellent build quality. and not focused on the screen and camera.
Oh and here's a quick screen comparison of the Z1 and G2
That manual mode on the z1 looks awesome, way less noise and more like a DSLR type of picture. But I am surprised that it's not performing too well (too much noise) in auto mode.
Did you upgrade the Z1? I heard Sony released an update a few weeks ago that improved the cam quality.
Btw can you allow us to download the original picture, please? You only let us up to Large 2048. I want to be able to see the full 20.7 MP and 13 MP.
The G2 has so much potential in its camera but LG keeps using that useless post processing effect that they also use in their HDTVs (which in my opinion really ruins the picture quality and makes it "overly smooth and weird" for no reason instead of sharp and a nice blur)
Can you do me a favor? download Camera360 and take a picture using Effects mode and then None and upload, for both G2 and Z1. I would like to see if the quality is better as usually Camera360 is capable of taking raw pictures with maximum details compared to Google's and Samsung's official camera apps (I know this is not google or Samsung but Sony's and LG's).
Ramsey said:
That manual mode on the z1 looks awesome, way less noise and more like a DSLR type of picture. But I am surprised that it's not performing too well (too much noise) in auto mode.
Did you upgrade the Z1? I heard Sony released an update a few weeks ago that improved the cam quality.
Btw can you allow us to download the original picture, please? You only let us up to Large 2048. I want to be able to see the full 20.7 MP and 13 MP.
The G2 has so much potential in its camera but LG keeps using that useless post processing effect that they also use in their HDTVs (which in my opinion really ruins the picture quality and makes it "overly smooth and weird" for no reason instead of sharp and a nice blur)
Can you do me a favor? download Camera360 and take a picture using Effects mode and then None and upload, for both G2 and Z1. I would like to see if the quality is better as usually Camera360 is capable of taking raw pictures with maximum details compared to Google's and Samsung's official camera apps (I know this is not google or Samsung but Sony's and LG's).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's the G2 in full 13mp mode with the ISO set to 200, not Auto...
You can download the orignals from Flickr, i just checked. Click on an image, then click on the 3 dots in the bottom right hand corner and then click on 'View all Sizes', then select 'Original'
Here's a direct link the the full 20mp sample
I won't have time to try out that camera app as im about to leave work, sorry mate
Can't see original, maybe because I'm not signed in? I can, however, click your original link here in XDA and it works great for the Z1 20MP.
Can you take pictures of far objects? Almost all cell phones look great in close/macro shots.
I must say that for amateurs the LG G2 seems better, BUT you fail to note the picture is aggressively over sharpened (to make it seem sharper), the z1 is more natural, and is the better out of the bunch.
[email protected] said:
I must say that for amateurs the LG G2 seems better, BUT you fail to note the picture is aggressively over sharpened (to make it seem sharper), the z1 is more natural, and is the better out of the bunch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the Lego in front of me, i can tell you the detail on the G2's image is correct while to Z1's is too blurred/smooth and is missing scratches/marks from his hat of which the G2 manages to pick up. but this is being picky, the Z1's manual is still great.
i totally agree the G2 is the best for amateurs who just was a great point and shoot on their mobile and don't want to spend time manually setting the camera to the best setting every time they want a picture.
If Sony could fix the terrible Auto mode, then things would be much better for the Z1.
They need to fix the auto mode, sometimes you get amazing shots and sometimes average shots. Didn't dxomark rate the video camera the best ?
plus people need to remember your viewing the images on a 1080p screen.
Ramsey said:
Can't see original, maybe because I'm not signed in? I can, however, click your original link here in XDA and it works great for the Z1 20MP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because it says in flickr
The owner has disabled downloading of their photos
Not only is there no orginal neither can you download anything. Why ?
Sorry, neilmc1983, no fair, enable it so we can check out the orginal pics.
neilmc1983 said:
But the image is more blurred and the colour reproduction is completely wrong.
Looking at the crops, the LG G2 wins for me. great detail, clarity and the colours were correct.
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Click to collapse
Whose fault is it if the picture is more blurred ?
completely wrong ? What is it with these exaggerations !!
It's looks pretty close to me. I don't see any wb issues there. No blue or yellow tints.
neilmc1983 said:
I've just purchased an LG G2, so now i have a Z1, S4 and a G2
I'm busy this weekend but i will post comparison pics of all 3 and i will show the terrible noise on the Z1 even with the update.
So far i am very impressed with the G2 camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did not see any terrible noise with this set of pictures
neilmc1983 said:
ok mate, i understand you can create better looking pictures in manual but still the Auto mode should still be excellent like it is on the G2 and S4, but its not on the Z1, its very poor and Sony have the cheek to call it 'Superior Auto'
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Click to collapse
Its not very poor. Its improved over earlier versions. It can be better.
Bear in mind that lg, samsung & apple do more aggressive noise reduction. This means you lose details in lower light. Its one or the other. Z1 is more capable of taking pictures in more light ranges than any of the above. You want to excel in good light the others will be better, you want low light they will struggle.
neilmc1983 said:
With the Lego in front of me, i can tell you the detail on the G2's image is correct while to Z1's is too blurred/smooth and is missing scratches/marks from his hat of which the G2 manages to pick up. but this is being picky, the Z1's manual is still great.
i totally agree the G2 is the best for amateurs who just was a great point and shoot on their mobile and don't want to spend time manually setting the camera to the best setting every time they want a picture.
If Sony could fix the terrible Auto mode, then things would be much better for the Z1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G2 at 13 MP still got more noticeable amount of noise over Z1 at 20MP, easily spotted.
Very disappointed with the picture quality on Z1. I was not expecting DSLR quality photo but at least slightly better than S4 / Iphone 5s
Sony better do someting or else we would see less sales on Z2 or their next line up of product. I compared mine with Note 2 & Note 3, pictures quality are better on Note 3.
It's important to note that your individual experience doesn't agree with what most of the professional comparisons are saying.
I think you should buy a Nokia windows phone since it appears you're more interested mainly in cameraphones, they have just the cameras you're looking for. Otherwise if you're going to stick with android for mostly non camera related reasons, I'd keep your z1 vs the LG's freaking god awful software.
To paraphrase their company slogan when it comes to OEM forks of android "Life is (not) Good". The z1 is a far better smartphone than the g2 in most smartphone aspects.
Reading your anti z1 cam and display posts lately I can only conclude you have a decisive bias towards the g2, your display experiences aren't indicative of the norm everywhere else, and you appear to be looking for bolstering from people to feel better about choosing the g2.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
omnius1 said:
To paraphrase their company slogan when it comes to OEM forks of android "Life is (not) Good". The z1 is a far better smartphone than the g2 in most smartphone aspects
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree, G2 seems far better than Z1, the Z1 currently for me only wins in the aspect of build quality/material and maybe the polished user interface (depends on what user likes) and ofc the water proof in z1 which is not for me as I had seen how waterproofing worked on my xperia z, I am not a fanboy or something of G2 I have recently bought it after thinking 100 times if I should go with LG but thinking their past 1 years work I did trust LG and to be true I am not disappointed. Z1 is a great looking design phone and with very polished user interface other than that I don't feel Z1 can be better than G2 or maybe even note 3. (I dislike note 3) I'd rather wait for z2 and see if they work on their display panels.
We agree to disagree then. I find Sony phones to be of much higher quality than LG on pretty much every level.
I find Sony electronics in general to be of a higher caliber than LG who are still struggling with their budget electronics stigma.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z1
omnius1 said:
We agree to disagree then. I find Sony phones to be of much higher quality than LG on pretty much every level.
I find Sony electronics in general to be of a higher caliber than LG who are still struggling with their budget electronics stigma.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right about the higher quality of Sony phone or any Sony product, I myself use Sony Tv's camcorder, vaio, but I guess their smartphone in terms of build is the best in market no one can win it anyday no matter if it's a low-end, mid-range or high-end device Sony's phone are the best in terms of build but the main problem occurs is the display and the glass at back, on my xperia z the glass got unglued and also cracked due to heat same happen to the z1 it was unglued and also the display I had got myself 9 replacements of z1 but the display of all was never satisfying took replacement from several service centers but still no luck in display and finally a refund, I'll anyday go for Sony if I want a high quality built device but as per usage I wouldn't go for Sony as of now.
omnius1 said:
Reading your anti z1 cam and display posts lately I can only conclude you have a decisive bias towards the g2, your display experiences aren't indicative of the norm everywhere else, and you appear to be looking for bolstering from people to feel better about choosing the g2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got that impression too as far as OP is concerned.
G2 vs Z1 is a tough decision.
---------- Post added at 09:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 AM ----------
AndroidNoob22 said:
but the main problem occurs is the display and the glass at back, on my xperia z the glass got unglued and also cracked due to heat same happen to the z1 it was unglued and also the display I had got myself 9 replacements of z1 but the display of all was never satisfying took replacement from several service centers but still no luck in display and finally a refund, I'll anyday go for Sony if I want a high quality built device but as per usage I wouldn't go for Sony as of now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
9 replacements !!
It seems to take forever just to get one replacement, unless there is a clear problem with the device they refuse it.
How the heck did you manage to get 9. I'd have thought they'd try once or twice, failing which return your money and tell you to get lost.
One Twelve said:
I've got that impression too as far as OP is concerned.
G2 vs Z1 is a tough decision.
---------- Post added at 09:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 AM ----------
9 replacements !!
It seems to take forever just to get one replacement, unless there is a clear problem with the device they refuse it.
How the heck did you manage to get 9. I'd have thought they'd try once or twice, failing which return your money and tell you to get lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess they are pretty good and nice here in my country/city and also they had agreed to all the display issues faced without banging my head on walls to explain them.
I've came across Note2, S4, G2 and now I'm on Z1. And I've expected for camera to be top out of those, but left disappointed. I feel like hardware could do so much more, but that camera firmware is so.. so... Nah, don't even have word for it. It's like Krait 400 clocked at 0.5 GHz.
What was Sony thinking?
Colors are off, there's too much noise, no option for wide 16MP, or something like that, white balance is off... It's mess!
If Samsung had this sensor, I feel like it would rock 1020 with it's firmware.. Do you feel same?
Yes,I guess so.
Did you try the manual mode and playing with the ISO?
Sent from my C6603 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
The Developers will improve the software soon. Anyway I still one from many disappointed. The hardware is ok, software from Sony sucks.
Eclyptos : The camera software from Sony DOESN'T SUCK! It just needs improvement. If it would suck, you wouldn't be able to take such good pictures in manual mode (check the forum in the Z1 camera tests).
But that requires some knoledge ...
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
bogdan wst said:
Eclyptos : The camera software from Sony DOESN'T SUCK! It just needs improvement. If it would suck, you wouldn't be able to take such good pictures in manual mode (check the forum in the Z1 camera tests).
But that requires some knoledge ...
Sent from my C6903 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HElp me with this what settings do you use in manual to get good pics??
very disappointed
im very disappointed with cam of my Z1, very very noise specialy in colors more dark, im waiting a lot of updates for cam.... noise, wide 16 for example.. and others
,,,,,,
cooldude9119 said:
HElp me with this what settings do you use in manual to get good pics??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, go read photographing forums, same rules apply for all cameras, here is not the place to learn how to shoot.
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
It really.isn't.that bad. Sure, the 1020 is better but it's probably the best Android camera (Sony was with the Xperia S too).
It.does have issues.in auto mode.when.in iffy conditions but you.can get amazing results with this phone!
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
highly disappointed, the camera is designed by the cybershot team man, how can it be so crappy. imagine processing is one thing, the functionality is a complete joke, 20 MP only then 8MP? Not even a 16MP 16:9 or 16MP 4:3. The sensor size would probably be great for 16MP photos, but 20MP is probably a bit too much. The auto mode is complete trash too, only time I ever get good shot is only under perfect light condition. Unless they are still trying to iron out a few things, or the cybershot team lacks experience writing software for ARM processor or something. There is no excuse of it being as what it is now. And it was out for a while and we still don't see any major improvement what so ever, they should be ashame of themselves.
Looks like not everyone disagrees with me like they did on my post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2562211
Oh well, maybe the will improve it on the upcoming 14.2.A.1.114 firmware update.
Man I don't know why people complain so much about the camera! Maybe I'm just lucky but my phone takes absolutely brilliant pics! I threw a few pics onto a massive Samsung smart TV not so long ago and I was blown away by the quality! Sure it struggles a bit in low ligting conditions but honestly it's still good for a phone, I think people were expecting DSLR quality pics when they bought this phone or expecting it to be the same as a Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera? By comparison to the two cameras I mentioned, it will never be on par with those because it has a much smaller sensor. For what it is (a phone camera) it is brilliant.
I'm not denying that there is definite room for improvement on the software side but honestly currently it's still a killer camera (if you know how to use it properly)
I don't understand why people are so nit picky about this phone, people have ripped it to shreds over small details but at the end of the day it's a killer android phone worthy to be a flagship device. I know other's have had issues with displays... blah blah blah. Infact I did too, I had a tiny dead pixel on mine the first time I turned it on, sent it back and they gave me a replacement no questions asked! My point is, if you're so unhappy about the device then just sell it and buy another phone or if there's a fault with it then get it fixed or replaced under warranty instead of ripping the phone to shreds
NanoSurfer said:
Man I don't know why people complain so much about the camera! Maybe I'm just lucky but my phone takes absolutely brilliant pics! I threw a few pics onto a massive Samsung smart TV not so long ago and I was blown away by the quality! Sure it struggles a bit in low ligting conditions but honestly it's still good for a phone, I think people were expecting DSLR quality pics when they bought this phone or expecting it to be the same as a Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera? By comparison to the two cameras I mentioned, it will never be on par with those because it has a much smaller sensor. For what it is (a phone camera) it is brilliant.
I'm not denying that there is definite room for improvement on the software side but honestly currently it's still a killer camera (if you know how to use it properly)
I don't understand why people are so nit picky about this phone, people have ripped it to shreds over small details but at the end of the day it's a killer android phone worthy to be a flagship device. I know other's have had issues with displays... blah blah blah. Infact I did too, I had a tiny dead pixel on mine the first time I turned it on, sent it back and they gave me a replacement no questions asked! My point is, if you're so unhappy about the device then just sell it and buy another phone or if there's a fault with it then get it fixed or replaced under warranty instead of ripping the phone to shreds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not the camera that itself that people are complaining about. It's the auto mode. I think some of us know that it takes great photos with the right manual settings but what is the point of having the Auto mode if it doesn't work properly?
I really want to love this phone as it is probably the most elegant device out there, has excellent battery life, and the performance is one of the best but it's the unpredictable auto mode on the camera that bugs the crap out of me and most of the people who are not happy about the camera.
soulreaver99 said:
It's not the camera that itself that people are complaining about. It's the auto mode. I think some of us know that it takes great photos with the right manual settings but what is the point of having the Auto mode if it doesn't work properly?
I really want to love this phone as it is probably the most elegant device out there, has excellent battery life, and the performance is one of the best but it's the unpredictable auto mode on the camera that bugs the crap out of me and most of the people who are not happy about the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok yes, on that point I agree with you. Auto mode could be better. Im 100% sure that Sony keeps an eye on this forum as we are the most critical users out there, the average Joe probably doesn't care much about the camera and uses the phone for texting and calls so my point is they are aware of it and they will address it, give them time. They heard our screams with the bootloader fiasco! Btw Samsung wouldn't have even cared less about the issue but Sony does, so just wait for them to sort the software issues out.
First of all, Merry Christmas everyone
I've been shooting some photos yesterday and conclusion is this. Night or low light photos (indoors) looks awful, but daylight photos looks fantastic even on front facing camera. But, it's not proportional how awesome day photos looks like. I mean, there's so much detail, colors are good, and wb is just fine, but at night, there is so much noise, artifacts on front camera.. It's impossible that hardware is one to blame..
I sure hope Sony will fix it in new firmware update..
cooldude9119 said:
HElp me with this what settings do you use in manual to get good pics??
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It's not the camera, it's the photographer.... Seriously, how do you expect us to give you the right settings we don't even know what the subject is, the lighting you have, etc... Before complaining, learn about photography and what each setting does and maybe you will take better pictures.
Sent from my C6903 using xda premium
I agree with u all… its just the SA that needs tunning. The manual mode is great for people who knows how to treat it
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
Noise, noise, noise.....
My xperia T takes way far better pictures....
When they ask your money for "the best camera phone" (lol) they should give you at least something a little better than the previous flagship, not worse....
I agree that the camera takes some good pictures here and there but when you zoom in the quality goes to.....
NanoSurfer said:
Man I don't know why people complain so much about the camera!
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They don't want to take the effort to get better shots. One decent shot in the photo thread is all it takes to debunk them. Hardest thing to figure out is lighting. Get that right and the shots are fantastic. Same applies to any camera.
NanoSurfer said:
I think people were expecting DSLR quality pics when they bought this phone or expecting it to be the same as a Sony Cybershot point and shoot camera? By comparison to the two cameras I mentioned, it will never be on par with those because it has a much smaller sensor. For what it is (a phone camera) it is brilliant.
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Was looking at the cybershot line and the bulk of them come with 1/2.3" sensors only the RX100 uses a 1 inch sensor. Meaning its around 4x bigger with carl zeiss glass.
The advantage these PS have is the optical zoom. But do they work well in auto in the hands of some one that cannot take a photo. No. Was just looking at vacation pics a friend took and so many of them were out of focus. Her compact has the same sensor size but only the outdoors photos come out ok. There is quite some noise in a double tap on the tab. Again using auto, indoors it uses a lower shutter speed and i was apalled to see 5/10 shots coming out blurred. The flash blows everybody away. When it does not you get a decent shot.
Indoors in artificial lighting in sub par lighting any compact size sensor is going to struggle. The hardest are indoors subpar lighting where you're forced to use the flash to avoid blur. Have to use higher ISOs in this case, no you won't be able to avoid noise but you will get better shots ie more natural than with a flash.
NanoSurfer said:
I don't understand why people are so nit picky about this phone, people have ripped it to shreds over small details but at the end of the day it's a killer android phone worthy to be a flagship device. I know other's have had issues with displays... blah blah blah. Infact I did too, I had a tiny dead pixel on mine the first time I turned it on, sent it back and they gave me a replacement no questions asked! My point is, if you're so unhappy about the device then just sell it and buy another phone or if there's a fault with it then get it fixed or replaced under warranty instead of ripping the phone to shreds
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yeah and then when they get the next device, they'll go spam the respective forum with more *****ing & whining. Take a look around the board and every camera gets bashed. This is normal. Expect it and ignore it.
Bandwidth bandits the lot of 'em
The reason we all expected this to be a great camera, is because Sony told us it was with all their marketing. I was so excited by the phone. But the camera was the reason I returned it. Otherwise, it is a splendid piece of kit.
I just switched to TMobile yesterday and I got the LG G2. I am highly disappointed with the camera, specially the low light. I love taking photos on my cell (before this I had a Lumia 1020 which replaced my HTC One which replaced my S3) and the low light just didn't cut it.
The Z1s comes to tmobile in a week so I'm thinking of swapping it out for that. The thing is, I've heard so many mixed reviews about the Z1 and it's camera. I would love to have opinions from you all that own it. If you can compare the photos to any other phone that would be great. I was actually debating between the LG G2 and Note III and Z1, but I really think the Z1 (specs wise) might be the closest to the Lumia 1020 (which is the best smartphone camera I have EVER used....too bad it was on WP8)
Thank you in advance!
Rob
The Z1 camera is infuriating to use because it's obvious that the hardware is a beast. It's the best camera hardware you can get on an Android device. However, the software is a hit or miss. Superior auto is okay for daylight pictures but is almost unusable for lowlight pictures. However, if you take a bit of time to learn how to use the camera in manual, you will have no problem getting excellent images from the Z1. Lowlight performance is decent, better than the LG G2 but worse than the HTC One, it's just you cannot rely on Superior Auto mode to get you the best pics, usually they end up very noisy.
In daylight there is no contest, the Z1 is one of the best out there. 90% of the time Superior auto does the job well. The other 10% of time there is overexposure or noise but then you can use manual or try again and it should come out okay. Low light is tricky.
If you want a camera that 'just works' I would suggest looking at the HTC One or LG G2. However, if you are willing to spend a bit of time to explore the camera's features and functions you will love the Z1. It's definitely the most fun camera phone to use. Don't get me wrong, it's not 'bad', it's just not as good as it could be. Also, the viewfinder is one of the smoothest I've used. 60fps of awesome.
The thing about the Z1 is that is one of the best 'allround' phones. You get a premium feeling, waterproof body with the fastest processor available and an extremely good camera. There's almost nothing like it. The iPhone 5S and HTC One are probably the only other ones that can compete with the all-roundedness. The LG G2 is really good as well but IMO has a horrible, cheap looking and feeling body. For me looks matter as much as the internals because I have the phone on me at all times and is a part of me, so I want it to reflect who I am. The Z1's sharp looks do just that .
Hopefully KitKat will stabilize superior auto and make it better because it's infuriating having poor software when you have unbeatable hardware.
I will have to say that while the Camera software disappoints it really isn't that bad at all..
As far as low light pics are concerned, for me superior auto does the job well enough..and of course low light photos have the element of noise as on any camera phone but don't let it bother you too much. You will just have to compare for yourself lowlight photos between the G2 and the Z1 to see if its up to your expectations.
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
robamacaf said:
I just switched to TMobile yesterday and I got the LG G2. I am highly disappointed with the camera, specially the low light. I love taking photos on my cell (before this I had a Lumia 1020 which replaced my HTC One which replaced my S3) and the low light just didn't cut it.
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The night sky shot you took with the 1020 has a shutter delay of 4s.
Z1 has a max shutter delay in night mode of 0.8s. This is the best you have currently with android. Also the Z1 has a 2.0 aperture to the 1020's 2.2. So about 25% larger.
bear in mind the nokia's can go as slow as 4s shutter delay because WP8 allows it. So even mid range WP8 phones with nokia camera app can get the 4s shutter delay. Android at this time does not even if the hardware can support it. I see no reason why this cannot be done in the future with android if mid range WP8 phones presently allow such low shutter delay. It's an OS limitation. Another limitation with android is its not possible to manually set shutter speed or do any manual focus unlike with WP8. This limits to a certain extent or makes it harder than it would have been been with say Nokia camera.
Whereas the slowest shutter delay with the G2, note3, N5 or S4 is around 1/8s (6x faster than 0.8). What they then do is take a HDR. They cheat. This means a relatively stable hand held low light shot but if an even slower shutter speed is required then you cannot do it. Has the low light video improved on the G2 since ? as the video from examples i'd seen earlier was mostly not usable.
i have a g2, ordered z1s, z1s is beatiful phone, liked the screen and mostly everything, little snapier then g2, for some reason z1s felt a little big, battery life i was not impressed, on the first charge, 15 min screen time and down 6%, comparing to g2 where you will loose 2% tops, great phone but going back to g2, will wait for somerhing else with better cam then g2
Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk
One Twelve said:
Another limitation with android is its not possible to manually set shutter speed or do any manual focus unlike with WP8. This limits to a certain extent or makes it harder than it would have been been with say Nokia camera.
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Just as a side note, the LG G2 DOES have manual focus where you can move a slider (sorta like the 1020) to focus on things.
Thank you all for the opinions. I'll have to get hands on with it I think to really get a feel for it but I'm really leaning towards it. I'd get the HTC One again in a heartbeat if it had higher MP to actually have details in the photos
Check out this video mate:
The pictures were taken on the initial software release, the software has slightly improved since then but it should gives you a good idea on how well the camera perfomes.
shem2409 said:
Check out this video mate:
The pictures were taken on the initial software release, the software has slightly improved since then but it should gives you a good idea on how well the camera perfomes.
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Thanks for this. You put a lot of info into that video. I also watched the 3 min one you made with mostly low light pictures. Looks like the Z1 is def worth getting
robamacaf said:
Thanks for this. You put a lot of info into that video. I also watched the 3 min one you made with mostly low light pictures. Looks like the Z1 is def worth getting
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I absolutely love it
I only wish the screen was better. It's not bad by any means but due to poor viewing angles the experience is not on par with other devices (oppo find 5 etc)
universal
robamacaf said:
I just switched to TMobile yesterday and I got the LG G2. I am highly disappointed with the camera, specially the low light. I love taking photos on my cell (before this I had a Lumia 1020 which replaced my HTC One which replaced my S3) and the low light just didn't cut it.
The Z1s comes to tmobile in a week so I'm thinking of swapping it out for that. The thing is, I've heard so many mixed reviews about the Z1 and it's camera. I would love to have opinions from you all that own it. If you can compare the photos to any other phone that would be great. I was actually debating between the LG G2 and Note III and Z1, but I really think the Z1 (specs wise) might be the closest to the Lumia 1020 (which is the best smartphone camera I have EVER used....too bad it was on WP8)
Thank you in advance!
Rob
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Click to collapse
I had a G2 and while I liked it I decided to not keep it. Just got my Z1s on Monday and was very impressed with the handful of shots I took, and find I like the Z1s all-around more than I did the G2: better design, better android skin, better battery life & performance (and the G2 was no slouch in either of those two areas), and at least based on first impressions better camera.
I am exchanging my Z1s because of some difficulty getting it to acknowledge long press while holding the phone (started a thread on that), but other than that was very happy with it and am looking forward to getting my replacement.
Any opinions on the battery life? I know the G2 and Z1 and the same sized battery and so far I've had the G2 off of charger for 6 hours and it's only at 91%. I've made some phone calls, checked emails, sent hangout messages through out the day. Connected to WIFI and 4G. It's fantastic
Battery life is not G2 good but it's still excellent. I usually get 6-8 hours screentime on, which is much better than most phones out there.
Tough decision for me, sell my G2 and payoff my EIP or keep it and sell the Z1S and profit a bit and wait for something else.
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
robamacaf said:
I just switched to TMobile yesterday and I got the LG G2. I am highly disappointed with the camera, specially the low light. I love taking photos on my cell (before this I had a Lumia 1020 which replaced my HTC One which replaced my S3) and the low light just didn't cut it.
The Z1s comes to tmobile in a week so I'm thinking of swapping it out for that. The thing is, I've heard so many mixed reviews about the Z1 and it's camera. I would love to have opinions from you all that own it. If you can compare the photos to any other phone that would be great. I was actually debating between the LG G2 and Note III and Z1, but I really think the Z1 (specs wise) might be the closest to the Lumia 1020 (which is the best smartphone camera I have EVER used....too bad it was on WP8)
Thank you in advance!
Rob
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Click to collapse
Check My Low light photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157637726566185/
you will also find Htc One set and Comparison Set between note3 vs z1
Me also swapped the htc one with the z1
reason: Purple tint camera and very long time focusing during night and mostly out of focus
how do i compare : Z1 blew away Htc faster lock never out of focus and Better lowlight
you can see in the sets both taken with htc and z1 ... Just to mention i never used Superior Auto i always use manual @all auto .. except if i want to capture a night landscape or scene with longer exposure i choose Night Mode from scenes and rest my arm on somethings
by the way
note3 camera at night it [email protected] !
ashouhdy said:
Check My Low light photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/sets/72157637726566185/
you will also find Htc One set and Comparison Set between note3 vs z1
Me also swapped the htc one with the z1
reason: Purple tint camera and very long time focusing during night and mostly out of focus
how do i compare : Z1 blew away Htc faster lock never out of focus and Better lowlight
you can see in the sets both taken with htc and z1 ... Just to mention i never used Superior Auto i always use manual @all auto .. except if i want to capture a night landscape or scene with longer exposure i choose Night Mode from scenes and rest my arm on somethings
by the way
note3 camera at night it [email protected] !
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Wow! Those are fantastic! Thank you
I've had a play with a G2 and it's a cracking handset, but not a patch on the Z1 in terms of the on screen user experience, the LG skin looks too much like Touchwiz, which is hideous. The camera rocks, all round anyway, no phone camera I've ever come across actually performs perfectly, but the Z1 comes close.
robamacaf said:
I just switched to TMobile yesterday and I got the LG G2. I am highly disappointed with the camera, specially the low light. I love taking photos on my cell (before this I had a Lumia 1020 which replaced my HTC One which replaced my S3) and the low light just didn't cut it.
The Z1s comes to tmobile in a week so I'm thinking of swapping it out for that. The thing is, I've heard so many mixed reviews about the Z1 and it's camera. I would love to have opinions from you all that own it. If you can compare the photos to any other phone that would be great. I was actually debating between the LG G2 and Note III and Z1, but I really think the Z1 (specs wise) might be the closest to the Lumia 1020 (which is the best smartphone camera I have EVER used....too bad it was on WP8)
Thank you in advance!
Rob
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Click to collapse
The Z1 is really the best camera in an Android phone. The flash sucks, specially compared to the 1020's (and the 808's, still the best camera phone by a huge margin) xenon, of course; but it's bad for a LED. However, its low light, non-flash performance is way above the rest of the pack. More comparable to the 1020's non-flash pics than to the G2's. You will also have the benefit of some lossless zoom. As a camera, it's definitely an upgrade over the S3/One/G2, and a clear downgrade all around from the 1020.
This is an interesting comparison of the Z1 with Nokia's last few cameraphones:
http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/18845_Smartphone_camera_shootout_the.php
Note that no non-Nokia phone had ever beaten the N8 on that site. But I'd suggest you to rate the pictures by yourself. Assign points to each, then assign a factor of importance to each category, and sum up the scores (multiplied by the importance of each category). You may come to a different conclusion than Steve.
Another interesting data point is this:
http://connect.dpreview.com/post/44...1-vs-nokia1020-vs-lgg2-vs-samsunggalaxys4zoom
Which includes a direct comparison between the Z1 and your previous two phones. I suggest the same approach, assigning your own scores and importances to come to your own conclusion.
Sorry to hijack the topic here but how does z1's camera compare to iPhone 5s' then? I was under the impression z1's was better even before the FW updates but after reading this thread I am not so sure..
fmmsf said:
Sorry to hijack the topic here but how does z1's camera compare to iPhone 5s' then? I was under the impression z1's was better even before the FW updates but after reading this thread I am not so sure..
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Yes, it's WAY better. I don't have the shots with me, but when we went on vacations, my Z1's pictures were always better than my wife's 5S's. The Z1 focuses better (and faster), isn't as noisy, and exposes much better on low light. Also, the 5S has an annoying tendency of keeping the flash on for 1-2 seconds while it focuses, while the Z1 does it way faster; that much time with the LED on makes the subjects uncomfortable, and spoils the images. Whenever we took pictures of the same scene on both phones, mine were better (so much better that most of hers were instantly deleted). I usually don't shoot videos, so I can't comment on video quality.
Steve_max said:
Yes, it's WAY better. I don't have the shots with me, but when we went on vacations, my Z1's pictures were always better than my wife's 5S's. The Z1 focuses better (and faster), isn't as noisy, and exposes much better on low light. Also, the 5S has an annoying tendency of keeping the flash on for 1-2 seconds while it focuses, while the Z1 does it way faster; that much time with the LED on makes the subjects uncomfortable, and spoils the images. Whenever we took pictures of the same scene on both phones, mine were better (so much better that most of hers were instantly deleted). I usually don't shoot videos, so I can't comment on video quality.
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Ah, that's awesome! And how long does it take for the phone to bring up the camera app after you press the shutter button on the Z1? (That's a feature, right?)
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
I am interested in both these phones and am having trouble deciding due to the various camera reviews.
I am specifically interested in how each camera handles moving objects like kids or pets running as this is what I take most pics of.
Please post any samples here. Thanks kindly.
Edit - please don't post any YouTube links. I have watched every video comparing the two. Real world results are much better for everyone here.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ipmanwck said:
I am interested in both these phones and am having trouble deciding due to the various camera reviews.
I am specifically interested in how each camera handles moving objects like kids or pets running as this is what I take most pics of.
Please post any samples here. Thanks kindly.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Click to collapse
I didn't have the Z2, but I had the Z1 and it was by far the worst camera I had used on any phone. All the pics had a huge amount of noise and tended to look painted. When the Kit Kat update came and there was no improvement I moved on from the Z1. Seeing as the Z1 and Z2 have the same camera I imagine it's the same situation with the Z2.
The G3 camera is at the opposite end of the spectrum and delivers the best still shots I have seen on a phone, certainly comparable to a dedicated camera. Absolutely no regrets moving on from the Z1 or M8 to this phone.
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/LG-G3-vs-Sony-Xperia-Z2_id3727/page/3
z2 camera
I have to say I have a z2 and it is by far the BEST camera I have ever used in a smart phone. -MOD EDIT- and no swearing please.It has been rated the best camera on the market over the I phone. And where the person said the pictures looked painted it's because the pictures are really that clear. They are so crystal clear that they don't look real. I had an s4 which was a 13 mp camera which was very good but this z2 in auto mode which is only 8mp and it takes beautiful pictures. And yes the comparison where it won was compared in 8mp mode so the playing field was even. You can shoot in 15.5 and 20.7 mp modes and it shoots amazing motion pictures. I take lots of pictures of my dogs playing and running and jumping and there is no noise and blows away the htc one m8 and the galaxy s5.I don't think the g3 could possibly take better pictures. I haven't used one because it's not available but trust me sony makes absolutely amazing phone cameras. They probably made the ones on the g3 and s5.but the z2s is a higher megapixel. And it's on a Sony product.
I hope the Z2 is way better than Z1, because Z1 is just an ok cam.
Sent from a mobile Gadget...
mit3283 said:
The person who said it is the worst camera ever is an idiot. They are so crystal clear that they don't look real.
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Actually I said the Z1 was the worst phone camera I had used as it had a lot of artifacting and noise. I can imagine there might have been some improvement with the Z2. Heck I was taking better pictures with the M8 than with my Z1.
This is not my opinion alone, take a look at some of the earlier posts in the Z1 picture thread.
In any event the G3 has a really good camera that I enjoy. YMMV.
I'm in the same boat. I'm choosing between the G3 and Z2, and camera is the most important thing for me since I take a lot of pics of my 3 kids, so particularly picture of moving object.
I did a lot of reading on G3 vs. Z2 and their camera. This one seems to have the most details:
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/C...one-5s-LG-G2-Sony-Xperia-Z2-HTC-One-M8_id3728
In this review G3 did very well, best in 2 of the 3 main categories (detail and indoor), and best in 3 of the 4 minor categories (Panorama, HDR, and night). However it didn't talk much about picture of moving objects. I'd appreciate input on specifically this.
mit3283 said:
I have to say I have a z2 and it is by far the BEST camera I have ever used in a smart phone. -MOD EDIT- and no swearing please.It has been rated the best camera on the market over the I phone. And where the person said the pictures looked painted it's because the pictures are really that clear. They are so crystal clear that they don't look real. I had an s4 which was a 13 mp camera which was very good but this z2 in auto mode which is only 8mp and it takes beautiful pictures. And yes the comparison where it won was compared in 8mp mode so the playing field was even. You can shoot in 15.5 and 20.7 mp modes and it shoots amazing motion pictures. I take lots of pictures of my dogs playing and running and jumping and there is no noise and blows away the htc one m8 and the galaxy s5.I don't think the g3 could possibly take better pictures. I haven't used one because it's not available but trust me sony makes absolutely amazing phone cameras. They probably made the ones on the g3 and s5.but the z2s is a higher megapixel. And it's on a Sony product.
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This is the kind of feedback we are after in here. Thanks so much for the info. Could you please post some pics here of your moving pets in 8mp superior mode that would be really helpful. Thanks again.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Any smartphone is going to struggle when taking shots of moving objects. That's simply due to the size of the sensor and how fast the lens operates.
A good test is to get someone to stand still in front of the lens and take a shot whilst they are waving back at you.
A decent digital camera with a good fast lens will keep both the person and their waving hand clear and sharp.
A blur free shot will require a fast shutter, something a smartphone struggles to achieve in anything other than bright and clear lighting.
Beards said:
Any smartphone is going to struggle when taking shots of moving objects. That's simply due to the size of the sensor and how fast the lens operates.
A good test is to get someone to stand still in front of the lens and take a shot whilst they are waving back at you.
A decent digital camera with a good fast lens will keep both the person and their waving hand clear and sharp.
A blur free shot will require a fast shutter, something a smartphone struggles to achieve in anything other than bright and clear lighting.
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Thanks for the info but as the title states I just want real world comparisons. Some mobiles capture .motion much better than others and due to the bigger sensor was hoping z2 would do well but jury is still out until further pics are posted.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ipmanwck said:
Thanks for the info but as the title states I just want real world comparisons. Some mobiles capture .motion much better than others and due to the bigger sensor was hoping z2 would do well but jury is still out until further pics are posted.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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No problem.
To part answer your request, the Sony Z2 has a slightly larger sensor at 1/2.3" over the LG G3 1/3".
So, based on sensor size alone the Z2 wins this.
However, sensor size alone won't guarantee a better shot and this is where LG needs to up its stakes.
Will it do it..... Well I currently have a Z2 which is miles better than the Z1 I previously had.
Unfortunately, even with it's larger sensor it fails to capture a steady and clear blur free shot. A moving hand is just a blur.
Sorry I do not have any shots at hand to show this. For shots of say my grandchildren running around as if they are all driving formula one cars I always go straight to one of my fast digital cameras. Not even a dedicated small compact digital camera will take a blur free shot.
I'll be getting a UK LG G3 in the next couple of weeks and it will be a great phone.
I'll use it for many tasks including photos but I won't expect it to capture any blur free shots.
But to sum up your question...... Of the two my money would go to the G3. It may not be able to achieve what you are asking but what with OIS hardware and that Laser focus they will help photos to be much clearer where lighting is not ideal.
for me, with moving objects most of the times i don't go the picture route. i go to camera, scroll down that button on upper right to switch to video mode.
The only phone that can take less blurry pics is m7 and m8, that was the point. Shutter speed is a bit higher. I have tried all the ones in my signature at the same target, my kids ☺
Sent from a mobile Gadget...
dondavis007 said:
The only phone that can take less blurry pics is m7 and m8, that was the point. Shutter speed is a bit higher. I have tried all the ones in my signature at the same target, my kids ☺
Sent from a mobile Gadget...
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I had 3 x M7s all had the purple tint issue due to poor heat shielding and the camera was rubbish. HTC thought it would be a good idea to use the same camera in the m8 !! It still blurred in indoor motion shots and really the camera is not good from experience. Thanks for the opinion though but lets stick to the mentioned handsets.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
ipmanwck said:
I had 3 x M7s all had the purple tint issue due to poor heat shielding and the camera was rubbish. HTC thought it would be a good idea to use the same camera in the m8 !! It still blurred in indoor motion shots and really the camera is not good from experience. Thanks for the opinion though but lets stick to the mentioned handsets.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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You're holding it wrong [emoji1]. The word a bit doesn't make it a dslr. Out of my sig those is the best for motion blur, nothing else.
You went back to the HOX?
Sent from a mobile Gadget...
dondavis007 said:
You're holding it wrong [emoji1]. The word a bit doesn't make it a dslr. Out of my sig those is the best for motion blur, nothing else.
You went back to the HOX?
Sent from a mobile Gadget...
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This is a temporary phone. Got it off eBay for 100. One x +. Had the s4 for a while after the m7 fiasco ! Not getting into the HTC camera issues here as this is not the forum for it but if your happy with your HTC phone camera then that's good but why are you here then ? If you have a z2 please post pics.
Sent from my HTC One X+ using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I'm sorry but the Xperia Z2 appears to be far superior to the G3 in everything but focus time or when the LED is used.
Since 4.4.2 and the latest camera app, the Sony is finally taking the photos it was always meant to. Even auto mode is now good, which is saying something.
But there's obviously more to the G3 than just the camera.
I have never used a z2 but z1 compact was absolutely awful. Even with the lack of mega pixels i am very impressed with the g3 camera i am going to do a lumia 1020 vs g3 thread tomorrow. I think you will be suprised how good the g3 camera is.
mit3283 said:
I have to say I have a z2 and it is by far the BEST camera I have ever used in a smart phone. -MOD EDIT- and no swearing please.It has been rated the best camera on the market over the I phone. And where the person said the pictures looked painted it's because the pictures are really that clear. They are so crystal clear that they don't look real. I had an s4 which was a 13 mp camera which was very good but this z2 in auto mode which is only 8mp and it takes beautiful pictures. And yes the comparison where it won was compared in 8mp mode so the playing field was even. You can shoot in 15.5 and 20.7 mp modes and it shoots amazing motion pictures. I take lots of pictures of my dogs playing and running and jumping and there is no noise and blows away the htc one m8 and the galaxy s5.I don't think the g3 could possibly take better pictures. I haven't used one because it's not available but trust me sony makes absolutely amazing phone cameras. They probably made the ones on the g3 and s5.but the z2s is a higher megapixel. And it's on a Sony product.
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does it still overheat? i had the z2 and that was the only thing that i didnt like about it
lg g3 is better
ahaha
We all give Sony a hard time for releasing flagship devices with mediocre camera performance. I personally can verify that my previous HTC phones (One mini, One S, and even the Ville aka MyTouch 4G) dating back nearly 4 years all had better color reproduction, white balance, indoor performance, and faster focus and shutter response. None of those were even considered flagship devices at the time of release. We assumed Sony's problem was the software, so many of us searched for 3rd party camera apps such as Google Camera, A Better Camera, Camera FV-5, etc... and some even claimed to get better results using these apps. I've tried just about all of them (free versions only) and never saw any dramatic improvement to make me replace the default camera app. I finally decided to compare shots side by side on a couple of my personal favorite camera apps and here's what I noticed:
The 3rd party apps over-exposed the scene with far too much flash, giving it that cold LED light look, and washing out some of the natural colors. But worst of all, they weren't as clear when zooming in as the default app was. Pay close attention to the can of WD40 in the back. Only the stock app makes the word "Directions" visibly clear. All photos were taken using Auto Mode at 8MP - the setting the average person will use daily.
Sample Photos In Order (from left to right):
- Sony Stock Camera App
- Google Camera App
- OpenCamera App
https://goo.gl/photos/ihkstAg95Ag8rybX7
I took a few comparison shots in scenes that I thought would cause the stock app to falter, but it kept coming through and beating the competition. For example, when taking a picture of a poster that was covered by a slight shadow, the stock app was the only app smart enough to use flash; thereby making the words of the poster much clearer. In another indoor scenario, the competition once again over exposed the scene with too much flash, washing out the colors again. I may post these photos later if you request them.
Moral of the story:
Compared to other smartphones (especially flagships), Sony's camera is simply one of the worst performers. <-----(This is a click-able link to the results of a test article) There is no argument here and someone from Sony needs to do something about it. But as for the stock Sony camera app, it appears to utilize the camera better than 3rd party apps can. So if you want to make the best of out our bad situation, stick with the stock camera app.
I agree that the camera on the Z3C is somewhat lacking.
Outdoors in good light it can produce some really nice photos (some of the time) although even in good conditions it still seems to make a mess of things on occasions. Indoors and low light it's just plain terrible. I've done a back to back comparison with my rather elderly SGS3 and in most circumstances the SGS3 knocks the spots off the Z3C.
The problem is marketing.
In order to produce compelling marketing material, Sony developed the 20MP sensor and put this in all their flagship phones. This is way too many MP for such a small sensor and as such the quality suffers badly in anything other than bright sunlight. Even when interpolating the image down to 8MP you still see way more noise than the equivalent true 8MP sensor and the details are mushed to buggery. I'd be happy for the resolution on smartphones to top out at 10MP, which should be enough for 4K video and multiple aspect ratios (not that I think 4K video from a smartphone has much use).
sensor not bad, driver sometimes is...
Exmor IMX220 Shoot Out – Meizu MX4 Pro vs Sony Xperia Z3
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Wajk said:
sensor not bad, driver sometimes is...
Exmor IMX220 Shoot Out – Meizu MX4 Pro vs Sony Xperia Z3
indeed sony's pic are washed out but the looking at the "lay's" and "muji" comparision, meizu's pics are blurred.
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Click to collapse
We all know auto mode sucks isn't that right? Well Sony hasn't designed this phone for you, i have taken some absolutely stunning photos that my friends think were taken with a proper camera. The truth is that I'm a photographer that tries to push the hardware and software to the limit and if your having a good day you can produce stunning works of art. Sure there's a bit of noise but you can't expect fullframe image quality on this sensor. Taking a backwards step from my Nex7 to the Z3 compact was a great learning experience. If you're a photographer that likes to push the limits of a camera this one is for you, if your the average joe your wasting your time. Think about it, when you buy a camera what is the point of using auto mode when it limits the amount of control you have over a photo. Its like driving an automatic transmission car at a drag race.
As a photographer, you of all people should understand that a camera phone is not likely to be used when taking serious photos. This is designed to be a point and shoot replacement for selfies, pictures of food, group photos of friends in a restaurant, etc... This phone's camera isn't a complete failure by any means, but it simply doesn't perform as well as phones from 2-3 years ago under the most basic condition (indoors). I'm just finding it difficult to explain why my $500 flagship phone takes overexposed, blurry photos when my old phones (none of which were even flagship models) did not.
Starlith said:
We all know auto mode sucks isn't that right? Well Sony hasn't designed this phone for you, i have taken some absolutely stunning photos that my friends think were taken with a proper camera. The truth is that I'm a photographer that tries to push the hardware and software to the limit and if your having a good day you can produce stunning works of art. Sure there's a bit of noise but you can't expect fullframe image quality on this sensor. Taking a backwards step from my Nex7 to the Z3 compact was a great learning experience. If you're a photographer that likes to push the limits of a camera this one is for you, if your the average joe your wasting your time. Think about it, when you buy a camera what is the point of using auto mode when it limits the amount of control you have over a photo. Its like driving an automatic transmission car at a drag race.
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Click to collapse
I am also a photographer (enthusiastic amateur and no expert for sure) who has worked for a software company in the digital imaging industry for 7 years. I get to sample a lot of cameras; including pre-production test mules, some of which never make it due to unrecoverable issues. I have tried the Z3C in every conceivable mode and it's still a disappointment in low light and unpredictable when it's good light. A brief summary of the biggest issues I've seen would include:
1) Poor light performance - It's not even low light, the performance is poor in moderate lighting conditions (20MP is too much for such a small sensor and lens)
2) Unpredictable auto focus - It misses what should be an easy AF fix more often than it should do
3) Too much NR - TBH this is a personal criticism of almost every camera currently made, but the NR on the Z3C is a bit nasty
4) Even the best shots seem to lack "definition"
I'm not saying that the camera is a complete dead-loss, but for a flagship smartphone it's not as good as I would expect. I don't think that I've taken a single picture with it where I've got home, uploaded it to my PC and thought it was really good. I've checked back through my SGS3 pictures and at a glance the best images look like they've come from a "proper" camera, I can't say that for many of the Z3C images. I'd really like to be able to get RAW images out of the camera to see what is possible with decent post processing, but it doesn't seem like that is going to happen any time soon.
If you could give some hints about how to get the most out of the camera, then I for one would very much appreciate it.
mad-marco said:
I am also a photographer (enthusiastic amateur and no expert for sure) who has worked for a software company in the digital imaging industry for 7 years. I get to sample a lot of cameras; including pre-production test mules, some of which never make it due to unrecoverable issues. I have tried the Z3C in every conceivable mode and it's still a disappointment in low light and unpredictable when it's good light. A brief summary of the biggest issues I've seen would include:
1) Poor light performance - It's not even low light, the performance is poor in moderate lighting conditions (20MP is too much for such a small sensor and lens)
2) Unpredictable auto focus - It misses what should be an easy AF fix more often than it should do
3) Too much NR - TBH this is a personal criticism of almost every camera currently made, but the NR on the Z3C is a bit nasty
4) Even the best shots seem to lack "definition"
I'm not saying that the camera is a complete dead-loss, but for a flagship smartphone it's not as good as I would expect. I don't think that I've taken a single picture with it where I've got home, uploaded it to my PC and thought it was really good. I've checked back through my SGS3 pictures and at a glance the best images look like they've come from a "proper" camera, I can't say that for many of the Z3C images. I'd really like to be able to get RAW images out of the camera to see what is possible with decent post processing, but it doesn't seem like that is going to happen any time soon.
If you could give some hints about how to get the most out of the camera, then I for one would very much appreciate it.
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Click to collapse
I agree with you, it does have its limits and they are really weird limits. For example when in manual mode anything that is set to auto including white balance and focus is either hit or miss, there is no touch metering, i have taken some stunners but they required me to work hard for it such as adjusting wb, iso, focus mode. Even the background defocus app which produced amazing photos btw i had to work really hard for. All that work on a phone is exhausting. Too many apps complicate the camera app and the post processing algorithm is inconsistent. Im interested what the results would be with a lens similar to the iPhone 6. The best thing about the camera is the wide angle lens but no one really cares for that.
Starlith said:
I agree with you, it does have its limits and they are really weird limits. For example when in manual mode anything that is set to auto including white balance and focus is either hit or miss, there is no touch metering, i have taken some stunners but they required me to work hard for it such as adjusting wb, iso, focus mode. Even the background defocus app which produced amazing photos btw i had to work really hard for. All that work on a phone is exhausting. Too many apps complicate the camera app and the post processing algorithm is inconsistent. Im interested what the results would be with a lens similar to the iPhone 6. The best thing about the camera is the wide angle lens but no one really cares for that.
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Click to collapse
I personally don't even like the wide angle lens. It just forces me to stand that much closer to my subject to properly frame the shot. Then, if using flash, you blind them because you're standing 1 foot in front of their face. Anyway, I thought a sony branded lens/sensor was being used on most high end phones these days... even the iPhone? We just got stuck with poor image processing.
PuffDaddy_d said:
I personally don't even like the wide angle lens. It just forces me to stand that much closer to my subject to properly frame the shot. Then, if using flash, you blind them because you're standing 1 foot in front of their face. Anyway, I thought a sony branded lens/sensor was being used on most high end phones these days... even the iPhone? We just got stuck with poor image processing.
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Click to collapse
When you buy a phone you don't expect it to take pictures like an SLR Camera would, that being said though I still think 20 mp is more than enough for taking snapshots. If you complain about the camera quality then you shouldn't have bought a phone in the first place and buy a DSLR instead.
and if you came from a Nokia flagship this difference is even bigger ....
Revontheus said:
When you buy a phone you don't expect it to take pictures like an SLR Camera would, that being said though I still think 20 mp is more than enough for taking snapshots. If you complain about the camera quality then you shouldn't have bought a phone in the first place and buy a DSLR instead.
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Click to collapse
I've already got several DSLR's thanks very much. I don't think that anyone is expecting DSLR like quality, in fact you seem to be the only person who has brought this up.
I think that what people would like is the the camera on Sony's flagship smartphones to be comparable with other smartphones, especially the ones that have the same sensor hardware!!! It's a disappointment that the 2/3 year old SGS3 produces superior photos than the current Sony flagships, the current Samsung 16MP cameras are vastly superior.
Revontheus said:
When you buy a phone you don't expect it to take pictures like an SLR Camera would, that being said though I still think 20 mp is more than enough for taking snapshots. If you complain about the camera quality then you shouldn't have bought a phone in the first place and buy a DSLR instead.
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Click to collapse
You have completely missed the point of this thread. It has nothing to do with expecting DSLR quality from a camera phone. We just don't want pictures to look like they were taken from a flip phone from 2006 - which is what this camera looks like when taking photos indoors. A flagship phone needs a flagship camera, and Sony's image processing has left us without, while all other major manufacturers are using some form of Sony image sensor and getting much better results.
But as my original post indicates, the best photos I've been able to get from this camera are with the stock camera app. All others seem to fall short when viewed on a larger screen.
ray_J13 said:
Wajk said:
sensor not bad, driver sometimes is...
Exmor IMX220 Shoot Out – Meizu MX4 Pro vs Sony Xperia Z3
indeed sony's pic are washed out but the looking at the "lay's" and "muji" comparision, meizu's pics are blurred.
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Seems to me the camera glass on her Z3C was a bit smudged... That would explain the haze.
And the small details on the Z3C look much better and cleaner at 100% zoom than on the Meizu, even if the Z3C was a bit out of focus.
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I'm so disappointed in this camera. I took my Z3C and my old HTC Droid Incredible 2 to a concert last night. Inc2's pics were much crisper and cleaner. The videos were better as well (at 720p), though the sound on the Z3C's vids were better. Inc2 is what, 4 years old?
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
Crewville96 said:
I'm so disappointed in this camera. I took my Z3C and my old HTC Droid Incredible 2 to a concert last night. Inc2's pics were much crisper and cleaner. The videos were better as well (at 720p), though the sound on the Z3C's vids were better. Inc2 is what, 4 years old?
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
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Yes, this is our point exactly! The Z3C camera has far more advanced technology in it, yet the results are sub par to midrange and outdated phones. Care to share any of your pics for reference?
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
PuffDaddy_d said:
Yes, this is our point exactly! The Z3C camera has far more advanced technology in it, yet the results are sub par to midrange and outdated phones. Care to share any of your pics for reference?
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
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Click to collapse
I can upload the vids and couple pics. None of the pics are really the same for comparison since i was in the crowd at the concert though. But you can get a general idea.
PuffDaddy_d said:
Yes, this is our point exactly! The Z3C camera has far more advanced technology in it, yet the results are sub par to midrange and outdated phones. Care to share any of your pics for reference?
Sent from my Xperia Z3 Compact
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Here's my vids. One is from my old Droid Incredible 2 (2011, running GB) the other is from my Z3C (2014, running LP). I'll let you guys judge which vid is better.
That concert looks like it was a lot of fun! I watched both videos on full screen and i personally think the top video looks better - less grainy and handled the bright lighting much better.
PuffDaddy_d said:
That concert looks like it was a lot of fun! I watched both videos on full screen and i personally think the top video looks better - less grainy and handled the bright lighting much better.
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Yep, just cleaner and sharper overall. Thats the Droid Incredible 2 video (720 only as well, Z3C is at 1080 lol).