Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Nokia 9 PureView, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Nokia 9 PureView is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
I wanted to love this phone. The design and screen are super solid. Taking it out of the $7 clear case that I got just to make sure I didn't scratch it in the first week, to appreciate how solid and smooth the phone felt, was a real joy. The clarity and color of the screen are quite impressive. I was constantly looking for the camera to impress me, and once I finally had come to the conclusion that every photo was good enough that I could tweak in editing to make it how good I wanted it to be initially, I was really happy to have it. But then with the constant frustration of the fingerprint scanner and the terrible sounding speaker, I decided that the camera was not good enough to keep me holding on to this one, even for the very good $599 price. Packed the phone up and thinking hard about bringing it back today.
I love the fact that this phone produces raw DNG files that i can actually use.
My P20 Pro on the other hand spits out useless raw files that suffer from vignetting in both brightness and color cast. And the jpg files are horrible overprocessed , The P20 Pro, photo wise, was a bit of a disappointment for me. It still baffles me how it was able to achieve such high scores.
From the few pic's i already took with the Nokia , i can say that i finally have a phone again that can take normal looking pictures.
I love this phone. Ofc i could be bias, since im coming from a Windows phone. However since my first nokia, i've always liked their phones on a unconscious level. After owning the 920, 1020 & 950, moving from windows to Android was so much better. 7 was my favorite but im starting to feel like Pie is my new fav now. So maybe i am loving the android one experience more than the phone itself.
There are a couple annoyances, as with any phone, luckily most of the Nokia 9's can be fixed via software.
Here are my two little annoyances:
-Finger Printer reader...need i say more...check my post under 'Can anyone get the fingerprint scanner to work most of the time' for a possible workaround.
-Can't remove Google assistant or date on home screen without 3rd party launcher or rooting; this is because of Android One experience.
Other than that, i love the phone because i've been on a deprecated pos that was Balmer's ugly-headed step-child.
I really love this phone. Mine came yesterday morning so these views are based on this short time with the phone.
Keep in mind that I was coming from a Galaxy Note 4 which I bought on release day. I thought this was a great phone and it has served me well, but nothing since has really given me the push to replace it. I saw the Nokia 9 when it was announced at MWC and pre-ordered the next day.
Highlights so far:
Android One - After coming from a Samsung experience this is a breath of fresh air.
Design - I think notches and hole punches (the new Samsung method) are ridiculous. I have a real hate of them because they are unnecessary and this phone proves it. I've seen reviewers mention the top and bottom bezel as a negative but I'm yet to find an actual person who has actually identified them as a problem. I've wrapped this phone in a TPU case and fitted a glass screen protector to protect it against my kids and my active lifestyle and it still feels amazing in the hand. It looks stunning as well. Yes, I'm aware of its similarity to the Note 4.
Camera - My experience of the camera so far has been fantastic. I've taken a number of photos in different conditions and it has performed excellently. Processing times haven't gotten in my way. I've taken a few snaps, put it in my pocket and come back to it later. I've had loads of fun with the post shot depth adjustment which is very impressive. And the monochrome sensors on their own give you something special.
Battery life - Battery life has been excellent. My day starts at 6am which is when I unplug my phone from where it is charging. I'm sat here typing it 17 hours later and its still on 67%. During this time I have used GPS for about an hour to track my ride to and from work, its been paired with my smart watch all day so the radios have been running for that. And beyond that its just been general browsing and messaging.
GPS - When I opened Strava it locks on instantly.
Negatives:
Fingerprint reader - It needs work. I hope they can fix this with software. It works most of the time with my forefinger. And sometimes with my thumb. For something like this. If it doesn't work first time, most of the time then it doesn't work.
Switching between camera modes - Seems to be a bit of lag switching between modes.
I'm really looking forward to spending more time using this phone, Ill post photos in the photo thread when I have a decent selection.
Not recommending
Touch sensitivity is very poor, often requiring 2 or 3 touches to register. Feels like a low end phone with resistive screen from 6 years ago. Not a flagship. Not even a mid-ranger. I had cranked up the pointer speed to maximum in the keyboard and language section of Settings but that made no difference. My typing accuracy has also plummeted from my previous Nexus 6p. Seems like a recurring problem across Nokia phones. Come to think about it my touch screen percentage echoes my fingerprint success. Perhaps the issue is not the reader but the overall touch registration.
Using Snapseed instead of Lightroom to edit Raw but there is a real eye opener on the web where the camera is compared to previous generations of Nokia Pure Views. Not pretty. And unlike others, I do not expect improvement with the camera. Light and HMD Global have worked on this camera array for years. What is 6 months more going to achieve except for better stability and less aggressive sharpening? The low light is truly horrendous.
Not recommending to friends. Still, I will keep because I dislike returning and not too many Android One offerings.
---------- Post added at 11:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 AM ----------
Besides well documented issues with fingerprint reader and camera, phone suffers from awful touch sensitivity. One fallout is wildly inaccurate keyboard accuracy. Unpleasant to use for surfing or social media.
Choice of cases is limited. For example, I have not been able to find a real leather wallet case; just PU cases with magnetic closures. This seems to be an issue for any phone that is not an Apple or a Samsung Galaxy.
On the other hand, voice quality is fine. So at the end if the day, it's a phone.
Left17 said:
Touch sensitivity is very poor, often requiring 2 or 3 touches to register.
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Click to collapse
That almost sounds like you have a hardware problem that most don't have. I have no sensitivity issues on the screen itself. It's been very accurate for me, and I've had it for a month now with no complaints on that end. The fingerprint reader sucks, but the sensitivity of the screen itself has been flawless.
Likes:
Image quality, very nice useable raw files
Look and feel
Screen
Speed
Battery (if you don't use the camera to much)
Dislikes:
Unprotected lenses , yes it looks cool flush to the body. But it also means scratch prone. Now I need to use a ugly case. Normally I never use a case as it's at bulk and looks not very nice.
Updates, Android one suppose to be secure by giving you monthly updates. It's April, still has the February security update. Both Sony xz3 and note 9 got the March update at the beginning of March both are not Android one. So at the moment I'm not impressed at all by Android one
Camera crashes sometimes. Suppose to be fixed in an upcoming update (whenever it may arrive)
All in all it is better in my view than the xz3 or mate 9 . Especially considering the price, but I'm a bit pissed about the update situation (you might have noticed it )
Really have tried with the phone, and wanted to like it, but to me it just seems un finished to me, the finger print sensor is just hopeless, even with the recent update and re enrolling, it really doesn't seem to work, even with wet or dry hands, Whilst an impressive camera, I've missed many moments waiting for it to load, or process (wanted the phone for a new New born baby we've had) even though shes not moving much yet, I've missed various photos. Sadly its now in a draw, and I've purchased a p30 pro from ebay, its like a breath of fresh air, the camera is astonishing, nice to see how an optical finger print sensor should work too!
Got it for 230$ used ... Can't complain ?
But it's unfinished product.
Back to the stone age and using pin code to unlock.
Camera takes too long
Speaker is bad
In another word ... I would never buy it for 600 or 500 dollars nor count on it as main device
I bought the Nokia 9 (single SIM) two weeks ago as a portable replacement for my Canon 80d and it does not fail me a bit. Here is my reflection on the two cameras:
Disclaimer: I am an architecture student with an interest in photography, not an expert photographer.
First I would like to acknowledge that it is always problematic comparing a DSLR and a camera phone due to the built-in mechanical difference which is always more robust on the former. That's why people buy DSLR in the first place. However, one can appreciate the Nokia 9 camera because it offers a very unique photographic rendition and experience (plus other perks of smartphone cameras).
Favorite settings: both camera at 100 ISO, on tripod for night photography. For Nokia, Snapsneed for JPEG, Lightroom mobile for RAW. For Canon, RAW in Lightroom Desktop.
Price: I got my 80d brand new with lens kit for 990 CAD in 2019 and Nokia 9 for 375 CAD 2 weeks ago.
Pixel size (similar): Canon 80d is 24 MP at 3.7μm pixel. Nokia is 12 MP at 1.4μm. If you downsize the 80d to 12 MP, the pixel size becomes 1.8μm which is quite close to the Nokia's. Larger pixels equal less noise and a brighter image.
LCD preview (Nokia): The Canon 80d's photos look great on the camera LCD screen (due to the added color tint) but when you view the actual JPEG on PC, the quality tapers out. The Nokia 9 is polar opposite, the resultant jpeg usually much better and brighter than the image shown in the viewfinder.
Video recording (Canon): the Canon 80d is fine-tuned for video recording whereas the Nokia 9 is for taking photos so there's no surprise that its video recording is really really bad, nuff said )
Audio recording (Nokia): Nokia's OZO system is much better than the Canon built-in audio recorder. To take full advantage of this feature on Nokia, use a tripod when you record your video. For audio recording, I would recommend the recording app on XDA which enables the OZO when you record audio (intended for Nokia 7.2 but should work on the Nokia 9). Link: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nokia-7-plus/themes/mod-nokia-recorder-ozo-support-t3917232
Shooting mode and speed (Subjective): Manual on the 80d is equal to Pro Mode in Nokia 9 (manual shutter speed and ISO, auto exposure compensation). Most of the time, I leave the white balance on both to auto. While the interface on the Nokia is very basic, it is faster to adjust and preview for quick manual snaps.
Manual focus (Canon): Due to its fixed lenses, in Pro mode, Nokia 9 sometimes keep the background out of focus when there's a much closer subject. Refocusing in Pro mode, however, messes up your settings. There's a very simple workaround: just enable flash in Auto mode, switch to Pro mode, refocus, you will see the flash light up, snap your photo and all the ISO & . It is that simple. Or you can refocus later using Blur in Gphotos. Ofcourse, the Canon is better at manual focus. You can tap on the screen to focus and take the picture at the same time which is very convenient.
Color science (subjective): Famed for its beautiful color science, I expect the Canon 80d to excel the Nokia all the time but to my surprise, in many instances (30%), the colors produced by the Nokia 9 are more interesting and cinematic than those snapped by Canon 80d (probably due to its fusion of B&W + color sensors). For JPEG, Canon has a warmer and buttery color than Nokia which is understandable. For unedited RAW, Nokia produces a cooler image than Canon. But again, all RAW's temperature and color channel can be adjusted in post.
Dynamic range (similar): Canon 80d has 13.2 stops at base ISO (theoretical) and 12.8 at ISO 100 (usable). Nokia 9 has 12.4 stops at ISO 100. What is incredible is that at ISO 100, the Nokia 9 produces a much brighter image than the 80d. Its dynamic range is comparable to the Canon Mark series(refer to photos by Tuomas Harjumaaskola for more info). Most of the details in the overexposed objects can be salvaged in RAW. If you don't want to touch RAW, increase the shutter speed until the brightest spot in the picture is well-exposed. Then, increase the scene brightness later in Snapsneed.
Tonal range & Texture (Nokia): Nokia is better than Canon on this one due to its fusion technology between B&W + RGB channel. Subtle textures and curves on clothing 10-15 meters away are visible on the Nokia's JPEG. Incredible! Imagine layering B&W + RBG photos of the same scene in Photoshop. That is how the Nokia 9 do.
Sharpness (subjective): Canon 80d's sharpness is medium - high depending on the lenses you use. Many people complain about the Nokia 9's overshapened look which I can understand. However, for me personally, the sharper the better since architectural photography on Nokia is amazing. High-end dslr lenses are expensive because they produce sharper image (+ less distortion + let in more light). At first glance, the Nokia 9 looks sharper than the 80d. However, when you zoom up full scale the Nokia's sharpness degrades much faster than the 80d. This is because Nokia uses its tonal range to compensate for the lack of sharpness far away while the Canon relies on its sensors and lenses.Tip: if you don't like the Nokia 9 jpeg's sharpness, use the RAW file.
Noise (Canon): Canon 80d has minimal noise due to the built-in noise reduction which also means you sacrifice some of the sharpness. However, since I always use a prime lenses, this is not noticeable. For JPEG, Nokia 9 has more noise on reflective surface far away. Nokia 9 noise at 100 ISO is similar to 80d noise around 500 ISO. For RAW, noise level on Nokia is similar to the 80d but it has less sharpness. For best quality JPEG and RAW on Nokia, always shoot in Pro mode at 100 ISO.
B&W photography (Nokia): Canon 80d is converted B&W whereas Nokia 9 has B&W sensors (not true monochrome) but is nonetheless on par or even better than 80d's B&W at times.
Night photography (Subjective): This is probably area where most people trash the Nokia 9. I think after an update some time this year, the camera has been able to take 5 or more snaps per lenses. I was able to get a RAW at around 30-40 MB for each night shot. Previously, it only takes 1-2 snaps which from my research, produces abysmal results. In my experiment, I set the ISO to 100 and the shutter speed to 8 seconds on a tripod and the amount of detail it captures is astonishingly good. Noise and RAW quality are similar to day shots although JPEGs does a bad job at capturing the nuances of direct street light. In comparison, Canon 80d at 100 ISO and 8 seconds shows a pitch black scene. A good result is achieved on a tripod at 20 - 25s shutter speed. However, there's no denying that the picture produced looks fantastic. Both cameras complement each other in a way.
Special effects (personal): Canon has a lot more customized modes for specific scenes built in but I think the Color Pop/Blur effect by the Nokia is more useful (enabled by the incredible depth map). The 1200 layers are not a gimmick, you just need to keep the camera sight line parallel to the ground. Since the ToF sensor travels straight, whatever object it hits first is the foreground.
RAW post-edit support in Lightroom (similar): similar but Canon has a slight edge.
Processing time (personal): Images on Canon 80d takes a larger learning curve + longer to edit but it produces a very good final result. Nokia 9 images take less editing time and consistently produces nice looking images for social media.
I really wanted to love this phone, the hardware is impressive, the display in particular is the nicest!
But it's the software that's a disappointment, every now and then I have to restart my device to have the notifications to play sound again, and frequently after plugging my phone in to charge the display stops working and I have to soft reset.
The camera software is slow, kills battery, over heats, and the torch/flash rarely functions giving the error message "can't use torch, camera is in use"
GCam is not an option unfortunately
Have been thinking about switching phones but HMD hasn't offered a proper replacement yet, my patience is almost over!
Related
I've seen varying degrees of the purple hue on people's cameras (the 5mp one, not the VGA), including my own. It seems worse when I'm inside. Is this a problem with the camera itself, or a software problem?
the atrix camera is really bad. all reviewers have shown the same quality in their pictures. i am reminded of the nokia e71, they promised they would fix it in software but they couldn't.
my guess is that it's the camera sensor itself, and it may be reduced (but not completely eliminated) with a software patch.
it would be a good idea to post this in the motorola forums. probably many people have done so already
I'm definitely going to be posting in the Moto forums. This is unacceptable. They had the power to have on the best smartphones on the market, but are going to start losing if they keep this up.
Any progress Here
Has anyone seen any movement or heard any news with regard to this issue? The camera is lame with this color issue. I was with a buddy and his Iphone camera beat the pants of this thing. I kind of felt jaded and jealous.
I had the same concerns but after some serious experimentaion I learned a few things...
1: The default camera app is 75% of the problem. The pupleish hue comes from a chronicaly bad auto white balance setting. This can easily be fixed in photoshop. The other solution is to download an app like camera360 which gives you control over white balance. This is not a hardware issue but is just too bad of an implementation to excuse. Camera360 has a free trial which will let you play with white balance so you can see what I mean.
2: the remaining 25% is that this camera is noisy in all situations. Even moderate daylight shots as a bit grainy. Don't expect the camera to get quite to the level of iPhone 4 which uses a higher quality backlit sensor. I have both phones and have compared. Noise issues are greater on the atrix no question. This isn't fixable except in post processing.
That being said. I carry the atrix on a daily basis and don't miss the iPhone 4 camera that much. Basically when you use camera360 or one of the several other very good camera apps you can fix most problems. Make sure you have the maximum lighting the shooting situation allows.
Other than that photoshop helps. Even my high end cameras (lumix LX3 and canon 5d) get the photoshop treatment. it offers white balance correction and serviceable noise reduction.
Picnova - you the man
That makes a huge difference. thanks for the recommendation
seriously this is a phone camera with two little led's for 'flash' and lights; clearly the cameras white balance settings are off; it appears to me that they are easily fooled (yet very sensitive to) differences in color temperatures, especially around MVL/fluorescent lamps. that is normally where your hue issue comes up. try it under some halogen lights and it does just fine. i think the AWB programming could benefit from a tweak; actually it is very sensitive to changes in color temperature, it just exaggerates the difference versus what your brain processes from your eyes; we automatically make a 'white' object appear 'white' in our minds; with any sensor/camera it is all software and it is not as dynamic and not intelligent. this indicates that the hardware is capable, but the software is lacking. for me the video mode is more useful really; i am loathe to drag around an video SLR or one of my HD cameras on random nights out etc. i would LOVE a hack/mod/app that let one manipulate the AWB settings, focus settings, and ISO settings manually for video. i dont use this camera other than for random stuff like friends or goings out without a real camera, which is very VERY rare. i own a media studio; i almost ALWAYS have at least a MagicLantern hacked T2i kit or XF305 in my trunk.
the sensor itself is tiny and not very good in the noise reduction department. if your lighting is good, the pictures will be good. 99% of people test and complain about low light situations when technically the real problem is they do not understand how to expose properly for the environment they are in. this is where camera360 helps, but could be improved with shutter speed and direct iso control. yes the iphone 4 has a backlit sensor, but still suffers from CMOS jello badly too. for what it is its fine.
day to day i work in a studio shooting a web series or tele adverts; i have 10 halogen fresnels and spots, diffused and direct lighting, aimed on set at any given time, and i guarantee you 99% of people that visit take HORRID shots by NOT knowing how or what they are doing, or how the camera works. a lot of this has to do with metering, which again the phone/camera system does not easily allow access to and i have found no apps to work with this.
but as a person intimately involved in the photo/video field, i must say for the price and the capabilities the camera is ok. actually i would like to see an android phone with an optical 1.2x zoom (for lens and sensor size this would be best for minimal distortion and maximum sharpness)/digital 2x (still technically at 720P resolution that way), 1080P backlit CMOS 1/16 single chip sensor with a glass 28mm-35mm equivalent perspective lens which is NOT coverage area (with a damn lens cover!), and image processing by nikon canon etc with some manual controls over basic functions; replace the useless point and shoot!
i would HAPPILY pay $1000 USD for such a device; double the thickness, double the weight, whatever. just give me the same image quality of a circa 2004 nikon D50 or canon digital rebel; the technology exists. the market exists. the software exists and now the hardware is MORE than capable of processing it properly. i have no point and shoot cameras; i have 7 digital SLR's (5 with HD video recording) and 4 1/3" 3CCD as well as 2 1/3" CMOS HD camcorders that i am used to full manual controls. I would leave the SLRs at home if there was any decent alternative in a mobile device.
emoose said:
I had the same concerns but after some serious experimentaion I learned a few things...
1: The default camera app is 75% of the problem. The pupleish hue comes from a chronicaly bad auto white balance setting. This can easily be fixed in photoshop. The other solution is to download an app like camera360 which gives you control over white balance. This is not a hardware issue but is just too bad of an implementation to excuse. Camera360 has a free trial which will let you play with white balance so you can see what I mean.
2: the remaining 25% is that this camera is noisy in all situations. Even moderate daylight shots as a bit grainy. Don't expect the camera to get quite to the level of iPhone 4 which uses a higher quality backlit sensor. I have both phones and have compared. Noise issues are greater on the atrix no question. This isn't fixable except in post processing.
That being said. I carry the atrix on a daily basis and don't miss the iPhone 4 camera that much. Basically when you use camera360 or one of the several other very good camera apps you can fix most problems. Make sure you have the maximum lighting the shooting situation allows.
Other than that photoshop helps. Even my high end cameras (lumix LX3 and canon 5d) get the photoshop treatment. it offers white balance correction and serviceable noise reduction.
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Great info regarding Camera360...totally makes a world of difference (so far - just compared a couple of pics indoors between default camera app and camera 360).
What other options does the paid version add?
Hello,
I have read mixed reviews of the G4 Plus camera, while DxoMark gives it a score of 84. Many others consider it average in day light and worst in low light,
can anyone can post unedited/un-cropped images for sample. Is the G4 Plus a good buy as camera phone ?
Thank you.
In my experience it's a very good camera for a phone. Pictures here won't mean probably too much, since you have no reference point and the low resolution imposed by XDA.
Okay, let me tell you my experience. It's a good camera overall. Takes very vivid and sharp images in daylight ie in good conditions. But It has an average to above-average performance in low light conditions but..but..but.. certainly better than many phones that are in its price range. Another thing I wanna mention is that it struggles to snap moving objects. It's 'cause the g4 plus lacks optical image stabilization. I think for many of us It'd be a big deal. For me it's NOT.
I would certainly recommend this phone for phone photography.
Hit like if this post helped you
tobey_onk said:
Okay, let me tell you my experience. It's a good camera overall. Takes very vivid and sharp images in daylight ie in good conditions. But It has an average to above-average performance in low light conditions but..but..but.. certainly better than many phones that are in its price range. Another thing I wanna mention is that it struggles to snap moving objects. It's 'cause the g4 plus lacks optical image stabilization. I think for many of us It'd be a big deal. For me it's NOT.
I would certainly recommend this phone for phone photography.
Hit like if this post helped you
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Click to collapse
Does this moving objects lag happens in manual mode as well ? when shutter is set to higher speed or only in auto mode ?
i think the fastest shutter speed is 1/5 in pro mode can you confirm this ?
Thanks
For camera, this phone is goooood.....?
But you should also pay attention to other issues like heating while camera is in use for more time and screen burn and ghosts touch..
( while screen burn and ghost touch is not common in all device, but if your luck is working wrong then you will have to face them )
tobey_onk said:
but..but..but.. certainly better than many phones that are in its price range.
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Click to collapse
I seriously doubt that is another phone with a better camera at this price point ($300). In low level light or in daylight. You need to move up to $700 to get a better camera (like added optical zoom and stabilization).
Now, I always say that phones cannot compete with dedicated cameras, therefore they should not be used for planned photo sessions (like when you expect to have great subjects).
Well HTC desire 628 ( my last phone ) gave shutter speed of 1/8000. so i don't want to get anything lower than that. Other option i got is ZTE Nubia Z11 which has an Sony Exmor 298 but not sure if its good enough
https://youtu.be/U8PITTNu7fI?t=179
Thanks
dranzer006 said:
Does this moving objects lag happens in manual mode as well ? when shutter is set to higher speed or only in auto mode ?
i think the fastest shutter speed is 1/5 in pro mode can you confirm this ?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will try it.
The camera is good for the phone price but it has some quirks which make me irritated.
1. Slow focus, 1 in 3 shots would not have got focused, I notice this issue in pics with people, workaround is to wait additional second after it shows as focused, not always practical. This is probably biggest flaw of this phone. DxO remarks this in their review as well.
2. My earlier phone was nexus 5, OIS made the photos 99% of the time sharp and blur free. With G4 I have to keep my hands extremely steady in poor lighting.
3. I also find the images to be bit over sharpened, not a big deal though. Dynamic range is not that great either, has tendency to blow out sky and highlights.
4. Wide angle lens, didn't like this as objects seem to get curved across the edges of pic, this can and should have been fixed via post processing but moto decided to ignore it.
5. Finally the video recording with EIS is great but heats up the phone like crazy if shooting for long time.
For the price of phone I can forgive issue 2 and 3 but 1st one makes me hate the phone camera as I need to always check if it came out alright. Had I known it before I bought I would have skipped it.
Compared to phones in this price range though it's still decent and great when it works well. Most of the phone seems to have similar issues in this price range.
Say "cheese", then rate this thread to express how photos taken with the Moto Z2 Force come out. A higher rating indicates that photos offer rich color (without over-saturating), sharp detail (with all subjects in-focus), and appropriate exposure (with even lighting).
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
So far I'm pretty pissed off with the camera. I recently tested the LG G6, Huawei Mate 9, OnePlus 5, and now the Moto Z2 Force which I was hoping would be my dream phone. I owned the Z Force and so far and a bit disappointed. The Camera seems to have potential but the software is terrible, at least on my specific device. The camera is plagued with shutter lag which really seems to take a toll on picture quality. Pro mode is what really upset me with only having the option of 1/4 for shutter speed as the longest time for exposure. I have taken a great deal of pictures to compare with the phones listed above, so far the Huawei Mate 9 has had the best camera in my opinion. Obviously, this is totally objective as views will change per individual. I am by no means a photography expert, but I am always in search of a great camera in a smartphone. The biggest reason for my angry toward the quality of the Z2F camera is the retail cost of the phone, I really thought this would be a camera I would have loved. It seems like I may wait to see how the Essentials Phone turns out and am very curious about the Nokia 8, both in terms of camera. To date I think the use of a dual camera, one being monochrome and the other RGB, is the best implementation. Please let me know if the inconsistent shutter I'm facing is just a problem with my unit or if other's share it as well. I really had my heart/mind set on this phone being able to go toe to toe with others in its price range. Side note, the LG G6 wide angle lens was great for taking pictures, I was surprised that I liked the secondary camera being a wide angle lens as it allowed for unique perspective. I let go of the LG G6 because my father broke his phone and really thought the Z2F would be the phone of my dreams.
Update: Twist for camera sometimes hangs and after some time force closes. This has also happened on 2 occasions when opening camera app, viewfinder is black followed by hang and crash.
Ksehwail said:
So far I'm pretty pissed off with the camera. I recently tested the LG G6, Huawei Mate 9, OnePlus 5, and now the Moto Z2 Force which I was hoping would be my dream phone. I owned the Z Force and so far and a bit disappointed. The Camera seems to have potential but the software is terrible, at least on my specific device. The camera is plagued with shutter lag which really seems to take a toll on picture quality. Pro mode is what really upset me with only having the option of 1/4 for shutter speed as the longest time for exposure. I have taken a great deal of pictures to compare with the phones listed above, so far the Huawei Mate 9 has had the best camera in my opinion. Obviously, this is totally objective as views will change per individual. I am by no means a photography expert, but I am always in search of a great camera in a smartphone. The biggest reason for my angry toward the quality of the Z2F camera is the retail cost of the phone, I really thought this would be a camera I would have loved. It seems like I may wait to see how the Essentials Phone turns out and am very curious about the Nokia 8, both in terms of camera. To date I think the use of a dual camera, one being monochrome and the other RGB, is the best implementation. Please let me know if the inconsistent shutter I'm facing is just a problem with my unit or if other's share it as well. I really had my heart/mind set on this phone being able to go toe to toe with others in its price range. Side note, the LG G6 wide angle lens was great for taking pictures, I was surprised that I liked the secondary camera being a wide angle lens as it allowed for unique perspective. I let go of the LG G6 because my father broke his phone and really thought the Z2F would be the phone of my dreams.
Update: Twist for camera sometimes hangs and after some time force closes. This has also happened on 2 occasions when opening camera app, viewfinder is black followed by hang and crash.
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Click to collapse
Camera shutter speed seems to be a stock app issue mostly. I have CameraZoom FX and that works better at taking the picture quickly. I do expect this to improve as the device matures and some updates get pushed out to it.
That being said, the overall photo quality seems to be pretty good overall. The S8 I am leaving does a better job of handling multiple light levels (like say bright window light in an otherwise dimly lit room), but I do think the Z2F has some promise for sure.
I do agree that I think the shutter lag is very 2015.....so hoping Moto does fix that
disappointing camera
Ksehwail said:
The Camera seems to have potential but the software is terrible, at least on my specific device. The camera is plagued with shutter lag which really seems to take a toll on picture quality. Pro mode is what really upset me with only having the option of 1/4 for shutter speed as the longest time for exposure.
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I agree with this. The camera app is terrible. I came from the HTC 10 into this phone and the HTC blows it out of the water as far as camera quality goes, and I doubt there's any reason for that as far as the sensor/hardware goes There are also other apps that don't seem to access the front flash on this phone, I.E. Instagram, snapchat, etc. could be a driver issue or something, but motorola needs to get it together with the Android O update.
Has any compared picture quality with Open Camera and the google camera app?
Camera App Update
I just noticed that they added two features to the camera app. Object recognition and landmark recognition.They said that they included some bug fixes but did not elaborate. Hopefully they will continue to work on the app and image quality will improve as the phone matures. I think there is potential to improve low light photo's seeing that the black and white sensor should aid low light photography.
So far I am very happy with my photo's. I am a casual user and happy with the images. Realistically I do not think one can expect DSLR quality on a mobile phone. Maybe one day....
I've used several third party apps, and this camera is total trash compared to even my nearly three year old Galaxy S6.. I have to place dramatic Instagram-style filters on everything to hide how crappy this camera is.
I took this picture with full manual mode and it's quite good for me
why not use Hasellblad?
RE910177 said:
why not use Hasellblad?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's only useful for its optical zoom.
Does anyone have problem with autofocus....? The autofocus on this device is absolutely terrible.
Google Camera port is your friend when it comes to the Z2 Force. Also, Snapseed is a great editor.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
xRogerxC said:
Google Camera port is your friend when it comes to the Z2 Force. Also, Snapseed is a great editor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, I'm reading through this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/z2-force/themes/app-modded-gcam-hdr-t3735494 ; there seems to be no gcam available for Z2, which would be fully functional. Are you saying you solved this issue and have one that works? Perhaps you can post to the thread with your findings if you did?
Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Sony Xperia 1 II, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Sony Xperia 1 II is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
One of my all time favorite phones / camera's
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
Main Things I Didn't Test
* Gaming
* Video
Look and Feel
I personally really like the look and feel of this phone. It has some iPhone 4 qualities to it. By which I mean it feels like a device/tool with nice buttons, very high quality materials. It feels like a tool, like a device that is build for usability rather than build for the wow factor (if that makes sense).
It doesn't have a crazy high screen to body ratio. So something like S20 (or the S10 i used previously) is a bit more awe inspiring. But as soon as you slap a case on a S10 this will disappear any way. But what it has is a uninterrupted screen with no notches or punch hols, it has two front facing high quality speakers. It is function over form rather than form over function. That is not to say that it is not a good looking device it is very nice build it look really great. Although I'm not a fan of mirror polishing but you will not notice that as soon as you slap a cover on it (and it looks way better than the ugly blue s10). I have the official Sony case with stand which will still allow you to see the very nice sides of the phone; they are beautifully machined and have a nice color (especially with the purple one).
The buttons of the volume and the power feel really nice, they have a reassuring click to them. The only thing I'm missing is a click for the shutter button. Perhaps it is not implemented to make sure you don't move the phone while clicking. This has a bit of a downside when you don't have a shutter sound enabled. As the camera is crazy fast and it is therefor hard to see / notice if you took the photo or not. A click would have been nice. But when using the phone more often I got used to it.
Screen
The screen is absolutely amazing especially in creator mode. Colors are very accurate and it is a real joy to watch media on this phone be it movies, clips or photos. Because of the very high PPI reading news or books is possible with small letters it basically looks like it is printed. Compared to my old s10 which has a amazing screen as well I prefer the Sony as it has such natural colors and this printed feel to it. Also the colors are good with low luminescence something the s10 could not manage. That being said the max brightness is a bit less than the s10 and I feel that the display is a bit more reflective. But this could be caused by the fact I keep the brightness down with the Sony as thing look really good with low brightness. That being said I did not encounter any problems reading the screen outside on a bright day.
The screen ratio is really handy. I never used split screen a lot on previous devices. But since it is slightly taller than a s10 (while having the same width) it makes more sense to use it and I use it for more often now (watching YouTube while messaging). I don't feel it is a big phone. It is a bit heavier than the s10 but also it feels better build than the s10. Compared to a Note 10+ the height is similar but the width is significantly less.
Sound
Front facing speaker are great far better than the S10 or any other phone I used. Switching on Dolby Atmos is mandatory as without it is not that good. You really have stereo sound and both speakers are equal in terms of loudness positioning and quality.
The sound quality from the audio jack is good and you have quite a lot of options to set the sound to your tasted. As I mostly use wireless atm I have not tested this comprehensively.
Speed
It is fast, sometimes notably faster than the s10. I think is mostly because of faster memory as I don't to that much cpu intensive stuff. That being said I think the most phones for the last couple of years are fast enough for most of the tasks any way.
5G / reception
5G works no idea if it is faster than 4g. didn't run any test as 4g didn't give me any problems. Reception seems to be very good at least better than the S10. Some places where I did not have a great reception or didn't have any reception with the s10 I do have with the 1ii. Maybe this could be because of 5G (as it uses multiple connections), or maybe not, I have no Idea . WiFi is stable and fast. Bluetooth as well.
Call quality.
It is great, voice is really good, again better than the s10
Battery
it is good, I'm a heavy phone user as I use it for lot's of reading, emailing, work stuff, music and YouTube. No complains and even slightly amazed considering is has "only" a 4000Mha battery
Camera (and a little bit about pricing)
Properly the most important part of this phone it the camera. As Sony did not release a "cheaper" version of the phone with 64GB like the iPhone 11 pro it is a very expensive device and the camera is it's main selling point. Although you could argue it should be compared with a 11 pro max which makes the Sony cheaper than a iPhone 11 pro max (256GB) or similar priced to the 64GB version. I don't understand reviewers that give a lower rating because of the price. It should be compared to an 11 pro (max) or S20+ / Ultra. Personally I think it comes out ahead in many comparisons to these phones. The 1ii is a "pro" phone with a pro price. But than again a "pro" phone is a silly concept to begin with (the only pro phone I ever used was the blackberry passport, best professional / work phone ever, but bad at anything else).
First a small disclaimer. I didn't use the android camera at all (only for scanning a QR code) as you get a photo pro app which should be used if you buy this phone. Secondly I like photography I have used many camera's over the years and also may phones. Up till now my two favorite camera phones where the Lumia 950XL for color and the Mate 9 for b&w photography. The Lumia still amazes me to this day and Nokia/Microsoft did not get enough credit for there work. It was the only phone I knew that could really capture light. Also I don't care for AI powered camera apps. I understand that this is really handy if you just make snapshot and don't care about doing photography your self. I don't care for "HDR" images as all it accomplish is that it removes shadows and makes for a equal brightened image regardless of how the scene looks. If you like these things I'm not sure that this is the phone for you as Google, Samsung and Apple are better at these things
The camera app phone combination is amazing. It really gives you the feel that you are using a camera and more importantly that you are in control. It is a unbelievably fast combinations. For instance; I tried to take a photo of a dog and I was sure I mist it. As he started moving as soon as I pressed the shutter button but to my amazement the camera took the picture, it must have been less than a second between me clicking and the dog moving. I think it might be faster than my RX100m6. If you like to tinker and you know what shot you want and how you want it to look there is not better phone atm. (the Samsung pro camera is highly unusable and Huawei sadly doesn't have Google apps).
The 20fps works really good as well, it is amazing to use on a phone and to be so sure of the results (yes I know I'm using the word amazing a lot). Another surprise is the performance of the digital zoom it is far better than expected is highly usable. Also it is quit nice to have a 70mm option, although I feel that it doesn't perform on the same level as the other two sensor / lens combinations it seems a bit softer and not as sharply focused. The hero of this phone is the main 24mm sensor / lens combo it performs the best and has all the possible options. For the xperia 1iii I would like to see a 50mm included as well. The colors are natural and this gives you the opportunity to post processes the picture your self more easily than say a iPhone or Samsung.
There are some things I would like to see in a software update. Mainly the ability to zoom in normal focal lengths instead of continues (so from 24 to 28 to 35 to 50 etc). To change the shutter sound to a soft click sound. The ability to set sharpness , contrast and saturation. Last but not least RAW support. Also I had a couple of times the app freeze on me but as this is the first version I presume they will fix this.
a bunch of pictures with various focal length and lighting conditions:
https://we.tl/t-8rRytOUylm
Video
didn't really use it and on cnet there is a great review about its video capabilities including a nice short movie. It's great; one of the best reviews ever for any phone or product https://www.cnet.com/news/sony-xperia-1-ii-review-yep-thats-a-real-telephoto-lens/
If you have any questions I will try to answer them (I will not install apps to check stuff )
stefanve said:
So I have been able to play with and use the xperia 1 ii for over 4 days.
this will be a short review and perhaps I will add to it at a later moment.
)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
see link in original post for full rez pictures
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
Tmel14 said:
Really great feedback, thanks. As a prospective buyer who mainly takes photos of friends/family/selfies, how does the 'shoot and point' on the camera pro app hold up? I'm
a big fan of the portrait mode on my Mate Pro 20, does this phone have a similar mode?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had the phone for two days. I'd say this is not a phone you'd buy to be "point and shoot" camera. The main camera app takes good photos but not the best. To get best photos, you should use the camera pro app. It is a solid app/camera and I feel like I have a close to DSLR camera in my pocket. Colors are very natural and accurate compared to manipulated photos you get from Samsung or even Pixel camera app. It does have a portrait mode that works fine however in Camera Pro if you learn to adjust focus manually can have similar effect even better.
Thanks for the heads up. Any tweaks you'd recommend to the default settings on the camera pro app?
The pro mode has a auto mode which is quit good. And I used it for a couple of shots I shared. So it can work really well. I guess it is depending on the look of the auto mode settings and if the other pros of this phone are of interest to you
stefanve said:
see link in original post for full rez pictures
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
Love and Hate from me. Eagerly waited for it since announcement and first adverts. High expectations, not only because of SONY´s promises but mostly because of my experience with and long - term SONY user / devices. Most of my SONY phones delivered good images: my XZ Premium, XZ2 Premium, even my last addition, the X, gives me proper images. Not counting the older device along my lifetime (SE68, W-Series, K-Series and so on). But this MK2 is more Hate than Love. Gorgeous design, screen, speakers. Fast and, finally, more storage (novum at SONY!). But the camera - system is a no-go. Mediocre image quality from all but the main camera, even with the 24 lens it delivers inconsistent material. Videos are simply said...to forget. Focus is a hit and miss game when light conditions are different from sunny - outdoor. From 10 images half is usable, depending what lens was used. Not to talk about the front camera. I just informed Sony about my complain and offered them my image and video material to check it. Dunno if they will give me reply....
WarVic said:
OMG! Sorry man, I'm quite shocked by the quality photos form your X1 II. Seriously horrified! There are a couple of good pics from your sample bunch. All others are out of focus, under / overexposed, low detailed etc. I clearly recognize my personal experience with my current phone - Xperia 5 - hit or miss, around 50% of good outcome. Now I'm fully convinced to not even look at possibility of getting Xperia 1 II . Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say I really like most out of camera photo's, but they don't sharp the photos or use HDR ( you can switch it on) but I guess in the end is about personal taste. to my eyes they look miles better than anything samsung.
just to show what you can do with the out of camera photos (I hope raw support will be added soon) look at the different versions of two photos.
But indeed this phone is not for some one that wants a camera that " just works"
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
WarVic said:
That's fine then. For me they looks like made by Galaxy S5 really. Old dinky Pixel 1 makes a way better shots straight out of the camera to my opinion. Thanks for sharing photos anyway. You've stopped me from making a very costly mistake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
stefanve said:
Not sure if you looked at the images attached to the post. but keep in mind that XDA is heavily compressing the images. so pixel peaking is not advisable and I can understand you would say it seems to be at S5 level
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not saying or thinking you are an idiot, just checking
Funny how different people see different things looking at the same image. That being said if the main reason of this phone is to have a great camera than indeed it's disappointing and it's better to get a RX100V or what ever and a mid range phone for the same money. I guess no phone is worth 1200 it is way to much for any phone and perhaps especially for a android as the long term support is non existing.
I just have fun snapping with it and i am pleased with the output (considering that it is a phone
Noticed gaming performance is dropping, guess I've installed something....
Playing COD, every 10 odd seconds it shows, then goes back to normal.
Notice this in other games to, even silly idle games that should be pulling no demand. One of them even said, drop to low performance mode, your phone is struggling. WTF!
My previous phone, one lower chip model and g card model never had any problems.
Must be done software conflicts, but dunno how to find them
Am I the only one who doesn't see what's wrong with the pictures that have been posted?
They are perfectly fine. But if you are used to processed photos from Samsung, Google or Apple you might not like the look as these are basically not altered by some algorithm.
Burst shot of me Pooch : https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=18Os3AQ2j0TuqaFjJ6c9h-TvFGr2zyIk1
WarVic said:
I'm not an idiot or simply blind, mate . I downloaded your archive with full sized images and had a good look at them. Sorry man but it's just complete disaster, "unbelievable" photo quality. And it's not just subjective opinion or a matter of taste. If I spent $1200 on a camera-phone which makes photos like THAT.... I'd return IT without a second thought. It's hard to believe that future patches and fixes will help. Anyway, Sony has a tremendous job ahead. Otherwise I predict mass returns, very poor sales or significant price drop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This guy is not an idiot either
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zevK7xMsYdA&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
Geoffxx said:
This guy is not an idiot either
&feature=youtu.be
---------- Post added at 03:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:24 AM ----------
I think the standard photo App is still a work in progress - a rushed unfinished bolt on that is likely to be improved over the next few updates - they wanted to get this phone to market before they lost the window - understandable
I expect improvements and will wait a few months to see if they materialise before I make a purchase
we need to remember what they are pushing in this phone - the Pro Camera availability and I am loving the idea, a new concept in the market
Think of it this way, what if they never included the standard photo app at all and just improved the auto functions of the pro app, that may have been their intention during development but decided to throw in the standard app last minute - you can't please everyone all at once
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't use someone on the Xperia YouTube channel to counter the comment from someone criticising the quality as it'll just be massively biased towards Sony lol
If it's like the Xperia 1 you'll be waiting forever for the improvements to come so I wouldn't hang around.
Say "cheese", then rate this thread to express how photos taken with the Sony Xperia 5 II come out. A higher rating indicates that photos offer rich color (without over-saturating), sharp detail (with all subjects in-focus), and appropriate exposure (with even lighting).
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Expect chromatic aberration in photos (widest lens), or I'd say CA in photos of X5 ii is a bit easier to detect than my previous Galaxy S10. Minimum focus distance is also quite long... also compared to my S10.
On the other hand, I like the Pro photo mode with AE-L and 3:2 aspect ratio option.
lokto7 said:
Expect chromatic aberration in photos (widest lens), or I'd say CA in photos of X5 ii is a bit easier to detect than my previous Galaxy S10. Minimum focus distance is also quite long... also compared to my S10.
On the other hand, I like the Pro photo mode with AE-L and 3:2 aspect ratio option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well: look at this:
https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-5-camera-test-1167092/
in the HDR chapter:
"Next, I want to draw your attention to something in the following two sample sets. The Google Pixel 5 suffers badly from chromatic aberration (the purple hue seen in between the tree leaves). The Huawei P40 Pro has the same problem, but the effect is limited to the upper left corner of the lens. The Galaxy and Xperia handsets have no such issue. Once again, shadow noise rears its head in the Pixel 5’s shots"
Please see an example here https://we.tl/t-mLwMGMoF9H
ok, ultra wide angle lens?- I guess the test I linked from was for the standard lens
Picture is very good-great, the colors are natural, no over-sharpening, the noise is natural, but, it can sometimes happen to overexpose the image, sony did a great job for the camera..
Overall, camera software requires some minor tweaks to be top notch.. The best is, no pixel (finally) binning, true 12mp, large pixel size.
very good photo quality!
zujko said:
Picture is very good-great, the colors are natural, no over-sharpening, the noise is natural, but, it can sometimes happen to overexpose the image, sony did a great job for the camera..
Overall, camera software requires some minor tweaks to be top notch.. The best is, no pixel (finally) binning, true 12mp, large pixel size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally quote. I am happy to find a similar look / color rendition to my Sony Full Frame mirrorless. Photo pro app does a great job, especially in "normal" (not too low) light conditions. Color rendition is natural. After Huaweis Mate (only missing the b/w sensor of the P20pro!) this Xperia is fresh air.
With good Light the Camera make good Photos, but i really have Focus issues for Quick Fotos. Its not that im Shaking or something but at 1 of 3 Photos im must repeat and then the Focus is about right. As you can see in the Attachement.
I know that Sony will fix this Problem but when 1/3 from the Photos are just not sharp for a 900 Dollar Phone its a little Dissapointing.
You are from Basel
I think, photo-quality is ok, but I would have expected more (comming from an XZ1 compact).... - Especialy the selfie-camera was better on the XZ1 compact, because it had 120° angle mode.
That certainly not encouraging to hear that. I looking at both Xperia 1 II and 5 II for quite a while already. Still not impressed with the camera system at all - the only selling point of this phone to my opinion. Can't find the proof that new Xperias can beat my old Pixel 3 or even Pixel 1 (which is the most colour accurate of all to my opinion). Can't remember of getting out of focus photos from Pixel 3.
---------- Post added at 06:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:49 AM ----------
For some reason this tread is nearly empty - no encouraging, mind-blowing photos. And this is quite suspicious. Why is that? Xperia 5 II / 1 II can't really shine in it? Or messing with Pro mode leave to time to take a great shot? Please upload more photos showing that new Xperia camera system is any better than others, especially against "so unnatural" Pixels.
skilli said:
With good Light the Camera make good Photos, but i really have Focus issues for Quick Fotos. Its not that im Shaking or something but at 1 of 3 Photos im must repeat and then the Focus is about right. As you can see in the Attachement.
I know that Sony will fix this Problem but when 1/3 from the Photos are just not sharp for a 900 Dollar Phone its a little Dissapointing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree with it. I'd be very disappointed If I bought photo-oriented $900 smartphone and found the low light photos coming out in "quality" like yours. I believe my $50 old dinky Pixel 1 does better job. In this case "Photo Pro photographer guys" will say that you have to use Photo Pro app every single time, Sony fanboys will say that you have got a faulty unit. To my opinion it's just failure to deliver the quality everyone expected from the company which makes the best camera sensors.
Here is an additional take on photo quality.
Main lens (wide angle) in AUTO mode (with standard / Pro apps):
Good:
- Noiseless pictures. Much improved from previous generation.
- Natural looking blur in out-of focus areas (ex: background). Can create natural bokeh for cats, faces, macro, etc.
- Contrary to what some people say, good dynamic range because the auto HDR mode turns on when needed in most cases. Note that in the Pro app, you can use touch metering and still keep HDR active, a nice addition.
- Good pictures in low light: very low noise and not too much unnatural brightening of scene.
- Mostly no lens flares on standard intensity lights. (improved from Xperia 5)
Not so good:
- Focus issues at night: lack of TOF and no pre-flash sometimes leads to focus misses. Solution is to use the Pro app with continuous focus ON (mode is not available in standard app). Most often this allows phones to acquire focus except in total darkness.
- Focus issues with far subjects, such as landscape. Sometimes the camera just won't focus at all. Solution is to use tap to focus (in Pro app, this means you have to turn OFF continuous focus)
- Focus issues with eye / face detection: it's just not always accurate. Again, much better results with tap to focus.
- Very bad lens flares (light streaks) when facing a brighter light at some angles. (much worse than Xperia 5). So much for the Zeiss lens!. This issue can sometimes be solved by placing your hand to block the strong light near the lens.
- Color temperature is a bit too cold. Especially visible in darker environments.
What about non-auto modes ?
Good:
- You can set everything as you wish in Pro app.
Not so Good:
- As in previous generations, you will get a lot more noise than in auto mode, esp. beyond 200 ISO. Makes is useless for me. One solution would be using RAW and applying your own denoising filters, but you loose HDR and I didn't get much better results anyways.
- Takes more time to adjust: not suitable for quick shots.
What about the other lenses ?
- Ultra wide gives ok results. Not worse than other flagships from what I've seen.
- Zoom lens is more noisy. Only suitable in daylight IMO.
- Selfie: never used.
My conclusion:
- With Xperia 5 II, you can get great pictures with a photographic look in the right situations. But some pictures may out-of-focus and some will get bad lens flares. Also it needs too much attention to settings for me.
- So I sold the phone and kept my Xperia 5 1st gen. Photos have a bit more noise, but it's more dependable in focusing and rarely misses a picture. Colors are also warmer and more accurate at least to my taste.
Note that Xperia 1 II may not have these focusing issues but I didn't try it.
Some examples:
Xperia 5 II: flares
Xperia 5: no flare
Xperia 5 II: bad focus at night
Xperia 5: better focus at night
Xperia 5 II: natural bokeh
Xperia 5: not much bokeh
Xperia 5 II: less noise
Xperia 5: more noise
Xperia 5 II: the 3 lenses:
Ultra wide
wide
zoom
Some other pics from X5 II (in right situations)
(<- with zoom lens)
(<- ultra wide lens)
skilli said:
With good Light the Camera make good Photos, but i really have Focus issues for Quick Fotos. Its not that im Shaking or something but at 1 of 3 Photos im must repeat and then the Focus is about right. As you can see in the Attachement.
I know that Sony will fix this Problem but when 1/3 from the Photos are just not sharp for a 900 Dollar Phone its a little Dissapointing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately this is my experience with it as well. Once light conditions aren't perfect the camera struggles with focusing and stops delivering good photos. Also the water painting effect isn't something unusual here which is not acceptable for over $900 camera-phone. Just wondering whether Xperia 1 II is better in this regard? Maybe TOF helps somehow?
For focus issues: are you using stock app or PhotoPro app in auto mode?
I haven't noticed any focus issue but I always use PhotoPro
asvaberg said:
For focus issues: are you using stock app or PhotoPro app in auto mode?
I haven't noticed any focus issue but I always use PhotoPro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also a little bit worried about the camera quality and focus...I'm using PhotoPro but it doesn't looks so good, but I don't regret switching from P30 pro
I'm considering buying the phone and the cameras are the most important for me, so my most important questions are - is there raw format shooting for all three lenses and what are their maximum exposure settings(seconds), cause with my current mi note 10 pro I was able to shoot the milky way, and expect this phone to be able also...
bo6o said:
I'm considering buying the phone and the cameras are the most important for me, so my most important questions are - is there raw format shooting for all three lenses and what are their maximum exposure settings(seconds), cause with my current mi note 10 pro I was able to shoot the milky way, and expect this phone to be able also...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, you can shoot raw on all the 3 lenses. Maximum exposure time it's 30 sec. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend you this device for making photos, I'm coming from a P30 pro and I'm really disappointed with the overall quality of the photos, so you better start looking for another device....
robi101012981 said:
Hello, you can shoot raw on all the 3 lenses. Maximum exposure time it's 30 sec. Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend you this device for making photos, I'm coming from a P30 pro and I'm really disappointed with the overall quality of the photos, so you better start looking for another device....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you talking for jpg quality, or raw?
Cause I'm not planning to use jpg for serious shooting, as I did with my real camera. I like to produce my own jpgs and I know how to use the 3 main(in smartphones 2) settings.
Can anyone provide me with a raw sample from each of the lenses. Would appreciate it.
bo6o said:
Are you talking for jpg quality, or raw?
Cause I'm not planning to use jpg for serious shooting, as I did with my real camera. I like to produce my own jpgs and I know how to use the 3 main(in smartphones 2) settings.
Can anyone provide me with a raw sample from each of the lenses. Would appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Raw, of course,I don't shoot jpeg because I like to edit my photos