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HDR+ Auto seems like a "lite" version of HDR+ from the Nexus 6P. There is a reason Google got the processing time down beyond just performance/software enhancements. HDR+ Auto is either taking shorter exposures, or less exposures than HDR+ On. Test it for yourself. HDR+ Auto is instant, HDR+ On has the same delay in shutter speed that the 6P had (but perhaps a bit quicker).
This isn't a bad thing. HDR+ Auto is producing incredible images, but it seems that HDR+ On is actually producing better dynamic range, and POSSIBLY better photos in well-lit conditions. In low light as shown below, it is giving that better dynamic range BUT at the cost of increased noise which makes ZERO sense... I have posted this on the Google product forums for attention and answers from the camera team. For the time being, just be aware that this difference exists, and many of the reviews/photos being posted may NOT be the best that this camera is capable of unless people are explicity choosing HDR+ On each time you launch the camera - it will reset to HDR+ Auto! Anyway, here are some pairs of photos with differences... I will test this more and update if I hear back from the camera team.
Note: these images are compressed and resized, but still show the differences.
Photo 1: Notice the dynamic range difference in the TV picture, but also notice the difference in noise levels on the paint of the wall.
Photo 2: The brightness of the LED bulb is slightly tamer on the siding with HDR+ On, but look at the darker areas of the photo. There is a lot more noise with the HDR+ On photo over HDR+ Auto.
Photo 3: There is too much brightness here for any noticeable noise, but look at the how well HDR+ On handled exposing the entire sky. HDR+ Auto looks good too, but has far less dynamic range.
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It may help more if you labeled the photos as HDR on and HDR auto or similar. Looking at them on my phone, especially the first outdoor shot, it's hard to pick out some of the differences and determine which is which.
Sent from my Pixel XL
@nitemare3219 .....similar to the previous poster I initially thought that it would have been necessary to label which photo is for what but your descriptions led me to the right photos....and you are right....two different qualities in the 2 modes....more dynamic range in hdr+ on and less noise in certain areas of the hdr+ auto shots.
Btw.....the well lit outdoor shot....there is more noise in the grass in the hdr+ on photo. Good you brought that to the attention of the Google camera team. Good catch!!
If they could get the auto shots to have the dynamic range of the hdr+ on shots...that would be awesome!!
Be aware also though that Google acknowledged the lens flare issue that occurs in some strong light source scenarios and are tweaking the hdr processing to address it and the fix will be coming soon. Therefore the 2 modes will likely change in quality because of this...hopefully for the better.
I'm kinda confused by the pictures to be honest, there's no labels as to what's what, and it's hard to tell with them being so large and no words. From your descriptions, it sounds like intended behavior. Could be mistaken, but it sounds like you're saying that HDR On produces more dynamic range than HDR Auto at the cost of some noise? Well, yes, that's what HDR does. "Auto" doesn't mean "on", it means "as necessary".
Honestly though, these pictures are meaningless without comparisons between all three modes, with HDR set to off, auto, and on. I'm wondering if the results above would be closer to off than on, or if they're somewhere in the middle. Maybe host on Imgur too so we can see the uncompressed full size (I do that unlisted).
How'd you get the shot so stable, if I may ask? I tried to find perspective changes and not a one. Tripod or something? Would like to try something similar with my Pixel for comparison's sake.
I thought I mentioned in the OP that the 1st shot is HDR+ Auto, and the 2nd shot is HDR+ On for each pair of photos, but that must have been in the Google product forum.
My issue here is that I don't believe HDR+ On should be giving more noise levels than HDR+ Auto. HDR+ On has a dramatic effect in dynamic range shots in terms of better quality. I just wish this was mentioned obviously somewhere by Google or in the camera app, because every camera review/comparison I've seen has left the Pixel in HDR+ Auto which isn't necessarily the best option all the time. I'd like to see a proper comparison between the two.
For steadiness, these were all handheld shots. But I do have a tripod setup, so maybe I'll try that this weekend.
I'd suspect it plays around with the ISO, which would cause more noise. It's likely an app issue rather than a phone issue. HDR can be done in hardware (better quality overall), in software, or a combination of both. The app is definitely doing some software HDR, so there is some compromise to be expected.
Either way, at the end of the day, it's still a phone with a camera, not a camera that makes calls. For the form factor, there really isn't anything that much better. Dedicated hardware will outperform a jack-of-all-trades any day. The pictures still look stunning in either setting. Is "HDR On" the optimal setting? No, that's probably why it defaults to "HDR Auto" in the first place. I'd suspect "HDR On" pulls some other hacks to rely more on software than hardware, which for the Pixel, isn't the best approach.
I'd be inclined to interpret the settings as "Off", "On", and "Forced in Software" instead of "Off", "Auto", and "On", but that's just me.
On the Nexus HDR+ On is the best setting. Better than HDR+ auto because HDR+ auto does not use HDR+ all the time. I don't have the Pixel, but HDR+ auto seems to be worse on the Pixel than on the Nexus. So HDR+ auto is likely a HDR+ lite mode instead of a HDR+on/off auto mode.
The Nexus blows the Pixel away in HDR+ auto: http://youtu.be/THwm57tjZQg
So Google did something wrong. HDR+ auto seems to be like HDR+ off on the Pixel.
With HDR+ Auto the software decides when to use the HDR process and how much. I think that would be obvious. I think the OP does not agree what the software has decided on how to process the photo. If he likes the full on HDR+ then he should use it that way.
I prefer HDR+ Auto as it seems to work better for myself.
No, it seems that HDR+ auto does not mean HDR+ on or HDR+ off. It apparently means HDR+ lite always on. I also heard that HDR+ on is more aggressive on the Pixel than on the Nexus. As HDR+ auto delivers worse results than Nexus' HDR+ auto, it clearly shows that Google did something wrong.
quark-lepton said:
No, it seems that HDR+ auto does not mean HDR+ on or HDR+ off. It apparently means HDR+ lite always on. I also heard that HDR+ on is more aggressive on the Pixel than on the Nexus. As HDR+ auto delivers worse results than Nexus' HDR+ auto, it clearly shows that Google did something wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't even own the Pixel, how can you say Google is doing something wrong and jump to conclusions on what it's doing? That's like saying Tesla is doing the electric vehicle all wrong and owning a Civic...
quark-lepton said:
On the Nexus HDR+ On is the best setting. Better than HDR+ auto because HDR+ auto does not use HDR+ all the time. I don't have the Pixel, but HDR+ auto seems to be worse on the Pixel than on the Nexus. So HDR+ auto is likely a HDR+ lite mode instead of a HDR+on/off auto mode.
The Nexus blows the Pixel away in HDR+ auto: http://youtu.be/THwm57tjZQg
So Google did something wrong. HDR+ auto seems to be like HDR+ off on the Pixel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the 6P, HDR+ Auto means HDR+ on/off (automatically chosen by software). It is an on/off switch. Either 0% HDR processing or 100% HDR processing. The 6P/5X HDR+ Auto is not the same as the Pixel HDR+ Auto. See below.
quark-lepton said:
No, it seems that HDR+ auto does not mean HDR+ on or HDR+ off. It apparently means HDR+ lite always on. I also heard that HDR+ on is more aggressive on the Pixel than on the Nexus. As HDR+ auto delivers worse results than Nexus' HDR+ auto, it clearly shows that Google did something wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Pixel HDR+ Auto is a less intensive HDR+ algorithm. The Pixels accomplish instant HDR results because as soon as you open the camera app, it is IMMEDIATELY capturing RAW images and waiting for you to hit the shutter button. Once you hit the shutter button, it tells the phone when to grab the last 9 frames or so it has ALREADY captured, and create a processed JPEG.
HDR+ ON works differently. I don't know if it is capturing RAWs the entire time the camera app is open, but my guess is that it works more like the 6P does where it begins capturing all, or at least MOST, of these RAW images once you actually press the shutter key - hence the spinning loading circle aka shutter/processing lag. It is a higher quality HDR in terms of dynamic range, but it causes more noise than HDR+ Auto. I wish I still had my 6P so I could compare and see if the Pixel's HDR+ On is generating more noise than a 6P's HDR+...
Google's camera team has recommended, and stated that they too, use HDR+ Auto for an overwhelming majority of shots. I don't think this is a smart idea, because it seems like HDR+ On can create a better shot, ESPECIALLY in good lighting where noise is not an issue. The expense here is shutter lag, but for someone who wants the best photo possible and has time to take it, this is irrelevant. I am still waiting on them to give me a proper answer on the differences between HDR+ Auto and HDR+ On, but who knows if that will happen.
Just tried taking a bunch of comparison pictures between HDR Off, Auto, and On. Most of them came out with oddball exposures, so I narrowed them down to three good test cases. I can confirm the results in the first post on my Pixel (non-XL), however wanted to note that Auto gives better results than Off in most scenarios I tried. HDR On suffers from noise in dark areas. Auto does not, however it doesn't offer the same color depth as HDR On does.
Imgur album of my results:
http://imgur.com/a/mZ97L
(And yes, I paid my Cat Tax)
DMCShep said:
Just tried taking a bunch of comparison pictures between HDR Off, Auto, and On. Most of them came out with oddball exposures, so I narrowed them down to three good test cases. I can confirm the results in the first post on my Pixel (non-XL), however wanted to note that Auto gives better results than Off in most scenarios I tried. HDR On suffers from noise in dark areas. Auto does not, however it doesn't offer the same color depth as HDR On does.
Imgur album of my results:
http://imgur.com/a/mZ97L
(And yes, I paid my Cat Tax)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow... that difference on the couch is startling... it's almost like HDR+ Auto didn't do anything! I think the reason HDR+ On leads to more noise, is because HDR+ Auto actually aligns somewhere around 9 images together to reduce noise by a factor of 3. My guess is that HDR+ On is using less images, but is analyzing exposure as each shot is taken to re-adjust for the next shot in the series (which is the reason for shutter lag), leading to better dynamic range, at the cost of added noise (due to less shots overall).
Thanks for helping confirm.
You're welcome! Honestly, I'm glad to know of how this camera behaves this soon after I got it, rather than random guesswork and likely false assumptions like every other phone I've ever owned.
I'm now curious how HDR handles motion, but don't have a solid test case as of yet. My only thought is stopping at a long red light, pulling out my phone to snap some pics of the cross traffic, but it'll be a while before that becomes an opportunity -- I don't have many long lights on my commute! Not to mention I can't drive and mess with my phone at the same time -- can't multitask for anything!!!
DMCShep said:
You're welcome! Honestly, I'm glad to know of how this camera behaves this soon after I got it, rather than random guesswork and likely false assumptions like every other phone I've ever owned.
I'm now curious how HDR handles motion, but don't have a solid test case as of yet. My only thought is stopping at a long red light, pulling out my phone to snap some pics of the cross traffic, but it'll be a while before that becomes an opportunity -- I don't have many long lights on my commute! Not to mention I can't drive and mess with my phone at the same time -- can't multitask for anything!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HDR+ Auto should handle motion perfectly fine in decent lighting as evidenced by Google's perfect sample photo of catching a skateboarder mid-air. In low light, there is likely to be some blur. HDR+ On will certainly cause more blur in lower light.
@Nitemare3219 did you tap on the same area to focus/meter before taking each photo?
Edit: You can compare 6P HDR+ with Pixel Auto HDR+ at GSM Arena. The Pixel looks barely any cleaner.
Nice comparison.
I'm using the ported camera with my LG V20 and the results are similar.
Do you guys with the Pixels have HDR+ with the front facing camera?
For better results expose in the shadows, so you get full dynamic range. To me looking at the OP there is little to no difference than not even using HDR of any sort
HDR Image
The attached image shows extreme difference in dynamic range, the exposure point was in the shadow under the trees and around the waterfall, the rock in the foreground had bright sunshine on it. I am still amazed to this day how this phone could even capture this
Not sure if this is old news, but it seems that the difference with HDR+Auto is that it uses special hardware on the Snapdragon SOC to process the HDR and thus reduce processing lag.
That is discovered (?) by someone who ported the Pixel camera to use on the Nexus:
https://chromloop.com/2016/11/camera-nx-v4-bring-zsl-photo-shooting-hdr-nexus-pixel-phones-way/
I am curious if the Pixel camera ports to the 5x/6p which use apparently the same quality sensors will give similar HDR+ quality results as the Pixel cameras ?
I have reads speeds are faster with ports.........but are the photo quality results the same with 6p 5x........in HDR+ mode ........which is the default mode for Pixel cameras and the mode that gives the high quality photo quality. ..............compared to Pixel camera samples.
Thanks
Just think a little bit. The hardware is not the same. How do you expect to have the same quality?
The most significant hardware difference is the phase detection af, which should only result in faster focus time in good lighting.
I have the app installed and the instant shutter with hdr+ is pretty awesome. Also no delay between taking multiple photos quickly. No post processing moving circle displayed after snapping photo.
I think one reason it feels quicker is it will allow you to take the photo before af locks, so there is no delay when hitting the shutter.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
joooe said:
Just think a little bit. The hardware is not the same. How do you expect to have the same quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More or less the same quality, could be that the isp can't handle the same amount of pics (9 in good light) as the 821. But mostly the same quality I think. I have had the Pixel and a 6P at the same time. The pixel has way better battery and smoothness thought. But that's what you suppose to get from another 500€ [emoji33]
Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk
joooe said:
Just think a little bit. The hardware is not the same. How do you expect to have the same quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Outside of sensor quality, and I know sensor is generally the biggest differnce, but what really sets photo quality apart in latest flagship phones is image 'processing'.......that is actually what most significantly sets most phone cameras from one another.....................not particularly hardware.
It is possible last gen google cameras use the same base sensor, where the pixel sensor may use some added circuity to allow faster capturing............to make it more "optimized' for certain algorithms and techniques with regard to SPEED.
But it is possible to apply the same algorithm (processing) to older sensor output which could be the same. ......although maybe slower.
All credits goes to B-S-G
His original thread
and Thanks to XDA Headlines!
Link for GC
U11 Camera for still photos is (probably?) the best in class right now, but not without flaw that is overexposure.
As soon as the Modded HDR+ GC has become available I have decided to compare some shots with Stock camera w/HDR and Google Camera w/HDR+ enabled.
Here are some comparisons and my opinions.
Lowlight
http://imgur.com/2ziArQB
With Google Cam overexposure and blown out highlights are no longer an issue. However, the details in the shadow area of the low light image will get smudged out thanks to the noise reduction and/or become too dark.
on Stock HTC Sharpening is harsher than GC when 100% zoomed in but not as much as Sammy. The color on stock app is much more vibrant as well, but that comes with noisy image.
As a photographer I'd prefer lower noise image, but for smartphone camera that is not a very important thing comparing to, say, details in the dark area.
Overall Exposure and Details
http://imgur.com/Rqjk2hL
GC did a great job keeping all the details in highlight areas while stock app blown them to bits.
Colors, yet again HTC stock is punchy and vibrant on shadow areas while GC is a tad bit duller.
Close up
http://imgur.com/D7HEkbR
HTC, as usual, produce much more vibrant colors and more sharpened image while highlight areas are blown out.
It all comes down to your taste, people who like "Natural" tone will prefer GC while snap and go type better stick to HTCs'.
for me I prefer GC by the day and HTC stock by night as GC will give more room in image editing.
Basically, short squeeze for stock app, long squeez for Google Cam for me!
----
Current working Gcam with Portrait mode
https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/f/GoogleCamera-Pixel2Mod-Arnova8G2-V5.apk
Preferred Setting
Config for HDR+: Pixel 2017 ZSL HDR+
HDR+ Parameters: Default or higher (not much difference but longer process time)
Final jpg quality HDR+: default(95) or higher, little differences
For me, Google does a better job in low-light, my bathroom.
Clearer and more details, look at the spay can on the right at the back.
But I do like the greens produced by HTC Cam, Google pink/reds are better, all comes down to personal preference.
http://imgur.com/a/l3oTm
Google's HDR+ does great job in extreme HDR situations , but for my eyes HTC's HDR boost does greater job keeping everything sharp , Google just destroyes every detail with noise reduction
Check the link for comparison
https://goo.gl/photos/NYTaPRsEMVoxjoEc8
I know Pixel camera better but I've read all reviews on net and youtube and found that it always got over saturation during at low light or indoor environment like the sample provided from #2 if you view it carefully, you see a yellow cast in the whole photo with Pixel.
Indeed, U11 offers a natural tone overall, not Pixel in my opinions though HTC color might be a bit vibrant. If Pixel white balance isn't going wrong, yes it always perform better result. Good to know there is a modded google HDR+ now, donno if the yellow tone problem fixed or not.
U11 still got some advantages like OIS and dual pixel focus which is important to me too. Wish we'll have modded U11 camera in the future.
EDIT:
https://www.xda-developers.com/google-camera-hdr-ported/
It's glad that we can use Pixel HDR+ now on all SD820/821/835 devices without root. It's Google camera 4.4 apk and I've installed it on my U11(no root atm) and it works both HDR+ photo and 4K recording, no crash no FC. So if you prefer the style on Google HDR+ this is your way to go together with the benefit of OIS and dual pixel focus over Pixel phone.
Will OIS and pixel focus work on the google camera?
sallam5010 said:
Google's HDR+ does great job in extreme HDR situations , but for my eyes HTC's HDR boost does greater job keeping everything sharp , Google just destroyes every detail with noise reduction
Check the link for comparison
https://goo.gl/photos/NYTaPRsEMVoxjoEc8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In some way i agree with u,but i am also using g cam on htc 10 ane phone must be still while taking photo,i see on ur picture some blurriness like when phone is movng wjen taking photo.
Boskoel03 said:
In some way i agree with u,but i am also using g cam on htc 10 ane phone must be still while taking photo,i see on ur picture some blurriness like when phone is movng wjen taking photo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some samples,i am not professional photographer but u can see for ur self,more lighter photo is htc stock camera,other G cam
Edit: focus is left oriented...
No edit,no flash,pure hdr..
zeke125 said:
Will OIS and pixel focus work on the google camera?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OIS does work and Pixel focus I assume you mean the "lens blur" function? if so, it also works.
The only thing that is not working in GC is slow motion.
Boskoel03 said:
In some way i agree with u,but i am also using g cam on htc 10 ane phone must be still while taking photo,i see on ur picture some blurriness like when phone is movng wjen taking photo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm I was really steady , I have very steady hands and I can take 1s shutter , and I really tried it multiple times to make sure if it's really does reduce the noise and smudge the details or if it's just one bad shot , but actually all of them are the same
I really like it in extreme HDR situations though , so if HTC's upcoming camera update didn't boost the camera even more then maybe I will use gcam for really extreme HDR situations
I have tried it in broad day light and the dynamic range is really improved.
I will try it tonight but if it fixes the overexposure, it will really be the ultimate camera phone.
stock app
Pixel app
Edit : Now tried in the night, the difference is even greater. With the HTC U11 camera app, all the details are burnt near light sources, while it is not the case with the Pixel camera app.
stock app
Pixel app
For me it is clear, the Pixel app will replace the stock app for my pictures. The HTC U11 camera module with the Google Pixel software, I think we have the best possible camera on a phone.
Stock camera is much better in every scenario...
foxy4270 said:
Stock camera is much better in every scenario...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I strongly disagree.
Look at this window which is aproximately 150 meters far from me. With the Pixel app, I can clearly see he is watching TV. I am impressed. With the stock app, I see... nothing.
And with the Pixel, I don't find any detail loss.
stock app
HDR+ app
For me stock camera is better on daylight situations.
For nightshots GC wins.
So i will use them both.
*justintime* said:
For me stock camera is better on daylight situations.
For nightshots GC wins.
So i will use them both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, I disagree, look at these crops in daylight (they are not mine but from the original poster of this thread). A lot of data are lost with the stock app due to the lower dynamic range. The difference is huge.
Stock
HDR+
For me, the HDR+ app wins in every situations.
Indoor night time
Gcam color rendering really off..
First one gcam
2ND stock
Hdr + is a disaster....worst camera ever
Google hdr +
google by foxy4270, on Flickr
Stock hdr
stock by foxy4270, on Flickr
foxy4270 said:
Hdr + is a disaster....worst camera ever
Google hdr +
google by foxy4270, on Flickr
Stock hdr
google by foxy4270, on Flickr
Stock hdr
stock by foxy4270, on Flickr
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think u are wrong,bit i am using it on 10 and can not be sure if u are on 11,but in ur post thoose two pictures are the same,and i know difference between g cam hdr+ and stock one,but again on htc 10,that is reason i am not sure for 11 but when something is good it's good,g cam is good for good light conditions,and in low light must bee some wb manually settings...
Sorry,in a hurry ,only light is different on ur pictures,when I compare that red sigh will be more red with g cam i am sure....
Boskoel03 said:
I think u are wrong,bit i am using it on 10 and can not be sure if u are on 11,but in ur post thoose two pictures are the same,and i know difference between g cam hdr+ and stock one,but again on htc 10,that is reason i am not sure for 11 but when something is good it's good,g cam is good for good light conditions,and in low light must bee some wb manually settings...
Sorry,in a hurry ,only light is different on ur pictures,when I compare that red sigh will be more red with g cam i am sure....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is an htc u11 forum
foxy4270 said:
this is an htc u11 forum
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clear case...
To me both apps got pros and cons. Stock cam tend to over exposure and in the opposite way google cam like to under exposure.
It really depends the atmosphere you're shooting and maybe your matter of personal preferences. In general, I like stock a bit over exposure to make the photo brighter except in some cases the high light area got washed out. Noise reduction in google camera is better, stock cam got many noise.
At the club, at the bar, or just in your mom's basement, nighttime is when you come out to play. Rate this thread to express how the Moto X4's camera performs when no or low light is present. A higher rating indicates that the camera sensor "sees" lots of light in dim conditions, and that the resulting photos have minimal noise. A higher rating also indicates that when the flash fires, the resulting photo is evenly-lit without any bright spots.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
With flash it's 5 stars. Works pretty good without. Works as good as my S8.
I took some test shots on my phone today, using 3 different camera apps:
- The Stock Moto Camera
- The Stock Google Camera from the Play Store
- Modified Google Camera found Here. MGCB_7.0H_C2API_Full_PXL2_v.1.4_60FPS_noburst_v3
I tested in a large room with the lights off, and sunlight coming in. There are lots of shadows and dark areas, as well as very bright spots. I tested with HDR Off, HDR On, and HDR Auto (if applicable). I also threw in a wide angle, for comparison. (spoiler: Ew).
Some things that surprised me, in no particular order:
- The Stock Moto HDR actually did a decent job at brightening up the dark areas, and giving the shadows a bit of color. Not a ton of extra noise, either. However, the window was still washed out.
- Stock Google Cam didn't offer anything the others didn't, and HDR On/Off didn't seem to do a thing.
- Modified Google Cam definitely helped with the bright spots, as those are the only 2 pictures that you could see out the window, but it also introduced a LOT of noise in the shadows and dark areas. This is a known side effect of HDR in low-light, as I saw the same effect on my 5x when using HDR+ in low light.
I may try a different Modified Gcam, and try to input the settings manually. Hopefully that will result in better pics, as otherwise the Stock Moto camera seems to be our best bet for now.
The stock camera app in normal picture mode is not using good ISO/shutter speed combinations in low light at all. Take some and check the info on your images. It always goes for high ISO and faster shutter speed. It stops on 1/15 A LOT, and seems to adjust ISO from there. Switch to Professional Mode and force a slower shutter speed, lower ISO and now they look much better. HDR on this app is garbage with those auto focus settings too. It works much better with higher quality images with less noise, which the auto focus is incapable of providing in any low light situations.
I did some more tests with the v4.0 AIO modified Gcam, and there wasn't a difference.
I went back to the v1.4, and took some pics at home. These were very low-light, with candles the only light source in the room. I noticed similar trends:
Stock Cam is VERY blochy when you zoom in.
Stock HDR seems to brighten the whole image, but isn't very, you know, dynamic.
Stock Cam is way less noisy/blochy when you zoom in. It preserves much more detail.
Modified Gcam using HDR+ does a MUCH better job handling the candle light in the pic, as the light source isn't overexposed.
I may do some 100% crops and share them tomorrow, but Stranger Things 2 with the wife is more important atm. #sorrynotsorry.
crazyates said:
I did some more tests with the v4.0 AIO modified Gcam, and there wasn't a difference.
I went back to the v1.4, and took some pics at home. These were very low-light, with candles the only light source in the room. I noticed similar trends:
Stock Cam is VERY blochy when you zoom in.
Stock HDR seems to brighten the whole image, but isn't very, you know, dynamic.
Stock Cam is way less noisy/blochy when you zoom in. It preserves much more detail.
Modified Gcam using HDR+ does a MUCH better job handling the candle light in the pic, as the light source isn't overexposed.
I may do some 100% crops and share them tomorrow, but Stranger Things 2 with the wife is more important atm. #sorrynotsorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the manual Google APK here with HDR+ and it's also using very high ISOs, even in pretty good light. I have a lamp behind me, lights on in the room and both apps are using an ISO2400. If I manually set the ISO to 1200 or lower, I can still take a good photo by manually adjusting the shutter speed to 1/15, 1/10, or even 1/8 (anything lower and it's blurred). This HW should be capable of blazing fast auto focus so there is zero reason it's setting the ISOs so high. High ISO = more noise, less detail. Fast auto focus should mean that lowering the ISO in low light will focus better, faster, with less blur from the slower shutter speed. Something ain't right here.
HDR+ will clean up the noise from the high ISO setting some.
FrozenOx said:
I'm using the manual Google APK here with HDR+ and it's also using very high ISOs, even in pretty good light. I have a lamp behind me, lights on in the room and both apps are using an ISO2400. If I manually set the ISO to 1200 or lower, I can still take a good photo by manually adjusting the shutter speed to 1/15, 1/10, or even 1/8 (anything lower and it's blurred). This HW should be capable of blazing fast auto focus so there is zero reason it's setting the ISOs so high. High ISO = more noise, less detail. Fast auto focus should mean that lowering the ISO in low light will focus better, faster, with less blur from the slower shutter speed. Something ain't right here.
HDR+ will clean up the noise from the high ISO setting some.
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Click to collapse
That's odd. Is this an issue you've been experiencing on the optimum configs (manual version) or with both modded apps?
FrozenOx said:
HDR+ will clean up the noise from the high ISO setting some.
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Yeah, you're right on this. I did some more test last night, and the most consistent seems to be the modified Gcam HDR+. It preserves more detail while keeping the noise down.
Basically, I feel like these are all just playing around with settings and apks that are meant for other phones. I know the Gcam software can work wonders, and I know the sensor/ISP/DSP/CPU can support more than what the stock Moto Cam is doing, but getting a modded Gcam apk that's meant for out phones would be fantastic. Unfortunately, it'll take someone smarter than me to piece it all together.
Coming from a much older S3, the moto x4 camera is WAY ahead.
I have a small laser projector that only outputs 63 lumens.
The S3 camera could never get a photo on the highest setting.
The x4 camera does it easily.
Apples and Oranges possibly, but the camera is not nearly as "bad" as some
reviews stated.
That's Nobody said:
With flash it's 5 stars. Works pretty good without. Works as good as my S8.
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Is it really? I'm choosing between the S7 and the X4, the camera being the only thing making me lean towards the Galaxy.
gaurink said:
Is it really? I'm choosing between the S7 and the X4, the camera being the only thing making me lean towards the Galaxy.
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I had an S7 for work until recently. Hated it. Battery life is worse than X4, too much bloatware, and the fingerprint sensor on it suuuuucked. Rear camera was about the same as X4 but front was inferior. No contest. Get the X4.
Please think twice believing reviewers.
Most of them hated Moto X4's camera coz it has a sluggish and mediocre quality when it comes to depth (portrait mode).
BUT I can assure you that my Moto X4 performs on par with HTC 10 when it comes to ALL lighting conditions.
I took photos side by side and the quality is the same. I even found that the Moto X4 does NOT need to auto trigger HDR in the lowlight pic I took (HTC did auto trigger HDR).
Both HTC 10 and Moto X4 have minimal noise and really looks almost the same given that they are using a different ISP (SD 820 vs SD 630).
I'll try to upload both pics so you can check them as well.
Quick one from today.
The Galaxy S7 will definitely has a better camera quality BUT the X4 also has a pretty good camera so you won't get disappointed.
BUT I'd rather choose Moto X4 since it is a new device while S7 is already almost 2 generations older (S9 is coming).
forbidden8 said:
Quick one from today.
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Is this using the stock camera app?
varunbala said:
Is this using the stock camera app?
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Yes.
Four low light examples. They were taken in hostile lightning codtions by Gcam HDR+. No tripod. The quality and the dynamic range is at the same level as Nexus 5x, Pixel 1.
Can you share a gCam version that you use. And setting ...I try few, but for me quality of stock camera photos is better. Thx.
forbidden8 said:
Can you share a gCam version that you use. And setting ...I try few, but for me quality of stock camera photos is better. Thx.
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GCam5.1.018-Arnova8G2-V1.3-Front-HDR+
Nexus6p, nexus 6p, hdd+ on
tavcsor said:
Four low light examples. They were taken in hostile lightning codtions by Gcam HDR+. No tripod. The quality and the dynamic range is at the same level as Nexus 5x, Pixel 1.
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Does the portrait mode of gcam work?
Hello, I have bought a Pixel 3a. Here's my experience when compared with the camera of the Nexus 5x (Google camera 4.3.016). Nexus 5x was used in HDR+ On mode (technically this mode was comparable to HDR+ enhanced, the Nexus didn't have a zero shutter lag HDR+ mode).
White balance and colors of the Nexus 5x are much, much better. No matter whether the 3a uses Night Sight, HDR+ Enhanced or HDR+, the white balance is nearly always much worse than the Nexus. Indoors as well as outdoors (sunsets as well as normal daylight photos). It's really a noticeable step back and ruins the camera of the 3a. The white balance of the Nexus isn't perfect, but compared with the Pixel 3a it's nearly perfect.
Dynamic range is nearly identical, overall the Nexus is a little bit better. Sometimes the 3a overexposes more than the Nexus when you touch to focus, even in HDR+ enhanced mode. Interestingly the Nexus with camera version 4.1 retains highlights sometimes even better than 4.3 , I have both versions because Google changed the processing a bit with version 4.3).
Furthermore the Pixel seems to have a worse display, the display crushes the shadows more.
In extreme darkness the 3a's zero shutter lag HDR+ mode performs slightly worse than the Nexus 5x HDR+ On mode, but the Pixel's HDR+ enhanced mode is noticeably sharper and less noisy than the Nexus in extreme darkness. HDR+ enhanced is nearly as good as Night Sight, often HDR+ enhanced is even better because Night Sight can lead to blurry photos and Night Sight takes up to 7 seconds (there is a ≈ 1s shutter lag and then Night Sight exposes for up to 6 seconds, for example 12x 0.5s exposures). When you want a brighter photo in HDR+ enhanced mode, you can simply use the exposure compensation slider.
In low-light conditions or average light conditions the Pixel's software zoom can give you noticeably more details and less noise than the Nexus zoom (though not always). The 3a zoom in HDR+ mode works nearly always better than the zoom in HDR+ enhanced or portrait mode, HDR+ enhanced and portrait mode seem to use the old zoom algorithm. The improvement of the tele capabilities are not just due to software. It's also because the Nexus has a slightly wider field of view and slightly smaller effective aperture diameter. The Nexus has a ≈25.9mm field of view, the 3a has ≈27.2mm, therefore the 3a's details are comparable to a 25.9mm field of view with ≈13.5 megapixels instead of 12.2). The effective aperture diameter of the 3a is 2.467mm, the effective aperture diameter of the Nexus is 2.335mm, therefore the 3a captures ≈11.6% more light per time from distant objects than the Nexus.
Nonetheless I wouldn't use more than 1.4x zoom, in some cases maybe 2.0x. At 2.7x zoom there's too much machine learning zoom, which looks artificial. In most cases there's no advantage of using a higher zoom factor than 1.4x (the first big dot is equal to 1.63x zoom, the second big dot is equal to 1.63²x zoom).
In perfect light conditions without shadow areas the 3a zoom is nearly useless. Crops of 1.0x photos look nearly identical to crops of 2.0x photos.
I also noticed that the 3a zoom occasionally produces ugly artifacts. White or blue dead pixels can be visible when you zoom (sometimes also in Night Sight mode without zoom). Sometimes Google's software zoom transforms these dead pixels into white curvy lines. I compared three Pixel 3a, they all had this issue, but with different severity. When I shot in raw with Lightroom mobile, I noticed that the sensor of the Pixel 3a is full of dead pixels. Raw files of a second Pixel 3a had the same issue, even dpreview's studio comparison of the Pixel 3 shows a lot of dead pixels in Night Sight mode: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/im...=1&x=0.12010144736623733&y=0.5747433399018789
When you zoom, these white pixels will be magnified or transformed into white lines.
The autofocus of the 3a is worse than the Nexus. The Nexus always focused on the center. At first I thought that the 3a did the same thing, but that's not the case. You never know where it focuses on. So I always have to touch to focus (otherwise photos might not be super sharp), but the 3a occasionally overexposes more than the Nexus when you touch to focus (no matter whether the 3a uses HDR+ or HDR+ enhanced).
In extreme low-light conditions the 3a's autofocus struggles more due to the lack of the laser autofocus. Night Sight offers manual focus presets, but I have a Pixel 3a where the focus hasn't been calibrated correctly, so the "far" setting doesn't work with far objects. Another Pixel 3a didn't have this calibration issue.
When you focus on close objects that are very small, the 3a's autofocus is much better than the Nexus.
Flashlight: The flashlight of the Nexus is much stronger than the Pixel's flash. The Pixel's flashlight also doesn't look as neutral as the Nexus. The 3a's light looks slightly blueish or greenish.
Macro performance: When you use the flash and 2.7x zoom, then the Pixel 3a can produce slightly better macro photos than the Nexus.
Selfie camera: The selfie camera of the 3a isn't very sharp in average light conditions, I am not sure whether it's better than the Nexus selfie camera. Also, the selfie zoom has the same issue and can make dead pixels visible.
Overall the Nexus takes better photos unless in not perfect light conditions you prefer details over correct colors or take photos in extreme darkness with HDR+ enhanced or Night Sight. Therefore now I have to carry two phones.
pics or its not true
I'm also coming from a Nexus 5x and the Pixel makes much better and sharper photos. Zero shutter lag is also awesome.
Also, the HDR+ is pretty much useless on the Nexus since you have to wait for processing when you snap a few photos at once. And it will also kill every other running app in the process, which is VERY annoying (music, sportstracker etc.).
quark-lepton said:
Hello, I have bought a Pixel 3a. Here's my experience when compared with the camera of the Nexus 5x (Google camera 4.3.016). Nexus 5x was used in HDR+ On mode (technically this mode was comparable to HDR+ enhanced, the Nexus didn't have a zero shutter lag HDR+ mode).
White balance and colors of the Nexus 5x are much, much better. No matter whether the 3a uses Night Sight, HDR+ Enhanced or HDR+, the white balance is nearly always much worse than the Nexus. Indoors as well as outdoors (sunsets as well as normal daylight photos). It's really a noticeable step back and ruins the camera of the 3a. The white balance of the Nexus isn't perfect, but compared with the Pixel 3a it's nearly perfect.
Dynamic range is nearly identical, overall the Nexus is a little bit better. Sometimes the 3a overexposes more than the Nexus when you touch to focus, even in HDR+ enhanced mode. Interestingly the Nexus with camera version 4.1 retains highlights sometimes even better than 4.3 , I have both versions because Google changed the processing a bit with version 4.3).
Furthermore the Pixel seems to have a worse display, the display crushes the shadows more.
In extreme darkness the 3a's zero shutter lag HDR+ mode performs slightly worse than the Nexus 5x HDR+ On mode, but the Pixel's HDR+ enhanced mode is noticeably sharper and less noisy than the Nexus in extreme darkness. HDR+ enhanced is nearly as good as Night Sight, often HDR+ enhanced is even better because Night Sight can lead to blurry photos and Night Sight takes up to 7 seconds (there is a ≈ 1s shutter lag and then Night Sight exposes for up to 6 seconds, for example 12x 0.5s exposures). When you want a brighter photo in HDR+ enhanced mode, you can simply use the exposure compensation slider.
In low-light conditions or average light conditions the Pixel's software zoom can give you noticeably more details and less noise than the Nexus zoom (though not always). The 3a zoom in HDR+ mode works nearly always better than the zoom in HDR+ enhanced or portrait mode, HDR+ enhanced and portrait mode seem to use the old zoom algorithm. The improvement of the tele capabilities are not just due to software. It's also because the Nexus has a slightly wider field of view and slightly smaller effective aperture diameter. The Nexus has a ≈25.9mm field of view, the 3a has ≈27.2mm, therefore the 3a's details are comparable to a 25.9mm field of view with ≈13.5 megapixels instead of 12.2). The effective aperture diameter of the 3a is 2.467mm, the effective aperture diameter of the Nexus is 2.335mm, therefore the 3a captures ≈11.6% more light per time from distant objects than the Nexus.
Nonetheless I wouldn't use more than 1.4x zoom, in some cases maybe 2.0x. At 2.7x zoom there's too much machine learning zoom, which looks artificial. In most cases there's no advantage of using a higher zoom factor than 1.4x (the first big dot is equal to 1.63x zoom, the second big dot is equal to 1.63²x zoom).
In perfect light conditions without shadow areas the 3a zoom is nearly useless. Crops of 1.0x photos look nearly identical to crops of 2.0x photos.
I also noticed that the 3a zoom occasionally produces ugly artifacts. White or blue dead pixels can be visible when you zoom (sometimes also in Night Sight mode without zoom). Sometimes Google's software zoom transforms these dead pixels into white curvy lines. I compared three Pixel 3a, they all had this issue, but with different severity. When I shot in raw with Lightroom mobile, I noticed that the sensor of the Pixel 3a is full of dead pixels. Raw files of a second Pixel 3a had the same issue, even dpreview's studio comparison of the Pixel 3 shows a lot of dead pixels in Night Sight mode: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/im...=1&x=0.12010144736623733&y=0.5747433399018789
When you zoom, these white pixels will be magnified or transformed into white lines.
The autofocus of the 3a is worse than the Nexus. The Nexus always focused on the center. At first I thought that the 3a did the same thing, but that's not the case. You never know where it focuses on. So I always have to touch to focus (otherwise photos might not be super sharp), but the 3a occasionally overexposes more than the Nexus when you touch to focus (no matter whether the 3a uses HDR+ or HDR+ enhanced).
In extreme low-light conditions the 3a's autofocus struggles more due to the lack of the laser autofocus. Night Sight offers manual focus presets, but I have a Pixel 3a where the focus hasn't been calibrated correctly, so the "far" setting doesn't work with far objects. Another Pixel 3a didn't have this calibration issue.
When you focus on close objects that are very small, the 3a's autofocus is much better than the Nexus.
Flashlight: The flashlight of the Nexus is much stronger than the Pixel's flash. The Pixel's flashlight also doesn't look as neutral as the Nexus. The 3a's light looks slightly blueish or greenish.
Macro performance: When you use the flash and 2.7x zoom, then the Pixel 3a can produce slightly better macro photos than the Nexus.
Selfie camera: The selfie camera of the 3a isn't very sharp in average light conditions, I am not sure whether it's better than the Nexus selfie camera. Also, the selfie zoom has the same issue and can make dead pixels visible.
Overall the Nexus takes better photos unless in not perfect light conditions you prefer details over correct colors or take photos in extreme darkness with HDR+ enhanced or Night Sight. Therefore now I have to carry two phones.
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Click to collapse
Lol. Then why do you still have the 3a?? Get rid of it like any normal person would. But really if a camera on a phone bothers you this much as to type out a huge post like this you've got serious personal issues or not all your dogs are barking. Geez go cry some more in your safe space
quark-lepton said:
Hello, I have bought a Pixel 3a. Here's my experience when compared with the camera of the Nexus 5x (Google camera 4.3.016). Nexus 5x was used in HDR+ On mode (technically this mode was comparable to HDR+ enhanced, the Nexus didn't have a zero shutter lag HDR+ mode).
White balance and colors of the Nexus 5x are much, much better. No matter whether the 3a uses Night Sight, HDR+ Enhanced or HDR+, the white balance is nearly always much worse than the Nexus. Indoors as well as outdoors (sunsets as well as normal daylight photos). It's really a noticeable step back and ruins the camera of the 3a. The white balance of the Nexus isn't perfect, but compared with the Pixel 3a it's nearly perfect.
Dynamic range is nearly identical, overall the Nexus is a little bit better. Sometimes the 3a overexposes more than the Nexus when you touch to focus, even in HDR+ enhanced mode. Interestingly the Nexus with camera version 4.1 retains highlights sometimes even better than 4.3 , I have both versions because Google changed the processing a bit with version 4.3).
Furthermore the Pixel seems to have a worse display, the display crushes the shadows more.
In extreme darkness the 3a's zero shutter lag HDR+ mode performs slightly worse than the Nexus 5x HDR+ On mode, but the Pixel's HDR+ enhanced mode is noticeably sharper and less noisy than the Nexus in extreme darkness. HDR+ enhanced is nearly as good as Night Sight, often HDR+ enhanced is even better because Night Sight can lead to blurry photos and Night Sight takes up to 7 seconds (there is a ≈ 1s shutter lag and then Night Sight exposes for up to 6 seconds, for example 12x 0.5s exposures). When you want a brighter photo in HDR+ enhanced mode, you can simply use the exposure compensation slider.
In low-light conditions or average light conditions the Pixel's software zoom can give you noticeably more details and less noise than the Nexus zoom (though not always). The 3a zoom in HDR+ mode works nearly always better than the zoom in HDR+ enhanced or portrait mode, HDR+ enhanced and portrait mode seem to use the old zoom algorithm. The improvement of the tele capabilities are not just due to software. It's also because the Nexus has a slightly wider field of view and slightly smaller effective aperture diameter. The Nexus has a ≈25.9mm field of view, the 3a has ≈27.2mm, therefore the 3a's details are comparable to a 25.9mm field of view with ≈13.5 megapixels instead of 12.2). The effective aperture diameter of the 3a is 2.467mm, the effective aperture diameter of the Nexus is 2.335mm, therefore the 3a captures ≈11.6% more light per time from distant objects than the Nexus.
Nonetheless I wouldn't use more than 1.4x zoom, in some cases maybe 2.0x. At 2.7x zoom there's too much machine learning zoom, which looks artificial. In most cases there's no advantage of using a higher zoom factor than 1.4x (the first big dot is equal to 1.63x zoom, the second big dot is equal to 1.63²x zoom).
In perfect light conditions without shadow areas the 3a zoom is nearly useless. Crops of 1.0x photos look nearly identical to crops of 2.0x photos.
I also noticed that the 3a zoom occasionally produces ugly artifacts. White or blue dead pixels can be visible when you zoom (sometimes also in Night Sight mode without zoom). Sometimes Google's software zoom transforms these dead pixels into white curvy lines. I compared three Pixel 3a, they all had this issue, but with different severity. When I shot in raw with Lightroom mobile, I noticed that the sensor of the Pixel 3a is full of dead pixels. Raw files of a second Pixel 3a had the same issue, even dpreview's studio comparison of the Pixel 3 shows a lot of dead pixels in Night Sight mode: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/im...=1&x=0.12010144736623733&y=0.5747433399018789
When you zoom, these white pixels will be magnified or transformed into white lines.
The autofocus of the 3a is worse than the Nexus. The Nexus always focused on the center. At first I thought that the 3a did the same thing, but that's not the case. You never know where it focuses on. So I always have to touch to focus (otherwise photos might not be super sharp), but the 3a occasionally overexposes more than the Nexus when you touch to focus (no matter whether the 3a uses HDR+ or HDR+ enhanced).
In extreme low-light conditions the 3a's autofocus struggles more due to the lack of the laser autofocus. Night Sight offers manual focus presets, but I have a Pixel 3a where the focus hasn't been calibrated correctly, so the "far" setting doesn't work with far objects. Another Pixel 3a didn't have this calibration issue.
When you focus on close objects that are very small, the 3a's autofocus is much better than the Nexus.
Flashlight: The flashlight of the Nexus is much stronger than the Pixel's flash. The Pixel's flashlight also doesn't look as neutral as the Nexus. The 3a's light looks slightly blueish or greenish.
Macro performance: When you use the flash and 2.7x zoom, then the Pixel 3a can produce slightly better macro photos than the Nexus.
Selfie camera: The selfie camera of the 3a isn't very sharp in average light conditions, I am not sure whether it's better than the Nexus selfie camera. Also, the selfie zoom has the same issue and can make dead pixels visible.
Overall the Nexus takes better photos unless in not perfect light conditions you prefer details over correct colors or take photos in extreme darkness with HDR+ enhanced or Night Sight. Therefore now I have to carry two phones.
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Click to collapse
Proof or we dont believe You!
Enjoy your Nexus then......
To each his own!
Android 10 or Android 9 or both?
I find it hard to believe the Nexus 5x is taking better pics than a Pixel 3a. The Pixel is using a newer and more advanced camera sensor. For reference the camera sensor in the Pixel 3a is the same sensor in the Pixel 4. So based of what you're saying the Nexus 5x may also be taking better pics than the Pixel 4.
Sent from my LGUS997 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
My Nexus 5 takes much better macro shots than my Pixel 3a XL.
The pixel means "keep distance for more sharpness"
In all other categories, I find the pixel far better.
There's got to be something wrong with your camera module, my 3a takes significantly better phones than my 5X ever did and is noticeably better than my OG Pixel too. Easily the best phone camera I've ever owned personally.