Android phone with the best camera to rival or surpass iPhone 4?

[Left Coast DJ]

I'm bike rider, mostly at night, and like to take pictures of places, other riders in the group, street food we eat, etc.. Right now I carry my Palm Pre Plus phone along with a point and shoot camera in my pocket. I'd like to consolidate the two and carry a good camera phone. I need it to be able to shoot:

- good low-light (night time) pictures
- fast shutter speed would be good for action shots

Which Android phone is generally considered to have a great camera? I'm not talking just about the number of megapixels, but over-all quality of the camera, lens, and software to match?

 

[MassacrMan]

I honestly don't know about what android phone has the best camera, however most HTC phones sport 8 MP cameras usually with dual LED flash as well for those dark shots.

But, I do know that the Nokia N8 has a fantastic 12 MP camera, sadly, it's not android



Good luck finding the right one for you though.

 

[Guamguy]

There is an Android phone in Japan, and sold only in Japan that sports a 12mp monster.

 

[UPS92008]

Why do people think the iphone camera is so much better?? Ive never seen a photo and thought "holy crap, what camera is this?"

Is the picture that much better????

Just asking...

 

[Guamguy]

iPhone camera isn't really any better. Just better post processing.

On the HTC side, the third generation HTC Sense phones also have better camera app software (with facial recognition autofocus!) and better post processing to boot. If you compare the 8mp and 5mp equivalents of the third generation (Desire HD, Z, etc,.) to the previous generation (2nd generation aka HTC Desire, Droid Incredible, EVO), the results are better on the third generation. Even with the same 5mp camera, the Desire Z blows away the Nexus One in photo quality.

Also, it seems like the camera hardware is the same, but the images I get from the Nexus S is better than that of the Samsung Galaxy S i9000.

 

[Left Coast DJ]

Why do people think the iphone camera is so much better?? Ive never seen a photo and thought "holy crap, what camera is this?"

Is the picture that much better????

Just asking...

As far as phone cameras go, my wife's iPhone 4 takes pretty good pictures - better than other phone photos I've seen. Now I haven't seen the latest generation HTC cameras... and I'm waiting on the HTC Thunderbolt to be released. So hopefully, it'll have a good camera.

Also, iPhone 4 is proof the sheer bruteforce of megapixels is no longer the yardstick that cameras should be measured by. As GuamGuy pointed out, iPhone camera software is really good - including HDR sampling (which I haven't seen on any other camera phone yet).

 

[dan330]

i dont think any point and shoot will be beat by a phone... especially at night photos.

but i think.. samsung make very good cameras.. and some of that know how is in their phones. So try the Galaxy S phones for great pics..
but at night.. i am not sure you will be satisfied.

 

[Reap]

I don't really think the iPhone 4 has a better camera... I'm not saying Android has better camera's either. To me they all look the same!

@UPS92008 People probably think the iPhone camera is better because when they look on the iPhone, it's a smaller screen with higher DPI so of coarse if you compact a big image into a high resolution small screen it looks fantastic where as to Androids have bigger screen with about the same resolution. When you upload the picture onto a computer though, pictures look almost identical IMO

 

[Medion]

are;I'm not a camera expert, but from what I've read, the three best smartphone cameras are; Iphone 4, Galaxy S (not the Nexus S), and Nokia N8.

This is due to software more than anything else. Samsung is a veteran in camera technology, Apple has made steady improvements, and Nokia is using Carl Zeiss Optics plus some pretty refined software.

By comparison, the Droid Incredible has a higher MP count than two of the above three phones, and a larger aperture over the same two as well. The deficiency? Software, an area where HTC is still learning.

But, take my info with a grain of salt, because as stated, I'm not a camera expert. In fact, I rarely use mine. I'm married to a professional photographer so she always takes the pictures. And, as good as her iPhone 4 is, she never uses it over the point and shoot nor the DSLR she carries with her. So even the best camera phone won't totally replace your dedicated point and shoot.

 

[novox77]

Also, iPhone 4 is proof the sheer bruteforce of megapixels is no longer the yardstick that cameras should be measured by.

Megapixels have NEVER been the yardstick to measure the quality of a camera. I have printed 20"x30" using an image created by a dSLR at 3mpx, and it looked excellent.

The smaller the focal length (limited by the thickness of the phone), the crappier the image will be. It's optical physics. You're comparing a rotten apple to a rotten orange. Cramming more pixels on the sensor doesn't change the quality of light shining through that pinhole.

 

[zuben el genub]

Too many people are hung up on megapixels - especially on small point and shoots! My Nokia C6 only had a 5mp, but it also had plenty of settings and flash and took quite a good picture. My Canon 20D is 10mp, and I find that quite enough. Sony should have decent cameras on the phones. They make DSLRs and smaller zoom and p&s.
I just got the Galaxy S, and even without a flash, it isn't too bad. Like all digital cameras - you can't see the display in the light.

 

[Guamguy]

My direct experience---owning the two---the Nexus S camera beats the Galaxy S. This despite the common Samsung heritage and the fact that their camera hardware might be exactly the same. I can only surmise that Samsung has improved on the same hardware by batches. I do think when it comes to the app itself, the Galaxy S has a better app than the Nexus S which seems basic.

And once again, based on my experience, the later models of HTC beats the earlier models even with the same megapixel camera. Again due to the refinements in design and software. I expect the Desire HD and its ilk (Thunderbird, Inspire) to beat the EVO and Droid Incredible, which are both already impressive- its a fact you can see that the HTC 8mp camera uses multicoated lenses--while the HTC and Samsung 5mp does not.

 

[Vietnam720]

I think what's missing here is also about shooting techniques:

- stand with legs apart to increase stability

- tuck elbow to body again to increase stability

- hold one's breath to reduce shake


Just saying

 

[Medion]

My direct experience---owning the two---the Nexus S camera beats the Galaxy S. This despite the common Samsung heritage and the fact that their camera hardware might be exactly the same. I can only surmise that Samsung has improved on the same hardware by batches. I do think when it comes to the app itself, the Galaxy S has a better app than the Nexus S which seems basic.

My primary beef with the Nexus S is the lack of 720P recording. Running Cyanogen Mod 7 on my Incredible, no 720P isn't a big deal simply because the Incredible's 720P recording is horrible when implemented (variable framerate between 13-24fps). The Galaxy S records at a steady 25fps, so it's a useful feature.

 

[shaggles]

The 14mp Altec phone with Android does awesome pics. It's more a cam with a phone than the other way around. My gf just got it and loves it.

14 Megapixel Android Camera Phone 'Altec Leo' hands on video | AndroidOS.in

 

[MyNamesTooLong]

Galaxy S...The behold 2 also makes a good camera, a shame its stuck on 1.5

 

[dan330]

I think what's missing here is also about shooting techniques:

- stand with legs apart to increase stability

- tuck elbow to body again to increase stability

- hold one's breath to reduce shake


Just saying

or resting elbows on stable surface.

or increase light...

 

[Guamguy]

If video recording is a factor, I would probably point to the dual core phones.

When it comes to still pics, I like what I see on my Nexus S, Desire Z and Droid Incredible, at least with the phones in my collection.

 

[s327374]

Speaking from experience.

HTC desire HD - great phone - shit camera. Yes. I have faced the truth it is shockingly bad. Despite using different apps as well, it constantly lets me down. I have stopped taking it out for photos. It's embarrassing.

I have decide to buy something else after three months (actually, it has recently been stolen - damn - as the only thing I hated was the camera). All the reviews conflict each other though.

especially worried about Guamguy's advice, as he seemes to know a bit.

What to do... Need to decide by tonight really.

 

[chrlswltrs]

I have had a lot of Android phones and iPhones. iPhones really do take great pictures for a phone. The only phone I have ever owned that does better than the iPhone was my Droid X. That is one of the few things I miss about that phone after upgrading to the Nexus S

 

[revs1227]

ummm my mt4g has a better cam whats so great ab ip4 cam?
just google comparison test mt4g cam always wins

 

[chrlswltrs]

ummm my mt4g has a better cam whats so great ab ip4 cam?
just google comparison test mt4g cam always wins

I had the MT4G for 2 weeks before I got the Nexus S. Both the iPhone 3GS and Droid X cameras are better.

 

[revs1227]

I had the MT4G for 2 weeks before I got the Nexus S. Both the iPhone 3GS and Droid X cameras are better.

ummm
no shot in hell the iphone 3gs cam is better
i might give u the droid x
iphone 3G????? nooooooooo shot in hell my bro has it he threw it out the window of his moving car because it crashed so much

 

[revs1227]

Which Android phone is generally considered to have a great camera? I'm not talking just about the number of megapixels, but over-all quality of the camera, lens, and software to match?

droid x
evo
my touch 4g
atrix


one from each carrier

 

[dan330]

Which Android phone is generally considered to have a great camera? I'm not talking just about the number of megapixels, but over-all quality of the camera, lens, and software to match?

i have the evo.. and it is very good..

but i have heard that the general thought is that the galaxy s series has better quality... by a hair.