Help camera takes terrible pics......

[veccster]

I fail at taking good pictures with this thing. I guess I still need some training.

I'm not saying its not possible to take good pictures....it's just not idiot proof. Unfortunately, I think point/shoot cameras should be idiot proof at this day and age - at least for amateur photog..

THIS SEEMED TO COME OUT OK...

 

[veccster]

More...

 

[Tim K]

If your pics are blurry its not the camera.

 

[s.m.knipe]

Here are two of our cows;

I agree that the HDR camera one is visually more pleasing, the stock camera pic (the one where the cow stole some hay off the bale from across the fence) is a better representation color-wise. The stock app has the colors exactly represented as they were (to my eyes, at least), which is remarkable because I have found it almost always to be slightly too warm in tone. Again, that is a software issue that could (hopefully) be addressed later on...

 

[s.m.knipe]

Also, as a follow-up there are some really cool editing apps out there too. This one, called Photo Art (free in the Market) turned this mediocre pic of the thieving cow into a photo with a little more appeal/"pop"...

 

[Brooks777]

Nexus Sample Pics.

I have identical pics taken from the Droid X and Nexus and the Nexus always seems to win. The 1080p video is absolutely awesome, too.

 

[chucksings]

Glad for you. I quit taking pictures with this phone. Not worth the trouble. I am back to the old life of a phone and a camera in separate pockets

 

[syntrix]

Glad for you. I quit taking pictures with this phone. Not worth the trouble. I am back to the old life of a phone and a camera in separate pockets

Very nice!

I stumbled upon a site with forums with "mac" in it's name and found that even iphone owners were going through HUGE pains with their latest devices.

If anyone says that device is better, they clearly got lucky and haven't taken photography 101.

There are exceptional examples here of photos. There are clearly poor snapshots in the wrong settings, or wrong use. I love it when someone comes into POTN with a new 1d series and says the camera is the problem when they post a pic in the highest iso, one 60watt bulb 100 feet away, and wonder why their 2 second exposure wasn't pro quality... I mean, they bought a pro camera!!! It could NEVER be them!

 

[fam]

Nexus Sample Pics.

I have identical pics taken from the Droid X and Nexus and the Nexus always seems to win. The 1080p video is absolutely awesome, too.

Good stuff...as many people post awesome shots some people are still going to B$@% no matter what....its in their DNA.

 

[Thai]

Lets talk phone cameras here, not DSLR. I have taken photo class in college...but far from it, i am no expert. Not many people take photo classes, nor should one NEED to just to take a decent pic with their phone camera.

Not sure which "mac" forum Syntrix visited, the bottom line is that GN's camera is not easy to take a good pic. I pick up my iPhone and take good pics. I pick up my brother's GN and using a few tips from here (e.g. tap focus, holding the button, etc.), i canNOT take a decent pic inside my house. Forget editing. Forget aftermarket apps. The point is that GN's camera is much harder to take a decent pic. This is all reflected in the GN's reviews by tech blogs and tech sites. Sure, these bloggers (and many members here who has had trouble with taking pics) may not have taken Photography 101, but why should they??? On a phone camera?? That is ridiculous to criticize people on that basis IMO.

Are there nice pics in this thread? Sure...but how do we know for sure that they were taken with GN??

 

[syntrix]

...


Are there nice pics in this thread? Sure...but how do we know for sure that they were taken with GN??

EXIF Data is intact in a lot of them

 

[Tim K]

Are there nice pics in this thread? Sure...but how do we know for sure that they were taken with GN??

Seriously? You think people would post pics here claiming they were from a GN when they weren't? For what purpose? Aside from syntrix's point, that's just silly.

Its amazing to think that someone would rather believe that people are posting fake Galaxy Nexus photographs than to think that other people might just be really bad at taking pictures with theirs.

Its not hard to take 'good' pics with the GN. I'm not a good photographer. I don't own anything more advanced than a 3yr old Canon point and shoot. I haven't taken a photography class since Jr High in 1987 - and I remember nothing from it. I don't take good pictures as in "artistically good", but I can get a focused picture with proper color and decent brightness without playing with any of the settings.

1. Make sure your lens is clean (I've already shown what a finger swipe on the lens will do.)
2. Learn how to actually focus.
a) Tap on the screen where you want to focus, wait for the green focus box, then press the shutter.
or
b) Hold down the shutter, tap on the screen to focus, and then release the shutter - this method eliminates any shaking caused by tapping the shutter button.
3. Take multiple photos. Pros do it. You should too. And with the instant reload thanks to zero shutter lag, its easy to do.

Also, don't blow up your photos 800% and complain about pixelation.

People constantly talk about the iPhone's camera. Every photo I see from an iPhone camera seems so artificially enhanced to me. None of the colors are realistic. Its as if the software turns up the dials on certain aspects of the picture in post-processing to make it "more appealing looking". I equate that to what they do to the display TV's at Best Buy.....crank up all the colors, sharpness and the brightness so they look like they are jumping off the walls....but look nothing like what they are supposed to.

[Yes, I am an Apple hater. Not the hardware or the software, though I am not a fan of their walled garden. I just hate, yes HATE, their new corporate "Litigate instead of innovate" philosophy.]

 

[chucksings]

I get some good pictures from the GNEX.

I have gotten a few great pictures from it.

Most of the pics are not good.

And almost all with flash are bad.

I make no effort of holding my breadth and waiting for the planets to align so I can take a photo. I simply pull out at the camera, hold it as steady as I can and shoot. And most of the pics are not good.

Question my motives, question whether I may in fact have an overlooked nervous twitch, question whether I am a fan of the I-phone.

Most pics are bad.

 

[Thai]

Unfortunately for Tim, most experts agree that 4s camera takes wonderful pics that have good colors. And just recently, Slashgear Android editors agree that 4s camera is better than GN.

 

[VMac]

Unfortunately for Tim, most experts agree that 4s camera takes wonderful pics that have good colors. And just recently, Slashgear Android editors agree that 4s camera is better than GN.

These days, the difference in phone cameras (sensors, mpix, lenses) is trivial and insignificant... especially compared to the enormous difference that even a little bit of photography knowledge makes. It's funny watching some people obsess over utterly meaningless technical differences, while they won't bother to learn even a few basics of lighting and framing.

I've had it a week, and already taken several shots that have exceeded my expectations. This camera is perfectly fine.

 

[Tim K]

I'm not saying the GN camera is better. I'm saying its plenty good and not an embarrassment that people are making it out to be. As for the iPhone camera, I don't have one to compare but I look at these photos:
Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs Apple iPhone 4S: camera comparison

And especially the indoor shots of the desk with random items on it. The iPhone pics certainly jump out and scream "wow look at my colors". But quite frankly they look completely unnatural. If you look at both the dark/flash shots, the GN and iPhone both appear to have about the same coloration, particularly with the reds. I would even argue that the GN's is better in that it managed to retain the yellow wall color when the iPhone goes grey. I'm totally perplexed by how the author claims the iPhone flash did a "better job".

In the outdoor shots, the one with the red car also bugs me. I feel like the yellow nestle quick billboard is way oversaturated in the iPhone pic.

I still believe that the iPhone artificially enhances colors to try to wow people. Maybe its working.

 

[redraptor]

Could I get a few more hdr camera comparisons? Specifically low light conditions? As much as I like the phone, it blows in low light without flash.

 

[Thai]

And here is iPhone 4S vs. P&S vs. DSLR by ARS Tech: http://arstechnica.com/apple/guides/2011/11/can-the-iphone-4s-replace-a-real-digital-camera-for-many-yes.ars/1

Yeah, ARS certainly thinks that the 4S does well...and no, ARS is not Apple fanboy!

Here is an Android lover's take on the iPhone 4S and camera: I’m switching to iPhone 4S for a week - SlashGear

"The second big difference between the iPhone 4S and the rest of the smartphone world is in the all-powerful iPhone 4S camera. I had high hopes for the Galaxy Nexus and the supposedly awesomely powerful camera it had with instant shutter speed, but no such luck. The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a 5 megapixel camera which has the ability to create some excellent photos if you’re in a position to stay still or have essentially awesome lighting conditions, but for the everyday photographer who just wants fantastic photos basically every single time one is shot, the iPhone 4S is such a winner that it’s unbelievable. Apple’s understanding that the camera can and should be one of the centers of the smartphone experience is perfectly displayed here, quite obviously."

GN vs. other phones: Samsung Galaxy Nexus cam vs. iPhone 4S vs. HTC Vivid vs. Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket | Android Atlas - CNET Reviews

Yeah, no artificial colors at all for the GN!!

4S vs. GSII (which has better camera than GN): Photography Showdown: iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4 vs. Samsung Galaxy S II Cameras - Tested

 

[Tim K]

And here is iPhone 4S vs. P&S vs. DSLR by ARS Tech: http://arstechnica.com/apple/guides/2011/11/can-the-iphone-4s-replace-a-real-digital-camera-for-many-yes.ars/1

Yeah, ARS certainly thinks that the 4S does well...and no, ARS is not Apple fanboy!

The only semi-useful comparison is really the one Ars did as they included several actual cameras. Even they noted (in particular on the building) that the Canon was 'accurate' in its color. The iPhone shot wasn't accurate. It turned the brown building bright yellow. All of the camera phones were off on the color, but the 2 iphones seemed to really enhance the blue of the sky and the yellow of the building. Same with the floral pics. The greens and the reds were much deeper than the canon and the olympus.

Its really pointless to go back and forth. You'd really need to take shots using a professional setup with standard colors and then compare the phones to those to see which ones are more accurate....and even then, different monitors would look different.

Suffice it to say, you think the GN sucks as a camera. I think its perfectly good. You think the iPhone is an incredible camera. I think it takes artificial looking photos.

 

[syntrix]

The only semi-useful comparison is really the one Ars did as they included several actual cameras. Even they noted (in particular on the building) that the Canon was 'accurate' in its color. The iPhone shot wasn't accurate. It turned the brown building bright yellow. All of the camera phones were off on the color, but the 2 iphones seemed to really enhance the blue of the sky and the yellow of the building. Same with the floral pics. The greens and the reds were much deeper than the canon and the olympus.

Its really pointless to go back and forth. You'd really need to take shots using a professional setup with standard colors and then compare the phones to those to see which ones are more accurate....and even then, different monitors would look different.

Suffice it to say, you think the GN sucks as a camera. I think its perfectly good. You think the iPhone is an incredible camera. I think it takes artificial looking photos.

Very well said. Am I one of the 1% or less that actually calibrate my ips monitor in the home office once a month?

 

[s.m.knipe]

I agree with Tim K,
There is some contention and dissension among the iPhone ranks as well (high expectations from launch promises that don't delivery "automagically"):
iPhone 4S picture quality poor
& this is but one of the complaints on that forum and Apple's own support forums

Plus, at least one panel of photography "experts" ranks the iphones in the middle of the (then) current smart phone pack:
Smartphone Camera Battle: iPhone 4S vs. the Android Elite | PCWorld

So there isn't one camera to rule them all...

 

[Thai]

Tim, are you reading what is written or just coming to your own conclusion?

Quotes from article: "Directly comparing the iPhone 4S to the iPhone 4 in the first image, there are two important factors to notice about the improved camera: a greater dynamic range and a tendency to keep colors—especially reds—from over-saturating.

they show a little less yellow (as we'll see later) under indoor tungsten lighting compared to the iPhone 4

Our relatively high-end point-and-shoot, the Olympus XZ-1, over-exposed the image quite a bit...but suffice it to say, having a more expensive "real" camera doesn't automatically guarantee better results.

the exposure and dynamic range of the Galaxy SII is more like the iPhone 4, while the Canon 20D's rendering is more like that of the iPhone 4S.

In particular, the iPhone 4S slightly over-exposed the shot, but still kept from blowing out the highlights. It also renders the limestone with much less yellow than the iPhone 4. The Samsung is a little green, the Olympus a little red, and the Canon almost spot-on. Also note that the Canon tends to underexpose a bit in bright light.

The iPhone 4S is slightly less contrastly and, as always, just a smudge less hot in the highlights.

The Samsung tended to underexpose dark images and make a muddy mess. The Canon had a very pleasing auto exposure, while the Olympus was slightly underexposed.

Right away we see that the iPhone 4S has much better white balance compared to the iPhone 4, as the iPhone 4 rendered the kitschy coaster an orangey-yellow. In fact, the white balance is better than the Olympus and Canon, which both still have a yellowish cast.

Our overall impression from the Samsung was disappointing. Though it has an 8MP sensor and the large screen is nice for framing, its image quality never bested the iPhone 4—and in some cases didn't keep up.

For snapshot purposes, the iPhone 4S is comparable to the 8MP Canon 20D when it comes to image quality.

In the end, the iPhone 4S offers convenience—light weight, fits in pocket, simple controls—along with competitive, if not excellent, image quality. Unless you need or want full manual control or greater versatility in lens options, the iPhone 4S certainly makes a great photographic tool."

 

[VMac]

Tim, are you reading what is written or just coming to your own conclusion?

The problem is that the articles you reference are all terrible (except for possibly the first, which has nothing to do with the nexus), so your quotes are irrelevant. Most of them can be summarized: if you know nothing about photography except what button to push, then the iphone might be better for you in the same way that putting frosting on a pile of dog crap might taste better to you. And at least one of those "reviewers" clearly didn't know how the focus point affects the auto exposure, or that their white balance was off. So again, terrible articles.

 

[Thai]

Plus, at least one panel of photography "experts" ranks the iphones in the middle of the (then) current smart phone pack:
Smartphone Camera Battle: iPhone 4S vs. the Android Elite | PCWorld

So there isn't one camera to rule them all...

THANKS for posting this. I had trouble finding this article. Actually, if you look at the 2nd page summary chart, then you will notice a few things:

1. iPhone 4S got very consistent scores throughout among smartphones, second only to MyTouch.

2. It beat GSII in 3 of 4 categories.

3. SHOCKINGLY (for Tim), it got 2nd best color ACCURACY, even beating the Nikon and Sammy GSII.

Which leads to this conclusion: "and the iPhone 4S had an impressive lack of distortion and the most evenly balanced scores across the board for exposure, color, sharpness, and distortion. Without a doubt, the star feature of the iPhone 4S's camera is its automated white balance, which is extremely accurate."

So, in other words, Tim has no basis for saying that GN has better color accuracy than iPhone 4S...despite every info/pics out there saying otherwise.

 

[Outatime]

Well, in my opinion, the only article of worth that has examples and side by side comparisons is this one:

Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs Apple iPhone 4S: camera comparison