Rules to using Nexus's Camera

[NJSmoke]

A lot of people have been hating on the Nexus's Camera quality. But apparently you have to know a little bit about taking a picture to use it correctly so I figured it will be a good time to make tips threads for this.

So here it goes.....

-The camera only takes a picture after you release the button.

- Always wipe your lenses before taking a picture.

-Never use the zoom function, digital zoom is horrible

- The hardest thing about taking a picture is holding the camera still, Nexus doesn't have shake resistance.

- You are also going to have to change the exposure depending on how light or dark it is.

Any one got anything else?

 

[Tim K]

For best results, and to avoid any 'shaking', hold down the shutter button.....while doing so, tap on the screen to autofocus on that spot (be it a person's face or object you want to focus on)....then release the shutter button and the picture will snap.

Doing this helps in 2 ways. It ensures that you are focusing one exactly what you want and it also eliminates the inevitable shake you get from hitting the shutter button. The picture doesn't snap until you release the button...

Theoretically, this helps because the GN has the zero lag shutter. On other phones, you actually have a fraction (or more) of a second between the press and the actual snapshot which 'theoretically' gives you time to steady the shot.

 

[Turdbogls]

I love this camera.
as long as i tap to focus, and have a clean lense, i get some great pics....indoor shots are kinda hit or miss though.
thought i would throw these up as well. shot them both this weekend, slightly edited in the stock editor app (auto-fix and 15% sharpen)

 

[trophynuts]

great tips.

overall i'm pretty happy with the camera on my Nexus. Of course i came from a moto camera so it wouldn't be hard to impress me lol

 

[rpretzel]

I have found I get much better pictures with the flash off. The flash tends to wash everything out horribly.

 

[NJSmoke]

I have found I get much better pictures with the flash off. The flash tends to wash everything out horribly.

Yea i think that the flash has to be offset by about 2 or more inches away from the lenses for it not to white the subject face out. So basically any camera that can fit in your pants pocket flash is pretty worthless. Except for using it for taking video.
Low light situations for me is hard cause most of the time the things I want to catch on camera are at a bar while I am kind of buzzed.

By the way those are some pretty nice pics

 

[Tim K]

great tips.

overall i'm pretty happy with the camera on my Nexus. Of course i came from a moto camera so it wouldn't be hard to impress me lol

True. I stopped bothering to take pics with my Droid as half the time it would cause the phone to freeze up.... and forget abut taking multiple pics, that simply wasn't an option.

 

[jamor]

I wish I got pictures as good as Turd.

I get really crappy photos. Very blurry and pixelated.

 

[Demache]

Tends to work pretty well with the flash. Although the flash is a little too bright and tends to overexpose things. Then again playing with the exposure would probably help.

Although as a sort of macro camera, it works pretty well. Look at all the dust particles!

My computer needs a good cleaning.

 

[rivera02]

Download camera ics+...it's the same as the stock camera, but it let's you use the volume keys as a physical shutter button...makes it much easier to eliminate shaky photos

 

[Gnex269]

Does anyone else find it hard to take a pic of yourself because of having to use the blue button. Trying to hold the phone in one hand and hit the blue button is very difficult. If it had a dedicated button this would be easier. Does anyone agree or is there a solution that I'm not aware of. I did not know about being able to hold the button down and take a pic on the release but the problem I'm talking about still happens.

Well from the time I was going to post and did the post above answered my problem...thanks rivera02!

 

[TheyCallMeBT]

Download camera ics+...it's the same as the stock camera, but it let's you use the volume keys as a physical shutter button...makes it much easier to eliminate shaky photos

This is exactly what I've been looking for. Thank you!

 

[Turdbogls]

custom ROMs have also mapped the power button as a shutter. works great.

 

[Chaco]

in AOKP you can use the power button as a shutter.... works pretty good.

 

[zep]

great tips.

overall i'm pretty happy with the camera on my Nexus. Of course i came from a moto camera so it wouldn't be hard to impress me lol

This this. A million times this.

 

[dgold82]

I mostly leave mine in the "action" scene mode. It tends to take much better pics indoors.

 

[speede541]

Another tip that fits right in with the original poster's list:

Pressing/holding the shutter button locks in the exposure setting. In challenging, contrasty lighting situations where brights may cause the darks to under-expose, or vice versa, scan the camera sounds the scene until the exposure appears correct on-screen, then press & hold the shutter, then compose the shot.

A good example of this is sitting inside in a modestly lit room, shooting out a window into bright daylight.

You may want to expose for the dark interior detail or people, at the expense of washing out the blue sky. Or you may want to capture the subtle gradations of the sky color and clouds, ignoring the interior. The camera can even strike a balance between the two.

It seems to average the entire scene, and expose for the prominent lighting. If the scene is predominantly dark, with one bright subject in the center of the shot that you are trying to expose for, the camera will expose for the dark.