Jelly Bean Improves Razr Maxx HD Low Light Shots

[PowrDroid]

Background: Previous phone was a Droid 2 Global. I never liked the camera. Slow response, flash wouldn't always synch with shutter, first shot after activating camera would typically be underlit, low light shots were unimpressive to terrible. In a word: inconsistent.

I was apprehensive about getting a new phone with a lousy camera. The word on Motorola cameras is that they are fine in normal lighting conditions but fall down on low light conditions. I researched the camera on the Maxx HD to death, decided I could live with it, finally bought one last Saturday. Started playing around with the camera. It's faster than my D2G. The first shot is normal. Flash synchs with shutter. It's got more adjustments, more features. I'm liking it a lot better than the camera on the D2G. But....low light shots, while better, were still unimpressive. After much experimenting I determined the biggest problem was the flash. It's weak. It's got a range of only about 5-6 feet. If I played with the exposure setting and/or tricked the camera into keeping the flash on longer I would get somewhat better low light shots.

Enter Jelly Bean. I updated to it this morning. I had to wait until tonight to try out low light shots. I am happy to report that it's a significant improvement. The number one thing I've noticed is that the flash is much brighter. Either that or whatever was adjusted has resulted in the ability to fully light up an object from 15 feet and more. Exact same shots that would be dark, noisy, and underexposed are now bright, balanced, and looking much, much better. Yes, if you zoom in on the details you see some noise but it's nowhere near as bad as before. I'm also liking the Jelly Bean feature of swiping down to delete a photo instead of tapping the trash can, then tapping confirm delete.

 

[AmousmosesMW]

Background: Previous phone was a Droid 2 Global. I never liked the camera. Slow response, flash wouldn't always synch with shutter, first shot after activating camera would typically be underlit, low light shots were unimpressive to terrible. In a word: inconsistent.

I was apprehensive about getting a new phone with a lousy camera. The word on Motorola cameras is that they are fine in normal lighting conditions but fall down on low light conditions. I researched the camera on the Maxx HD to death, decided I could live with it, finally bought one last Saturday. Started playing around with the camera. It's faster than my D2G. The first shot is normal. Flash synchs with shutter. It's got more adjustments, more features. I'm liking it a lot better than the camera on the D2G. But....low light shots, while better, were still unimpressive. After much experimenting I determined the biggest problem was the flash. It's weak. It's got a range of only about 5-6 feet. If I played with the exposure setting and/or tricked the camera into keeping the flash on longer I would get somewhat better low light shots.

Enter Jelly Bean. I updated to it this morning. I had to wait until tonight to try out low light shots. I am happy to report that it's a significant improvement. The number one thing I've noticed is that the flash is much brighter. Either that or whatever was adjusted has resulted in the ability to fully light up an object from 15 feet and more. Exact same shots that would be dark, noisy, and underexposed are now bright, balanced, and looking much, much better. Yes, if you zoom in on the details you see some noise but it's nowhere near as bad as before. I'm also liking the Jelly Bean feature of swiping down to delete a photo instead of tapping the trash can, then tapping confirm delete.

Can you post your low light pictures since your JB Update? I really want the MAXX HD, but have not taken the plunge because I am so worried about being disappointed with the camera ) I use my phone camera ALOT). Thanks

 

[t0ked]

I haven't done much photographing prior to the jb update, but what I can say is that the shots are better and less incidence of Blurry shots. I'm happy with the camera. Coming from A Tbolt, the camera is amazing.

 

[Megaroad]

When I took a few snapshots of a mostly dark room in the early morning after updating to Jelly Bean, I thought it seemed as if the camera was able to handle the darkness a little better (this was without flash). It could be my imagination, but I think the update might have fixed something about the camera's low-light performance.

 

[ji001]

I hate to believe it without proof but I also think camera has been improved. Well first thing I noticed is that there is a bluetooth button (I guess since I use bluetooth to share most often) next to the share button that wasn't there in ICS. So that alone tells me that maybe this version camera is different. Just for fun though I took pictures using an iPhone 5, Galaxy SII, iphone 4, iPad 4 and Razr in the same lighting/no flash. Razr actually had the best looking photos. Only device worth mentioning is the Iphone 5 but still, hard to believe right?


This is one of the low light shots that did not look as clear last week. sorry I dont have last week's ICS version of this photo to compare with. Either way, updated or not it doesn't matter. I like this camera/phone a lot.

 

[PowrDroid]

Can you post your low light pictures since your JB Update? I really want the MAXX HD, but have not taken the plunge because I am so worried about being disappointed with the camera ) I use my phone camera ALOT). Thanks

I'm going to post some pictures that were taken with no ambient light whatsoever. This is in a very dark room with only the flash being utilized. All settings are on automatic. In other words, these are the worst conditions the camera would encounter. Are they sharp images? Not really. Are they noisy? Yes. Had these pictures been taken before jelly bean update pictures #2 (plant) and #3 (crock pot) would have been dark blobs with much, much more noise. I wish I would have kept some shots I had taken last weekend with ICS still running the phone, but they were so bad I deleted them.

Picture #1 (painting) was taken from a distance of about 5 feet. For picture #2 I simply directed the camera at the plant hanging in the corner of the room, about 12 feet away. Picture #3 (crock pot) was taken from a distance of about 8 feet. You can see the painting in pictures #2 and #3 to give you some idea of the distances involved. Also notice in the crockpot picture you can see it's night outside and some Christmas lights from the house across the street.

Let me know if you want me to take some shots in low light using the flash, not using the flash, or whatever test you want.

 

[ji001]

I'm going to post some pictures that were taken with no ambient light whatsoever. This is in a very dark room with only the flash being utilized. All settings are on automatic. In other words, these are the worst conditions the camera would encounter. Are they sharp images? Not really. Are they noisy? Yes. Had these pictures been taken before jelly bean update pictures #2 (plant) and #3 (crock pot) would have been dark blobs with much, much more noise. I wish I would have kept some shots I had taken last weekend with ICS still running the phone, but they were so bad I deleted them.

Picture #1 (painting) was taken from a distance of about 5 feet. For picture #2 I simply directed the camera at the plant hanging in the corner of the room, about 12 feet away. Picture #3 (crock pot) was taken from a distance of about 8 feet. You can see the painting in pictures #2 and #3 to give you some idea of the distances involved. Also notice in the crockpot picture you can see it's night outside and some Christmas lights from the house across the street.

Let me know if you want me to take some shots in low light using the flash, not using the flash, or whatever test you want.

very helpful post.

 

[ji001]

Okay here's a shot with flash.

Found a corner in the basement where the water heater sits that is dark enough for a flash on test. There is very little light in the room. Only light source was from a closed blind door to the basement from the other side of the room on this gloomy day. In fact the preview screen barely showed the white on the water heater for the camera to focus on. I also think it's very important to wipe the lens before taking any pictures. I was standing maybe 8 feet back.

 

[PowrDroid]

ji001, nice shot. I really don't see how an iPhone or Gal S3 could improve on it.

Is this with Jelly Bean? If so, could you comment on what this shot might have looked like with ICS?

 

[ji001]

ji001, nice shot. I really don't see how an iPhone or Gal S3 could improve on it.

Is this with Jelly Bean? If so, could you comment on what this shot might have looked like with ICS?

Thank you. Yes it's jb. I have no clue how the same shot would look like on ics unfortunately.