Camera how good is it.....really?

[karmamule]

I also like AnandTech's detailed look at it:

AnandTech | The HTC One Review

There are 2 more pages....

 

[john2910]

Psssst Hey you....... you think this camera sucks.......Then dont take pictures.....

 

[dre22era]

Crisp when viewing on what? I use the pics I take for sharing via mms or on social networks. If I want pictures for prints I have better cameras for that.

I've never had anyone say my pictures were blurry (and sometimes it takes effort to take a blurry picture).

Fwiw I've spoke with Alex about this before. No amount of settings tweaking will make the S4 take low light pictures as well as the One. Not saying you can't get decent low light out of the S4, but he said it's far from consistent and definitely turns out a little blurry most of the time. Which makes sense since the shutter had to stay open longer to capture the same amount of light.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

If you didn't have the One x or EVO LTE then you probably wont notice a significant difference in regards to the images not being as sharp on the HTC One.
I have had every HTC EVO Phone from the days they were release. Upgrading from the LTE to the HTC One,. I definitely notice a difference in regards to the images not being as crisp.
With the EVO 4G LTE after taking pics I could zoom in and crop my images without losing significant image quality. Forget about doing that with this phone.

The positives about this Camera. More natural color in the images and you can take good pics out the box on automatic without tweaking the camera and then take advance of the auto enhance option.
So compared to the EVO LTE it does have an advance over that. but if you at sporting events and trying to take pics at a distance zooming in. forget about it.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

The OP can read detailed comparisons like the one on AC and this one and draw his/her own conclusions. The excellent comparo linked here bears out the point the S4 is capable of producing better images in ALL lighting conditions.

Camera comparison: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs HTC One, Sony Xperia Z, iPhone 5, Nokia Lumia 920 and Galaxy S3

Money quote: "Last but not least, the HTC One gets the job done in most scenarios, but leaves plenty of room for improvement. Sure, 4 megapixels are almost always enough for most users' needs, yet the amount of detail they capture just isn't on par with today's high-ends."

OK, here is a challenge - take a hand held picture at ISO 2000 at 1/17 second of a person on the S4 - let's see how it does.

 

[john2910]

I wish i never bought this phone but i can nothing do about that i am a::

 

[dre22era]

Also what I believe many IT/Developer/Tech Minded people are trying to get others to understand about this camera is to not fall for HTC's BS marketing definition of this camera.
"UltraPixels" is no such thing. It is only a marketing gimmick. This is nothing more than a 4MB Camera built with great hardware and filters compared to your average 4MB camera phone.
So don't waste your time defending the "UltraPixel" aspect of this camera.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Also what I believe many IT/Developer/Tech Minded people are trying to get others to understand about this camera is to not fall for HTC's BS marketing definition of this camera.
"UltraPixels" is no such thing. It is only a marketing gimmick. This is nothing more than a 4MB Camera built with great hardware and filters compared to your average 4MB camera phone.
So don't waste your time defending the "UltraPixel" aspect of this camera.

No doubt it's a marketing term. But it DOES describe something. The physical size of the pixels are bigger allowing it to capture more light in less time.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[aokusman]

It's a good camera, just take note that it's a mere 4 megapixel and zooming in will look very blurry on your pc.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

If you didn't have the One x or EVO LTE then you probably wont notice a significant difference in regards to the images not being as sharp on the HTC One.
I have had every HTC EVO Phone from the days they were release. Upgrading from the LTE to the HTC One,. I definitely notice a difference in regards to the images not being as crisp.
With the EVO 4G LTE after taking pics I could zoom in and crop my images without losing significant image quality. Forget about doing that with this phone.

The positives about this Camera. More natural color in the images and you can take good pics out the box on automatic without tweaking the camera and then take advance of the auto enhance option.
So compared to the EVO LTE it does have an advance over that. but if you at sporting events and trying to take pics at a distance zooming in. forget about it.

I had the One X. The pics were great. I understand the limitations of a cell phone camera and don't crop and zoom at all. Low light pictures were not near as good as they are with the One. I'll take the trade since most of my pictures are taken in less than ideal conditions.

My history with HTC is: Evo 4G, T-Mo G2, myTouch 4G, Inspire 4G, One X, One.

I also had an SGSII, Optimus T, and Nexus 4 mixed in there. Plenty of experience with cell phone cameras.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[dre22era]

"As per HTC most smartphone image sensors have a pixel size of around 2micron square but HTC One camera have a size of around 4micron square each.
So HTC One can take 300% more light."
Unless you go like to Disney World in the dark. That is no big deal.
HTC dropped the ball on this. I can understand Samsung taking a gamble with this but not. HTC = a company that's struggling to hang on and can ill afford to lose out on a gamble like this.
Now am I bashing HTC? no because if that was the case I wouldn't have this phone in my hands right now. Just being realistic as a long time HTC Customer.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

Also what I believe many IT/Developer/Tech Minded people are trying to get others to understand about this camera is to not fall for HTC's BS marketing definition of this camera.
"UltraPixels" is no such thing. It is only a marketing gimmick. This is nothing more than a 4MB Camera built with great hardware and filters compared to your average 4MB camera phone.
So don't waste your time defending the "UltraPixel" aspect of this camera.

Yes, UltraPixel is just a marketing term. Part of what the great hardware encompases is the larger pixels. The other parts are faster lens and optical image stabilization. This makes for good low light capability vs. other phone cameras. The lower pixel count also benefits the camera with regard to responsiveness (faster captures/less lag) and reduced file sizes.

There are trade offs with image resolution. In good light the advantages of the One are lost.

There are also weaknesses in the HTC One camera as it currently works - mainly disappointing dynamic range, but also poor software interface. It is dificult to quickly adjust settings.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

"As per HTC most smartphone image sensors have a pixel size of around 2micron square but HTC One camera have a size of around 4micron square each.
So HTC One can take 300% more light."
Unless you go like to Disney World in the dark. That is no big deal.
HTC dropped the ball on this. I can understand Samsung taking a gamble with this but not. HTC = a company that's struggling to hang on and can ill afford to lose out on a gamble like this.
Now am I bashing HTC? no because if that was the case I wouldn't have this phone in my hands right now. Just being realistic as a long time HTC Customer.

I find the low light capablities to be extremely useful. It is a big deal. If low light capabilities aren't important to you, then don't get the phone. For most people, low light capabilities are very important, regardless if you are talking about phone cameras, point and shoot cameras or DSLRs.

 

[doomstang]

The camera is the most disappointing hardware feature of the phone.
People are just brainwashed by Zoe
To be fair the camera compared to the EVO 4G LTE has more rich color quality in the photos but because of the 4MP (Ultra Pixels is a marketing myth) the pictures are not crisp compared to other phones.
A 2012 phone camera should not be better than a 2013 phone cam and that's what irks me especially when you factor in the price points of this phone.
And for people who now say they don't expect much for a phone cam. Price points for phones today have now exceeded to over $600 = for that price people expect and want a great cam for that price.

Ehhhh I'm not so sure there.

Evo LTE

One

And here are the low light comparisons:

Evo LTE

One

 

[madlaw1071]

I suspect that in the next iteration of the One(is that a Two?) the MP count will be increased. FWIW, if they make the "Ultrapixel" camera 8MP, I think the camera would be a grand slam because as I stated earlier in the thread, the One's camera is blazingly fast with a great interface.

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I find the low light capablities to be extremely useful. It is a big deal. If low light capabilities aren't important to you, then don't get the phone. For most people, low light capabilities are very important, regardless if you are talking about phone cameras, point and shoot cameras or DSLRs.

How do you know that "for most people, low light capabilities are very important"? Certainly, sales figures do not back up this claim.

 

[dre22era]

This was taken with my original HTC EVO in 2010 in low light conditions outdoors
Yall are debating over spilled milk. What people have and have been trying to imply is that this camera is not leaps and bounds of not only last years phones but the original EVO.
The software is the only significant innovation here point blank

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

I am doing the exact opposite focusing on the tech side and ignoring the marketing BS.
Rumors are old? the rumors were factual. Production is fine now but it did indeed affect the launch.
For the 2nd straight year HTC didn't have a legit launch. Apple messed up their launch of the EVO 4G LTE last year.
This is what I have been saying from day 1 looking at this from a tech perspective
HTC One "Ultrapixel": Explained! - YouTube

I didn't say the production issues weren't factual. I said they aren't an issue anymore.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[aggie]

"As per HTC most smartphone image sensors have a pixel size of around 2micron square but HTC One camera have a size of around 4micron square each.
So HTC One can take 300% more light."
Unless you go like to Disney World in the dark. That is no big deal.
HTC dropped the ball on this. I can understand Samsung taking a gamble with this but not. HTC = a company that's struggling to hang on and can ill afford to lose out on a gamble like this.
Now am I bashing HTC? no because if that was the case I wouldn't have this phone in my hands right now. Just being realistic as a long time HTC Customer.

I agree it is a big gamble that HTC maybe should not have made, unless they could have found a way to fit 5 or 6 larger megapixels on the sensor because of the loss of detail in most pictures as compared to the competition. There's no doubt that my S4 takes much better pictures than my One outdoors and in well lit environments. The difference in detail is quite drastic. However, there is something to be said for the low light performance of the One. It is not just useful at "disney world in the dark". Most any indoor picture with average to below average lighting comes out looking much better with the One. For alot of people this describes the environment where most of their pics are taken. I have a great appreciation for what HTC did with the low light performance and the Zoe/Highlights features. My biggest concern is outdoor pictures on vacation and visiting my jobsites and taking pictures. They won't have near the detail of the S4, Lumia, iPhone, etc. For alot of people that may be a deal breaker and a huge gamble for HTC with the success and survival of the company hinging on this device.

 

[dre22era]

I suspect that in the next iteration of the One(is that a Two?) the MP count will be increased. FWIW, if they make the "Ultrapixel" camera 8MP, I think the camera would be a grand slam because as I stated earlier in the thread, the One's camera is blazingly fast with a great interface.

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How do you know that "for most people, low light capabilities are very important"? Certainly, sales figures do not back up this claim.

Bingo the next phone will definitely be at least 8MP. lets not act like HTC hasn't taken a gamble that failed in the past. Example: 3D
Aside from the camera, this is still a great phone which is why i am happy to own it. But i refuse to be blind to the obvious

 

[dre22era]

I agree it is a big gamble that HTC may not have made, unless they could have found a way to fit 5 or 6 larger megapixels on the sensor because of the loss of detail in most pictures as compared to the competition. There's no doubt that my S4 takes much better pictures than my One outdoors and in well lit environments. The difference in detail is quite drastic. However, there is something to be said for the low light performance of the One. It is not just useful at "disney world in the dark". Most any indoor picture with average to below average lighting comes out looking much better with the One. For alot of people this describes the environment where most of their pics are taken. I have a great appreciation for what HTC did with the low light performance and the Zoe/Highlights features. My biggest concern is outdoor pictures on vacation and visiting my jobsites and taking pictures. They won't have near the detail of the S4, Lumia, iPhone, etc. For alot of people that may be a deal breaker and a huge gamble for HTC with the success and survival of the company hinging on this device.

I agree with your observation 100%
The S4 has the better camera "but" the HTC One Camera has been proven to be more consistent in taking good pics in comparison to the S4 where you have to take multiple pics to get a good pic.

 

[SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl]

I suspect that in the next iteration of the One(is that a Two?) the MP count will be increased. FWIW, if they make the "Ultrapixel" camera 8MP, I think the camera would be a grand slam because as I stated earlier in the thread, the One's camera is blazingly fast with a great interface.

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How do you know that "for most people, low light capabilities are very important"? Certainly, sales figures do not back up this claim.

Because I am into photography and because it is common sense. Why would you even want to argue about this? I don't understand your motivation. Regarding sales figures, are you just going to say becuase S4 sales more than HTC that people don't value low light capability? That would obviously be a flawed approach.