[jeffreytz]

So I learned something new in Alex's post today comparing the Nexus 4 to the HTC One: the physical aspect ration of the One's camera sensor is 16:9, as opposed to 4:3 on almost all other smartphones. (Thanks Alex!)

I personally don’t care for 16:9 photos, I think it’s a little too wide. I grew up shooting with 35 mm cameras so I prefer a more classic 3:2 aspect ratio, and in fact have my Samsung Galaxy Camera set to that (even though I’m not taking advantage of all the sensor’s pixels, since it’s a 4:3 sensor). My Nexus 4 is set to 4:3, which is typically how I've set all my camera apps on my smartphones.

I’ve always found it odd that phone manufacturers tout their megapixel counts (8! 13!) but then ship the phones defaulting to 16:9, which on a 4:3 sensor means you’re taking pictures with less megapixels than the manufacturer beat you over the head with as nirvana. Even the Nexus 4 ships this way.

I believe the reason the phone’s camera apps default to 16:9 is because that’s the dimensions of the phone’s display. The average user who really doesn’t have any idea about camera sensors or what the megapixels really add up to doesn’t care if they’re not using the “full” sensor, but would probably bug support staff with “why are there back bars on the sides of my pictures?” “the camera on my phone is broken, it doesn’t use the whole screen!” questions if it defaulted to 4:3 to use the full sensor. In order to keep the lowest common denominator happy, shipping with 16:9 as the default would make sense, and the people who care/know can always change it to 4:3 in the settings.

With a 13 MP or 8 MP sensor, defaulting to 16:9 still leaves you with pretty significant pixel counts for your photos. But what if you’ve dropped to 4 MP as HTC has done? They’re already fighting an uphill battle in the spec war trying to convince people that fewer, larger pixels is actually “better” than more, tiny pixels. If you format those fewer, larger pixels in a traditional 4:3 sensor which you then effectively ”crop” for the average user who wants to use their full display to frame/view their pictures, you’ve lowered the actual “used” megapixels into the 3-range.

So there’s that. Or it might just have more to do with Zoes and other special features HTC has included with their camera that take advantage of video processing which is done in 16:9.

Whatever the reason, the bottom line for me is if I want to get the highest resolution still pictures possible on the HTC One, I have to shoot in 16:9. The camera was the major attraction for me to this phone - I really have bought into the "bigger pixel is better" argument since 90% of my cameraphone pictures are viewed on displays, not printed, but I really don't like the idea of 16:9 photos.

Curious what everyone else thinks

[JHBThree]

So I learned something new in Alex's post today comparing the Nexus 4 to the HTC One: the physical aspect ration of the One's camera sensor is 16:9, as opposed to 4:3 on almost all other smartphones. (Thanks Alex!)

I personally don’t care for 16:9 photos, I think it’s a little too wide. I grew up shooting with 35 mm cameras so I prefer a more classic 3:2 aspect ratio, and in fact have my Samsung Galaxy Camera set to that (even though I’m not taking advantage of all the sensor’s pixels, since it’s a 4:3 sensor). My Nexus 4 is set to 4:3, which is typically how I've set all my camera apps on my smartphones.

I’ve always found it odd that phone manufacturers tout their megapixel counts (8! 13!) but then ship the phones defaulting to 16:9, which on a 4:3 sensor means you’re taking pictures with less megapixels than the manufacturer beat you over the head with as nirvana. Even the Nexus 4 ships this way.

I believe the reason the phone’s camera apps default to 16:9 is because that’s the dimensions of the phone’s display. The average user who really doesn’t have any idea about camera sensors or what the megapixels really add up to doesn’t care if they’re not using the “full” sensor, but would probably bug support staff with “why are there back bars on the sides of my pictures?” “the camera on my phone is broken, it doesn’t use the whole screen!” questions if it defaulted to 4:3 to use the full sensor. In order to keep the lowest common denominator happy, shipping with 16:9 as the default would make sense, and the people who care/know can always change it to 4:3 in the settings.

With a 13 MP or 8 MP sensor, defaulting to 16:9 still leaves you with pretty significant pixel counts for your photos. But what if you’ve dropped to 4 MP as HTC has done? They’re already fighting an uphill battle in the spec war trying to convince people that fewer, larger pixels is actually “better” than more, tiny pixels. If you format those fewer, larger pixels in a traditional 4:3 sensor which you then effectively ”crop” for the average user who wants to use their full display to frame/view their pictures, you’ve lowered the actual “used” megapixels into the 3-range.

So there’s that. Or it might just have more to do with Zoes and other special features HTC has included with their camera that take advantage of video processing which is done in 16:9.

Whatever the reason, the bottom line for me is if I want to get the highest resolution still pictures possible on the HTC One, I have to shoot in 16:9. The camera was the major attraction for me to this phone - I really have bought into the "bigger pixel is better" argument since 90% of my cameraphone pictures are viewed on displays, not printed, but I really don't like the idea of 16:9 photos.

Curious what everyone else thinks

Better that its actually 16:9 instead of deceiving you by showing 16:9 in the viewfinder to fill the screen but not using the cameras full megapixel count. All android manufacturers have done that as of late, and its a pretty crummy way to treat your customers.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

[estebancam]

Well, personally, I don't think about that. I agree with you on everything, but I just want the camera to take some decent pictures. I have a Nikon D90 for the rest.

I don't like to carry the Nikon everywhere, and the best camera is the one you have with you. I just like to hope that the camera I do have with me is pretty damn decent.

[DavidJ726]

Aren't most flat screen TV's a 16:9 aspect ratio? As well as many computer monitors? If so, then I guess HTC is assuming that pictures are more apt to be viewed on devices as opossed to being printed? Personally I can't remember the last time I printed a picture...

David...

[Matthew Merkle]

Better that its actually 16:9 instead of deceiving you by showing 16:9 in the viewfinder to fill the screen but not using the cameras full megapixel count. All android manufacturers have done that as of late, and its a pretty crummy way to treat your customers.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

My EVO 4G LTE shows black bars in the viewfinder....

[JHBThree]

If you've changed it, yes. However, all of HTC's, Samsung's, and Motorola's recent devices have come pre-set to 16:9 with a megapixel count lower than what the camera is advertised as.

[jeffreytz]

If you've changed it, yes. However, all of HTC's, Samsung's, and Motorola's recent devices have come pre-set to 16:9 with a megapixel count lower than what the camera is advertised as.

Right, my point exactly in the third paragraph.

[xtn]

If you've changed it, yes. However, all of HTC's, Samsung's, and Motorola's recent devices have come pre-set to 16:9 with a megapixel count lower than what the camera is advertised as.

You mean as the default setting, right? Users can easily change them. If I use the max res setting on my GS2, I get a 4:3 ratio that doesn't fill up the entire screen when viewed on the device. Who cares what default setting is shipped? If an owner doesn't know the difference, then he doesn't know the difference. And if he DOES know the difference, then he's probably the kind of guy that will guess his phone's cameras might have different setting he can mess with.

[JHBThree]

You mean as the default setting, right? Users can easily change them. If I use the max res setting on my GS2, I get a 4:3 ratio that doesn't fill up the entire screen when viewed on the device. Who cares what default setting is shipped? If an owner doesn't know the difference, then he doesn't know the difference. And if he DOES know the difference, then he's probably the kind of guy that will guess his phone's cameras might have different setting he can mess with.

Are you seriously trying to argue that it doesn't matter that manufacturers are shipping devices and have the cameras set at a sub-advertised resolution? If you as a consumer got a phone that advertised an 8 MP camera, but your shots were of poor quality and you discover the camera was actually set at 6 or worse, wouldn't you be a little angry?

[xtn]

Are you seriously trying to argue that it doesn't matter that manufacturers are shipping devices and have the cameras set at a sub-advertised resolution? If you as a consumer got a phone that advertised an 8 MP camera, but your shots were of poor quality and you discover the camera was actually set at 6 or worse, wouldn't you be a little angry?

No. Not as long as it's an easy to find setting. Neither am I angry that it ships with wifi turned off, the brightness set below max, my google account isn't magically pre configured, etc. I am perfectly fine with the fact that I will have to configure things the way I want them.

I mean it's just as valid for you to ask if I would be mad were the camera resolution not defaulted to the smallest resolution to save space. Different users will want different settings, and the supplier has to choose SOME default. Why would I care what it is? Should I be mad about the default flash setting, the default zoom setting, the default the default iso setting, etc, if the aren't what I want?

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

[jeffreytz]

Are you seriously trying to argue that it doesn't matter that manufacturers are shipping devices and have the cameras set at a sub-advertised resolution? If you as a consumer got a phone that advertised an 8 MP camera, but your shots were of poor quality and you discover the camera was actually set at 6 or worse, wouldn't you be a little angry?

I'd think you'd be surprised how people don't even realize there's a megapixel difference between 4:3 and 16:9 due to the sensor shape. I had to draw it on a whiteboard recently to get someone to understand it.

[PittsPgh]

You sure it's not that both my monitors and tv are 16:9 ratio?
Paul