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

Bobbman

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Hello all......strongly considering the HTC One. Camera quality is really important to me. I have heard some mixed opinions about the camera. Was hopping you could help me based on the following criteria:

* How do photos look on large computer screen. Do not care about cropping or zooming in. Just want them to look good on large screen.

* The low light photos are they really good on a consistent basis? I looked at the photo thread and it seems a bit hit or miss.

* Does the video capture record sound well? Also have seen mixed opinions about this.

* Do photos print well on to a standard 4x6 print? Again not worried about cropping.

Thanks for any input!!!
 

balibalistic

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i had to return my first htc one, blown speaker. the camera on that one was just awful!!! the camera on my replacement is freaking
great!! iphone 5 quality.
 

aggie

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Camera is ok. Not on the level of the gs4, iPhone 5, Lumia 920. Love the device overall but camera is really a weak spot for me

Posted via Android Central App
 

kolyan2k

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Can't really expect a phone to take amazing pictures, especially since One is not even the best out there. As far as low light shots for large screen..... I doubt, they will be too noisy.
 

SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl

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The camera has an f2 lens, Optical Image Stabilization, and much larger pixels than competing phones. This means it has low light abilities that other phones can not match.

In good light, other phones with more megapixels can produce more detail when viewed at very large sizes, but the One photos are very good at screen resolution and would be fine for a 4x6 print or larger.

For me, I am very happy with the camera for the low light ability as well as the features (zoe/highlights). The camera is very important to me in selecting this phone, and after 1 month, I am glad that I made this choice over the S4 based on the camera.

Things I don't like about the one camera include 16:9 format, less than expected dynamic range (easy to blow highlights to pure white).

Hoping HTC improves the dynamic range through software as the larger pixels should provide better dynamic range.
 

Bobbman

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The camera has an f2 lens, Optical Image Stabilization, and much larger pixels than competing phones. This means it has low light abilities that other phones can not match.

In good light, other phones with more megapixels can produce more detail when viewed at very large sizes, but the One photos are very good at screen resolution and would be fine for a 4x6 print or larger.

For me, I am very happy with the camera for the low light ability as well as the features (zoe/highlights). The camera is very important to me in selecting this phone, and after 1 month, I am glad that I made this choice over the S4 based on the camera.

Things I don't like about the one camera include 16:9 format, less than expected dynamic range (easy to blow highlights to pure white).

Hoping HTC improves the dynamic range through software as the larger pixels should provide better dynamic range.
Can the 16:9 can be changed to 4:3? Are the low light photos real good? Something you would want to save 4x6 print? Or just something just a little better than the competition, but not really save in a photo album quality?
 

AdamsHouseCat

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Hello all......strongly considering the HTC One. Camera quality is really important to me. I have heard some mixed opinions about the camera. Was hopping you could help me based on the following criteria:

* How do photos look on large computer screen. Do not care about cropping or zooming in. Just want them to look good on large screen.

* The low light photos are they really good on a consistent basis? I looked at the photo thread and it seems a bit hit or miss.

* Does the video capture record sound well? Also have seen mixed opinions about this.

* Do photos print well on to a standard 4x6 print? Again not worried about cropping.

Thanks for any input!!!

Here is a partial answer.

I am still learning the phone and camera, but here is what I think I know at 3 weeks:

1. HD Screen resolution is 1920 X 1080 or 2,073,600 pixels, so a 2MP image file is what you need to get total use of an HD computer display.
2. Image captured can be set to "wide" "regular" or "square". (I presume "regular" to be 4X3)
3. I find the low light picture quality often excellent, (and far superior to anything I have ever seen from a phone camera). Sometimes in very low light situations the camera seems to have a hard time staying locked on focus (in part due to shallow depth of field at f-2). I have not been using night mode or flash. Setting the camera to release the shutter upon pressing the focus point might also help in these particularly challenging environments.

Editorial comment here. The 4MP image files - along with this quad core processor- are much "quicker" and this camera is extremely fast in handling these images - in all aspects due to this. Burst rate is nasty fast. The image file sizes are also much closer to what you are able to send via email or text etc.
 
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madlaw1071

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There are many things to like about the One's camera:

1. It's remarkably FAST. It opens quick and snaps shots faster than any camera phone I've seen.
2. The interface is simple and intuitive
3. Low-light performance is impressive BUT this can be misleading. Whereas the One will take better low light pictures on average than it's competitors, the small amount of mega pixels necessitate that phones like the iPhone 5 and S4 are capable of better low light pictures with the proper settings tweaks.

It really depends on how you plan on using your camera. For outdoor shots, the S4 has it all over the One and every review bears this out. If you will only look at photos on your phone or tablet, then the lack of MP on the One wont be a handicap to you. However, if you will view pics on your PC or TV or make prints, then the lack of MP will lead to a lack of detail in the pics and forget about zooming and cropping pics on the One, the pics will be terrible.

I have both the One and the S4 and if the 2 cameras could be combined it would be perfect. To me, the S4 camera is better overall but again, your usage may vary.
 

john2910

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I have my pictures As a wallpaper on my 24inch computer monitor en they look great(if the picture is good offcourse)

The wide angle lens is great to have too...
Daylight pictures will be better on the galaxy s4(but the htc one look more real life) but inside the house the pics are better with the htc one..
The audio mic is the best i have heard on a phone...you can record great concerts with it without distortion and it captures more lowend the any camera phone out there...
 

SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl

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There are many things to like about the One's camera:

Low-light performance is impressive BUT this can be misleading. Whereas the One will take better low light pictures on average than it's competitors, the small amount of mega pixels necessitate that phones like the iPhone 5 and S4 are capable of better low light pictures with the proper settings tweaks.

I disagree completely. The combination of faster lens, larger pixels, and OIS can not be matched by throwing more pixels at the problem, regardless of what magic settings you think you have available.

However, if you will view pics on your PC or TV or make prints, then the lack of MP will lead to a lack of detail in the pics and forget about zooming and cropping pics on the One, the pics will be terrible.

This is also not true. The pics are fine on the PC and the resolution far exceeds full HD capabilities of TVs. Prints of the size the OP asked about will also be no problem for the One. In camera zooming and significant cropping are not the strengths of the One. Zooming the photo to full resolution is fine. Croping for composition or format (i.e. from 16:9 to 4:3) is not a problem. Cropping down to a small portion of the original picture will not give good results.

In sum, the camera on both the S4 and the One are very good for phone cameras. Neither are as good as a point and shoot. The One has significant advantage in low light, despite what madlaw would like you to believe.

My advice with regard to the One is to ignore madlaw. While madlaw did in fact have a One (supposedly given to his daughter after S4 released), he has been an S4 champion since even before the release of the One and has done his best to convince people on this board that the HTC One is inferior since even before release. His comments go from appearing reasonable (if wrong) like above, to down right derogatory (and wrong).
 

madlaw1071

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I disagree completely. The combination of faster lens, larger pixels, and OIS can not be matched by throwing more pixels at the problem, regardless of what magic settings you think you have available.



This is also not true. The pics are fine on the PC and the resolution far exceeds full HD capabilities of TVs. Prints of the size the OP asked about will also be no problem for the One. In camera zooming and significant cropping are not the strengths of the One. Zooming the photo to full resolution is fine. Croping for composition or format (i.e. from 16:9 to 4:3) is not a problem. Cropping down to a small portion of the original picture will not give good results.

In sum, the camera on both the S4 and the One are very good for phone cameras. Neither are as good as a point and shoot. The One has significant advantage in low light, despite what madlaw would like you to believe.

My advice with regard to the One is to ignore madlaw. While madlaw did in fact have a One (supposedly given to his daughter after S4 released), he has been an S4 champion since even before the release of the One and has done his best to convince people on this board that the HTC One is inferior since even before release. His comments go from appearing reasonable (if wrong) like above, to down right derogatory (and wrong).

I own 2 Ones and an S4 and virtually EVERY review bears out my points.
 

madlaw1071

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From AC's excellent camera comparison:

"In all instances the Galaxy S4 benefits from its much higher megapixel count -- around three times that of the HTC One, in fact. It has the potential to capture more detail in daylight, and it also means the various algorithms that reduce visible noise and sharpen the image have that much more data to work with. That?s why you?ll sometimes notice artefacts and other aberrations in dark areas of well-lit HTC One photos.

On the other hand, the HTC One outperformed the S4 in low light shots. (No surprises there.) It?s also much more difficult to get a blurred shot on the HTC One -- there?s very little shutter lag, and features like burst shooting are easier to get to. (Simply long-press the shutter key.)

We should consider the HTC One's excellent Zoe, Zoe Share and Highlights features too. We've missed these on the Galaxy S4, and if you're after an easy way to compile and share instant highlight reels, this is a big point in HTC's favor.

On the whole, though, the Galaxy S4 produced the better-looking images in our testing, despite its comparative weakness in low light shots. The HTC One's camera is by no means bad, but its performance is clearly weighted towards indoor and low-light photography at the expense of daylight performance. The opposite is true of the Galaxy S4, which excelled in daylight photography, and is backed up by an excellent HDR mode.

Ultimately, both the HTC One and Galaxy S4 are great cameraphones, but for different reasons. Which camera is the best fit for you depends on the kind of shots you plan on taking."
 

Paul627g

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Lets keep the discussion civil and free of personal attacks, insults or trolling of members and especially specifically pointing out members by name. Lets remember we can all agree to disagree, that is what a forum is all about to each have an opinion.

Lets start the week off on a good note ;)

Thanks
Paul627g
Forums Moderator.
 

Kevin OQuinn

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I disagree completely. The combination of faster lens, larger pixels, and OIS can not be matched by throwing more pixels at the problem, regardless of what magic settings you think you have available.



This is also not true. The pics are fine on the PC and the resolution far exceeds full HD capabilities of TVs. Prints of the size the OP asked about will also be no problem for the One. In camera zooming and significant cropping are not the strengths of the One. Zooming the photo to full resolution is fine. Croping for composition or format (i.e. from 16:9 to 4:3) is not a problem. Cropping down to a small portion of the original picture will not give good results.

In sum, the camera on both the S4 and the One are very good for phone cameras. Neither are as good as a point and shoot. The One has significant advantage in low light, despite what madlaw would like you to believe.

My advice with regard to the One is to ignore madlaw. While madlaw did in fact have a One (supposedly given to his daughter after S4 released), he has been an S4 champion since even before the release of the One and has done his best to convince people on this board that the HTC One is inferior since even before release. His comments go from appearing reasonable (if wrong) like above, to down right derogatory (and wrong).

You can state your opinion and prove your point without singling anyone out. Madlaw is right, honestly, in that daylight pictures are better with the s4. The One still takes great pictures all around, though, and barring a hardware defect anyone should be happy with them. The One does take really good low light pictures compared to other phones.

Do people really crop and zoom in on cell phone camera pictures for prints and stuff? IMO that's still not a good idea.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
 

cgardnervt

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I have the HTC One but the camera has never been a real selling point. However I can see why it would be! I do enjoy a good camera for the quick snaps that I take and the HTC One I think will do me just fine. My S3's pictures came out sorta blurry at times with low level lighting. I have not personally used the S4's camera but i hear good things about theirs as well. If pictures are the main selling point do you then from what I gather the S4 might be the way to go! But for me the One offers great pictures I think and they have the wider shots as well.
 

SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl

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Can the 16:9 can be changed to 4:3? Are the low light photos real good? Something you would want to save 4x6 print? Or just something just a little better than the competition, but not really save in a photo album quality?

Realize that these shots are compressed by the upload, so they look better out of the camera. The files before upload are over 1mb, but the uploaded files are only about 1/4 of that.

The first is ISO 985 at 1/60 second. The room was lit, but not bright. The second is very dim light with evening light through a window in the back. ISO 1982 at 1/17 of a second. This is about as far as you can push it, imo. The image stabilization helped me get a steady shot. There is noticible noise but it is more noticible on the screen than printed. Realize that although it doesn't look it, this is very low light.
IMAG0388_BURST002.jpgIMAG0453_BURST002.jpg

Now, for comparison purposes, here is a shot compared with the SonyRX100 camera, - this is about the king of compact cameras - 20mp and large sensor,f1.8 lens. It also uses multiple rapid shots automatically combined to eliminate noise . These shots were taken within seconds of each other. The sony is obviously better, in particular with respect to dynamic range - no blown highlights (although it is oversaturated - note to self, reduce saturation setting on RX100). But that camera is $650 and doesn't make phone calls or get email

13 - 1.jpgDSC01386.jpg
 

SCjRqrQCnBQ19QoYCtdl

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You can state your opinion and prove your point without singling anyone out. Madlaw is right, honestly, in that daylight pictures are better with the s4. The One still takes great pictures all around, though, and barring a hardware defect anyone should be happy with them. The One does take really good low light pictures compared to other phones.

Do people really crop and zoom in on cell phone camera pictures for prints and stuff? IMO that's still not a good idea.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

I believe we are in agreement. If you read my comment, I did not disagree with the good light conclusion. I do apologize for singling someone out, the main point I wanted to make is that there were some inaccurate claims and I suppose I could have done it more effectively.

What I disagreed with was this statement:

Quoted Comment:
"...the small amount of mega pixels neccesitate that phones like the iPhone 5 and S4 are capable of better low light pictures with the proper settings tweaks."

My Response:
"I disagee completely. The combination of faster lens, larger pixels, and OIS can not be matched by throwing more pixels at the problem..."

Later Comment seems to contradict eariler comment - quoted from the AC Review -
"... HTC One outperformed the S4 in low light shots. (No surprises there.) "

So which is it? HTC One out performs S4 in low light or S4 is capable of better low light pictures due to One have less megapixels?

And I also disagreed with:

"However, if you will view pics on your PC or TV or make prints, then the lack of MP will lead to a lack of detail in the pics..."
 

dre22era

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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.
 

madlaw1071

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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."
 

Kevin OQuinn

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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.

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
 

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