Is there a replacement camera app that makes the camera better?

[jerrykur]

The camera in this phone is terrible. Actually, let me be more specific. The default software combined with the camera sensor are terrible. The unit is slow to focus, often mis-focuses, and takes blurry pictures as a result of mis-focusing and poor choices for shutter speed.

Is there are replacement app that makes better use of the camera sensor in the phone?

Thanks,

jerry

 

[360Mobiles]

I'm interested in this as well. The camera in this device obviously has potential, as seen in the Xperia Z3, but Moto has to step up their game big time in the focusing, speed and post-processing department.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[PowrDroid]

The camera in this phone is terrible.

The camera in this phone is very good, almost as good as an iPhone and/or Note 4.

The unit is slow to focus

In low light situations, yes, just like almost all cell phone cameras.

often mis-focuses,

Are you using 'tap to focus' option and 'auto exposure'?

and takes blurry pictures as a result of mis-focusing and poor choices for shutter speed.

95% of all complaints I initially had about the camera were fixed by realizing I had to hold the camera a split second after I heard the shutter sound. The shutter is a tad slow.

Is there are replacement app that makes better use of the camera sensor in the phone?

The app, A Better Camera has lots of options on it. I take most of my shots with the stock Moto camera app. If I'm in a situation where tweaking is needed I use A Better Camera. Not that the shutter is faster, might be a little bit, but I use it for the other settings like White Balance.

There is the hope that Lollipop will fix the slow shutter.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/mo...-will-fix-turbo-s-sluggish-shutter-speed.html

 

[quantum tao]

The camera in this phone is terrible. Actually, let me be more specific. The default software combined with the camera sensor are terrible. The unit is slow to focus, often mis-focuses, and takes blurry pictures as a result of mis-focusing and poor choices for shutter speed.

Is there are replacement app that makes better use of the camera sensor in the phone?

Thanks,

jerry

this was a big let down about this phone, definitely not what they advertised.

 

[Bob Maida]

Taken this evening at 10:50 p.m. With droid turbo 64 G and stock camera software

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[jamielov]

I really don't get the constant defenders of the camera app that constantly post on here, as this camera is indeed horrid. One shouldn't need to go through a checklist of 23 different settings and actions taken before shooting a photo to get something useable. Its annoying as hell to constant read "did you tap to focus, did you turn on/or HDR, did you stand on your head, did you secure the stillness of the camera with steel wires, did you snap the shot 7 seconds before the pic you wanted while holding the shoot button for an extra 9 seconds?". Its a point and shoot. Since we keep repeating the same defenses I'll repeat that my Maxx took constantly better pictures in regular and low light with no effort. If this camera is so great, even usuable, why are there roughly 19 posts on any turbo board complaining about it? User error, right?

And as usual as posted above....a still shot of parked cars "proving"??? The camera is great? Yet i can't get a useable pic of my lazy pug slowly walking across my living room. Photos at any hockey game I attend... Forget it. A blurry mess of half focused and half blurry players on the ice. Yeah...its a great camera.

 

[GatsbyGlen]

I use an app called "A Better Camera". I like it - it "seems" to take better pictures than the stock app and it's pretty easy to use.

I don't see cell phones taking better pictures than stand alone cameras. Otherwise, they wouldn't sell stand alone cameras. I didn't buy the Turbo for the camera, so I'm happy with it. It takes good enough pictures to post on Crackbook.

 

[jamielov]

No one is really claiming the camera should take "better pictures than stand alone cameras" are they? All we want are useable pictures. Is that hard to understand? If someone buys a bicycle and it only pedals up to 3 mph, is the response..."I don't see bicycles getting you to your location faster than a car, otherwise they wouldn't sell cars"? Again, even for a cell phone, this camera sucks. 21 mp highly touted and advertised powerhouse camera that struggles to take a non blurry photo. And to save the next defensive response. I realize that MP don't mean better photos, so maybe moto should've focused on an 8-10mp camera that actually works.

 

[PowrDroid]

Why does it bother you so much that most people are satisfied with the camera in their Turbo?

I'll repeat that my Maxx took constantly better pictures in regular and low light with no effort.

Maybe you got a Turbo with a defective camera. There is no comparison between my Turbo and my previous Maxx HD, or my son's Moto X. Turbo is superior in every situation.

Photos at any hockey game I attend... Forget it. A blurry mess of half focused and half blurry players on the ice. Yeah...its a great camera.

Operator error? Interesting theory. Let's take that hockey game complaint. You have a photo setting where there is a gigantic sheet of white ice with smallish contrasting figures in motion. You're on auto-focus, auto exposure. The white ice is going to overload the sensor telling it the viewfinder is full of light. You expect a cell phone to do well in those conditions?

why are there roughly 19 posts on any turbo board complaining about it?

Why are there dozens and dozens of posts about blurry photos in EVERY phone's forum on Android Central? Isn't it likely that in certain situations NO cell phone camera is going to perform?

 

[GatsbyGlen]

No one is really claiming the camera should take "better pictures than stand alone cameras" are they? All we want are useable pictures. Is that hard to understand? If someone buys a bicycle and it only pedals up to 3 mph, is the response..."I don't see bicycles getting you to your location faster than a car, otherwise they wouldn't sell cars"? Again, even for a cell phone, this camera sucks. 21 mp highly touted and advertised powerhouse camera that struggles to take a non blurry photo. And to save the next defensive response. I realize that MP don't mean better photos, so maybe moto should've focused on an 8-10mp camera that actually works.

What's hard to understand is the constant complaining, expecting an actual outcome. Sounds like insanity. Buy a different phone then.

 

[quantum tao]

What's hard to understand is the constant complaining, expecting an actual outcome. Sounds like insanity. Buy a different phone then.

thats why i'm disappointed, i have only had windows smartphones in the past, mostly nokia. the nokia icon being my previous phone came with a similar 20mp camera, or so i thought. it simply does not compare. droid turbo was marketed as a flagship device with a top of the line camera, the camera sucks. i like everything else about it, and i'm enjoying learning about android.
people keep complaining because they want to be heard, but motorola has their earplugs in.

 

[droidguy1964]

thats why i'm disappointed, i have only had windows smartphones in the past, mostly nokia. the nokia icon being my previous phone came with a similar 20mp camera, or so i thought. it simply does not compare. droid turbo was marketed as a flagship device with a top of the line camera, the camera sucks. i like everything else about it, and i'm enjoying learning about android.
people keep complaining because they want to be heard, but motorola has their earplugs in.

Its just the way moto does it. I love moto and always buy moto but the cameras are always sub par. Every single time.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[GatsbyGlen]

thats why i'm disappointed, i have only had windows smartphones in the past, mostly nokia. the nokia icon being my previous phone came with a similar 20mp camera, or so i thought. it simply does not compare. droid turbo was marketed as a flagship device with a top of the line camera, the camera sucks. i like everything else about it, and i'm enjoying learning about android.
people keep complaining because they want to be heard, but motorola has their earplugs in.

I don't think Motorola will change anything. Of course they will advertise it as a top of the line camera. However, there were plenty of reviews out there that I read (prior to purchasing the phone) indicating the camera wasn't that good, as compared to other phones. I still bought the Turbo though because the camera wasn't the most important feature for me.

 

[jamielov]

What's hard to understand is the constant complaining, expecting an actual outcome. Sounds like insanity. Buy a different phone then.

Constant complaining....well....you realize that over time, Moto may hear some of this and try to release a software update for the camera? Or should we just go on saying how amazing it is, so they won't have to even think about fixing it? "Buy a different camera then". Also a comical response. Because i have $800 lying around? Or are you offering? If one buys a car sold with the advertising of a " powerhouse engine made to capture all your driving needs" and under perfect circumstances it goes 19mph...and they are unhappy and dare speak of it...do you tell them..."buy a new car" then?

 

[this_is_nascar]

I am, by no means, a camera expert. That being said, my camera has worked just fine out of the box. It takes great pictures. I'd prefer it deal a little bit better in low-light conditions, but I don't really have any complaints.

 

[jerrykur]

Thanks for the replies. I will give "A better camera" a try.

As it is now, I have largely quit using the camera in my Droid Turbo. It cannot not handle many of my use cases for out and about shooting. My previous phones (HTC Evo, iPhone, etc) have been adequate for these situations, but not the Droid Turbo. I have plenty of dedicated cameras so I will just have to carry them more often unless this app can get the Droid Turbo camera to an acceptable level of performance. The alternative is to continue to have my wife use her Galaxy S5 to take all the shots. That phone seems to have no issues in getting shots where the Droid Turbo fails.

 

[jamielov]

Powrdroid...it doesn't bother me at all people are happy with the camera. And as I've stated many times...if I'm taking a picture of a stationary object in perfect light, I'll prob get a good picture. But to defend this camera to the lengths you do is laughable.

You've picked apart my complaining about blurry hockey games. I'm 99% sure no matter what scenario I pick you can also dissect to tell me why I can't get a useable picture (dog: color of the carpet coupled with the sunlight and the dogs spots could play havoc on the auto focus. Concert: dark venue with colored lights throwing off the auto focus, and causing ghosting) until there is really nothing left to take pictures of.

As ive stated, I'm not asking for much. I know moto can make a good camera. I've taken amazing shots with my old Maxx. And if one reads how this camera was marketed, yes, people should be upset. As I've said, one shouldn't need to stand on their head, or eliminate life's moments (concerts, moving objects, hockey games) to get a useable photo. I'm sorry, I'm upset. Had moto not touted this amazing camera I may have not gotten the phone. But with my Maxx rocking great shots, and the hype moto gave this camera, yes I wanted more

 

[jerrykur]

Operator error? Interesting theory. Let's take that hockey game complaint. You have a photo setting where there is a gigantic sheet of white ice with smallish contrasting figures in motion. You're on auto-focus, auto exposure. The white ice is going to overload the sensor telling it the viewfinder is full of light. You expect a cell phone to do well in those conditions?

Depending upon the size of the figures these are near perfect conditions for focusing. High contrast and a uniform background is just what a focusing system prays for.

 

[jamielov]

Agree. I've gotten some amazing action shots (broken record here) at plenty of games AND concerts with the MAXX. Turbo.. A huge mess. Admitting its a problem or not, a quicker shutter may fix all of this. So yes, I will continue to talk about it in hopes it may be fixed. If you think I'm wrong for doing so, read the Moto advertising blurb posted again and again, and try to understand why I'm upset.

 

[doogald]

Operator error? Interesting theory. Let's take that hockey game complaint. You have a photo setting where there is a gigantic sheet of white ice with smallish contrasting figures in motion. You're on auto-focus, auto exposure. The white ice is going to overload the sensor telling it the viewfinder is full of light. You expect a cell phone to do well in those conditions?

Here's the thing: iPhones typically do well even in situations like this.

It's kind of sad. For years now, even since the Google purchase, Motorola phones have been rightfully downgraded for poor camera hardware and software. Photography is increasingly an important reason why people buy cell phones. The previous generation Moto X and Droids were downgraded by reviewers (and owners) mostly for one thing: the poor camera. Yet, knowing all of this, Motorola continues to release phones that underperform in photography.

Maybe it's expecting too much to hope that Motorola spends as much R&D on photography as Apple does - they make so much profit on phone sales that they can afford it. But I don't think it's asking too much that Motorola try to at least match Samsung and LG, and they have not with this generation of phones.

Yes, yes, yes - the Turbo can take some great photos. The sad thing is that it should do it more often than it does, and it should have the hardware to do so. Maybe that's the good news - maybe Motorola will spend some time now improving the software that processes the captured images. Let's all hope so.