Share your Nexus 5 camera photos, videos, and thoughts!

This is the place to discuss the Nexus 5's photo/video performance, as well as to share photos, videos, panoramas, and photospheres that youv'e taken. The camera has been an important talking point of this Nexus phone since the Nexus 4 was released, so it'll be very interesting to see how this plays out.

The Nexus 5 has a 1.3MP front-facing camera and an 8MP rear-facing camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization). It includes the following features:

HDR+: The perfect picture, every time. With HDR+, capture vivid photos by day and sharper photos by night.

Photosphere: Capture your biggest moments. With Photo Sphere, create an immersive 360° view no professional camera can match.

Auto Backup: Every photo, backed up and better than ever. Auto Backup automatically saves and enhances every photo and video.

Auto Awesome: Awesome new photos, made for you. Auto Awesome automatically creates animations, photo booth shots, and panoramas from your library.

Our friends over at MobileSyrup have a nice hands-on with the Nexus 5, including a couple comparison shots between the Nexus 5 and iPhone 5S.

Hands-on with the Nexus 5 | MobileSyrup.com

GigaOm seems to think the camera is decent. Nexus 5 hands-on: Looks like an impressive Google Android flagship — Tech News and Analysis

^^ Seemed like N5 take pictures that are a little brighter on the outside than inside. N5 makes the hotel looked nicer inside. So, 5s is better at capturing pictures outdoor? Okay, I'm not an expert at recognizing quality pictures, but I would like to see more picture comparisons like that.

Originally Posted by GearJ2o

^^ Seemed like N5 take pictures that are a little brighter on the outside than inside. N5 makes the hotel looked nicer inside. So, 5s is better at capturing pictures outdoor? Okay, I'm not an expert at recognizing quality pictures, but I would like to see more picture comparisons like that.

Agreed. Its tough to look at comparisons. I feel like no phone has offered the total package just yet. I currently have a Lumia 928 and an iPhone 5s. The Lumia blows the 5s out of the water in low light (outdoors and indoors) but iPhone manages white balance better than any other device on the market. I was lucky enough to order my 32gb Nexus 5 today and look forward to writing up some comparisons on medium.com

I'm not trying to be a fanboy, but IMO the Nexus 5 pictures looked better than the 5S in those comparisons.

One of the primary reasons I bought my Lumia 920 was for the camera. I'd love to see a decent photo comparison between the 920 and the Nexus 5. I'm "that close" to switching, but I'm not sure about the camera.

Originally Posted by David Lessnau

One of the primary reasons I bought my Lumia 920 was for the camera. I'd love to see a decent photo comparison between the 920 and the Nexus 5. I'm "that close" to switching, but I'm not sure about the camera.

I'll be sure to supply you with that as soon as mine gets in :)

Here is a low-light shot that I found over at Phandroid. This one is actually pretty impressive if you ask me. Focus could be better , but thats on the person who snapped the photo really. Tone is quite good.

Okay. I'm looking forward to that write-up. Im waiting on AT&T to announce their plans with N5 so I know I won't be getting my Nexus 5 anytime soon.

Does the HDR+ mode save *just* the HDR'ed image or is there a setting to allow it to also save the original image (as iOS has)?

In Kit Kat has anything been changed to allow one to view more than 1000 images in the instant upload album?

Wow that looks awesome

That's just a good picture in general. but someone makes me feel like this photo was edited.

Originally Posted by dammitcubs

That's just a good picture in general. but someone makes me feel like this photo was edited.

there's some editing for sure. there's an overall warming color cast to it. Vignetting/burning over the top and on the hotspots of the lights. No SOC pic is going to have that gray/black cast over a hotspot like that. and if the phone is vignetting or darkening just the top that bad... somethings wrong :)

Originally Posted by GearJ2o

Okay. I'm looking forward to that write-up. Im waiting on AT&T to announce their plans with N5 so I know I won't be getting my Nexus 5 anytime soon.

AT&T probably won't announce anything about the Nexus 5. It will work on their network just fine, but they probably aren't going to ever carry it in their stores.

Do we know if the Nexus 5 supports slow motion video?

Two nice night shots taken by the Nexus 5, courtesy of Alex.

https://plus.google.com/115589706410...ts/izH9WQ5h2F4

Originally Posted by Patrick Schroedl

Two nice night shots taken by the Nexus 5, courtesy of Alex.

https://plus.google.com/115589706410...ts/izH9WQ5h2F4

It's weird that the f/stop info keeps showing differently. I was under the impression this was a set number for phone cameras? Alex, your photos show 2.4, yet most of the other photos that have shown up keep showing 2.5. I think some of the photos that leaked right before on the 30th also were showing 2.4 as well. Can this camera actually change that, or are there two cameras out there?

Shooting with the Nexus 5 - Taking Google's Nexus 5 camera out for a spin (pictures) - CNET Reviews

Originally Posted by jev425

Shooting with the Nexus 5 - Taking Google's Nexus 5 camera out for a spin (pictures) - CNET Reviews

Most of those look pretty bad. Poor focus issues. But im again hoping this is caused by the person and not the camera. It wouldnt be a stretch seeing how filthy the lens seems to be on the night time shots.

Double post

Can someone tell me if the video mode supports HDR?

Originally Posted by Mo ZedEl

Can someone tell me if the video mode supports HDR?

That's highly unlikely; HDR for video is significantly more hardware-intensive for video than it is for single photos. To achieve such an effect on a standard (non-RAW) video file, you'd essentially be using an HDR technique similar to Snapseed's recently-announced HDR Scape on each frame of the video.

All the photos I've seen taken by the Nexus 5 are "squarish." I assume they've got an aspect ratio of 4:3. Is there a setting to change the camera to take pictures in a 16x9 aspect ratio?

Best comparison so far camera wise. Nexus 5 camera vs HTC One, iPhone 5S, Lumia 1020, GS4, Note 3, XperiaZ1

Originally Posted by cdd543

Best comparison so far camera wise. Nexus 5 camera vs HTC One, iPhone 5S, Lumia 1020, GS4, Note 3, XperiaZ1

Thanks for pointing that out. Waiting on mine to arrive and I was fighting between the HTC One and the Nexus 5 and honestly, I feel better with the Nexus 5 as that was the only worry I had.

Another one from Alex. Looks great.

https://plus.google.com/115589706410...ts/N8t1CKwQTSy

Originally Posted by Patrick Schroedl

Another one from Alex. Looks great.

https://plus.google.com/115589706410...ts/N8t1CKwQTSy

For this phone to be shooting pics that good, you can't beat the price! Shooting like a 700 dollar phone camera. Looks great. 1020 great? Not even close but shoots with the best of the rest.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

Nexus 5 vs Galaxy S4 - Camera Test Comparison - YouTube

Repost but probably the best comparison so far

Originally Posted by jev425

Nexus 5 vs Galaxy S4 - Camera Test Comparison - YouTube

Repost but probably the best comparison so far

That was a great video. Basically what it told me is that with the availability of post-processing options I would never let the camera make my decision between these two phones.

Nexus 5 Camera Samples and Initial Impressions

;)

I don't see google skimping on the camera when everything else is a power house

Hey all. I've taken some comparison shots between the N5 and a Nokia Lumia 925. I've gone for some low light shots here to show how the N5 holds up against one of the top low light performers on the market. Both sets of phots were taken using the stock camera app, all settings at auto with the flash turned off. The time of day was dusk. The chair shot had no artificial light source, the t-shirt was in a room with a desk lamp turned on and the garden was illuminated by a security light. I'm no camera expert, and these shots have been resized, so aren't a true reflection of either phones' output; but hopefully they give a reasonable, real-world reference for comparison in low light settings. N5 on the left, L925 on the right.(Or 1st and 2nd respectively, depending on the screen you are reading this on)

Attachment 89924Attachment 89925

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Performance under good lighting, to my untrained eye, appears to be comparable, with the L925 being a little better at picking out detail in shaded areas. I'd say the biggest difference comes from the stock apps; The Nokia Camera app is quite frankly in an entirely different league to stock Android 4.4. The features, coupled with granular control over the hardware, are excellent, as is the UI. The Android equivalent; not so much. Still, the overall package is a nice kick-on from the N4 and I reckon it'll serve for most people.

Edit:

I've taken a few close ups of my boys snoozing after our walk this morning, to show what the N5 cam can do in a macro sense. They were taken from around 5/6cm from the subject, indoors, this time using the HDR+ mode. Again, they have been resized, so aren't genuinely accurate, just an indication.

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I wouldn't mind seeing comparison shots from an n4 and n5. I'm really hoping the new camera is just better than this one!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Nexus 5 Video and Picture Samples | TechnoBuffalo

As you mentioned the app, or rather the post-processing aspect, makes a large difference.

I would imagine that the purchasable apps in Google Play will make much better use of the OIS and camera lens than Google's stock app.

Here are some lowlight shots I just took with the N5. Applied the vintage filter to the first two, the third is completely without modification.

I'm insanely pleased with that camera. AF could be faster, but shot-to-shot speed is faster than on my 1020 even with the HDR+ mode on.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

An interesting comparison of video and pics for the Nexus 5 and G2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq-3ZhAjCqU

Can someone test the front facing camera please as mine is quite dark when taking video, but nice and bright when taking still images?
Is this just mine or is there a significant difference when switching between the two? Front facing camera only.

G2 was slightly better.

Nexus 5 camera is 10x better than Nexus 4.

Posted via Android Central App

This thread will explode tomorrow afternoon.

This seems like a solid review: Nexus 5 review | The Verge. Sadly, a reportedly disappointing camera and battery.

Although, in this comparison: http://recombu.com/mobile/news/googl...on_M19696.html. I actually think the Nexus 5 is tied for 2nd place (with the iPhone 5S, and behind the Lumia 1020).

Yet another: http://www.androidcentral.com/nexus-...-video-samples. The Note 3 looks better than the Nexus 5, imo.

And in the Nexus 5 vs. Galaxy S4 video posted above, they both break even, imo.

Originally Posted by harrycarry250

This thread will explode tomorrow afternoon.

:)

Some Tahitian Treat snapped with my N5. Coming from Galaxy Nexus so it's a huge upgrade for me

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

First impression: very meh.

Shutter is slow in hdr+ and picture will never be fast enough for indoors on a moving target. Low light really blows.

And I was using a moto X so this is marginally worse, IMO.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

Agreed that the shutter is very slow and struggles to focus. If you are taking an image of a still subject then you have a chance, otherwise you get some blurry shots. HDR+ shots come out sharper for me as stated by many others. Hope they fix it soon.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Just un-boxed my N5. Took a couple shots w/HDR+ on.

Attachment 90230

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Originally Posted by pseudoware

Just un-boxed my N5. Took a couple shots w/HDR+ on.

Attachment 90230

Attachment 90231

Well that's not that bad as others are saying ...

Here is a pic that I snapped of my dog yesterday, before I took her out for her walk.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by gnondpomme

Well that's not that bad as others are saying ...

Yeah don't move for about two seconds. It will never work if you're trying to take a great shot in a quick moment.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

unboxing mine now wow it fricken awesome feeling

I just realized you can use the volume buttons as the shutter

Attachment 90302

First photos with the N5- personally the "auto" color is a bit warm (yellow) for my taste but I'm playing with the settings. I may be a fan of the sunny day. Not sure yet and it will take some time.

First pic is of iphone 5s taken normally and than the nexus 5. Than the 3rd pic is iphone 5s in HDR mode and the last one is nexus 5 in HDR+

Looks good. The iPhone +HDR looks the best (sky isn't blown out), but all are decent quality in my opinion.

Today was a gray autumn day so the fall leaves don't look like much, but here's a HDR+ shot that's interesting because the lights aren't just black areas, but have some detail.



ADDED: Shot of the lobby of the Fisher Building in Detroit.

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/...89875692_n.jpg

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Just trying out the low light. Seems better than my n4 so far.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Since the view finder is 16:9 and the final image size is 4:3, I suppose it will be having a lot more of vertical space. Is there a way I can limit the image to just what is seen on the view finder. Otherwise I believe composing an image on N5 would be very hard. From the N5 photo-spheres I saw, its clear stitching has improved a lot but the output file size hasn't changed much , has anyone noticed any difference in panoramas. I always felt that panorama resolution was too low on GNex.

Originally Posted by heywire

Do we know if the Nexus 5 supports slow motion video?

no :(

Attachment 90397

Originally Posted by jev425

Nexus 5 vs Galaxy S4 - Camera Test Comparison - YouTube

Repost but probably the best comparison so far

I was very impressed with the N5 quality. If it's even close to the GS4 I would be happy.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Originally Posted by zipro

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/04/dy2avybu.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/04/tarysagu.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/11/04/tasyqe6e.jpg


Here are some lowlight shots I just took with the N5. Applied the vintage filter to the first two, the third is completely without modification.

I'm insanely pleased with that camera. AF could be faster, but shot-to-shot speed is faster than on my 1020 even with the HDR+ mode on.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Love the chair, turn table and old button phone. Goes nicely with the retro filter.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Attachment 90458Attachment 90457
1st image 'normal,' 2nd image taken with HDR+. HUGE difference, imho. Color of the brick around the fountain, the wall in the background, and the water are all much truer to life in the 2nd.

Originally Posted by Jeremy8000

Attachment 90458Attachment 90457
1st image 'normal,' 2nd image taken with HDR+. HUGE difference, imho. Color of the brick around the fountain, the wall in the background, and the water are all much truer to life in the 2nd.

I agree. The HDR+ pictures I find are truer in color than normal mode. Even putting it in the "party" scene mode or the "sunny" mode on white balance settings has better color than in auto mode

Has anyone noticed that just messing around with the camera eats up the battery?

Nexus 5 vs Nexus 4 camera comparison: big differences in low-light

Quick camera showdown: Google Nexus 5 versus Apple iPhone 5s

HDR+ from my new 32 GB N5, with some Snapseed goodness. MUUUUUCH better than anything my N4 could capture. Not sure why some people are complaining so much in reviews... I'm very happy with the camera so far, considering the price I paid for this phone!

Sucks the image is downgraded on forum post, but in full res, it looks amazing :)

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

I like your style :)

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

whats wrong with video recording it stutters the whole time you try to shoot your Video. You having the same Problem or is it just me?
Tried it several times no luck. Any setting i need to do?

Rainy day over here. HDR+ enabled.

hey people,
really none of you has a problem that recorded videos stutter a lot??
I did try all settings i could find but no luck videos still stutter.

If non of you has a problem my phone has a defect.

please let me know what going on with your phones.

Thanks.

I think the camera is quite nice:

Attachment 90606

Nexus 5 vs iPhone 5s - Camera Test Comparison - YouTube

First nexus 5 shot from me. All auto. Mushroom cloud!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by jev425

First pic is of iphone 5s taken normally and than the nexus 5. Than the 3rd pic is iphone 5s in HDR mode and the last one is nexus 5 in HDR+

The HDR iphone shot looks washed out still with no color in it. I like the Nexus HRD+ shot much better. Looks alive, more color.

Also just an FYI, you are posting images with GPS information in them. Not sure if you knew that or not.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

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I took this shot at night in a poorly lit room using hdr+. I don't know what more you could ask from a cell phone camera. If you can't take a good shot with this camera, it's because you're a bad photographer. I don't mean that as an insult...I'm a bad singer and a bad dancer. This is a great camera.Attachment 90646

Normal mode (no HDR) - Scene set to auto

Attachment 90668
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HDR+ mode - Scene set to auto

Attachment 90670

Originally Posted by JeffDenver

Normal mode (no HDR) - Scene set to auto

[pic]
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HDR+ mode - Scene set to auto

[pic]

That's odd... I would have expected the reverse in results.

Originally Posted by Jeremy8000

That's odd... I would have expected the reverse in results.

Me too. Maybe I am mis-interpreting the settings? But it is like this on most pictures I took.

The 2nd picture does look better to me though. Even though the first one is brighter, the 2nd one is richer and sharper.

Normal mode (no HDR) - Scene set to auto

Attachment 90735

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HDR+ mode - Scene set to auto

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On this one the difference is a lot more clear. HDR mode is warmer and sharper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDX7y...y6l4KSkUaRm2Rg

Here is an auto awesome video I made yesterday.

Some Macro Samples:


Macro, Normal mode, Scene Auto

Attachment 90778

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Macro, HDR+, Scene Auto

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Macro, HDR+, Scene Auto

Attachment 90782

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As you can see from the middle one, the HDR mode does bring out more detail in macro shots as well. It aint just for low light.

camera is good but slow shutter. need more settings, better camera app.

Originally Posted by Qbancelli

http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/...psfe61ab65.jpg

I'll take the Stella please :-)

Morning coffee... HDR+ mode with no further edits.
Attachment 90868

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

Originally Posted by svencux

whats wrong with video recording it stutters the whole time you try to shoot your Video. You having the same Problem or is it just me?
Tried it several times no luck. Any setting i need to do?

The video is a little choppy when panning during recording but the recorded video plays smooth. Is this what you mean?

I've been playing with this camera mod

Attachment 90885

Attachment 90888

HDR+ with scene set to auto. This is cropped but otherwise unaltered.

Attachment 90948

Originally Posted by pseudoware

I've been playing with this camera mod

Attachment 90885

Attachment 90888

Got any meth inside that batter?

Sent from my Nexus 5

Originally Posted by Marck527

Got any meth inside that batter?

Sent from my Nexus 5

Attachment 90956

Blue meth is the best meth.

Some of the low-light shots are really impressive!

So this is a pic my wife snapped of me tonight. No flash, low light and HDR on. I couldn't be happier with the picture. I was actually very impressed. It captured the mood perfectly.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using AC Forums mobile app

Just placed an order earlier today for a N5. The slow shutter posts kinda of worry me. I have a very active 2 year old that is constantly moving. I don't expect over the top from my cell phone pics, I break out the Canon DSLR for that, but I do like a solid pic. I love the pics my S3 takes, HDR matched with Perfectly clear and a few other apps and I'm extremely happy. Looking/Hoping for similar performance.

Here are some of my S3 pics.

These are 3 of my more point and click off the cuff pictures.

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I make comparison between my old Digicam Sony DSC-W130, Nexus 5, and Nexus 5 HDR+ Mode :)

First thing to note: HDR+ is definitely much better than auto mode, always use it when possible!

Overall, I'm satisfied with the Nexus 5 camera, but it didn't beat the Sony. Nexus 5 outperformed the Sony with near scenes (lamp, kitchen), while the Sony did better with far away scenes (grass, socket). The sony captured more detail, but the Nexus produces better photos when they contain gradients such as shadows or shiny surfaces. The sensor of the Nexus camera is inferior, but I guess it makes up by better prost processing. For complex scenery, the Sony is better, for simple indoor scenery, the Nexus is better.

I didn't test low-light conditions, but that's actually one of the Nexus' strengths and I'm pretty sure it will outperform my old camera there.

First photo: Sony DSC-W130, second photo: Nexus 5 auto mode, third photo: Nexus 5 HDR+ Mode

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Originally Posted by Diesel6401

Just placed an order earlier today for a N5. The slow shutter posts kinda of worry me. I have a very active 2 year old that is constantly moving. I don't expect over the top from my cell phone pics, I break out the Canon DSLR for that, but I do like a solid pic.

The shutter speeds are not bad on the Nexus 5, as long as you are in normal mode. It's only really slow in HDR+. But the S3 definitely has a faster shutter speed.

Originally Posted by bernhard65

I make comparison between my old Digicam Sony DSC-W130, Nexus 5, and Nexus 5 HDR+ Mode :)

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The Nexus 5 sink picture actually looks like it out performed your dlsr.

Originally Posted by JeffDenver

The shutter speeds are not bad on the Nexus 5, as long as you are in normal mode. It's only really slow in HDR+. But the S3 definitely has a faster shutter speed.

Thanks for the info!