Camera not living up to expectations

[project.in.process]

I've had the phone for 4 days, and immediately (upon receipt) begun taking pictures in all sorts of lighting conditions (low light, overcast, bright, indoor, motion) and of different subjects (plants, trees, people, cars, buildings).
After doing so, I'm not too impressed by the camera in low light situations OR with zoom on previously taken photos.

Anyone else?

I'd seen some images from the MXPE (on a youtube video) of a guy who took a photo of a flower and zoomed in and you could see the hair on a bee's leg. From the pictures i've taken, i don't think the N6P could match this. Is this where the 21mp v 12mp comes into play?

(other features, like Doze, are fantastic and live up to the hype)

 

[zkSharks]

The ability of digital zoom will be largely determined by the effective resolution, so yeah, I could see the Moto X PE winning out in that sense.

 

[ottscay]

Honestly, no one should ever use digital zoom (which is just cropping the image) - you should frame the image the way you want it first. That said, if you are forced to (e.g. with some wildlife) crop out part of the image then yes, more megapixels will definitely help the end result. Aside from cropping an image there are no other examples I've seen of the MXPE besting the 6P in image quality.

 

[karmamule]

This photo was taken in a dim (and, yes, a bit messy) room. I'm happy with the quality for how dim the room was. (Default settings, no editing)

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

While I don't have the phone (should be receiving it this week though), I thought the 6P performed quite well in low light scenarios? Which phones are you comparing the 6P with?

I'd imagine OIS would help both the low light capabilies of the phone a bit along with the stability while zoomed. Also from what I gather, while the 6P has a nice camera and is able to compete with other high-end phones, but if you directly compare and really want to determine the best, I think cameras on the LG G4, Galaxy S6/Note 5 and iPhone 6/6S edge out the 6P slightly. Again, I don't have the phone, that's just the impressions I get from reading reviews/comparisons.

Though, the camera should absolutely be serviceable and give you a 'good' shot more often than not. If your images are clearly off and not focusing or something, then you could have a defective unit.

 

[trap49]

My 6P absolutely would not focus, I had to get an RMA for a new unit.

 

[ottscay]

Also from what I gather, while the 6P has a nice camera and is able to compete with other high-end phones, but if you directly compare and really want to determine the best, I think cameras on the LG G4, Galaxy S6/Note 5 and iPhone 6/6S edge out the 6P slightly. Again, I don't have the phone, that's just the impressions I get from reading reviews/comparisons.

According to DxO Mark (which specifically reviews cameras and smartphone cameras) the 6P is better than every other smartphone camera except the Sony Xperiz Z5 and the Samsung S6 Edge: DxOMark Mobile - DxOMark

I'm sure the Note 5 or the S6 (non-edge) will do about as well as the S6 Edge, but otherwise the Nexus 6P is in the same range of all but the Z5, and better than the iPhone 6S (they haven't reviewed the iP6S+ yet, so perhaps that will creep up the ratings as well).

I'm sure OIS would have helped out the 6P's low-light photography, but they might not have been able keep the price so low in that case. Anyhow, it seems to be as good as any other flagship phone's camera in N.A. at this point in time.

 

[AustinTech]

My 6p wipes the floor with every other phone I've had in terms of low light performance, including my S6. Nothing even comes close. Sometimes I take low light photos just cause I can. Cause its fun to see photos like the camera can see in the dark....

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[hpilot]

Looks pretty good to me. This is not an SLR. This was taken at dusk:

 

[nrfitchett4]

Looks pretty good to me. This is not an SLR. This was taken at dusk:

[url]http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp68/hpilot123/IMG_20151101_174929.jpg[/URL]

[url]http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp68/hpilot123/IMG_20151101_175526.jpg[/URL]

Those are with the 6p? Great shots!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[CellGuy]

I am very please with pics so far!

 

[wrich2005]

Looks pretty good to me. This is not an SLR. This was taken at dusk:

[url]http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp68/hpilot123/IMG_20151101_174929.jpg[/URL]

[url]http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp68/hpilot123/IMG_20151101_175526.jpg[/URL]

You have a nice house! But it looks like dexter and Rita's from the show Dexter lol

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[syspry]

You have a nice house! But it looks like dexter and Rita's from the show Dexter lol

Posted via the Android Central App

Looks like they're neighbors during Halloween, not his, notice there's 2 different properties. But damn yes those are extremely impressive shots! I love how all aspects of a very large area are in crisp detail, no blurring of foreground or background in some areas like you see in some photos

 

[hpilot]

Those are with the 6p? Great shots!

Posted via the Android Central App

Yes they are with the 6P. These are some of the first pictures I have taken. I am very happy with this camera so far. It is so much better than any other phone I have ever had!

 

[dty06]

Coming from an HTC One M8, it sure as hell can't be any worse than what I've got right now!

 

[wunderbar]

The camera is fantastic. I have no idea what you wouldn't be happy with. I've been able to take shots that there would be no way to have done with my Nexus 5.

 

[karmamule]

I have an S6 Edge+ and iphone 6S and IMO the 6p's camera is right up there with those two in both general and low-light performance.

 

[LeoRex]

Is this where the 21mp v 12mp comes into play?

Very much so. While pixel count isn't the end all, be all... when it comes to detail preservation (especially when zooming in), pixels are king. The MXPE has nearly 75% more pixels, so under good conditions, that's going to be quite noticeable if you crop and zoom into a picture. But that can sometimes come at a cost.... more pixels often mean smaller pixels, which are more prone to noise... particularly when the light starts to wane.

Now, 12MP is not bad at all... sure, you won't be able to blow the damn things up much, but as long as you keep cropping to a minimum, you'll end up with printable pictures. If you are going to get "ENHANCE!" on them, yeah, the 21MP sensor will work out better.

BTW... digital zoom is bad... very bad. Kill it with fire and bury the ashes in the deepest mine shaft you can find. For stills, never zoom in on the subject. You can just crop it later.

 

[bimbert84]

no blurring of foreground or background in some areas like you see in some photos

Note that background blur is often intended, being particularly desirable for portraits. It's hard to pull off on a cellphone because of the tiny image sensor, but in general, the closer the lens is to the subject, the more out-of-focus the background will be.

 

[bimbert84]

Very much so. While pixel count isn't the end all, be all... when it comes to detail preservation (especially when zooming in), pixels are king.

While it's true you can get more digital zoom with more pixels, detail preservation is a function of the quality of the lens and image sensor, not the number of pixels. My 16MP micro-four-thirds camera, for example, will preserve detail better than any cellphone.

The MXPE has nearly 75% more pixels, so under good conditions, that's going to be quite noticeable if you crop and zoom into a picture.

While this is true, the difference is not nearly as big as it sounds. Remember, that 21MP vs 12MP happens across 2 dimensions, so you're talking about a difference of only 32% in each dimension (1.32 * 1.32 ~= 1.75). Noticeable, yes, but worlds apart? No.

But that can sometimes come at a cost.... more pixels often mean smaller pixels, which are more prone to noise... particularly when the light starts to wane.

This is a myth. I've noticed this new marketing measurement of "pixel size" cropping up everywhere, and it's just that: marketing. Noise is a function of 1) quality of the image sensor, and 2) the amount of light striking the sensor. The Nexus 6P has an excellent sensor that's larger than most, so it's able to collect more light. Its drawback is lack of OIS, so it has to use faster shutter speeds to stabilize the image (which reduces the light striking the sensor). None of this has anything to do with "pixel size."

Now, 12MP is not bad at all... sure, you won't be able to blow the damn things up much, but as long as you keep cropping to a minimum, you'll end up with printable pictures. If you are going to get "ENHANCE!" on them, yeah, the 21MP sensor will work out better.

Exactly right. More pixels will allow you to 1) digitally crop more, and 2) make larger prints. That said, 8MP is easily enough for an 8"x10" print.

BTW... digital zoom is bad... very bad. Kill it with fire and bury the ashes in the deepest mine shaft you can find. For stills, never zoom in on the subject. You can just crop it later.

I have to agree with you there.