Camera quality is absolutely horrendous. Am I doing something wrong?

[Duncan1982]

There are many elements to photography so do we expect to be below novices and be able just to point & shoot and get moving object first time every time out of a smart hmm phone?

I honestly ain't bothered its like my good friend who is into photography and even with a fortune spent he still gets in his mind duds.

OK we would all really like just to be able to capture that moving object every time without fail, without photography knowledge but is that realistic?

I have a hyper daughter and yeh I get some good shots and others blur hmm I just accept that I am that person below novice and get on with it.

For the most part it's a great camera and one that I'm content with.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Almeuit]

There are many elements to photography so do we expect to be below novices and be able just to point & shoot and get moving object first time every time out of a smart hmm phone?

I honestly ain't bothered its like my good friend who is into photography and even with a fortune spent he still gets in his mind duds.

OK we would all really like just to be able to capture that moving object every time without fail, without photography knowledge but is that realistic?

I have a hyper daughter and yeh I get some good shots and others blur hmm I just accept that I am that person below novice and get on with it.

For the most part it's a great camera and one that I'm content with.

Posted via the Android Central App

It isn't more of an every time thing ... It can happen to every camera sure ... But compared to my iPhone 6 + it can handle movement better than my Note 4. I have a higher chance to not get a blur on my 6+ versus my Note 4. So can I say is it realistic to point and shoot without the blur? Sure because I have been nabbing it with my 6 + whereas my Note it is harder to nab a moving object.

Not bashing the whole thing saying it can't take a good photo because that would be a lie... but if it had a fault .. the moving objects would be it.

 

[Almeuit]

If something is moving in the frame it will be blurry, I think that is the issue here. A child, dog, whatever moving is not going to produce a good picture.

And to me that is the negative to the camera. Everything else about it is great .. that is the negative. That is all I am saying.

 

[Phantasmal Images]

Samsung just isn't able to build a camera that delivers sharp and crisp photos, unlike Apple.

iPhone camera crushes the android competition, thats the only reason why I'm a bit jealous at iPhones.

Samsung didn't build the camera... it's a 1/2" Sony sensor. Most cell phones (including all of the iPhones) use 1/3" sensors. For all the non-photographers out there, sensor size is almost always much more important than how many megapixels it has. The only area in which the iPhone camera will perform better is in low light, because the pixels are larger on the iPhone sensor. "Normal" indoor lighting is low light in photography by the way. The iPhone does have a better flash than the Note 4 though.

 

[Phantasmal Images]

The regular iPhone 6 delivers much sharper images too. The Note 4 you need to hold perfectly still (I need both hands for that) to get a really clear photo, the iPhone 6 you can just pull out of your pocket and take a quick sharp picture without needing to think about it.
Don't be fooled by the lack of OIS on the small iPhone 6.

Its such a shame.

That's because the lower quality iPhone camera is more forgiving of poor technique. That's not a good comparison of the capabilities. If your technique is good, the Sony sensor in the Note 4 will outperform the iPhone.

 

[Phantasmal Images]

"Camera Quality" is a subjective term and it really depends on what the person is talking about.

The Note 4's camera is hands down one of the best cell phone cameras on the market. Features, picture quality, ease of use are all impressive. But like any camera on a smartphone (yes, even the iPhone camera is not perfect) it has weaknesses.

Unfortunately for the Note 4, the weaknesses in this camera are in an area where many "casual" (read: the people who are more likely to take pictures with their camera than any other device) photographers are most likely to want to use it: low light situations with motion. i.e., kids and animals, indoors, in a "point and shoot" situation.

Shooting a sports event outdoors for your kids? No problem. Burst mode and sports mode are awesome. So are some of the effects you can use later on. Sleeping dogs, cats, or kids? Not an issue. Sunrise, sunset? Amazing capabilties.

But if you're trying to take a picture of your 1 year old's birthday party, expect to be very frustrated with the results. If you are trying to get a shot of your dog running across the carpet, unless you've got a lot of passive sunlight in the room, you are going to have a hard time. Even forcing a flash does not always work.

You can mess with settings and make some adjustments, but they produce results that most users are going to consider unacceptable, especially when an iPhone simply takes the picture and it works. It can eventually capture a good photo with low light motion, but you have to do so much work to get there that most casual users are going to think the camera is broken or defective. Especially if they are transitioning from an iPhone or another member of the family has an iPhone.

I'm not sure what Samsung will need to do to address the problem.

The reason for this is that even though the Note 4's Sony sensor is physically larger than the one in the iPhone, it also has double the pixels. Meaning each individual pixel is smaller than those in the iPhone's sensor. Which means you need more light to get optimal performance from the sensor. Normal indoor lighting is low light in photography, that's why we use all those very bright strobes... but if you give the Note 4 enough light, then there's absolutely no comparison, it blows the iPhone away. The way the Note 4 compensates for needing more light in low light environments (ie indoor ambient lighting) is to have a slower shutter speed. This is why it's much more difficult to shoot moving subjects with the Note 4. You also need good camera technique, or you'll get blur from you moving the camera as you shoot.

The simple answer is that the Note 4 camera is better, but it is far less forgiving of poor operator technique than the iPhone. It's much like Apple's philosophy of making everything simple so the common ***** can use it, while Android allows those who actually know what they're doing to do so much more.

 

[SteveISU]

So based on that knowledge and the fact iPhone has consistently taken better pics from the 4S and up, iPhone users must have horrid "technique" that pairs nicely with their lower quality cameras. That must be the winning combo.

 

[Phantasmal Images]

So based on that knowledge and the fact iPhone has consistently taken better pics from the 4S and up, iPhone users must have horrid "technique" that pairs nicely with their crappy cameras.

Not at all... as I said the iPhone's inferior camera is simply more forgiving of poor technique. The average person couldn't get good pictures in low light with a $5,000 DSLR either, does that mean the iPhone was better than that too?

 

[zmann]

I've did side by side test with a friend's iPhone 6 and HE decided that note 4 took better pictures

GALAXY NOTE 4, GO BIG OR GO HOME

 

[SteveISU]

Not at all... as I said the iPhone's inferior camera is simply more forgiving of poor technique.

Like I said, poor technique and low quality camera must be the winning combo given how well rated their camera is year after year.

 

[palmor]

A couple of things.

First, make sure you have HDR turned off. You can't take motion photos with it on since it combines multiple photos so if something moves it will be blurry.

Second, you can't defeat physics. the combo of f-stop, ISO and shutter speed has to be right. A camera can't read your mind so you have to give it some hints, either by using semi-manual controls or using an "action setting".

My guess is that people don't know about the HDR thing and I think its on by default.


John

 

[Phantasmal Images]

the combo of f-stop, ISO and shutter speed has to be right.

The average smartphone user hasn't got a clue what those are, or how they relate to photography... and that's the main issue here. Looking at some of the sample images I see posted, I can tell right away that the problem is their shutter speeds are way too slow.

 

[Phantasmal Images]

Like I said, poor technique and low quality camera must be the winning combo given how well rated their camera is year after year.

Or you could actually learn how to take pictures...

 

[palmor]

Yup, and it wouldn't matter what phone they have since no phone has a significantly brighter lens.

 

[Phantasmal Images]

Anyone having issues with shooting moving subjects in low light should try downloading a better camera app, one that gives you manual controls. I suggest Camera FV-5. Set your shutter speed to 1/200 or faster (depending on how fast your subject is moving), leave your ISO on auto, and see if that fixes your problem.

Camera FV-5 also has support for DNG file format if you have Android 5.0

 

[SteveISU]

Or you could actually learn how to take pictures...

Why? Poor technique and low camera quality clearly is the winning combo.

It's funny, someone points out a flaw in a smartphone camera and there's always someone who's work must be displayed in a museum or in national geographic and tells the user he/she should learn to take a photo.

Step one: understand the demographic. People want to take their phone out of their pocket and snap a pic. The phone that produces the best and most consistent results without 5 takes and a lighting umbrella is the one 99% of the people are going to want.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Phantasmal Images]

Why? Poor technique and low camera quality clearly is the winning combo.

It's funny, someone points out a flaw in a smartphone camera and there's always someone who's work must be displayed in a museum or in national geographic and tells the user he/she should learn to take a photo.

Step one: understand the demographic. People want to take their phone out of their pocket and snap a pic. The phone that produces the best and most consistent results without 5 takes and a lighting umbrella is the one 99% of the people are going to want.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

and that's Apple's demographic... the common consumer who hasn't got a clue what they're doing and wants everything to be simple, even if that limits their potential. Android on the other hand is for those of us who want to utilize our full potential, even if that means having to learn how to do so. The Note 4's camera is no different, like Android it is capable of more, but you need to learn how to use it.

 

[palmor]

Why? Poor technique and low camera quality clearly is the winning combo.

It's funny, someone points out a flaw in a smartphone camera and there's always someone who's work must be displayed in a museum or in national geographic and tells the user he/she should learn to take a photo.

Step one: understand the demographic. People want to take their phone out of their pocket and snap a pic. The phone that produces the best and most consistent results without 5 takes and a lighting umbrella is the one 99% of the people are going to want.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Point is if there isn't enough light it doesn't matter if you have a smart phone or a $10k setup, you will get a blurry photo.

I dont think there is anything wrong with the camera but without more info like exif data and knowing if they had hdr turned off we'll never be able to help.

 

[derekfaircloth]

Mine has been fine in all areas. Best cam on a phone I have ever used. Better than my digital camera actually,
so I don't really know what could be happening.

John 3:16

 

[leerandall]

Anyone having issues with shooting moving subjects in low light should try downloading a better camera app, one that gives you manual controls. I suggest Camera FV-5. Set your shutter speed to 1/200 or faster (depending on how fast your subject is moving), leave your ISO on auto, and see if that fixes your problem.

Camera FV-5 also has support for DNG file format if you have Android 5.0

Us Note 4 users, who are currently running Android 4.4.4, cannot do as you suggest with Camera FV-5. We do not have the ability to set the shutter speed to anything but Auto, 1 sec, 2 sec, etc. Android 5.0 or higher is required for doing as you suggest.