Has anyone tried out the modified Google Camera (w HDR+) on their G6 yet?

[LeoRex]

Is Samsung camera better than LG?

latest ones, S8 and G6

I'd say yes. I know that the S7's camera was certainly better than the G6's. The S8's, based on the comments of people who I trust in such matters, is an improvement over the S7, if ever so slight. So ergo, S8 > G6. From what I'vhe picture quality on the G6's main camera isn't really any different than the G4.. looking back over pictures (I've owned both), the two phones are nearly indistinguishable... both seem to use the same long exposures and take equally heavily processed pictures. And anecdotally, my wife never complained about the picture quality of the S7 Edge she owned, nor has she made a single peep since she started to use my 6P. The G6? She registered complaints near daily.

In terms of straight up picture quality... ignoring camera app features, etc... the 6P is better than either the S7 or the G6 (or G4 for that matter). I haven't been able to take any pics with the S8 to form an opinion there. But I will say that the S7 was much closer in quality to the 6P than the G6 is.

But this is a different topic. This is just a place for people checking out the Google Camera port (the GC has been a Nexus/Pixel exclusive app for a long time now) to see HDR+'s processing methods effect on the G6's picture quality.

 

[Ian Bower]

Wow.. My sons' 6p takes very average pictures, and I had a S7 edge prior to the G6, as G4 prior to that. Much prefer the G6, and comparing pictures taken with the s7 on my phone with current ones there is a clear winner. I've done random picture fights with a colleagues S8, and so far the G6 is winning each one so far, even the S8 owner thinks so too!!

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

Wow.. My sons' 6p takes very average pictures, and I had a S7 edge prior to the G6, as G4 prior to that. Much prefer the G6, and comparing pictures taken with the s7 on my phone with current ones there is a clear winner. I've done random picture fights with a colleagues S8, and so far the G6 is winning each one so far, even the S8 owner thinks so too!!

Yep, I've had so many people come to me and tell me they prefer the images I get on my G6 rather than the other "hot devices" that are out.

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

Here's a night time shot with HDR+

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

Here's another one.. I was walking while I took this. The OIS with HDR+ is great. Something the Pixel can't utilize. Sorry it's a bit crooked though.

 

[LeoRex]

Pixel doesn't need OIS to take great night shots.

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

Pixel doesn't need OIS to take great night shots.

That's not what I mean. In dark rooms, the G6 has been found to have better detail I'm shots due to the stabilization. I've seen it in video reviews and in actual side by side trials. With HDR + AND the G6 stabilization, it makes it even better (for a G6 user compared to before it was available for a G6). Cause like I said, that pic.. I was walking briskly, didn't stop to snap that pic.

 

[LeoRex]

That's not what I mean. In dark rooms, the G6 has been found to have better detail I'm shots due to the stabilization. I've seen it in video reviews and in actual side by side trials. With HDR + AND the G6 stabilization, it makes it even better (for a G6 user compared to before it was available for a G6). Cause like I said, that pic.. I was walking briskly, didn't stop to snap that pic.

No way... if that is the case, I would seriously question the competency of the reviewers who've said this. The reason I am using a G6 is because my wife got fed up with the quality of the pictures, particularly in lower light. They are horrid... the phone has to expose for far too long, even with OIS, and it then chews up the picture and spits out an overly processed mess. And you might as well leave the G6 in your pocket if there is any movement in the frame. So I gave her my 6P, which has a very similar camera to the Pixel, and the complaints have ceased... well, other than from me.

Look, it's a great phone, but it's not a great camera. OIS is needed as a crutch to compensate for the small sensor.

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

Cool.

 

[Aquila]

Is Samsung camera better than LG?

latest ones, S8 and G6

Yes, definitely.

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

Here are some more night pics.. I took a lot. The last one, I focused on the person that's in focus... All of these pictures were taken while I was in motion.

 

[Aquila]

Yep, I've had so many people come to me and tell me they prefer the images I get on my G6 rather than the other "hot devices" that are out.

Is there a chance you're a better photographer than they are?

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

Is there a chance you're a better photographer than they are?

LOL I guess haha. I just tap and shoot most of the time.

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

But anyway, I think that there was a misunderstanding somewhere in these posts.. I'm talking about the hdr+ technology combined with the OIS on the G6.. I'm not arguing that the G6 takes better pics.. I'm not naive, though the pics with hdr+ off on a Pixel leaves more to be desired. This topic is about using the app on the G6 so I'm just sharing my experience with it.

 

[LeoRex]

Well... The thing about the Pixel and the 6P that preceded it, is that Google is going all in with computational photography... Better cameras through software. And HDR+ is the start of an effort the began a few years ago when some people noticed that Google started hiring a bunch of number crunching optics peeps.

Without HDR+, the Pixel's camera is nothing special because they designed everything to use HDR+, and devoted little effort in the standard mode... For all we know it just uses the default, middling processing QC builds into their chipsets. There's no reason to turn it off... It's like going in and disconnecting the an engine's turbocharger.

They dropped OIS because they felt it unnecessary. They can do better turning 7 quick non-stabilized exposures into one final image that one, longer exposed, stabilized one.

Here's two crops of my son at a pool... Zoomed in to see the detail. The first, an lg camera shot taken at 1/3000s, the second was HDR+, taken with exposures that were 1/4000s.

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

I'm aware and I agree with what you said. I think that this app proves the fail in LGs post processing.

 

[Mike Dee]

No way... if that is the case, I would seriously question the competency of the reviewers who've said this. The reason I am using a G6 is because my wife got fed up with the quality of the pictures, particularly in lower light. They are horrid... the phone has to expose for far too long, even with OIS, and it then chews up the picture and spits out an overly processed mess. And you might as well leave the G6 in your pocket if there is any movement in the frame. So I gave her my 6P, which has a very similar camera to the Pixel, and the complaints have ceased... well, other than from me.

Look, it's a great phone, but it's not a great camera. OIS is needed as a crutch to compensate for the small sensor.

OIS does very little to compensate for sensor size.

 

[LeoRex]

OIS does very little to compensate for sensor size.

Oh, I disagree... The sensors LG uses are very small by today's standards, never mind with respect to the Pixels. The light sensitivity is an issue, hence LG's need to expose for much longer times while also using comparitivley lower ISO values. OIS helps mitigate the camera shake that becomes more of an issue the longer that shot takes.

That's why I was excited to try out HDR+ on the G6... It would help extract the best possible image from the camera without the need for extensive artificial processing.

 

[MA2GA28]

LeoRex, just curious how you account for real world tests and reviews then? Granted, the Pixel is no slouch, but in most reviews I've read/watched, the Pixel and G6 tend to swap places for top billing (with the S8 strewn about as well).

I guess my main question is that, in real world usage, is the Pixel honestly that much better? Or are you digging deep enough to the point where you're below actual perception?

 

[Mike Dee]

Oh, I disagree... The sensors LG uses are very small by today's standards, never mind with respect to the Pixels. The light sensitivity is an issue, hence LG's need to expose for much longer times while also using comparitivley lower ISO values. OIS helps mitigate the camera shake that becomes more of an issue the longer that shot takes.

That's why I was excited to try out HDR+ on the G6... It would help extract the best possible image from the camera without the need for extensive artificial processing.

I get all that.... I'm just not convinced that OIS works that well to compensate for small sensors based on my results for photos I've taken but I have a pretty steady hand when it comes to taking pictures. Videos are a different story.