Note 4 camera and moving objects (i.e. kids)

[dpham00]

Camera is the only Note 4 dissapointment. I read tons on reviews before i bought mine but boy was i disappointed when i took first indoor shots of my daughter. My girlfriends iPhone 6 is much better at taking indoor photos. I hope they will fix it with future software.

Shouldn't be a surprise. I posted about my experiences when I got my phone back in October for this situation (low light motion). Burst mode helps to a point but for this situation, the 6p is a better choice.

Now in ideal situations, outdoors with plenty of light and no motion, the note 4 takes excellent pictures.

If you plan to keep the note 4,make sure it is focused on screen. If not,tap on the screen. Then use burst mode for lower light motion shots.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...one-6-plus-camera-low-light-motion-shots.html


Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[Almeuit]

Shouldn't be a surprise. I posted about my experiences when I got my phone back in October for this situation (low light motion). Burst mode helps to a point but for this situation, the 6p is a better choice.

Now in ideal situations, outdoors with plenty of light and no motion, the note 4 takes excellent pictures.

If you plan to keep the note 4,make sure it is focused on screen. If not,tap on the screen. Then use burst mode for lower light motion shots.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...one-6-plus-camera-low-light-motion-shots.html


Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

As dpham said the 6+ does take more consistent pictures without blur than the Note 4 but ... Remember nothing is 100 percent. In great light and without much movement it can take great shots. Lots of reviews don't take shots of their kids .. Rather lighting with various still pictures.

I've a 6+ and a Note 4 and I can say the 6+ helps to eliminate blur on some of the photos I've taken (I snapped them and went "oh god they moved" then looked and the picture was without blur) but in some settings I have managed to get a blurry pic or two ... Not as often as my Note 4 ... But it has happened.

 

[dpham00]

The other plus of the 6p is that burst is unlimited. On the note 4, limited to 30 shots.

When used side by side even in broad daylight, burst on the 6p produces better clarity.

Reviews probably don't review low light motion because it is hard to compare. They want to be able to get an easily reproducible shot.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[meg2013]

I am really torn. The camera is really the deal breaker on the note for me. I love everything else about it. Carrying around a dedicated camera isn't reaistic, although I know it would get perhaps the best photos of all.

 

[dpham00]

I am really torn. The camera is really the deal breaker on the note for me. I love everything else about it. Carrying around a dedicated camera isn't reaistic, although I know it would get perhaps the best photos of all.

Same here. But the 6p didn't feel right to me. Don't get me wrong, it has a good camera, better than the note 4 and battery life is excellent.

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[jamjordan]

How did you do this? Not a picture buff but like this.

 

[NVNJ]

Huh?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Rmbrown1964]

I have the same problem! please keep this thread up to date. Let's hope it's a software problem!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[NVNJ]

Indeed we will. Here is a still picture. Looks............ blurry?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[SteveISU]

One boxer deserves another.

 

[LaTuFu]

For me the biggest thing I've realized is, this camera wants to take pictures in low light (i.e. without the flash) in situations that my S4 would have triggered the flash without hesitation. Even when I set the flash to auto, it will try to do a low light shot instead, and I know that my old S4 would have been flash. In our downstairs family room, taking pictures of our animals, that is a virtually guaranteed flash shot on my S4. My Note 4 won't use the flash unless I make it do it.

I've realized that the best way to get low light pictures is the way you SHOULD get low light pictures--with a flash. One thing I've noticed on the Note 4 that I like better than my S4, you can adjust exposure of the flash in auto setting a whole lot easier than you could on the S4. Using the flash at "0" can have a tendency to overexpose/white out people, especially close up. If I have the opportunity to back off the exposure to -0.5 or -1.0 it can help a lot.

Low light still shots, this camera does a great job, and I stack it up against any camera phone out there that is available. Low light motion, I see all the feedback about the 6/6+ doing well in those moments, but I get pretty solid shots using the flash, and the pictures come out much better all around, in my opinion.

Its hard to get any camera to capture motion in low light without blurring. I never question it when I have to use a flash with my Canon DSLR, so I'm certainly not going to expect my camera phone to be able to outperform my DSLR.

I'm impressed with the 6+ low light capability, but with little fuss you can get the Note 4 to do a solid job as well.

 

[LegalAmerican]

If you want things to look crisp and still on the Note 4, i've learned a little trick. You download the feature that freezes time and once everyone has been frozen and can't move, you snap a few shots. Make sure to grab a few angles and then look later to decide what you prefer. If you don't use that mode, you will not get crisp shots of moving objects.

 

[dpham00]

For me the biggest thing I've realized is, this camera wants to take pictures in low light (i.e. without the flash) in situations that my S4 would have triggered the flash without hesitation. Even when I set the flash to auto, it will try to do a low light shot instead, and I know that my old S4 would have been flash. In our downstairs family room, taking pictures of our animals, that is a virtually guaranteed flash shot on my S4. My Note 4 won't use the flash unless I make it do it.

I've realized that the best way to get low light pictures is the way you SHOULD get low light pictures--with a flash. One thing I've noticed on the Note 4 that I like better than my S4, you can adjust exposure of the flash in auto setting a whole lot easier than you could on the S4. Using the flash at "0" can have a tendency to overexpose/white out people, especially close up. If I have the opportunity to back off the exposure to -0.5 or -1.0 it can help a lot.

Low light still shots, this camera does a great job, and I stack it up against any camera phone out there that is available. Low light motion, I see all the feedback about the 6/6+ doing well in those moments, but I get pretty solid shots using the flash, and the pictures come out much better all around, in my opinion.

Its hard to get any camera to capture motion in low light without blurring. I never question it when I have to use a flash with my Canon DSLR, so I'm certainly not going to expect my camera phone to be able to outperform my DSLR.

I'm impressed with the 6+ low light capability, but with little fuss you can get the Note 4 to do a solid job as well.

Do you use flash for low light motion shots? Or low-light stationary object?

Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[LaTuFu]

Do you use flash for low light motion shots? Or low-light stationary object?

The short answer is, low light motion. A flash is the only way you're going to get a good sharp picture in low light, if that is what you're trying to do. Even the 6+ pictures are going to sacrifice something in the picture in low light without a flash. Shorter depth of field maybe? I dunno, I really need to get my hands on one for a few days.

The long answer is, it depends on the circumstances. My Dad was a professional photographer so I grew up in the days of SLRs, light meters, master and slave flash setups, and the tricks of the trade back in the days before you knew instantly whether or not you got a good shot. I grew up "bracketing" shots: find the right shutter speed and f-stop for your shot, take a few pics, then back off a couple of settings on either side and take a few shots there, too. Think the Goldilocks method of photography. One shot should be too dark, one should be too light, and the other should be juuuuuuust right. If you knew what you were doing, that's usually how it worked out, too.

I try to do the same thing even today with digital cameras. If my subjects are willing and I have the time, I'll bracket a lot of ways. With flash, without flash, adjust exposure, etc. Then use Snapseed or similar to help make the final "dark room" adjustments to draw out the finished product.

I may be wrong, but I feel like the Note 4's camera improved its performance for me the minute I got done downloading all of the available shooting modes from the Galaxy app store, too. I hardly ever use those modes, but the camera seems to be much more responsive since I did it.

I know it isn't a perfect camera, and when people compare it to a 6+ they think it isn't as good. But as a lifelong photographer, I can say that I am pretty blown away by the capabilities of this camera. It is not too far off of the capabilities of a DSLR from 3-4 years ago, and in some ways it is probably more capable. And it's on a phone! It isn't always point and shoot friendly, right away, but once you learn how it functions, you can get some pretty rock solid shots with it.

 

[Thegreatone3]

I've been able to get some nice shots of my always-moving seven month old with the Note 4. I have not experienced what the iPhone 6/6+ are capable of, but from what I've seen from phones owned by friends and family, the Note 4 is at or near the top of Android flagship phone cameras (Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, Nexus 6, Moto X, Droid Turbo,LG G3).

 

[LaTuFu]

Here's a quick example of a recent bracket shot. I can't remember what I did different between the two, but neither of them are using the flash.

My cat was a patient subject.

I realize these aren't motion shots and that's what we were talking about. I just don't happen to have any on the phone at the moment.

 

[Fluffyman]

Coming from someone who owned the S2, S4, S5 and experience with the Note 4:

The camera in Samsung devices just suck. They are technically able to take great pictures if you always tap to focus and hold the phone very still with two hands. Doing it any different leads to more or less blurred pictures.
Impossible to use the camera one handed.

My sister had the iPhone 4s and now the iPhone 6 and the cameras on both are on a whole different level, simply because the pictures are almost always sharp. No need for tap to focus, no need for two handed use.

Apple has the shutter speed right, Samsung has it wrong.

 

[dpham00]

The short answer is, low light motion. A flash is the only way you're going to get a good sharp picture in low light, if that is what you're trying to do. Even the 6+ pictures are going to sacrifice something in the picture in low light without a flash. Shorter depth of field maybe? I dunno, I really need to get my hands on one for a few days.

The long answer is, it depends on the circumstances. My Dad was a professional photographer so I grew up in the days of SLRs, light meters, master and slave flash setups, and the tricks of the trade back in the days before you knew instantly whether or not you got a good shot. I grew up "bracketing" shots: find the right shutter speed and f-stop for your shot, take a few pics, then back off a couple of settings on either side and take a few shots there, too. Think the Goldilocks method of photography. One shot should be too dark, one should be too light, and the other should be juuuuuuust right. If you knew what you were doing, that's usually how it worked out, too.

I try to do the same thing even today with digital cameras. If my subjects are willing and I have the time, I'll bracket a lot of ways. With flash, without flash, adjust exposure, etc. Then use Snapseed or similar to help make the final "dark room" adjustments to draw out the finished product.

I may be wrong, but I feel like the Note 4's camera improved its performance for me the minute I got done downloading all of the available shooting modes from the Galaxy app store, too. I hardly ever use those modes, but the camera seems to be much more responsive since I did it.

I know it isn't a perfect camera, and when people compare it to a 6+ they think it isn't as good. But as a lifelong photographer, I can say that I am pretty blown away by the capabilities of this camera. It is not too far off of the capabilities of a DSLR from 3-4 years ago, and in some ways it is probably more capable. And it's on a phone! It isn't always point and shoot friendly, right away, but once you learn how it functions, you can get some pretty rock solid shots with it.

You bring up some good points but for me, the most critical are spur of the moment indoors shots of my very active toddler. And for that, the 6p is better. If I spent the time to make adjustments then the shot is gone.


Flash doesn't work for me, because the Flash will distract my daughter from what she is doing and she will go for my phone.

I do appreciate your tips though.


Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

 

[LaTuFu]

You bring up some good points but for me, the most critical are spur of the moment indoors shots of my very active toddler. And for that, the 6p is better. If I spent the time to make adjustments then the shot is gone.


Flash doesn't work for me, because the Flash will distract my daughter from what she is doing and she will go for my phone.

I do appreciate your tips though.


Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Yep, I agree. On spur of the moment shots, I go with flash enabled. It is easier to enhance a clear shot in Snapseed than it is to try to salvage a fuzzy shot.

 

[LaTuFu]

Coming from someone who owned the S2, S4, S5 and experience with the Note 4:

The camera in Samsung devices just suck. They are technically able to take great pictures if you always tap to focus and hold the phone very still with two hands. Doing it any different leads to more or less blurred pictures.
Impossible to use the camera one handed.

My sister had the iPhone 4s and now the iPhone 6 and the cameras on both are on a whole different level, simply because the pictures are almost always sharp. No need for tap to focus, no need for two handed use.

Apple has the shutter speed right, Samsung has it wrong.

I've never felt that way about the Samsung cameras, especially the S2 and S4 compared to the iPhone 4 and 4s. That camera is nowhere near the capabilities of the S2/S4, and I never found it difficult to get clear shots, even in motion settings. They weren't great for sports/action shots, but up until the Note 4 I haven't seen a camera phone that really was good for that.