The U11 has a very good camera, but there's one quirk you should take note of

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Sep 4, 2013
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The HTC U11 probably has the best camera of any HTC device to date, building on the philosophy of the HTC 10's focus on the core essentials without unnecessary extras, the result being a camera that can compete with other high-end options.

There is, however, a quirk that U11 owners unboxing their phones for the first time should take note of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjPudAr0w0c&t=21s

According to Pocketnow's camera review, the U11 is set to a center-weighted method of exposure metering. This means that the camera will take its exposure cue from the middle of the image. Alongside this, the camera will have a tendency to expose more than needed.

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(Notice the slightly higher exposure on the top shot captured by the U11 compared to the bottom captured by the Mate 9, which results in slightly more clipping on the U11 shot.)

This isn't a new trait to phone cameras as many do the same, although the U11 does tend do it more than some others. This is also noted in DxOMark's review, which remarked that;

"The HTC U11 delivers extended dynamic range and pleasing exposures, although sometimes they are a bit brighter than those from other top smartphones. Whether you find that helpful is a matter of personal preference."

This is in no way meant to bash the camera as it is indeed very good. However, you can make it better still by doing the following;

  • Hop into the camera settings and turn on "Touch Autoexposure". This will change the metering mode to spot metering, which will adjust the camera's exposure based on where you tapped to focus.
  • Practice using the exposure slider. This is actually a cardinal rule on any phone camera as fine-tuning can help turn a good photo into a better one.
  • Use HDR whenever possible. It can sometimes help with toning down highlights depending on the conditions.

They seem small, but these small changes can turn an already very good camera into a great one.

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