What am I doing wrong? Or is this camera just THAT bad?

[EricMartinSoCal]

After spending a lot of time yesterday with the phone, I can confirm that the GCam port with the March 2 config basically solves the problems of smoothing of fine detail and proves that the camera has a lot of untapped potential that the current stock software can't use. The amount of detail that comes out with the Google Camera is big. The good news is the phone is only a software update away from greatness. Until then, Google camera gets it done.

 

[kide#WN]

Who said this camera cannot take fine details?

 

[Moonliterider]

I think it does a great job. Had our Rogue detailed this past weekend.

Looks great! (Both the car and its pic!) I'm trying to find a good detailer here! But I took some pics with my S10+ of my new Stang, and I think they turned out great too. I have a Sony Alpha for taking pro type pics! But, I'm very happy with this phone in all areas so far.

 

[libra89]

After spending a lot of time yesterday with the phone, I can confirm that the GCam port with the March 2 config basically solves the problems of smoothing of fine detail and proves that the camera has a lot of untapped potential that the current stock software can't use. The amount of detail that comes out with the Google Camera is big. The good news is the phone is only a software update away from greatness. Until then, Google camera gets it done.

Agreed.

 

[Golurk]

A few observations:

Samsung cameras are awesome, and so are Pixel cameras. There is nothing ‘bad’ about Samsung cameras, so stop moaning about them. You might have had a few issues with the processing, but they can easily be solved as countless of users have already mentioned. Pixel is (slightly) better low light, Samsung for versatility (e.g has wide/telephoto lenses, more camera modes)

Samsung cameras take perfectly good pictures and do well in low light. Just because the Pixel (and Huawei) take (arguably) better pictures in low light doesn’t automatically make Samsung’s ‘trash’.

And taking good photos in low light doesn’t automatically make your camera/phone awesome as well...just ask Huawei, which had (might still have) issues with washed out daylight photos that lacked vibrancy.

Samsung devices are getting a dedicated night mode as we speak, so that should narrow if not close the gap.

 

[jhimmel]

A few observations:

Samsung cameras are awesome, and so are Pixel cameras. There is nothing ‘bad’ about Samsung cameras, so stop moaning about them. You might have had a few issues with the processing, but they can easily be solved as countless of users have already mentioned. Pixel is (slightly) better low light, Samsung for versatility (e.g has wide/telephoto lenses, more camera modes)

Samsung cameras take perfectly good pictures and do well in low light. Just because the Pixel (and Huawei) take (arguably) better pictures in low light doesn’t automatically make Samsung’s ‘trash’.

And taking good photos in low light doesn’t automatically make your camera/phone awesome as well...just ask Huawei, which had (might still have) issues with washed out daylight photos that lacked vibrancy.

Samsung devices are getting a dedicated night mode as we speak, so that should narrow if not close the gap.

The biggest oddity with Samsung camera/processing seems to come when taking pictures of hairy friends. People love to photograph their pets, and for some reason Samsung processing blurs the hair. If they could address that, I think they would be viewed a lot better. It's been happening I think since the S8, so it's been an issue for quite a while now.

 

[zipro]

Honestly, the cameras are really lousy for low light situations. Even blackberry has better low light performance. With good light, however, they're excellent

 

[anon(10562251)]

The cameras on the S10 are excellent. With the exception of night mode, I would say the other features the Pixel "does better" are mostly preferences, not shortcomings with the Samsung.

 

[gendo667]

The biggest oddity with Samsung camera/processing seems to come when taking pictures of hairy friends. People love to photograph their pets, and for some reason Samsung processing blurs the hair. If they could address that, I think they would be viewed a lot better. It's been happening I think since the S8, so it's been an issue for quite a while now.

I've started relying strictly on the Scene Optimizer (the Bixby AI component) for my cat pictures. Otherwise, I turn it off.

 

[frederickdawg]

There's something about Samsung cameras or processing that destroys sharpness of animal fur. Can't believe they have not addressed it yet.

This ^^^^ .

OP when you focus on your dog, which area are you focusing on ? I normally touch the screen to focus on her nose which give me slightly better results than yours.
In your pics it appears the camera was focusing on background and not the dog.

 

[neil74]

Just wanted to bump this thread, have been mulling over so enjoyed the thread. Looking at my S10 and note 10+ and S10 (both Exynos and the same quality and issues to my eyes) I think the camera is fine but it falls short of the iPhone 11 pro and p30 pro in 2 key areas both of which have been mentioned in this thread.

1- In any lighting conditions there is still a slight smudging of detail. You do have to zoom in a bit to see this but certainly the iPhone and Huawei are crisper.

2- With any movement at all even slight the sharpness just falls away

I think I remember reading that the main sensor in the s10 was unchanged from the s9 so I wonder that unlike google Samsung’s special sauce just cannot make up for the older hardware as well? I suspect that Samsung try to keep the iso as low as possible as often as possible which also means they have to keep the shutter speed lower too probably lower than ideal when things are moving. I did some low light torture tests and my S10s choice of shutter speed and ISO was all over the place, in one scene it chose iso 200 @1/4 whereas the iPhone and Huawei went with iso640 @ 1/25 as did the only gcam app I had got to work on my exynos s10

Just my guess as to why movement and low light is where the S10 falls down? Certainly those pesky moving pets with their fur seem to be the s10s kryptonite