What's the best smartphone camera for pictures of my kid?

[MoreDef]

She's 2, and always moving. I've been doing a lot of reading on what may affect motion blur in photos, but long story short, my S20 Ultra is not cutting it. I'm talking indoor light, always-moving baby type situations, and every single time, this camera gives me blurry faces and limbs. It's disappointing, and I need a smartphone that is up to the task. I don't care if it sucks in every other situation, or sucks as a phone in every other way, as long as it can take pictures of my daughter without making her look like Samara's next victim in The Ring, then I'm all ears. I also don't care if it's a phone that was 1, 2 or even 3 years old, as long as it gets that one job done right. I read that the Pixel 3 is better than the 4 when it comes to this one specific situation, but that overall, the Pixel line is my best bet at snapping non-blurry photos. Any suggestions, ideas, input?

 

[Mike Dee]

Yeah... It's real hard to take premeditated stolen moments, but if I could, I would. Thank you. It looks like some iteration of the Pixel is going to be my secondary phone.

One other thing you could try if you haven't already is motion photos which takes multiple shots before and after you snap. It makes a mini movie or gif of the files but you can just keep the individual photos you like.

 

[MoreDef]

One other thing you could try if you haven't already is motion photos which takes multiple shots before and after you snap. It makes a mini movie or gif of the files but you can just keep the individual photos you like.

agreed. i mean, technically, there are always work-arounds to my dilemma, but I guess i'm looking for a 1-step solution, no edit, no filtering, no sorting solution. but you're right, choosing a still from the motion photos (which I always have on) is another way to make sure I get a shot that i might be happier with.

 

[Mike Dee]

agreed. i mean, technically, there are always work-arounds to my dilemma, but I guess i'm looking for a 1-step solution, no edit, no filtering, no sorting solution. but you're right, choosing a still from the motion photos (which I always have on) is another way to make sure I get a shot that i might be happier with.

I meant until you return it unless you have already done so

 

[MoreDef]

I meant until you return it unless you have already done so

oh, my bad. yeah, i'm keeping it. i mean, it's got everything else i want (say for a camera that doesn't perform well for what i personally need in a camera), but besides that, it's got everything else in spades. so yeah, i'll keep it and just buy a pixel strictly for the camera. i'm leaning towards a 3xl...unless there's strong evidence the 4 performs better in the one category of taking faster, clearer and non-blurry shots of people in motion in not-so-great lighting.

 

[Mike Dee]

oh, my bad. yeah, i'm keeping it. i mean, it's got everything else i want (say for a camera that doesn't perform well for what i personally need in a camera), but besides that, it's got everything else in spades. so yeah, i'll keep it and just buy a pixel strictly for the camera. i'm leaning towards a 3xl...unless there's strong evidence the 4 performs better in the one category of taking faster, clearer and non-blurry shots of people in motion in not-so-great lighting.

I didn't but the 4XL but I don't think there were any improvements except an additional lens. @mustang7757 would know better since he had both

 

[mustang7757]

I didn't but the 4XL but I don't think there were any improvements except an additional lens. @mustang7757 would know better since he had both

3xl should do the trick , plus a better selfie camera I believe.
Don't get me wrong pixel 4xl my favorite out all pixels .

 

[MoreDef]

https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixe...l_4_camera_uses_slower_shutter_speed_favours/

a discussion on shutter speed on the 4 vs 3

 

[Mike Dee]

https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixe...l_4_camera_uses_slower_shutter_speed_favours/

a discussion on shutter speed on the 4 vs 3

This is the problem with have only one automode. It leaves it entirely up to the camera to decide what prioritize in order to achieve a happy medium. On my dedicated cameras you have different scene modes within auto and one superauto mode which tries to guestimate what you want.

 

[MoreDef]

3xl should do the trick , plus a better selfie camera I believe.
Don't get me wrong pixel 4xl my favorite out all pixels .

would you rate the 2 better than the 3? this one reddit discussion is talking about how all are great, but the 2 seems to be peak todller-taking camera. any thoughts?

 

[MoreDef]

man, i had this bug on the other side of my window this morning, and i wanted to get a really close picture of it...but no matter what I did, no matter the setting, it would not focus on the bug. it was the size of a little stink bug, and it was stuck to the windown, and no matter how i played around with the pro settings, it just wouldn't come into focus. i know that cameras should be able to do that because i did the same thing with my Note 9 and a spider (which I shared on this forum about a few months back), and I at least got something with the stock cam. the gcam app was way better...but at least I was able to get something. i couldn't get anything with the Ultra.

disclaimer. this spider was about the size of a dime, including it's legs, so this was no tarantula. the N9's camera was just that good =(

 

[mustang7757]

would you rate the 2 better than the 3? this one reddit discussion is talking about how all are great, but the 2 seems to be peak todller-taking camera. any thoughts?

Pixel 2 over the pix 3 ...No

 

[Mooncatt]

man, i had this bug on the other side of my window this morning, and i wanted to get a really close picture of it...but no matter what I did, no matter the setting, it would not focus on the bug.

Sounds like you were too close. All lenses have a minimum focusing distance. If you had the focus setting all the way to the minimum and still couldn't get a clear shot, then you needed to back up.

 

[MoreDef]

Sounds like you were too close. All lenses have a minimum focusing distance. If you had the focus setting all the way to the minimum and still couldn't get a clear shot, then you needed to back up.

yeah. the thing is, for that spider pic, i had the camera pressed right up on the class. granted, I had to place a slight angle on it, as opposed to the lens being 100% parallel to the glass, but it was literally touching the window. now, i know that all cameras are made differently, and that all have specific ways with which to use them optimally, but honest to god, i pulled the camera back various distances and tried zooming in, and that didn't work. i tried angling the camera, that didn't work. basically, there was no way for me to get a close up of the bug on the window.

but yeah, you're right, all cameras have that type of limitation. i just wonder of the limitations of the Ultra are more than other phones when trying to take certain pictures (low light in motion, and now extreme close-ups).

 

[anon(10614692)]

You would need to be in macro mode for close ups

 

[Mike Dee]

You would need to be in macro mode for close ups

There is no Macro mode on many of these devices

 

[mustang7757]

There is no Macro mode on many of these devices

My phone has it

 

[Mike Dee]

yeah. the thing is, for that spider pic, i had the camera pressed right up on the class. granted, I had to place a slight angle on it, as opposed to the lens being 100% parallel to the glass, but it was literally touching the window. now, i know that all cameras are made differently, and that all have specific ways with which to use them optimally, but honest to god, i pulled the camera back various distances and tried zooming in, and that didn't work. i tried angling the camera, that didn't work. basically, there was no way for me to get a close up of the bug on the window.

but yeah, you're right, all cameras have that type of limitation. i just wonder of the limitations of the Ultra are more than other phones when trying to take certain pictures (low light in motion, and now extreme close-ups).

I can get as close as 2 inches in Pro mode with manual focus... 3 inches in auto with main lens. Using the zoom lens about 8 inches

 

[Mike Dee]

My phone has it

Which one

 

[mustang7757]

Which one

They took it out , 1+7P

 

[Mike Dee]

They took it out , 1+7P

Yeah yeah