Is the camera on the S7 > S5 ? - Samsung Galaxy S7 Questions and Answers

I am debating whether to upgrade from S5 to the S7. My main reason is that I want to have the best camera in an Android phone. I was searching a lot for camera comparison between the two but I cannot find any reviews. What do you guys think? Is the S7 camera better than S5? Can someone point me to a shootout between the two or side by side picture comparison?

I have folder on computer with pictures, and they are all aranged by mobile phone model ( sgs4,sgs5,lg g3, lgg4, etc etc... ) so i jumped there and took a look at them and one thing is for sure they both got great cameras, but if you're asking is it worth that extra cca 300$ I think not. My connection is very slow to do the comparision photos upload

The S7 is better than the S5 in EVERY aspect lol
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iamnotkurtcobain said:
The S7 is better than the S5 in EVERY aspect lol
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I know that. This does not help. I will only upgrade to the S7 if and only if the camera is better. I read in some thread that S7 pictures have less detail than S6, etc. So this means even though the low light performance is better, if daylight pictures lack detail then it is a no go. I can potentially hold off until S8 comes out then.

I've just upgraded from the S5 > S7 so image quality is still fresh in my mind from the S5
IMO the S7 does take better photos, but not such a leap you can really tell, the S5 took stunning photos, really good camera and it took me a while, and a few different scenarios to see the S7 outperform it in terms of photo quality
Close-ups, the S7 is ahead quite noticeably, but for landscape shots, it's a close call
One thing I miss from the S5 is the 16:9 for max photo resolution, with the S7 it is back down to 4:3 for some reason, and for certain shots I've taken, you can see the 4MP loss hit
I took the S7 out to the beach, lots of light, and it took great shots, better than the S5, but I also took shots around the house, out the back etc, and the S5 took better shots
Would I say the S7 camera was a big upgrade from the S5 camera?
No
Would I say the phone itself is a big upgrade from the S5?
Yes
In certain scenarios, the S7 takes the better photo, in others the S5 does
HDR works a lot better on the S7 though, a lot clearer and detailed than the S5 for the same shot, but in terms of quality, they beat and lose to each other in different ways
If you were thinking of upgrading purely on the camera quality, I'd go to a store and take a few snaps with a demo model to see, although you really need to put the photos on a PC to see, phone screens are too small, and the S7 has a higher rez screen than the S5, so not really a fair way to compare photos
Do I regret moving to the S7 due to the camera quality vs the S5?
No
Camera quality is great, but it's not a massive upgrade like I was expecting especially considering it is two models above the S5, and after all the hype about it's camera kicking about online

Besides the actual size(resolution) the S7s sensor is far better.. It doesn't over expose as much as the S5, great deep darks and highlights that pop, no crappy post processing either the S5 always over sharpened everything and it's blues were a little to warm. The S7s dual pixel technology makes pro level focusing easy for anyone. The real gem here is the S7s pro mode.. Once you learn how to use it right you can get as close to a high end DSLR as you ever have been able to on a phone. As a photographer I can say IMHO this is the best camera in a phone period. Just goes to show size doesnt matter guys!

Detection and BruteSource,
Thank you both for the detailed explanation. This is exactly what I am looking for as feedback. I do not like the 4:3 resolution on the S7 indeed. I think I will still shoot in 16:9 which means at the lower megapixel setting of 9.1 M. In this case, I am pretty sure, the S7 would take a 4:3 at higher megapixel and then crop it to 16:9 -- 9.1M (4032*2268, 16:9). This may potentially degrade the quality as well.
If I can sum up what you are saying, it would be that S7 vs S5 image quality would depend on the scenery and one may be better than the other in Auto mode. HDR on S7 is better as it does not overexpose as much. The biggest difference in favor of the S7 is the Pro Mode and the fact that it can shoot RAW. Added benefit is the low-light performance.
So, if I were to upgrade to the S7 (camera) my justification would be:
1. Pro mode (unless there is a preset saving, proly wont use),
2. RAW (may use only on vacations)
3. low light - always useful

azsamsancho said:
Detection and BruteSource,
Thank you both for the detailed explanation. This is exactly what I am looking for as feedback. I do not like the 4:3 resolution on the S7 indeed. I think I will still shoot in 16:9 which means at the lower megapixel setting of 9.1 M. In this case, I am pretty sure, the S7 would take a 4:3 at higher megapixel and then crop it to 16:9 -- 9.1M (4032*2268, 16:9). This may potentially degrade the quality as well.
If I can sum up what you are saying, it would be that S7 vs S5 image quality would depend on the scenery and one may be better than the other in Auto mode. HDR on S7 is better as it does not overexpose as much. The biggest difference in favor of the S7 is the Pro Mode and the fact that it can shoot RAW. Added benefit is the low-light performance.
So, if I were to upgrade to the S7 (camera) my justification would be:
1. Pro mode (unless there is a preset saving, proly wont use),
2. RAW (may use only on vacations)
3. low light - always useful
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I would add:
1. Pro mode (unless there is a preset saving, proly wont use),
2. RAW (may use only on vacations)
3. low light - always useful[/QUOTE]
4. Better photos under certain circumstances, such as bright sunny day, large bright objects such as the beach
5. Better Closeup photos
6. Way faster focussing and camera opening times
It's a great camera don't get me wrong, I'm very happy with it, but it's not the huge jump I was expecting
You wouldn't be disappointed, but it didn't make me look at the S5 photos and laugh as I was led to believe before I bought it
EDIT - You can save Pro mode custom profiles
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This is very helpful! Thank you, Detection. I think should go for it

:good: Enjoy

*Detection* said:
IMO the S7 does take better photos, but not such a leap you can really tell, the S5 took stunning photos, really good camera and it took me a while, and a few different scenarios to see the S7 outperform it in terms of photo quality
Would I say the S7 camera was a big upgrade from the S5 camera?
No
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I beg to differ. The difference is noticeable in both quality and camera performance (lag, low light, focusing, etc.). I am one of those who want quality photos and not just any photos, and for that reason, I used to drag around either Sony RX100 IV in my pocket when going out in the evening, or a tiny shoulder bag with an M43 system in it when going around town (and an EOS system for more serious landscape or nature when I don't mind the weight). In my most recent vacation to the US Virgin Islands, I brought a Panasonic GM-5 with expensive lenses, butI ended up leaving them at the house cause I was confident that I could live with the compromise with the S7. Would I have done that with the S5? No.

lost_ said:
I beg to differ. The difference is noticeable in both quality and camera performance (lag, low light, focusing, etc.). I am one of those who want quality photos and not just any photos, and for that reason, I used to drag around either Sony RX100 IV in my pocket when going out in the evening, or a tiny shoulder bag with an M43 system in it when going around town (and an EOS system for more serious landscape or nature when I don't mind the weight). In my most recent vacation to the US Virgin Islands, I brought a Panasonic GM-5 with expensive lenses, butI ended up leaving them at the house cause I was confident that I could live with the compromise with the S7. Would I have done that with the S5? No.
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Interesting to hear that. Were you also using the Pro mode or stick with Auto and HDR on pretty much all the time (that's what I use now on the S5).

lost_ said:
I beg to differ. The difference is noticeable in both quality and camera performance (lag, low light, focusing, etc.). I am one of those who want quality photos and not just any photos, and for that reason, I used to drag around either Sony RX100 IV in my pocket when going out in the evening, or a tiny shoulder bag with an M43 system in it when going around town (and an EOS system for more serious landscape or nature when I don't mind the weight). In my most recent vacation to the US Virgin Islands, I brought a Panasonic GM-5 with expensive lenses, butI ended up leaving them at the house cause I was confident that I could live with the compromise with the S7. Would I have done that with the S5? No.
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Well we'll have to agree to disagree, but from the last few days of talking about camera comparisons, it seems the S7 and the S5 have different model sensors depending on which model you get, so it's highly possible the disagreements about S5>S7 camera quality are down to that
The S5 I had (G900F International) took absolutely amazing photos, yes I can see improvements with the S7, but also I see drops in quality for some things too
For example, I have a few plants, flowers etc growing out the back, I compared a photo taken with the S5 to one I took with the S7, S5 the heads of a certain plant are crisp and clear and sharp, with the S7 they are soft and blurred almost, no detail at all
But then taking the S7 out to the beach resulted in better quality photos than the S5
For people to have such a huge difference in opinion, there has to be different hardware / processing in different S5 models, otherwise we'd all be on the same page
I too look for camera quality when I get a phone, I took a ridiculous amount of photos with the S5, I know that camera like the back of my hand, and comparing it to my S7, there's really not such a difference
S5
S7
S5 is clearly sharper and more detailed

Detection, thank you for the samples! Would not this be a mute point if you are shooting RAW? In fact, has anyone tried the RAW ... I assume it is good

I kept Galaxy S5 as second phone but was in search of best latest camera. I got LG G5 and then sold it because camera was not great. Got Nexus 5X and camera was best but battery life was poor so sold nexus 5X and got Galaxy S7 yesterday . I assume S7 camera is not much improved as compare to s5 when we look at price which is 3 times more. It give you just quick focus. I am also getting 4 to 5 hour screen on time on S7 same as S5
If intensive gaming and design is not important than s5 is still great phone ..display, camera, removable battery, bigger screen but light weight, waterproof, external storage etc all option are there..
Here is my comparison of s5 and nexus 5X
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-5x/general/excellent-camera-t3230797/page48
Comparison of Photo samples of S5 and S7 in full resolution auto mode with HDR on. First photo is taken by s5 while second photo of same scene is taken by S7

azsamsancho said:
Detection, thank you for the samples! Would not this be a mute point if you are shooting RAW? In fact, has anyone tried the RAW ... I assume it is good
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I've just spent the day playing with RAW, and I have to say, I am blown away, now the camera shines and blows the S5 clean out of the water, no comparison at all, S7 is worlds ahead when you shoot in RAW
This is the quality photo I was expecting from the S7, and I think it's clear this is the mode the used to shoot the sample photos we all saw advertising the S7s camera before launch
Each photo is around 24MB when shot in RAW, vs around 4-6MB in JPEG
I still need to master lightroom, but it takes a RAW and JPEG simutaneously, and when comparing the two identical photos on a PC the JPEGs look terrible compared
I know which mode I`ll be shooting with from now on, only bummer is, it seems to force save location to the device instead of the MicroSD
This was shot standing right at the back of the yard below
JPEG
RAW

Would just like to add my opinion: that faster camera makes a huge difference. S5 camera takes 2 seconds to launch, another second to capture, and 2 more seconds to open the Gallery for some reason. On the S7 I'm limited by how fast my fingers are. Camera quality is about the same in bright daylight (sources mentioned Note 5 outdoes it in terms of detail captured, but those differences are miniscule and you are HIGHLY unlikely to notice unless they're side by side and zoomed in real close). Autofocus speed is also in a class of its own: it's not just miles ahead of the S5, it's miles ahead of any other phone or even camera I can think of. As far as I'm concerned, this is the fastest autofocus of any kind on the planet.

Rajaasim1980 said:
I kept Galaxy S5 as second phone but was in search of best latest camera. I got LG G5 and then sold it because camera was not great. Got Nexus 5X and camera was best but battery life was poor so sold nexus 5X and got Galaxy S7 yesterday . I assume S7 camera is not much improved as compare to s5 when we look at price which is 3 times more. It give you just quick focus. I am also getting 4 to 5 hour screen on time on S7 same as S5
If intensive gaming and design is not important than s5 is still great phone ..display, camera, removable battery, bigger screen but light weight, waterproof, external storage etc all option are there..
Here is my comparison of s5 and nexus 5X
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-5x/general/excellent-camera-t3230797/page48
Comparison of Photo samples of S5 and S7 in full resolution auto mode with HDR on. First photo is taken by s5 while second photo of same scene is taken by S7
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Rajaasim, thanks for sharing. In my opinion, S5 is better than 5X easily.
As for your S5 vs S7 I cannot tell which is better; maybe a slight edge for the S7 for a brighter (better exposure). Now what is very different is the white balance. Clearly S5 looks cooler (bluish) and the S7 is much warmer (yellow/pink). This is especially noticeable in you first picture. I am not sure which is closer to the correct white balance. Anyone knowledgeable can give their opinion on that?

*Detection* said:
I've just spent the day playing with RAW, and I have to say, I am blown away, now the camera shines and blows the S5 clean out of the water, no comparison at all, S7 is worlds ahead when you shoot in RAW
This is the quality photo I was expecting from the S7, and I think it's clear this is the mode the used to shoot the sample photos we all saw advertising the S7s camera before launch
Each photo is around 24MB when shot in RAW, vs around 4-6MB in JPEG
I still need to master lightroom, but it takes a RAW and JPEG simutaneously, and when comparing the two identical photos on a PC the JPEGs look terrible compared
I know which mode I`ll be shooting with from now on, only bummer is, it seems to force save location to the device instead of the MicroSD
This was shot standing right at the back of the yard below
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Click to collapse
Wow, thank you so much for these! It is very clear that RAW beats the hell out of the jpeg shot - you can see it in the clouds, in the reflection in the window, in the bricks. You know also that there is Lightroom for mobile right - which is free. You can do some quick edits very easily.
So the way I see it on vacation and special trips one could use the RAW mode and for the rest of the time you can use JPEG. I would personally use the 9.1 M (16:9) reso.

azsamsancho said:
Wow, thank you so much for these! It is very clear that RAW beats the hell out of the jpeg shot - you can see it in the clouds, in the reflection in the window, in the bricks. You know also that there is Lightroom for mobile right - which is free. You can do some quick edits very easily.
So the way I see it on vacation and special trips one could use the RAW mode and for the rest of the time you can use JPEG. I would personally use the 9.1 M (16:9) reso.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea thanks, I have lightroom and photoshop express installed on the phone, but it's much nicer and easier to use the PC version for big photos and getting the levels just right
That photo was taken from a good 20m away on the ground too, and the detail is great
You can see the JPEGs starting to blend and blur the texture, but the RAW stays sharp, zooming right in with RAW just results in pixelization not blur like JPEG
And yea definitely RAW is highly recommended for special shots like a vacation, JPEG for point and shoot quick snaps are fine, but for amazing shots, RAW all the way
And another thing, with RAW there is no need for HDR, even low light shots come out nice and bright, while the JPEG clone that it takes with RAW come out dark
EDIT - I'm not the worlds best with PS or LR, but you can see all the information is still in the RAW photo, you just need to know how to bring it out

Related

The Galaxy S4 camera vs HTC One vs Nokia 808

I would like to make clear that the One seems fine when viewing the photos normally on your phone or on Facebook. However where it fails badly is when you want to crop or view 100%, they're just shockingly bad
(btw all crops done from original file and not the uploaded file as uploads reduce image resolution)
I've had all three, just sent the One back cause I didn't like it so I cannot take any more pictures than I have with it.
These are 100% crops so obviously stuff will be bigger and smaller depending on the native image size. They're all taken from the same distance...
808: http://s23.postimg.org/5iowazs3e/image.jpg
GS4: http://s23.postimg.org/gh05t6gor/image.jpg
One: http://s23.postimg.org/65nt0iozf/image.jpg
Now obviously the One is too small so I try to zoom in bring it to the same size and.. http://s21.postimg.org/kd8wbfc9z/Untitled.jpg
Then I have the GS4 vs the 808 only...
Both zoomed in to the same and cropped..
808: http://s24.postimg.org/6t54wjrwl/image.jpg
GS4: http://s24.postimg.org/okgrb07b9/image.jpg
Native 100% cropped:
808: http://s18.postimg.org/x2qkzh98p/Untitled2.jpg
GS4: http://s18.postimg.org/wop8zvp55/Untitled.jpg
Landscape shots:
Slightly different times of day but the same amount of sun, I had to reduce the 808 file size because it couldn't be uploaded as the image was over 20mb.
808: http://s21.postimg.org/pgnax5h47/2013_05_02_0385.jpg
GS4: http://s10.postimg.org/dz3eyyhtk/20130502_121344.jpg
One: http://s10.postimg.org/pmxgti6yg/IMAG0002.jpg
100% crop...
808: http://s9.postimg.org/rv1eo31qn/image.jpg
GS4: http://s9.postimg.org/x906vmrgu/image.jpg
One: http://s9.postimg.org/naf895i1b/image.jpg
Trying to bring the Ones image size to the others because the low MP count makes small images.. http://s9.postimg.org/q7299fnv3/image.jpg
Now these ones were all done on different days so they're not direct but really more about the detail. The 808 had quite a bit of direct sunlight ruining the image and as every it's reduced in size so I can upload. I haven't been up the fields yet with the GS4 so I will post one later...
808: http://s22.postimg.org/lnkyf2r5c/2013_04_21_0221.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/eln0svnjk/IMAG0010.jpg
100% crops
808: http://s18.postimg.org/8wbstzeo9/image.jpg
One: http://s23.postimg.org/kg0l3mfwb/image.jpg
Low Light:
Now I've looked at the HTC One and how it handles low light and really all I can work out is it uses OIS to increase the ISO without getting blur. When I lock the ISO instead of putting it on auto I get these results...
ISO 200:
GS4: http://s22.postimg.org/iwkiqt33k/20130502_121723.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/73mpml6nk/IMAG0012.jpg
808: http://s14.postimg.org/65j9m8fk1/2013_05_02_0391.jpg
ISO 400:
GS4:http://s11.postimg.org/zcww14o7m/20130502_121732.jpg
One: http://s11.postimg.org/ib41z19ci/IMAG0013.jpg
Auto ISO:
GS4: http://s9.postimg.org/5jzriw0b2/20130502_121511.jpg
One: http://s9.postimg.org/fss8opocu/IMAG0019.jpg
My One has a pink spot in the middle, the GS4 can get even brighter with night mode on which Im guess allows the ISO to go above 800 because this is what I get with Night mode on the GS4 and ISO set to 1600 on the HTC One.
GS4: http://s22.postimg.org/ma6jir0ts/20130502_121604.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/u475458mo/IMAG0015.jpg
Both of them with ISO set to their lowest:
GS4: http://s24.postimg.org/so4v10wzo/20130502_121530.jpg
One: http://s22.postimg.org/4hpkom8z5/IMAG0010.jpg
Interestingly enough the 808 thrashed both of them, though they all struggle to find a focus when taking a pic from the dark, which the 808 couldn't as I have focus lamp assist off on the 808 which it really needs.
Now this comparison isn't perfect but from my use of all three phones it obviously goes...
1. 808
2. GS4
Way wayyyyyyy behind
3. HTC One.
I want to add, the room is not that dark, it's daylight but that is the only place I can find it to where it's dusk like conditions. I don't understand why the GS4 and HTC One struggle so much without turning ISO to max, my guess is sensor size is way more important than pixel size, I dunno. The HTC One just seems to rely on OIS and ISO really, I see no proof of this ultra pixel thing, the 808 thrashes them both though. I don't understand what other reviews are doing, I'm guessing they're leaving ISO set automatic and not playing with the options? Either way the HTC One takes such poor shots that you don't want to use any of them, they look fine in normal size, however as soon as you 100% them on your desktop monitor, they're poor!
The biggest downfall though of the 808 is you cannot upload the images anywhere, you can see in the crops how big the original image must be. I'm doing this on a 1080p monitor and the 808s crops take up the whole screen and I often cannot crop the whole thing I want to when it's 100% lol.
According to your sample pics...only 808 has real color and detailed pic....even s4's pics seem very yellowish....
One also has god color but not properly focused
Frankly speaking only winner is Nokia 808
Both s4 and one are losers here
Unfortunately; i didnt expect this from s4
They're all good cameras when you view them like this, however when you want to view them in their 100% form, the 808 wins by miles and the HTC One should never have bothered to enter the race.
ipsuvedi said:
According to your sample pics...only 808 has real color and detailed pic....even s4's pics seem very yellowish....
One also has god color but not properly focused
Frankly speaking only winner is Nokia 808
Both s4 and one are losers here
Unfortunately; i didnt expect this from s4
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The GS4 FoV is too narrow and it's too oversaturated, which may be a firmware thing. See shots taken with the GS4:
http://s21.postimg.org/vegwixasn/20130502_121358.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/97h9j8hv3/20130502_153230.jpg
However the FoV is so narrow compared to the others. With the same shot at the same distance I can get this on the 808, you may think the GS4 has more detail for the same distance, however if I zoomed in on a shot with the 808 I'd keep so much more detail that it doesn't matter. So really if I want to have an image be closer, I can zoom in on a shot taken further away or I can go close before I take the shot. With the GS4 you only get one option, keep backing away because the FoV always makes you look closer than you really are.
http://s14.postimg.org/wtaq1qrwh/2013_03_19_0012.jpg
Now the One has a much wider lens than the GS4, however as soon as you zoom in to get a view in the detail, you just see pixels everywhere, so you have to get so much closer with the one to get detail out of things...
http://s7.postimg.org/rcn59193v/IMAG0010.jpg
DP
Thx. The 808 is still the king, but the GS4 comes quite close during the daylight. Are you using the SnapDragon version of the GS4 BTW? It is worth checking Mobiele-Review's big showdown with the Exynos 5 variant, which I suspect to have a different sensor to the Snapdragon half-brother.
http://translate.google.com/transla.../mobile-review.com/review/phototest2013.shtml
The one´s camera is 4MP. Landscape photos arent the strength of the camera (but also not a real weakness if you dont zoom). It has other advantages:
-OIS
-extremly fast shutter speed, so you can take pictures of moving persons/animals/cars without blur
-very good low light capabilities (and no, the hdr night mode of the s4 is not comparable, its just good for stills)
-Wide FOV
-very good macro pictures
-very good hdr pictures
It is pretty obvious and well known that if you want to crop/zoom in on photos, then the one is not the camera phone for you, it simply doesn't have enough megapixels.
Viewing the one photos on my calibrated dell U2331H monitor look very good (when not zooming in), especially macro shots (macro shots look better than what my one S produces and it is has a superb camera), now if I had a very high res. panel then my opinion would be different.
Getting tired of people saying this xxxxx phone is better than this xxxx phone, this xxxx phone sucks zOMG!!! As if to say that only one-two area matters, there is more to a camera/photo quality than just the ability to zoom and good or/and low light conditions....
This is how I look at it:
Main advantages of the GS 4 camera over the one are;
- if you crop/zoom in on images, have a very high res. display and/or print photos on large paper, this is where more MP really shines!
- Bright landscape conditions
- panorama shots
- features/options overall
Main advantages of the one camera over the GS 4 are:
- very fast shutter and combined with OIS, you get more consistent/usable photos, more so in lower light conditions and/or with movement shots
- indoor conditions, low light/dark conditions
- much larger FOV
- audio recording (really amazing in loud environments) and video recording overall (GS 4 looks excellent for 1080P recording but the OIS, FOV [which is further reduced on the GS 4 when you enable image stabilisation] etc. give the one the edge by quite a bit imo)
The GS 4 can perform superbly in low light/night conditions with "night" mode but it comes at a cost, slower shutter thus only useful with non moving objects and you need to have a steady hand.
Regarding the features/options, both seem to be more or less the same, GS 4 has the edge with a few more things to choose from. Most of the one's features are tied to the zoe feature and gallery i.e. sequence/drama shot, always smiling, eraser/removing objects etc. where as the features on the GS 4 are selectable through the camera app.
Macro shots look superb on both, need to see more from the GS 4 end users, but so far I think the one is better in this area, the photos are just very detailed and have a "natural" look to them.
Up to the end user this part, but photo size is quite different due to the difference in MP, talking about 1.5MP on average for the one VS 6.5MB for a photo from the GS 4, personally for me, smaller photo size is a nice wee bonus.
Haven't seen many HDR shots from either phone except for some of the review sites, but both look very good in their own ways.
And I haven't even covered the actual "quality" of the image i.e. in terms of colours etc. From what we have seen so far, I would have to say that the one looks more natural and the GS 4 saturates the photos a wee bit [which I quite like depending on the scenario] (saying that, this is easily solved by adjusting the contrast or saturation in the one camera app, can't remember if you can do this with the GS 4 camera app???), however, in some shots i.e. white/grey buildings, the one looks too yellow, the one had a problem with exposure i.e. white clouds, very bright conditions etc. but this has been fixed/improved with 1.29.
Both phones will improve with updates, especially the HTC one since the camera tec. is fairly new for a phone camera especially to HTC (only two phones have OIS, the other one being the lumia 920)
Comes down to what the end user wants.
I don't know but smth seems wrong with your gs4. It's too yellow ish.
Always interested to see people consistently list wider FOV in the One as an advantage. Really its just different, whether an advantage or not depends on the types of subjects and scenes you typically find yourself snapping. For many people a more narrow FOV would actually be an asset, tending to be better for close in stuff and portraiture type stuff (if there was enough detail to allow cropping down to a more narrow FOV after the fact then I do think the wide FOV would be a straight-up advantage, but there isn't and it isn't). If any thing I think the wide FOV in the One is relatively mismatched to its strengths.
True, it does come down to what type of scenario you are shooting, the way I personally look at it, is that its better to have it than not to, there are quite a few shots that I wouldn't have got as well with the FOV of the GS 4 i.e. when in Rome last year, I wouldn't have been able to fit any where as much of the ruins and other landmarks in with the GS 4 camera (was on a bus tour so couldn't "step back") likewise with group shots and certain other scenarios.
You can always crop the image too but of course as you touched upon there, with the low MP count on the one, it isn't best advised. Personally I don't think I have ever cropped any of my photos.
The main area where a large FOV really shines imo, is video recording, especially since the GS 4 FOV is further reduced when you turn image stabilisation on.
Terminator19 said:
True, it does come down to what type of scenario you are shooting, the way I personally look at it, is that its better to have it than not to, there are quite a few shots that I wouldn't have got as well with the FOV of the GS 4 i.e. when in Rome last year, I wouldn't have been able to fit any where as much of the ruins and other landmarks in with the GS 4 camera (was on a bus tour so couldn't "step back") likewise with group shots and other scenarios.
You can always crop the image too but of course as you touched upon there, with the low MP count on the one, it isn't best advised. Personally I don't think I have cropped any of my photos.
The main area where a large FOV really shines is video recording though, especially since the GS 4 FOV is further reduced when you turn image stabilisation on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I was only really referring to the stills camera.
In the scenarios you mention like sightseeing type scenarios I would probably happily take the improved detail in the S4 over the wider FOV of the One, there is an element of personal preference there of course.
S4 video recording stabilization
Galaxy S4 video recording stabilization gets tested in offroad conditions
http://www.itcnews24.com/galaxy-s4-video-recording-stabilization-gets-tested-in-offroad-conditions-itcnews24-11516.html
http://blog.gsmarena.com/video-stab...galaxy-s4-improves-over-s-iii-but-not-enough/
I have booth S4 and a One. I tend to use the one because I have kids, kids move around , waves arms and just can't stand still. I still haven't shoot one single shoot with the S4 with the kids unblurred.
The S4 waits for AOSP/CM (can't stand TW) connected to the tv set and the One is in my pocket . Both are great phones but the one do what I need to do best, listening to music and snapping pics of my kids. And yes, 4 mp is little to small, if I could carry both it had been perfect
Skickat från min HTC One via Tapatalk 2
Here is a little help, if you can't decide whether to take the one or s4. At the end of the video there is also a comparison of the both cameras :
I have the one and s4 snapdragon version. The galaxy 4 is much better
Inviato dal mio GT-I9505 con Tapatalk 2
Partly cloudy, outdoor under a sun shelter
S4 is notably sharper and brighter. I pressed to focus on the middle sand for each phone.
S4
HTC One
Indoors with low-average light.
S4 is sharper but took longer with the shutter. But the clicks after were quick.
S4
HTC One
Indoors with a window closeby.
S4 is sharper but shutter was about 25% slower to 'click'
S4
HTC One
Indoors with the previous photo window farther away.
Light is average.
S4 is sharper but shutter 25% slower to 'click' S4 colour is more accurate.
S4
HTC One
Basement with low light
Again S4 shutter slower but sharper photo.
S4
HTC One
Here are some crappy moving shot tests... lol.
I kicked a ball and took a pic.
S4
HTC One
This one shows the HTC One being slow to focus and take the shot.
I pressed the shutter button at the same time but the htc one had trouble taking the shot.
S4
HTC one
Outdoor moving shot. Kicked a ball, took a pic.
Here the HTC one was faster with the shutter. I actually took two while the S4 only got 1 off.
S4
HTC One
We can not speak about Nokia 808 vs S4.....
Inviato dal mio GT-I9505 con Tapatalk 2
BoneXDA said:
Thx. The 808 is still the king, but the GS4 comes quite close during the daylight. Are you using the SnapDragon version of the GS4 BTW? It is worth checking Mobiele-Review's big showdown with the Exynos 5 variant, which I suspect to have a different sensor to the Snapdragon half-brother.
http://translate.google.com/transla.../mobile-review.com/review/phototest2013.shtml
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks giving me back to this link, it is interesting because it is one of the best comparison done already (dpreview did also a good one)
Just a point to clarify, this review is done with I9500 not I 9505, that give much better camera results as they are different hardware.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2327355
Photo quality comparision by GSMArena:
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HTC One is a loser in Camera.
Secondly, Someone will always go for a DSLR if he/she just wants a camera. Buying 808 for camera is like hiring Sunny Leone for just her Acting skills.

Fix blurry photos

Not a GS4 problem, more of an Android problem. Just learned how to fix. Hold the snap button instead of tapping, and release when in focus.
Hope this helps others.
If it's a universal android problem, why can I pick up any HTC phone made in the last year and a half and snap instant, crystal clear photos without waiting for them to focus? The problem is just that the S4 has a crappy camera.
Sent from my SGH-I337
I get super sharp pictures out of my S4. I too had some blurryish and some extra light in my first pictures. Then I discovered, There is yet another piece of protective film on the camera. It has a hole in the middle for the sensor but the edge of the protective film in the "donut hole" both messes with the focus and causes halos.
Personally I find every camera will be blurry if just held. I have pretty shaky hands....
I will say this camera needs better Macro focuses. I wish it was an option or there was a way to adjust focus. Samsung camera have long seemed to lack in the Macro areas.
Sent from my awesome AT&T SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 SGH-I337 using xda developers app.
CAG-man said:
I get super sharp pictures out of my S4. I too had some blurryish and some extra light in my first pictures. Then I discovered, There is yet another piece of protective film on the camera. It has a hole in the middle for the sensor but the edge of the protective film in the "donut hole" both messes with the focus and causes halos.
Personally I find every camera will be blurry if just held. I have pretty shaky hands....
I will say this camera needs better Macro focuses. I wish it was an option or there was a way to adjust focus. Samsung camera have long seemed to lack in the Macro areas.
Sent from my awesome AT&T SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 SGH-I337 using xda developers app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow I didn't even see that. I hate when company's apply some film and make it almost impossible to see.
If you hold the shutter many phones will do burst shots. Blurry photos are caused by too slow a shutter speed, i.e. low light shots.
geoff5093 said:
If you hold the shutter many phones will do burst shots. Blurry photos are caused by too slow a shutter speed, i.e. low light shots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
em, go into setting and turn burst shot off?
Came from iPhone 4S. 8MP camera on there took 10x better photos than this 12MP camera on this... Don't get me wrong the camera on the S4 _CAN_ get some decent photos.. if you're in a extremely well lit area, or using flash, and your subject is completely still... but the shutter speed on the S4 just seems way to slow. Let alone the aperture and sensor doesn't seem big enough to get good low light photos.
FYI. Samsung galaxy s4 have 13 MP camera and pictures are cristal clear. iPhone 4s have no chance with appeture speed against Galaxy s4. On other hand nothing like good camera in hands , let say canon EOS D60 or Nikon D3200 with good f1.4 lens if you want to take good pictures. This is just a phone so relax everydody.
WoodburyMan said:
Came from iPhone 4S. 8MP camera on there took 10x better photos than this 12MP camera on this... Don't get me wrong the camera on the S4 _CAN_ get some decent photos.. if you're in a extremely well lit area, or using flash, and your subject is completely still... but the shutter speed on the S4 just seems way to slow. Let alone the aperture and sensor doesn't seem big enough to get good low light photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree, I came from an iPhone 5 and the camera seems to be a lot better than the S4's.
Unless you changed to the 13MB, the camera default it actually 9.6MB for the widescreen photo... not really the topic though
nakedninja42 said:
Unless you changed to the 13MB, the camera default it actually 9.6MB for the widescreen photo... not really the topic though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my S4 takes amazing pictures, all of them are clear, no blurryness. Maybe its not about the camera and more about the camera man
polish_pat said:
my S4 takes amazing pictures, all of them are clear, no blurryness. Maybe its not about the camera and more about the camera man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only time I notice blurry pictures is when I am drunk :laugh:... maybe its my eyes
The S4 does take awesome photos, but I am a little biased since I bought a new Nikon D5200 two weeks before I got the phone... 24MP vs the 13/9.6MP
The recording on the phone is great too! I was at a Sharks playoff game during the first round. I was recording them coming onto the ice and the arena went into a roar. LOOOOOOUUUUUD. There is no audio clipping considering how crazy it was in there.
For those that are getting blurry shots, make sure you are holding the phone still when you take the picture. As long as I hold the phone still, my pictures come out sharp.
WoodburyMan said:
Came from iPhone 4S. 8MP camera on there took 10x better photos than this 12MP camera on this... Don't get me wrong the camera on the S4 _CAN_ get some decent photos.. if you're in a extremely well lit area, or using flash, and your subject is completely still... but the shutter speed on the S4 just seems way to slow. Let alone the aperture and sensor doesn't seem big enough to get good low light photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree completely.
polish_pat said:
my S4 takes amazing pictures, all of them are clear, no blurryness. Maybe its not about the camera and more about the camera man
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It makes me so angry when people make this argument. I've used both the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S4 to take pictures. Same camera man. The iPhone pictures always come out better. Plus, they are much easier to take because I don't have to worry that if I move the camera a tenth of a millimeter, the picture will come out blurry.
GeorgeP said:
For those that are getting blurry shots, make sure you are holding the phone still when you take the picture. As long as I hold the phone still, my pictures come out sharp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not the issue. The issue is phone vs. phone, not person vs. person or technique vs. technique. The fact is, some phones have fast shutter speeds and take crystal clear pictures even with a little movement, and some phones have slower speeds and a little movement causes blurry pictures. The S4 falls into the latter category.
mattdm said:
It makes me so angry when people make this argument. I've used both the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy S4 to take pictures. Same camera man. The iPhone pictures always come out better. Plus, they are much easier to take because I don't have to worry that if I move the camera a tenth of a millimeter, the picture will come out blurry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, you obviously have an issue i don't. My GF has an iphone 5 and i always think to myself how "crappy" her pictures are, there is always some glare or pixeling to the picture i don't have with my s4. I have compared both phones directly and i do like the s4 better. The s4 tends to oversaturate the colors, which, for me, is a total +. I like vivid colors. Also, you make it sound like i take picture with a tripod or something, i dont, i always take them standing or sitting, just like you, i obviously dont run with the camera, but i'll go back to what i said earlier, my photos always come our crystal clear and beautiful.
Both the S4 and iPhone have the 2 best cameras in town, if your pictures always come out blurry, or most of the tiem, then you have a problem, with you, or with the phone. take your guess
mattdm said:
If it's a universal android problem, why can I pick up any HTC phone made in the last year and a half and snap instant, crystal clear photos without waiting for them to focus? The problem is just that the S4 has a crappy camera.
Sent from my SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
perhaps you don't understand the meaning of the word "crappy"....my s4 takes great pics...better than my htc for sure:victory:
im pretty sure people can testify with the picts theyve taken themselves
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2251755
mattdm said:
Not the issue. The issue is phone vs. phone, not person vs. person or technique vs. technique. The fact is, some phones have fast shutter speeds and take crystal clear pictures even with a little movement, and some phones have slower speeds and a little movement causes blurry pictures. The S4 falls into the latter category.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just trying to make a suggestion to help out those that are getting blurry pictures. But comparing the facts - phone vs phone:
My wife has an iphone 5. My pictures definitely come out clearer than hers. But this does not have to be a matter of opinion. For the facts, one can look at the specs of the camera and the EXIF information of the pictures taken. The shutter speed set by any camera is largely a function of the camera's maximum aperture (along with camera's ISO selection algorithm). The S4 has a larger maximum aperture, 2.2 vs 2.4, and tends to set a higher ISO, meaning that all else held equal, the S4 will set a faster shutter speed. Comparing the EXIF information on pictures taken with the S4 and iphone 5 confirms this. Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) did a comparison of 4 camera phones including the S4 and the iphone 5. In their tests, the S4 set the fastest shutter speed. For example, in the side-by-side low light test, the S4 set a shutter speed of 1/30 second and the iphone set a speed of 1/17 second.
Finally, the S4 has a slightly shorter focal length 31mm vs 33mm (35mm equivalent) meaning that the S4 will be less sensitive to camera shake, i.e., the same amount of camera shake, at the same shutter speed, will result in less motion blur.
GeorgeP said:
I was just trying to make a suggestion to help out those that are getting blurry pictures. But comparing the facts - phone vs phone:
My wife has an iphone 5. My pictures definitely come out clearer than hers. But this does not have to be a matter of opinion. For the facts, one can look at the specs of the camera and the EXIF information of the pictures taken. The shutter speed set by any camera is largely a function of the camera's maximum aperture (along with camera's ISO selection algorithm). The S4 has a larger maximum aperture, 2.2 vs 2.4, and tends to set a higher ISO, meaning that all else held equal, the S4 will set a faster shutter speed. Comparing the EXIF information on pictures taken with the S4 and iphone 5 confirms this. Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) did a comparison of 4 camera phones including the S4 and the iphone 5. In their tests, the S4 set the fastest shutter speed. For example, in the side-by-side low light test, the S4 set a shutter speed of 1/30 second and the iphone set a speed of 1/17 second.
Finally, the S4 has a slightly shorter focal length 31mm vs 33mm (35mm equivalent) meaning that the S4 will be less sensitive to camera shake, i.e., the same amount of camera shake, at the same shutter speed, will result in less motion blur.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! This guy dropped the bomb!
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk 2
GeorgeP said:
I was just trying to make a suggestion to help out those that are getting blurry pictures. But comparing the facts - phone vs phone:
My wife has an iphone 5. My pictures definitely come out clearer than hers. But this does not have to be a matter of opinion. For the facts, one can look at the specs of the camera and the EXIF information of the pictures taken. The shutter speed set by any camera is largely a function of the camera's maximum aperture (along with camera's ISO selection algorithm). The S4 has a larger maximum aperture, 2.2 vs 2.4, and tends to set a higher ISO, meaning that all else held equal, the S4 will set a faster shutter speed. Comparing the EXIF information on pictures taken with the S4 and iphone 5 confirms this. Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) did a comparison of 4 camera phones including the S4 and the iphone 5. In their tests, the S4 set the fastest shutter speed. For example, in the side-by-side low light test, the S4 set a shutter speed of 1/30 second and the iphone set a speed of 1/17 second.
Finally, the S4 has a slightly shorter focal length 31mm vs 33mm (35mm equivalent) meaning that the S4 will be less sensitive to camera shake, i.e., the same amount of camera shake, at the same shutter speed, will result in less motion blur.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that's all true, I have to conclude I have a defective unit. -_-
Sent from my SGH-I337

S7 and S7 edge vs S6 (First proper camera review by hardwarezone)

http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/feature-samsung-galaxy-s7-vs-galaxy-s6-who-takes-better-photos
After days of waiting, we finally have another detailed camera review. While the article does not go into pixel peeping depth, it gives a good idea of how the camera perform against its predecessor. It seems like the s7 handles contrasts and low light( of course) much better.
Hopefully will bring peace to people worried about S7 camera underperforming...
Interesting and thanks for the link. Seems to be very competent camera.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Thanks for the link. I think I'm convinced the S7 is better in low light. The concern is whether it's taken a sacrifice in brighter conditions - would be good to see some daylight photos from people getting their phones this week
This really should quieten down the people claiming the S6 has a better camera, and that Samsung have taken a step backwards. The outdoor contrast and street at night pictures in particular were hilariously one-sided.
In my opinion S6 has the advantage , In day time, S6 photos is obvious better than s7 with more vivid colors. During sunset and night , the photos is almost identical with only iexception the night street scene ,which s7 was better.
I would like to see a real life comporison too , because most of us , we usually take photos of our friends and not static buildings in the night.
dimkit said:
In my opinion S6 has the advantage , In day time, S6 photos is obvious better than s7 with more vivid colors. During sunset and night , the photos is almost identical with only iexception the night street scene ,which s7 was better.
I would like to see a real life comporison too , because most of us , we usually take photos of our friends and not static buildings in the night.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of us may need to calibrate our displays, because the S7 has a clear advantage to me. I notice a lot of the reds on the S6 seem to wash out and look pink (like the pic looking up the steps with the red box on the side).
I dunno, I think I'd rather go with the S6 and it's 4 megapixel advantage.
You need to read up on why that isn't necessarily an advantage when it comes to quality of image.
Beefheart said:
You need to read up on why that isn't necessarily an advantage when it comes to quality of image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry, I did that many moons ago.
For what mobile phone cameras are used for, the difference between 16mpx and 12 mpx is nothing. That extra 4pmx has no practical advantage bar the aspect ratio. I'd sooner have an increase in quality and a reduction in size.
dimkit said:
In my opinion S6 has the advantage , In day time, S6 photos is obvious better than s7 with more vivid colors. During sunset and night , the photos is almost identical with only iexception the night street scene ,which s7 was better.
I would like to see a real life comporison too , because most of us , we usually take photos of our friends and not static buildings in the night.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously you didn't bother reading the author's notes. In almost all cases they noted that the S7 was producing more accurate colors, and the S6 was producing tones that were not true to what the scene actually looked like.
If your idea of a superior camera is one which produces overly saturated images at the expense of color accuracy (similar to the issue samsung's older AMOLED displays had), then stick with the S6.
For the rest of us, accuracy is the sign of a better camera. Saturation can easily be adjusted to taste in post (especially with the S7's raw support). It's much harder to fix incorrect colors after the fact going off of memory. The S6 also struggled in high-constrast scenes. There were several instances where certain parts of the image were blown out because the S6 couldn't keep up with the wide range of the scene.
Beefheart said:
For what mobile phone cameras are used for, the difference between 16mpx and 12 mpx is nothing. That extra 4pmx has no practical advantage bar the aspect ratio. I'd sooner have an increase in quality and a reduction in size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't see much of an increase in quality in the samples provided. I guess I'll see when my S7 comes in
Meh, S6 has more detail in daylight.
AfroCreame said:
I didn't see much of an increase in quality in the samples provided. I guess I'll see when my S7 comes in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So when you look at photos 6 and 9 for example you don't see a quality difference. OK.
There seems to be a slight difference between the two. With the S7 just barely edging out the S6... The camera should not be the big reason to get the S7 (even though i am getting the S7)...
I saw this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD_2udbnsLg and it looks like slow motion video is also better... I noticed on my S6 when i do slow motion, the scene become much darker, the S7 doesnt seem to have that issue...
pottyvick said:
There seems to be a slight difference between the two. With the S7 just barely edging out the S6... The camera should not be the big reason to get the S7 (even though i am getting the S7)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This +1. My S7E should be here tomorrow also.
My personal opinion and this applies only to me so your mileage may vary - The S6 camera is beyond fantastic, I regularly have amateur photographer friends who ask me what camera I use because my images are excellent (I have an S6E). So, If even if the S7 camera was the *same* as the S6, the S7 is a winner, considering ALL the other improvements they made to the phone. I was worried they would take a step backwards with the slim camera module, and I wasn't really expecting any major camera improvements. But it does seem the S7 camera is slightly better than the S6, which in my mind is a bonus.
And keep in mind all this is before software updates. If you remember the early S6 days, there were 2 if not 3 software updates within the first few months that all had slight camera improvements. I remember there was an update even when I first powered on the phone from tmobile.
Beefheart said:
This really should quieten down the people claiming the S6 has a better camera, and that Samsung have taken a step backwards. The outdoor contrast and street at night pictures in particular were hilariously one-sided.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's generally those that have the S6 either in contract and cannot yet upgrade and therefore find their own ways to bash it. Happens all the time with new flagships.
Some even pretend they are getting the S7 to try and validate their claim. Very sad in my opinion.
dimkit said:
In my opinion S6 has the advantage , In day time, S6 photos is obvious better than s7 with more vivid colors. During sunset and night , the photos is almost identical with only iexception the night street scene ,which s7 was better.
I would like to see a real life comporison too , because most of us , we usually take photos of our friends and not static buildings in the night.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agree the "slightly better" come too much in this review... especially with this kind of px drop (16 => 12)
To be honest if the S7 camera is just as good as the S6 I'm golden. I actually don't take too many pictures right now.
Every single one of them looks a little better to me in varying degrees.

HONEST COMPARISON: S8 Front/Rear Cameras Are The Worst On A Flagship Phone In Years

EDIT: There are probably dozens of reviews/comparisons, but here are two just from today that are also harsh: Krystal Key and PocketNow. And UrAverageConsumer's wife's comments here and here "it does look a little washed out...it is a little soft...I'm not a fan of it...it's good enough..."
The consensus seems to be that the front camera is "soft" (aka it looks permanently out of focus or blurry), the rear cam consistently blows out highlights with or without HDR, and video is wobbly and distorted despite ois AND eis. To be clear (pun intended) this is not a problem with the sensors, but with Samsung's processing. If Google's Camera app didn't disable HDR+ on non-Nexus devices then the S8 it would very likely take the best pictures of any smartphone ever.
Here are my samples shot with my S8 with the better Sony sensors, and a Nexus 6P from 18 months ago. For maximum quality from the S8, HDR is enabled and beauty disabled. 6P is in auto mode. Be sure to right click on the side-by-side compilation images and open in a new tab to see them at full size, where the detail quality—rather than just the light/color quality—is most apparent.
==============================================
FULL GALLERY
==============================================
Rear Cam Side-by-Side 1/2 - VIEW AT 100%
Full Res: N6P — GS8
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Rear Cam Side-by-Side 2/2 - VIEW AT 100%
Full Res: N6P — GS8
==============================================
Front Cam Set 1/5: N6P — GS8
==============================================
Front Cam Set 2/5: N6P — GS8
==============================================
Front Cam Set 3/5: N6P — GS8
==============================================
Front Cam Set 4/5: N6P — GS8
==============================================
Front Cam Set 5/5: N6P — GS8
==============================================
BONUS - 2MP tablet front cam with no HDR from 2015
==============================================
SUPER BONUS - Mystery camera! Can you guess?
My first impression of the camera coming from a S6, is that it sucks, yes it's better in low light, but if there is decent to good light it is much worse, all my pictures look muddy where the S6 taken at its side looks sharp. really ruins the phone for me!
.psd said:
All in the interest of honesty (it's OK to be honest!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good lord. GSMArena, AnandTech, and Notebookcheck do exhaustive subjective reviews. GSMArena's and Notebookcheck's camera evaluations are linked below. Spoiler alert: they don't agree with your objective testing of your sister's phone.
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s8-review-1603p9.php
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-S8-Plus-SM-G955F-Smartphone-Review.213438.0.html
Samsung frontcams are always behind the competition. Not sure why. Agreed with OP's honest review.
BarryH_GEG said:
Good lord. GSMArena, AnandTech, and Notebookcheck do exhaustive subjective reviews. GSMArena's and Notebookcheck's camera evaluations are linked below. Spoiler alert: they don't agree with your objective testing of your sister's phone.
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s8-review-1603p9.php
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-S8-Plus-SM-G955F-Smartphone-Review.213438.0.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also included nearly 30 minutes of reviews of the camera by PocketNow and Krystal Key, but there are likely dozens of reviews by now showing the same thing.
The front cam looks like it's always out of focus—what reviewers universally are calling "soft". The rear cam consistently blows out the highlights even with HDR on. Video is wobbly and distorted despite having OIS AND EIS. In all cases, this is due to Samsung's processing because devices with inferior sensors from Google or Apple don't have these problems.
Something here in which i agree is that over-exposing. The Galaxy S8 loves doing this in certain situations where it shouldn't be doing but most of all is the auto-focus feature for me. Auto-Focus can be a mess when it wants too, simple macros where it should focus with ease it can't do that. I took my S6 and i found that in certain situations it was able to get a faster better macro with one tap compared to the S8. I felt that this one is a bit sloppy, and requires a lot of fiddling to get a good focus point. But don't get me wrong, whenever the phone is able to focus and does a good job in auto mode the photos look amazing. Overall my only complaint is the auto-focus on close-up shots and some over exposing. I really think these can be tweaked with a software update but honestly this phone should have had a completely new rear camera in the first place without being forced to wait for the new Note. I still believe this phone was a bit rushed, it looks stunning and awesome performance but man those software tweaks and scrolling bugs, and stutters and red screens could have been avoided. Oh yes.. let's not forget that Image Stabilization , wobbly videos and front face focus as mentioned above, i think these sometimes do a mess of a job. Real let down from the camera side of things for me.
I didn't do detailed comparison but for rear camera, which is the one i care the most, my S8+ seems similar and even slightly better than my Note 7.
Consumer Reports did more detailed comparison, they think the s8 has the best 12MP camera there is. And according this photo, in low light it's indeed a lot better than the s7.
https://youtu.be/3MmjHMWwtPU
So no, the s8 rear camera is NOT The Worst On A Flagship Phone In Years
My short time with the camera is the opposite. S8 front is marginally better than the 6p. Will do more testing.
No issues, amazing camera. Coming from a Pixel, pixel does look nicer but not by far.
When someone is doing pixel peeping, i am sure you can find flaws about every cameras out there. I look at overall quality and usability such as speed of launch and speed of taking the actual picture. After all phone pictures are all about capturing the moment.
Turn off one of the stabilizations. They dont both need to be on. Also, every samsung has let you adjust the exposure level..
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
The pictures are a lot better than the pictures the HTC M8 took.
Darkestred said:
My short time with the camera is the opposite. S8 front is marginally better than the 6p. Will do more testing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any examples? I posted several, and I've not come across a single instance where the S8 is superior.
I just bought this phone for $800 and have the Nexus 6P sitting right next to me. Money isn't an issue. I don't make income from hyping the S8 or from my brand. I have no interest in suggesting the S8 camera is any better or worse than it is. Would be really interested to see you post actual selfies like I did to support your claim that, despite reviews and my 10 pictures posted, the S8 takes superior front cam pictures.
willymcd said:
My first impression of the camera coming from a S6, is that it sucks, yes it's better in low light, but if there is decent to good light it is much worse, all my pictures look muddy where the S6 taken at its side looks sharp. really ruins the phone for me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoa, no way the s6 takes better pictures. I just did my own comparison and ask the s6 photos are so dark and fuzzy
.psd said:
Any examples? I posted several, and I've not come across a single instance where the S8 is superior.
I just bought this phone for $800 and have the Nexus 6P sitting right next to me. Money isn't an issue. I don't make income from hyping the S8 or from my brand. I have no interest in suggesting the S8 camera is any better or worse than it is. Would be really interested to see you post actual selfies like I did to support your claim that, despite reviews and my 10 pictures posted, the S8 takes superior front cam pictures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never said anything about that. I just said in my use i feel its better. Here are 2 sample pics i did. I dont have any fancy setup so its all manual and i realize my pictures are not lined up but i got lazy. I feel the color in the s8 is way nicer and while it does get soft or blend in details like my scruff - i still think overall it does a nicer shot. Its not always a perfect shot. out of the 6 i took one came out blurry.
If my pictures aren't perfect enough - i really do not care. Take it for what its worth.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3F4QJb82X1ReV9mVUMzRzJTdmc
I too made a thread because I noticed how soft this front camera is. I'm super disappointed.
@.psd
I appreciate the work you did, but can you provide the original pics with EXIF data included?
thx
Here is a great review on the S8 camera. https://youtu.be/NAEVPxQ4MCw
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Looking at the pics it does look like the S8 shots are worse(maybe not) / different from other phones. In all of these reviews the one thing no one has mentioned is that smartphone cameras are largely software dependent. While the S8 is on software that has come right out of the box, 6p as used here has had a whole year's worth of updates some of which definitely did bring updates to the camera software. I still love the S8 and believe that future software updates can and will iron out the issues with the camera. (Just hoping Samsung doesn't drop the ball on the updates front).
Eddie Hicks said:
Here is a great review on the S8 camera. https://youtu.be/NAEVPxQ4MCw
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the one I linked in the OP...??
kornelius1982 said:
@.psd
I appreciate the work you did, but can you provide the original pics with EXIF data included?
thx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No because image hosts strip the metadata for user protection (e.g. location data) and it would take too long to do it for each picture the following way (e.g. undelete them from google photos and screencap some of the metadata minus the location, then save each file, then upload it, then link it here):
Here's the data for 2 of them to prove they were shot on the S8:
#1 — #2

photos - difference between s9+ and pixel 2 xl

Hi,
what are difference between quality photos samsung s9+ and pixel 2 xl , when is low light?
ds78 said:
Hi,
what are difference between quality photos samsung s9+ and pixel 2 xl , when is low light?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the opportunity to play around with the s9 plus the other day and my pixel 2 xl took a better picture.
mrnovanova said:
Had the opportunity to play around with the s9 plus the other day and my pixel 2 xl took a better picture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends from what you think is low light. If there is a direct light source pointed in the phone, like some store window or similar Pixel will be better. In real low light, S9 destroy Pixel.
ds78 said:
Hi,
what are difference between quality photos samsung s9+ and pixel 2 xl , when is low light?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In daylight, Pixel 2 XL will process the image nicer than S9+, but many times this processing makes look the pictures unreal and artificial. A lot of contrast and drama make the photos look "better" to most people.
S9+ will take more natural pics, they are not that crispy to the eye, but the colors and the scene will look more like real life.
In low light, Pixel 2 tends to be really noisy, both in photo and video, but is even more noticeable in video; Google processing tends to raise a lot the ISO, thus you have a lot of noise and artifacting.
S9+ has a better and clearer image in low light conditions hand down, and it prevail color and details better.
Depends on what kind of person you are: want natural photos?, you like to play with the pro mode?, go with the S9+; want crispy "social network ready" pics?, want just to point and shoot?, go with the Pixel 2 XL.
I prefer more natural and cleaner images, because I can put contrast and color after, but on the other hand, I can't make the noise and the graininess disappear from images in the Pixel 2 XL. Besides this, with S9+ you get a proper manual mode, which is really handy in some situations, so that's why I'm sticking with the S9+.
Is just a matter of personal taste and approach to the camera.
I've used both the Note 8 and the Pixel 2xl. I miss the camera on the note. It doesn't matter the conditions. The Pixel 2 takes grainy pics. I think the older pixel had a better camera.
pieman13 said:
I've used both the Note 8 and the Pixel 2xl. I miss the camera on the note. It doesn't matter the conditions. The Pixel 2 takes grainy pics. I think the older pixel had a better camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I don't know why everyone rate the Pixel 2 XL as the best camera in low light if the pics and videos look grainy and full of noise.
Even in medium light conditions, Pixel 2 XL processing is noisy.
pieman13 said:
I've used both the Note 8 and the Pixel 2xl. I miss the camera on the note. It doesn't matter the conditions. The Pixel 2 takes grainy pics. I think the older pixel had a better camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get this.
I owned a note 8 briefly, and I had to return it because I thought the camera was so bad. At the time I wanted something bigger than my norm pixel 2.
I did many side by side photos, and there wasn't even one scenario where the note 8 would beat the pixel 2. Dynamic range and HDR were so on point. I'd often find my note 8 would over expose or blow anything with a backlight out, and at night time photos would be a pastel, cartoons mess.
The s9 is a better challenger because of the image stacking on the dram, so after shooting photos this weekend you can see how strong it is in HDR and dynamic range.
I'm really pleased with it.
My biggest complaint is I still think the live focus mode is as poorly executed as the note 8. In anything but remotely good lighting it looks horrendous - which baffles me consider an iPhone 8 plus can do just fine. The image is also very soft and tends to blow out the recipients face.. the good news, is providing Samsung recognises this, they can tweak it and make it really good.
sstanton86 said:
I don't get this.
I owned a note 8 briefly, and I had to return it because I thought the camera was so bad. At the time I wanted something bigger than my norm pixel 2.
I did many side by side photos, and there wasn't even one scenario where the note 8 would beat the pixel 2. Dynamic range and HDR were so on point. I'd often find my note 8 would over expose or blow anything with a backlight out, and at night time photos would be a pastel, cartoons mess.
The s9 is a better challenger because of the image stacking on the dram, so after shooting photos this weekend you can see how strong it is in HDR and dynamic range.
I'm really pleased with it.
My biggest complaint is I still think the live focus mode is as poorly executed as the note 8. In anything but remotely good lighting it looks horrendous - which baffles me consider an iPhone 8 plus can do just fine. The image is also very soft and tends to blow out the recipients face.. the good news, is providing Samsung recognises this, they can tweak it and make it really good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get this either, you are the first person I have ever read saying that Note 8 camera is bad.
Is true that dynamic range in Pixel 2 is crazy, no discussion about that, but the HDR and sharpening make the photos look artificial and unreal in many cases. Even people sometimes look weird because of the contrast and saturation that Pixel 2 puts in the photos. This makes the pictures more appealing to the eye of course, and it can give a false impression of a "better picture", but is only when you see carefully and in detail that sometimes is too much processing.
Overall in daylight conditions, the Pixel 2 and the S9+ can take similar pictures, but is in low light when the game changes in S9+ favor.
Anyway, if you want pictures Pixel 2 style, just install the GCam or improve the picture in Google Photos, which gives a similar result.
I prefer more natural pictures even when they seem softer compared to the Pixel 2, but maybe you prefer the approach on the Pixel 2.
:fingers-crossed:
pieman13 said:
I've used both the Note 8 and the Pixel 2xl. I miss the camera on the note. It doesn't matter the conditions. The Pixel 2 takes grainy pics. I think the older pixel had a better camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Galaxo60 said:
I don't get this either, you are the first person I have ever read saying that Note 8 camera is bad.
Is true that dynamic range in Pixel 2 is crazy, no discussion about that, but the HDR and sharpening make the photos look artificial and unreal in many cases. Even people sometimes look weird because of the contrast and saturation that Pixel 2 puts in the photos. This makes the pictures more appealing to the eye of course, and it can give a false impression of a "better picture", but is only when you see carefully and in detail that sometimes is too much processing.
Overall in daylight conditions, the Pixel 2 and the S9+ can take similar pictures, but is in low light when the game changes in S9+ favor.
Anyway, if you want pictures Pixel 2 style, just install the GCam or improve the picture in Google Photos, which gives a similar result.
I prefer more natural pictures even when they seem softer compared to the Pixel 2, but maybe you prefer the approach on the Pixel 2.
:fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting how two people can view the same thing but have two really different opinions! Haha.
I do agree somewhat in what you say about the pixel 2 over processing with the saturation and contrast on faces, they can look really odd.
I do think the overall s9+ camera when you factor everything in, is better than the pixel 2.
But going back to the note 8, which was my original point, I always found it blew out my images, over exposing them, and the HDR didn't seem particularly good either - the s9 seems to have fixed this issue.
If they fix the live focus/portrait shots, then I wouldn't really have any qualms - reason why it bothers me is on my pixel 2 I have taken the odd portrait shot which genuinely can be so good they look pro (unless you pixel peep, which I don't).
All round an excellent camera, and the s9, in my opinion, just seems so much better than my note 8
sstanton86 said:
Interesting how two people can view the same thing but have two really different opinions! Haha.
I do agree somewhat in what you say about the pixel 2 over processing with the saturation and contrast on faces, they can look really odd.
I do think the overall s9+ camera when you factor everything in, is better than the pixel 2.
But going back to the note 8, which was my original point, I always found it blew out my images, over exposing them, and the HDR didn't seem particularly good either - the s9 seems to have fixed this issue.
If they fix the live focus/portrait shots, then I wouldn't really have any qualms - reason why it bothers me is on my pixel 2 I have taken the odd portrait shot which genuinely can be so good they look pro (unless you pixel peep, which I don't).
All round an excellent camera, and the s9, in my opinion, just seems so much better than my note 8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also add the front facing camera which somehow produces those soft images that lack in detail as compared to the pixel 2 even in low light considering the pixel 2 camera is f2.4 while s9 is f1.7
kumar abhishek said:
Also add the front facing camera which somehow produces those soft images that lack in detail as compared to the pixel 2 even in low light considering the pixel 2 camera is f2.4 while s9 is f1.7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, front facing camera is better on the Pixel 2, no questions about it.
I just hope Samsung can fix this in future updates.
I think it's all easily fixable. Just depends whether Samsung want to!
I will be doing extensive tests from tomorrow, as I have both cameras. So far I have to say Pixel's algorithakes the photo looka bit better (sharpness, micro contrast etc), however it's a bit more noisy as well. S9 camera has a huge potential, but Google camera app is just better. And the portrait mode on pixel blows everything out of the water.
boober78 said:
I will be doing extensive tests from tomorrow, as I have both cameras. So far I have to say Pixel's algorithakes the photo looka bit better (sharpness, micro contrast etc), however it's a bit more noisy as well. S9 camera has a huge potential, but Google camera app is just better. And the portrait mode on pixel blows everything out of the water.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about trying Google cam in the S9?, I think it will be an interesting comparison as well.
Yes, but I'm trying to find the one that will actually work. All of them seem to either force close or have a black screen.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8VJkjOd9dKSeW03i1
Medium-low light indoor. No contest. As usual, loss of detail on Samsung flagship Phones, nothing has changed.
Allesa said:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8VJkjOd9dKSeW03i1
Medium-low light indoor. No contest. As usual, loss of detail on Samsung flagship Phones, nothing has changed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, I prefer the one from the Samsung, as it is sharper and more colorful.
Galaxo60 said:
Honestly, I prefer the one from the Samsung, as it is sharper and more colorful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure? Pls look at the image info so that you know which one is which..
Look at my daughter's eyebrows.. You can clearly see the details on pixel 2 xl shot, but the detail is lost on s9+
Allesa said:
Are you sure? Pls look at the image info so that you know which one is which..
Look at my daughter's eyebrows.. You can clearly see the details on pixel 2 xl shot, but the detail is lost on s9+
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I'm sure, and i'm looking in my 50" 4K screen and of course I see every detail difference.
You are right in what you say, about the eyebrows and also I noticed in the hair, Samsung with this camera is softening the pictures a little with the processing, but still color retention and noise reduction are better in the S9, and even detail in textures and some other things:
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"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
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Is true that Samsung softens things, but Pixel in my opinion do the other way around and it applies too much oversharpening sometimes and the pic look unreal.
Anyway, is just a matter of what you prefer and what processing approach suits you.
Galaxo60 said:
Yes, I'm sure, and i'm looking in my 50" 4K screen and of course I see every detail difference.
You are right in what you say, about the eyebrows and also I noticed in the hair, Samsung with this camera is softening the pictures a little with the processing, but still color retention and noise reduction are better in the S9, and even detail in textures and some other things:
View attachment 4448876
Is true that Samsung softens things, but Pixel in my opinion do the other way around and it applies too much oversharpening sometimes and the pic look unreal.
Anyway, is just a matter of what you prefer and what processing approach suits you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is, i focused on my daughter's face not on my bedsheet..
And no, my daughter's skin tone is not that red. I'll be worried sick if my daughter's skin is that red.
I'm comparing both at my professionally calibrated monitor (i work in film industry). The skin tone on s9+ is not right.
You are right on some photos pixel processing a bit too much (hdr+), but in this particular photo, i believe that it is spot on. Will post more comparison pics mainly medium to low light photos.
On the smooth (s9+) vs grain (pixel 2 xl). As a film director, i always prefer fine grain over smooth. Fine grain retains sharpness, while noise reduction reduces it.

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