What exactly does Moto Z's 'HDR' toggle do for video? - Moto Z Questions & Answers

Something that has fascinated me ever since I got the Moto Z is the option to toggle HDR for video and not just photos. Now, since traditional HDR requires multiple exposures, I doubt this mode does anything of the sort as that would be difficult to achieve at 30 or 60 fps (it is possible but unlikely what is going on). Attempting to Google this has yielded no substantial results.
My guess would be that it simply applies some kind of HDR tonemapping, which would result in a kind of fake HDR. The result seems subtle and pleasing enough though, and the feature certainly is making a significant difference.
Perhaps it's applying the tonemapping on a sort of lower hardware level, taking into account more data from the sensor than one of those fake HDR apps would when going by the end result in a jpeg, resulting in something closer to applying the tonemap to a RAW file and getting an arguably 'real' HDR effect.
Of course none of this is to be confused with HDR displaying or HDR images that can show a wider range of contrast on HDR displays, I know that's definitely not what the Moto Z is capable of. Nonetheless, I'm fascinated. I hadn't seen such an HDR video feature before but then again, I haven't owned many flagship phones. Is it common? Is there more info anywhere on how this works technically?

Hah nvm I didn't know this was common sensor technology nowadays! https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/products_en/new_pro/april_2014/imx214_e.html

Related

"10mp" camera?! HDR, sports mode, night vision, and more dual-camera possibilities!

"10mp" camera?! HDR, sports mode, night vision, and more dual-camera possibilities!
fattank said:
BlueScreen said:
1) HTC EVO 3D will isolate twin cameras to produce the firsts 180 degree panoramic photo at 5mp resolution. (Option will be in sense UI)
2) HTC EVO will produce the first ever 10mp photo on cell phone by using what is called paralax photo capture (each camera will capture an image and over lay it to produce 10mp photo) (Once again tap on 10mp photo)
3) Light sampling will be independent of each CMOS sensor to produce what will be close to night vision capture (Night Owl)
4) Camera will have a Sport mode, the 5mp camera's will function in tandem, but alternate. Each camera will burst alternately and provide crystal clear photography on high speed action events. (11 fps) I have tested this out and watch a 20ft putt go in the hole in frame, by frame increments. To be upfront burst sport mode will only work in 2d mode for obvious reasons, because the two cameras are sharing the [email protected]
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Click to collapse
Granted that this garbage above was initially spewed by some poser who pretended to work for HTC/Sprint... some of the ideas are genuinely clever. I've added them to my own in the list below of what could possibly result from the dual-camera setup. Tell me what you think!
Greater detail. Using both cameras at once to capture two 5mp images and "overlaying" them is interesting. Maybe adaptively "adding" the details in one to the other? Maybe using some kind of "interlaced" trick, or maybe the tilt is a bit different so both can take pictures of 2 different [but adjacent] visual fields for "instant panorama"?
Greater depth of focus. Each camera can shoot simultaneously with a different focus, and the result easily combined into a picture with incredible depth of focus.
Sport mode (shutter speed enhancement) seems like a wonderful idea. Both cameras fire, one a few ms after the other, and the result motion compensated. The perspective difference may also be used to identify and correct for motion blur. As an instantaneous "anti-shake" this would work wonderfully, too. All in all, this would allow the camera to capture faster motion with less blur!
Double speed burst-mode. Burst mode could theoretically be twice as fast, since the other lens could fire during the recovery time of the first.
Dark mode / night owl / de-graining. A fantastic idea would be to use both cameras to capture a picture simultaneously at high ISO and use a simple perspective-corrected denoiser to drastically improve quality of night scenes, which suffer most from grain issues. Each picture is bound to have a different amount of "random noise" or "camera noise" from the two cameras, and after perspective correction (and/or motion compensation if one fires after the other), the randomness is detected and removed from the combined image.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) can be achieved with no additional delay by having both cameras snap at different exposures and combining the result, solving the "low dynamic range" problem with the Sensation and other phone cameras.
Apply all of these to video. If both capture video simultaneously, there could be some benefit in 2D mode -- timestamps of the recorded frames can allow them to be combined to produce a single video of higher effective average framerate -- again, with some simple HW perspective correction filter. It could also drastically improve the quality of night video in the same way as the above "night mode" camera use with the additional potential advantage of temporal denoising, resulting in the cleanest night video you can imagine. Not to mention the first ever high dynamic range (HDR) video on a mobile device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's obvious these aren't going to be included in the official ROM, but I'm sure there can be "an app for [some of] that" provided the API of both cameras are exposed. Exciting prospect, is it not? The only one of these that seems a bit hard to chew is of course the 10mp nonsense. At most the combined detail would just produce a "very nice" 5mp shot.
Phew......someone walk a truckload of sick horses through here?
Lolz
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA Premium App
daneurysm said:
Phew......someone walk a truckload of sick horses through here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't quite get it.
Anyway, I also think it would be neat to use the two cameras to offset an alarming trend in phone cameras -- low dynamic range. Both can fire simultaneously at different exposure settings, and combined into one HDR image.
I think what they mean by the horses, is that this is kinda crap.
It's already been known that when taking 2D pictures, it uses the top-most camera only. It uses only one. Only in 3D does it use both cameras.
random1204 said:
I think what they mean by the horses, is that this is kinda crap.
It's already been known that when taking 2D pictures, it uses the top-most camera only. It uses only one. Only in 3D does it use both cameras.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah... gotcha. More than "kinda" crap, it's genuine crock, yes.
But I'm saying the ideas are so good -- the potential is there. With a system update from HTC, these can be almost trivially enabled. Otherwise, if the API for camera 2 is accessible, an app can be created to provide the remaining functionality.
curiousGeorge said:
Ah... gotcha. More than "kinda" crap, it's genuine crock, yes.
But I'm saying the ideas are so good -- the potential is there. With a system update from HTC, these can be almost trivially enabled. Otherwise, if the API for camera 2 is accessible, an app can be created to provide the remaining functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think these are really cool ideas. I'm sure there will be some developer(s) out there who will develop apps to take full advantage of the 2 cameras, perhaps implementing some of the ideas you have suggested.
mlin said:
I think these are really cool ideas. I'm sure there will be some developer(s) out there who will develop apps to take full advantage of the 2 cameras, perhaps implementing some of the ideas you have suggested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool! I just added a few more to the list, including some links and explanations of "how it could work."
curiousGeorge said:
Ah... gotcha. More than "kinda" crap, it's genuine crock, yes.
But I'm saying the ideas are so good -- the potential is there. With a system update from HTC, these can be almost trivially enabled. Otherwise, if the API for camera 2 is accessible, an app can be created to provide the remaining functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, forget all the crap that everyone spews. Anything is possible, with the devs here on xda. As Mlin said, I'm sure there will some dev or a team of devs that will develop an app to take FULL advantage of the dual cams. Granted, I'm sure there will be plents of limits on what the cams are capable of, however, I'm sure that those limits will be pushed and that we'll eventually get max potential out of the cams.
Did anyone think we'd ever get Full HDMI mirroring working on the OG Evo?
Sounds good but nobody seems to care about the camera, look at aosp cameras
daneurysm said:
Phew......someone walk a truckload of sick horses through here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This about sums it up.
This might sound great and all but come to execution, I don't see it happening.
cordell12 said:
Sounds good but nobody seems to care about the camera, look at aosp cameras
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. But hopefully the actual camera hardware on the 3D will be quite nice, so more will be able to be done with it. Hopefully. I would think that there could be more potential to be unlocked in the cams, but who knows.
Anyone know which devs have said they will be coming over to the 3d to develop yet?
jayharper08 said:
Anyone know which devs have said they will be coming over to the 3d to develop yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1008413
Search is your friend.
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Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!
user7618 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1008413
Search is your friend.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice.... Thank you. It's been a long time since I've had to search for something. Totally forgot what that even meant
curiousGeorge said:
Greater detail. Using both cameras at once to capture two 5mp images and "overlaying" them is interesting. Maybe adaptively "adding" the details in one to the other? Maybe using some kind of "interlaced" trick, or maybe the tilt is a bit different so both can take pictures of 2 different [but adjacent] visual fields for "instant panorama"?
Greater depth of focus. Each camera can shoot simultaneously with a different focus, and the result easily combined into a picture with incredible depth of focus.
Sport mode (shutter speed enhancement) seems like a wonderful idea. Both cameras fire, one a few ms after the other, and the result motion compensated. The perspective difference may also be used to identify and correct for motion blur. As an instantaneous "anti-shake" this would work wonderfully, too. All in all, this would allow the camera to capture faster motion with less blur!
Double speed burst-mode. Burst mode could theoretically be twice as fast, since the other lens could fire during the recovery time of the first.
Dark mode / night owl / de-graining. A fantastic idea would be to use both cameras to capture a picture simultaneously at high ISO and use a simple perspective-corrected denoiser to drastically improve quality of night scenes, which suffer most from grain issues. Each picture is bound to have a different amount of "random noise" or "camera noise" from the two cameras, and after perspective correction (and/or motion compensation if one fires after the other), the randomness is detected and removed from the combined image.
HDR (High Dynamic Range) can be achieved with no additional delay by having both cameras snap at different exposures and combining the result, solving the "low dynamic range" problem with the Sensation and other phone cameras.
Apply all of these to video. If both capture video simultaneously, there could be some benefit in 2D mode -- timestamps of the recorded frames can allow them to be combined to produce a single video of higher effective average framerate -- again, with some simple HW perspective correction filter. It could also drastically improve the quality of night video in the same way as the above "night mode" camera use with the additional potential advantage of temporal denoising, resulting in the cleanest night video you can imagine. Not to mention the first ever high dynamic range (HDR) video on a mobile device.
Even if these aren't included in the official ROM, I'm sure there can be "an app for [some of] that." Exciting prospect, is it not? The only one of these that seems a bit hard to chew is of course the 10mp nonsense. At most the combined detail would just produce a "very nice" 5mp shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You get an "A" for thinking so far outside the conventional box, but unfortunately I don't see any real possibility of any of that ever coming to pass, for one inescapable reason: the two cameras aren't shooting from the same location. Every concept you describe requires that both cameras see the same thing, and they don't, for the simple fact that the pictures they take are from two different physical locations.
oldjackbob said:
You get an "A" for thinking so far outside the conventional box, but unfortunately I don't see any real possibility of any of that ever coming to pass, for one inescapable reason: the two cameras aren't shooting from the same location. Every concept you describe requires that both cameras see the same thing, and they don't, for the simple fact that the pictures they take are from two different physical locations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fixed-point location adjustment is trivial and can be performed in software/hardware with minimal effort (even perspective/angle adjustment via convolution-deconvolution of 3d signal matrix). Also, even if they weren't shooting from precisely the same location or perspective, the motion-compensated technique can be applied even to different frames in a video (making 'night shots' more doable), since the temporal element is the most tricky. If both cameras fire simultaneously, tracking synthetic "motion vectors" is utterly trivial.
Even if a developer was lazy and didn't want to implement perspective correction, a subset of the two pictures near the center (where they overlap) can be used for all of the rough work, and a simple guassian averaging function can perform the spreading (or simulated annealing) from that point.
No, location is certainly not a problem -- and even perspective is fairly easy to (accurately) account for via straightforward signal processing algorithms both in hardware and software.
Smells like a big fart in here
toxicfumes22 said:
Smells like a big fart in here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, that was me (despite your clever username).
jayharper08 said:
Nice.... Thank you. It's been a long time since I've had to search for something. Totally forgot what that even meant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. I actually didn't use the search, either. That thread was like two below this one on the list.
-----
Sent from my CDMA Hero. I got some hot Ginger-on-Hero action here!

Camera Quality

I recently switched to the Lumia 920 from my Samsung Infuse. I've noticed that the Lumia's photos aren't anywhere near as sharp as my Infuse's photos. I'm finding the culprit to be the lower (72ppi) pixel density. My Infuse had a 96ppi camera and photos were much better, even without the IS that the Lumia has.
Why, Nokia? You've fooled us with the optical IS and 8.7MP sensor. The least you could have done is met the pixel density of a year and a half old phone.
I would post some sample photos, but can't yet.
The reason the photos are soft is because of Nokia's aggressive post processing. They are aware of the issue, so I'm sure an update is in the works to rectify the issue.
Also, you can edit the photo by doing the auto-fix or using another photo editing app from the store to sharpen them for now.
Dapk1nmasta said:
I recently switched to the Lumia 920 from my Samsung Infuse. I've noticed that the Lumia's photos aren't anywhere near as sharp as my Infuse's photos. I'm finding the culprit to be the lower (72ppi) pixel density. My Infuse had a 96ppi camera and photos were much better, even without the IS that the Lumia has.
Why, Nokia? You've fooled us with the optical IS and 8.7MP sensor. The least you could have done is met the pixel density of a year and a half old phone.
I would post some sample photos, but can't yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if those numbers are correct, a lower pixel density in the camera module is actual a good thing. it means that each individual pixel is larger and is able to sample more light resulting in less distortion due to noise. this is a good thing as it represents a departure from the megapixel race where the number of megapixels was increasing but the light going to each one was decreasing leading to little improvement if not a reduction in picture quality. if you do look at the megapixels though, the infuse only has an 8MP sensor vs 8.7MP for the 920 (although this isnt quite true as a maximum of around 8MP are ever used in the 920, the rest are to provide the ability to change aspect ratio of the images.
i think americasteam sums up the real reasons for what you are seeing above. you should notice even so that the images are more consistent and do not blur as easily (ignoring the sharpness issue) I do hope the update comes soon, im looking forwards to having sharp amazing quality images which really stand out!
additionally, if you observe when you take a picture, for a fraction of the second, the picture is sharp as you see on the screen. Then suddenly it is soft as the post processing is complete.

Nexus 6P Night Camera Samples

Thought this relevant since the nexus 5x has the same camera.
This is a comparison to the iphone 6...looks pretty impressive
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/3ogvrg/nexus_6p_vs_iphone_6_low_light_photos/
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk 2
It looks AMAZING!
Woah - impressive. In fact, I dont think I have ever seen such a definitive improvement with anyone doing a camera side by side comparison as this. Sheesh! I wqonder how much of that is HDR trickery?
I doubt the Nexus 5x will do as well without image stabilization. Unless these were taken on a tripod. Apparently the 810 can handle electronic image stabilization but the 808 processor can't.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/0...-because-the-snapdragon-808-isnt-fast-enough/
Both have some pretty ugly digital noise in the shadows, but you can see the effect of the larger pixels in the clarity of the detail. In the last pair of photos I see some chromatic aberration in the Nexus that's not there in the Apple, but the shadow detail is still better.
Anyone regret getting the 5x over the 6p now?
SysAdmNj said:
Anyone regret getting the 5x over the 6p now?
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Click to collapse
no, the 6p is too big, I can deal without EIS
danthepan124 said:
no, the 6p is too big, I can deal without EIS
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Click to collapse
Me either. 6P is too big for me too
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G850A using Tapatalk
SysAdmNj said:
Anyone regret getting the 5x over the 6p now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Show me the 5x night camera samples and I will tell you.
Seriously speaking, the camera for these types of shots should be very close to the same for 5x and 6p
Hi
Evo_Shift said:
I doubt the Nexus 5x will do as well without image stabilization. Unless these were taken on a tripod. Apparently the 810 can handle electronic image stabilization but the 808 processor can't.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/0...-because-the-snapdragon-808-isnt-fast-enough/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't do EIS when taking a photograph, it only works on video where each frame can be zoomed in and cropped to match up the position of points in the previous frame. EIS on video doesn't remove blur on each individual frame either due to motion, that will still be there resulting in a lowering of overall captured detail, but each frame lines up better with the ones either side resulting in less visible shake making it easier to watch.
What the 6P is likely doing with pictures is taking several in quick succession, then picking the best one based on contrast detection which is easily done in software, and the picture with the most contrast is the best out of the bunch. This helps, it isn't OIS of course, but you get the picture with the least blurring due to motion or shaky hands, this assumes you do manage to capture a shake free photo in the bunch taken of course.
To be fair, OIS in tiny smart phone camera modules struggles to be effective, as there is a limit to how much movement those tiny optics can make and how many axis of movement they can compensate for.
Regards
Phil
PhilipL said:
Hi
You can't do EIS when taking a photograph, it only works on video where each frame can be zoomed in and cropped to match up the position of points in the previous frame. EIS on video doesn't remove blur on each individual frame either due to motion, that will still be there resulting in a lowering of overall captured detail, but each frame lines up better with the ones either side resulting in less visible shake making it easier to watch.
What the 6P is likely doing with pictures is taking several in quick succession, then picking the best one based on contrast detection which is easily done in software, and the picture with the most contrast is the best out of the bunch. This helps, it isn't OIS of course, but you get the picture with the least blurring due to motion or shaky hands, this assumes you do manage to capture a shake free photo in the bunch taken of course.
To be fair, OIS in tiny smart phone camera modules struggles to be effective, as there is a limit to how much movement those tiny optics can make and how many axis of movement they can compensate for.
Regards
Phil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info on EIS. I've been wondering how it works. The camera/software picking the best pick is called "lucky shot" internally and I think both phones have it, if I read the AMA correctly. I understand that the phone camera module is tiny, but since it has enlarged pixels, and a camera hump which makes it seem that the module is bigger than normal, perhaps OIS isn't needed as much?
SysAdmNj said:
Anyone regret getting the 5x over the 6p now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, but not because of the camera! I had to cancel my 6P order because monies. 5X a compromise in getting a Nexus but I would have enjoyed the more premium phone a lot more. **** happens. Smaller size is a bonus, though.
Hi
0.0 said:
Thanks for the info on EIS. I've been wondering how it works. The camera/software picking the best pick is called "lucky shot" internally and I think both phones have it, if I read the AMA correctly. I understand that the phone camera module is tiny, but since it has enlarged pixels, and a camera hump which makes it seem that the module is bigger than normal, perhaps OIS isn't needed as much?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's all down to shutter speed really, the faster the shutter speed the less likely any camera shake is noticeable. Generally a shutter speed of 1/30th to 1/60th sec is considered the slowest speed a camera can be handheld reliably without camera shake ruining too many pictures with typical lenses. A wider angle lens can go slower in shutter speed than a zoom lens where avoiding camera shake is concerned. This is because when you are zoomed in, a small tremor from our hands is amplified to be a much bigger movement, something you will notice if using binoculars. So smart phone cameras have an advantage already as they are pretty wide angle lenses.
Outdoors in the daytime shutter speeds are pretty high, high enough that OIS is probably pointless and having no benefit for photography on smartphone cameras. It's still important for video in daylight, that is because video is recording over time, and not a split second instance that freezes the action like a photo with a fast shutter speed.
In dark situations, the larger pixels of the new Nexus are more sensitive, this means the gain can be turned up higher without destroying the picture with noise, resulting in the ability to speed up the shutter speed. This can mean an indoor scene that might need 1/30th second shutter on another camera, on the new Nexus it can be faster and might be set at 1/60th of second, so resisting camera shake. Of course go a bit darker, the new Nexus needs 1/30th of a second now, another camera might need 1/15th second but that has OIS, so shake becomes evident on the Nexus, but is corrected on the other camera. So the advantages of larger pixels only help in a very specific situation, i.e. they aren't making that big a difference.
The above ignores the effect of the flash of course, add in the flash and that helps freeze action anyway plus allows faster shutter speeds.
I think the main difference not having OIS will make is when you are in poor light, perhaps indoors, and want to take a picture close up of something, for example a document to "scan to Google drive" or a 2D barcode, the close up nature is like being zoomed in so blur becomes more evident.
Regards
Phil
PhilipL said:
In dark situations, the larger pixels of the new Nexus are more sensitive, this means the gain can be turned up higher without destroying the picture with noise, resulting in the ability to speed up the shutter speed. This can mean an indoor scene that might need 1/30th second shutter on another camera, on the new Nexus it can be faster and might be set at 1/60th of second, so resisting camera shake. Of course go a bit darker, the new Nexus needs 1/30th of a second now, another camera might need 1/15th second but that has OIS, so shake becomes evident on the Nexus, but is corrected on the other camera. So the advantages of larger pixels only help in a very specific situation, i.e. they aren't making that big a difference.
I think the main difference not having OIS will make is when you are in poor light, perhaps indoors, and want to take a picture close up of something, for example a document to "scan to Google drive" or a 2D barcode, the close up nature is like being zoomed in so blur becomes more evident.
Regards
Phil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the informative post! I enjoyed reading it.
I was informed that tucking in your elbows to your body when taking a photo or video can help a bit in stabilization. How effective is that? Any other stabilization tips since OIS is gone?
Sent from my Nexus 5
There's already a picture posting thread here....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/general/post-pictures-nexus-6p-t3213937
One is all we need. :good:
Thread closed.
Darth
Forum Moderator

Question AF issues

I just started using my Xperia and I have been not getting sharp images especially with the standard wa lens
I am only shooting in RAW and importing the DNG’s into LRC
I have tried both SAF spot and wide area
Images to me look quite soft and it also looks like the camera always front focus foreground is sharper then things in distance. I have also tried manual focus set to infinity and did get a little better results though still not great
I don’t know if my expectations are to high yet I am coming from an iPhone 12/13 Pro Max
I've found that the Xperia 1 III cameras don't impress. Color rendition is excellent but auto-focus, noise, HDR, and the camera/video apps have outdated performance. The 105mm lens suffers from glare. Videos have AF throbbing and audio clipping that can't be fixed by adjusting the audio gain. I have low camera expectations of a cellphone but some aspects are a downgrade from my previous phones.
Sony says the Xperia camera software was inspired by the Alpha camera series. That's believable. An Alpha camera needs color calibration but has none of the small sensor, small lens problems of a cellphone. And the UX on both are bad.
kevinmcmurtrie said:
I've found that the Xperia 1 III cameras don't impress. Color rendition is excellent but auto-focus, noise, HDR, and the camera/video apps have outdated performance. The 105mm lens suffers from glare. Videos have AF throbbing and audio clipping that can't be fixed by adjusting the audio gain. I have low camera expectations of a cellphone but some aspects are a downgrade from my previous phones.
Sony says the Xperia camera software was inspired by the Alpha camera series. That's believable. An Alpha camera needs color calibration but has none of the small sensor, small lens problems of a cellphone. And the UX on both are bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if the new Xperia 1 Pro will be any better ? i actually got the Xperia to use an external monitor for my FX6 which actually works surprisingly well I was just hoping I may ditch my iPhone yet so far for me the camera is a disappointment
i haven't been happy with the RAW images either, but now i just shoot jpeg and the images look great to me.
I agrees as well. The camera could be better. but I'm betting that they have the update ready for release but they holding out. I like the camera in a sense of fast shots and some shots look amazing it just I expected more from sony. WHO MAKES ALL SMARTPHONE SENSORS!!!
elwuero said:
i haven't been happy with the RAW images either, but now i just shoot jpeg and the images look great to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If shooting raw you may need to adjust the contrast curve, sharpen them etc. The only difference between raw and jpeg is much more information is retained with raw ie up to 3 f/stops exposure and WB leeway but they need post processing to optimize the image.
Has anyone figured out a good ACR starting point with these RAw DNG files.?
for me it’s becoming more clear that we are seeping the real limitations of tiny sensors in general.
blackhawk said:
If shooting raw you may need to adjust the contrast curve, sharpen them etc. The only difference between raw and jpeg is much more information is retained with raw ie up to 3 f/stops exposure and WB leeway but they need post processing to optimize the image.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks. im going to try the RAW + jpeg again. i am pretty good at LR. i just wasn't able to get better than the ooc jpeg.
elwuero said:
thanks. im going to try the RAW + jpeg again. i am pretty good at LR. i just wasn't able to get better than the ooc jpeg.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still use the old 2008 Canon DP software for editing raws and jpegs. It's quick, simple, supports batch processing and is lostless ie always retains original raw image.
Shooting RAW on phones is the right thing to do if you want to think:"what terrible photos"
Xperia RAW are more similar to DSLR RAW (not quality wise but for the lack of any elaboration)
iPhone still apply elaboration at RAW shot.
If you want photo that look good on the phone just shot jpeg, with raw you NEED to use camera raw becouse photo on the screen appear to be bland.
Also xperia from the old X10 are phones that in auto mode still do very little elaboration. It's not this confortable but you need to use manual or P on xperia, basic mode it's not this good

General The pixel 6 camera sucks

This is probably going to be am unpopular opinion but does anyone else think that the Pixel 6 camera sucks? Pics straight out of device are a) over sharpened and b) flat. The canned filters are poor too. Enhance does nearly nothing, dynamic is a circuis like sharpening and contrast+saturation, and the rest are such ugly color casts which makes them useless. None of the filters have a "strength" slider to control the magnitude of the effect. Yet the sky filters that have the exact same names and function all have strength sliders. WTF Google?
I was hoping that Google has taken SnapSeed and incorporated it into the default camera in some dumbed down format so as not to confuse the general user. Wishful thinking. Not only that, I can't seem to find a way to tweak the default settings to my liking.
On an ongoing trip the images from my wife's 18 month old Fruit 12 max wiped the floor with the Pixel 6. This is from man Apple hater who will never own a fruit themed device.
To summarize my experience with the Pixel 6 so far; ****ty fingerprint reader, ****ty camera. Alas I dislike Samsung products almost as much as the fruity ones. If OnePlus had not decided to take heavy handed approach to Oxygen OS 12 I would be rocking a OnePlus 9 instead and be content.
I've noticed the over sharpened on some pics and just a general overall look I didn't like right away with the pixel 6. This last week I have done a bunch of night sight pics in the same location I did last year with my pixel 2 and the pixel 6 absolutely looks better in every way. I'm sure the improved night sight is the updated hardware but google needs to work on their eye candy AI for the new sensors in other situations.
Try shooting raw and with night mode (even for daylight) then download adobe lightroom mobile (free version is enough), open the raw file in it, click the auto button and export the picture. Then compare to stock jpeg. You will be amazed. The hardware and image stacking on this phone are top notch. This is the first phone i have seen that has actually usable raw files. The stock jpeg on the other side is something i also don't like due to overprocessing.
GroovyGeek said:
This is probably going to be am unpopular opinion but does anyone else think that the Pixel 6 camera sucks? Pics straight out of device are a) over sharpened and b) flat. The canned filters are poor too. Enhance does nearly nothing, dynamic is a circuis like sharpening and contrast+saturation, and the rest are such ugly color casts which makes them useless. None of the filters have a "strength" slider to control the magnitude of the effect. Yet the sky filters that have the exact same names and function all have strength sliders. WTF Google?
I was hoping that Google has taken SnapSeed and incorporated it into the default camera in some dumbed down format so as not to confuse the general user. Wishful thinking. Not only that, I can't seem to find a way to tweak the default settings to my liking.
On an ongoing trip the images from my wife's 18 month old Fruit 12 max wiped the floor with the Pixel 6. This is from man Apple hater who will never own a fruit themed device.
To summarize my experience with the Pixel 6 so far; ****ty fingerprint reader, ****ty camera. Alas I dislike Samsung products almost as much as the fruity ones. If OnePlus had not decided to take heavy handed approach to Oxygen OS 12 I would be rocking a OnePlus 9 instead and be content.
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Sent the Pixel 6 back and get a refund.
It is the simplest solution.
Not really, since real alternatives are scarce..
I really enjoy the camera. It's been taking phenomenal pictures for me. They will update the camera more as well and with Google's history I see it being very good.
I just got this phone yesterday, made Few photos and I am coming from a Galaxy note 20 ultra... I have to say I am impressed with the camera but for sure it does not live up to the hype on the internet. My Galaxy note 20 ultra makes as good if not better photos and to top all that I was comparing my photos last night with a friend's Huawei 40 pro ... And his photos were as good and in some cases better (some mine were better but less so) 5han the Google pixel 6... Just say both those phones are over a year old.
neptun2 said:
Try shooting raw and with night mode (even for daylight) then download adobe lightroom mobile (free version is enough), open the raw file in it, click the auto button and export the picture. Then compare to stock jpeg. You will be amazed. The hardware and image stacking on this phone are top notch. This is the first phone i have seen that has actually usable raw files. The stock jpeg on the other side is something i also don't like due to overprocessing.
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Did you ever try Photoshop Express fpr RAW processing?
Yes i tried but the engine is the same between lightroom and photoshop express hence results are same. PS has better retouch capabilities if you need these.
neptun2 said:
Yes i tried but the engine is the same between lightroom and photoshop express
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Tbats what I was hoping
neptun2 said:
Try shooting raw and with night mode (even for daylight) then download adobe lightroom mobile (free version is enough), open the raw file in it, click the auto button and export the picture. Then compare to stock jpeg. You will be amazed. The hardware and image stacking on this phone are top notch. This is the first phone i have seen that has actually usable raw files. The stock jpeg on the other side is something i also don't like due to overprocessing.
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Thanks for saying this. So I didn't have to.
I find the camera pretty crappy if I'm honest. Detail in all of my pictures, including in well lit areas, are mediocre at best.
Night mode is absolutely useless too. If I compare it to my old Huawei Mate 20 Pro night mode pictures, there is no comparison.
Thinking of getting rid of the Pixel and getting something with an actual decent camera.
Pixel shots have a very specific look. It's not always realistic but it's beautiful. Live HDR and zero shutter lag are so nice.
If you're coming from a OnePlus phone, it can be a literal night and day difference in quality.
Is it possible that it is the selfie images that is breaking the camera?
What hype was there with this camera? Sure it has a new sensor that was talked about quite a bit, but everyone was saying that they picture quality was NOT different than the older Pixel models.
It is different but you need to try raw shooting to see the differences. Google's jpeg processing is far too aggressive regarding noise reduction so the small details are lost and stock jpegs look similar to older pixels. I will take some pictures these days to show the difference between stock jpeg and one converted from raw.
Here are links to stock jpeg from phone and one generated from raw file via adobe lightroom:
JPEG from raw:
jpeg from raw.jpg
drive.google.com
Stock jpeg:
stock jpeg.jpg
drive.google.com
For me the raw file generated by the pixel 6 (especially with night mode) is very good. It has a lot of detail and low amount of noise. In this case i have not applied any post processing except the auto button in adobe lightroom mobile hence no noise reduction and sharpening at all. If you prefer sharper and cleaner picture this raw file can handle both without any problem. Comparing the two pictures main problems with google's stock jpeg looks to be following:
1. Too much sharpening
2. Too aggressive HDR bringing up some nasty noise from the shadows
3. Too aggressive noise reduction. IT is not only very aggressive removing some fine details but it is also applied in different levels in different zones causing patches which are more smeared than the rest of the picture. For me this looks very ugly.
As i doubt that google will give us and settings to adjust jpeg processing my advice to everybody looking to get the most from the camera is to shoot raw with night mode on even in daylight and process the raw file the way they like it. It is always good to also have the raw file as backup because software constantly improves and in future you may get even better results from the old raw files.
I don't like the main camera for close subjects, the depth of field drop off is too shallow for my liking and the focus area is small causing soft edges due to the large sensor.
People who take pictures of food a lot might have a love hate relationship.
It is also annoying to scan qr codes due to the soft edges.
And what about that main camera for video calling on duo or whatsapp? Is it crappy only for me or are you guys experiencing the same?
neptun2 said:
Try shooting raw and with night mode (even for daylight) then download adobe lightroom mobile (free version is enough), open the raw file in it, click the auto button and export the picture. Then compare to stock jpeg. You will be amazed. The hardware and image stacking on this phone are top notch. This is the first phone i have seen that has actually usable raw files. The stock jpeg on the other side is something i also don't like due to overprocessing.
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Wow, you have just made my day

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