Let get serious about Incredible camera picture quality

[mrspeedmaster]

Attached are 2 images taken minutes from each other.
One is a HTC Incredible 8 megapixel.
The second is another Android Phone, Motorola Backflip running OS 1.5. The motorola only has 5 megapixel
Both are set to automatic. The only thing I did was resized to upload. No image retouching. You can read the EXIF data for yourself.

I don't care about the color accuracy/white balance too much because this can be fixed in Photoshop.

The HTC boost the ISO to 1250. Both are spot metered. Which one is better?


As you can see the blown highlights in the Incredible. These are things that simply cannot be fixed in Photoshop. The Motorola is under-exposed but that is OK because even a simple image editor can fix that.

 

[patkicks10]

left looks better imo

 

[mrspeedmaster]

left looks better imo

Exactly.Left is the 5 megapixel Motorola.

 

[jamor]

Left is too dark, Right is too light.

What happened to the main picture thread with the awesome quality pics from the Incredible? Anybody?

 

[mrspeedmaster]

Left is too dark, Right is too light.

What happened to the main picture thread with the awesome quality pics from the Incredible? Anybody?

Too dark can be fixed. Too bright (blown highlights) can't be fixed.

 

[wonderbread]

Too dark can be fixed. Too bright (blown highlights) can't be fixed.

then use manual mode or center the camera more around the brighter area of the shot in automatic mode to adjust

 

[phobic]

Maybe people are finally starting to realize that higher megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better image quality.

Edit: I don't mean that as a slam on anyone here it's just that a lot of people think more MP = better camera. If anything the manufacturers should be blamed for packing so much in a small package.

 

[jamor]

Maybe people are finally starting to realize that higher megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better image quality.

Nah this phone takes fantastic pics with the right settings and tap to focus. That's what I realized.

Just wish I knew where the thread went that had all the great pics.

 

[Proph]

what i have found is there is 2 ways to take awsome photos with the incredible. 1 is the long press the screen to focus. the other is to turn auto focus off and then just take the picture. i have had some shots that had blur in them do to hand shaking or moving object but on the other side i have taken some that make my point and shoot camera look like an old disposable camera.

 

[mrspeedmaster]

then use manual mode or center the camera more around the brighter area of the shot in automatic mode to adjust

Not really. Manual mode only helps so much. A blown highlight is a blown highlight. Turning it down only makes it less white but the white is still there. You still won't see the frames of the window. It has defective metering. If you start to try to manually compensate (e.g. lower ISO to 100), you will get more camera shake (aka. blur).
The Motorola backflip has a better camera. Better software. A darker expose picture, you can brighten it up in software to re-capture some of the detail. An over-expose picture is unrecoverable.

 

[necosino]

It's called "THIS is the camera quality!?" or something like that.

And yes, I have been taking incredible (lol) pics with this phone. Learn to change settings, ISO, balance, etc, and suddenly this phone blows away other (cell phone) cameras. Don't just rely on the "Auto" settings. While they're nice for "need a pic RIGHT NOW," they aren't going to be anything great.

 

[paimon.soror]

Maybe people are finally starting to realize that higher megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better image quality.

Edit: I don't mean that as a slam on anyone here it's just that a lot of people think more MP = better camera. If anything the manufacturers should be blamed for packing so much in a small package.

Right, Megapixels only make sense when talking about quality if you are throwing the size of the image as a factor. For example, on a standard 4x6 or 5x7, the human eye cannot really tell the difference between a 4mpx and a 8mpx. There are only so many pixels you can fit on an image of that size before they become moot. However, if you blow that thing up to poster size, then yes, the 8mpx camera will have much better IQ than the 4mpx camera.

It really comes down to how the lens is able to capture colors and natural light. We are talking about a very small lens with a substandard viewing angle, so obviously it isn't going to properly relate colors and light. Im sure like stated above, you can tweak the settings to get the image "just right"

 

[slackfumasta]

There are a lot of good tips in this thread in the 'Tips and Tricks' forum here:

http://androidforums.com/tips-tricks-incredible/78653-camera-tips.html

Not sure if it will help the OP, but it's a good read for everybody who wants to use their camera.

 

[slowhat]

here's one of the pic threads

pic thread

 

[jamor]

It's called "THIS is the camera quality!?" or something like that.

And yes, I have been taking incredible (lol) pics with this phone. Learn to change settings, ISO, balance, etc, and suddenly this phone blows away other (cell phone) cameras. Don't just rely on the "Auto" settings. While they're nice for "need a pic RIGHT NOW," they aren't going to be anything great.

Err can't find it. I have a feeling due to size/loading issues from all the pictures they deleted it.

Bummer. Was a great thread.

 

[TrailofTears]

Here is the other picture quality thread that you guys are talking about. Lots of examples, info, comparisons, reviews, and tips in there. Hope this helps.

 

[DroidDave]

One you need to take the pictures from the same angle and basically have the same settings like white balance and so forth. My Incredible has take fantastic pictures especially in natural light outside, crystal clear. My daughter recently had a dance recital in a dark auditorium and it took a fantastic group picture. Just have to know settings on what will make the pictures look good. The only lack is it doesn't have the speed of a SLR camera. Remember it's a phone first, camera second, but a good one at that.

 

[slowhat]

Err can't find it. I have a feeling due to size/loading issues from all the pictures they deleted it.

Bummer. Was a great thread.

look above your post

 

[jamor]

Here is the other picture quality thread that you guys are talking about. Lots of examples, info, comparisons, reviews, and tips in there. Hope this helps.

Ahhh thanks!

look above your post

I did the forum search "this is camera quality" and couldn't find it for the life of me lol.

 

[KSISS]

Thought I'd come out of hiding to post a few pics I've taken with my Incredible out here in beautiful Hawaii. They've been resized but otherwise completely untouched. I have low expectations for cell phone cameras, so these are pretty good quality by my standards.

 

[Vihzel]

Beautiful pictures, KSISS! I'd like to see the Motorola Droid do that.

 

[KSISS]

Beautiful pictures, KSISS! I'd like to see the Motorola Droid do that.

Thanks! I think it may be the subject matter...because by no means am I a shutter bug. I wish I knew more about camera settings and optimization. I'm sure someone that knows what they're doing could make those pics look that much more spectacular. Pretty good for point and shoot on a camera phone though.

 

[cosmicreality]

The reason the highlight is blown in the OP's Incredible image (from what I can see) is because the was a brighter exposure. You can see this is true because the sandals are much brighter and more detail is visible.

If the exposures used by the two phones were the same, I doubt there would be any blown highlights.

Having said this, it's just a phone, people. The optical and sensor limitations of such a small camera will always leave much to be desired. Even a basic decent point & shoot camera should be able to get much better photos than any phone.

 

[Taylored]

The Dinc is not a camera. It is a phone. The camera is quite good, but not perfect. If you want awesome photos, buy a DSLR. Or wait until Nikon comes out with a camera that also makes phone calls.

 

[vasilator]

I just think they should have concentrated more on lens quality than megapixels, of course that would make it less attractive from a marketing standpoint.

Anyone who has delved into Photography knows that megapixels are not nearly as important as many other features.