Camera Fix

[ZachMob]

If you are dissatisfied with the Galaxy Nexus's camera, I highly recommend trying a third party camera app.

I found that app Camera Zoom FX takes much better pictures than the stock camera app for the Galaxy Nexus especially indoors.

In ideal conditions, I find that the picture quality is about the same from each app. The big difference with Camera Zoom FX is that the picture is in focus every time you take a snap like a real point and shoot camera. On the stock camera, you have to touch focus then take at least 5 shots and pray that one is acceptable quality.

Now my Gnex is a capable pain free point and shoot camera. It just works.

Here is a link to the market: https://market.android.com/details?id=slide.cameraZoom&hl=en

You can check out other camera apps in the market too. Anything is better than stock.

 

[TrumpetMan]

I've also been getting good results from the free version FxCamera.

https://market.android.com/details?...wsMSwxLDUwMSwieW1zdC5hbmRyb2lkLmZ4Y2FtZXJhIl0.

 

[darkuni]

I'm curious if you sacrifice the benefits of the insanely fast shutter and it's seeming advantage in lower light conditions if you forgo the built in app and use a third party one.

 

[ZachMob]

I'm curious if you sacrifice the benefits of the insanely fast shutter and it's seeming advantage in lower light conditions if you forgo the built in app and use a third party one.

You do sacrifice the fast shutter speed. The shutter speed for the Camera Zoom FX is on par with other smart phones.

Judging from the pics I took around my apartment, the low light performance is the same as the stock camera.

The advantage of a third party camera is that it takes time to focus before taking a shot. The stock camera will take pictures even when the camera isn't focused correctly, which causes blurry shots.

There are tradeoffs to both camera apps, but I find Camera Zoom FX to be much easier to take good pictures. You don't have to worry about using the camera correctly, just point and shoot.

 

[sean76]

Honestly the stock camera app is just fine. All you have to do is tap the screen, and pretty much instantaneously the green box pops up and focuses. I have zero complaints! I already dealt with 3rd party camera apps on the Bionic, and have to say in the end its not needed on the Nexus. Just my 2 cents!

 

[sdsubasketball]

is there still a white haze around the pictures from these third party apps and from tapping to focus pics?

 

[Worst Enemy]

Camera FX Zoom paid version SUCKS!!! Yeah it takes good pictures so what. Crashes all the time. Open's sms messinging constantly rather than display gallery. I could go on and on. Just updated takes even longer now for shutter to focus and shoot. 2 seconds at least and I have steady shot set to 0.05 seconds. Sucked on Thunderbolt also.

Big buttons paid version has no widescreen, I own it.

Camera 360 is full of bugs. Always saves picture sideways. Crashes.

All I want is a to be able to touch the screen ( at high res. to self shoot) and the camera take a picture.
Did I miss one that works???

 

[Outatime]

Camera360 does seem to be a bit orientation-challenged and clunky to use, but the picture quality is really good.

 

[Stigy]

Honestly the stock camera app is just fine. All you have to do is tap the screen, and pretty much instantaneously the green box pops up and focuses. I have zero complaints! I already dealt with 3rd party camera apps on the Bionic, and have to say in the end its not needed on the Nexus. Just my 2 cents!

My thoughts exactly.

There is nothing wrong with the stock camera app. I take 99% of my pictures with it and then use other apps for editing, but almost ALL of my pics are taken in the stock camera app.

 

[ZachMob]

Honestly the stock camera app is just fine. All you have to do is tap the screen, and pretty much instantaneously the green box pops up and focuses. I have zero complaints! I already dealt with 3rd party camera apps on the Bionic, and have to say in the end its not needed on the Nexus. Just my 2 cents!

I agree that the stock camera can take good pics, it just takes more skill to use correctly. I wouldn't trust giving the phone to someone else to take a good pic of me

From my experience, touching the screen, moving my finger down to the shutter button, then steadying the camera again is a clunky way to shoot photos and offsets the advantages of having zero shutter lag. Google could have made its stock camera app so much better if you could take pictures in focus by directly tapping the view finder.

I also have little faith pressing the shutter button on the stock app without tapping the screen to focus first. It just sucks as a point and shoot camera.

Hopefully Google will address these issues in the future, but for now, I have a better experience using a 3rd party app.

 

[Stigy]

I agree that the stock camera can take good pics, it just takes more skill to use correctly. I wouldn't trust giving the phone to someone else to take a good pic of me

From my experience, touching the screen, moving my finger down to the shutter button, then steadying the camera again is a clunky way to shoot photos and offsets the advantages of having zero shutter lag. Google could have made its stock camera app so much better if you could take pictures in focus by directly tapping the view finder.

I also have little faith pressing the shutter button on the stock app without tapping the screen to focus first. It just sucks as a point and shoot camera.

Hopefully Google will address these issues in the future, but for now, I have a better experience using a 3rd party app.

FYI you don't NEED to touch the screen first for the camera to focus.

If you hold it still, the camera will start to focus after a second or two -- it probably uses some type of Autofocus to focus on the most obvious point in an image, but I have taken many in-focus pics without touching the screen first.

 

[ZachMob]

FYI you don't NEED to touch the screen first for the camera to focus.

If you hold it still, the camera will start to focus after a second or two -- it probably uses some type of Autofocus to focus on the most obvious point in an image, but I have taken many in-focus pics without touching the screen first.

I notice that, but in practice I still end up with bad quality shots.

After experimenting between the two cameras more and I think I can pinpoint why the stock app is more prone to taking bad pics.

When you press the shutter button on the stock app, it shakes the phone a little bit causing motion blur. With a 3rd party app, after pressing the shutter, I have time to naturally relax my hands and steady the camera before it takes a shot.

If I concentrate on holding the phone steady while pressing or releasing the button, the stock app produces the same quality pics. It is just easier to keep the phone steady when there is a short delay.

 

[speede541]

When you press the shutter button on the stock app, it shakes the phone a little bit causing motion blur. With a 3rd party app, after pressing the shutter, I have time to naturally relax my hands and steady the camera before it takes a shot.

I hate making excuses for the GNex camera interface, because it needs some improvement.

But re: your comment, the shutter fires on release, not on press, so perhaps that is why you are experiencing shake.

 

[Zaggs]

I'll have to try it out. Because without something the Nexus's camera is abysmal. Using the same technique I can take good shots with other cell phone camera's yet they're bad on the nexus. Low light? Please.

 

[ZachMob]

I hate making excuses for the GNex camera interface, because it needs some improvement.

But re: your comment, the shutter fires on release, not on press, so perhaps that is why you are experiencing shake.

Press or release, the phone does the same.

If you look closely when pressing the touch screen, the phone will move forward slightly in your hand. When you release, the phone will move back. It is more noticeable using one handed or holding the phone casually.

 

[speede541]

Press or release, the phone does the same.

If you look closely when pressing the touch screen, the phone will move forward slightly in your hand. When you release, the phone will move back. It is more noticeable using one handed or holding the phone casually.

So you're taking pictures one-handed, then complaining they come out blurry?

 

[clb2196]

So you're taking pictures one-handed, then complaining they come out blurry?

The stock app isn't bad. But with camera fx I *can* take pics with one hand and have them not be blurry. I got good pics with the stock app, I get better ones with camera FAX. It's just more natural feeling, to me. *shrug*

 

[ZachMob]

So you're taking pictures one-handed, then complaining they come out blurry?

Is that a problem?

I can take in focused pictures one handed using Camera Zoom FX without much effort. Other phones can do the same.

The stock camera just has a design flaw that makes it harder to take good quality shots. It takes more effort and find the experience more stressful.

 

[darkuni]

I tried out Camera FX ... As advertised here - it waits ... and waits .. and waits .. until the picture is perfect ... then snaps it. And the quality is consistently good.

I consider this a nice option. Thanks!

However, I've said it before - and I'll say it one more time ... I don't take "planned" pictures with a cell phone. Planned pictures, I'll bring at least a P&S and probably a tripod.

What's left? Photos of opportunity, quick action shots and horrifying low light conditions. Camera FX will be completely unsuitable in most of the scenarios I PERSONALLY use a cell phone camera for. I would MUCH rather burn off 5 or 6 quick shutter shots, knowing I'll get the subject (sure, 3 or 4 might be blurry, but I bet one is usable) - than to miss the photo op waiting 5 seconds for Camera FX to focus (and that was taking a still picture).

That chupacabra on the side of the road could be gone before Camera FX focuses

I think there are uses for both ... If you want to get "typical" cell phone camera shots, the built in camera performs how I would hope - fast as hell, quality might be hit and miss - but you get the pic. Camera FX if you're in a pinch and need to take the (rare IMHO ... YMMV) impromptu portrait style shot or you happen to have a nice still mountain to shoot.

I have no vested interest in either product. Each must decide their own uses and outcomes - weigh it - and make that decision.

I look at it this way ... We picked Android for CHOICE - and thankfully we have PLENTY of choices for cameras on the Nexus!

 

[mattywalnuts]

I tried out Camera FX ... As advertised here - it waits ... and waits .. and waits .. until the picture is perfect ... then snaps it. And the quality is consistently good.

I consider this a nice option. Thanks!

However, I've said it before - and I'll say it one more time ... I don't take "planned" pictures with a cell phone. Planned pictures, I'll bring at least a P&S and probably a tripod.

What's left? Photos of opportunity, quick action shots and horrifying low light conditions. Camera FX will be completely unsuitable in most of the scenarios I PERSONALLY use a cell phone camera for. I would MUCH rather burn off 5 or 6 quick shutter shots, knowing I'll get the subject (sure, 3 or 4 might be blurry, but I bet one is usable) - than to miss the photo op waiting 5 seconds for Camera FX to focus (and that was taking a still picture).

That chupacabra on the side of the road could be gone before Camera FX focuses

I think there are uses for both ... If you want to get "typical" cell phone camera shots, the built in camera performs how I would hope - fast as hell, quality might be hit and miss - but you get the pic. Camera FX if you're in a pinch and need to take the (rare IMHO ... YMMV) impromptu portrait style shot or you happen to have a nice still mountain to shoot.

I have no vested interest in either product. Each must decide their own uses and outcomes - weigh it - and make that decision.

I look at it this way ... We picked Android for CHOICE - and thankfully we have PLENTY of choices for cameras on the Nexus!

I know of a chupacabra wandering around the streets of brooklyn eating rats...no lie

 

[syntrix]

Stock: Hold the button down until it focuses, then release. Or tap to focus for even better results
FX: it just does this for you and takes longer.

My bionic could take up to 5 seconds to autofocus in lower lighting, which would almost always miss the shot as intended.

This method already discussed many times here. Photography is a bitch, people expect 100 foot long prints from pictures in 2 lux of lighting. Most people don't have a photog background, nor understand this.

Use flash, even in bright light, it will help with fill. The comment about "white haze".... clean the lens, it gets dirty easily.

Just to add, if most people picked up a 1D series DSLR, they would probably get even worse photos and then wonder what the problem is with the several-thousand-dollar-camera.

 

[sperho]

Stock: Hold the button down until it focuses, then release. Or tap to focus for even better results
FX: it just does this for you and takes longer.

I've tested the press to pre-focus on mine and it does not seem to do it under my control. It autofocuses, but not because I'm pressing the button - it does that anyway. The shutter opens when I release (of course).

I usually tap the subject to focus and hit the release button gently before it times out.

Tip: If you hold your finger on the tap to focus square and drag it around, the exposure will adjust in-line with the focal point. It's similar to tapping to focus, but the more methodical approach of dragging the square around allows the exposure to adjust the partial metering of the camera. I would love it if there were a mode where these two features were decoupled as per separate AE Lock and AF Lock buttons on an SLR.

 

[darkuni]

I know of a chupacabra wandering around the streets of brooklyn eating rats...no lie

Sweet ... can you get a pic?

 

[chucksings]

On vacation last week my family finally got to the point of saying, "put that stupid Samsung phone away and we'll use our Iphones to take real pictures. " I agree with them - there's no comparison. My GNEX can't hold a candle to an Iphone when it comes to pics.

 

[darkuni]

I bet they are filming recitals with their iPads too ... *shakes head*

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IV99fSeyqYs/TuqBeqEN7uI/AAAAAAABPHs/SYOiU_zxQQ4/h301/11+-+1