Camera app issues/advice

[plasmanc]

Hi,

I just bought a Xaomi Mi Note 10, mainly because I wanted a better camera, and the camera set-up gets good reviews. But I'm having a couple of issues. Things that were better on my older Moto G6 (which was half the price).

Selfies - depth of field.
When I take a selfie my face is sharp and detailed but anyone behind me - a metre or more away is totally blurred out. This is terrible for group selfies, especially when everyone is a bit distanced ( which is always the case now ). Is there anything I can do about this, or is it just a problem with the hardware (lens)? It was much less of an issue on the Moto.

Sweep panorama.
When I used the camera app on the Moto, it would go the full 360 degrees, creating a full loop. And then, when uploaded to Google Photos (or facebook, whatever) it would display as a rotating panorama image, presumably with the correct Exif data. When I use the sweep panorama on the Xaomi it stops before reaching the start - eg at maybe 180 degrees. Also, on Google photos it won't display as a 360 panorama image. I tried using Exif Fixer software, but it just messes it up. Is there an app which will take better sweep panoramas?

Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place. I couldn't see a category for Xaomi, or one for cameras/photography, but I'd be grateful for any useful help or suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[lunatic59]

I can't help with the panorama shots. I do that very infrequently. But, for the group selfie issue, does the camera app put the front facing camera into portrait mode by default? You should try turning that off and then see if your depth of field improves.

 

[puppykickr]

Also, I am not sure for selfies with the front cam, but for the rear cam a touch in the center of attention on the screen will (on my devices) cause the auto focus to adjust.

This should help with clearing up things in the background.

 

[plasmanc]

Thanks both. Good suggestions. I've had a bit of a play.

The front-facing camera doesn't switch to portrait mode (in that you can then still switch to portrait mode while using the front facing camera) but it does seem to behave very similarly, using the face detection and focusing close by, etc. I don't know of a way to stop it doing that.

On the rear cams tapping the screen does set the focus wherever you tap (as suggested). With the forward facing camera it seems to adjust the light metering, but it still won't focus on anything any distance away (eg a picture across the room). Maybe it just isn't designed to focus on anything over a metre or two away.

 

[puppykickr]

Thanks both. Good suggestions. I've had a bit of a play.

The front-facing camera doesn't switch to portrait mode (in that you can then still switch to portrait mode while using the front facing camera) but it does seem to behave very similarly, using the face detection and focusing close by, etc. I don't know of a way to stop it doing that.

On the rear cams tapping the screen does set the focus wherever you tap (as suggested). With the forward facing camera it seems to adjust the light metering, but it still won't focus on anything any distance away (eg a picture across the room). Maybe it just isn't designed to focus on anything over a metre or two away.

Something that may or may not help is a wide angle lens.

On a lark, I purchased one at a dollar store for, you guessed it, a dollar, and it gives some interesting results.

It is a very simple clip-on device that expands the field of view of the camera, front or back- depending on which lens you put it over.

No guarantees, but for a dollar my curiosity got the best of me, lol.

First pic: showing the clip-on wide angle lens, normal rear camera, portrait mode

Second pic: showing my cool phone stand, normal rear camera, portrait mode

Third pic: showing my cool phone stand, rear camera with wide angle lens, portrait mode, same position as pic 2.

 

[puppykickr]

Maybe it just isn't designed to focus on anything over a metre or two away.

This is correct.

 

[plasmanc]

This is correct.

Probably so. But it seems like a big oversight . As if a selfie camera is just for taking detailed close-ups of my face! I could do that with the macro camera. I don't need to know what my pores and stubble look like. I would rather have a nice shot of me and my friends.

 

[lunatic59]

It's really going to depend on the camera and the manufacturer. I don't know how hard or easy it is to have a camera with a depth of field from a few inches to infinity, but Google's pixel line is pretty good. Here's a shot from the front-facing cam on my Pixel 4XL ... clear from the skin pores to the leaves in the trees about 100 ft. from my window.

 

[puppykickr]

Probably so. But it seems like a big oversight . As if a selfie camera is just for taking detailed close-ups of my face! I could do that with the macro camera. I don't need to know what my pores and stubble look like. I would rather have a nice shot of me and my friends.

Not an oversight.

You have answered your own question.

The word 'selfie' has every description needed to understand the purpose of the front camera.

The rear camera is the one that is suitable for what you are trying to do.

 

[puppykickr]

It's really going to depend on the camera and the manufacturer. I don't know how hard or easy it is to have a camera with a depth of field from a few inches to infinity, but Google's pixel line is pretty good. Here's a shot from the front-facing cam on my Pixel 4XL ... clear from the skin pores to the leaves in the trees about 100 ft. from my window.

View attachment 154130

Da*m nice picture quality from that front camera!

 

[lunatic59]

At full resolution it gets a little fuzzy, but the Pixel line still has the best imaging.

 

[plasmanc]

Da*m nice picture quality from that front camera!

It is a good picture. That's the kind of thing I'm after. Not sure how helpful it to say "mine's great thanks!" though .

 

[plasmanc]

Not an oversight.

You have answered your own question.

The word 'selfie' has every description needed to understand the purpose of the front camera.

The rear camera is the one that is suitable for what you are trying to do.

I would respectfully disagree. The selfie camera is for taking a picture of a scene, group, etc, where the photographer is present in the photo. Not just a close up of the photographer's face. The benefit lies in being able to frame the shot by being able to see the composition as you take the photo. If I just want a photo of my own face then I can fairly easily do that with the rear camera by pointing it roughly towards my face and shooting. Framing is a lot easier if that's the only thing I want in shot.

 

[lunatic59]

It is a good picture. That's the kind of thing I'm after. Not sure how helpful it to say "mine's great thanks!" though .

I would respectfully disagree. The selfie camera is for taking a picture of a scene, group, etc, where the photographer is present in the photo. Not just a close up of the photographer's face. The benefit lies in being able to frame the shot by being able to see the composition as you take the photo. If I just want a photo of my own face then I can fairly easily do that with the rear camera by pointing it roughly towards my face and shooting. Framing is a lot easier if that's the only thing I want in shot.

You are correct. It's not that helpful, except to demonstrate that the feature or flaw is due to the hardware or software on your phone, and that the ability to perform specific tasks may be limited by manufacturer or program/OS version. Try a different camera app. If the problem persists then it's a limitation of your specific hardware and the only thing that can correct it is a different phone.

 

[mikedt]

Hi,

I just bought a Xaomi Mi Note 10, mainly because I wanted a better camera, and the camera set-up gets good reviews. But I'm having a couple of issues. Things that were better on my older Moto G6 (which was half the price).

Selfies - depth of field.
When I take a selfie my face is sharp and detailed but anyone behind me - a metre or more away is totally blurred out. This is terrible for group selfies, especially when everyone is a bit distanced ( which is always the case now ). Is there anything I can do about this, or is it just a problem with the hardware (lens)? It was much less of an issue on the Moto.

I've not had the rear "selfie" camera do anything like that on phones I've had. Is it like a bokeh effect, where the background is really out of focus and blurry, or is just slightly out of focus? It could be an effect that's been applied by the Xiaomi camera app the Mi uses? I know some manufacturer camera apps automatically apply a beauty effect to selfie pics, that's ON by default.

Suggest you post a sample pic, so we might have a better idea of the issue. Also try another camera app?