Atrix 5MP Camera vs........ (56k=death)

DT · Feb 23, 2011

bfksc said:
The software programmers at HTC and Motorola obviously don't know anything about photography. Or more likely the people they farm out the development code for the camera really suck. I'm not surprised because I've used Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Minolta (before Sony bought them) DSLR cameras, and most of them get the white balance wrong for incandescent lighting using auto. I don't know why it's so hard, but lots of cameras get it wrong.

Terrific post! We do a good bit of photography, from casual beach days, to motorsports and it's amazing the difference a tiny little bit of tweaking to the OOTB settings makes. Currently shooting with Nikon equipment.

I don't see any extended settings on the Atrix camera, but that could be resolved by software. I'll head outside and shoot a couple of pics right now for some additional reference, maybe a couple indoor with ambient, then with the flash.

dsjr2006 · Feb 23, 2011

bfksc said:
See my post above about ISO and white balance.

Did you take the photo of the parking lot/truck through a window?

While the remote controlled car is reasonably sharp, the image is grainy due to the ISO being too high.

The software programmers at HTC and Motorola obviously don't know anything about photography. Or more likely the people they farm out the development code for the camera really suck. I'm not surprised because I've used Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and Minolta (before Sony bought them) DSLR cameras, and most of them get the white balance wrong for incandescent lighting using auto. I don't know why it's so hard, but lots of cameras get it wrong.

I agree that it could likely be fixed with settings, but there aren't any to change. Just scene modes, flash, and effects. We can only judge the phone based on what it can currently do unfortunately.

evilbastard · Feb 23, 2011

Where would one find a way to change the White Balance settings on the Atrix camera?

Vihzel · Feb 23, 2011

I'm very disappointed with the results of the 5MP camera. It seems like Motorola took a step backwards with this as compared to the 8MP X camera. The iPhone 4's camera is still hands down the one to beat.

newwales · Feb 24, 2011

Not mine but have found this on Flickr, the Atrix looked better than the iphone in this photo, more realistic.

All sizes | Motorola Atrix Vs. iPhone 4 Comparison | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Vihzel · Feb 24, 2011

Seems like there's an issue with saturation. If the iPhone 4 pic is closer to reality, then how odd that the camera on the Atrix 4G changes the flower color.

barry99705 · Feb 24, 2011

Here you go. Used my wife's iPhone, my Atrix and Rebel. Everything was no flash, or hdr. My room is lit with leds, and yes, I need to clean off my desk....

These are straight off the phones/camera.
https://picasaweb.google.com/barry99705/CameraComparison#

DT · Feb 24, 2011

Excellent comparison. Interesting, I thought the right one was the Atrix (before I realized the EXIF data was on the right). It has the most loss of details in the foreground, but the best DOF (for the pens in the background).

The Atrix (left) shot, has some subtle gradients on the shadows on the blue fellow that are really good, some noise on the smaller details.

The "reference" shot from the rebel has great color and details like you would expect.

That's one of the best Atrix pictures I've seen. Was that "auto" picture format or the macro setting?

redrider67 · Feb 24, 2011

I came from an Iphone and thought the Atrix picture taking capability wasn't that great until I messed with the settings, noticed that I had to set it on 5MP it doesn't default to that setting on it's own.

newwales · Feb 25, 2011

Please can you post some more sample pictures & some comparisons with HTC or Motorola. Still unsure whether I will be getting this or not. Cheers.

barry99705 · Feb 25, 2011

DT said:
Excellent comparison. Interesting, I thought the right one was the Atrix (before I realized the EXIF data was on the right). It has the most loss of details in the foreground, but the best DOF (for the pens in the background).

The Atrix (left) shot, has some subtle gradients on the shadows on the blue fellow that are really good, some noise on the smaller details.

The "reference" shot from the rebel has great color and details like you would expect.

That's one of the best Atrix pictures I've seen. Was that "auto" picture format or the macro setting?

All cameras were on the auto setting, the rebel was on the auto with no flash setting. I did focus on Klor in all shots.

newwales · Feb 25, 2011

Can you please do a comparison with the flash, cheers.

Deleted User · Feb 25, 2011

dsjr2006 said:
I agree that it could likely be fixed with settings, but there aren't any to change. Just scene modes, flash, and effects. We can only judge the phone based on what it can currently do unfortunately.

There is no adjustment for ISO, white balance, metering mode, face detection, etc? That's just nuts...I wonder if it was Moto or AT&T who did that to the phone...

vrsantana · Feb 25, 2011

I took 2 pics outside in daylight with the iphone 4 and with the atrix. As someone said, if you hold down the shutter for a sec, the atrix camera auto focuses. See for yourselves:
iphone 4

[/IMG]

Atrix

[/IMG]

IMO, the atrix could be better.

newwales · Feb 25, 2011

The iphone picture look so real, but the atrix looks ok but looks a bit blurry. Why cant motorola do the same to the camera as Sony ericsson.

If the iphone had widgets I would switch in an instant, there camera is so good.

Sony Ericsson arc/neo would be a good choice but the led notification is on the side & the memory is so so low.

DT · Feb 25, 2011

I've thought about picking up one of the 3rd party camera apps like Pro Zoom Camera 5X, which has some extended controls.

I was looking at the Camera API, and there are a number of additional settings that can be exposed, just need the right application.

dsjr2006 · Feb 26, 2011

Most phones should be able to take a good picture in really good light like outdoors, but for me Indoors is more important since I take more pictures with friends at parties or in bars where the light is never great.

Czarcat · Feb 26, 2011

I was really disappointed with the camera initially. Then, I learned to take the scene setting off of auto. That seems to help immensely.

Also, there are some tools in the gallery to touch up the pictures. The auto correct adds back some color that is lost by the camera.

biil_p · Feb 26, 2011

Czarcat said:
I was really disappointed with the camera initially. Then, I learned to take the scene setting off of auto. That seems to help immensely.

Also, there are some tools in the gallery to touch up the pictures. The auto correct adds back some color that is lost by the camera.

I am really still quite disappointed with the camera. I agree that taking it off auto helps, but IMO the one-touch optimization does not seem better, just bad in a different way.

Funny thing is that the camera is totally secondary to me. I really only want snapshots, and I am fine with the rest of the phone, but this is so bad I am considering returning it.

I am not trying to achieve the same as the Canon, but I would like something that does not look hideous. Resolution is fine, no cloudiness like others have seen. I am thinking it is software and if I could adjust the settings, e.g., white balance, or find a better camera app, it might work out.

Czarcat · Feb 26, 2011

biil_p said:
I am really still quite disappointed with the camera. I agree that taking it off auto helps, but IMO the one-touch optimization does not seem better, just bad in a different way.

Oh, I agree. There is still a LOT to be desired with the camera. The one touch optimization adds some artificial [red] color but I find that many of my indoor shots are really good just rather stark. The red seems to help.

I really hope that Motorola can update the camera software in the future but it seems usable enough for me.

biil_p · Feb 26, 2011

Czarcat said:
it seems usable enough for me.

Yeah, I think I am trying to convince myself that it is usable enough, guess I wanted better than that.

Funny thing is I took a picture with the front camera and of course the resolution was not as good, but the colors seemed better. :thinking:

DT · Feb 26, 2011

Funny enough, I was thinking about this - and making fish tacos

- and I snapped a few pics here in the kitchen, kind of low light and they looked pretty good.

I think the low light performance is only OK, and combined with the LED flash, anything more than a few feet away doesn't get much light (I shot some hot sauce within 2 feet and the color was good and the noise was pretty low).

CmegaMighty · Feb 27, 2011

Someone needs to make an app like Camera+ for iPhone. Because when I used VIGNETTE on Android, I can touch focus, adjust exposure, etc.

Here's a pic that I took earlier today with it.

In Between Showers | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

biil_p · Feb 27, 2011

CmegaMighty said:
Because when I used VIGNETTE on Android, I can touch focus, adjust exposure, etc.

OK, so I d/l'ed the Vignette Demo and what a difference. It must be the camera app. I took two indoor pictures with flash, adjusting for fluorescent lighting in Vignette (@.3 MP only). Guess which one was with the default camera app.

https://picasaweb.google.com/bprenz...?authkey=Gv1sRgCP_3_LyhmvvJSw&feat=directlink

What is crazy is how different the flash is, must have to do with shutter speed, ISO???

newwales · Mar 2, 2011

Can you please post some more photos, against other HTC or motorola phones, not iphones.

Atrix 5MP Camera vs........ (56k=death)

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