Droid X camera is disapointing (pictures inside)

[darreno1]

Those are really bad pictures. But I think the camera is just fine.

Haha exactly. I can take my Nikon dslr, take crappy pics and say the camera is crap.

From some pics I've seen posted on other forums, the X can take very good pics - in the right hands. Just as good as the iFail 4.

Also you have to change the quality settings to 'maximum' in the software to be sure you're getting 8 mp first and foremost.

I'll be posting some of my own very soon.

 

[Crazywhitie]

It's the lighting, They look pretty good, a little correction in photoshop and tI think your have some good Pictures..

 

[sasha101]

im gonna try pics tomorrow and see how there are. Outdoors this time.

 

[Breakmyfootoff]

The phone camera, to me, is just for unexpected events that you might want to capture, if I know I'm going to a special event I take an actual camera. That being said, I think those pics look pretty damn good

 

[DAVID2010]

iPhone 4 pictures

I agree. So far my pictures have not been coming out as good as my iPhone 4's. My videos looked better with my iPhone also. As much as some people bad mouth the iPhone it has some great features.
Let's work with what we got though. Don't forget to try out the HDMI feature. That is a nice option we have. I will be taking more pictures and videos and making slide shows on our tv for family and friends.

 

[daceaki]

the x can change the iso setting? not bad,as the droid will never get the fortune to do that

 

[ffej89]

Before you bail on the phone because of the camera try the app store. You can get several cameras there to try. Pro Zoom Camera is one i like alot

 

[sic0048]

Is the camera iPhone quality - No. Is the camera one of the best released by Motorola - I think it probably is (with the update to fix the focus issue). Is the camera going to replace a good quality stand alone camera - No. Is the camera good enough for the quick snap shot that you would otherwise miss - definitely.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[CCMDOc]

Is the camera iPhone quality - No. Is the camera one of the best released by Motorola - I think it probably is (with the update to fix the focus issue). Is the camera going to replace a good quality stand alone camera - No. Is the camera good enough for the quick snap shot that you would otherwise miss - definitely.

Just my 2 cents.

I agree with most of that and if I did not have an Incredible, I would be satisfied with a "phone camera" like the "X" has. Still internally debating ...

OTH - the phone quality is better than any other phone I have had and that means a lot.

 

[GrillMouster]

The iphone4 images come out looking better because of the software processing it does automatically. It artificially boosts contrast, saturation, and sharpening, so the images appear to be better. A little bit of processing on an image from the X, or for that matter any of the android phones, and the image will look much better.

That being said, I think the problem with the images in the OP have little to do with the camera itself. Low light photography (indoors included) is challenging for camera phones and point-and-shoot cameras. Also, holding any camera out at arms length in front of you, instead of stabilizing it, causes camera shake/blur. Add light to the scene by turning on all the light in the room, using flash, etc.. Hold the camera close to your body, elbows tucked in, legs speread shoulder-width apart (lean on something stable if you can), hold your breath, and gently hold down the shutter release button (don't jab at it..that creates shake/blur)). Also, remember to hold down the button halfway to autofocus before pressing it all the way to take the picture. When you press the button all the way, hold it down until after the picture is taken (less shake that way).

PicSay Pro is a good image editor for the android platform. Gimp is free for the computer, Photoshop Elements is affordable.

I've seen some good images taken with the X outdoors in good light.

 

[3turner]

Don't return the phone based on the photos you posted here because you think the camera is crap. Its not....you just don't have enough light to take a decent picture without using an artificial light source like a flash....which you did not on any of those pictures you posted in your OP.

In every single one of your shots...your shutter speed was waaaay to low for you to be hand holding your phone to take a picture. Any photographer would tell you that at those shutter speeds, combined with the aperture value of the tiny little lens in the phones camera, you NEED to put what ever camera you use on a TRIPOD or something steadier than your hand. Every shot you took has what is called "motion blur"....moving the camera while the shutter is open when taking a photo.

For shutter speed, the lower the number the longer the shutter stays open to allow more light in due to not enough ambient light available to adequately light the scene.

For aperture value, the smaller the number the wider the aperture which allows more light to pass to the digital sensor to expose the scene. Also, the larger the aperture is, there will be LESS area IN FOCUS because it will be a narrow field to focus which is called Depth of Field. More explained in this link: Understanding Depth of Field in Photography

For ISO rating, the higher the number the more sensitive to light the digital sensor is. Typically, photography uses ISO ratings 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600). Since digital photography came about, digital sensors have been able to replicate the old ISO speed ratings and also have included ISO 3200, 6400 and up to 25600 in Nikon cameras.

If you need, here are the EXIF values for each of your photos which will show you that you did not have enough light to produce sharper images.
listed as: shutter speed, aperture value, ISO Speed, flash fired/not fired

1) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 119, no flash
2) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 368, no flash
3) 1/120", F2.8, ISO 192, no flash
4) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 238, no flash
5) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 320, no flash
6) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 347, no flash
7) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 221, no flash
8) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 209, no flash

Here is a good website for understanding the relation of the shutter speed and aperture of the camera lens: Shutter and Aperture - Beginners Guide to Photography - Photonhead.com

Like others mentioned above, if you can manipulate the settings in the Droid X camera, do so. If you are going to be indoors, you will at the minimum need to use a shutter speed of 1/60", F2.8 and ISO 800 if the room is well lit. Even then, you still may get some Motion Blur for hand holding the phone AND not everything will be in focus due to Depth of Field for the lens aperture. Of course....taking outdoor shots in the bright sunlight will give you excellent photos. Additionally, more megapixels DOES NOT mean it's a better camera....it's all about the available light to take the photo. So the less light there is, the longer the shutter speed, the wider the aperture and in the end...the more noise and blur a photo will get when not on a tripod. The noise though...can be removed using most photo editing software.

Hope this helped you out a bit....and again, the camera on the Droid X is not at fault on these shots you posted....the camera settings were the culprit along with being hand-held while taking the shot.

 

[sasha101]

Don't return the phone based on the photos you posted here because you think the camera is crap. Its not....you just don't have enough light to take a decent picture without using an artificial light source like a flash....which you did not on any of those pictures you posted in your OP.

In every single one of your shots...your shutter speed was waaaay to low for you to be hand holding your phone to take a picture. Any photographer would tell you that at those shutter speeds, combined with the aperture value of the tiny little lens in the phones camera, you NEED to put what ever camera you use on a TRIPOD or something steadier than your hand. Every shot you took has what is called "motion blur"....moving the camera while the shutter is open when taking a photo.

For shutter speed, the lower the number the longer the shutter stays open to allow more light in due to not enough ambient light available to adequately light the scene.

For aperture value, the smaller the number the wider the aperture which allows more light to pass to the digital sensor to expose the scene. Also, the larger the aperture is, there will be LESS area IN FOCUS because it will be a narrow field to focus which is called Depth of Field. More explained in this link: Understanding Depth of Field in Photography

For ISO rating, the higher the number the more sensitive to light the digital sensor is. Typically, photography uses ISO ratings 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600). Since digital photography came about, digital sensors have been able to replicate the old ISO speed ratings and also have included ISO 3200, 6400 and up to 25600 in Nikon cameras.

If you need, here are the EXIF values for each of your photos which will show you that you did not have enough light to produce sharper images.
listed as: shutter speed, aperture value, ISO Speed, flash fired/not fired

1) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 119, no flash
2) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 368, no flash
3) 1/120", F2.8, ISO 192, no flash
4) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 238, no flash
5) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 320, no flash
6) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 347, no flash
7) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 221, no flash
8) 1/15", F2.8, ISO 209, no flash

Here is a good website for understanding the relation of the shutter speed and aperture of the camera lens: Shutter and Aperture - Beginners Guide to Photography - Photonhead.com

Like others mentioned above, if you can manipulate the settings in the Droid X camera, do so. If you are going to be indoors, you will at the minimum need to use a shutter speed of 1/60", F2.8 and ISO 800 if the room is well lit. Even then, you still may get some Motion Blur for hand holding the phone AND not everything will be in focus due to Depth of Field for the lens aperture. Of course....taking outdoor shots in the bright sunlight will give you excellent photos. Additionally, more megapixels DOES NOT mean it's a better camera....it's all about the available light to take the photo. So the less light there is, the longer the shutter speed, the wider the aperture and in the end...the more noise and blur a photo will get when not on a tripod. The noise though...can be removed using most photo editing software.

Hope this helped you out a bit....and again, the camera on the Droid X is not at fault on these shots you posted....the camera settings were the culprit along with being hand-held while taking the shot.

You can't change shutter speed on the droid x.... and when i take pictures you expect me too carry around a tripod everywhere i go?

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[xjman349]

My pictures with the x come nothing close to the pictures with the incredible. The incredible pics were simply amazing.

 

[sasha101]

updated with outside shots

 

[ext]

Just so you know, the photos that were amazing on the Droid X that were posted before launch the person was running .604 software - which coincidentally should be launching today. The software revision level .514 was what the bulk of reviewers posted pictures and camera recordings with. The revisions .516 is what the phone shipped with, and .604 is what we are getting over the next few days from an OTA update.

I assume the "Your Droid just got better" update is what the phone should have shipped with, but sadly probably wasn't QA'd before the phones were manufactured and boxed.

After playing with the ISO and exposure I was able to get some great quality in bright lit areas. Harder in the dark even with flash - and that goes for any phone on the market, not just the Droid X.

-Ext