Bionic Camera Image Sharpness - Amazing!

[billyk]

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There are lots of attributes about camera performance that can be measured - image sharpness is among the most critical.

For the Bionic, apps like Camera Zoom Fx address other attributes like shutter lag, app start-up and recycle times - these are easy software fixes that the upcoming Moto update is rumored to address as well.

But who knew that the Bionic would provide the sharpest images when compared to the iPhone4, Galaxy SII and HTC Amaze? And the Shoot Out was done by PCMag, not some rag/forum with a dog in the fight.

And it's not like the Bionic "edged" out the iPhone for image sharpness, it smoked it! Read here:

Smartphone Camera Shoot-Out: iPhone 4S vs. Droid Bionic vs. Galaxy S II vs. HTC Amaze | PCMag.com

Sure, there are other attributes that contribute to image quality, but this ShootOut didn't include them.

 

[jcardona1]

I don't know how they determined that the Bionic won, but comparing these two pictures, I'd say the Bionic photo looks like crap, as usual. I was using the camera on my friend's Bionic last night, was a POS. Can't wait to get my Nexus!



iPhone

Bionic

 

[mikespe]

I really can't see how people are taking bad pictures with the Bionic? Mine are coming out flawlessly! Either there was a bad batch of phones distributed or it's user error...if you wait for the focus square to turn green you will get perfect pictures all the time. The only bad pictures I took were the ones that I was in a hurry.

Now if you want to debate the SLOWNESS of the Bionic's camera then I TOTALLY agree that it's slow at taking pictures...BUT faster than my OG Droid...so I guess it's all relative!

 

[billyk]

The Bionic underexposed this one - it's a variable, and it's software driven. Using a typical replacement like Camera Zoom Fx might have yielded a different exposure.

But image information acquired at the time of the exposure can't be added later. The article names the tool they used to measure sharpness.

As I said, there's more to a good photo than sharpness, but the lack of sharpness is typically not a good thing!

 

[jcardona1]

That's the whole problem, the slowness. You have to stand like a damn frozen tripod to be able to get a sharp pic. By the time the Bionic decides to focus, capture and process the photo, either you or your subject have moved a bit, causing a blurred photo.

 

[billyk]

I really can't see how people are taking bad pictures with the Bionic? Mine are coming out flawlessly! Either there was a bad batch of phones distributed or it's user error...if you wait for the focus square to turn green you will get perfect pictures all the time. The only bad pictures I took were the ones that I was in a hurry.

Now if you want to debate the SLOWNESS of the Bionic's camera then I TOTALLY agree that it's slow at taking pictures...BUT faster than my OG Droid...so I guess it's all relative!

Agreed. I get the best camera-based photos yet with the Bionic. Use a replacement app to make the Bionic very snappy (no pun intended).

 

[jcardona1]

The Bionic underexposed this one - it's a variable, and it's software driven. Using a typical replacement like Camera Zoom Fx might have yielded a different exposure.

But image information acquired at the time of the exposure can't be added later. The article names the tool they used to measure sharpness.

As I said, there's more to a good photo than sharpness, but the lack of sharpness is typically not a good thing!

It's more than just an exposure difference in those pictures. It's also the white balance, and the saturation. All of which combined make the Bionic picture look worse, even if it is sharper. Having to add a 3rd party app to make your camera work correctly is insulting. I don't understand why Motorola just can't get it right with cameras.

 

[Scribble]

Man with the OG Droid I always felt like I was one of those Olde Timey photographers in the Old West asking people to sit there for a half hour before the flash went off.

 

[k1ngr4t]

Now I know a lot of people probably won't agree with this, but IN MY EXPERIENCE, it seems to be mostly user error. I took the same picture 2-3 times with 3 different programs (MIUI, CameraFX, and Stock), and almost each one turned out differently. The ones that did turn out though were undoubtedly some of the best cell phone camera pictures I've ever seen. I'll try and upload one later. Point is, I think the Bionic camera at this stage is an art. It's not as point-and-shoot as it should be, but when done correctly, the results are FANTASTIC.

I do agree that of those two pics the iphone looks better but...I have my own eyes and my own experience to draw from and know the Bionic has the potential to look beautiful.

 

[BayouFlyFisher]

It's more than just an exposure difference in those pictures. It's also the white balance, and the saturation. All of which combined make the Bionic picture look worse, even if it is sharper. Having to add a 3rd party app to make your camera work correctly is insulting. I don't understand why Motorola just can't get it right with cameras.

All your concerns are totally addressed, IMHO, by using an alternate app such as Camera FX. We all agree the stock apps sucks. And I am in no way insulted that I have to use it. The only thing I'm concerned with, in issues such as this, is the final result.

 

[jcardona1]

but IN MY EXPERIENCE, it seems to be mostly user error.

User error, come on man. It's a cell phone camera. We're not exactly operating a space shuttle here. You push the button to focus/shoot, and it captures the picture. A toddler could take a great picture with an iPhone because the camera works so well and it's quick. My friend that has the Bionic actually came from an old iPhone 3. Even without a flash, she says she would still choose that old camera because the Bionic's is so pitiful.

As for camera apps, I don't think they really solve that much. I actually use Camera FX right now on my D1, simply because my stock camera app freezes after I take any picture and it won't save, it just crashes. Camera FX works, but I haven't noticed any difference in speed or the way the picture looks. Any picture I take I have to spend a few minutes editing anyway to make it look right, because the camera fails on the temperature/tint/contrast/saturation.

 

[BayouFlyFisher]

User error, come on man. It's a cell phone camera. We're not exactly operating a space shuttle here. You push the button to focus/shoot, and it captures the picture. A toddler could take a great picture with an iPhone because the camera works so well and it's quick. My friend that has the Bionic actually came from an old iPhone 3. Even without a flash, she says she would still choose that old camera because the Bionic's is so pitiful.

As for camera apps, I don't think they really solve that much. I actually use Camera FX right now on my D1, simply because my stock camera app freezes after I take any picture and it won't save, it just crashes. Camera FX works, but I haven't noticed any difference in speed or the way the picture looks. Any picture I take I have to spend a few minutes editing anyway to make it look right, because the camera fails on the temperature/tint/contrast/saturation.

I agree the D1 doesn't need an app like Camera FX as much as the Bionic does. But the Bionic needs it desperately.

Good luck.

 

[Scribble]

All your concerns are totally addressed, IMHO, by using an alternate app such as Camera FX. We all agree the stock apps sucks. And I am in no way insulted that I have to use it. The only thing I'm concerned with, in issues such as this, is the final result.

That's kind of the point of Android to begin with... Don't like something? Change it. We're not locked into using the phone the the way the designer demands. (For the most part.)

 

[SSHGuru]

It's nice that the Bionic is the sharpest but it color rendering is the worst.

Camera Zoom FX does not do anything but speed up the focus and picture.

If motorola adjusted the contrast and brightness the pictures would look great.

Here is a thread I started on the moto site with my examples :

https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/60194?tstart=30

 

[billyk]

I am the OP that stumbled-upon this article. I read the article prior to posting and saw that the iPhone example looks better balanced than the Bionic example - no problem there.

The point of this post was the encouraging news that the Bionic camera has the capability to have amazing image detail. I thought twice about posting, as I knew that point would get lost in the particular examples shown in the article, but I posted anyway.

As with every phone, different users have different experiences. My experience taking pix with the Bionic has been excellent. Maybe the upcoming Moto update will take advantage of the Bionic's superior sharpness, and the results will be more consistent across Bionic owners.