Camcorder quality in dark setting

[rudy_vega]

Hello guys! I'm fairly new to the Android world having just purchased my Droid X a lill over a month ago (coming from an I phone), and I have never been happier with Verizon and my Droid smartphone!
Here is my problem/question:
Does anyone else have problems recording video at night or in dark settings? It seems like every time I record video at night, the 8mp camcorder looks more like a crappy third of a megapixel. The quality is horrible to say the least, and any bit of light that gets recorded looks like brightly colored dots that you can barely make out. Being a nightclub dj,i do most of my recording at night, and this issue has become really frustrating.Has anyone else had these issues with the camcorder at night? Any advice or apps you'd recommend? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanx in advance!

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums App

 

[wayneman]

Hello guys! I'm fairly new to the Android world having just purchased my Droid X a lill over a month ago (coming from an I phone), and I have never been happier with Verizon and my Droid smartphone!
Here is my problem/question:
Does anyone else have problems recording video at night or in dark settings? It seems like every time I record video at night, the 8mp camcorder looks more like a crappy third of a megapixel. The quality is horrible to say the least, and any bit of light that gets recorded looks like brightly colored dots that you can barely make out. Being a nightclub dj,i do most of my recording at night, and this issue has become really frustrating.Has anyone else had these issues with the camcorder at night? Any advice or apps you'd recommend? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanx in advance!

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums App

Would love to know the answer to this too!!!

 

[rudy_vega]

Really..? Other than wayneman here, there is NOBODY else with this problem..? Somebody PLEASE tell us SOMETHING..!

 

[gdogg16]

Sounds like the phone increases it's ISO in dark settings, most average sensors have horrible high iso capabilities.

 

[Slapper]

check out my vids on YouTube...most are at night just search for Slapcuban...i think one is from my droid..not my droid x.

 

[brandonfish]

I'm having the same problem with recorded video. Not only does the framerate drop to 12 in low light setting, but it does not stay constant. When I go to import videos into Adobe, the lack of a consistent frame rate makes the video all but uneditable. On particularly long videos, the audio and video go out of synchronization in the middle of the video. I've changed almost every setting and found no resolution. Motorola had no suggestions besides a factory reset. Does anybody know what setting I should use to import these videos into Premiere or if the problem is remedied in the leaked GB update? I'm getting ready to buy a real camera . . .

 

[kevinkar]

These phone cameras are not spectacular and have tiny lenses with a very poor ISO value. You just can not capture enough light in dark situations to make the video worth capturing. The camera probably tries to (or you do manually) up the ISO value to attempt to capture more light but it just increases the noise instead. That's why your output is crappy.

The real solution is to use more light, a larger and faster lens (not possible on the X) or use a better camera.

 

[BodyBagz]

You all do realize this is a video camera inserted into a phone, and not a phone strapped to a video camera right?

This phone is not going to take glorious night time videos or pictures for that matter, for the very reasons already outlined...small lens and slower shutter speed than a comparable 8MP stand alone camera. It is basically desingned to take very well lit pix and vids,,,preferably in the full on daytime...not for doing print ads and video authoring...its a phone first and foremost...

Having said that, your only real option is to switch the video setting to Nightime Mode...which isnt going to do a whole lot of good...or turn the LED Flash on and use it is a spot light...again, not going to work for everything...

 

[brandonfish]

I understand that the camera on a Droid X is not going to produce video on par with a camcorder, but I would like for it to settle on a constant framerate, even if it is 12 fps. My problem is not the quality. I can mask a grainy video with effects (I am taking video of local bands playing bars). When the fps is inconstant, and the audio goes in and out of sync, it makes the video impossible to edit. Considering the processor this phone uses, the issue must be the camcorder software, especially considering that rooted droids with alternative software can supposedly achieve an unwavering 30fps in 720p in any lighting circumstance. Hopefully the camcorder app has been overhauled in the new Motoblur. I guess I'll wait & see. Thanks for your help. By the way, where is there a nighttime mode? I don't think I've seen that option before.

 

[wayneman]

Help me out here please. I checked "settings"...and no where do I find "Nighttime Mode"....where is that on the "X"?