Pics with the Xperia (Z3 compact) camera software

[TdC]

Dudes,
I notice that the Z3 does skin-tones in, for lack of a better term, dubious quality. When nothing odd is going on, you get pics like the images below (resized, otherwise unchanged), but when used on faces the skin-tone is just fubar to the point of being butt-ugly. I found a setting that is default-on called something like "Soft Skin Rendering" or whatever Sony calls it and I turned that off but it still seems to persist, especially with the rear facing camera. Any tips/hints/pointers/advice?

Example 1



Example 2:



For skin tone I refer you to my Movember thread. Help muchly appreciado

 

[Ch3tan]

I had the same problem with with Xperia z. Just Sony's weird auto detect and white balance. It's annoying because the only real way to fix it is manually adjusting settings per shot. Not what you want to be doing with a point and shoot device.

 

[TdC]

meh, that sucks then

 

[Tom]

Google has been working on a new camera API that should allow Lollipop users to capture RAW images. I believe Sony will implement Lollipop early in 2015 so you may get some respite.

http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/0...bles-burst-mode-thorough-control-photos-much/

 

[TdC]

yay, that would be awesomes!

 

[Ch3tan]

Actually Tom makes a good point and reminds me you have alternatives.

Try Google camera, or camera aosp. Camera zoom FX is also very good. You then won't suffer from the post processing and auto settings of the sony app.

Also if you want raw, just get a one plus one

 

[TdC]

oh derp, ofc there are other camera apps. lol that didn't occur to me at all, cheers guys!

 

[old.user4556]

Teeds, can you post some pics of skin tones please. Generally, we notice errors in skin tones more than anything else.

 

[Raven]

Waist down please.

 

[Bodhi]

Some useful stuff below about the Camera on the Z3:

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2014/10/te...s-put-the-sony-xperia-z3s-camera-to-the-test/

 

[TdC]

Teeds, can you post some pics of skin tones please. Generally, we notice errors in skin tones more than anything else.

GOOGLE CAMERA:



SONY CAMERA:



Sony pic isn't in focus even, but you get the idea. Also, you'd expect me to have a happy face on as I'm just back from a bike ride, but freezing my nuts off and wanting a shower does not a pretty face make

 

[Bodhi]

Struggling to see a massive difference if I'm honest, but I'm far from a photography buff so YMMV. I did notice with my Z however, that the camera quality improved exponentially throughout its life with each software update, so I'd expect the same with the Z3. Pretty sure they were starting from scratch on the Autofocus stuff for Lollipop, so will be interesting to see what they come up with.

 

[ECA]

The are a lot less colours in the sony skin tones.

 

[Ch3tan]

Really @Bodhi? The colors are way off in the sony shot, don't need to be a camera buff to see that. Everything has a yellowish / cream tint to it, from his skin to the white walls. Sure that's the white balance @TdC, try the sony on a different white balance setting?

Then again the Google camera is faster, so no real reason not to just use that.

 

[old.user4556]

It's impossible to tell which one is "correct" without having a calibrated reference point, what we're discussing here is which one looks preferable based on subjective opinion. It's like super AMOLED screens on phones, or TVs with the colours saturation turned up - the public look and them and think "WOOOW the colours are so rich compared to this other screen", but super rich colours does not mean accurate colours. Sometimes colours accurate images look low in contrast and washed out (take a browse at AVforums at the number of people who dislike their TVs after proper calibration).

The Sony image has a slightly warmer white balance and the Google one is cooler. When I load both images into Photoshop and hit "auto colour", then the Google shot is autocorrected to look a lot more like the Sony image which suggests the Google image is actually less correct than the Sony despite subjective preference for the Google image.

It's a matter of taste, not quality.

 

[TdC]

Tbh I do kind of like the colour in the Sony camera image, but what I do not like is the over-processed look it gives a face. I had a comment from a mate on FB who said that the images looked as if I had deliberately done things to them to make them so. On the other hand, imo the outdoor images the Sony camera does are smashing (imo). To my admittedly untrained eye the Sony looks rather compressed and plasticy, whereas the Google looks overly saturated.

What I could potentially do is a -cough- selfie under 'controlled conditions' and compare the phone pics to my Olympus micro 4/3rds camera in raw. I can check that against my calibrated 10bit colour workstation screen which one I find most pleasing. I'm not entirely sure I want to because that sounds a lot like work, and I dunno if my inner nerd is strong enough to go that far.

 

[ECA]

My guess is the sony cam is using some beautify default filter.
It's clear imo there is less colour tone in the face, you can see the redder areas are just not there on the sony pic.

If you want an accurate image then the google cam better, the sony one better if you wanna post face pics on facebook

 

[old.user4556]

My guess is the sony cam is using some beautify default filter.
It's clear imo there is less colour tone in the face, you can see the redder areas are just not there on the sony pic.

If you want an accurate image then the google cam better, the sony one better if you wanna post face pics on facebook

How do you know it's more accurate?

 

[Trem]

I have just ordered one of these phones Teedlar, I want a good camera phone, have I fucked up?

I have also read about rooting them and that is a no go right now because to root you have to unlock the boot loader which then deletes certain Sony DRM keys which then fucks up the low light performance of the camera. It has pissed off a lot of people but in time it will be doable.

I needed one on contract (long story) and wanted a smaller one otherwise the one plus one would of been my choice.

 

[TdC]

nah chumbacon, you'l be fine unless you turn in to a selfie-obsessed picky cvnt like me

 

[Bodhi]

I have just ordered one of these phones Teedlar, I want a good camera phone, have I fucked up?

I have also read about rooting them and that is a no go right now because to root you have to unlock the boot loader which then deletes certain Sony DRM keys which then fucks up the low light performance of the camera. It has pissed off a lot of people but in time it will be doable.

I needed one on contract (long story) and wanted a smaller one otherwise the one plus one would of been my choice.

Have a read of the link I posted above - it's a pretty good point and shoot, but if you play around with the settings you can take some cracking shots. Low light performance is especially good.

 

[MYstIC G]

Struggling to see a massive difference if I'm honest, but I'm far from a photography buff so YMMV. I did notice with my Z however, that the camera quality improved exponentially throughout its life with each software update, so I'd expect the same with the Z3. Pretty sure they were starting from scratch on the Autofocus stuff for Lollipop, so will be interesting to see what they come up with.

He looks terrible in the first one, therefore it's the most realistic.

 

[TdC]

 

[Embattle]

Tbh I do kind of like the colour in the Sony camera image, but what I do not like is the over-processed look it gives a face. I had a comment from a mate on FB who said that the images looked as if I had deliberately done things to them to make them so. On the other hand, imo the outdoor images the Sony camera does are smashing (imo). To my admittedly untrained eye the Sony looks rather compressed and plasticy, whereas the Google looks overly saturated.

What I could potentially do is a -cough- selfie under 'controlled conditions' and compare the phone pics to my Olympus micro 4/3rds camera in raw. I can check that against my calibrated 10bit colour workstation screen which one I find most pleasing. I'm not entirely sure I want to because that sounds a lot like work, and I dunno if my inner nerd is strong enough to go that far.

Which one was your actual face when you looked in the mirror, or does the silver fox eyes need calibration like mine

 

[TdC]

 

[Trem]

nah chumbacon, you'l be fine unless you turn in to a selfie-obsessed picky cvnt like me

I won't be taking pictures of myself, god forbid, but my family, my kids you know, there will be lots of pictures of them. I read the link @Bodhi posted and it seems like you get better results if you fiddle with the settings and use manual mode rather than the auto Sony mode. I'm not sure I can be arsed with that, also it takes the pictures in 8mb rather 20mb which again you have to manually switch it to.

I can see me twiddling my thumbs until rooting won't fuck up the DRM keys tbh, I can't see Lollipop arriving anytime soon on Sony phones (by soon I mean NOW NOW NOW!! )

 

[Ch3tan]

So just don't use the sony camera app, you aren't going to get what you want, all the top end phones gave their issues with cameras. No need to root to change camera app.

 

[TdC]

Yeah what Chet said Tremlar. I just installed a random camera app of the play-store and it was already great.

 

[Trem]

So just don't use the sony camera app, you aren't going to get what you want, all the top end phones gave their issues with cameras. No need to root to change camera app.

I am aware of that but I assume you cannot remove the Sony camera app without root and I hate useless stuff hanging around, thats why I wanted root.

I already have another camera app standing by for when the phone arrives @TdC

 

[TdC]

you can't uninstall but you can disable the default Sony camera. besides that you can install any camera you want, but camera apps tend to call themselves "camera" so it's kinda hard to distinguish between them