Is it possible to improve the front or rear camera in a Samsung Galaxy, Lenovo, meizu m3 note 3 pro, xiaomi redmi 4x, lg k10 2017 phone running on Android 6.0.
These are the questions I get asked most often. If on your smartphone or tablet bad camera, then some things can be improved.
Overall, the camera feature is now being added to many devices ranging from mobile phones.
Just to get good image quality, you need a DSLR camera, although you can achieve really good results easily if you apply the right settings.
To begin with, it’s worth explaining the relationship between matrix size and image quality and refuting the myth about the number of megapixels, which quite often is not a determining factor in quality when shooting.
It happens that a phone camera with 2 megapixels produces much higher quality than a matrix with 12 megapixels.
Firstly, the more megapixels, the larger the picture you will get and the better the lens, the better the image quality.
Another issue is the camera control software that comes from the manufacturer and manages it all.
You can "strengthen" software for getting best quality Images. Get acquainted with programs that improve the quality of the built-in camera.
Settings to improve the webcam in a smartphone or tablet
In order to improve the quality of photos taken with your cell phone, there are a few important issues to keep in mind.
Lighting - try to keep things well lit - the weaker the lighting, the more “noise” will be visible in the picture, and if your phone is equipped with an LED flash, then it’s good to turn it on.
Although the built-in flash can't illuminate the entire subject, it can always help a little (LED flashes are more of a marketing ploy than a powerful flash tube).
Contrast - this parameter should be considered when photographing indoors, where there is artificial lighting - thanks to it you can preserve natural colors.
Digital Zoom – Definitely avoid using this option as nothing ruins image quality more than digital zoom.
Image stabilization - Some phones offer digital image stabilization, which you shouldn't trust entirely.
Auto focus - should be used when there is a problem with sharpness when trying to capture objects.
ISO - Noise in images is often the result of overusing ISO settings that add artificial light from low light - higher ISO settings can produce clearer photos in low light.
Improve the camera using the engineering menu
I am often asked how to improve the camera using the engineering menu? I’ll tell you how to enter it, but don’t count on super improvements, and not every smartphone will be able to run it.
NOTE: if your smartphone or tablet runs on a Qualcomm chipset, then there may not be an engineering menu, but for those that use a MediaTek processor there will certainly be one.
To open the engineering menu, enter the command: *#*#3646633#*#*. If this code does not work, try another one: *#*#4636#*#* or *#15963#*.
NOTE: on Xiaomi smartphone You need to click on the “Kernel version” parameter several times in a row.
Using the engineering menu you can make some changes and check the sensors and perform component testing.
If the code does not work, you can try using the MobileUncle Tools or MTK Engineering applications - you can download them from the play market.
After logging in, you should be interested in the “Camera” option - setting various parameters.
After the transition, the settings will open.
The engineering menu is preferable for experienced users and should be used very carefully so as not to create tragic “miracles”.
Programs that improve captured video
If you already have a video shot, but of poor quality, then you can also improve it using computer programs.
Movavi Video Editor is a powerful yet simple video editor. When using it, the following tools will be available to you: trimming video edges, rotating, adding audio, effects, filters and others
vReveal is a great assistant if you like to shoot videos using your phone. Then, most likely, you get a video that is far from ideal.
vReveal has quality enhancement technology to improve the quality of video files and clips.
Video Enhancer - this program can increase video resolutions. You can significantly improve the quality of photos or videos using Video Super Resolution technology.
Using frame detailing technology, you can increase the resolution to the HD standard.
NOTE: all programs have a drawback - they are paid, and I could not find worthy free analogues. Good luck.
The camera has automatic settings that you can use to take instant photos and videos. However, the Camera provides several ways to control exposure, including controlling focus, turning the flash on and off, and changing white balance. You can take negative pictures and apply other special effects.
In addition, the Camera contains settings for controlling the quality and duration of video recording, where to save photos, etc.
Camera settings depend on the features supported by your phone.
Changing Camera Settings
Camera mode settings
Settings. Click to open a scrollable list of settings:
Focus mode. Tap to use automatic focus mode (Auto) or shoot quickly while focusing at infinity (Infinity) or close-up subjects (Macro). For more information about supported focusing features, see your phone's user guide.
Exposition. Click to change exposure.
Selecting a shooting mode. Tap to select a preset combination of camera settings designed for special shooting modes, such as shooting on the beach or shooting fireworks. For supported shooting modes, see your phone's user guide.
Photo size. Click the size of the image (in pixels) you want to take. On phones that support these sizes, VGA mode is defined as 640x480 pixels.
Image quality. Select the photo quality (that is, the ratio between photo quality and file size that will be used when saving the photo to a file).
Color effects. Click the special effect you want to use when shooting, such as monochrome, sepia, or negative.
Record location Select the checkbox to include the GPS location of your subject in each photo.
Location stored with photo
Location not stored with photo
White balance.
Automatically
Incandescent lamp
Daylight
Daylight lamp
Mainly cloudy
Flash mode. Tap to specify whether the Camera should use its own light measurements to determine when to turn on the flash, or whether or not to use the flash with each shot.
Automatically
Magnification 1x. Click to zoom in from 1x to 2x. For other scaling methods, see . For information about digital zoom support, see your phone's user guide.
Camera selection Click to select the right camera(if the phone has multiple cameras).
Rear camera
Front camera
Setting the Video mode
Just like in camera mode, the camcorder settings are displayed on the screen.
Settings. Click to open a scrollable list of settings:
Color effects. Click the special effect you want to use when shooting video, such as monochrome, sepia, or negative.
Restore default values. Click to restore all Camera settings to default.
White balance. Tap to choose how the Camera adjusts colors in different lighting conditions for natural-colored photos, or let the Camera adjust white balance automatically.
- The “White Balance” function allows you to improve the quality of your photographs, providing color correction depending on the type of lighting (incandescent or daylight, natural light, sunny or cloudy weather). Automatic adjustment of light balance is possible.
- “Location recording” via GPS (with or without a photo).
- Flash mode. If you don't know when to use it, set the mode to "Auto" and the device will turn it on when needed.
- Image stabilization. This feature will prevent you from ruining the photo if you move the phone due to uneven breathing or shaking hands during shooting.
- Digital zoom (zoom in from 1x to 2x).
Setting up a camera for communicating on Skype
Setting up a camera for communicating on Skype is not difficult. To do this, you need to go to the “Advanced settings” section of video recording and check the “Forced calls” checkbox for both the rear and front cameras. Then reboot the device and choose which one to use to communicate.
Camera problems and how to fix them
During operation, the quality of the camera may deteriorate. This can be caused by various reasons: contamination of the sensor; clogged cache or mechanical damage to the module responsible for settings; infection by viruses. There are several ways to improve the performance of your device.
When automatically updating the firmware, the basic settings are often lost, leading to incorrect operation of applications. To fix this problem, just do the following:
- go to the gadget settings;
- go to “Backup”;
- enable the "Reset to factory settings" function.
- The problem with viruses will be solved by cleaning the system and installing an antivirus program.
- To clear the module cache, you need to go to “Settings”, select the “Applications” section. In its menu, find the “Camera” subsection and enable the “Clear cache” option.
- Download and set up an application alternative to a standard camera, for example, HD or DSLRCamera, ShotControl, etc.
- By wiping the lens before each use, you will eliminate the risk of dots and subtle spots on your photos.
- Try not to use Zoom. Any photo can be corrected in a graphic editor. With digital zoom, the likelihood that it will be irrevocably damaged increases dramatically.
However, some smartphones are not installed by the manufacturer good apps to use the camera and therefore you cannot take advantage of the camera High Quality.
But this is not a problem if you have a good Android phone with an 8 or 13 Megapixel camera. Install these applications on your phone and you will be able to take professional-level photographs using your smartphone.
#5. Line camera
Line camera is one of the best apps to take selfies and photo collages on your smartphone. The app has high quality filters that are easy to customize.
It's not just a camera app, it also allows you to edit photos as you take them, stack photos side by side, and create a collage. This app is three in one! You can shoot, edit and create a collage of images using this application. And all this is absolutely free.
#4. Open camera
Open camera is one of the smallest (approximately 500 KB) applications of its type for Android devices. But despite its small size, the app has a lot of features and pretty decent exposure control. Open camera recommended for night shooting to an Android phone.
Simply tap anywhere on the screen to focus on an object and the image will magically become brighter. Open camera is also perfect free application for Android devices.
#3. Google Camera
Google Camera is Google's app for photographers and it has a ton of unique features that will help you take better photos. Google Camera takes photos and videos quickly and easily, taking advantage of the processing power of your Android device, as well as photo enhancement features such as HDR+, shallow depth of field blur, wide angle, panorama and 360 degree panorama.
But if you want to use Google Camera, you need to own an Android smartphone or tablet running Android KitKat 4.4 or higher. In this case, you can download the application for free from the Google Play service.
#2. A Better Camera
As the name Better Camera suggests, this app will allow you to take better quality photos with its high-end functionality. This app will allow you to take photos and videos in 11 different shooting modes such as HD panorama, HDR, Night, Group and others.
Apart from this, this camera app also has various features such as exposure mode, ISO settings, smart mode, autofocus, and more. This application is available on Google Play in both paid and free versions.
#1. Ucam Ultra Camera
Samsung has stepped up its game to produce excellent Cell phones on the Android platform. Her phones can be found everywhere, in every corner of the world, and people will be happy to use them. Samsung phones are so popular that in 2014, the company managed to capture most of the market for smartphones built on the Androind ecosystem. Everything in Samsung devices is well done, except for a small, very tiny detail.
Previously, when phones were large and had buttons, each phone was required to come with a book with instructions, which documented in the most detailed way what functions the phone was equipped with, what they were needed for and how to use them. And now, in the box with a smartphone, bought for a significant wad of money, there are only two dead brochures, one pretends to be a guarantee, and the second is usually called “Quick Start” and contains frivolous instructions on where to insert the SIM card and how to insert the battery without breaking the phone case. However, this trend applies to all computer electronics. It is assumed that the users of all this technology are so advanced that they themselves will figure out what’s what. And if they don’t understand something, they will look at the online help. But the trouble is that Samsung forgot about its own online help and the user has to figure out all the software installed on the phone on their own. And sometimes this is not so easy to do, especially for not the most advanced consumer.
It is quite possible that the Koreans counted on the fact that in all other countries, people are just as good at rummaging around computer technologies, like the Koreans themselves, who do nothing but study from morning until late at night for 40 years, or even more. But this is just a stereotype. In Korea, there are many people who are tech-savvy and who do not use the potential of their phones to their fullest. And there are plenty of Russians who are unable to distinguish Google Chrome from Yandex Browser.
Actually, with this article, I want to conduct a small educational program on one of the most popular applications on such a popular smartphone as the Samsung Galaxy S5. Next we will talk about the Camera application, with which you can take photos and shoot videos on your phone.
"Camera" is just an application. Yes, it is factory installed on the phone, but no one bothers you to use a third-party application for photo and video shooting. For example, you can completely freely download and install a good “Camera” application from the Google empire of goodness. But now, let’s focus on the application from the Korean giant, since the majority uses this application. It is possible that in the future, there will be other articles explaining how to use this or that gadget on the phone. Therefore, stay tuned for updates.
So, in order to bring the shooting application to life, you need to click on the corresponding icon. The application starts and we see its interface. Surprisingly, some 10-12 years ago, when digital cameras were just starting to appear, they took much longer to load than this application does (yes, in the time it took for the camera to turn on, now a modern phone already has time to reboot ). It happened that the story had already reached the Canadian border, but the camera had not yet fully loaded. The speed of launching the application and its readiness for shooting are very important facts, because it even depends on whether you can photograph what you wanted or whether you no longer have time. However, on the S5 and other flagships from Samsung, this problem does not arise. The camera starts up almost instantly and is ready to use right away. It usually takes longer to take the phone out of your pocket and go through the interface to the camera launch button.
Interface of the Camera application.
Camera interface
After the Camera is launched, the application interface becomes visible to the user. The background for it is that, in this moment The camera of the device sees and, in fact, what will be filmed. In some cases, the interface becomes difficult to see, it all depends on the displayed background, but, in general, it is quite clear.
Let's quickly go over all its main elements. As the story progresses, you can and even need to click on interface elements on your phone in order to further master the skills of working with the camera on your phone. By the way, the application always launches in landscape mode, as if hinting to the person that they need to shoot in this position, so that later it won’t be excruciatingly painful when you upload a video shot in portrait mode to YouTube. But, at the same time, the tips can be flipped depending on the screen orientation. However, you should not forget that in most cases you need to shoot in this position - the phone is positioned horizontally.
So, on the very left side (1) we have a group of settings. In the very top corner, there is a camera change setting. It is with its help that you can switch from the front to the rear camera and vice versa. At the very bottom of the group, there is a "gear" of all the main camera settings. Keep in mind that there are quite a lot of settings, some of them are not compatible with each other, in this case, incompatible settings are inactive and cannot be switched without disabling another, incompatible setting. These disabled settings differ in appearance from everyone else, they look like “extinct”.
Between the camera selection and the general settings, there is room for the most commonly used settings. A total of three settings fit into this space. I got there the "Selective focus" mode, "Flash mode", as well as "HDR mode". At the user's request, these three positions can be changed. To do this, just enter the menu general settings(by clicking on the gear) and drag the desired setting to the frequently used settings field. It is advisable to put the most frequently used settings here, so that they are always at hand, and there would be no need to go to the menu for them.
In the middle of the screen, at the very top, an indication of the current shooting mode is displayed (2). At the moment, the main mode is enabled, which is called "Auto". At all, auto mode, perhaps the most convenient and frequently used. Firstly, because there is simply no other alternative (in the Camera you cannot select manual settings, or aperture or shutter speed priorities; we still have a phone in our hands, not a camera), and secondly, it works quite tolerably, whatever in the vast majority of cases, do very nice shot. The shooting modes themselves are selected with the corresponding “Mode” button (6). But we will talk about them separately.
In the very center of the screen there is a focus indicator (3) stylized as a “wedge” type indicator, which is used to display focus on some reflex cameras. This indicator can move around the screen in full accordance with the desire of the user, which is very, very convenient. The camera will focus on the place in the scene at which the user points his finger, or rather simply presses his finger on the screen. Archi's functionality is convenient and allows you to create very complex scenes where there are close-up, middle, and long-range plans, and you only need to focus on one of them, highlighting one or another object with focus. Try tapping on different areas of the screen and watch how the camera focuses on them.
This type of focusing allows you to avoid the classic focusing error when you shoot two people standing on the same line. Conventional cameras focus on the center of the composition and then focus on the background rather than the people. As a result, people appear blurry and backgrounds appear sharp. Of course, some cameras try to understand when a person is making a mistake and correct the focus, focusing on recognizing the face in the frame and focusing on it. But you shouldn't rely entirely on electronics. Try to focus on your own.
In the area located in the upper right corner (4), there is a set of indicators that inform the user about the current settings. So, for example, at the moment it is displayed that the lighting is insufficient and you should hold the camera tightly, trying to avoid “shaking”, followed by an indicator indicating that the shooting location mark will be written into the photo, and the automatic flash indicator closes the list. In general, different indicators may be displayed here, it all depends on the specific situation.
Under the set of indicators, there are two buttons (5), the top one starts video recording, and the bottom one allows you to take a photo. Displaying two buttons on the screen at once is a very convenient solution, as it allows you to either take a photo or start recording a video with a minimum of movements. By the way, if you start recording a video, you can pause it and then continue shooting. And, of course, you can simply stop recording. But, when using a pause, you can, without much effort, shoot a small film, with several angles or plans, without any subsequent gluing of individual files on the computer.
And finally, in the very bottom right corner (7), there is a button to go to the camera gallery, where you can view all the photos and videos taken with the camera. After taking another photo or video, its thumbnail image is displayed on this button. By the way, you can go to the gallery like a regular application if you install the appropriate shortcut on your phone’s desktop.
Settings
As mentioned above, in order to get to the settings menu, you need to press the corresponding “Settings” button in the application, made in the form of a small gear. Keep in mind that there are a lot of settings and they do not fit on one page and the necessary settings may be hidden from view. Try scrolling through the list of settings.
Now, let's look at all the settings that are in the application. In the above screenshot, not all settings are active. Their activity may depend on what other modes or settings are activated. Active settings are bright, while inactive settings are dim.
Image size
Perhaps the simplest setting is responsible for the photo mode. Using this menu you can select the resolution and size of the photo. The following options are available:
- 5312x2988 (16:9) 16M
- 3984x2988 (4:3) 12M
- 2976x2976 (1:1) 9M
- 3264x2448 (4:3) 8M
- 3264x1836 (16:9) 6M
Where the numbers indicate the size of the future photo in pixels, and the aspect ratio of the photo is in brackets. So, for example, the 16:9 format corresponds to the aspect ratio adopted in the FullHD standard, and this means that such a picture will completely occupy the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe modern widescreen screen (however, the S5 phone, too, since it has FullHD resolution). The 4:3 aspect ratio is more suited to the already obsolete "square" screen TVs, and the 1:1 aspect ratio is just a square shot. The numbers with the prefix "M" indicate the number of megapixels involved. There is general rule, which says that the larger the size of the photo, the more megapixels involved, the more the photo will take up space on the memory card, but the larger the photo can be printed. And the larger the size, the more it will be possible to enlarge the shot by bringing the desired object closer in the photo.
As a rule, for most situations, the universal version of 5312x2988 is quite enough.
Continuous shooting
If continuous shooting is activated, the camera will take a series of photos with a minimum pause between them. To start burst shooting, you need to activate this function and press and hold the photo button. The camera will take one photo after another. In this mode, recording of the resulting images can be forced to the internal memory of the phone, since a large data flow requires a storage device that is suitable for speed, and the memory card installed in the phone cannot always provide the required recording speed.
Photo stabilization
This setting is very effective when shooting in low light conditions. But, the setting may be disabled when other settings are activated. In my opinion, it is better to keep it constantly on so that, if necessary, you can take a picture without moving it. After all, you constantly forget that you need to turn on stabilization. There is no harm from this setting, since it is only activated in low light.
Face detection
When the function is enabled, the camera will automatically detect faces in the frame and give them priority in focusing and exposure metering. Found faces are circled with yellow circles. If several faces are detected at once, and if they are at different distances from the camera and illuminated differently, the machine will try to find a compromise, but as a rule, the closest face to the camera is selected. This feature is useful if you are filming a lot of people. If not, then you can turn it off so as not to confuse the focusing algorithms with accidentally detected faces.
ISO AUTO
The setting is responsible for the sensitivity of the matrix used for shooting. This value can be considered synonymous with film speed, although the values between digital and film are slightly different. The following values are available in the menu:
In the "Auto" setting mode, the camera independently automatically selects the optimal sensitivity of the matrix. In the case of sufficient lighting, the sensitivity decreases, but in the case of insufficient lighting, it increases.
In general, the lower the sensitivity, the less digital noise, appearing there due to leakage currents of photosensitive elements and the general imperfection of the device. The higher the sensitivity, the correspondingly noisier the picture will be. But, the longer the shutter speed is used, and it increases as the sensitivity decreases, the more noise there will be in the photograph. Therefore, for each case you need to find the very compromise that will ensure the least noise in the photo. Or use the "Auto" mode. From experience, the camera in the S5 is smart enough to adjust the light sensitivity to the optimal level on its own.
Measurement Modes
In order for the camera to adjust the exposure accurately, it measures the light at several points in the frame. These types of measurements came to us from analog mirror technology, where several physical light sensors were used throughout the frame and, in order to give space for human creativity, they were combined into groups. It is precisely such groups that, like a certain atavism, migrated to the settings of a digital camera:
- Center-weighted
- Matrix
- Spot metering
In the case of center-weighted metering, exposure is measured with some averaging of the central area of the frame. This option works great if the subject being photographed is located in the center of the frame. But, in difficult conditions, for example, in the case of harsh backlight, or large unevenness in lighting, it is better to switch to spot metering, which also measures the exposure in the center of the frame, but takes a noticeably smaller area for measurement and averaging.
Well, the most universal option is matrix exposure metering. It averages the exposure values over the entire frame. However, you should not use it always. In unfavorable lighting conditions, when there are strong differences in illumination in the frame, you should either use metering in the center of the frame (one of them), or use the spot focusing function with your finger. In this case, in the frame it is enough to click on the object of interest to us, and the camera will immediately focus on it and measure the exposure at the focusing point.
Click to shoot
Without activating this function, touching a point in the frame causes the lens to focus on the selected object and measure exposure. The photograph itself must be taken by pressing the appropriate button. When the “Tap to Shoot” function is activated, after focusing by pressing your finger on the screen and measuring the exposure, the frame is taken. Thus, you can significantly speed up shooting by halving the number of button presses.
Selective Focus
The ability to control the focus of a photograph after it has been taken is only available on the most modern devices. But in ordinary cameras you can only dream about this. After all, here all the magic happens with the help of software frame processing. In the S5's camera, the process for selective focus shooting is as follows. When the function is turned on, during shooting, the camera takes not one frame, but several. The shots are taken quickly, but still, the camera must be held very level and motionless, otherwise the desired effect will not work. Then, after shooting, the difference between the frames is calculated and the depth of the scene is determined, or rather the position of each element in the photograph in relation to the camera.
As a result of a few seconds of work, you get a file that stores not only the resulting photo, but also the ability to change the focus, highlight the foreground and blur the rest, highlight the middle ground and blur the rest. Or make all plans, foreground, middle and background, equally sharp. In order for the function to work properly, it is necessary that the object or subject being photographed is no more than 50 cm from the camera and no less than 150 cm from the background.
After shooting, focus editing can be carried out. To do this, you just need to enter the gallery, select a photo taken with the selective focus function and enable focus editing. In the upper left corner of the photo there is a “Selective Focus” icon, you need to click on it. Next, you can select one of the focus options - near, far, or sharpness across the entire scene (panoramic). Interestingly, the photo can be copied to another phone or computer. And carry out the operation of editing the focus on them, of course, if you have the appropriate software. This is possible because the photo stores all the information about the depth of the scene and all the necessary frames, but the file size of the image itself is larger than that of just a photograph.
Samsung's app is not the only one that has similar functionality. For example, Google.Camera has exactly the same functionality, but works a little differently. In Google.Camera, after taking a basic photo, you need to rotate the camera without letting the subject out of your field of view. Thus, by changing the angle of objects, the application determines the depth of each point in the image. Taking such a shot successfully is more difficult than using Samsung's application, but as a result, you can select focus, firstly, smoothly, and secondly, you can focus on a specific point in the scene.
Video size
Here the name speaks for itself. The S5's camera can shoot video in multiple resolutions. Actually, this setting item is responsible for choosing the resolution. Available:
- UHD 3840x2160 (16:9)
- FullHD 1920x1080 (16:9)
- HD 1280x720 (16:9)
- VGA 640x480 (4:3)
Accordingly, in this menu, the main resolutions available to the user are selected, indicating the resolution standard (UHD, FullHD), as well as the picture format. As you can see, the widescreen picture is already the standard.
Recording Mode
For video mode, in addition to the video size, there is one more setting, and it lies in the “Recording mode” option. The following options are available:
- Regular;
- Restriction for MMS;
- Slow motion (1/2, 1/4, 1/8);
- Fast movement (x2, x4, x8);
- Smooth movement.
The normal recording mode is nothing out of the ordinary. Video is recorded at 30 frames per second. If you select the option for MMS (does anyone else use this?), the resulting video file size is limited, as well as its resolution, so that all this can be sent via MMS.
Slow motion allows you to shoot video with more frames than 30 frames per second. In 1/8 mode, the frequency is set to 120 frames per second, which is quite enough to film some kind of fast process. The resolution is limited by the HDReady standard, which is quite good. But, it should be borne in mind that sound recording in this mode is not conducted.
Fast motion, on the contrary, takes fewer frames per second so that during playback they will be displayed as in fast forward frames. Again there is no sound.
And finally, "Smooth Movement". This term means recording in the FullHD standard, but with a resolution of 60 full frames per second. What is it for? It is necessary in order to remove the strobe effect from sudden movements of large objects in the frame. The captured video looks very presentable and is quite suitable for display on TVs latest generation. However, this mode is not compatible with some other modes, such as image stabilization.
Video stabilization
Setting with a self-explanatory name. When it is turned on, the device automatically eliminates camera shake when shooting handheld. The functionality is useful and does not seem to lead to a deterioration in picture quality.
Focusing sound
When shooting video, it is possible to zoom the image. Moreover, if you shoot in UHD, the image quality practically does not deteriorate, but in other modes, the image quality suffers significantly when zooming. So, if this function is turned on, then when the subject is “approached”, the built-in microphones also focus on the approaching object. Background sounds are muffled, and distant sounds, on the contrary, are amplified. The functionality is useful when you are filming something from afar (for example, a speech by a politician), but you want to have not only a good picture, but clear sound.
Well, we finally got to one of the most interesting settings items. Effects are used to change the picture right when the frame is taken. Most effects give a live picture when viewing, and when shooting they act as they were displayed during viewing. The effects apply to both photos and videos.
In the filter settings menu, you can select one of the preset filters. But, you can download additional ones. To do this, it is necessary that, firstly, an account from Samsung (Samsung ID) is connected to the phone, and secondly, you need to scroll to the end of the list of effects and click on the “Download” button. Next, the user is automatically redirected to Samsung.Apps (Internet connection required), where all filters for the Samsung camera framework are filtered. By a strange coincidence, they all have the UCAM prefix.
Fisheye effect
Some filters are free, others cost extra cash. But even free ones are enough to show your individuality. The most interesting filters I would consider are “Fisheye”.
Flash
The flash functionality in the S5 is very interesting. There are several modes - flash off, forced on and automatic flash. The first two are more or less clear, but automatic flash It's worth taking a closer look. Depending on the lighting and the scene, the unit may apply one of the two "flash" strategies. The first strategy, does not include any flash. And it takes a series of photographs very quickly. At the same time, you need to hold the phone very firmly and not allow it to move. Then, inside the phone, all these shots are merged into one, increasing the light across the frame without the increase in noise and blur from long exposures. The strategy is very interesting and allows you to get quite convincing photographs in low light. Of course, you cannot shoot a fast-moving object without blurring when using such a strategy.
And, here, if there is very little light and a multi-frame "flash" cannot be used, then it is the flash that just turns on, which will illuminate the space in front of the phone. It is not known for certain which guide number the built-in flash has, such information is not available in the specifications for the phone, but you should be aware that it is able to illuminate objects more or less tolerably at a distance of about 2 meters, no more.
Timer
The timer allows you to take a delayed photo. In the setup menu, options from 2 to 10 seconds are available. Of course, when using a timer, the phone must be installed on a tripod (but how?) or secured securely. The timer is usually used in two cases. Or to photograph yourself - set the camera, turn on the timer, run back, get into the composition and wait for the photo to be taken. Or, for shooting with long exposures, for example, at night. Here the timer is used to eliminate the effect of movement from pressing the shutter button on the camera.
Rich Tones (HDR)
High Dynamic Range photography became popular when digital photography became popular. Indeed, thanks to electronic form photography, it became possible to expand the dynamic range of the image and combine very dark and very light parts of the scene in one frame without losing detail. In other words, HDR allows you to show details in the shadows in the frame, without knocking out the details in the highlights in the photograph into pure white.
However, you should not completely trust this mode and you always need to control the result. Since the operation of creating a high dynamic range image is completely under the control of the software, in automatic mode, sometimes fatal artifacts can occur. A vivid example of this is scenes with a large abundance of small details along the border of two zones that differ in illumination, for example, treetops against a bright sky. In this case, clearly visible light halos will form around thin branches in a darker sky. Unfortunately, it will be impossible to correct such a frame. In order to avoid damage to the image, after taking the frame, you must definitely check it for the result, and if such defects are found, then it is better to reshoot the frame without HDR. In older Samsung Camera apps, such as those found on the Note 2 (an overall amazing phone in terms of camera, battery life, and screen), when you shoot in HDR mode, the camera takes two photos, one with the effect applied and one without. In the S5, the camera only takes one photo in HDR mode.
You can achieve the HDR effect without shooting in HDR. There are at least three techniques for this, and only two of them apply to the phone camera. The first technique, when shooting in 16-bit or more RAW format, allows you to subsequently level out the illumination by adjusting the tonality in the histogram or using other tools for point-by-point leveling of illumination in the frame. The leveling effect is achieved due to the fact that the camera sensor is able to capture a much larger dynamic range of illumination than a modern display can display. And by manipulating this reserve, it is possible to pull out details from the shadows and obtain details in overexposure, of course, within reasonable limits. But, this technique requires, firstly, support for the RAW format in the camera, which, of course, is not in the S5 (as well as in other phones), and secondly, specific software and the corresponding skills of the photographer for post-processing photos in RAW .
But the second and third techniques can very well be used with the S5. Both of them mean post-processing on a computer, or processing directly on the phone, but with the use of third-party software (search Google.Play for applications using HDR keywords, there are a lot of applications). The easiest way is to artificially lighten or darken some areas in a photo taken without HDR. The method is very simple, just take and take a photo, then turn the knob in the editor and that’s it. But it is as light as it works. Yes, you can lighten or darken, but the limits of this lightening or darkening are very modest, because in order to take details in an overexposed part of the frame or too dark, they must be there, which is usually not true.
Artificial HDR in Google.Picasa. When setting the “lighting equalization” to the middle of the slider, details appear in the shadows both on the cabinet and near the elevator, but the color pasteurization effect also appears there (i.e., an image defect). But the house did not appear in the upper window (and there is nowhere for it to appear there; there is simply no data for “pulling it out” in the photograph).
Another way, which works quite well (and this is how HDR most likely works in the Samsung app) is to take several photos with different exposures (one lighter, one darker), and then combine them into a single image. This operation can be done completely manually, using, for example, Adobe Photoshop with appropriate scripts, or using applications on the phone that will perform this operation automatically. The main problem that arises when creating HDR will be the possible change of objects in the frame between two images (the wind blew, a car drove further, etc.), as well as ambiguity (for example, light, low-contrast buildings and a dark sky) in the combination of illumination in different frames.
In my opinion, in most cases, the HDR function in the S5 works well. Of course, it doesn’t stretch the frame to its maximum, but it also doesn’t introduce too much distortion into the color rendition. In order to feel this effect and fully understand how it works and when it should be used and when not, practice is necessary. You need to try, look at the results, train. So, based on my experience, for this scene I would use not only the HDR effect, but also fill flash, which would highlight the most problematic areas in the frame (the near edge of the cabinet and the corner of the elevator door). But, unfortunately, when HDR mode is turned on, the Samsung camera does not allow you to force the flash on; the most you can do is turn it on automatic mode or turn it off completely.
Geotagging
When this feature is enabled, when taking photos, the camera will add a location tag to each photo. Then, in the appropriate software, the same Google.Picasa or Yandex.Photos, you can view them linked to a map. The functionality is useful, especially when traveling, and “GPS” positioning does not consume too much energy, since only the shooting location is determined and this happens very quickly.
The functionality is very convenient for various types of travel, when upon arrival home, there is no need to remember where this or that photo was taken. But, when linking a photo to a card, there is also back side. In some cases, your privacy may suffer. For example, if you post a geotagged photo publicly, your location data can be used against you. Therefore, before you publish any photos, you need to be clear about who can access them and how this information can be used against you.
In complex scenes, when there are non-uniformly lit areas in the frame, with a large difference in lighting, or when we are trying to shoot against a bright light source, problems may arise due to the inability to determine exposure in automatic mode. Rather, it is determined, but not at all the one that is required for the picture.
In order to somehow influence the exposure, in the absence of manual settings, an exposure compensation item has been added to the Camera settings. When you call it, an interface appears on the screen that allows you to either reduce the exposure, darkening the “photo,” or, conversely, increase it and brighten the “photo.” The user can either increase or decrease exposure by up to two stops in each direction.
Moreover, this mode, in fact, is the only one that allows you to at least somehow consciously interfere with the exposure mode (another alternative allows you to only indirectly influence the exposure).
Net
The mode is incomprehensible to many, but often used by professionals. When the mode is turned on, two horizontal and two vertical lines are displayed on the screen, dividing the frame into 9 parts.
Grid lines are located on the screen for a reason, but taking into account the so-called. rules of the "Golden Section". It is believed that in order for the photo to look most advantageous, it is necessary to place the main object of the composition at the points of intersection of the lines. There are four of them in total. And when shooting landscapes, you need to try to position the horizon line, not in the middle of the frame, but in accordance with the bottom or top line. All this refers to the psychology of human perception.
Assign volume key
Since the S5 body is not that big, there aren’t that many buttons on it, and it’s completely inconvenient to hold in the same way as it’s convenient to hold a real camera, then in order to somehow make the user’s life easier when taking photographs, this setting. When you turn it on, you can shoot not only by pressing the shooting button on the screen, but also by pressing the volume up key. Sometimes it's convenient. Moreover, you can choose what will happen when you press this button, taking a photo or shooting a video. And as always, there is a subtlety here.
In some movie modes, you can also shoot photos at the same time. It is not always possible to press the desired button on the screen (you may miss), in this case you can use the volume up button. If the setting is disabled, then the volume buttons are responsible for the zoom (“zoom”) of the camera and zoom in or out the image.
This setting works in conjunction with Samsung's proprietary S-Voice application. The application is responsible for the voice interface between a person and a phone. With its help, you can answer and make calls using only voice commands, get answers to simple questions, and launch applications. S-Voice is Samsung's answer to Siri on the iPhone and Google.Now on Android phones and the Google.Chrome browser. Unfortunately, S-Voice noticeably loses to both of them, and is usually disabled permanently by literate users, so as not to overload the device with unnecessary running applications.
Help
Upon activation of this setting, a scant help system for the Camera is displayed on the screen, most of which is downloaded from the Internet.
UPD: There is a suspicion that in the firmware intended for Russia, the help is not downloaded from the Internet, but is immediately available on the phone.
Reset
When this item is activated, all settings made by the user in the Camera are returned to their original state. It makes sense if someone dug into your phone so much that you are simply not able to change all the settings to their desired state and it is easier to configure the Camera again.
Modes
In addition to the settings, the camera has another important menu “Modes” (6) right here, you can let your creative imagination, let it open up, and at the same time surprise your friends with the unusual abilities of your camera.
Like effects, modes, you can download additional modes through the Samsung Apps store. But there are noticeably fewer modes than effects, perhaps due to the fact that creating a mode is more difficult than making an effect.
Auto mode
Perhaps the main operating mode of the camera, most pictures are taken in this mode and the camera independently selects best settings to take pictures. No additional settings or anything else.
"Snapshot, etc." mode
This mode is one of the most complex shooting modes, as it combines several functions at once. In general, the name "Snapshot and so on." is deciphered quite decently, and in the Russian interface it should completely sound like “Snapshot and additional features". In this mode, the device takes a series of photographs very quickly and, after shooting, prompts the user to choose what to do with this series. The following options are available:
Best photo. In this case, the camera automatically selects the best shot and marks it with a special icon. But the user is free to choose the best of the pictures himself. This can be done either immediately after shooting or later, in a special Gallery mode called “Studio” (more on this mode below).
Best face. If during shooting, the camera detects that it has been posed, then it makes the “Best Face” mode available. This mode makes sense when several people are filmed at once and not in motion, but while posing. The ideal option would probably be a group photo of a school class or something similar in terms of how crowded it is. Subsequently, when processing the photo, you can select the most successful faces from the captured series and the camera will assemble them into a single image. It's helpful when someone doesn't smile, closes their eyes, or generally makes a face.
The quality of processing very much depends on how tightly the photographer holds the camera and how well the models pose in the frame. In some cases, artifacts are noticeable around the replaced heads. Therefore, take another, regular photo, without leaving the cash register, in case of failure, you will at least have something to show.
Photo of movement. In this mode, it is possible to multiply an object that moves in the frame. There can be several objects. Objects can be added or removed from the frame. Full scope for creative sports or event photography. The rules are still the same - good lighting, avoid blur or camera shake when shooting.
In the photo, two boys are running towards each other. And thanks to this mode, one boy was completely erased from the frame, and the second was added as many as three pieces. And this is far from the limit. Experiment and it is quite possible that using this mode you will be able to take very interesting photographs.
Eraser or motion corrector. Two tools combined in one. They are used both on their own and in conjunction with other sub-modes, for example “Panorama shot” and “Motion photo”. The eraser tool, also known as the motion corrector, allows you to remove an object that is moving in it from the frame. It is necessary in order to shoot some kind of landscape without extraneous creatures and creatures flickering in the frame. Ideally, of course, it would be possible to clear the area in front of Notre Dame Cathedral of tourists, but this would require too many photographs. Therefore, this sub-mode is more likely to be available for less intense scenes, but simpler scenes, where there are two or three people in the frame and they walk in such a way that the background does not overlap throughout the entire shooting.
This effect can be implemented quite easily using standard Adobe Photoshop tools. It is necessary to take several pictures (in theory, their number depends on how quickly the objects move in the frame and how much they cover the background of interest to us). Then, through built-in scripts, photos are loaded into one photo, aligned and one of the stacking modes is applied ( detailed description technique, I suggest you find it on the network yourself; there are many stacking modes and they are intended for different purposes).
Panoramic shot. Not to be confused with creating a panorama. A rather interesting sub-mode that allows you to blur the background and leave a moving object in the frame more or less clear. It’s somewhat reminiscent of “wiring” in regular photography, but it’s just easier to do. Electronics does everything for a person.
However, due to the fact that everything is done electronically, you must, firstly, try to hold the camera tightly, avoiding too much smearing. Secondly, after shooting, it is possible to edit the photo, change the direction of the software blurring the background, select specific parts of the image that need to be left clear (this can even be a landscape), or, conversely, remove it from the frame altogether.
By the way, in the photo above, you can see some artifacts introduced by image processing algorithms. Firstly, the outline of the body on the left boy is not very well done; the left shoe is half worn off. The right boy, again, has the outline of one of his legs not done quite correctly. There are also areas of the floor that should be blurred, but they remain clear. Unfortunately, it’s not entirely convenient to fine-tune this effect on a phone; a phone with a stylus and a large screen, for example, a device from the Samsung Galaxy Note series, would be suitable. Well, or processing on a computer, but, unfortunately, I don’t know what program the settings can be used in.
By the way, this mode is definitely worth trying when moving from a car or when smoothly moving the camera after a moving object. Give it a try.
These were all submodes of the complex and complex “Snapshot and Other” mode, and then we will look at other, separate modes, some of which were downloaded from the Samsung.Apps website.
Panorama
Panorama mode is specifically designed for taking very long photos. The mode supports the creation of both vertical and horizontal panoramas. To create, you need to select a starting point and move the phone, trying not to deviate too much from the horizontal or vertical in the desired direction, gradually moving the phone (usually the phone turns with the person) describing a circle. You can stop panorama shooting at the desired location.
The phone independently takes photos for the panorama, and independently stitches them together. In general, the performance of the gluing algorithms can be assessed as good; the camera copes with complex areas without any special comments. But only vertical and horizontal panoramas are supported, and there are many more of them in other photography applications.
Creating a good panorama requires experience. It is not enough to just move the camera back and forth, you need to hold it firmly, not tilt it in any direction, and use your body to turn the camera in a circle. You should not choose scenes in which there are many near and far objects at the same time. In the photo above, the shooting conditions are not the most favorable. There are an abundance of small details in the foreground, and part of the panorama was shot against the sun, but overall it was put together well.
Dual camera
The mode works both for video and photography. And allows you to capture the image in one photo/video frame from both the front and rear cameras. This mode is useful if you want to either tell something while recording a video, or tightly stick yourself into a photograph.
The insert takes the form of a postage stamp with seals; it can move across the screen and change in size. But you cannot replace it with another type in this mode. Only the brand. This mode can also be called two-sided shooting.
Animated shot
Please note that such a journey file turns out to be quite large, and it seems that it can only be played on the phone itself or a compatible device. It is unlikely that such photo instructions will be sent by mail due to the large size.
circle shot
A circular shot is just one type of panorama. But, unlike a regular vertical or horizontal panorama, this creates a full spherical panorama of what is happening around the camera. You need to take a lot of pictures, or rather, move the camera around, but it doesn’t require much effort, since the camera takes pictures on its own when you aim at the desired point.
The result of the "Circular shot" mode
Overall, the result is more than satisfactory. There are only two problems with the picture above. The first is an electrical wire that was simply torn into several pieces, and the second is the double roof of the house on the left side of the photo. And so, neither the leaves and tree branches, nor the sky were damaged, and the sun did not make a terrible overexposure. Of course, viewing a flat photograph is not very appropriate, but if you use special software (or watch it on your phone), then viewing such a spherical photograph is a pleasure. By the way, please note that the legs of the operator who shot the panorama were not included in the frame; this is also a merit of the “Circular shot” mode. And if you practice a little, I’m sure that you can take much better pictures and without any mistakes.
The only thing is that the resulting photo takes up more than ten megabytes and it is not possible to simply send it by mail or post it on a website.
UPD: By the way, it was discovered that in 360-degree viewing mode on the phone, you can not move the picture across the screen with your hand, but move the phone in space, and the picture will display the “reality” photo. It’s convenient if you return to the same place and look at what has changed.
UPD2: It was also discovered that the panorama viewing mode displays the Google+ photo album more or less normally. An example of the photo above can be seen at this link. However, it seems that it still reduces the picture quality. Because they look much better on the phone.
Retouch
Retouching makes it possible to remove skin defects “on the fly” that can spoil some photographs. The program automatically determines those areas that, in its opinion, should be smoothed and performs smoothing, working like Photoshop. You can adjust the effect both before and after the photo in “Studio”.
Despite all attempts at automation, retouching does not always go smoothly. Some areas are too smooth, while others are missed. Therefore, it is better to take several pictures, including a picture without any effects, so that in case of failure, at least something will remain.
Sound and photo
The mode is quite easy to use. When taking a photo, the user has the opportunity to add a small sound fragment. It is usually necessary in order to somehow comment on your photos. Useful when traveling, so that you don’t forget what kind of miracle is in the frame, what it was all about.
Studio Gallery Mode
In addition to the many shooting modes, smartphone users Samsung another surprise awaits. Quite unexpectedly, in the standard Gallery on S5 I found special regime"Studio". It’s not easy to find; it’s hidden in the settings of the gallery itself. And in order to get to the Studio, you need to call the Gallery application and click on the settings button. And it’s there, already choose the Studio.
The studio is designed for post-processing of photos and videos taken on a phone. And it is positioned as a tool for advanced users who are not satisfied with the functionality of the regular Gallery. Here the advanced ones have the following elements to choose from:
- Photo studio;
- With him. etc.;
- Video clip studio;
This is not a weak set, which most S5 users do not know about, since they have never gone that far in the settings. Let's go over the elements of the studio and get to know their functionality in more detail.
Photo studio
This mode is intended for basic photo editing and is standard for most mobile photo editors. It integrates five groups of different photo manipulation tools.
The Adjustments group contains tools such as rotating a photo, cropping a photo, and resizing a photo.
The "Tone" group already has great capabilities for adjusting the tonality of a photograph. Changes can be applied to the whole photo at once, or to a selected element. You can change brightness, contrast, saturation, saturation separately for the primary colors red, green and blue, you can also adjust the temperature of white balance and shades.
In the "Effects" group, simple visual effects are available, with which you can decorate a photo as you wish. There are also ordinary filters, such as sepia or shades of gray, but there are also more interesting ones, such as stripes of light or stardust (a successful imitation of beautiful bokeh). By the way, these effects are not at all the same effects that are loaded into the “Effects” setting in the Camera itself.
Tools for editing portraits are collected in the "Portrait" group. Of course, there is such a banality as red-eye removal. But there is also something interesting, for example, selective highlighting of the face, convenient when the lighting is difficult and the face turns out to be in the shadows. “Correct Defects” allows you to “clean up” less-than-ideal skin on your face, and “Defocus” will make the background around your face blurry. Please note that these functions only work with faces recognized in photographs.
And, here, the most serious tools are concentrated in the “Decorate” group. Here you can attach a sticker to a photo, add a signature, attach a frame, draw something on the photo, or create a small collage with another photo.
In general, in a photo studio, you can work on photography to your heart's content. Not photoshop, of course, but quite enough for everyday improvement.
As the name suggests, Collage Studio allows you to create collages from multiple photos. Many have probably seen how iPhone users periodically post on Facebook not several photos, but one consisting of several. Usually the photographs are also connected in an unusual way. It turns out that it saves photos and is generally beautiful. But you can do just as well on the S5.
Just select a few photos and then adjust the settings as desired. You can change the proportions of photos, choose one of several layouts, adjust the thickness and degree of rounding of borders, and also select the appropriate background. And your own collage is ready!
Of course, I am not a big fan of creating collages from photographs, but in my unprofessional opinion, the result is quite decent. And, if you don’t get carried away with publishing huge amount collages, then the stock of templates built into the program will last for a long time. And then, lo and behold, they will add the ability to use custom templates and backgrounds.
With him. etc.
This setting allows you to edit photos taken in the “Snapshot and additional features” mode. Let me remind you that in this mode the camera takes several pictures very quickly, which are then combined into one. And thanks to multiple shots of the same scene, you can apply different effects to them. But, these effects can be applied not only immediately after photographing, but also at any time after.
Photos "Shooting, etc." you can edit both from the regular gallery by clicking on a special icon on the photo, and through the Studio. There is, however, a little relief here; the system immediately filters only those photos that can be edited. The editing itself is exactly the same as that available from other places in the Camera.
Video clip studio
The functionality is clearly not rich. But thanks for that too.
And finally, it would seem the most powerful weapon available on the phone as standard. But, alas, the editing tools are just an ordinary primitive video editor that only allows you to trim the beginning and end of a video clip shot by the phone itself.
There are not even effects, let alone non-linear video editing tools. But sometimes such tools come in handy.
Summing up
The developers of the S5 phone have made a very good photo and video camera that can take excellent photographs and record good video. But, with the help of additional digital processing, you can raise the quality of the photo to heights unattainable in rural areas. Unfortunately, information about what powerful tool the user has is hidden from him. Doesn't come with phone detailed instructions to the phone and its individual components. And even the instructions downloaded from the official website are not so clear and understandable that they do not allow the consumer to use their phone 100%.
But, in skillful hands, coupled with a bright and trained head, the Samsung Galaxy S5 camera is capable of creating much more than just the automatic mode can provide. And with this, skillful hands and minds are helped by the Camera and Studio application, which not only works when shooting and processing photographs, but also allows you to achieve effects that are either completely inaccessible when shooting with a regular camera, or accessible through very, very difficult actions.
To me, in my own digital camera, equipped with excellent optics, a high-quality photomatrix and convenient controls, there is always a lack of additional digital processing. The ones that are on my phone. And the quality of the resulting photographs, under normal conditions, is almost indistinguishable, whether on a camera or on a phone. And the more advanced phones become, the smaller and smaller this difference will be. Nowadays, I only shoot with a camera when I need guaranteed excellent shooting results, and most photographs are taken with a smartphone.
So, let's hope that progress will not stand still and gradually, the photo in the phone will play less and less than the photo in the camera. Of course, the developers of the Samsung Camera application still have room to strive and grow. Fortunately, the platform is open and even third-party developers can develop their own modules for the Samsung Camera.
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