yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Xperia Z3 General] radicans:
This is how the camera is, I'm afraid. Interestingly, the response is a mixed bag of praise and disappointment. I am suprised too by the glowing reviews.

It seems that by unlocking the bootloader, and in the process disabling some of Sonys proprietary filters, some of these problems are alleviated, in my opinion. The details get slightly sharper, and the pinkish hue goes away. BUT, the noise increases, and low light shots can become excessively noisy as a consequence. A lot of people complain about this after unlocking. Although in daylight, I think the photo quality is improved somewhat. There are quite a few pictures in an earlier post in this thread comparing the same scene with a locked bootloader and an unlocked bootloader, judge for yourself:

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=56032545&postcount=167

However, it would probably be wisest to wait for Android 5.0, as unlocking the bootloader irreversibly strips the phone of other features too.
[Xperia Z3 General] One Twelve:
The simple reason is if one accepts the camera is faulty then one absolves themselves of any responsibility to take a good shot.

it is ALWAYS the camera's fault. This is what i am opposing. So its not because of Z3 but with any competent camera.

The camera is at fault in a tiny number of cases. For which there are workarounds, different framing, lighting, or even choice of subject. if you believe camera is bad you will not even think of these possibilities.

And that to me is a huge loss on the basis of very little by shifting the blame. if you want to kill the joy of photography this is a trap to avoid.

Every device photo thread there are people banging the camera always saying i am innocent, the device must be killed. I must be able to get a good shot knowing nothing and if not then camera is bad. wrong.

I know a guy who got three replacements for Z2. Only on the thrid he was satisifed there was no lens problem. beause some areas of his shot were blurred and with his Z1 they were not. This is an exception. And i'm not entriely sure there was even a lens problem. That is how i found out about hyperfocal distance.

I do not evny your position at all it would be very difficult to make the case. I could not and so i decided if the shot is not good it does not mean bad camera it means i need to think of other ways to get that shot. Otherwise every camera ever made is bad. Crazy when you think of it.
[Xperia Z3 General] hanime:
Exactly how I feel. Everything else is perfect, except one of the most important thing about a smartphone, the camera!
[Xperia Z3 General] Chefproll:
radicans friendly asked you not to comment on his posts anymore. So did I.

The reasons are obvious:

1) You don't seem to own a Z3.

2) You use an aggressive tone.

3) You just cannot accept reality.

So again and with a big PLEASE: Stop commenting, at least until you know what you're talking about. It does not help anyone, if owner of a Z3 or just interested in buying one, if he gets flooded with wrong "facts" and platitudes by a person who obviously never had any practical experience with the Z3.

I added you to my ignore list (first and only entry ever), so don't expect any further response.

Thank you.

---

Now for something different: Got the Note 4 today, took some real quick shots.

Urgent suggestion for all Z3 owners: Don't try the Note 4, especially avoid checking the photo quality or even do a comparison.

If you do, you'll sell the Z3 on the double.

It's like a shock. :/
[Xperia Z3 General] Goronok:
Yeah, the Note 4 takes ridiculously great photos. My co-worker has one and it's seriously impressive. Just wish it wasn't so huge!
[Xperia Z3 General] hanime:
I agree. However, this may not apply to most of the consumers out there in general though. Most may just want a phone that works as intended out of the box, a $600+ premium/flagship phone I might add. They have little to no knowledge of manual mode, or don't have the time to use that, and they expect good quality when comparing it to "point-and-shoot" photos from another flagship (e.g. iPhone 6, HTC One M8, LG G3, etc.).

I am the type to tinker around in manual mode (and I imagine you do too), but I want auto mode to perform as well. If auto mode is not up to par with other current flagships, I want to know why just like many consumers out there.

---------- Post added at 05:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:58 PM ----------

So unlocking the bootloader removes the pinkish hue that some are experiencing? Is this confirmed? Thanks in advance.
[Xperia Z3 General] Jonathan-H:
I hope the Note 4 camera is a lot better than the GS4/5/Note 3 then because those weren't up to much. Not saying the Z3 camera is all that good because it's passable, but can't say i'm been overly impressed with Galaxy camera's. They've been 7/10 since the S2 and remained the same to me, except the low light capabilities have got worse since the S2.

As for pinkish hue, I don't have it, neither do I have a pink spot.
[Xperia Z3 General] radicans:
Technically, I would call the color shift magenta, but pinkish seems to be the term of choice :)

Anyway, as for the photos in the post that I linked to, I personally think the magenta shift is gone/reduced. But of course it's hard to predict for all possible situations. I wouldn't want to make such a bold statement as to say it's confirmed. I recommend you have a look for yourself. For your convenience, here are links to the first two photos in the post:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39495810@N05/15330993320/ (locked)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/39495810@N05/15330821569/ (unlocked)

I think it is clear in this case, by looking at the sky and on the road, that the unlocked photo is the more neutral one. This is also evident in the other photos in that post.
[Xperia Z3 General] tel033:
Does every phone have the magenta problem?
[Xperia Z3 General] hanime:
That is a good question. From observation, no. Therefore, I am going to try to find out whether specific models have it.
[Xperia Z3 General] admad:
Did some test under difficult conditions (dense fog), the result in my opinion is not bad (considering the conditions).

(Original: http://www.mediafire.com/view/hsmlp9s9v46rsb0/2014-10-27_21.20.25.jpg#)

(Original: http://www.mediafire.com/view/hwv9twzv458ibdq/2014-10-27_21.27.40.jpg#)

(Original: http://www.mediafire.com/view/5clb9liqi3v5rdr/2014-10-27_21.37.32.jpg#)
[Xperia Z3 General] abhinav.tella:
Wow, really nice pics.
[Xperia Z3 General] Eric Violette:
No issues with my camera (d6616)

My camera takes great pics. Will try some night shots tonight.
[Xperia Z3 General] subhani:
Now do you agree with my previous statement? Every review done, the Note 4 came on top. For detail at least.

I have the iP6+ and the Z3 and like I said, the iPhone beats the Z3 in detail, realism, dynamic range and rapid speed of capturing a shot.

The Z3 beats the rest in low light esp extreme low light. The Z3 allows for a two stage physical button, which if you hold down for 1 second when taking the shot, eliminates the blur from shaky hands. The Z3 has DIS as good as the Note 4's OIS. Better than Apple's OIS. The quick launch and shoot is very handy for that fleeting moment. The slow motion timeline editing on the fly is a massive bonus too. Plus it's usable in rainy conditions. The mic on the Z3 records better audio than the iPhone does. But trails the Note 4 by a hair.

I refuse to believe that it won't function for when you just wanna point and shoot. It DOES, and I found superior auto to be VERY intelligent in detecting low light or a text document or a fast moving subject. The competition simply produce better results in auto mode. The more experienced guys here (like chefprol, radicans, juan, oneTwelve and others) on this thread are simply saying that if you want your shot to be as good as or better than the competition, then it will take some skill in the manual modes.

---------- Post added at 04:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 AM ----------

[MENTION=5051938]darkrai[/MENTION] That's Sony for you mate. Even when you turn that setting off it still does it.
[Xperia Z3 General] Venacephalica:
Here's a pic of a moving object, I think it is not bad:D

https://flic.kr/p/pxC3nH
[Xperia Z3 General] Chefproll:
Hello, subhani ! ;)

Never disagreed. :)

But I need to try out things on my own; read too many all-positive reviews, either "professional" ones or at Amazon.

For me, it's details which matter as I love taking pictures on the go, then enjoying the fine details at the big screen at home.

I do believe that. Because I know the shortcomings of the Z3's camera (software) regarding details and dynamic range. I did not concentrate on realistic color rendering or speed.

That's exactly what I wrote in my lengthy review at the German Amazon site. ;)

I love a dedicated camera shutter button - because of the advantages you mentioned. It's just such a pity that Sony went the cheap way with the Z3; the button is hard to press, so it triggers some shake just by pushing it. Ancient devices like Nokia's N8 did it much better by using a recessed button and micro-switches instead of cheap membrane switches Sony obviously used.

Again, that's what I also wrote in my review. :D

Z3's DIS does a REAL good work; best I saw till now. Even hefty movements get compensated for the price of a slightly less focused overall picture. That's why I shot comparison pictures with DIS switched off, but using a tripod.

I did just one audio capture with the Z3, while doing a short video - and I wasn't impressed at all; neither by audio nor by video quality. :/

I won't deny that (except the 1-12 part, hehe). :) - But the central problem for me is that Superior Auto restricts any picture taken to 8 MP, so we get even less details; let alone the unbelievable horror of the panorama mode with it's 1080 pixels height restriction. :/

I did 8 MP comparison shots, too, again versus my old S4. Needless to say - S4 nailed the Z3 to the wall. :/

About my new Note 4: Pictures trigger that "holy sh..." effect; or tears running if you compare them with pictures taken with our Z3.

But there's a drawback, too: The GPS receiver of the Note 4 is a horror; deaf like an old sock and even more sensitive to changes of position than the Z3's GPS. I'm not sure if it's software or hardware-related. But for people relying on a good GPS, it's a real dealbreaker.

So it's not everything nice and shiny. :)
[Xperia Z3 General] subhani:
Hey there! Sounds like I need to read your Amazon review. The Z3 is a beautiful phone with brilliant battery life, then you factor in the thin profile and the smaller footprint of the overall device and it's a great package all in all. The camera is definitely underwhelming for me and I came from the LG G2, which I saw couldn't surpass the S4 in the camera dept. So I believe you when you are comparing the s4 to the z3. In fact, many are reporting the z2 has a better camera than the z3! Added to the fact that there is heavy vignetting and pink tinting, the z3 isn't in good shape. Zanr Zij who shared his excellent comparisons of unlocked bootloader and locked bootloader shots on this thread surprised me as I found the unlocked bootloader pictures, in general but not always, actually had better dynamic range, no pink tinting and a smidgen more detail at the cost of more noise.

How bad is your z3 gps, Chef? Mine does alright... As good as the iPhone6+, if that's any measure of good gps ITFP.

[MENTION=3241487]Zanr Zij[/MENTION] ... I'm almost convinced to unlock the bootloader for those improvements in the camera. What else does the unlocking break, apart from 'breaking/fixing the camera'?
[Xperia Z3 General] One Twelve:
In that case go with samsung, apple lg.

htc i would not recommend for the photo illiterate. It's quirky and requires experimenting around to get the best. It has the most manual controls of any android fixed focus right now. Proof that android does not limit controls like shutter which are missing on the three i mentioned but apple had addressed with ios8. This does not mean htc is a bad camera but its for a niche audience.

The main reason to go with manual ISO is if you find iso bumped up too much. Another use is the night modes in low light as they use presets with long shutter times. Unavailable on the samsungs which will boost iso up to get the shot. So you get a muddy shot because as you said one expects to point, click and go. You cannot get a better shot if you want in this case. With the G3 you can't even touch ISO so what you see is what you get. deal with it.

I would not say buy xperia if you want best camera or note for that matter, there are better alternatives if camera is a prority but compromises are required in other important areas.

Go with Z3 if you want a general purpose camera that does good video, has a unique design and allows software modding.

With Z2 auto got pretty good but auto can and will make mistakes from time to time. Inevitable as each scene is different. Any auto with any camera will do this. Auto is for test shot really or for making documents as opposed to photos.

Don't do it until sony tells you to, otherwise you will lose camera quality permanently.

With the Z1 it took 3 months for sony to okay it, result was there was no 3rd party development. It resumed after but the momentum was lost. Compare with original Z which had a stable CM within two months of launch.
[Xperia Z3 General] Zanr Zij:
Beside camera changed after unlocked, you will also lose:

- Audio volume and quality especially front speakers

- Bravia Engine: X-reality and Super Vivid mode have no effect at all!

Some other small features!

You will gain after unlock + root:

- Battery life by deleted unused apps, block autostart unused service.

- Incoming call + notification volume + external speaker call volume as I shared

http://xdaforums.com/z3/general/z2-stereo-sound-mod-incoming-calls-t2921840

- More screen space if you do like me: "Auto hide soft key"

- Vibrate when call connected + more features with Exdialer.

- Many other features with Xposed + Gravity KK module + Xperia Xposed

Sorry for off topic :)
[Xperia Z3 General] Chefproll:
If you understand German; no problem. It's one of the three stars reviews on the German Amazon site; name is "Prolet".

I tried real hard to make the Z3 shine - because I just wished to replace my old S4 with it - perfect for holidays, I thought: Waterproof, 20.7 MP camera...

But I never expected the camera being that bad - and the whole phone being that delicate regarding it's glass components.

Just cannot understand which devil rode Sony when they developed that subground camera software - front and back cam.

And there was NOBODY warning about that issues. Like under the apple tree, just everybody kept silent about the flaws. Human nature: "I paid big bucks for it, so I don't WANT it to be bad! And I'll call everyone a liar, a noob, a troll who says so." - Just read the reactions on my review. :D

Heard of that, too. So I asked a friend to compare his Z2 with my S4. Same result, S4 again pwned the Sony. 20.7 MP vs. 13 MP, and 8 MP vs. 8 MP. :/

So it's an older problem with that software...

Exactly my thoughts. Too bad that tread got closed; had been real promising. :/

I contacted a moderator, asked him to reopen that thread, but to no avail.

It's not too bad, FAR better than the Note 4. Z3's GPS is a bit worse than the S4 solution. But it highly depends on how you hold it. Remember that statement ? :D

Reception ranges from good to just ok. I took both devices down into my basement. S4 still got his position, Z3 didn't see any satellite at all.

Note 4 even has problems getting a fix on the ground floor. :/

That's not me, but here's what I read: Unlocking the bootloader removes all DRM keys. So you will get rid of that ugly Sony algorithms, but also lose DRM keys used for VOD services, AND X-Reality. I tried X-Reality using two Z2 Tablets side by side. Just believe me: You do not want to lose X-Reality, if you're into watching videos. It's no marketing hype, it really delivers.

---

Ah, just saw that Zanr Zij also replied in the mean time. :) - Zanr: By the way: MANY THANKS for your comparison thread !!!
[Xperia Z3 General] jayr04:
Second day with phone so be easy on the comments :D

Sunrise. Manual 20mp. Could've looked a lot nicer if this van wasn't in the way
[Xperia Z3 General] jonmorris:
These are converted by Tapatalk so no chance to see full resolution, but I was quite impressed.
[Xperia Z3 General] One Twelve:
1) have seen the same arguments with earlier generations. Am a fan of mobile photos.

2) you do not provide evidence when asked for making me suspicious of your claims

3) nobody must counter you. Otherwise they will be ignored or put on the ignore list. That is the reality.

I can't figure out what you are still doing here, your z3 is broken and you have already decided to move on.

What 'facts' are you going on about.

The one where one needs to take an effort if they want to get a good photo and this is how to do it.

If that is what people want to know then there are answers. EVERY device has issues, what matters are the workarounds if any and then people make their own minds up.

Where have you offered any such advice to date on this thread mr z3 owner ?

But you ain't on my mine and this is a public thread. I will comment wherever i see fit.
[Xperia Z3 General] monomojao:
Have you ever considered that maybe you just are bad at taking photos??? wow
[Xperia Z3 General] iBuzman:
luckily we have super quick shutter speed, this little fella was flying!!!

:LightensUpThreadMood:
[Xperia Z3 General] mocsharp:
Everyone here should tweet Sony Xperia and complaint about the camera so they will "fix" it.
[Xperia Z3 General] Silverdace:
Android L

What's the likelihood of Android L and RAW output fixing the problems?

I held off buying the Z3 because of the camera problems. I've had Z and Z1 and they were both underwhelming cameras. My Galaxy s3 beat the Z1 easily in most situations.

If it's just Software and we get access to the RAW output then can we not fix Sony's problems or is this something hardware related that will never be solved?

I noticed with my Z that focal camera app on an AOSP rom produced much better images than stock camera. Far less noise and improved detail. Perhaps this will be the same with Z3?

I've just sold my OnePlus One because it was too big for me and gone back temporarily to Z. The camera on the OPO is a Sony 13mp and it took outstanding pictures. Doesn't this support the idea it can't be Sony's hardware that's the problem?

Didn't the S4 also have one of Sony's cameras on it?
[Xperia Z3 General] ktek:
It seems like Sony has way too aggressive noise reduction and processing, so yeah, RAW would fix that. I'm really looking forward for L, couple of preview shots floating around internet look really promising.
[Xperia Z3 General] funky_banana:
that was once i took a picture and wanted to adjust the sharpness of the picture. however once i hit the sharpness option the picture goes distorted. will try to post a screen shot once hit the post count.

anyone here encounter this issue too?
[Xperia Z3 General] pchetan2:
Just after the rain

I took this after rainfall in the morning
[Xperia Z3 General] pchetan2:
yes ....the same scene :)...
[Xperia Z3 General] CandyAndy:
Well personally as the person who took the pictures I think that z3 made better pictures 60-40. But that taking the images on m8 is so much more joy since the shutter is fast and the software is just joy to use.

Might take some learning curve but I currently hate the z3 software. Couldn't even figure out where is the macro mode
[Xperia Z3 General] Blaalad12:
Ok just to confirm, are the first lot of pictures the z3 or htc m8?
[Xperia Z3 General] CandyAndy:
First is z3. Sony seems to use dsc name for pics while htc goes for imag. I have to practice using this z3 camera a bit since there are some horrible ones in there. Like the first one..
[Xperia Z3 General] plsdunbiteme:
Are you taking care to keep the Z3 steady when you snap the pictures? Quite a number of them look blurred out. The shutter speed on Sony phones seem to be a tad slower than most other flagships, so if care is not taken to keep the phone real steady when shooting, photos tend to turn out blur.

M8 is not so susceptible I guess because of its super fast shutter and maybe that's why your M8 pics look consistently sharper than the Z3's imo.
[Xperia Z3 General] CandyAndy:
Yeah I agree with you. I think that I am not steady enough. But that's a big problem for a camera is the shutter is too slow.

Even if m8 is usually consider as a bad mobile phone camera I personally like it's quick snap
[Xperia Z3 General] ssj_jaypee:
The Verge took some photos with the Z3 and they turned out beautiful.

check them out on the link below

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/3/6899787/xperia-z3-camera-sample-photos

---------- Post added at 08:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------

I'll just post some of them here, since it's a photo thread
[Xperia Z3 General] CandyAndy:
Wow :eek: I really need to practice :D I think he maybe used tripod there..
[Xperia Z3 General] subhani:
Below are a shot with regular ISO. Then second shot in high ISO.

Yes details are lacking but it is expected in a night time shot. Furthermore, it is through the glass of a window.

I'm not sure if google docs is doing any compression before upload as well.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7XWinOabfdaN1BIaS1lYjRLVUk/edit?usp=docslist_api

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7XWinOabfdaSU93bF81ODlaUGs/edit?usp=docslist_api
[Xperia Z3 General] figo_rulz11:
322

How do you guys enable 12800 ISO ??

Also, is it me or do any of you prefer the 8 mega pixel compared to the 20?
[Xperia Z3 General] subhani:
[MENTION=6063107]figo_rulz11[/MENTION]

If you are in auto mode not manual, then the camera automatically enables high ISO for dark environments. So don't need to bother with loads of manual tweaking.

But if you prefer manual method, then choose the manual shooting mode. Then enable 8mp instead of higher. Then click the SCN button and choose high ISO sensitivity. I prefer anti motion blur as it seems to have high ISO enabled built in.

Lastly, yes I found SOME better shots from 8 over 20. But for the extra detail, digital zoom or cropping ability and a wide aspect ratio, I choose 15mp. This does however eliminate low light photography as ISO levels are fixed to low on anything above 8mp.

---------- Post added at 09:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 PM ----------

Regarding the M8 vs the Z3. I previously owned the LG G2 which was quite good in most regards except for ANY moving subject, which produced heavy notion blur. I know the G2 was MUCH better than the M8 for detail and other areas like OIS comparison.

Honestly, the Z3 didn't impress me. The motion blur is here too. The detail isn't good but not worse than the G2 despite having 20mp. The ONLY good thing the Z3 has is the high ISO. I also love the slow motion software. Plus the quick launch and hardware two stage shutter button. Did I mention that the digital image stabilisation is much better on the Z3 than OIS on my G2? Yeah.

Those things considered, the Z3 is a nice change and minor improvement for me. In its current form? It doesn't beat out the iP6. I genuinely think Sony need to send it a few software updates really.
[Xperia Z3 General] figo_rulz11:
Fanastic thanks :). Time to play with my camera settings. This is why I don't regret moving from iPhone to Xperia Z3!! :D
[Xperia Z3 General] :
again, 1024 x 768, any $200.00 phone could have take these.