yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
I love the design of this phone but ya it does have tradeoffs for sure. Camera is one of them. They could have easily made the bottom bezel match the top like the S8 and put in a larger sensor for sure but decision was made to go for the super wow factor which is not necessarily a bad one in my eyes. That being said idk if i personally can "Downgrade" from the pixels camera...
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Goronok:
Sounds like the phone isn't for you lol. Quite the post.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] warea:
I doubt the design was by essential alone and instead their design choice limited by the display provided by Sharp who just released a similar phone.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kelok622:
Low light
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] kelok622:
Monochrome (latest camera update)
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] vprasad1:
Any low light motion photos? How is the motion blur in low light?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
Actually : https://www.essential.com/#camera

"The design enables us to remove the ‘camera bump’ without sacrificing image quality. In addition, we use computational photography to achieve better low-light noise control and increased resolution. The result are dramatically better pictures for our users, no matter how much experience they have as photographers."

So they are using software to merge the images so significant upgrades are possible.

Nexus 6P does not have OIS.

You say dual sensor a gimmick, they say different.

They didn't want *ANY* hump so your design desires made it not good for them.

You should start your own company...

I personally don't care a whole lot. I view cameras on cell phones as an emergency device.

3.5mm jacks are on their way out. Not on iPhone, not on Moto Z others are ditching them.

I have used USB to use outboard DACs. I have USB headphones with DACs in them.

The problem is that the compromises made in the DACs inside phone will never give you a low noise floor or really good SNR.

No SD card? Pixels don't have them and neither do any Nexus phones or tablets.

Water proofing?

For me not an issue. I have never dropped a phone in water. I rend to keep liquids and sensitive electronic devices away from each other.

But in all honestly,maybe the phone isn't for you.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] filou76:
imx258

damn! thinking about either buying essential ph-1 or nokia 8 i just found out that both are having the same camera setup. 1 monochrome + 1 color imx258 sensor. but nokia seems to get OIS, which could improve photos quite a bit.

not sure now if any of the two will satisfy my camera expectations.

https://www.reddit.com/r/essential/comments/6whqxl/another_note_about_the_camera_sensor_sony_imx258/
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] StructureDr:
Your numbers don't seem to match up with published data. According to https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Exmor the 258 has a diagonal of 5.867mm and the 318 has a diagonal of 6.858. The area difference (they are the same aspect ratio) is (6.858/5.867)^2 - 1 = 36% bigger.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
Yea, I got numbers from where I shouldn't when it was late.

One should pay closer attention after a snifter of Remy 1738. :o
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] LastQuark:
Cut the crap. Who says low light photos are bad? These looks great to me. I'm sold!
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] lazerus06:
I'm impressed. You take those?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] LastQuark:
They are not mine. I got them from here:

https://www.androidcentral.com/essential-phone
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
I don't think I'll be taking pictures of vampires in the dark....
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
You won't be because they wouldn't show up in pictures... duh :p :laugh: :D
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] skw5115:
Yeah, more pictures are showing up in reviews and they're looking pretty good. I'm not sure if they maybe pushed updates or what? Camera wasn't a huge deal to me but just makes me that much more comfortable with my order.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Ya things seem to be looking a bit better to my eye now. they need to bring up EIS and HDR performance a bit more. i know it will never be as good as the pixel but if they can get it close enough it be a win and i would live with it. Kinda hope the V30 ships before my honeymoon because i would take that with its wide angle and its 1.6 super bright aperture and waterproofing to Hawaii over both the pixel and the essential phone.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
Maybe this will help with the camera lag that seems to be reported... Doesn't solve all problems, but might help...

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-camera-updated-zero-shutter-lag-xiaomi/
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] LastQuark:
The issue left is useability. Nice pics but shutter lags. I'm sure this is an area that can be improve like what the post right above this shows.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
If the link I posted earlier works, and thus the camera is decent in taking pix (I'm honestly not sure how lacking a stabilizer of some sort will actually affect quality - I have a pixel Xl right now, don't remember the type of stabilizer that it has but it is great at taking pix - or if the stabilizer on my pixel Xl is just for videos or not)... But the colors of the pics posted earlier seem to be good to me...

If the above port works, which I'm guessing it should, and the phone finally ships, looks like I'll be ordering mine soon!
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Pixels only have EIS
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
So after doing a quick refresher type research, eis is only for video if I'm not mistaken... And it's software based, not a physical hardware change... So 2 things then...

1 - could eis be installed/ported/moded over to the essential phone?

2 - if the shutter speed increased on these essential phones, and the use of whatever tech, shouldn't these phones take decent pictures?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
At fast shutter speeds; that is high ISO your trade is noise.

Faster shutter speeds translate into lower light capture and more noise.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
Gotcha. Is there (sorry for sounding like a newb, I was never into cameras till recently, and am intrigued by the essential phone and the rgb+mono cameras) any real difference for pix vs the pixel? Negative difference that is...?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] tech_head:
Here's and interesting review.

Looks like there is some to be had in the camera. The Google Camera app does better than Essential.

https://thenextweb.com/reviews/2017/08/30/essential-phone-review/#.tnw_1c9ExDpa
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
Thanks for sharing! That is refreshing news!

---------- Post added at 01:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:43 AM ----------

Thanks for sharing! That is refreshing news!
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
They are actually behind. I went to the original thread and translated it from Russian. He released a v2.2 version of the camera which is newer than the V1.4

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=745425885120756865

https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=889764386195923407
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
Wait, who is behind?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] dragonslee:
Quick Pics taken with the phone. First with the Default app. Second with the latest Google Camera HDR+ APK.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
Whoever is publishing the stories on the app. The blogs posted yesterday about the v1.4 camera but 2.2 was released by the dev days ago.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
so...question:

Does the google camera apk use both cameras and process the info together? or does it refer back to the main rgb camera lens and use that info? Only asking since i believe the apk is a port over from a single camera lens smartphone??
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
It won't use both cameras I'm sure but it googles processing is still better than what essential is doing with both cameras. They should have just gone with one sensor and saved space to put one with larger pixels...
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] hikewithmike:
Are we using the Camera 2api build?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
That's the one I installed. I'm going to go take some sample shots in a little bit
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Yes essential should support the api
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] IM0001:
One thing that might require root was the ability to use Slow Motion. Can someone with the latest Google camera try it and see if it crashes or not?

Not a huge loss but worth checking out.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
Crashes the camera at least for the api2 v2.2 version
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] IM0001:
No surprise, need root then to get that dialed in.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Goronok:
Using gcam v2.2, my shots are all good bordering great.

The stock essential app is a laughable mess, just like the reviews mentioned.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] IM0001:
Going by what Essential is focusing on, its evident they can make some nice hardware, but outside of being the father of Android, building a good camera app, literally the only unique app on this phone (outside of the faux pixel launcher I guess) is pretty funny how they sort of botched that up.

Though since almost everyone has had terrible camera apps until Google made their great for the Pixel/Nexus devices. It showed how you don't need a lot of features, just make the features it has work great with the hardware it has available.

Unfortunately it looks like Essential is sort of using this camera app for both the main cameras, and the 360, so its had a bit of separate development without a true focus on getting its basics dialed in correctly first.

Not unfixable, but something they need to focus on immensely now that hardware is shipping.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] hikewithmike:
I need to play with the results more, but I don't think the hardware is any less capable then the G6, so my case I am making a lateral move in terms of images quality. Side by side, when taking images with Adobe LRs camera in DNG I don't notice a strong difference, but I need to shoot more with it.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] ndonnine:
The camera has good quality I believe. It is having trouble focusing. The time it takes isn't really that bad. Again, I think it's a focus problem
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] slothdabski:
how is the shutter speed with gcam? is there less of a delay to take the pic vs stock app?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
Can someone do me a huge favor? Can you guys try to take a picture of the Moon? That is the one thing I was thinking that the dual camera with monochrome might actually help taking pictures with as opposed to the regular pixel... It would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
Does anyone one else hear a click sound coming from the camera module when you switch between color mode and B&W mode? This is the first dual camera phone I've had so I'm not sure if that's normal or not

Edit: OK, it only seems to do it when the camera is pointing down (like when you're holding it and using it), like if you hold the phone totally horizontally with the camera pointing at the ground
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] Zargon335:
Noticeably faster for me, after a quick test.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] combat goofwing:
https://www.xda-developers.com/essential-phone-camera-quality-fix/
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
Here are some comparison shots between the stock camera and the gcam. The first is the essential on hdr and the 2nd with the gcam hdr+
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
And another two.. Essential cam first gcam 2nd
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Wow essentials camera software is garbage...

Essential stock camera

Essential google camera

Google Pixel Stock

What a difference!! Still not pixel level but so so so much better
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
Breaking bad bar RV in Brooklyn. Getting ready to get on board and "cook" some cocktails. Used the Google cam for this
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Not great but not terrible. Where is this I want to check it out lol
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
There is like zero light here. It's on Morgan Ave but you need a reservation and I think they are booked up but you can check the site to see if there is any availability

https://abqlondon.com/abq-ny
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] 808phoneaddict:
So is it just the single camera sensor or both?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] takertx:
This was an amazing comparison!, thank you so very much!

---------- Post added at 10:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:58 AM ----------

so is this shot using the google camera app or the essential app? if it was shot on the google app, did you also snap another one using the essential app for a another low light point of comparison?

it would be nice if we could have more low light samples of the google camera app and the essential app posted on here by the people how have received the phone so far. The day light pictures are massively improved but so far not many low light samples posted.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] hikewithmike:
Are you using the 2.2 build, and if so, did you apply a "camera configuration" under Settings? I have been using the "2.2_allinone apk". The differences are very subtle, definitely nowhere near night and day like the TNW article. Not sure if I need to roll back Gcam to 1.4 or 1.5, or take it off the Pixel XL setting.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Welcome man. I'm going to take it into central park today for more comparison shots
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] JD3206:
I downloaded and installed both versions and the 1.4 seems to be the better version by far.

I haven't had a chance to take any comparison pics yet, but shutter lag is non existent with the 1.4 version. I tried the 2.x version but it didn't work as smoothly for me as the other.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] takertx:
I completely agree with everything you said in your series of posts about the sensor issue and also the outrage you feel about the decision. To add my two cents to the argument, what really pisses me off is that the Essential phone is just as thick as the Pixel phones, so I don't buy for a second how they wanted to prevent any camera protrusion on the back of the phone as the reason for going with the crappy sensor. I personally thing that it is all coming off of Yazhu Ling, the so called Lead Imaging Quality Engineer at the Essential company. Her so called extensive 6 years of research into this new, out of the box way of taking pictures on smart phones, is the reason behind the choice made on the phone. Otherwise, given the width of the essential phone, I am sure they could have ditched the two cameras with the single camera which is found in the pixel phone.

---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------

Any comparison pictures, especially low light ones, between the 1.4 version and the default camera app is much appreciated!
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] spotmark:
Taken with Google camera. Looks pretty good to me. I adjusted the touch sensitivity as mentioned in that thread, and that seems to be better too. We might be off to a bumpy start, but I think things will get better. Just gotta hope Essential stays on top of things.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] cb474:
The Pixel is .6 mm thicker than the Essential Phone. Remember, the Pixel gets thicker at the top, so this is the way it manages not to have a camera hump, while still being thicker. The S8 and the U11 are the same thickness as the Essential phone and both have a slight camera hump to accomdate a larger sensor. So I do think they probably couldn't have had the flat back, with a larger sensor (and especially if it also had OIS), but it wouldn't be much of a hump. Perhaps there is also some reason the ceramic back design takes up more space, making it complicated (I don't know).

Anyway, I don't know if Ling is the one who promoted this. It doesn't actually say on the Essential blog that she spent 6 years developing this dual sensor technolgy. It just says she has 6 year of experience in mobile imaging in general. Also the Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus, from a year ago, has the same dual camer setup with the same sensors, so does the recent Nokia 8 and the upcoming Moto G5S Plus. So Essential didn't invent this. And Qualcomm is promoting their Clear Sight technology that does the post-processing in the chipset for exactly this type of RGB + Monochrome dual sensor setup: https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2...-photos-qualcomm-clear-sight-dual-camera-tech. I suspect Qualcomm and/or Sony maybe trying to get companies to do this (Sony gets to sell two sensors per phone instead of one).

It also seems like the design is really driven by Rubin's personal preferences (he made the phone he wished someone would make, that's the way he talk about it when unveiling the phone). So I have some sense that the obsession with the flat back may come from Rubin himself. He was really into it when he first announced the phone in the interview with Walt Mossberg at the Re/Code conference. I'm sure a lot of people participated in the decision, but I put it on Rubin more than anyone.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] anandlal:
Here are 3 photos. Taken with Google cam port, Essential cam and another app call Camera HD Professional. All taken using HDR.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] JD3206:
Comparison shots between the essential camera app and Google camera port 1.4 : red light on the speaker is the default (essential camera) app and second picture set should be in the same order.

(Not sure why, but essential camera app photos are rotated 90 degrees after posting them?)
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Dim bar Manhattan

Pixel vs Essential with Google camera app... Not bad actually

Essential

Pixel
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] takertx:
Not bad indeed! :good:

I'm actually very impressed! I would've been able to pick one from the other if this was a blind test.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] ndonnine:
Notice the bag under the chair? It looks like essential phone app was able to give the most detail onthat while the pixel camera app gave more bright colors on the shirts.

Great photo spot to test BTW
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] ndonnine:
Essential:

Pixel App:

Pretty close. Pixel port actually took longer to shoot than essential app on this one. Sorry they are rotated it's default with XDA uploader.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] ndonnine:
Essential:View attachment 4262808

Pixel App:View attachment 4262809

Pretty close. Pixel port actually took longer to shoot then essential app on this one.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] ctonylee1965:
First Monochrome

Somewhat nice.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] bricky23:
Trying out the black and white

---------- Post added at 08:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 PM ----------

Night shot
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] takertx:
The night shot is with the Essential App right?
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] bricky23:
Yes
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] BigJermZ:
I finally received my 360 camera...requires update for klik and a reboot as it still didn't work after the update. Here is a pic from the 360 camera
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] dpackerz:
Camera update is available:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.essential.klik
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] resident0915:
I have a feeling that something like this played out:

Essential: Hi Qualcomm. We're Essential and we want to make a high-end phone. We're going to need Snapdragon 835s for that.

Qualcomm: Nice to meet you Essential. We really like your team and we love associating the Snapdragon name with high-end devices!

Essential: So... can we get those SD835s?

Qualcomm: I think we can come to an arrangement. All you need to do is join our Spectra Module Program. (pg. 15-16 https://www.qualcomm.com/media/docu...with-qualcomm-snapdragon-mobile-platforms.pdf)

Essential: So if we adopt one of your dual camera solutions, we'll get SD835 allocation for a summer launch?

Qualcomm: Sure and don't worry, you'll be amazed by the picture quality!
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] graffixnyc:
I got my 360 camera yesterday, does anyone else's fan constantly run when it's connected to the phone? It seems to stop when you take a picture or video but other times the fan is constantly running
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] anandlal:
Comparison shots after the updated camera. Essential first, Google after.
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] jerflash:
Yes that is normal operation

---------- Post added at 11:28 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:27 AM ----------

The camera is definitely better than it was but not the best still. I think the small sensor size will still hold it back
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] cb474:
I guess that's plausible, but I don't really see why Qualcomm would force the dual camera down people's throats like that. Are they really going to turn away a paying customer for millions of SD835s, because they reject the dual camera? Essential is the client with the money.

I think it was more like:

Essential: We are making a phone like no other. No camera humps!

Qualcomm: As long as you're buying our SD835, you should try out Clear Sight dual camera technology (https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2...-photos-qualcomm-clear-sight-dual-camera-tech).

Essential: OMG!!!! We love it. Our genius handful of overworked programmers can definitely make a technology work that hasn't worked in any other phone that tried it (like those Xiaomi losers with the Mi 5s Plus and lameass return of the Nokia 8).

Qualcomm: Yes, you are geniuses, you can do it, we love you.

Essential: We love ourselves too!

As CNET recently said in their review of the Ph-1, about Essential as a company and all their screw ups: "The hubris still feels astounding."

See: https://www.cnet.com/products/essential-phone-ph-1/review/
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] resident0915:
Wouldn't that be nice if it was that easy to get allocation of Snapdragon 835s, especially as a start-up.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/04/20/demand-for-qualcomm-incs-snapdragon-835-exceeding.aspx

The people at Essential aren't idiots. I think they made a business decision that had to be made, or else they'd have a better camera. Qualcomm is pretty ruthless when it comes to business, as evident with some of their dealings that have become public recently. That's my theory at least :)
[Essential Phone Guides, News, & Discussion] takertx:
Has anyone tried this on their Essential phone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZO7f0MB0Ak

Seems to be a very interesting way to keep the premium look of the phone without the need for a case & at the same time save it from scratches of everyday use. Though I am not quite sure if all those sprays applied during the installation is going to do any harm to the phone which has no IP rating!