Camera question...

[davec53]

I have been reading as much as I can find about this phone, the 8X, especially in the absence of any reviews about the 920, because it looks like at least for a while, it will be the best option on Verizon.

I was reading the review on Gottabemobile, and I found this part curious:

"My big complaint with the camera deals with touch to focus. While Windows Phone has touch to focus where you can tap anywhere on the screen to set your focus, similar to iOS and Android, the platform handles this slightly differently. When you touch to focus, the camera will automatically attempt to focus and then automatically capture the image?on the iPhone 5, the process is done in two steps and the user will have to manually activate the shutter to take the picture. This means that whether or not the image is actually in focus on the 8X, the camera will automatically capture it."​

My question is, has that always been the process on Windows Phone? Is that new? does that seem like something that would be specific to the 8X? or is that maybe something that can be changed in the settings, but this reviewer just didn't know how to adjust it?

 

[HeyCori]

As far as I know it has always been like that for Windows Phone.

 

[vlad0]

Use the camera button.. its a two stop, so half press to focus, move your phone to achieve the desired composition, and then press all the way.

 

[davec53]

i am coming from Android, so like the author said, i am used to being able to tap on something on the screen, watch the camera focus on that item, and THEN pressing the shutter to take the picture, so i just assumed that had become the standard operation on all phones at this point.

using the camera button would be one way to do it, but it doesn't seem like it would allow you to focus on a particular object in the frame that way.

i think that behavior can also be app-specific, so it may be possible that camera apps written for the windows phone could tap in to that feature. just didn't know.

 

[thed]

i am coming from Android, so like the author said, i am used to being able to tap on something on the screen, watch the camera focus on that item, and THEN pressing the shutter to take the picture, so i just assumed that had become the standard operation on all phones at this point.

using the camera button would be one way to do it, but it doesn't seem like it would allow you to focus on a particular object in the frame that way.

i think that behavior can also be app-specific, so it may be possible that camera apps written for the windows phone could tap in to that feature. just didn't know.

Windows phones all have 2 stage camera buttons, like most point and shoot cameras. So you can point the camera at the object you want to focus on and half press the button and it will focus on that object. Then while keeping the button half pressed, you can move the phone and frame the shot that you want, while the the original object stays in focus. Then push the camera button all the way down to take the shot.

It's a little different than iOS or Android, but I kind of like it this way. It should be second nature to you if you've ever used a point and shoot camera before.

 

[SteelSteve]

It really isnt as bad as it sounds. There have been several times, where I've had to take a picture with one hand as the other was full. At times like that the one touch to focus and shoot was really helpful.

 

[davec53]

Windows phones all have 2 stage camera buttons, like most point and shoot cameras. So you can point the camera at the object you want to focus on and half press the button and it will focus on that object. Then while keeping the button half pressed, you can move the phone and frame the shot that you want, while the the original object stays in focus. Then push the camera button all the way down to take the shot.

It's a little different than iOS or Android, but I kind of like it this way. It should be second nature to you if you've ever used a point and shoot camera before.

ah! ok...that is quite nice, then...like you said, more in line with a point and shoot. quite good.

 

[jleebiker]

I've had alot of diff phones and the two-step, one button implementation on the Windows Phone works best for me. I can focus on anything in the frame with one hand and then also take the pic w/o having to change hand position. I bike alot so this is SO much more convenient!

 

[Winterfang]

That's pretty much how it works. I remember that you couldn't when take a picture touching the screen at first. So all my first pictures where really blurry.