Official Idol 4S Picture & Video thread

[fatclue_98]

Let us know how it goes. That pic is tempting me. Funny that I fear an insider build on this phone, but have no qualms about using it without a case.

So far........
*Battery life is unchanged.
*Camera is obviously improved.
*Continuum is flaky when used wirelessly (wired works perfectly). The issue is that it doesn't disconnect unless you physically remove the wireless adapter from the monitor. But when you go to Settings>Devices, it still shows connected and not even a reset changes this. I had to remove the adapter from the list but it's not a real issue because I use an HDMI cable anyway.
*Do not use after the update until you've made sure the Store app is updated. It makes the apps unresponsive (big time).
*WiFi is spotty but I'm not discounting Xfinity just yet because my PCs have been quirky since yesterday too. Timing might be a coincidence.

Other than those few quirks, it seems a little quicker loading apps. Facebook notwithstanding ugh!!!! The new settings layout is really welcome and we now have the option to reset individual apps (clearing of cache). This is not new for me since BlackBerry OS10 has had this for some time. I'll give it a few days to settle and wait for more app updates before rendering a final verdict. Right now, all seems to be pointing upward.

 

[editguy]

Have you tried doing video since you went back on preview? I'm curious if it made any improvements. It will never be at the excellent level because of the lack of OIS, but I'm hoping it has improved like the pic that you posted.

 

[fatclue_98]

Have you tried doing video since you went back on preview? I'm curious if it made any improvements. It will never be at the excellent level because of the lack of OIS, but I'm hoping it has improved like the pic that you posted.

I honestly have never taken a single video with any phone. There is a video stabilization option in settings, I guess that's what you're looking for.

 

[editguy]

I honestly have never taken a single video with any phone. There is a video stabilization option in settings, I guess that's what you're looking for.

No, that's digital stabilization which is better than nothing but doesn't compare to optical stabilization, which the phone doesn't have (I was hoping that they would sell enough of these to do a version two and include that and the few other things that some people want, like NFC. Well, if you haven't done any video before, you're not going to know if there are improvements. I may have to take the plunge and discover for myself.*:evil: Thanks anyway!

 

[mark233]

View attachment WP_20170119_16_54_07_Pro.jpg
Taken in auto mode ... no flash or post editing

 

[editguy]

 

[RumoredNow]

Here is an experiment I just ran... I set up in a semi-dark area and I arranged several Lego people against a white backdrop. All shots are fully auto except for the notated conditions. Tripod mount so all shots were taken from the exact same position.

This is just a test.


Camera App; yield 5312 x 2988 (15.9MP), 1.07MB



Camera App + Forced HDR; yield 5312 x 2988 (15.9MP), 1.26MB



Camera360 Sight; yield 4192 x 2356 (9.88MP), 691KB



ProShot - capture JPG, save as JPG; yield 4192 x 2356 (9.88MP), 734KB



ProShot - capture RAW, save as JPG; yield 4192 x 2356 (9.88MP), 1.36MB



ProShot - capture JPG, save as TIFF; yield 4192 x 2356 (9.88MP), 6.42MB
However, this forum will not upload TIFF so I have a 100% quality save via Fotor from TIFF to JPG yielding 4192 x 2356 (9.88MP), 2.08MB



ProShot - capture RAW, save as TIFF; yield 4192 x 2356 (9.88MP), 8.45MB
100% quality save via Fotor from TIFF to JPG yielding 4192 x 2356 (9.88MP), 3.30MB




Some subtle differences when comprising the outputs on the phone... However, the ProShot RAW > TIFF shows a lot of promise due to the sheer volume of data available for post process.

What do you think?

 

[editguy]

Maybe it's my monitor, but the camera appears to have white balance problems in fully auto mode. The background has a slight blue tint (once again, maybe my monitor). I agree that the RAW shot would give the most to work with in post. Out of curiosity, which shot best represents what you saw with your naked eye?

 

[fatclue_98]

Maybe it's my monitor, but the camera appears to have white balance problems in fully auto mode. The background has a slight blue tint (once again, maybe my monitor). I agree that the RAW shot would give the most to work with in post. Out of curiosity, which shot best represents what you saw with your naked eye?

It's not just yours, I got the same bluish tint on my laptop. I do remember having trouble getting whites in low-light scenes always showing up as pastel blue. However, I would know before taking the shot because it would show that way on the viewfinder.

 

[fatclue_98]

What do you think?

Amazingly, the forced HDR is the only one where you can make out any detail on the tall fella in the back. The foreground subjects have some softness but that's a given with this camera. I knew you'd be fiddling with this rig soon enough.

 

[editguy]

Amazingly, the forced HDR is the only one where you can make out any detail on the tall fella in the back. The foreground subjects have some softness but that's a given with this camera. I knew you'd be fiddling with this rig soon enough.

Yeah, that's why I wanted to know which shot most*closely represented what he saw with*the naked*eye. If only Alcatel would do something in firmware. I will always believe this camera is capable of much better.

 

[editguy]

Can someone explain to me why the forum keeps putting asterisks in my posts?

 

[RumoredNow]

Maybe it's my monitor, but the camera appears to have white balance problems in fully auto mode. The background has a slight blue tint (once again, maybe my monitor). I agree that the RAW shot would give the most to work with in post. Out of curiosity, which shot best represents what you saw with your naked eye?

Of them all, Camera360 Sight is probably closest to the "naked eye." But, yeah, the interpolation of the white board background is decidedly blue. This was sort of tucked into an alcove with some CFL light about 15 feet directly behind me and some natural sunlight about 20 feet to my right as I faced the scene. The sunlight was definitely shadowed by a recess though and also some sheers.

It seems to be off on temperature as well as brightness. Here is the RAW to TIFF opened in Fotor and I added Brightness and increased Temperature. Much less "blue." I'd have to play with it more to get it correct, but you can see a marked difference. You can't wash the blue out simply with the Brightness slider unless you totally blow out the subject.



Here it is with 1-Tap Enhance (auto correct). I had to reduce the file size a bit as the resultant 4.99MB would not upload.



Here it is with the Shade scene filter applied.

Amazingly, the forced HDR is the only one where you can make out any detail on the tall fella in the back. The foreground subjects have some softness but that's a given with this camera. I knew you'd be fiddling with this rig soon enough.

Of them all, I agree the forced HDR shot is the most usable right from capture.

Yeah, that's why I wanted to know which shot most*closely represented what he saw with*the naked*eye. If only Alcatel would do something in firmware. I will always believe this camera is capable of much better.

The camera definitely is capable of much more. There simply isn't any firmware as I discovered. This is born out by the exif.


The exif bears the marks of allowing the SoC to control the camera module and my pokes and prods with Interop Tools confirms my opinion. The whole thing is a nice lens and sensor with a budget phone control default. It's what I saw on BLU. The results were less disappointing there as you had a budget expectation.


I'm not done experimenting though. I'll see what else I can come up with. I wish Rawer or Polarr Pro would open TIFF files though... Or that the hack to enable DNG capture would stick. Better post processing is definitely needed for less than optimal lighting.

 

[greedo_greedy]

As I have observed many times before, Windows Central does not do any of these pictures justice, the compression algorithm used just sucks the life out of pictures.

 

[badelhas]

As I have observed many times before, Windows Central does not do any of these pictures justice, the compression algorithm used just sucks the life out of pictures.

True. But that happens to to other smartphones on other threads as well...

Cheers

 

[RumoredNow]

As I have observed many times before, Windows Central does not do any of these pictures justice, the compression algorithm used just sucks the life out of pictures.

Click on a pic... When the popup comes, click on that and it opens the pic in a new tab. You may then view the pic full sized at your own leisure.

 

[RumoredNow]

Took this picture of the morning sky. Camera, forced HDR. The resulting 15.9MP (5312 x 2988) was opened in Polar and cropped in 16:9. The end result is 7.1MP (3553 x 1998).

 

[mark233]

Took this picture of the morning sky. Camera, forced HDR. The resulting 15.9MP (5312 x 2988) was opened in Polar and cropped in 16:9. The end result is 7.1MP (3553 x 1998).

View attachment 133608

Came out pretty decent in my opinion.

 

[RumoredNow]

Came out pretty decent in my opinion.

Yeah, I thought so too...

I just stopped on my way home from WallyWorld on the spur of the moment. I didn't have a tripod (maybe I should keep one in my car?) so I steadied the phone on my hood and tried some light painting with ProShot (light trails at 1 second). Not much usable there. Probably need a better setting as well as a tripod, but this one is another "decent" shot.




I then processed it quite a bit. Cropped 16:9 in Fotor, used the Darken scene filter, cranked the Saturation to 100, increased Temperature +48 (out of 100, it's like a % in Fotor). Then I denoised Color and Luminance by a +38 each with Polarr Pro...





Fun photo story: I have my Camera App set so that the camera button wakes the phone and also holding it takes a burst. Somehow my Incipio case was not quite on all the way so any little bump pushed on the button... I took 568 pictures of the inside of my pocket today. :winktongue: I was wondering why my phone was getting hot in my pocket.

 

[mark233]

Fun photo story: I have my Camera App set so that the camera button wakes the phone and also holding it takes a burst. Somehow my Incipio case was not quite on all the way so any little bump pushed on the button... I took 568 pictures of the inside of my pocket today. :winktongue: I was wondering why my phone was getting hot in my pocket.

Reminds me when I was playing around with the camera on my iPhone (I was a noob). I didn't realize I was pressing one of the volume + /- buttons. Phone sounded all kinds of messed up. Later learned that while pressing, the phone was taking a mess of burst shots one after the other. I realized that when I looked in the Camera Roll and there was about 50 shots of the same thing ... made me laugh but I also had a sigh of relief knowing the phone wasn't screwed up.