Over-saturation Lumia Camera on Denim

[Quicky]

​So after having a 920 for two years and being pissed off by the neglect from so many major app developers, I decided to ditch Windows for a Sony Experia Z3 Compact when my contract expired. When I came out of the shop, I found I’d bought a 930 instead. I guess I couldn’t leave after all.

A decent camera on a phone is what attracts me most, so I loved the 920, but I have to admit I’m quite disappointed with the 930. My phone received the Denim update on the day I got it home, so I had no opportunity to test the camera with Cyan. However the Lumia Camera app on Denim produces decidedly worse shots than the 920, particularly in low light.

I have to agree with the majority of posters on the “Pics and Videos…” thread in that the Lumia Camera app on Denim on the 930 produces very high contrast, over-saturated images. They’re almost HDR-like. Sometimes it produces more dramatic shots, but they are far less realistic than shots from the 920. Dark areas are too dark, and a lot of detail is lost in shadows. However the worst part by far are the fleshtones (for white people at least). Every portrait I’ve taken is so far removed from reality, it’s absurd. Skin is hugely oversaturated to the point where the pictures look “painterly” or coloured-in using pastels. I understand it is post-processing, but if I want to apply filters to my photos, I can do that afterwards.

I installed the Lumia Camera Classic app, and found that photos were far more realistic in their interpretation of colour. There is a profound difference between shots taken by Lumia Camera Classic and Lumia Camera, but clearly there is a loss in performance with regards to the speed of the app, and a loss in features such as Rich Capture.

Is there likely to be any kind of light at the end of the tunnel, whereby the processing of the Lumia Camera app is toned down via an update to greater reflect reality? Something that combines the speed and features of Lumia Camera with the picture quality of Lumia Camera Classic? Or is there an existing app that has the best of both?

 

[Con Georgiadis]

​So after having a 920 for two years and being pissed off by the neglect from so many major app developers, I decided to ditch Windows for a Sony Experia Z3 Compact when my contract expired. When I came out of the shop, I found I’d bought a 930 instead. I guess I couldn’t leave after all.

A decent camera on a phone is what attracts me most, so I loved the 920, but I have to admit I’m quite disappointed with the 930. My phone received the Denim update on the day I got it home, so I had no opportunity to test the camera with Cyan. However the Lumia Camera app on Denim produces decidedly worse shots than the 920, particularly in low light.

I have to agree with the majority of posters on the “Pics and Videos…” thread in that the Lumia Camera app on Denim on the 930 produces very high contrast, over-saturated images. They’re almost HDR-like. Sometimes it produces more dramatic shots, but they are far less realistic than shots from the 920. Dark areas are too dark, and a lot of detail is lost in shadows. However the worst part by far are the fleshtones (for white people at least). Every portrait I’ve taken is so far removed from reality, it’s absurd. Skin is hugely oversaturated to the point where the pictures look “painterly” or coloured-in using pastels. I understand it is post-processing, but if I want to apply filters to my photos, I can do that afterwards.

I installed the Lumia Camera Classic app, and found that photos were far more realistic in their interpretation of colour. There is a profound difference between shots taken by Lumia Camera Classic and Lumia Camera, but clearly there is a loss in performance with regards to the speed of the app, and a loss in features such as Rich Capture.

Is there likely to be any kind of light at the end of the tunnel, whereby the processing of the Lumia Camera app is toned down via an update to greater reflect reality? Something that combines the speed and features of Lumia Camera with the picture quality of Lumia Camera Classic? Or is there an existing app that has the best of both?

i agree with you.Lumia Camera 5 is a disaster.Microsoft engineers have no idea of making algorithms.

 

[Diwagar]

If am not wrong the flaws you pointed are much noted when rich capture is enabled. Rich capture is not doing good with flesh tones. I would recommend you to disable rich capture and try capturing which gives good result for me. Rick capture works best for nature shots to give HDR effect.

 

[Quicky]

If am not wrong the flaws you pointed are much noted when rich capture is enabled. Rich capture is not doing good with flesh tones. I would recommend you to disable rich capture and try capturing which gives good result for me. Rick capture works best for nature shots to give HDR effect.

Yeah, this is nothing to do with Rich Capture, the only time I use that feature is when taking gimmick shots. It's always disabled when taking portraits. This is the default "auto" mode, and my comparison shots have been like-for-like with respect to the settings in the Lumia Camera and Lumia Camera Classic apps.

 

[anthonyng]

yea i notice that i like the image in the living image part, better than the final image. I also don't use rich capture

 

[abduz]

I was extremely happy with the 930's camera when i first bought it and the Microsoft Camera allowed for gorgeous up-close macro shots.

Since updating to denim, i could swear the quality of the photos have gotten very bad and grainy (even day shots). Using the MS camera for macros gives and even worse quality with some something that resembles taking a pic of a laptop/TV screen.

I was one to boast about the Lumia 930's camera and the phone itself, now im finding myself very disappointed with the camera since updating to denim, so im really hoping this gets sorted out with the new firmware update.

 

[PsyOr]

If you want the great old camera before the Denim update download 'Nokia Classic Camera' and that's it.
For low light shots, take a look at the pictures thread, you must use manual settings! Decrease ISO, play with white balance, etc... To get the best result.

 

[abduz]

If you want the great old camera before the Denim update download 'Nokia Classic Camera' and that's it.
For low light shots, take a look at the pictures thread, you must use manual settings! Decrease ISO, play with white balance, etc... To get the best result.

Thank youu! Much appreciated, I thought I was the only one seeing this, glad I checked out the forums and im surprised MS didnt sort this out. Will definitely try that out.

Wasnt the whole merging Nokia devices with MS meant to make our Lumia's work better? Lol