Smartphone cameras

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I have been using a Nokia Lumia 822 for years.  It serves its purpose, but I don't like the kind of pics that it takes. They come out just a bit blurry especially if the subject is active. This is a big deal for me.  It's the only camera that I really use.  Recently, I began looking for a group of pictures that I took a year or so ago. I knew they were supposed to be on this phone, and they were gone.  After reading online about similar experiences, I've decided that I would like a new smart phone with a MUCH better camera.

 

What would you recommend?

[Mandamom]

I have been using LG g3 and now the G4 for several years now. One reason I went with it is the camera. Check out the stats on it, it is probably what you are looking for. They have a new LG called an Hv (I can't remember what it is called) which is a better than the LG G4, which I thought seriously about ;)

 

I think the Samsung Galaxy is new equal to the LG. 

 

I don't use apple products so I can't comment on the iphones. 

[Scarlett]

Love my new IPhone 6s camera. I went for the 64 Gig for pics. :)

[Corraleno]

My old iPhone 4S took terrible photos — always blurry unless the subject was outdoors in bright light and totally stationary. That was one reason I finally upgraded to the 6S, and that camera is much better. 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks, ladies! We don't use i products either.

In my research, I also found the LG g4.  It's the one I am most interested in.  The other LG is the v10, but it is such a huge camera that I would not want to carry around.  The Samsung phones are popular- especially the s5, but the camera isn't as good as the LG g4.

 

It was a relief to read about phones that I've been researching.  Thanks for the confirmation.

 

Anyone else?

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Bumping back up.😊

[Seasider]

I usually take casual snapshots, but every now and then I want to take a pic of a beautiful sunset or the moon. Those shots never come out well. It seems the (iPhone 5C) camera lacks a depth of field for this kind of photography.

 

Hopefully someone more knowledgable will weigh in on this.

[Katy]

The 6s  & 6s+ have the best cameras available.  https://fstoppers.com/originals/iphone-6s-takes-better-video-my-professional-nikon-dslr-88627

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks, ladies! I really do appreciate the input.  We don't use iproducts, unfortunately.  Guess I should have repeated that part.

So, as for android type smartphone cameras, does anyone have one that takes fantastic pics? 

I'm leaning toward the LG g4, but would just love to hear from you with personal experience with your phones.

I hope to wait for a sale.  Verizon is our cell carrier.

[Lizzie in Ma]

The one thing I miss about my old Samsung Galaxy is the camera.  I have an Alcatel and I love everything else about it.  So, after some research, I bought the paid version of Cameringo and I absolutely love it, the pictures are now on a par with my old GalaxyS3.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.perracolabs.cp

[carriede]

I don't think you're going to get "fantastic" pics on any phone - though you will certainly get better quality than your old phone, whether you get an LG or Samsung.

 

I have an S5 and the camera works well. I can get clear pictures of my kids, indoors and outdoors, but I do have to be attentive to too much movement to avoid blurs.

 

DH got a tripod for Christmas that has a smartphone holder on it, and those pictures are just as good as our non-DSLR digital camera (for my standards anyway). He also has an S5.

 

As for saving pictures, I upload my pictures from my phone to my Google Drive when I think about it. Then (much) later I can get them from the Drive and download them to our external harddrive. I haven't had to delete any pics off Drive yet, in terms of storage space, but imagine I will have to at some point to avoid paying for extra storage.

[Lanny]

Our belief is that the majority of recent phones take beautiful photos. Samsung, Huawei, etc. I didn't know  when she said she was going shopping yesterday, that my wife was also going to buy a new cell phone...  She came home with a Motorola. It isn't the most expensive model, but my wife says that DIL has a lower price Motorola and that it is great.   The ONE thing I do not like about the latest cell phones is that the owners cannot replace the battery. They need to go into a Service Center, to get the battery pack changed. Originally, my wife was going to buy a High End Samsung, then based on the experience of a friend with a Huawei, she was going to get a Huawei, but the Motorola she bought yesterday seems to offer :"more bang for the buck".    :hurray:    The only dud cell phone we've had was a high end LG that my Stepson bought a few years ago. That was defective and after going into the Service Provider for authorized service, a bunch of times, they finally replaced it with another phone and I think that other phone was a different model and possibly not an LG.

[Lanny]

Awhile ago, I read several reviews about the Motorola Smartphone my wife bought yesterday in the afternoon. This model seems to have been designed for and is sold in "3rd World" countries (we live in South America).  One thing mentioned is that the Android Software in Motorola phones is close to a stock Android OS. That seems to be a very big plus, because many manufacturers and/or service providers greatly modify Android. This particular model (probably a high low end or mid price range phone) has certification for being waterproof and dust proof.  I wouldn't intentionally test those features, but that's a plus.  Quick charge of the battery (with the AC charger) in 15 minutes.  When you are looking at new phones, if only because of the nearly stock Android OS, I think you should include Motorola among the brands you consider.  The phone my wife bought  has a 5" display and a 13 Mpx camera.  Her original plan was to buy a high end Samsung, and then she was looking at a high end Huawei, because a friend likes her Huawei better than the Samsungs she had in the past,  but this Motorola phone has a lot more "bang for the buck".  

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks again, everyone!

Lizzie, how does Cameringo work?  Would I download it from my smart phone to use?

 

Lanny, thanks for the Motorola plug.  I have not really considered them because on my hunt for a great camera phone, that company has not popped up. Like you, I don't like phones that don't have a replaceable battery.  That seems like a mistake.  I'm actively avoiding those.

 

I considered the Samsung s5 which has a replaceable battery.  Comparing it with the LG g4, the camera was not as good.  Everything else about it looked fantastic.  

 

Sometime soon, I'll need to just go to a store and investigate all of these choices in person.

 

 

[Spy Car]

There are quite a few websites that have indepentent comparisons (with side by side examples) of current smartphone cameras.

 

The three consistant winners for best camera are the Apple 6s Plus, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, and the Google Nexus 6P. 

 

Each of the cameras have different strengths and weaknesses.

 

For iPhone users, there is an iOS app I use called 645 Pro that allows one to save photos in higher resolution files than the native iOS Camera app does, including higher resolution JPEGs and (best yet) a TIFF file they are calling dRAW (not really RAW, but cleaner than JPEG). The same company makes a simpler app (no filter options) called ProShot with the same file format options. Higher resolution means larger file sizes.

 

Bill

 

 

[Rachel]

My husband has had the iPhone 6+ and the Samsung Galaxy in the past 6 months. They both take excellent pictures, better than our good camera we bought 8 years ago.

[Lizzie in Ma]

Thanks again, everyone!

Lizzie, how does Cameringo work?  Would I download it from my smart phone to use?

 

 

It's an app and I use it instead of the stock camera.  Yes, you would download it from the Play store.

[lailasmum]

I have an lg g4. It has a very good camera and previously I always used an app called camera fv5 but the native g4 app is very similar so I don't always use it now. This phone allows raw files to be saved too which is handy. It's also a good phone so I recommend it but I do think any of the newest higher end phones will be comparable. I do think just adding a decent app can help most phones but obviously it can't add major features.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thanks, Lizzie and lailasmum.  

Honestly, I never thought that there would be any kind of app to put on my current phone that would help the camera.

That sure would be cheaper than getting a brand new phone even though a new phone would be fun. I love new gadgets...the practical kind.

 

Lailasmum, I read about the new LG g5 which is due to be revealed in February, I think. It looks like a great phone. (Except that I think the batteries are unremoveable.)   Details are still unclear, but I did read that the cost of that phone would be around $900!  Choke! The $500 or so for the LG g4 is even too much for me to swallow.  If I were to get that one, I'd wait for some kind of deal.  So, as far as the g4 camera not comparing to any of the newest higher end phones, I think that it is a good bit better than my Nokia.   I would love to have the best of the best (wouldn't we all), but I just can't stomach paying so much!  Isn't it crazy?

 

Makes my already-paid-for Windows phone look more attractive especially if I could get an app.  

[Lizzie in Ma]

Thanks again, everyone!

Lizzie, how does Cameringo work?  Would I download it from my smart phone to use?

 

Lanny, thanks for the Motorola plug.  I have not really considered them because on my hunt for a great camera phone, that company has not popped up. Like you, I don't like phones that don't have a replaceable battery.  That seems like a mistake.  I'm actively avoiding those.

 

I considered the Samsung s5 which has a replaceable battery.  Comparing it with the LG g4, the camera was not as good.  Everything else about it looked fantastic.  

 

Sometime soon, I'll need to just go to a store and investigate all of these choices in person.

 

Works just like the stock camera.  It is a download on the play store, I tried the free, lite version first then bought the Pro version.

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Ok, thanks!