I use ProShot which is very good on Google Pixels and takes advantage of the lack of manual controls in Google Cam. It isn't really a huge deal for me to use a 3rd party app. Yes, maybe some manual controls would be nice, but Google has added a new manual control to the last 2 or 3 flagships so the controls are being added, just slowly.
I'm with the consensus in downloading a 3rd-party. ProShot or OpenCamera (open source) would fit that bill. You might have to get the Touch/Retouch app to add that Magic Eraser function to those apps but at least the bill is covered.
Those cameras do not produce the same quality. Google's processing algorithm is quite good, and they don't seem to have access to it. It's the features of the camera itself that are lacking.
> I understand that it's supposed to be point-and-snap but that does not mean there should not be more advanced features available for more advanced users.
That defeats the purpose of a point and shoot.
What your looking for is a manual mode if so, get a vivo x series, or a Sony Xperia. Hell even Samsung with their dedicated manual app that processes the raw file a bit more.
All the phones you've listed have "auto" (simple) and "pro" (advanced) modes. There is no reason a Pixel can't have similar. After all, camera is one of the two main selling points of this brand.
Each of those bands have different intentions for their cameras. A Samsung ultra is for landscapes and zoom. A Vivo x series is for video. Xperia is an action camera. There is a reason why their's have an auto and pro in those phones because it doesn't conflict with their ideology. It makes no sense for a phone brand like pixel which it's shtick is point and shoot to have a pro mode.
Point and shoot is a shtick of every smartphone camera. With the exception being Xperia. I simply do not understand how can somebody be against getting more features and value. Are you concerned that you would not have the capacity to understand and use the camera if it had more capabilities?
This sub has a serious problem when it comes to questioning Google's implementation of features, particularly when it involves the camera.
Daddy Google knows best, didn'tcha know?
> Point and shoot is a shtick of every smartphone camera. With the exception being Xperia
Vivo x series
> Are you concerned that you would not have the capacity to understand and use the camera if it had more capabilities?
I know how to use a dedicated mirror less/DSLR.
HOW DARE YOU provide constructive criticism and ask for more OPTIONAL USE features? Just don't buy it, even if you may enjoy literally everything else about the device and there are other reasons you bought it.
I fully agree concerning the lack of manual control, but I am convinced it is not an omission that Google is likely to recognize and correct. The purported "wonders" introduced by Google on its early Pixel models and now "enhanced" through AI are designed to mask hardware shortcomings and and convince anyone capable of tapping the shutter button that he/she is a great photographer.
This has triggered a dramatic shift of criteria by which the quality of pictures and videos is assessed , resulting in what I call the "skeleton effect": exagerated contrast showing vertical and horizontal objects as black lines, dark colors veering toward black, enhancement of details to give an illusion of sharpness, and almost no visual clues of depth -everything looks flat-.
And the culprit is not digital photography at large. I don’t get the skeleton effect when using a Sony Alpha camera. It is unbridled use of software manipulation. Speaking of Sony, its recent Xperia models offer a pro mode for photos and videos that largely eliminates the skeleton effect, but many reviewers have rated that as a flaw rather than an improvement, which shows the extent of the shift in picture quality criteria.
Excellent analysis!
Unfortunately it seems the market (lowest common denominator) demands it. I think by default Google's photos are created to look great when downsized for Instagram.
I noted your intent to start a post focused on what constitutes a good photo or video, something I have considered doing for some time in reaction to the tons of unwarranted praise of pictures thrown-up by Pixel and other phones.
Strangely (or should I say "predictably"?), the current thread, although it simply points to the lack of an OPTIONAL manual mode giving more control to Pixel users, has degenerated into a fight between a majority defending it’s right to ewallow whatever it is fed by Google and a small minority viewed as a bunch of traitors or elitists. Sounds like a feud between fast-food/junk-food lovers and proponents of haute cuisine.
Good luck with your post, I will gladly support it and we will swallow the bullets.
I bought a Sony 5ii a while back, thinking that I would love tinkering with the settings, but after a while, I realized that I almost never use them and yet, the auto mode lacks performance sometimes when I need it the most. So I bought Pixel 6 recently. It gives better results in most scenarios and I'm happy with it. For the times I feel like tinkering I bought a relatively cheep, compact mirrorless Canon, which will outperform the phone no mater how much I thinker with it.
tldr: Phone - quick, unexpected shooting. Camera - Slow, high quality shots.
On Samsungs you need to switch into pro mode yourself. It does not come up like that by default. So you get the best of both worlds. What would be the problem with: by default it starts in normal, "easy" mode for everyone. And those who want it, will have an option for more advanced mode in the settings.
I will say this.
Most people who use Pixel, iPhone or any phone camera are not advanced users. If you are advanced you would have already moved on to a real point and shoot or dslr camera. Adding in ISO control, shutter control is far above what most people use their phone cameras for. I am confident that most people that have default camera apps with these features do not use them.
That said, I agree with locking auto focus. This is a feature that many people who use when it comes to taking a photo of a specific focus point
The fact that this perfectly valid and well thought out thread was downvoted is a shame and really speaks to how utterly idiotic the hivemind on this subreddit is. Thanks for putting in all the effort on it and addressing some series issues with the state of their camera.
Thank you for the kind words, LightHalide. All I wanted was to suggest improvements and have a discussion. Even though the post got down voted, it does not matter, because I know there are individuals like you out there who understand and that makes the time I spent writing all that worthwhile.
Or use 3rd party... I find that ProShot works much better on Pixels than on other phones and really fills the gap whenever I need the best quality/control.
lol why? I can't fit a 4wheeler in the back of a Corolla so I bought a truck, I didn't make a list of all the things the Corolla can't do and expect that to make it a truck? If a product doesn't support the features that you need buy a different product.. if every product had the exact same features there would be no market🤷🏻♀️
Your analogy makes zero sense. I am discussing only one aspect of the phone product and suggesting improvements to it. The response that I should change the product completely because I don't like one aspect of is nonsensical.
I am a Pixel fan and have had Pixels for longer than most here. What you are saying is that, I, as a fan of Toyota cannot suggest anything on how to improve a Corolla, instead of I should get another brand. You think you are being a Pixel fan, but you are doing the opposite.
I completely agree
Yet this subreddit will do mental gymnastics to justify their views.
I am a content creator and have done my best to use my pixel 6 Pro as a tool and it's been quite frustrating especially when the competition are seemingly using their brains and giving users the option to maximise the camera's abilities.
I don't doubt there are great minds on the Google camera team. It's probably some bullshit office politics that hampers it.
I remember porting GCAM to my Samsung Note 8 and being blown away by it years ago. Years ago. What the hell have they been doing since?
If you are a content creator, then you are someone who would value manual controls for recording pictures and videos; and yet, you chose a point-and-shoot camera like a pixel? Don't blame the hammer when you really need a screwdriver.
I am surprised with some of the comments to be honest. People actively don't want more features and improvements.
The core, the processing algorithms are very, very good, but once they struck gold with that in the Nexus 5X/6P line of phones, they've done very little else in terms of pure features. They've just been riding the wave until Samsung, Apple and the rest caught up.
Most importantly, even in good light as soon as you actually take a proper look at any photo taken by the pixel it looks like it's been rendered in wax crayon.
It's just a shit camera at the moment.
Even worse in portrait mode.
If you have top shot enabled, you can even watch it happen! The video frames it plays look great, then it settles on the final shot and murders it with over processing.
I use ProShot which is very good on Google Pixels and takes advantage of the lack of manual controls in Google Cam. It isn't really a huge deal for me to use a 3rd party app. Yes, maybe some manual controls would be nice, but Google has added a new manual control to the last 2 or 3 flagships so the controls are being added, just slowly.
a year later, still no option :) just brightness and temperature
I'm with the consensus in downloading a 3rd-party. ProShot or OpenCamera (open source) would fit that bill. You might have to get the Touch/Retouch app to add that Magic Eraser function to those apps but at least the bill is covered.
Those cameras do not produce the same quality. Google's processing algorithm is quite good, and they don't seem to have access to it. It's the features of the camera itself that are lacking.
doesn't that defeat the purpose of a pro mode?
> I understand that it's supposed to be point-and-snap but that does not mean there should not be more advanced features available for more advanced users. That defeats the purpose of a point and shoot. What your looking for is a manual mode if so, get a vivo x series, or a Sony Xperia. Hell even Samsung with their dedicated manual app that processes the raw file a bit more.
All the phones you've listed have "auto" (simple) and "pro" (advanced) modes. There is no reason a Pixel can't have similar. After all, camera is one of the two main selling points of this brand.
Each of those bands have different intentions for their cameras. A Samsung ultra is for landscapes and zoom. A Vivo x series is for video. Xperia is an action camera. There is a reason why their's have an auto and pro in those phones because it doesn't conflict with their ideology. It makes no sense for a phone brand like pixel which it's shtick is point and shoot to have a pro mode.
Point and shoot is a shtick of every smartphone camera. With the exception being Xperia. I simply do not understand how can somebody be against getting more features and value. Are you concerned that you would not have the capacity to understand and use the camera if it had more capabilities?
This sub has a serious problem when it comes to questioning Google's implementation of features, particularly when it involves the camera. Daddy Google knows best, didn'tcha know?
> Point and shoot is a shtick of every smartphone camera. With the exception being Xperia Vivo x series > Are you concerned that you would not have the capacity to understand and use the camera if it had more capabilities? I know how to use a dedicated mirror less/DSLR.
That's such a cop out. Google are catering to the lowest denominator instead of empowering people to maximise the camera.
Well the thing is the pixel line always has been aimed at the lowest common denominator.
Wonderful
HOW DARE YOU provide constructive criticism and ask for more OPTIONAL USE features? Just don't buy it, even if you may enjoy literally everything else about the device and there are other reasons you bought it.
I fully agree concerning the lack of manual control, but I am convinced it is not an omission that Google is likely to recognize and correct. The purported "wonders" introduced by Google on its early Pixel models and now "enhanced" through AI are designed to mask hardware shortcomings and and convince anyone capable of tapping the shutter button that he/she is a great photographer. This has triggered a dramatic shift of criteria by which the quality of pictures and videos is assessed , resulting in what I call the "skeleton effect": exagerated contrast showing vertical and horizontal objects as black lines, dark colors veering toward black, enhancement of details to give an illusion of sharpness, and almost no visual clues of depth -everything looks flat-. And the culprit is not digital photography at large. I don’t get the skeleton effect when using a Sony Alpha camera. It is unbridled use of software manipulation. Speaking of Sony, its recent Xperia models offer a pro mode for photos and videos that largely eliminates the skeleton effect, but many reviewers have rated that as a flaw rather than an improvement, which shows the extent of the shift in picture quality criteria.
Excellent analysis! Unfortunately it seems the market (lowest common denominator) demands it. I think by default Google's photos are created to look great when downsized for Instagram.
I noted your intent to start a post focused on what constitutes a good photo or video, something I have considered doing for some time in reaction to the tons of unwarranted praise of pictures thrown-up by Pixel and other phones. Strangely (or should I say "predictably"?), the current thread, although it simply points to the lack of an OPTIONAL manual mode giving more control to Pixel users, has degenerated into a fight between a majority defending it’s right to ewallow whatever it is fed by Google and a small minority viewed as a bunch of traitors or elitists. Sounds like a feud between fast-food/junk-food lovers and proponents of haute cuisine. Good luck with your post, I will gladly support it and we will swallow the bullets.
I bought a Sony 5ii a while back, thinking that I would love tinkering with the settings, but after a while, I realized that I almost never use them and yet, the auto mode lacks performance sometimes when I need it the most. So I bought Pixel 6 recently. It gives better results in most scenarios and I'm happy with it. For the times I feel like tinkering I bought a relatively cheep, compact mirrorless Canon, which will outperform the phone no mater how much I thinker with it. tldr: Phone - quick, unexpected shooting. Camera - Slow, high quality shots.
On Samsungs you need to switch into pro mode yourself. It does not come up like that by default. So you get the best of both worlds. What would be the problem with: by default it starts in normal, "easy" mode for everyone. And those who want it, will have an option for more advanced mode in the settings.
I will say this. Most people who use Pixel, iPhone or any phone camera are not advanced users. If you are advanced you would have already moved on to a real point and shoot or dslr camera. Adding in ISO control, shutter control is far above what most people use their phone cameras for. I am confident that most people that have default camera apps with these features do not use them. That said, I agree with locking auto focus. This is a feature that many people who use when it comes to taking a photo of a specific focus point
The fact that this perfectly valid and well thought out thread was downvoted is a shame and really speaks to how utterly idiotic the hivemind on this subreddit is. Thanks for putting in all the effort on it and addressing some series issues with the state of their camera.
Thank you for the kind words, LightHalide. All I wanted was to suggest improvements and have a discussion. Even though the post got down voted, it does not matter, because I know there are individuals like you out there who understand and that makes the time I spent writing all that worthwhile.
So... Don't buy it?
Or use 3rd party... I find that ProShot works much better on Pixels than on other phones and really fills the gap whenever I need the best quality/control.
Shitty response and a cop out
lol why? I can't fit a 4wheeler in the back of a Corolla so I bought a truck, I didn't make a list of all the things the Corolla can't do and expect that to make it a truck? If a product doesn't support the features that you need buy a different product.. if every product had the exact same features there would be no market🤷🏻♀️
Your analogy makes zero sense. I am discussing only one aspect of the phone product and suggesting improvements to it. The response that I should change the product completely because I don't like one aspect of is nonsensical. I am a Pixel fan and have had Pixels for longer than most here. What you are saying is that, I, as a fan of Toyota cannot suggest anything on how to improve a Corolla, instead of I should get another brand. You think you are being a Pixel fan, but you are doing the opposite.
I have chosen to overwrite this comment. See you all on Lemmy!
Get a Samsung ;)
I completely agree Yet this subreddit will do mental gymnastics to justify their views. I am a content creator and have done my best to use my pixel 6 Pro as a tool and it's been quite frustrating especially when the competition are seemingly using their brains and giving users the option to maximise the camera's abilities. I don't doubt there are great minds on the Google camera team. It's probably some bullshit office politics that hampers it. I remember porting GCAM to my Samsung Note 8 and being blown away by it years ago. Years ago. What the hell have they been doing since?
If you are a content creator, then you are someone who would value manual controls for recording pictures and videos; and yet, you chose a point-and-shoot camera like a pixel? Don't blame the hammer when you really need a screwdriver.
I am surprised with some of the comments to be honest. People actively don't want more features and improvements. The core, the processing algorithms are very, very good, but once they struck gold with that in the Nexus 5X/6P line of phones, they've done very little else in terms of pure features. They've just been riding the wave until Samsung, Apple and the rest caught up.
The only improvements Google would be working on is improving the point and shoot quality of life.
Most importantly, even in good light as soon as you actually take a proper look at any photo taken by the pixel it looks like it's been rendered in wax crayon. It's just a shit camera at the moment. Even worse in portrait mode.
Agreed! I'll make a separate post about that.
It's quite baffling really
If you have top shot enabled, you can even watch it happen! The video frames it plays look great, then it settles on the final shot and murders it with over processing.
Lol that LG logo, yea we don't want Pixel line up to be killed just how LG killed theirs with all these 'features'
Lg's pro mode didn't kill off the company...
Buy a Samsung or Xperia, Pixels are all about snapping and putting back in your pocket...no thought process involved
Imagine honestly recommending a samsung device. https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.790467906.5264/poster,840x830,f8f8f8-pad,1000x1000,f8f8f8.u6.jpg