Develop Bugs

Best replacement camera app for LGG4?

Has anyone tried any replacement camera apps for the LGG4? Don't get me wrong, I like the stock camera but I do think it lacks a little in features (in auto mode). I tried 'Open Camera' and I really like the extra features but It only has 4x zoom instead of the 8x the stock camera handles. I also don't know if any 3rd party camera apps take full advantage of the G4's laser focus and color spectrum analyzer? Another feature that I like in 'Open Camera' is the ability to select scenes such as back light, indoors, macro and candle light. I know the G4 stock app has automatic scene selection but I like a little more control.
So what do you guys think? The big thing is if any 3rd party apps take full advantage of the G4's hardware? If so, what are some feature packed camera apps?

ProShot for me. Little slow to focus but with ISO 50 and NR off the daylight shots are just amazing.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riseupgames.proshot2
Odoslané z LG-H815 pomocou Tapatalku

Has it some filters to preview a shot before take it? that's the only thing I miss from the stock camera, the ability to use filters before taking pictures, because sometimes don't have time or mood to postprocess. Thanks!

RocketFoot said:
Has anyone tried any replacement camera apps for the LGG4? Don't get me wrong, I like the stock camera but I do think it lacks a little in features (in auto mode). I tried 'Open Camera' and I really like the extra features but It only has 4x zoom instead of the 8x the stock camera handles. I also don't know if any 3rd party camera apps take full advantage of the G4's laser focus and color spectrum analyzer? Another feature that I like in 'Open Camera' is the ability to select scenes such as back light, indoors, macro and candle light. I know the G4 stock app has automatic scene selection but I like a little more control.
So what do you guys think? The big thing is if any 3rd party apps take full advantage of the G4's hardware? If so, what are some feature packed camera apps?
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I woulden't be over concerned by the low zoom capabilities of Open camera. Zoom only degrades the quality and sharpness of the picture anyway... If you really have to use it, i woulden't recommend you go beyond 4x. Other thing, no 3rd party camera app can fully utilize all of the G4's features and capabilities. It's simply not possible, as of yet anyway. So, my advice to you and everyone else is, use the default camera app as it is quite powerfull if you know how to manage the manual settings .
Here is a link that explains in detail the manual mode:
Link

Dude, stock app is best. Learn how to use manual.

NocturnalDroid said:
Dude, stock app is best. Learn how to use manual.
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I can use the manual camera ok but only for planed shots...takes too much time to catch random shots! Feature rich auto mode is what I am wishing for!

RocketFoot said:
I can use the manual camera ok but only for planed shots...takes too much time to catch random shots! Feature rich auto mode is what I am wishing for!
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Hm yes, good point. Lol. I used camera360 once, that was good.

Try AZ Camera, NR is a lot better than stock and manual control is still possible.

t68kv said:
Try AZ Camera, NR is a lot better than stock and manual control is still possible.
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Anyone seen a camera app that has a fancy animated facial recognition reticle like the Galaxy Edge Plus/Note 5's have? It actually moves across the screen and targets a detected face in the scene. I know that it is completely gingerbread, but it would be a pretty cool feature!

wayne_sk said:
ProShot for me. Little slow to focus but with ISO 50 and NR off the daylight shots are just amazing.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riseupgames.proshot2
Odoslané z LG-H815 pomocou Tapatalku
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Found that there's a free demo for this at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riseupgames.proshot_free
Which is nice to try it out. Very restrictive demo, allowing only 2 full res shots. I'm keen to try out the low ISO with the NR off you mention (as I've yet to see a photo at this handset level beat the G4 in a decent lit outdoor shot), but my handset went hot as hell whilst running the demo, possibly showing its using all the available processer power but a bit unsettling for potential longer usage.
:edit: unistalled and let handset cool down. Reinstalled and handset ran uncomfortably hot again. Shame, but thanks for the recommendation.

Hi, just got an LG G4 today and tried a few camera apps. Stock is great and since it has a manual raw mode, no need for 3rd party apps imho.
ProShot is nice and does show a low res preview of dngs in its viewer (useful to send them to PS Express for instance); BUT I have noticed that it does only goes to 0,6s in manual exposure (while stock goes to 30s). So for (ocasional) dng viewing I will use Slingshot Portfolio and for the processing, PS Express, much friendlier than Photomate (which yields slightly sharper pics, but with much worse color balance...)
Snap HDR Camera has an interesting low light mode that merges multiple exposures to increase detail / lower noise, BUT then again you can use manual long exposures in the stock app, which in dark conditions will give better results.
For panos I prefer Google's camera interface and options .
Anyway, those are my quick impressions.

You made my day! Thank you!
This one (especially ability to switch off NR) gives me the best from the G4
Tweaking sharpness and NR should be native and available in Stock camera app in manual mode
Shame on you LG!
wayne_sk said:
ProShot for me. Little slow to focus but with ISO 50 and NR off the daylight shots are just amazing.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riseupgames.proshot2
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dawabz94 said:
You made my day! Thank you!
This one (especially ability to switch off NR) gives me the best from the G4
Tweaking sharpness and NR should be native and available in Stock camera app in manual mode
Shame on you LG!
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Well, just tried, and ProShot's no NR setting is amazing! Thanks

Kemby13 said:
no 3rd party camera app can fully utilize all of the G4's features and capabilities.
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hey Kemby13,
what exactly do you think can proshot or camera fv-5 or other camera apps not utilize from the hardware?
I'm considering buying the LG G4 but have similar thoughts as the thread starter. I'm comfortable with manual modes on cameras and shoot/edit raw with my DSLR but I'm looking for more or better auto modes than the stock camera app can offer. Also lots of reviews show that the auto mode of the G4 is not as good as images taken in auto mode with other smartphones (I'm not speaking of what the LG camera is capable of once it is used in manual mode). I thought that maybe other apps give better images in auto modes than the stock app (plus more options/scene modes). I often find myself in situations where I don't have the time to setup in manual mode but would like to tell the app to at least use a fast shutter speed (sports mode) etc.
my second concern is because I love custom roms. and even though there are hardly any out there for the G4 I'd still try the few available ones and would need a good camera app. Proshot etc will work on any rom (yes, the shutter speed is reduced to max. 0,7).
But what else would I be losing?
To the thread starter: have you reached a solution? I'd be very curious to know.
Thx and greetz,
vercetti.

Proshot doesn't have HDR that I can find. I don't recall if Camera FV-5 does but I prefer the custom modes of Proshot to FV-5.

I would settle for an app that can take pictures using flash in half the time that mine currently does.

I am waiting for Almalence's Better Camera to support camera api2 on the LG G4, so we can test its SUPER mode on our phone, similar to Google Camera's HDR+. I wonder how it would compare to LG's own Night mode.
According to the developper, it's planned and in alpha stage.

Did you guys find any app that can get to 30" shutter speed? It seems like I can only get that with the stock app.
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

hi there, updates on this? i think proshot now is optimized to lg g4. anyone confirm?

How about now? Still no updates?

[SOLVED] Camera app with image stabilization

hi everyone
i read about image stabilization and found that feature cool
I don't care about video, just want that is photos - because is a bit hard to make the phone still when taking pics
they have a little motion blur.
the best way i found, is to use a timer and hold the phone really still, to make the photos really defined
I'm on CM12.1
is there a camera app with image stabilization? any ideas?
PS: i tried open camera, but enabling and disabling doesn't make any difference

saulbrother said:
hi everyone
i read about image stabilization and found that feature cool
I don't care about video, just want that is photos - because is a bit hard to make the phone still when taking pics
they have a little motion blur.
the best way i found, is to use a timer and hold the phone really still, to make the photos really defined
I'm on CM12.1
is there a camera app with image stabilization? any ideas?
PS: i tried open camera, but enabling and disabling doesn't make any difference
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't do much with photography, but for $3 you can get this - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=slide.cameraZoom I've read good things about it.

"stable shot" - that's the keyword. Thx
I found a good with that: "snap camera"
It works great. It even has a "sensitivity" setting for the desired stable level

HOW TO: FIX the G5 Plus Camera (mods, tools, guides)

UPDATE: Used hide tags to organize this post better and make information easier to find.
Alright, so you've got a shiny new Moto G5 plus, which supposedly has a similar Sony imx sensor as the one found on flagships like the Galaxy S7 and Pixel2. Yet, you are somehow disappointed by the camera's quality.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Turns out the camera sensor on this thing is actually pretty darned good, and the f/1.7 lens is no slouch, however it is being held back by poorly designed software from Moto/Lenovo.
Before I got into the solutions, let me specifically point out the problems I found with the camera so we're on the same page (click to reveal content, or just skip the fixes below):
1) Overzealous Sharpening and aggressive Noise Reduction are the biggest culprits. It almost looks like a bad filter is being applied to your images, turning fine details into mush and contrasty lines like text into something bizarre and artificial looking. The camera is doing this as part of the internal capture process, so this happens no matter what application it is taken in.
2) Highlights clipping earlier than it should. I'd say this might be a function of the camera's sensor more than the hardware, but analyzing RAW data from the sensor (more on that later) in my admittedly unscientific half-hazard naked eye, I'd go out on a limb and say it seems like we're not being shown all the DR the camera is able to see. To the layman: this means brights turn completely white effectively overexposing parts of the image that should otherwise still look OK.
3) The preview/viewfinder mode is even worse at #1 than the captured image is. That is, the preview mode (the video feed you see before you capture the full resolution image) is still applying the sharpening and NR at the same level as the captured image, however since the resolution is lower for the preview, it looks more exaggerated and ugly. This means two things: A) Its hard to tell what the image you take will look like, as the preview is ugly (and you have to hope the final will look better), and B) some apps use the preview feed as their capture method. For example, snapchat and augmented reality apps like Pokemon Go. It just looks terrible.
The good news is that there is a lot that can be done to improve and fix the camera.
The bad news is that almost all of it requires modifying system files. That means those with locked bootloaders (Amazon ad users or those who are afraid of voiding their warranties) might be out of luck.
You don't necessarily need root access, although some of this can be more easily performed with root. I needed to unlock my bootloader and performed most of this within TWRP, but chose to keep my phone otherwise unrooted. I'm going to split this into sections, fixing and improving.
A) FIXING THE IMAGE PROCESSING ISSUES
If you want to remove/circumvent the aggressive sharpening and NR issues (so that apps like snapchat or other camera applications don't look over-processed, including the stock Moto cam), try the following:
1) Chromatix mod. Shout out to @defcomg for finding and adjusting the values that control sharpening and NR in the system libs. See thread here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5-plus/themes/modcamera-aggressive-sharpening-noise-t3604458
There are two sets of files to replace in your system. Chromatix and LIBMM. NOTE: I don't recommend the LIBMM / binning part. Binning is combining pixels together into an averaged single pixel value, effectively reducing resolution to combat noise on the sensor. In other words, instead of having a large possibly noisy image, you get a smaller less noisy picture. But you can always choose to resize the image in post after you take it with the same resulting effect, so I don't see why this would be desirable to do. I recommend just applying the chromatix mod to remove the sharpening and NR. If you're comfortable using TWRP, there's actually a flashable zip in post #9, which is what I personally did (again, remember I'm not rooted, so I needed to flash/overwrite/etc within TWRP).
After applying this mod, even the stock camera app looks better, and apps that use the live preview (Snapchat, Pokemons AR view, etc) don't have the shadow ghosting from excessive sharpening anymore either. You might want to apply some sharpening and NR in post yourself if the image requires it, but thats always something you can choose but at least you have control over it and even without doing that it looks far better and more natural than stock to me.
2) Enable camera2 API. This doesn't have a direct effect on quality, but will allow other apps to have more direct access to the camera. If you want to improve beyond the results of #1 above, you'll need this.
The stock rom, surprisingly, has Camera2 API included, however it is disabled by the build.prop file. Again, no idea why Moto/Lenovo chose to do this, but the good news is you can enable it again easily. To do this, you need to add the following line to the build.prop
persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1
Or if rooted, via terminal / shell:
su persist.camera.HAL3.enabled 1
Once this is enabled, you can use apps such as the modified freedcam to shoot RAW, as found here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/g5-plus/how-to/how-to-enable-camera2-shoot-raw-root-t3582392
I found RAW from this app particularly difficult to work with, so I'm keeping it for experimentation purposes but for practical real-world usage, I'd recommend the next item below.
B) IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOS (or, how to install Google Camera!)
Section A was all about how to avoid the crummy filters that get automatically applied to the camera. But your device is capable of even BETTER photos by using Google's magic HDR+ algorithm (the special sauce that makes the Pixel phones so awesome). Here's how to do that:
1) If you haven't already enabled the Camera2 API, you need to do that first (info in section A above).
2) Get a working version of Google Camera with HDR+ for your phone. The last available 32-bit version with HDR+ is Gcam 4.2, so if you're on the stock ROM like I am, you're stuck with only the 32-bit versions (all the new versions with the bells and whistles are 64-bit only). The image quality is remarkably better, both in sharpness and dynamic range in almost any light. I have to admit, I'm in love with the images from this, and have even printed some for my wall.
You can get the APK ported from the Nexus 5x version here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74081041&postcount=3
UPDATE: New version from Savitar on post #44!
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=75483974&postcount=44
Problem is, our cameras use a different focus system than phones like the Nexus and Pixel. So, in photo mode, it doesn't really work correctly. Switching over to video mode, however, DOES work (likely using contrast detection focus, which is slower but more universal, especially for video focus). So the workaround is to swipe over to video mode, focus, swipe back to photos and press-and-hold to lock focus. It's annoying, but HDR+ is that good that I still try to work with it much of the time.
For times that it would be frustrating or not necessary, I'll just resort to the stock camera app or Footej camera, since the chromatix mod makes them mostly usable now. Just not ZOMG AMAZING like the Google HDR+ does.
OPTIONAL #3) Install a 64-bit custom Rom and use the latest Google Camera HDR+ app floating around (v4.4). The recent versions B-S-G released based on the Pixel camera has options to change camera modes in settings, some combination of which supposedly focus properly. You will likely get a more stable camera app experience with this as it requires less modification to work, but you'll have to be committed enough to go off stock.
Check out the app and suggested settings to try here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74999182&postcount=19
Thanks @shanks125 for the info!
Update 1/3/18: I just heard there is a port of the new portrait mode feature from the Pixel2 that is sort of working on 64-bit roms, but I think some modifications will need to be made to avoid focus drift like previous modded gcam versions.
There is also a 32-bit version of the new v4.4 that @Aby lad came up with in this thread:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/google-camera-4-4-arm-device-t3666090
In order to make it more compatible with other devices, it looks like he has disabled the Hexagon DSP, which I think is what makes HDR+ work, so while we can now change settings and focus, HDR+ isn't working. The app still has some Google goodies like Sphere and Blur mode, but without HDR+ the real benefit of Google camera is lost anyway. Might as well use stock with chromatix mod at that point.
Hope some of you find this helpful/useful!
UPDATE 12/28/17: New GCam with 6P features on post #14.

There actually may be some alternate versions of the gcam apk with benefits the one originally linked above doesn't have. I will try to update when if/when I find them.

Dishe said:
There actually may be some alternate versions of the gcam apk with benefits the one originally linked above doesn't have. I will try to update when if/when I find them.
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That would be useful!

So if I apply the chromatic mode, do I still have to enable the Camera2 API?

It's my bad. I would like to know if there is a way to disable Camera2 api. I am on Linage 14.1 and I edited my prop.build (yeah, I know). I switched back to the original line of code, but camera app still crashing. How to revert without reflashing the rom? Thanks.
edit. reflashed.

iBART said:
It's my bad. I would like to know if there is a way to disable Camera2 api. I am on Linage 14.1 and I edited my prop.build (yeah, I know). I switched back to the original line of code, but camera app still crashing. How to revert without reflashing the rom? Thanks.
edit. reflashed.
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Did you try clearing data+cache for the camera app?

iamsonal said:
So if I apply the chromatic mode, do I still have to enable the Camera2 API?
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Nope, but it doesn't hurt to so why not? Some apps will have more options in camera2 if enabled.

iBART said:
It's my bad. I would like to know if there is a way to disable Camera2 api. I am on Linage 14.1 and I edited my prop.build (yeah, I know). I switched back to the original line of code, but camera app still crashing. How to revert without reflashing the rom? Thanks.
edit. reflashed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is another way to enable camera2 api if you're using a custom ROM. You need to flash a magisk module.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74081041&postcount=3

Which Google camera works in a complete stock g5? I keep getting a praising error with every one I try.

eemgee said:
Which Google camera works in a complete stock g5? I keep getting a praising error with every one I try.
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Parsing error means you are probably trying to use a 64-bit or one made for a different version of Android (7.1 instead of 7.0). The one linked above will work.
However, all recent versions of Google's Camera require the camera2 api to work. That's one of the primary reasons to enable the Camera2 api in my opinion. It comes in the stock rom, but it is disabled for some inexplicable reason (G5S model has it enabled, so some people are hoping that we'll get it enabled with an update or at least when Oreo rolls around). The good news is that it only takes one line of text in the build.prop file to enable it on the G5+. However, the bad news is that build.prop is part of the protected system partition, so editing it requires root-level file access. Doesn't seem to be any way to do that without unlocking the bootloader, so either way you won't be able to do it on a 100% stock g5+ as things are right now.

Thanks i managed to get 2.7 working.
I will unlock the bootloader at some point in the next few weeks....

There is also a Magisk module in post #54 on that Chromatix thread. Really helpful!

Hi, so in search for better images from my g5+ camera I stumbled upon this place and rooted my phone to add the chromatix mods and edit the build.prop file .
I downloaded the google camera port v4.2 for the hdr+ but have been unable to install it as I get the error that package may be corrupted.
So could someone please link me to one which is good or upload it.
And BIG thanks to this community.

New gcam from savitar
UPDATE: Better gcam version from Savitar/Defcomg
http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=00826724446841525700
Features:
Burst Mode (hold shutter button)
Focus doesn't drift when switching from video mode (this is a huge fix IMO- old app would drift after setting focus in video mode).
Selfie cam now has HDR as well (with caveats)
RAW image capture with each photo!
Instructions for use are largely the same as the old app, but it works better / more reliably now:
WHEN USING APP FOR THE FIRST TIME, GO INTO SETTINGS AND CHANGE VIDEO TO 4K. This will prevent FCs.
To take a picture:
1) Swipe left to switch to video mode, tap to focus
2) Once focus is achieved, swipe right to return to photo mode. (Focus should not drift in this version)
3) Tap the area again in photo mode, and hit the shutter button.
NOTES:
It appears that you no longer need to press-and-hold to lock focus in photo mode before shooting. I believe this is because the focus system doesn't adjust anymore in photo mode (I'm guessing Savitar/Defcomg removed it to combat that focus drifting problem). It is already locked at wherever you put it in video mode. You DO however need to still tap the screen as if you are focusing. I think this is because the camera needs to think it is focusing, but it is anyway helpful to tap somewhere for metering / exposure reading purposes. Skipping the press-and-hold to lock focus makes it a lot more manageable.
This version of the app is setup to shoot RAW+Jpeg, so you will find your camera roll will have both a jpeg and DNG file of the shot. Be aware that the RAW DNG files are multiple times larger than the jpeg, so you may want to keep an eye on storage if you shoot a lot of them. They're really useful if you want to adjust WB and exposure afterwards, quality is astoundingly good.
Selfie Mode was broken in HDR+ on earlier builds because for some reason the front camera on our phone doesn't return an ISO value to the app (says iso is zero). The HDR+ algorithm would fail. Savitar/defcomg fixed it by setting it always return a value (he picked 100, otherwise it would overexpose in daylight). The catch is that in lower lighting, the selfie HDR+ comes out darker than expected. Thankfully you can take the RAW file and adjust the exposure in post if needed (snapseed, Lightroom mobile, etc). But there might be times it is just too dark to be useful. The difference when it works is big enough that I recommend it trying it at least once to compare.
ENJOY!
Big shout out to @defcomg for this and all his awesome mods!

Landscape gcam 6p
A modified version of the APK above is available which starts the camera off focused at infinity.
http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=31694573387513766779
This was made for people who want to shoot landscapes and/or things far enough away that they don't want to deal with focusing (swipe to video mode, etc). See a beautiful sunset for example, open this app, tap the sky and hit the shutter. Its already focused in the right position.
Otherwise identical to previous post's apk. Can be installed side-by-side, as each app has its own ID.

can't use gcam because it crashes at first run

marcol87 said:
can't use gcam because it crashes at first run
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Do u have camera2 API enabled?

Dishe said:
UPDATE: Better gcam version from Savitar/Defcomg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for sharing this.

Add this, BSG GCam MOD with working HDR+ and Touch to Focus for 64bit roms. Settings as per attachment! https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=889964283620770378

Dishe said:
Do u have camera2 API enabled?
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yes, I added persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1 to build.prop and rebooted
Dishe said:
persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1or
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ps: the string persist.camera.HAL3.enabled=1 is wrong in the OP

[REQUEST] enable long exposure mode please

I have been using this phone for a month. I am rooted with magisk and camera2 api is enabled. All the manual controls except the long exposure works fine but in case of shutter speed or long exposure i cannot find more than 1/8 sec in any of the third party app like proshot and camera fv-5. So i think this is the cause of my camera hardware not being able to do so :crying::crying:. But amazing developers like you guys are out there who are making great customization and mods for this phone, please anyone take an initiative for enabling this long shutter speed mode for at least 10 or 20 sec.

wow72 said:
I have been using this phone for a month. I am rooted with magisk and camera2 api is enabled. All the manual controls except the long exposure works fine but in case of shutter speed or long exposure i cannot find more than 1/8 sec in any of the third party app like proshot and camera fv-5. So i think this is the cause of my camera hardware not being able to do so :crying::crying:. But amazing developers like you guys are out there who are making great customization and mods for this phone, please anyone take an initiative for enabling this long shutter speed mode for at least 10 or 20 sec.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disable camera 2 API and then try camera FV5,you will get the option to set manual exposure time in it.
I've tested it,try yourself.

Stealtherthreat said:
Disable camera 2 API and then try camera FV5,you will get the option to set manual exposure time in it.
I've tested it,try yourself.
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Actually when camera2 api was disabled i tested it and saw that all that it does is stack some images. That image is not what i call long exposure image. Any how can you share some long exposure shots taken by this phone? can you do light trails also? please share.

Managed to got this by opening shutter for 5 sec

Stealtherthreat said:
Managed to got this by opening shutter for 5 sec
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wow thats good! Are you using the latest camera fv5 or previous version? How can i disable camera2 api?

wow72 said:
wow thats good! Are you using the latest camera fv5 or previous version? How can i disable camera2 api?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ,using latest version.
To enable or disable camera2api follow this -
https://forum.xda-developers.com/mi-a1/how-to/tool-google-camera-root-magisk-enable-t3747585

Stealtherthreat said:
Managed to got this by opening shutter for 5 sec
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Is this shot on Canon DSLR (DSC file name)

Anandkrishna said:
Is this shot on Canon DSLR (DSC file name)
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its just the file name, you can change that naming pattern in the settings of the app, no canon or any kind of DSLR.

Question alternative "real" camaras software with full access?

So I basically read everywhere the phones camera app is even worse than what you get on other phones (hardware is still great though).
What alternatives are there, and do they have full hardware access and raw export for all cameras without compromising on image quality?
So what a basic photo app should do (I can't believe that I have to ask for something basic like this) is that I want to set a shutter speed it supposed to use. Camera app should do the exposure and adjust ISO and aperture (if there).
Then 2nd important thing (usually first but hey, google lowered the low standards even more), settings should be saved, if I get my cam out of the pocket again I don't want to dial in the settings again. Just remember it like every real camera does.
3rd is a dreamland level of feature (also normal on real cameras): setting a base shutter speed to freeze action have the camera compensate with ISO and aperture till it reaches the upper limit and raising the shutter speed at the lower limit so I don't get overexposure but always have a fast shutterspeed to freeze movement.
So are there apps out there that do this and do they get full sensor access?

It's actually more complicated than just "hardware is great, software is crap". A lot of the technology that makes Pixels one of the best point and shoot cameras on smartphones, is actually in the google camera app (utilizing the Camera2 API). Google has recently developed a new CameraX API. Its first release was about a week ago and has a long way to go.
Unfortunately, Google has removed some of the manual settings over the years, and has moved towards intelligent processing techniques that are done automatically. For example, manual HDR modes have been removed in favor of the auto-processing used in the app.
Unless somebody develops a new app, utilizing the CameraX library extensions, you won't be finding these things you've asked for. Pixels don't have a manual mode like other phones (such has Samsung for example).
There is a new camera app that the devs behind GraphenOS have created, using the new CameraX API. Someone posted information about it recently. There's also a modified gcam mod specifically for Pixels, made by team MWP. It has some features such ISO, focus and exposure sliders (the non-beta version has more features so download that version).
The official google camera app shoots in RAW format. OpenCamera (by Mark Harman) is also a favorite for many enthusiasts. Last week a user forked it to add a few options for the Pixel 6.
So you have 3 or 4 options listed above, plus the different camera apps on the play store (such as Procam X and Manual Camera). But over the years, it seems that the official google camera app, results in the best quality (but we can now include the MWP gcam mod since it has been modified with most recent google camera versions and works with the Pixel 6/6Pro without any bugs).

Alekos said:
Unfortunately, Google has removed some of the manual settings over the years, and has moved towards intelligent processing techniques that are done automatically. For example, manual HDR modes have been removed in favor of the auto-processing used in the app.
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An alarming trend, smartphone camera software has never been the most useful and not its getting even worse.
No amount of AI magic is going to recognize that a now still standing person is going to do something fast the next second that I would like to capture with a shutter speed of 1/1000. Also not going to anticipate the cat jumping and me wanting to get that unblurred.
I don't care about AI processing, photo editing has nothing to do with a camera software in my opinion and should happen after the shot was taken and not during. I'm old, I do my own edits. But I would like to have the full quality sensor readout in a DNG file and no compromises on image quality.

nurps said:
An alarming trend, smartphone cameras have never been the most useful and not its getting even worse.
No amount of AI magic is going to recognize that a now still standing person is going to do something fast the next second that I would like to capture with a shutter speed of 1/1000. Also not going to anticipate the cat jumping and me wanting to get that unblurred.
I don't care about AI processing, photo editing has nothing to do with a camera software in my opinion and should happen after the shot was taken and not during. I'm old, I do my own edits. But I would like to have the full quality sensor readout in a DNG file and no compromises on image quality.
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Similar as you, I am 65 and shooting with Canon DSLR for longer than I can remember, I always want to control everything myself. I am now shooting with an app called "ProShot" on the P6P which you can get for I think $5 from the Play Store. It almost worked like a DSLR or mirrorless. I don't care about the AI, I shoot in raw and edit all the photos in Photoshop after moving them to my computer. I think you can download it as a free trial before you made a decision.

Have you noticed any quality differences between stock and ProShot raws on any of the 3 cameras? I remember ProShot from my S8 days.

nurps said:
Have you noticed any quality differences between stock and ProShot raws on any of the 3 cameras? I remember ProShot from my S8 days.
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For raws, I don't see any difference. Jpeg is different story due to Google's AI. Anyway, download it and give a try and see the results if they are your liking.

I'm still on the level what phone to buy for best camera experience, so I don't own it yet.

nurps said:
I'm still on the level what phone to buy for best camera experience, so I don't own it yet.
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I see! If just based camera hardware, you have a lot choices, Xiaomi, Samsung perhaps better than the pixel. I don't shoot with phone that much. I came from Samsung Galaxy 21 Ultra to the P6P, it is because I need to root the phone to enable I can use call recorder.

IP68 is must, Samsung S22U raws look really awful though, not much detail there, oversharpeing artifacts at raw level.

Wedding photographer here and personally i find it a breath of fresh air to just point and shoot and get something without resorting to raw and messing about in an editing package, swings and roundabouts i guess.
On a side note the aperture of the lenses on a smartphone are that wide you tend to get really fast shutter speeds anyway even with pretty mediocre light, i took a photo the other day, it was a bright'ish day with about 50% cloud and the shutter speed was 1/5814 at f2.2 using the wide angle lens.

nurps said:
Have you noticed any quality differences between stock and ProShot raws on any of the 3 cameras? I remember ProShot from my S8 days.
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I use exclusively ProShot when shooting RAW. RAW files from the Google camera app miss information. That's why the size of its DNG files are smaller (about half) and vary from shot to shot. With RAW this should not be the case. However, ProShot only supports RAW for the default back lens like any other 3rd party app I am aware of. I hope that Google enables 3rd party access to the other 2 back lenses for RAW in the future.
In fact, my default app is now ProShot. The dev is very responsive and addressed several issues I brought up with him.

Thing is If you are going to shoot raw and disown the Google camera app then there is not much point in owning a pixel really. The whole point of a Pixel from a photography point of view is Googles computational photography, without that the camera hardware is pretty average and surpassed by a number of other phone manufacturers.

stbxxl said:
I use exclusively ProShot when shooting RAW. RAW files from the Google camera app miss information. That's why the size of its DNG files are smaller (about half) and vary from shot to shot. With RAW this should not be the case. However, ProShot only supports RAW for the default back lens like any other 3rd party app I am aware of. I hope that Google enables 3rd party access to the other 2 back lenses for RAW in the future.
In fact, my default app is now ProShot. The dev is very responsive and addressed several issues I brought up with him.
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Shooting Raw on Google's camera app is giving you compressed raw files, which when compared to uncompressed raw there's virtually no difference. Unless you mess up the exposure by like 5 stops, you ain't gaining anything more by shooting Raw with a seperate app.... especially on a phone.

Bwyan Benton said:
Shooting Raw on Google's camera app is giving you compressed raw files, which when compared to uncompressed raw there's virtually no difference. Unless you mess up the exposure by like 5 stops, you ain't gaining anything more by shooting Raw with a seperate app.... especially on a phone.
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I have found that the DNG files produced with Google's camera app are missing certain metadata. For example GPS location etc. The DNG file from ProShot has this info. While this is not important to everybody, it is important to me.
Additionally I prefer using ProShot since it has more manual controls, offers a histogram and allows setting separate exposure and focus points. Even when "only" shooting in JPG I find the pictures more pleasing than the ones from Google's camera app which tend to be over processed to some extend as far as I am concerned.

stbxxl said:
I have found that the DNG files produced with Google's camera app are missing certain metadata. For example GPS location etc. The DNG file from ProShot has this info. While this is not important to everybody, it is important to me.
Additionally I prefer using ProShot since it has more manual controls, offers a histogram and allows setting separate exposure and focus points. Even when "only" shooting in JPG I find the pictures more pleasing than the ones from Google's camera app which tend to be over processed to some extend as far as I am concerned.
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When I take photos with my 6 pro and edit the RAW files in Lightroom, my GPS location is still attached after I export the image. Perhaps you should check the settings in Lightroom (if that's what you use) when exporting the photo and see if it's off. I believe by default it is off. I used proshot a lot back in the day, but now I find it totally incomparable to google camera, not to mention buggy AF. But to each their own.

Bwyan Benton said:
When I take photos with my 6 pro and edit the RAW files in Lightroom, my GPS location is still attached after I export the image. Perhaps you should check the settings in Lightroom (if that's what you use) when exporting the photo and see if it's off. I believe by default it is off. I used proshot a lot back in the day, but now I find it totally incomparable to google camera, not to mention buggy AF. But to each their own.
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In my experience, the GPS location is only embedded in the JPG file that comes with the DNG file when using Google's camera app. I checked with several programs including ACDSee Ultimate (I switched from Lightroom years ago because of its better editing tools and no annual subscription). Btw, Google Photos also doesn't show the location of the DNG file but does for the JPG file.

stbxxl said:
In my experience, the GPS location is only embedded in the JPG file that comes with the DNG file when using Google's camera app. I checked with several programs including ACDSee Ultimate (I switched from Lightroom years ago because of its better editing tools and no annual subscription). Btw, Google Photos also doesn't show the location of the DNG file but does for the JPG file.
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Interesting, I'm looking at photos I took just yesterday, dngs and they have the location info attached in Google photos. As well as photos I took a few days ago.

Bwyan Benton said:
Interesting, I'm looking at photos I took just yesterday, dngs and they have the location info attached in Google photos. As well as photos I took a few days ago.
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Interesting indeed. I don't know what's different with my 6 Pro. I have never gotten location info for DNG files. When I use the 19 mm lens for RAW photos (not supported by 3rd party apps) I also copy the JPG file into ACDSee Ultimate and copy and paste its metadata into the DNG file. Not a big deal, but why is this necessary (at least for my setup)?

stbxxl said:
Interesting indeed. I don't know what's different with my 6 Pro. I have never gotten location info for DNG files. When I use the 19 mm lens for RAW photos (not supported by 3rd party apps) I also copy the JPG file into ACDSee Ultimate and copy and paste its metadata into the DNG file. Not a big deal, but why is this necessary (at least for my setup)?
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I just went back to the beginning of Feb looking through photos, not all of them were dngs, but I know which ones were, and they all have my location info attached. I like to have that as well as you, so know you have me double checking and making sure lol. But for me it's all there.

I've always used the google camera app when I'm in a hurry. Otherwise, I use
Camera FV-5