Decent camera phone...

D

Digital Viper-X-

[H]F Junkie
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I'm looking for something that can function as a decent camera as well...

Apart from the Lumia 1020, 1520 and 930, what other options are there?

How is the Nexus 5 as a camera? - N5 is out
Iphone 5c?
(Platform doesn't matter too much right now)
 
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I don't have much to offer for suggestions apart from stay FAR away from the Nexus5 if the camera is a major reason for purchasing. I and many of my friends own one and none of us are happy with it.
 
criccio said:
I don't have much to offer for suggestions apart from stay FAR away from the Nexus5 if the camera is a major reason for purchasing. I and many of my friends own one and none of us are happy with it.
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Thanks, took it off my list.
 
budget/other requirements/carrier/etc?

otherwise i'll just say S6/6+/6
 
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I am very happy with the camera of my xperia z2 (z3 has the same sensor), automatic mode in sony roms is not very good but manual mode works fine. i use an app called camera fv5 instead of sony camera and it's even better. the phone is also waterproof and you can take pictures underwater as an added bonus :)

Edit: there is a nice thread on xda where you can check pictures taken with the phone.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2670920
 
My sister and brother in law are both photographers and were pretty impressed with the galaxy note 4. One of them has an iphone 6 and admitted the other beat theirs. The iphone 6 doesn't even have ois. Note 4 definitely beats any iphone IME. The S6 is claimed to be pretty good as well.
 
Sorry, budget would be $300 or less. I'll look at the xperia

It should work on wind mobile. (AWS)
 
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Why not the lumia 930? Pretty amazing camera. And it's snappier than my 1020.
Also very good video and very accurate colors (sometimes my 1020 messes those up).
 
Go down this list and match one that fits your budget. It's not complete but it's a start.

http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles

Another option is Moto G 2014 which does really well in blind camera tests and is ~$180 and as low as ~$150 on sale. Just make sure to get the US model that supports AWS.
 
Just saw your budget. OPO takes decent shots. Some of those Chinese phones are also decent, like the new Meizu, but I don't know about Wind compatibility. (I do believe most Chinese phones could roam on AT&T.) Maybe go for an used iPhone 5S (instead of 5C)? Also, rumors suggest that the new Moto X 2015 is coming soon with Motorola putting a great deal of effort on making the camera better. (and didn't Motorola only want $400 brand new?)

No budget: I would recommend LG G4, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 6. And in that order.
 
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I've used them all and Apple's phones continue to push out the best looking pictures due to how great their processing is. I can achieve better pictures with many Android phones - But it requires that I have the time to play around with the manual adjustments. When I take pictures with my phone it's 99% of the time an on the fly thing, and I don't have time to screw around with adjusting things. The iPhone's auto mode is just the best there is.

It's already June. So at this point I'd just wait a few more months for the new iPhone, and newer Android phones and make your decision then.

I'd have personally gone iPhone 6 this time around if it weren't for the fact that the camera isn't flush with the chassis. Such a stupid design decision, and I really hope it's fixed with the new iPhone somehow.
 
Mchart said:
I've used them all and Apple's phones continue to push out the best looking pictures due to how great their processing is. I can achieve better pictures with many Android phones - But it requires that I have the time to play around with the manual adjustments. When I take pictures with my phone it's 99% of the time an on the fly thing, and I don't have time to screw around with adjusting things. The iPhone's auto mode is just the best there is.

It's already June. So at this point I'd just wait a few more months for the new iPhone, and newer Android phones and make your decision then.

I'd have personally gone iPhone 6 this time around if it weren't for the fact that the camera isn't flush with the chassis. Such a stupid design decision, and I really hope it's fixed with the new iPhone somehow.
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To be fair, the newest Android phones are finally getting to the consistently good photo quality that Apple has had for the past few years, like the Galaxy S6 and G4.

The problem with these phones, and waiting for the next iPhone, is that they're all well outside of the OP's budget. I'd steer him toward the iPhone 5c, 2nd-gen Moto G or OnePlus One if he's looking for decent photo quality on a budget.
 
iPhone 6 plus has the best camera (I think) on any smartphone. Thanks to apps you can get really into its capabilities. Its also very good at automatically snap and shot kind of situations and also excellent with situations that lack enough lighting. It was better than my previous which was a Note 4. Sony makes the senors for Samsung and Apple and they are certainly a cut above the rest.

I've heard the LG G4 has a nice camera but the G2 had just an "ok" camera.
 
If budget wasn't constrained, then I'd say the LG G3 or G4. The laser focus really does its job well and I've yet to see another smartphone take better pictures.
 
Aurelius said:
Pretty much. There's an ever-so-slightly larger battery, but it's basically a more colorful 5.
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There is one difference that will be important to him. The 5C has a better modem than the 5 (greater range of bands). Since he is using the frequency odd-ball Wind Mobile, he's going to want the 5C or a 5S.
 
Dew said:
There is one difference that will be important to him. The 5C has a better modem than the 5 (greater range of bands). Since he is using the frequency odd-ball Wind Mobile, he's going to want the 5C or a 5S.
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Yes, exactly, only the later model 5 will work on Wind, the 5c/5s/6/6+ all do.

6+ is way out of the budget of what I want to spend on this. 5S would probably be the top of what I want to spend, in that case, a G3 is not far from it in price.

I currently have a note 3, the camera on there is good enough for her as well, if that helps any.

IT is possible for me to upgrade my phone and give her this one as well come August
 
To be honest the older iPhone 5c will be your cheapest option. Getting older or low end Android phones will not be a good option, the software alone will piss you off.
 
Used 5S's are only $300-ish on ebay as well. Worth getting over the 5c as the camera is improved, and it's just a better phone.

But again, this is why I suggest waiting until September as if you do the price on all the current phones will drop another $100. A used 5S will be worth $200 at that point vs. $300.
 
Right now three way tie!


G3 ($350ish around here)
S5 ($350-$450 around here)
5S ($300-$450 around here)

the G3 is leading with it's OIS and awesome factor(Plus I might trade my note 3 for it!)
the 5S is in a smooth second with it's comfort factor (she is used to using an IPAD)
the S5 is if I don't find option 1 or 2 within a reasonable amount of time

BTW I'm in Canada, so prices will be different from the US market.

the only problem with the G3, is that I would need a D851, which is a US model, the one in Canada won't work with Wind it seems. just makes it a bit harder to find, might have to ebay it
 
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Digital Viper-X- said:
G3 ($350ish around here)
S5 ($350-$450 around here)
5S ($300-$450 around here)

the G3 is leading with it's OIS and awesome factor(Plus I might trade my note 3 for it!)
the 5S is in a smooth second with it's comfort factor (she is used to using an IPAD)
the S5 is if I don't find option 1 or 2 within a reasonable amount of time
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Note 3 camera scores about the same as G3 and they're both right behind the S5. 5S would be a significant downgrade as it's rated 11th compared to 5th S5.

http://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles

http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-LG-G3-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-S5-Galaxy-Note-3-iPhone-5s-LG-G2-Sony-Xperia-Z2-HTC-One-M8_id3728/page/7
 
The iPhone 5S is considerably better in low-light photography, I've found. Not that the S5 is terrible, but it was the weakest in darkness of all the flagships circa early 2014. That and it's subject to what I call the Samsung "twitch," where it's prone to blurring if you tap the shutter with a little too much enthusiasm. The Note 4 and S6 were the first Samsung phones I've used that could take consistently good photos.
 
For the person who said to avoid the Nexus 5... Maybe at first, but an update was released that made the Nexus 5 take VERY good pics. I've had mine since release, and it works quite well as a camera, aside from the slow focus.
 
A phone is still a phone, you'll have much better results with a decent compact camera which doesn't have to break the bank. That say'd, I think your best bet is an iPhone or possibly a Sony Z1/Z2 (not sure of the retail price in US) given your budget. LG and Samsung do perform well too but their software leaves much to desire in general.
//Danne
 
diizzy said:
LG and Samsung do perform well too but their software leaves much to desire in general.
//Danne
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Is this from experience or just something repeated? I switched from stock Kit Kat TouchWiz to CM12.1 (Lollipop 5.1.1) which is pretty much pure Android and while it's stable and prettier I'm thinking of switching back because it lacks some convenient features like refocus while recording a video, easier way to block numbers by long press and hold number from call history instead of manually inputting, etc. to name a few. The camera on stock TouchWiz just works in auto so I'm curious what people mean when they say otherwise.
 
I'm referring to the phone as a whole. Touchwiz has been redesigned several times now since the S2 and well, it's very cluttered with Samsung replacements of regular apps, design and whatnot. They also decided to go their own way on filesystems making phones stutter.... I honestly don't see the point in voiding warranty (flashing to a non official rom) just because you want something working decently.

LG is well, a nightmare. They're seeing very poor sales and software is buggy as well, avoid.

If you want value, go OnePlus, Huawei or Xiaomi. That said, I wouldn't have too high hopes about firmware upgrades and support.
//Danne
 
diizzy said:
I'm referring to the phone as a whole. Touchwiz has been redesigned several times now since the S2 and well, it's very cluttered with Samsung replacements of regular apps, design and whatnot. They also decided to go their own way on filesystems making phones stutter.... I honestly don't see the point in voiding warranty (flashing to a non official rom) just because you want something working decently.

LG is well, a nightmare. They're seeing very poor sales and software is buggy as well, avoid.

If you want value, go OnePlus, Huawei or Xiaomi. That said, I wouldn't have too high hopes about firmware upgrades and support.
//Danne
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I already have the Samsung Galaxy Camera, a pansonic point and shoot, had a DSLR before. a phone is the best compromise, 1 thing to charge, 1 thing to carry :) so it has to be a phone.
 
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