Smartphone good in low light?

**FatLazyContractor** · 8 December 2015, 12:36

Originally posted by rl4engc View Post

OK I know these threads are a bit boring/subjective, but am after recommendations for a smartphone that has a good camera. By that I mean good in low light, quick to activate etc.

Currently have an old HTC Sensation which I like but the camera is below par (get a weird purple glow on highlights, crap in low light) I do have a good DSLR but as the saying goes the best camera is the one you have with you, and I've come to realise I'm missing good impromptu shots of rl4.Jr as they come out all blurred or (if you use flash) stark and horrible.

Not bothered about age of phone, megapixels etc. Not Apple though. Possibly Samsung but I notice the screens always seem to have a blue tint to them? Any recommendations from /gen/ ?

Try Huawei. Excellent phones.

**rl4engc** · 8 December 2015, 12:41

Originally posted by FatLazyContractor View Post

Try Huawei. Excellent phones.

Nice one, got a specific model in mind? Also do they not come with Chinese trojans and malware embedded in the firmware?

**FatLazyContractor** · 8 December 2015, 12:43

Originally posted by rl4engc View Post

Nice one, got a specific model in mind? Also do they not come with Chinese trojans and malware embedded in the firmware?

I own the Dual SIM 4G model called Honor. £150 and I can't believe it lasted me a year now. High spec and low price

**d000hg** · 8 December 2015, 12:52

The Lumia range is the stand out for cameras, though you want to avoid new Windows 10 models as they have Windows 10!

My 1020 is pretty great. I basically never use the flash and photos come out great.

**OwlHoot** · 8 December 2015, 12:52

Originally posted by rl4engc View Post

OK I know these threads are a bit boring/subjective, but am after recommendations for a smartphone that has a good camera. By that I mean good in low light, quick to activate etc.

Currently have an old HTC Sensation which I like but the camera is below par (get a weird purple glow on highlights, crap in low light) I do have a good DSLR but as the saying goes the best camera is the one you have with you, and I've come to realise I'm missing good impromptu shots of rl4.Jr as they come out all blurred or (if you use flash) stark and horrible.

Not bothered about age of phone, megapixels etc. Not Apple though. Possibly Samsung but I notice the screens always seem to have a blue tint to them? Any recommendations from /gen/ ?

Arguably, you'll never find a smartphone that takes good quality pics in low light, simply because it doesn't have the aperture.

You'd be better off getting a separate compact digital camera, like a Sony or Canon, with a larger lens.

**WTFH** · 8 December 2015, 12:52

Why not Apple?

Anyway, ignoring prejudice...

Panasonic Lumix CM1 - 20Mp, 1"

This is the smartphone with the biggest sensor and the biggest pixels (so it's best in low light), it's also made by a camera manufacturer.

**d000hg** · 8 December 2015, 12:56

Originally posted by OwlHoot View Post

Arguably, you'll never find a smartphone that takes good quality pics in low light, simply because it doesn't have the aperture.

Isn't this where the oversampling comes in on modern chips (like the PureView used in Lumias)? Or is that for something else?

**OwlHoot** · 8 December 2015, 12:59

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

Isn't this where the oversampling comes in on modern chips (like the PureView used in Lumias)? Or is that for something else?

Hmm, not sure. I don't claim to be an expert, but it seems fairly obvious (even if possibly wrong) that a lens the size of a pea will never take as good pictures in low light as a much larger lens.

**WTFH** · 8 December 2015, 13:12

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

Isn't this where the oversampling comes in on modern chips (like the PureView used in Lumias)? Or is that for something else?

Allegedly it's for that, but all it does is allow a manufacturer to claim lots of megapixels. Most people are hung up on megapixels (more must be better).

So, take a 40Mp sensor and to "improve the image quality", combine 4 pixels into one. You end up with a 10Mp image which isn't as good as a 10Mp image taken with a 10Mp sensor of the same size, but is better than a 40Mp image taken with a 40Mp sensor of that size.

The Lumia 1020's sensor is about 1/4 the size of a crop dSLR or about 1/15th the size of full frame. The Panasonic's sensor is 2x the size of the Lumia.

Smartphone good in low light?