mobile photography technology, culture and community

www.dpreview.com

News Reviews Features Phones Tablets Cameras Apps Forums

Sony Xperia Z3 camera review

Lars Rehm | Published: Feb 24, 2015 at 21:47 UTC

143

Connect smartphone reviews are written with the needs of photographers in mind. We focus on camera features, performance and image quality.

Sony Xperia Z3 Product Images

1 / 6

Introduction

The Sony Xperia Z3 is the successor to the Xperia Z2 but - given Sony's very fast 6(ish) month product innovation cycle this is no surprise - is in terms of both camera specification and design more of an evolutionary update rather than a major overhaul.

The Z3's 5.2-inch 1080p Sony Triluminous display is the same size and resolution as its predecessor but now comes with X-Reality technology that automatically adjusts brightness and contrast for improved outdoor viewing. As you would expect, the handset's processor and other components have been upgraded for more computing power and on the Z3 the Android 4.4.4 operating system is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S801 quad-core SoC that is clocked at 2.5 GHz and 3GB RAM. Users can choose from 16 and 32GB memory options and there is a microSD slot if you need more space for images and video.

In terms of camera specs the new model comes with the same 20.7 MP resolution on a 1/2.3 sensor as its predecessor but the new G-lens offers a wider equivalent focal length of 25mm. As before, there is a 4K video recording mode. The Xperia Z3 has the same footprint as its predecessor but at 7.3mm is a touch thinner. The aluminum edges are also more rounded, giving the Z3 a smooth look. Like previous models in the Xperia Z series the Z3 is water and dust-proof. Read our full review to find out how it performs as a mobile imaging tool.

Key Photographic / Video Specifications:

20.7 MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor Mobile BSI CMOS Sensor
F2.0 aperture
25mm equivalent focal length
4K video-recording
2.2 MP front camera
LED flash

Other Specifications:

5.2-inch 1080p Triluminous display
Qualcomm Snapdragon S801 quad-core 2.5 GHz SoC
Android 4.4.4
16/32GB storage
3GB RAM
microSD-support
3100 mAh battery
Environmental protection (IP65/68)

Our 9-page review

We've considered every aspect of the Sony Xperia Z3 camera, with the photographer in mind. We examined the user interface of the native camera app and its special features. We experimented with the camera's performance when taking stills and video, and had a play with the device's many special feature modes. Click any of the links below for more information of specific functions and continue to our conclusion for a final summary of our findings.

PAGES

Next page: Design & Hardware

Comments

Total comments: 143

Xperia Z3 has a very good camera. Not comparable by today APS-C or full frame digital standard but for a compact device it is good. I remembered my 1st digital camera from Konica Minolta. It was a Dimage Z3, 4MP with a very capable zoom lens. Still bigger than this Xperia Z3 but takes crappy pictures. In short, mobile device camera has gone a very long way with a lot of features now. I don't carry my mirrorless everyday with me, instead I carry my phone with a very capable camera now. You can get very good pictures from a phone if you are taking pictures and not being too concern about your hardware. Taking picture is an art not science. Use your imagination more than your hardware and you will create something beautiful. So quit complaining and start taking pictures.

0 upvotes

Almost everything is better than more than a decade old P&S.

We are "complaining" because the Z3 clearly has lens QC issues and also lacks some, as of early 2015, essential features like OIS.

0 upvotes

4k = automatic win

0 upvotes

Sorry my bad.. looks like something came up today.. like 20 hours too late.. Nice work dpreview!

0 upvotes

Hm.. not even a note about the the galaxy s6 / S6 Edge on this whole site... Something is seriously wrong with the people behind this site..

0 upvotes

I dropped my less than 1 week old Z3. I blame myself for this. But this phone got buttons all ariund the edge of the phone. I was tiing a photo, in trying to avoid touching any buttons on my he edge, i dropped the phone 3 ft height, the screen cracked. Sent to Sony for repair. Sony reurned the phone with h a note: "cannot be repaired to within asony quality standars.

0 upvotes

so your point is that the warranty on your Z3 only covers repairs and not replacements?

0 upvotes

Theres only 3 buttons on the phone, just like any other phone. Power, volume, camera. A drop from 3 ft would not destroy a z3.

0 upvotes

sorry to hear you dropped your phone but the Z3 has exactly the same number of buttons as the vast majority of Android phones. I actually think it is one of the better phones to hold when using as a camera, simply because it is so boxy. I am not sure what it means that it cannot be repaired to Sony standards but I am sure you find an independent repair shop that is happy to replace the screen for you, or even do it yourself with a screen from ebay. That's probably the most cost effective solution and there are usually how-to videos available on youtube.

0 upvotes

Do any of these phone cameras now matter since the Panasonic CM1 is here.

0 upvotes

you assume the CM1 is being sold at a price everyone is willing to spend for

0 upvotes

The CM1 is more of a camera with a built-in phone rather than the other way around. It's a great camera but I am not sure I wanted it as my everyday phone.

0 upvotes

"Do any of these phone cameras now matter since the Panasonic CM1 is here."

The CM1 is vastly(!) overpriced and, in many regards, underspecced, compared to the currently best phone cameras - for example, it can't shoot 4K video at 30 fps, doesn't have OIS etc. And I haven't even talked about the slightly underspecced phone hardware and the size.

That is, currently, it's not really an alternative to the likes of Note4 as a generic phone, unless you absolutely need the best IQ and don't want OIS / 4K.

0 upvotes

Why is the CM1 not suited as an everyday phone? Is the phone spec really that bad? or is it just too thick?

0 upvotes

he said it's not suited as an everyday phone for him, because everyone has preferences. there may be some who will tolerate or even appreciate the cm1 as an everyday phone.

0 upvotes

"Why is the CM1 not suited as an everyday phone? Is the phone spec really that bad? or is it just too thick?"

Well, if I have to choose between the Note4 and the CM1, I'd go for the former. It has better overall hardware (including Lollipop support) and has, *for me*, a much more useful (albeit, of course, lower-quality) camera: 4K, OIS, dual camera. (If I know I'd take quality shots, I take my Fuji X-E1 with me. And I also have my 808 with me all the time in offline mode.)

Hope the CM2 will have proper 4K, Xenon and OIS. With high-end phone hardware (Qi, huge RAM, large-res screen etc.)

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 11 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Well, some of us carry a camera AND a phone everywhere. So, no matter how large the CM1 is, it MUST be smaller than carrying two devices. And from what I have seen, the CM1 is at least as good as other current 1" system cameras - which is to say - pretty freaking good - and much much better than your average cell phone camera.

0 upvotes

Yup, the CM1, as I've also pointed out above, has excellent IQ. It's another question the entire device is half-baked and I in no way would purchase it today. 4K video at 15 fps? (I love shooting 4K videos on my Note4.) No OIS (a must for video)? Not exactly top-end phone hardware (as opposed to the Note4)? Thanks, but no thanks, particularly not for 900 euros.

Hope the next iteration will be better. Up until then, I stick with the Note4 + 808 (+ X-E1) duo/trio. While neither the Note4 nor the 808 can achieve the stills IQ of the CM1, in video (4K) and features like dual camera (which I just love), the Note4 is clearly better. And the Fuji X-E1, with the 18-55 kit zoom, takes orders of magnitude better images, while still pretty much portable & compact, than the CM1 so I don't feel I lose much.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Well, I guess the CM1 can't be all things to all people. Not sure how the hardware is "half-baked", but the camera certainly isn't. And yeah, the CM1 will never beat a dedicated camera in IQ - well maybe some of the small cheap ones, but anything with a larger sensor - no. But, for people more into photography than smart phones, this one solves the problem of the crappy camera in most phones (well all phones until now).

0 upvotes

"Not sure how the hardware is "half-baked", but the camera certainly isn't. "

4K video at 15 fps - an immediate dealbreaker for me. (The Note3 could shoot 4K at 30 fps even 1.5 years ago...) And the lack of OIS is also a big problem.

0 upvotes

4k vid - on a 1/2.3" sensor - no thanks. I would rather have just HD video on a 1" sensor that has much better optical properties and sensor performance.

0 upvotes

Well, actually, the 16 (20) -> 8 Mpixel downsampling itself helps circumventing the issues of the not tack sharp smartphone lenses with both the Note4 and any other smartphone. For example, the 41 Mpixel Nokia 808 has a pretty soft lens on the pixel level. Downsampled the image to, say, 8 or 12 Mpixels, they are tack sharp. (Of course, the 808 was just an example of still downsampling, as it can't shoot 4K video.)

And yes, the Note4, as with its predecessor, can shoot extremely sharp video. Even DPR themselves praised the IQ of the Note3's 4K mode back in 2013.

Finally, smartphones generally don't suffer from aliasing / moire in their video mode. Not so with larger-sensor cameras. My Fuji X-E1 (or, for that matter, any Fuji X system camera, except for the Bayer-sensored, bargain A1) shoots awful video and even the 2010 iPhone4's footage is much better, let alone newer flagships.

0 upvotes

And the 4K recording of the Note4, paired with the pretty nice OIS, is excellent. (Apart from the microphone, which is a far cry away from those of the 808 WRT high-volume recording.) Last time, I shot some university ceremony for a friend with the Note4 (it wasn't a commercial assignment so shooting with the Note4 wasn't a problem). My friend was astonished at being able to actually zoom in the footage during playback and still having excellent detail level. Unlike with Full HD footage, naturally.

0 upvotes

well, downsampling and sharpening are no substitute for good optics. I have seen two comparisons between the 808 and the CM1 - the CM1 is clearly a sharper instrument. That may not be so important for video - but - the CM1 sensor also clearly had more dynamic range than the 808 - and that should be important to video people.

0 upvotes

Yup, DR is important. But 15 fps at 4K is just insufficient. I'd far more go for the 4Kp30 Note4 than the (significantly more expensive and, WRT its phone hardware, less-specced and OIS-less) 4Kp15 CM1. The 4K mode of the Note4 is more than sufficient for social and other not-that-demanding shots, particularly if you use third-party apps to avoid any kind of excess noise reduction / oversharpening and shoot at 48 (non-rooted) / 200 (rooted & hacked) Mbps.

0 upvotes

Well, I guess everyone is willing to make different compromises. It is great that there are choices. I am not so concerned about video, stills are more important to me. And I also do not care about having the latest and greatest smart phone hardware. So if a "less-specced" phone provided a better phone camera - that would be fine by me.

0 upvotes

The whole right side of the image is totally blurry on the 8MP samples WTF!

0 upvotes

Camera review? Surely this is a phone review that is focused on the image capture function? I have no beef with the device but it ain't a camera, at best an electronic and very capable Swiss army knife.

0 upvotes

it is a phone that has a camera built in and we are reviewing the features and functions of that camera.

1 upvote

"it ain't a camera, at best an electronic and very capable Swiss army knife."
- is it so hard to read the first sentence? "Connect smartphone reviews are written with the needs of photographers in mind. We focus on camera features, performance and image quality."

2 upvotes

It is the same as reviewing a good old P&S, the only thing that bugs you is the fact that we can call with this device.

2 upvotes

As previously stated I have no beef with the device, I don't have an issue that you can make a call with it. I respect your view that it is like reviewing a point and shoot. I don't agree that they are the same thing. A P&S can't surf the net, receive emails and make calls and a plethora of other things. I don't like mobile phones myself, mostly because of the socially negative impact they have. For example, phone zombies walking into you in the street because they are using their phones and are insensible to the world about them, couples taking their mobiles out and not each other to dinner or to the pub, people texting in meetings, dis-attending to a speakers while texting, or using in school/college classes, while driving causing accidents and deaths. Mobile phones suck from my point of view. I suspect I have a minority view point on this but this technology is more socially regressive than progressive.

0 upvotes

"I suspect I have a minority view point on this but this technology is more socially regressive than progressive."
- but that wasn't in your original statement. you said "...but it ain't a camera..." which has nothing to do with the subject of phones being socially regressive technology. you're just changing the topic.

0 upvotes

Yes you are right, I have added another element to the discussion, but not without first setting out why I think there is a difference between cameras and mobile phones with an image capturing function. I find it sinister that this function has more profile than the erratic networks the suppliers use, more holes than a Swiss cheese with poor reception and signal drop offs. Perhaps putting a sweetie in the bag for consumers is another way of justifying the ridiculous tarrifs folks are charged for a mediocre phone service. Call it a camera and you have the illusion of added value, except it's not a camera. The Sony R100 series for example is a camera and pocketable and takes better photographs than any current phone.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

then you don't understand why Connect is a mobile photography site. it does not review cameras, and you need to comprehend that first sentence.

0 upvotes

Thanks w50, I do understand, the review is titled "Sony Xperia camera review". Perhaps I am being pedantic about the use of the word camera.

0 upvotes

My Sony Xperia Z3v has image stabilization as an option in manual mode in settings and it works quite well. I have seen the specs for the Z3 and it does too. Are you sure you got this right, DPR?

1 upvote

Many other reviews state lack of image stabilization and DPR lists it as a con here. It's there, so please don't copy and paste from other reviews.

0 upvotes

Copy and paste? The Z3 has digital image stabilization. What I have listed as a con is the lack of optical stabilization which is way more efficient and the Z3 definitely does not have.

0 upvotes

Lars, I see the difference now. Sorry

1 upvote

Nice 4K Video but what about the quality of audio ? Separate audio recording with ext. pro mic's + digital audiorecorder and edit it together or make 4K Movies and remove/don't use the org. audio and use background sound in editing ?

0 upvotes

How old is this review?

"With a DxOMark Mobile score of 79 the Sony Xperia Z3 takes the number two spot in the DxOMark smartphone rankings, placing itself just behind the Samsung Galaxy S5 and in front of its own predecessor, the Xperia Z2."

DxOMark have iPhone 6 and 6+ at the top of smartphone chart since Sep 23, 2014.

As for Z3, I don't understand how SONY keep screwing up its mobile division. Z have bad screen, Z1 have ok screen yet still the non-removable film. Z2 and Z3 are a lot better but camera still far behind Apple and Samsung which uses SONY sensor.

0 upvotes

""With a DxOMark Mobile score of 79 the Sony Xperia Z3 takes the number two spot in the DxOMark smartphone rankings, placing itself just behind the Samsung Galaxy S5 and in front of its own predecessor, the Xperia Z2.""

This exactly shows why noone should take DxO seriously at least WRT mobile phones. This review itself proves the Z3 has pretty mediocre image quality and absolutely awful lens QC.

0 upvotes

apologies, my mistake, this is corrected now. The DxOMark report was first published as a stand-alone article before the iPhones were tested. As we usually do I have now integrated into our full review.

0 upvotes

This has turned into a Menneisyys Note4 cult show. Give us all a break on your favorite device. The Z3, Z3C and Z3v are excellent devices with hi res music, two day battery life and features that don't stop in a beautiful package with an excellent camera. Can you say waterproof too?

0 upvotes

PVCdroid, lolz, in the long thread below, "Papi61" called me an Apple iSheep because I've been stating all sweep pano-capable iDevices have better-quality panorama output than the Note4. Am I a Note4 fanboy, after all?

"excellent [Z3] camera"

Well, the review above proves the opposite. And not only because of the massive noise reduction and oversharpening. Can you say lens QC issues?

And I haven't even mentioned the lack of OIS - something the Note4 is *massively* better at.

"Can you say waterproof too?"

Theoretically. Too bad a large number of poor Z3 owners can *prove* the phone isn't really waterproof either.

0 upvotes

Get off your high horse and your phone that hasn't been rated. A 79 rating only bested by one phone makes it damn good despite the hatchet job here. I've had enough Samsung's to know this camera does very well for a smartphone. I've caught several trolls like you with phony stories on water leaks. The IP68 rating is from an independent agency. The underwater photography feature of this phone makes it a nice complement to my photography gear. I've used it in water several times. You should give your Note 4 a try underwater, today would be best.

You are obsessed and turning this into more than a great camera on a great phone with great battery life, the Z3 line. I'll say additionally that trolls like you have become a significant problem creating too many to overlook good phone products because you believe God himself has placed you on earth to convince others what to buy. These are magical devices compared to five years ago and it's more about what flavor and design people want. I never wanted a Note. Thanks anyway.

0 upvotes

"Get off your high horse and your phone that hasn't been rated."

Among others, Fuji X-Trans MILC cameras haven't been tested by DxO either (and likely will never be). Does this mean they're cr@ppy? Of course not.

"A 79 rating only bested by one phone makes it damn good despite the hatchet job here."

DxO's ratings have sometimes nothing to do with reality. For example, they don't at all reflect sample variance; in this case, major lens decentering issues. Not only on the Z3, but, as has been stated by other owners, previous Z-series flagships too (for example, the Z2).

0 upvotes

"You are obsessed and turning this into more than a great camera on a great phone with great battery life, the Z3 line. I'll say additionally that trolls like you have become a significant problem creating too many to overlook good phone products because you believe God himself has placed you on earth to convince others what to buy. "

I'm afraid it was YOU that act like a blind fanboy. You for example state the Z3 is waterproof. Too bad it's only theoretically waterproof and, after reading user reports, no sane person would take the Z3 in the bath with him/her.

Unlike your continuous praising your Z3, I did emphasize the BAD sides of the Note4. In this very comment section, I has even been constantly attacked by a member called "Papi61", who called me a blind Apple fanboy for stating Apple's iDevices have a better pano stitching algorithm than the Note4. Yeah, sure I'm a blind Samsung fanboy....

0 upvotes

I had 3 different Z2 phones. They all had faults.
Decentered camera lens, Front LCD cover glass not properly aligned, Camera overheating and 4K video recording shutting down after only 2 min. When I had surfed the internet or used instagram for approx. 15 min the phone was 50 degrees Celsius, so if I tried to capture a photo the app closed immediately because of overheating.
I also had very blurry corners or other parts of the frame depending oon where the focus were. One side of the photos were more blurry than the other.

Bought a Galaxy S5 since they took the phone(s) back.

I must say that the Xperia Z2's i had had a photo quality that is worse than my old Sony Ericsson Arc S camera in sharpness and percieved noise.

1 upvote

My Galaxy S3 had the same type of overheating issue you described. It turned out to be Google Maps and last month an update came that completely fixed my overheating. When using Google Maps in the car my phone would sometimes shutdown giving a thermal overheat warning.

One update of Maps and the problem was fixed so it was clearly an Android/Maps problem not directly related to Samsung.

Android battery management is a nightmare and one rogue app can suck your battery dry in an hour and make your phone overheat. It is sometimes hard to figure out which app is the issue and sometimes it is Google's own apps such as Maps post V6. The update process can change an app from well behaved to a battery sucking nightmare and only reinstalling the app from scratch fixes.

Power management is the biggest problem with Android and more often than not offending wakelocks cannot be attributed to a specific app so fixing can be a real pain. I don't know if new versions Android are better.

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

"Power management is the biggest problem with Android and more often than not offending wakelocks cannot be attributed to a specific app so fixing can be a real pain. I don't know if new versions Android are better."

Fortunately, on my KitKat, non-rooted, European Note4, I have never run into stale processes, "only" apps remaining using the CPU / GPS. The latter can easily be killed in the task manager.

With this in mind, I don't find Android to be worse than iOS. Just keep killing apps that turn out to continue using system resources after being minimized.

0 upvotes

True that does work and I do regularly kill apps, but about once every single two weeks some update or condition will arise that wipes my battery while it is locked and in my pocket. Sometimes a reboot fixes, sometimes another update and sometimes the app is identified with Better Battery Stats and uninstalled or reinstalled.

It is far too much work being a detective and killing tasks. Android should be able to automatically tell me what apps are keeping my phone awake. But often Google apps themselves are guilty so I guess Google doesn't want this. Google own battery tools are useless and even using Better Battery Stats your wakelocks end up being the the Deletedwakelocks category and untraceable.

If you don't have these issues that is great, but search Android drain battery on Google and see the party ,,,,,, ;)

That said OIS may be no better, but that is no excuse.

ANDROID needs a better power management system, which maybe they have now ... I still have my S3

0 upvotes

Sirandar, dunno. I must have been lucky with my stock Note4 (purchased it in October) not to have encountered any situations like that. That is, it's not an Android problem per se, but, I assume, a poorly written model-specific hardware driver.

0 upvotes

I would agree with you that not everyone has issues .... it depends on how you use your phone and whether you allow updates or not. Not allowing updates greatly reduces this problem as the updating process is also buggy, but if you don't update you don't get improvements and security fixes.

Using your phone as a multimedia device also increases this problem because having bluetooth on all the time eventually causes battery issues. Having a large music collection also causes issues unless you use Poweramp and set it up just right.

Not installing any apps greatly reduces this problem but does not eliminate it as Google Apps are sometimes the biggest culprit (Maps post V6) But not installing apps is like having a car and not driving it ... pretty pointless.

0 upvotes

Actually Google needs to BOTH improve the power management model so any app that is keeping the phone awake is clearly identified AND the update process needs to be fixed so the end user doesn't get any 1/2 installs that kill you battery. Perhaps only forcing a reboot before and after updates is the only way to fix ..... just like Windows

This would be a pain but not nearly as much as playing detective to find that on app that was improperly updated. In the life of my Samsung S3 bad updates have caused battery and usability issues at least 10 times and uninstalling and reinstalling an app fixed immediately. Sometimes just rebooting fixes.

Most people just look at their phone and only play games and call. My phone is almost a primary computing device ..... when you use your phone like that issues are common.

That said Google finally fixed Maps and Gmail/calendar has also achieved stability and usefulness for me .... a good direction

0 upvotes

And the canned answer "just factory reset your phone" is no answer. It took takes ages to get my phone the way I like it and I simply won't factory reset. I would throw my phone away first and switch OS.

Factory reset is a convenient way for Google and carriers to hide their sloppiness.

Because I do things with my phone that few do I have had a huge number of issues and have factory reset my phone only once. Android does not require a factory reset and devs/carriers/Google recommend this because they don't want to fix their issues.

Every single issue but 2 I have had was eventually fixed by an update or uninstalling/reinstalling an app without factory resetting. One was fixed by a reset and one related to fast dormancy will never be fixed because it is caused by both the carrier and the phone.

PS I post here because Google is more likely to see it here than on their own broken and decimated forums ...... lol

Comment edited 4 times, last edit 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

"I would agree with you that not everyone has issues .... it depends on how you use your phone and whether you allow updates or not. Not allowing updates greatly reduces this problem as the updating process is also buggy, but if you don't update you don't get improvements and security fixes."

Dunno - my Note4 is receiving auto-updates and I've installed tons of Amazon / PlayStore apps on it. (Granted, I don't use many of them and, for most of the time, I only use the camera, the stock Web browser, the mailer and S-health in it. I haven't enabled services like S-Voice.)

0 upvotes

I only experienced overheating oroblems when using data before using the camera or using the camera for about 5 minutes.

As a side note I just upgraded my S5 to Lollipop and experienced that the battery didn't last as long as before even though google claimed so. Anyway I reset my phone and started from scratch and now it works.

Greetings David

0 upvotes

I knew about red eye correction, but nose reduction?! ;)

1 upvote

It's a new, useful feature to be used for people with abnormally large noses.

3 upvotes

if you've been a Dpreview reader for a long time you will know that this not my first "nose gate"....I'll go and find this error now and correct it :)

2 upvotes

how is Z3 camera compared Galaxy Note4?

0 upvotes

The Note4 doesn't seem to suffer from lens QC issues. Its lens is consistently good (at least I haven't seen any Note4 with a decentered lens.)

Also, it's possible to access the camera hardware on the Note4 (on ones based on the Snapdragon 805 CPU), which allows for almost-RAW images. It's unknown whether this is possible on Z3's - I have no specific information on the latter. Assuming it's not possible on the Sony, the Note4 gains a HUUUUGE advantage.

Finally, the pano mode of the Note4 is *much* better than that of the Z3. (Nevertheless, it's still significantly worse than that of any iPhones or iPads. See my debate with Papi61 at the very bottom of this page. You really won't want to use the Note4 for sweep pano shooting.)

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 1 minute after posting

2 upvotes

Thanks for detailed response. I have not compared my Note4 with other phones, but compared to my Nikon DSLR, Note4 still image quality is outstanding (video quality, at 1080p and 4K, is excellent).

0 upvotes

Galaxy S5 is so much better than the Z2 and since the Z3 according to this review is same lousy quality it's the same regarding the Z3 and S5.

0 upvotes

Own this phone, will be interesting to see how the images can be edited with Android 5 which should be released for this phone very shortly (probably start of March). Will allow for RAW capture which might improve matters considerably.

2 upvotes

Note that not all Lollipop devices get RAW access. For that matter, very few of them; for example, none of Samsung's handsets. Currently, it's unknown whether Sony does include RAW support in their Lollipop upgrade.

1 upvote

Thanks for that info Menneisyys. Fingers crossed they do grant it.

0 upvotes

Please quit it both of you. This is not GSMArena. Brag about android or apple or superiority there. We discuss photgraphy here.

0 upvotes

Good technology ruined by too many megapixels.

1 upvote

The megapixels themselves wouldn't be THAT big a problem. Let me point out that the Samsung Note 4 "only" has four megapixels less; still, it produces, with some third-party apps, absolutely fabolous images. Not beating the Nokia 808, not even the 1020, but clearly more detailed, less smeared etc. on the pixel level than iPhones in stills mode - or, for that matter, any Sony phones.

The Achilles' heel of this phone seems to be the lens with its very bad QC. And, as always with all 20 Mpixel Sony smartphones, the very strong in-camera noise reduction & oversharpening.

Comment edited 28 seconds after posting

1 upvote

Menneisyys, I concur. I own a Note 4. It's has the best smartphone camera right now. the lens is a big factor for the Z3. The Note 4 is better than iPhone 6 Plus in my opinion. It's a pity that DxO has explicitly decided to not review this phone. Why did they make this decision so early and why the reason to stand so firm with this decision? I just don't get it.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

1 upvote

"It's a pity that DxO has explicitly decided to not review this phone. Why did they make this decision so early and why the reason to stand so firm with this decision?"

Did they explicitly declare they won't review the phone?

0 upvotes

If it is any consolation I will try and review it before the new MWC models become available. Note 4 was only launched at IFA, so it is still fairly new.

0 upvotes

"If it is any consolation I will try and review it before the new MWC models become available. Note 4 was only launched at IFA, so it is still fairly new."

Just remember not to base your evaluation on the output of the stock Camera app. The Note4 is so much more capable of when using with an app capable of "tapping in" to the imaging pipeline before the unnecessarily strong noise reduction and oversharpening. (Regrettably, this is only possible on Snapdragon 805-based devices, and only via the app "Snap camera HDR". Also see my full articles posted to the Android subforum here at DPR, where I've elaborated on different aspects of the Note4 pretty thoroughly.) Then, the Note4 shines.

This also applies to the video mode of the stock Camera app, which also suffers from the noise reduction & oversharpening, meaning third-party apps are capable of producing much better results.

Comment edited 10 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Thanks Lars Rehm! Looking forward to it.

0 upvotes

@Menneisyys you've mentioned this before but I won't promise anything in this respect. In terms of testing we have to draw the line somewhere and if I tested all phones with several camera apps we'd probably publish one smartphone review per year :)

0 upvotes

"if I tested all phones with several camera apps we'd probably publish one smartphone review per year :)"

Currently, according to my comparative tests (I've tested all major Android photo apps on the Note4 - FV-5, OpenCamera, Google Camera etc.) it's only "Snap camera HDR" that is capable of circumventing the noise reduction and oversharpening. The almost-RAW images it's able of exporting (assuming you completely disable the pretty bad in-app sharpening and don't enable the, by default, disabled noise reduction, which is also pretty bad) are of much higher quality than those saved by the stock Camera app.

Given that, currently, the Note4 is the Android flagship and a lot of people would like to know what it's capable of and how it compares to the iPhone / WP phones, I think it indeed deserves some special treatment :)

0 upvotes

Ok, also just got the news that we will have DxO data for the Note 4 soon, hopefully by the end of next week.

0 upvotes

A bit late, in fact very late....

1 upvote

Pretty handy review, since the Z4 model is supposedly launching next month.
"Strong blurring of detail through nose reduction (nose reduction - that's a UNIQUE one) across the ISO range"

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

3 upvotes

Sony replaces their top-end model every 6 months, so between getting your hands on a review model and producing a meaningful review you inevitably get close to the launch date of the successor. However, even if the Z4 is being launched next month, that doesn't mean it'll actually be available in the shops straightaway. In any case the Z3 will be available for quite some time longer.

1 upvote

Pretty mediocre as a smartphone camera. (Not to mention as a phone, particularly with the unsettling news of Sony's probably selling off their entire smartphone business, meaning a definite end of any official future firmware upgrades. Not that previous Sony models received that many upgrades...)

In addition to the usual stuff (bad oversharpening, watercoloring via the, at least in broad daylight, unnecessarily strong noise reduction), Sony really should improve their sweep pano mode. Heck, even Samsung's implementation is way better, which, in turn, can't hold a candle to that of Apple. And the decentered lens and bad front camera (the latter being particularly important in dual-camera modes (here: "Face In"), which I *love* on the Note4 and use a LOT for social shots)....

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 5 minutes after posting

1 upvote

BTW, the article doesn't elaborate on this: is there any way to have access to the image pipeline to access the image before the noise reduction? As it's a Snapdragon-based device, this might be possible via apps like "Snap camera HDR" even under KitKat.

I personally wouldn't bother with the OOC images of this phone (or, for that matter, that of my Samsung Note 4) - with RAW-like images, however, the situation is entirely different. On the Samsung Note 4, "Snap camera HDR", when properly configured to save almost-RAW images (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/general/shooting-light-best-image-quality-note-4-t3012008 ) and you are ready to invest some time in strictly desktop-based post processing you can get significantly better final images than with the stock Camera app.

0 upvotes

" which, in turn, can't hold a candle to that of Apple"

Not so sure of that. GSMArena compared the Note 4 and iPhone 6 plus in this regard and the Note 4 came out with better detail (also higher total MP count) and more accurate colors, similar amount of stitching errors (very little for both), the iPhone 6 plus has slightly better dynamic lighting control over a wide scene.

All in all pretty comparable, with benefits either way, depending on your demands.

1 upvote

I've very thoroughly compared the Note4 to the iPhone5 and the Air2. (The two of which shoots somewhat worse pano than the iPhone6+ because of the smaller sensor and, with the iPhone5, the fixed exppsure.) The iPhone5 / Air2 are *significantly* better in everything, particularly stitching. But even 1:1 per-pixel detail level is significantly better on the Apple shots (both the Air2 and the iPhone5, let alone the iPhone6(+)), even if you take into account that the iPhone5 has significantly lower-res panos. (But still outdoes the Note4.) I'll some day publish an article on all my findings.

BTW, I wouldn't always believe what GSMArena states. For example, their Note4 vs. iPhone6(+) comparison has some *major* factual errors showing the authors don't really understand photography. See my article on HDR shooting on the Note4 at http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55091339 for more info (search for "GSMarena" to quickly find the given part of the article.)

0 upvotes

The iPhone 6 uses a 2012 Sony chip. Which is the same now used by budget Android phones. The Note 4 uses a much improved and much more expensive 16mp chip from the same maker. It's funny how you believe the older chip is better. And guess what, it'll be the best in the world when Apple finally buys it at a tremendous discount because meanwhile Sony has released something better, which will be featured in the best Android phones.

It's no coincidence that while the iPhone 6 is the most expensive phone, it's actually the least expensive to build, because it largely uses obsolete technology. That explains Apple's ridiculously huge profits. But then again, Apple customers are easy to fool, just tell them that everything in the iPhone is the best and they'll believe it...

I guess you only trust the phony reviews you read in Apple Cult or Apple-paid publications...

4 upvotes

"Pretty mediocre as a smartphone camera."

LOL, yeah, right. In the reality distortion field, Sony's 2012 8mp camera chip (which is what Apple uses) is much worse than Sony's 2015 20mp camera chip.

Let me guess, this chip will be the best in the world as soon as Apple buys it at a bargain price because it's obsolete...

Priceless.

3 upvotes

The iPhone 6 might use an old sensor (I am actually not sure if this is true) but they certainly get very good IQ out of it and that's what counts. Most (but not all) of the higher res sensors in Android and Windows phones are not capable of resolving better detail than the 8MP sensor in the Apple.

0 upvotes

"The iPhone 6 uses a 2012 Sony chip. Which is the same now used by budget Android phones. The Note 4 uses a much improved and much more expensive 16mp chip from the same maker. It's funny how you believe the older chip is better."

*Yawn*

Please DO read my articles on achieving the best possible image quality with Note4 camera before posting such clueless feedback.

1, in the several articles I've published, I've often emphasized the Note4 produces better overall IQ than any iPhone (incl. the latest ones), assuming you do use almost-RAW saving (instead of the stock, absolutely bad Camera app)

2, I've also emphasized several times the Note4 has some essential features simply not possible/available on any iPhones (4K video, stereo audio, dual camera mode etc. - these features I very frequently use on my Note4 too.)

3, in my comments above, I *only* spoke of sweep panos and nothing else. In sweep panos, the Note4 is *significantly* worse than any iPhone / iPad.

Comment edited 58 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

"LOL, yeah, right. In the reality distortion field, Sony's 2012 8mp camera chip (which is what Apple uses) is much worse than Sony's 2015 20mp camera chip."

Man, check out these images in the article. While I'm not particularly fond of the camera in iPhones (again, I prefer the Note4 camera, shooting in semi-RAW mode and post processing on the desktop) apart from the sweep pano and the 240 fps slo-mo mode (both produce *significantly* better output than the Note4), I do need to state the iPhones have a *significantly* better lens-sensor combination than the Z3. If the lens softness (decentering?) issue is common with the Z3, then, it's practically useless for shooting. The generic softness on the right side is apparent even in the 8Mpixel superior auto mode, let alone the 20 Mpixel one. And after the very strong and detail-smearing noise reduction & sharpening. With near-RAW output, the results would be even more awful.

<cont'd below>

0 upvotes

Again, you're saying that Sony's 2012 8mp chip is better than Sony's 2015 20mp chip.

And to you it makes complete sense...

(facepalm)

1 upvote

"Most (but not all) of the higher res sensors in Android and Windows phones are not capable of resolving better detail than the 8MP sensor in the Apple."

LOL at you parroting Apple's propaganda. Like I said, Apple gets away with buying obsolete technology at bargain prices precisely because their gullible customers can believe anything. Like a cheap 2012 8mp chip from Sony being better than a very expensive 20mp chip from the very same manufacturer.

Do you even know that there are several budget Android phones using the very same obsolete 8mp chip? Oh yeah, Apple, as usual, sprinkles magic dust on their old components and bam, instantly they become the best in the world...

2 upvotes

<cont'd from above>

It must be stressed again that the sensor is only part of the equation. Lens quality and software processing also have a VERY strong effect on the end results. And, based on this article,

- the lens quality has a lot to be desired (decentering / softness issues)

- the OOC JPEG's are awful WRT noise reduction smearing & oversharpening (just like with the Note4, I should add).

In these two areas, iPhones are definitely better. I've had *several* iPhones but have never seen one with a decentered / particularly soft lens. Their lens quality and QA are pretty consistent. The OOC JPEG's aren't oversharpened / (too much) smeared either - in this regard, the Note4 / the Z3 are significantly worse, too.

Let me point out again that, with the Snapdragon 805-based Note4 at least, you can save almost-RAW's, which result in way better quality than anything achievable with the stock Camera app (or the iPhone in standard stills mode, I'd add).

0 upvotes

"Again, you're saying that Sony's 2012 8mp chip is better than Sony's 2015 20mp chip.

And to you it makes complete sense...

(facepalm)"

Could you please at least try to understand what I say?

1, newer-tech sensor itself doesn't guarantee better image quality
2, the Z3 is certainly let down by

a, lens quality / QA issues (see DPR's review above)
b, the very strong noise reduction / oversharpening. This could only be fixed by saving images BEFORE applying the noise reduction / oversharpening - the way I advocate with Snap805-based Note4's.

These latter two bullets have a very strong (and adversary) effect on the Z3's output images.

Again, the sensor is just part of the equation. Lens quality and processing also have a HUGE effect on the overall quality.

0 upvotes

"Could you please at least try to understand what I say?"

You're making ridiculous assumptions like Samsung having a worse quality control than Apple. Oh yeah, you've owned several iPhones, no doubt about it (I'm sure you wouldn't be caught dead using an Android...) But your anecdotal experience limited to a few phones doesn't mean that Apple has a perfect quality control. But hey, you know with absolute certainty that Samsung has a terrible QC and that's what you run with, real evidence be damned...

0 upvotes

Again, the only reason you review Android phones is to unfairly compare them to the iPhone and then tear them apart. Like all "reviewers", you pick an absolutely insignificant detail where Apple has the upper hand and make it all about that. When Apple had the resolution advantage with their MBP's, it was ALL about resolution. Now that Apple is getting crushed by a slew of new Windows laptops with a 4K screen, all of a sudden resolution is meaningless, and it's all about battery life... My goodness, you people are soooooo predictable...

Don't worry, that's what most American tech "journalists" do. I'm sure you're well aware that your career would be over in a New York minute if you dared to tell the truth about Apple products...

0 upvotes

"You're making ridiculous assumptions like Samsung having a worse quality control than Apple."

Nope. It's Sony that has terrible QC, at least when it comes to lens decentering issues. I've never stated Samsung has bad QC. WRT Samsung, I've "only" spoken of the, compared to Apple's implementation, significantly inferior sweep pano output quality but absolutely NOTHING else.

Again, please, VERY thoroughly read my posts before posting anything.

0 upvotes

"It's Sony that has terrible QC"

LOL, sure. And, of course, when Apple buys components from Sony, all they have to do is sprinkle a little magic dust on top and voila', no more faulty parts...

P.S. Apple doesn't make lenses either. As a matter of fact, they don't actually make anything.

2 upvotes

"Like all "reviewers", you pick an absolutely insignificant detail where Apple has the upper hand and make it all about that."

I bet I know 1000 times more about smartphone photogrphy than you. (And, for that matter, than the PhoneArena / GSM Arena folks.)

"I'm sure you're well aware that your career would be over in a New York minute if you dared to tell the truth about Apple products..."

You're referring to me? I'm in Europe, not in the US. And I only write articles for fun and for FREE, to help people. And no, I'm not on Apple's payroll. Otherwise, I wouldn't be publishing VERY-VERY long articles (did you even bother check them out? I seriously doubt it...) on getting the best possible image quality off the Samsung Note 4.

0 upvotes

"LOL, sure. [referring to my stating Sony has trashy QC]"

Did you read DPR's review above? They clearly state the lens of their Z3 had *major* decentering (softness) issues. Which is definitely a QC issue.

0 upvotes

"BTW, I wouldn't always believe what GSMArena states."

Yeah, everyone should just blindly believe you and your anecdotal evidence...

0 upvotes

"They clearly state the lens of their Z3 had *major* decentering (softness) issues. Which is definitely a QC issue."

So? They got a bad sample and that's what they reviewed, instead of notifying Apple (not really ethical... But then again, it's all about glorifying Apple and trashing any competitor...) Do you have any REAL evidence that every iPhone is perfect? I'm pretty sure that if you received a less-than-perfect iPhone for review you'd immediately notify Apple and ask for a better one. You know, one of those cherry picked for review...

0 upvotes

"Yeah, everyone should just blindly believe you and your anecdotal evidence..."

Are you trolling?! What "anecdotal evidence" is in my Note 4 HDR article, where I've very clearly *proved* GSMArena's Note4 HDR-specific comments being completely wrong? Or, for that matter, anything unexplained?!

Here's the article link again (here at the DPR forums): http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/55091339

Comment edited 4 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

"So? They got a bad sample and that's what they reviewed, instead of notifying Apple (not really ethical... But then again, it's all about glorifying Apple and trashing any competitor...)"

Why should DPR talk to Apple when it's Sony's handset they're reviewing?!

"Do you have any REAL evidence that every iPhone is perfect? I'm pretty sure that if you received a less-than-perfect iPhone for review you'd immediately notify Apple and ask for a better one. You know, one of those cherry picked for review..."

1, I don't review hardware. US-based reviewers are far faster than I (remember, I'm in Europe, meaning receiving everything much later) and, also, my mother tongue isn't English, which makes it much harder for me to address laymen (non-geeks).

2, on the other hand, as I know both the Android and iOS operating systems like the palm of my hand, including hardware, I post tons of geek tips and articles. See for example my detailed Note4 photography series here in the DPR forums.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

"Why should DPR talk to Apple when it's Sony's handset they're reviewing?!"

LOL, now who isn't reading whom? I said that DPR should have called Sony and notify them that they received a defective sample. And then I added that I'm 100% sure they would have done that if it were an Apple product.

Yes, of course, you are THE expert, and even people who do that for a living can't hold a candle to you, as you openly stated.

You should apply for a job at Apple, they're going to absolutely love your arrogance, as well as your devotion to the church...

0 upvotes

"LOL, now who isn't reading whom? I said that DPR should have called Sony and notify them that they received a defective sample. And then I added that I'm 100% sure they would have done that if it were an Apple product."

I really think you're trolling. You've posted the following about an hour ago:

"So? They [DPR] got a bad sample and that's what they reviewed, instead of notifying Apple (not really ethical... But then again, it's all about glorifying Apple and trashing any competitor...)"

You clearly talked about DPR's notifying *Apple* (and ask for a better review unit), not *Sony*.

0 upvotes

Pretty obvious that I typed Apple by mistake. But then again, it's typical of trolls to harp on such insignificant minutia...

0 upvotes

"Yes, of course, you are THE expert, and even people who do that for a living can't hold a candle to you, as you openly stated. "

Writing articles for a living doesn't necessarily mean being absolutely well versed in all related, covered topics. Not in the least. Have you seen the latest PhoneArena "blind test"? It has certainly shown the PA folks know absolutely nothing about photography.

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Galaxy-Note-4-dominates-our-blind-camera-comparison-beats-a-Canon-DSLR-and-the-iPhone-6-Plus_id66093

And, regrettably, GSMArena's articles are also full of factual mistakes WRT photography.

And those are only two examples of journalists posting cr@p. I could continue the list with other publications...

0 upvotes

"Pretty obvious that I typed Apple by mistake. But then again, it's typical of trolls to harp on such insignificant minutia..."

It's you that's trolling, not me. You've been twisting my words ever since the beginning. For example, right at start, you stated I had been trashing Samsung when I had "only" talked about Sony's Z3.

0 upvotes

You're trashing anything not made by Apple. That much is obvious. And further the incredible lies spread by the Apple propaganda, according to which a 2012 Sony chip is better than a 2015 much improved 20mp ones made by the same company.

You're talking about Apple's "perfect" QC based on your anecdotal experience of having owned a few. And we all know that if you had any issues with your iPhone, you wouldn't be telling us. Because that's what Apple fanboys do.

0 upvotes

"You're trashing anything not made by Apple. That much is obvious."

You're lying (or just trolling). I only stated Apple's sweep pano implementation is much superior to that of Samsung, let alone the cr@ppiest of all, Sony. I did NOT state Apple's implementation of other aspects of smartphone photography is much better. Not in the least. Please cite from me anything that proves the opposite.

"And further the incredible lies spread by the Apple propaganda, according to which a 2012 Sony chip is better than a 2015 much improved 20mp ones made by the same company."

Are you REALLY this dumb? Based on your user profile, you own tons of regular cameras (even high-end ones) so I really don't think you don't understand the importance of glass and software. Again, you can put the best sensor in any camera if you put lousy glass in front of it and process the sensor's output in a way that completely eradicates fine detail and introduces strong oversharpening halos.

0 upvotes

"And we all know that if you had any issues with your iPhone, you wouldn't be telling us."

Actually, as opposed to the very strongly pro-Apple American media (show me a clearly anti-Apple article on Gizmodo on Engadget, please!), I've very frequently posted absolutely negative posts / articles about Apple. For example, I've very frequently mocked their swelling batteries, overpriced-but-not-built-to-last cables, the absolutely bad HDMI / VGA output over their new Lightning connector, the absolutely ridiculous upgrade policy with some OS upgrades (e.g., the iPhone4's iOS7.x, the iPhone 3G's iOS 4.x etc.) making existing phones practically paperweights etc.

Show me any American mag that frequently posts negative stuff about Apple! You won't, I'm absolutely sure. I do.

0 upvotes

Menneisyys is from Finland.
He doesn't lie.
He doesn't troll.
It's in the genes of the Finns!
Please stop misreading him.

This debate is so pointless
that I'd put you BOTH away for a week to think
if ONLY I had the power.
AND
I do NOT agree on everything with Menneisyys
plus I think iOS is outdated and inferior

I have Lumia & Samsung phones
(and about a dozen feature phones+old&smart)

0 upvotes

"This debate is so pointless
that I'd put you BOTH away for a week to think
if ONLY I had the power."

Sorry, but I can't leave attacks on me unanswered. Papi61 has deliberately(?) misread my statements. I stated right from the beginning that it's the sweep panorama mode of all sweep pano-capable iDevices that I call better-implemented than those of both the Samsung Note4 and, of course, the Z3. (Also see what the DPR folks stated on the Z3's pano quality in the article.) I in no way called iDevices superior in every respect WRT smartphone photography.

0 upvotes

It's hard arguing what was presented by GSMArena, where the Note 4 pano's show more detail except for shadows for the same scene and similar amounts of errors (very few). Ignoring the usual yellow veil covering all iPhone 6 (plus) photos and videos.
Your findings aren't going to magically change that.

Comment edited 4 times, last edit 9 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Eample:
http://oi58.tinypic.com/10zd3ye.jpg

Now granted, one is oversharpened and the other needs more sharpening, but once you start adding sharpening to the iPhone 6 Plus pano, it falls apart long before it reaches similar levels of detail of the same objects, despite the slightly longer FL of the lens.

0 upvotes

I'll answer rather soon. I've decided to post a lot of comparative panos shot in full synchronization (the devices shot exactly the same image every time) between my iPhones / iPads and Note4 to prove my point.

0 upvotes

"He doesn't lie.
He doesn't troll." - would you say that about him if you read that he is negatively criticizing a product that he's never used and when there are people who disagree he gives them shameful names?

0 upvotes

Judging by the shadows, these were shot at the same time too and with no clouds in the sky, there's nothing left to be proven really (besides, why would we want to look at tablet output anyway, this is about phones and this is the current top model from Apple):
http://i57.tinypic.com/2qweno7.jpg

Leading to the conclusion that "can't hold a candle to the Apple pano's" is a wild exaggeration.

Comment edited 23 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

" would you say that about him if you read that he is negatively criticizing a product that he's never used and when there are people who disagree he gives them shameful names?"

You're lying. In the other thread, I only called iSheep people that *militantly* defend Apple in every way they can. And yes, you can safely state ANY pen-based product sucks on the iPad without even trying it. It's a CAPACITIVE touchscreen. Anyone that states an iPad is capable of as precise input as a Wacom / nTrig tablet doesn't know what he's speaking about - or, as I've stated above, is a militant iSheep.

0 upvotes

"Leading to the conclusion that "can't hold a candle to the Apple pano's" is a wild exaggeration."

This pano has just been posted to XDA:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59092856&postcount=364

It exposes the usual problems with the Note4 panos (apart from the watercoloring and oversharpening, in which, as you've also admitted, the iPhone is better): significantly worse stitching quality than those of iDevices. Just zoom into the leftmost about 30% of the pano, with the railing in the background - you'll see a lot of (minor, but still existing) stitching errors. This is what you won't see in an iDevice pano.

0 upvotes

I've started working on my article comparing the Note4 to Apple's implementation of sweep pano.

I stand by what I said: the Note4 has *significantly* worse stitching quality / reliability than any of Apple's pano-capable models.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

0 upvotes

" I only called iSheep people that *militantly* defend Apple in every way they can." - what's your definition of "militantly"? suffice to say that in the other thread, other people were consistently telling you that opinions weren't defending "Apple in every way they can" as you put it.

0 upvotes

"you can safely state ANY pen-based product sucks on the iPad without even trying it." - but that's not what you said. you said "DPR shouldn't even dedicate front-page articles to such junk."

0 upvotes

"Anyone that states an iPad is capable of as precise input as a Wacom / nTrig tablet" - and exactly who said this?

0 upvotes

""you can safely state ANY pen-based product sucks on the iPad without even trying it." - but that's not what you said. you said "DPR shouldn't even dedicate front-page articles to such junk.""

Indeed they shouldn't. There are MUCH more interesting and *serious* subjects out there, looking for the DPR staff to report / publish reviews / tutorials on. Anything iPad & pen-based is simply not worth publishing as, again, anyone seriously into tablet pen-based input won't bother with the iPad. This app (just like with any other pen apps on the iPad) a very expensive but still, compared to the active input methods, pretty much useless toy. This is why consider it a waste of time and energy to even bother with publishing articles on anything iPad + pen.

Comment edited 55 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

"Indeed they shouldn't." - is it rational to think that you can decide how to do DPR staff's job?

"Anything iPad & pen-based is simply not worth publishing as, again, anyone seriously into tablet pen-based input won't bother with the iPad." - you're the spokesperson for every serious pen user now?

0 upvotes

"compared to the active input methods, pretty much useless toy"
- can you say how long you tried the astropad before you "compared" that it is useless to active input methods?

0 upvotes

"can you say how long you tried the astropad before you "compared" that it is useless to active input methods?"

I indeed haven't tried it. However, I've tested several also-"revolutionary" pen solutions on the iPad before. NONE of them worked properly. One must be a masochist to try to make them work instead of just getting a Wacom/nTrig-enabled tablet, even if only for some sporadic use. (Generally, I only use my TC1100 for pen-based drawing and iPads for everything else.)

0 upvotes

" is it rational to think that you can decide how to do DPR staff's job?"

I find it pretty much useless to report on anything iPad + pen input. There are a LOT more interesting subjects for us mobile and/or tablet users. For example, reviews of new flagship devices like the Note4 (or, in this case, the Z3).

0 upvotes

"There are a LOT more interesting subjects for us mobile and/or tablet users." - now you believe yourself to be the spokesperson for mobile users in connect and that everyone shares the same opinions as you do

0 upvotes

"I indeed haven't tried it. However, I've tested several also-"revolutionary" pen solutions on the iPad before." - by your logic, you can evaluate every new product based on the performance of past ones

0 upvotes

"by your logic, you can evaluate every new product based on the performance of past ones"

Again: you can't expect miracles from a, by default, flawed technology. ANYTHING pen-based is bound to be cr@ppy compared to active solutions.

0 upvotes

"now you believe yourself to be the spokesperson for mobile users in connect and that everyone shares the same opinions as you do"

Look, I bet the vast majority of Connect users are far more interested in, say, new reviews of flagship cameraphones or tips-and-tricks articles of new *real* photography apps (like for example "Photo Mate R2" on Android), than an article on a new but, because of the underlying technology, bound-to-fail "revolutionary" pen technology.

0 upvotes

"than an article on a new but, because of the underlying technology, bound-to-fail "revolutionary" pen technology." - so you are willing to box out a minority of users. you've made it clear that you have closed your mind on a product based on your past experiences with other ones that you classify as similar. do you apply the same discriminatory profiling in other aspects of your life?

1 upvote

"It exposes the usual problems with the Note4 panos (apart from the watercoloring and oversharpening, in which, as you've also admitted, the iPhone is better):"

That's not a comparison, that's a singled out example. I can post iPhone 6 (plus) panos too with stitching errors and faults. That tells us exactly nothing in relative terms. And I didn't admit that the iPhone does better at the things mentioned at all, that would be a fallacy or bad reading on your end. I specifically stated that the Note 4 oversharpens and the iPhone 6 understharpens. But I also said that the iPhone still comes with more artifacts, which becomes apparent when you do add sharpening. The watercolor effect is actually much more prominent in iPhone samples of the same size, which in part explains the above problems when you start sharpening.

0 upvotes

This is another direct comparison where the Note 4 wins:
http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-4-vs-iPhone-6-iPhone-6-Plus-Sony-Xperia-Z3-LG-G3-Galaxy-S5-Galaxy-Note-3_id3822/page/5
Notice the paintery watercolor effect in the iPhone pano (similar to its regular pictures) and less usable detail. Similarly low in stitching errors.

And here's some iPhone 6 panto's with clear stitching errors both on the left (brick wall) and right side (frames around glass):
http://i.imgur.com/WsDmr.jpg
Or this, even at this small size there are tons of errors visible in the metal fences, etc.:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rt425/15218947890/sizes/k/

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 7 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

"That's not a comparison, that's a singled out example. I can post iPhone 6 (plus) panos too with stitching errors and faults."

Sure, iDevices make stitching errors too. It's just that those errors are a bit more apparent in the Note4 shots.

I've made tons of synchronized tests between various iDevices (except for the 5s/6/6+) and Note4's. The Note4 does exhibit more stitching errors, mostly because of the significantly lower sampling frequency it uses. (When shooting *sweep* panos, the higher sensor sampling frequency, the better.) And it can't outresolve even the old iPhone5, which otherwise produces significantly less-resolution images but the pixel-level detail is about the same as with the Note4.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

"so you are willing to box out a minority of users. you've made it clear that you have closed your mind on a product based on your past experiences with other ones that you classify as similar."

Look, I've seen so many iPad pen ads stating "the first only and REAL input solution for your iPad" that I'm overly skeptic and only laugh when someone state the iPad is an excellent pen input device. And, again, the underlying tech just doesn't allow for precise input.

0 upvotes

"I'm overly skeptic and only laugh when someone state the iPad is an excellent pen input device."

- no, the discussion was not about what you thought of what is said in the article. pay attention:

1) you avoid what you previously claimed - that there was a so-called 'militant' 'iSheep' who stated that an iPad solution is equal to a Wacom/nTrig one.
but you can't pinpoint who it was.

2) you've completely missed the point that you're judging a product you've never ever tried.
how do you know that it is very similar to previous things you've used? you don't. you just can't admit that it's only your preconceived notion, it has no weight except to showcase your prior disappointments.

it may be completely true that the product is indeed the same as other ipad solutions and nowhere near a wacom, but unless you have evidenced it for yourself, that isn't an evaluation you can honestly make.

0 upvotes

3) you sound just like every DSLR and P&S elitist bashing reviews of phones that they have no intention of ever using, who think that because of what they own they are entitled to tell DPR what should qualify to be reviewed or not, as if the site caters only to their demographic. they pathetically insist on griping ad infinitum on the very narrow point that phone cameras will never reach the same level as P&S or DSLRs, but always ignore the fact that reaching the measurements of DSLRs was never a goal for phone users and that what a phone can deliver was good enough to meet their needs.

except in your case it's not DSLRs and phones, it's Wacoms and iPads. you're so blinded by your own position that you can't even consider the possibility that there might be someone that who may decide that a non-Wacom device can be competent enough for the price.

0 upvotes

Total comments: 143

About us

Sitemap

Connect

Feb	MAR	Apr
	07
2014	2015	2016