I don't know if I'm just the lucky one to get a bad phone or what, but I'm a decent photographer and what I'm seeing out of the iPhone 4S is not very good. The ONLY pictures that are good are taken without zooming or without flash indoors. If I add flash to anything, it immediately turns crappy. Even taking an outdoor shot on a beautiful day works fine until I zoom in even one notch, and then everything turns grainy. I have nothing turned on in options and the phone is setup in it's default mode. If this isn't normal, perhaps I need to exchange the phone. Does anyone else get graining pics when using zoom or flash indoors in normal night room lighting? One of the world's best photographers was on the NBC Nightly News awhile back and said the iPhone 4S could easily replace the average Point & Click. Not the case for mine.
iPhone 4S picture quality poor
- Thread starter larrymcj
- Start date
You have made one very large assumption. And if you are a decent photographer, I am rather shocked you made it.
The iPhone 4S doesn't have an optical zoom. Which means if you do any zoom at all it is an interpolation, which will fail under even the lightest of scrutiny. I highly recommend you stop using the zoom since that is the cause of any issues.
The second issue with the flash is rather interesting. One of two things is possibly occurring:
1) You have a case on the phone.
2) You are shooting the subject at too close a range.
If you have neither of those two conditions, please elaborate on the exact condition you are using the flash and a sample of the issue.
The iPhone 4S doesn't have an optical zoom. Which means if you do any zoom at all it is an interpolation, which will fail under even the lightest of scrutiny. I highly recommend you stop using the zoom since that is the cause of any issues.
The second issue with the flash is rather interesting. One of two things is possibly occurring:
1) You have a case on the phone.
2) You are shooting the subject at too close a range.
If you have neither of those two conditions, please elaborate on the exact condition you are using the flash and a sample of the issue.
- Thread Starter
- #3
@Skull One: I've only been am amateur photographer for about 50 years...so I'm sure you can teach me a thing or two if you're a pro. Also, not seeing where I assumed anything about how the zoom worked...just said that adding even one "+" notch of it caused pics to be grainy. Using the camera without zoom the pics are fine. Regarding the flash, it has a case but nothing is obstructing the flash...in fact, there is a very generous sized opening for the lens and flash. Nonetheless, I had already tried it without the case just to see if it made any difference...it does not.
My major complaint about the flash is during an indoor setting, ambient incandescent lighting, perhaps like you'd have if you were eating dinner. Then I take a pic anywhere (no zoom) and if the flash fires (in Auto) or if it's ON...the pictures are grainy. The effect I see is as if using VERY high ASA film indoors without flash in the old days...just grainy enough to not be a decent picture. The closer I get to a subject with the flash...the worse it gets.
Are all these symptoms normal...or could I have a defective unit? Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I moved to the iPhone from the original Incredible, which had a wonderful flash, took great pics in low light (such as a wedding reception) and the zoom worked equally as good at both ends of the spectrum. Thanks for any insight you might have.
My major complaint about the flash is during an indoor setting, ambient incandescent lighting, perhaps like you'd have if you were eating dinner. Then I take a pic anywhere (no zoom) and if the flash fires (in Auto) or if it's ON...the pictures are grainy. The effect I see is as if using VERY high ASA film indoors without flash in the old days...just grainy enough to not be a decent picture. The closer I get to a subject with the flash...the worse it gets.
Are all these symptoms normal...or could I have a defective unit? Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I moved to the iPhone from the original Incredible, which had a wonderful flash, took great pics in low light (such as a wedding reception) and the zoom worked equally as good at both ends of the spectrum. Thanks for any insight you might have.
I, also, am wondering if I got a bad phone. So much banter about the high quality of the photos and mine are ALL grainy, some blurry, and just poor quality in general. I have used a Blackberry camera for three years and got pictures equivalent in quality, size, focus, etc to my D50. .. even with zoom. (the zoom on this 'smells', regardless of what you are trying to shoot. it is basically useless)
I use a lens specific micro-cloth for cleaning the cam before shooting. I have tried with and without case, with and without flash, with and without HDR setting, long shots, close shots, sunny shots, inside house shots, people shots, inanimate objects, sunrise, building across the street. The issue is the same with the front-facing lens.. still grainy. I may have 3 decent (decent only) shots out of 500 attempted.
Tired of trying and want Apple to know that there are some of these phones (4S) that have bad cameras,
Now have to decide if I want to go through hassle of getting a replacement and reloading all the apps etc. or just start carrying the big camera around again.... or take my blackberry with me simply for its camera..lol..
Another real weird phenom... Sometimes, the photos are gradually pixelating over time. i.e. degrading for some reason. This is THE strangest thing ever.
...f...
I use a lens specific micro-cloth for cleaning the cam before shooting. I have tried with and without case, with and without flash, with and without HDR setting, long shots, close shots, sunny shots, inside house shots, people shots, inanimate objects, sunrise, building across the street. The issue is the same with the front-facing lens.. still grainy. I may have 3 decent (decent only) shots out of 500 attempted.
Tired of trying and want Apple to know that there are some of these phones (4S) that have bad cameras,
Now have to decide if I want to go through hassle of getting a replacement and reloading all the apps etc. or just start carrying the big camera around again.... or take my blackberry with me simply for its camera..lol..
Another real weird phenom... Sometimes, the photos are gradually pixelating over time. i.e. degrading for some reason. This is THE strangest thing ever.
...f...
- Thread Starter
- #6
@fransi: before getting too excited, as I did, I think Skull One brings out a good point, in that this camera does not have a true optical zoom and using it for anything other than photos taken at default settings can present problems. I found that if not using my zoom, or not using my flash, I get absolutely excellent pictures. I downloaded a few to myself and looked at them in PhotoShop and they're VERY good.
So, to resolve the issue of having a camera that "should" have all the other features we want in a P&S camera, I tried the app Camera+ and I have been absolutely blown away. It adds a true optical zoom and a myriad of other options and features that make this camera what it should have been to begin with. I've taken pics with the basic camera app and then taken them again using Camera+ and the difference is astounding! The app simply replaces the basic camera app so you use it whenever you want to take a picture.
Hope this helps...I think you'll find it's not a bad camera, but that we all were just expecting too much from it.
So, to resolve the issue of having a camera that "should" have all the other features we want in a P&S camera, I tried the app Camera+ and I have been absolutely blown away. It adds a true optical zoom and a myriad of other options and features that make this camera what it should have been to begin with. I've taken pics with the basic camera app and then taken them again using Camera+ and the difference is astounding! The app simply replaces the basic camera app so you use it whenever you want to take a picture.
Hope this helps...I think you'll find it's not a bad camera, but that we all were just expecting too much from it.
Ha. You truly have no knowledge of basic cameras if you think an app will add optical zoom. Optical zoom requires the lens to be physically moved. This does not happen on the iPhone 4s or any other iPhone. You are seeing digital zoom only.
iCrank
Member
Rocko said:
Loading....plusone..etcetera..etcetera
إيكرانك...المسطرة
- Thread Starter
- #9
@Rocko: Actually, I "meant" digital zoom (which the iPhone 4S doesn't have...but Camera+ adds)...and it truly works better than the iPhone 4S inherent zoom. I have been an amateur photographer all my life and I know the difference between optical and digital zoom...I just used the wrong word. Glad I could provide you the opportunity to be snide.
adjuvantjfoster
New Member
It may be a problem introduced by the file transfer details. Here is what work best for me.
1) I connect my iPhone 4S to my MacBook Pro running the latest updates of software on The Liom OS
2) I navigate to the Utilities folder in the Applications folder and open the Image Capture application.
3) The Image Capture screen shows all the photo and video files in Camera Rool.
4) I create a folder on my desktop in Finder
5) I drag the pictures and videos from the Image Capture window into my newly created folder on the Desktop.
6) I quit Image Capture
7) I look at the images in Apple Preview or in Adobe PhotoShop or any other Apple or Adobe image manipulation software. Why Apple or Adobe? Because Appe and Adobe use the EXIF orientation data for presenting images upright no matter which of the four possible physical orientation the iPhone 4S was in when I took the picture.
The steps I outlined here provide as lossless procedure as I have been able to figure out. But then, hey, I am only 75 years old, with a lot to learn from folks on these forum topics.
A lot of alternative ways of extracting files from Camera Roll are quite lossy by accident or by design.
Your mileage in copying what works for me, may vary.
Respectfully,
John Foster
Deckyon
Member
Personally, the only difference between an amateur photographer and a professional photographer is the amount of money made. For me, I dont call anyone a professional photographer unless they make more than 51% of their annual income from photography. I have done plenty of specialized courses in photography, and even have a degree in it, but I dont make my living with it so I dont consider myself a pro. Someone with 50 years of experience could definitely teach me something.
This is the world of "digital zoom" and it is the same with even the point and shoot cameras out there. True optical zoom requires movement in the lenses, and the iPhone lens is fixed. There are add-on lenses that would allow for true optical zoom. As for the flash, I will have to check more into it, but my assumption is if you have the flash on, and there is limited lighting, the camera switches to a higher ISO setting, which causes the "grainyness" you see - this is the same even on film. ISO800 will not be as sharp and clear as ISO100 film.
Personally, I would look into different photo/cam apps that will allow full control over the settings of the camera; ISO, Shutter, Aperture. Then, I think, you will see the difference.
Yes it does. Pinch on the view finder and it brings up the digital zoom slide.
I can only agree to the zoom issue, since it is digital it is completely useless. I would rather never use and and give the pictures a small edit on the computer (since you can do this with basically every program)
I have not experienced any issues with the flash and pictures getting grainy so far, but I just think pictures taken with the flash do not look to great because of the light and colours you get when you use it.
I have not experienced any issues with the flash and pictures getting grainy so far, but I just think pictures taken with the flash do not look to great because of the light and colours you get when you use it.
eyephonefour
New Member
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It's funny how the OP claims to have 50 years of experience with photography but can't can really distinguish between optical and digital zoom or realize that mobile phone cameras have always been poor in any low light situation, including point/shoot cameras!
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