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Cameraphone night time photography |
etaab
Joined: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: UK - South Yorkshire
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Good day.
As many people may or may not know ive been around on and off Esato for a few years now. In that time cameraphones have gotten better and better as have my mobile photography skills. Im quite modest by nature and dont like to claim to be the best photographer with my phone but in the past ive managed to shoot pretty amazing pictures using my various devices. But theres one area in which i fail almost every time and the reason why ive created this thread. Id like people to input and if possible help me learn how to take better pictures at night.
Night time pictures
My night time pictures have always lacked compared to anything i take in any other conditions. This becomes more apparent at this time of the year where in the UK we only get about 8 hours of sunlight each day - if we're lucky. Usually i'll just let the phone make the necessary choices itself using automatic settings but most of the time it does not work. If i try to use my own choice to decide how to take a good picture i fail almost every single time.
Often, the results are either
- blurred
- high degrees of noise
- motion blurred
- over-saturated
- under- saturated
- unbalanced colours or contrast
Which means usually i dont even bother taking any night time photos at all. In a typical summer, i might take a few thousand snaps, in winter, that number drops to about 10 per month !!
Heres some examples of mine from last year:
Original
Doesnt look too bad does it ?? but when looking close theres tons of noise and blur which literally ****** me off !!
Take a look, look at the original at 100% and Esato will show you the horrible noise and blur which plagues my photos on all my phones. The next two almost look like theres smoke or mist in the air, but its actually noise !!!
Take a look:
Original
And trying my best to get a better result..
Original
Still not happy with it at all.
Now compare those pictures to other popular posters here on Esato, chosen at random from their uploaded images:
9_destiny's:
http://www.esato.com/phonephotos/viewphotos.php?pid=61243&uid=211376
http://www.esato.com/phonephotos/viewphotos.php?pid=60647&uid=211376
http://www.esato.com/phonephotos/viewphotos.php?pid=53394&uid=211376
davidsic's
http://www.esato.com/phonephotos/viewphotos.php?pid=59921&uid=36838
http://www.esato.com/phonephotos/viewphotos.php?pid=54349&uid=36838
Clearly better than mine. Now davidsic usually says he just sticks to automatic settings for his pictures which puzzles me more.
So any help would be much appreciated from everyone who like me enjoys mobile photography ! 
[ This Message was edited by: etaab on 2012-11-27 20:31 ] Check me out on Instagram ! search for etaab ! |
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Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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Well,for me I try to get the best I can out of any camera phone. Putting a camera phone on night scene setting helps as I find auto does not cut it at night. Also it is hard to keep still at night but I have a steady hand & find a stable surface somewhere. Quite often too white balance goes off at night too. I took these tonight but I have got better with my old N8
Original
Original
Original
Phone?? What phone?? |
etaab
Joined: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: UK - South Yorkshire
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Well they've certainly got less noise than mine.
So all you used is night mode on your N8 ??
Check me out on Instagram ! search for etaab ! |
ok1907
Joined: Jul 16, 2009
Posts: 121
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On 2012-11-28 18:26:39, etaab wrote:
Well they've certainly got less noise than mine.
So all you used is night mode on your N8 ??
I think he took them with Xperia P. |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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On 2012-11-28 18:26:39, etaab wrote:
Well they've certainly got less noise than mine.
So all you used is night mode on your N8 ??
Yes with Xperia P. But when I had N8 yes I also used night mode. Although night mode does create more shake if you find a flat surface & hold steady it will come out brighter with less noise. Auto at night is always crap. Wish I still had the night shots of Birmingham I did with N8
Phone?? What phone?? |
etaab
Joined: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: UK - South Yorkshire
PM |
Any other ideas ? you see ive tried using night mode SO many times and yet i get terrible results. It cant just be me though, because my old Satio i tried using night mode with and being square it was easy to put it down on its side for it to balance itself and used night mode. Poor results.
Just cannot get it.
Check me out on Instagram ! search for etaab ! |
jerahm15
Joined: Sep 19, 2012
Posts: 19
From: Lucena City, Quezon, Philippin
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How about using a tripod sir? that would really help get rid of those nasty blur. Manuals would also help you by setting ISO value at about 200-400, that would at least give you minimal noise. But if you have a tripod with you then you can set your cameraphone at the lowest possible ISO and you could also tweak the EV compensation to get the slowest shutter speed possible.
Sample shot with a tripod
Without the Tripod
[ This Message was edited by: jerahm15 on 2012-11-29 00:32 ] |
etaab
Joined: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: UK - South Yorkshire
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So the EV level affects the shutter speed ??
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reeflotz
Joined: Jun 15, 2010
Posts: > 500
From: Philippines
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from my experience changing the EV level affects both the shutter speed and ISO speed while on auto mode. Lowering the ev level lowers the ISO speed (less photo grain), the shutter speed depends on how much light there is when you're taking a photo. If in night mode shutter speed is slower (higher tendency to blur but produces great results with a tripod).
If you increase the ev level usually ISO speed increases (more photo grain) but shutter speed will be faster (less tendency to blurr)
I agree with jerahm usually setting the ISO at 200-400 while on night mode produces the best results, once you get higher than ISO 400 the picture gets too grainy.
here's my try on indoor lowlight
ISO 100 night mode:
Original
ISO 200 night mode:
Original
the first shot was handheld with the help of a stable surface I've put my hands on.
the second shot was handheld
hopefully I was able to help too mate 
[ This Message was edited by: reeflotz on 2012-11-29 11:57 ] |
etaab
Joined: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: UK - South Yorkshire
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But in everyday use or when doing the whole tourist thing, how many of us actually use a tripod ? and how many use a tripod with a cameraphone ?
Check me out on Instagram ! search for etaab ! |
reeflotz
Joined: Jun 15, 2010
Posts: > 500
From: Philippines
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well not exactly a tripod but just a stable surface to put your hands on or to put the phone on so that it does not shake, like a rail/table/chair etc. and for situations without any stable surface to lean on, I use ISO 200 or maybe even ISO 400 nightmode to avoid blur at the cost of some film grain on the photo.
[ This Message was edited by: reeflotz on 2012-11-29 13:43 ] |
jerahm15
Joined: Sep 19, 2012
Posts: 19
From: Lucena City, Quezon, Philippin
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On 2012-11-29 14:35:26, etaab wrote:
But in everyday use or when doing the whole tourist thing, how many of us actually use a tripod ? and how many use a tripod with a cameraphone ?
well I do, it really do help a lot in capturing many usable photos.
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Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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Some I did today. it shows the sky as brighter in these images than it actually was
Original
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Original
Original
Original
Original
Original
Original
Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas markets. I too find lowering EV a touch does help with grain but also can make image too dark. With these images on the Xperia P night scene mode it shakes alot so had to hold my breath in the cold weather & hold steady on a wall or table
Phone?? What phone?? |
etaab
Joined: Jan 23, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: UK - South Yorkshire
PM |
Those dont look dark at all.. 
Heh i like the woman in picture 6, all that Christmas cultural food around and where has she been ? Greggs !!
I'll have a play around and see what i can come up with this weekend. Nice pictures though.
Check me out on Instagram ! search for etaab ! |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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 I know crazy. I never noticed that at first. It's like when Brits go abroad & they eat egg & chips rather experience the food of the country your visiting No these won't look dark as I never did turn down the EV 
Phone?? What phone?? |
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Posted: 2012-11-27 21:26
Hazel J20i [Bricked], Sony Xperia Go 
