Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

VinegarTasters

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 20, 2007
278
71
Here is the HTC One photo at nighttime with no flash:
http://pocketnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/OneNightNoFlash1.jpg

Here is the iPhone 5 photo at nighttime with no flash:
http://pocketnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/iPhone5NightNoFlash1.jpg

If you are viewing in your browser, make sure you view them at actual size (if you see a zoom in cursor, click it so it is at native resolution). If you do that you will see that the HTC's photo will have things that look a little bigger. It is obvious that at nighttime HTC's camera is way better, with no fuzzy grainy artifacts.



Lets look at daytime photos:

Here is the HTC One photo at daytime:
http://pocketnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/OneBright1.jpg

Here is the iPhone 5 photo at daytime:
http://pocketnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/iPhone5Brightt.jpg

The iPhone 5 looks better (more details if you view at actual size).

OK. Now here is the WEIRD part... I think they got the photos mixed up! If you look at them zoomed in at actual size, the iPhone 5 photo is bigger. So the iPhone 5 photo is ACTUALLY HTC ONE, with the more details and better photo.

OR it could be reverse, the HTC One at nighttime got mixed up and iPhone 5's photo looks better, while in daytime, iPhone 5 is also better.

So which is it? We know for sure either the daytime is mixed up or the nighttime is mixed up. But which one? Knowing this answer you will know which phone is best at taking pictures.
 

LorPGDL

macrumors regular
Apr 23, 2011
139
0
the one night shot is uploaded in 2048x1520
the one day shot is uploaded in 883x656

bot iphone shots are uploaded in 874x656

the night shot clearly showcases the ones stellar low light capabilities, as verified by an abundance of reviews and other comparisons with the iphone 5 and the likes.

edit: none of the photos and descriptions are mixed up.
 

VinegarTasters

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 20, 2007
278
71
I actually saved all of them, and used the "Get Info" on OSX by right-clicking with mouse.

Apparently, Pocketnow did NOT mixed them up. However, they did something to the iPhone 5 nighttime photo. They changed it to use Adobe RGB (1998) color profile instead of the default sRGB IEC61966-2.1. They also changed the resolution to 1632x1224 instead of the default 3264x2448.

Also, something is screwy with the exposure time. Long exposure time allows less grainy photos, but more blurry shots if you move camera (your hands shaking, etc).

Now lets look at the exposure time...

HTC One nighttime: .27
iPhone 5 nighttime: 1/15 = .067

HTC One daytime: 1/1600 = .000625
iPhone 5 daytime: 1/475 = .0021


The iPhone 5 has way too low exposure time, which will definitely lead to grainy photos in nighttime.

The HTC daytime is very strange... .000625 exposure time. Way smaller exposure time than iPhone 5's .0021. If you have such a small exposure time, things don't look sharp (grainy) even in daytime photos. So that explains HTC One's daytime photos having license plates not being sharp.

So I don't know if everything is in concrete... not able to change exposure time like in iPhone 5. Does Android allow changing exposure time? In any case. I would like to see Android and iPhone 5 take the same photo with the same exposure time (both nighttime and daytime). If iPhone 5 can't change the exposure time, maybe the HTC One on Android can, to match that of the iPhone 5.
 

Bahroo

macrumors 68000
Jul 21, 2012
1,860
2
Htc ones low light performance is pretty impressive, but its worse in just about every other aspect though imo, less sharpness etc
 

Oohara

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2012
3,050
2,423
The 5's night photo is obviously more grainy but it retains more natural colors for sure. Which makes it the clear winner for the daytime photo. The One's daytime photo looks totally lifeless.
 

LorPGDL

macrumors regular
Apr 23, 2011
139
0
I actually saved all of them, and used the "Get Info" on OSX by right-clicking with mouse.

Apparently, Pocketnow did NOT mixed them up. However, they did something to the iPhone 5 nighttime photo. They changed it to use Adobe RGB (1998) color profile instead of the default sRGB IEC61966-2.1. They also changed the resolution to 1632x1224 instead of the default 3264x2448.

Also, something is screwy with the exposure time. Long exposure time allows less grainy photos, but more blurry shots if you move camera (your hands shaking, etc).

Now lets look at the exposure time...

HTC One nighttime: .27
iPhone 5 nighttime: 1/15 = .067

HTC One daytime: 1/1600 = .000625
iPhone 5 daytime: 1/475 = .0021


The iPhone 5 has way too low exposure time, which will definitely lead to grainy photos in nighttime.

The HTC daytime is very strange... .000625 exposure time. Way smaller exposure time than iPhone 5's .0021. If you have such a small exposure time, things don't look sharp (grainy) even in daytime photos. So that explains HTC One's daytime photos having license plates not being sharp.

So I don't know if everything is in concrete... not able to change exposure time like in iPhone 5. Does Android allow changing exposure time? In any case. I would like to see Android and iPhone 5 take the same photo with the same exposure time (both nighttime and daytime). If iPhone 5 can't change the exposure time, maybe the HTC One on Android can, to match that of the iPhone 5.

they probably set both to auto. its the software that is responsable for those exposure times.

yes, i think fx camera allows for you to manually set exposure. so if you actually knew your way around manual settings you could produce much better pictures with the one. especially daytime ones.
 

VinegarTasters

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 20, 2007
278
71
they probably set both to auto. its the software that is responsable for those exposure times.

yes, i think fx camera allows for you to manually set exposure. so if you actually knew your way around manual settings you could produce much better pictures with the one. especially daytime ones.

Are you talking ISO settings?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.