How to make the most out of a smartphone camera?

[minervx]

I have the S8 currently.  The camera is excellent for a non-professional product, but what photographing, editing and software tricks can we use to make a cellphone camera take great shots?

[Himommies]

IMO the most important part is learning how to take pictures.

[SupaKomputa]

agree, any software would not help if the picture is taken badly.

learn about composition, lighting and angles.

learn about the camera advantage and disadvantages.

All cellphone camera have very small sensor, so it would not take good low light pictures.

Don't be fooled by the vibrant colors in samsung screen, it may not be as good if you look at it in pc.

[vanished]

First, take good pictures.  The art always matters more.  A boring photo shot fantastically is still boring, but a beautiful photo that's got technical issues is still beautiful... just a bit disappointing Hence why I never go so far as to say "gear doesn't matter" - it definitely does (why make acceptable-looking art when you can make amazing-looking art) - but the art will always matter more.

 

With that out of the way, first thing is to shoot raw, if you can.  This will retain more information and let you do processing on the PC later the same way you can with a professional camera.  Your lens, sensor, and everything else is still pitiful by comparison, but this will definitely help get you closer.

 

Next, use techniques to compensate for shortcomings in the equipment, if you can.  Take multiple images of the same thing with the same settings and stack them to reduce noise.  Take multiple images of the same thing at different exposures to increase your dynamic range and avoid every shot being a silhouette in front of a white sky.  Get closer and shoot a "grid" of the subject to increase resolution.  Maybe do all three of these combined.  Granted you can do these techniques with any camera - even one that's already great - and improve your results, but it will benefit one that is lacking the most.  The downside with this, other than needing to spend much more time on site and in post, as well as needing the right software and know-how, is that obviously you will only be able to shoot motionless subjects with a tripod.

 

All of this is assuming you have a good handle on the technical basics, like not having ISO too high that it causes noise, not having shutter speed so low you get motion blur or camera shake, etc.

[cc143]

All that was said above, + learn how to use the pro mode, but do so sparingly, i.e. only if you actually have time to properly compose. 

 

Good lighting is key with smartphone cameras, if you have any control on it optimise it, if not move around to see if you can get better lighting from another angle. 

 

Don't zoom, there is no optical zoom on the lens, so you are basically cropping, so its bets to just take the full image, gives you room for perspective correction etc. 

 

There's accessories you can take like cheap tripod mounts, or even nd filters that you can use in some situations. I attempted a couple of long exposures on mine, not that great, but carrying the phone around beats a backpack full of gear. 

 

A cheap small pocket tripod might be useful in low light situations. Combine it with you headphone shortcuts so you don't touch the actual phone. 

[vanished]

9 hours ago, cc143 said:

Don't zoom, there is no optical zoom on the lens, so you are basically cropping, so its bets to just take the full image, gives you room for perspective correction etc.

omg yes this so much

[Danielx64]

Hello,

 

I happen to own a Moto G4 Plus, love the phone - nice and fast and all. I am wondering if anyone knows what my options are? By the look of things I don't think that the default camera app will output in RAW format.

 

Also does anyone know of any good third party apps that will give me more options when taking photos?

 

Thank you

[LIQUIDFOX00200]

for video production, use flat/log profile. it will help you in editing/color grading/post production. also use less iso as possible, to adjust exposure use ND filter, shoot in 24 fps for a cinematic feel, and adjust your shutter speed according to your fps, use a app that can provide manual control on your camera example- Filmic Pro V6.

[LIQUIDFOX00200]

Just now, LIQUIDFOX00200 said:

for video production, use flat/log profile. it will help you in editing/color grading/post production. also use less iso as possible, to adjust exposure use ND filter, shoot in 24 fps for a cinematic feel, and adjust your shutter speed according to your fps, use a app that can provide manual control on your camera example- Filmic Pro V6.

 

[cc143]

9 hours ago, Danielx64 said:

Hello,

 

I happen to own a Moto G4 Plus, love the phone - nice and fast and all. I am wondering if anyone knows what my options are? By the look of things I don't think that the default camera app will output in RAW format.

 

Also does anyone know of any good third party apps that will give me more options when taking photos?

 

Thank you

The same applies, you just have no room for exposure correction in post whatsoever, so you have to always nail exposure. I despise 3rd party apps for phone functions in general personally, they only make the phone unusable in the end.

1 hour ago, LIQUIDFOX00200 said:

for video production, use flat/log profile. it will help you in editing/color grading/post production. also use less iso as possible, to adjust exposure use ND filter, shoot in 24 fps for a cinematic feel, and adjust your shutter speed according to your fps, use a app that can provide manual control on your camera example- Filmic Pro V6.

 

1 hour ago, LIQUIDFOX00200 said:

 

I hardly think loads of people will colour grade phone footage. I think you are going a bit too far with this tbh...

[xxx_cringe_xxx]

take photos of your stuff using your phone and sell everything you have an buy a dslr. jk though i would recommend shooting in raw.