MPx220 Camera some of what’s wrong

[jaminjack]

The 1.2 megapixel camera is ok as long as you don’t use the zoom feature. Once the digital zoom is used the picture will blur. I am not sure if this is a compression problem or a software problem. I think it’s a software problem since digital zoom interpolates the picture. The single JPEG compression format is ok for email pictures. More compression formats for higher quality would be great. The cameras automatic software settings are garbage. They work ok in outside sunny to semi cloudy light as long as no zoom feature is used. Indoors the settings need to be manually tweaked. So Forget about the zoom . And so much for automatic. The flash is a LED. It’s ok, for using it for fill. Taking a picture in anything under normal bright light. the flash won’t cut it. Since most camera flashes are only good to 6' this one is much less.

I don’t know why Motorola bragged about the 1.2 megapixel camera when they installed such crummy software. Any picture taken with zoom, or indoors is seeing through cataracts. Blurry and Undistinguishable.

Here’s the situation your driving down the street and see Osama Bin Laden. You snap a picture with you’re handy dandy MPx220 to send to the FBI, or CIA. Expecting to collect the 25 million dollar reward. Your picture is so blurred that no mater how good the tech’s are. They are not going to be able to confirm it’s him. You’re SOL. And Motorola has let the #1 terrorist escape again.

Motorola
Hello Moto “snap a picture and enjoy the blur”.

Jack

[pdagal]

So what settings do you use indoors that improve image quality? Night mode creates near monochrome shots, so that's not the best. . .

[Kris Kumar]

So what settings do you use indoors that improve image quality? Night mode creates near monochrome shots, so that's not the best. . .

Here you go...a compilation of tips ;-)

http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6578

[Kris Kumar]

The 1.2 megapixel camera is ok as long as you don’t use the zoom feature. Once the digital zoom is used the picture will blur.

The problem is that MPx220 does not have optical zoom. It uses software to zoom the image. And 1.2 Mega pixel is not that great to begin with for 4x zoom, hence the heavy blocky or pixel-ated photos.

I agree the auto mode does not work well for anything other than the day time photography. The light sensing routines on the MPx220 camera software are badly implemented. Hoping that the future software upgrades will fix this problem.

[pdagal]

Kris, I did read your tips article a while back. The trouble is Night mode is nearly useless. It does allow you to take a photo which otherwise wouldn't be possible (.e.: is a room at night with only one incandescent light). But for general indoor photos with decent ambient light, Night mode yields a near monochrome image, at least with my firmware version.

My camera doesn't get the level of color saturation that yours does in the example you posted. In general my camera is a bit undersaturated on any setting (it seems later firmware got rid of the serious oversaturation and went too far to the other extreme). The color balance is also off with reds looking more like a muted magenta and a green color bias. *sigh* Even outdoor photos have strange colors and a lack of saturation. I wish there was some way to control saturation via camera software! My older firmware MPx220's had more color and a better color balance. . .

[Kris Kumar]

Hmm...that does sound like Moto changed something in the newer firmware. So I guess it is time for me to update my tips.

I haven't played much with the latest firmware on the MPx220. I will take a couple of shots later today. And post the results.

I had noticed that picture was less grainy/snowy. And as you have suggested, they may turned down the saturation levels to reduce the grains/snow...sigh!

BTW: There is another camera phone tips post that will be going live in a short while. That might offer some solution ;-)

[Kris Kumar]

Sorry for taking so much time. I wanted to take a couple of day time shots. And since I don't use the MPx220 on a daily basis, I forgot about this task. :oops:

Here is the report:
- v1.30 has definitely messed up the camera in the latest build
- pictures taken in Night Mode are definitely pale...pale compared to the previous firmware version...you are right the photos do look washed out :-(
- I tried all my previous tips and nothing worked
- The Auto mode now seems to take slightly better pictures than the Night mode ones. At least the colors are more saturated in the Auto mode than the Night mode.
- The positive aspect is that the photos are not as grainy as they used to be in Auto mode. But the flip side is that the colors are under saturated.

Not sure which is better, the previous ROM or this new one. The older one took decent photos provided I followed my tips. But this one takes much paler photos. :-( :evil:

[Jerry Raia]

Yeah but this one sounds better Kris. Next thing you'll be saying you expect the phone to work!!! :lol: