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It’s been said that for an Android manufacturer to beat the iPhone, they first have to beat its camera. It’s true. On a software level, Android is constantly evolving, adding intuitive features that leave iOS behind in the dust. While that’s all good and dandy for some of us, software features don’t often sell a phone. When shopping around for their next smartphone, we’re seeing consumers place a higher priority on a phone’s camera capabilities (you can thank social networks for sparking this trend).
With both the HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6 readily available for purchase, it’s clear LG has to do something to keep our wallets closed just a little longer. Despite a massive LG G4 leak last week, LG continues teasing the device, highlighting some of the phone’s standout features ahead of launch through a series of teaser videos.
We’ve already seen a brief teaser showing off some of the G4’s upcoming camera hardware — more notably its new f/1.8 lens — but as my mother always told me, the proof is in the pudding. For all those curious to see actual output, LG has enlisted the help of professional photographer Colby Brown to tout the phone’s photo taking abilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dIzvyZaN4U
The 2 minute video shows off a variety of actual photos taken with the LG G4, showing rich vibrant colors with samples that easily rival full-sized DSLRs. What LG doesn’t mention is how much time and effort was spent in post editing to get the photos to look just right.
In the video, you can clearly see Mr. Brown using Lightroom 4 (photo editing software) to view the images, so it’s not exactly like they’re trying to hide it. Not only that, without actual photo samples, 1080p video makes it tough to see other aspects of the image. Things like noise or fine details — all the other things that make up a quality photo. So it’s hard to judge by these photos alone.
One thing LG forgot to mention — but was revealed in last week’s leak — was the stock camera app will also provide an option to shoot in RAW. Something the Galaxy S6 doesn’t provide, not even with its “Pro” shooting mode. Because the video runs by the sample images rather quickly, we took some snapshots and put them in a gallery for your viewing pleasure. Check ’em out.
You may have seen a similar ad campaign from Apple called “Shot on iPhone 6” which shows off various photographs of breathtaking landscapes taken with the phone. Sure they look amazing, but the truth of the matter is most people will never travel to the Alps or jungles of Venezuela to take a photo. Instead, it’s the real world things like kids running around a naturally lit living room, or food in a restaurant I’d be more interested in seeing. What do you guys think? Will the LG G4’s camera live up to the hype?
Well maybe one should wait on that s6 purchase…. Pics look amazing
I knew this the day the G4 microsite got leaked and pulled. I was looking at an S6 in the Verizon store and saw the G4 microsite leak – real time while it happened – and walked out without buying the S6. I knew right then, the G4 was my next phone (assuming Verizon sells it of course).
Which, why wouldn’t they?
Because VZW does dumb s**** all of the time. Need an example? The latest Z3 lame move. Z3 is launched, but Verizon gets a Z2 body with some minor upgrades and calls it a Z3v which is not even the true Z3. They cannot sell every phone and maybe they will want to focus on the S6 line so who knows. I just never known with VZW what they might decide. I mean heck, they still sell Blackberrys for goodness sakes.
True…I hated z3v
How they point out the f/0.1 difference to the S6…. :D
I noticed that too X)
hey whats your go to phone, or are you waiting for the g4
In love with the Galaxy S6, but not it’s battery life. I think mine has a software bug, so hoping a future update fixes it.
I like what LG is doing, but that rear facing speaker will make watching videos tough (something I do a lot).
Yea I thought the samething, I want the S6 but that decision to limit us to memory or rely on the cloud has held me back
Not a big deal to me, but I can see how it would be for others. 32GB only has about half of that available for apps storage, meaning 64GB is the only real option for those planning on keeping it for 2+ years.
And even if the G4 has average battery life, swapping the battery out whenever you want would be incredibly convenient.
Yea no, I might wait til next year to decide on keeping a device longer than 1 yr, I getting rid of my M8 after a year, I feel next yr, as good as these android devices are, their probably going to be perfect next yr, better screens, better battery and probably bugless software because lollipop messed up my M8
Yeah, Lollipop has been a complete mess so far. *sigh*
Oh come now Chris, a phandroid devote like yourself probably rocks a new smartphone every 5-6 months at best: what’s the next phone on your radar , perhaps the note 5?
that last paragraph deserves an award, its so true and dead on. I’d love to see marketing directed more towards realistic use.
I have been to the Alps and Venezuela. And all over Rome and in every country in Latin America. And on top of My Fuji and along the Amalfi coast and the jungles of Thailand. And in Pompeii and the the Louvre in France. Yeah, I NEED this camera to do what it claims to do personally. Those are 1 time moments I cannot get back.
I’ve been to my living room, soccer games for my son, beach with the kids and plenty of restaurants all over the bay area….I need my phone to take good shots in doors and to be able to have a fast shutter to take pics of the kids running around. When I go back to Italy or Germany….or to the Appalachian mountains here in the states…i’ll trust only my Nikon D5100 =)
thats the same criteria I need too
If you have ability/funds to travel to those amazing places, why would you waste your time with a smartphone camera?
I was thinking the same about his comment to. I hope the answer isn’t ease of portability, because there are plenty of high end portability cameras that can even fit in the pocket. Sony RX Mark III to be exact.
That is the answer. And anyone that travels light and fast, they understand. You must not, because no.. it is not the same. Often, you have size and weight limits. I weigh everything and carry, for example, titanium fork and spoon. I only carry and use sub 8-9oz shoes. I use 2 shirts, 1 short, 2 socks, I only use bathroom products that are 1 use from eBay or hotels (like mini soap, mini shave cream) that I can ditch along the way to lose weight and bulk, etc.. I wash things in sinks daily.
So like I said above, I need 1 device that can do many things. In your case, you give an example of a camera. AND you still have your phone. I have 1 item. You have 2 items. And when you are willing to make that sacrifice as no big deal, then you make it on everything and the next thing you know, your pack is 20% bigger and heavier than mine and won’t fit in the overhead and you have to check it and that slows you down and wastes time. I travel lighter and with less bulk and when you have to run to catch a train you are late for in Rome’s train station, a place big enough people live in it, you need to be thin, fast, light. I do not expect you to understand this way of traveling. It is not for everyone. But in that world, every little thing you take matters and everything you carry ideally needs to have more than 1 purpose.
very, very easy answer… because I am an athlete, my life is about speed and traveling light and fast with hands free. I have spent a month in Thailand with a backpack that can fit in the overhead for example. That is how I travel the world. With 1 good device, I can cover all of my electronic needs. I am not a pro photog and do not care about a lot of manual effort and huge setups and complicated shots. I want/need to be able to take out a camera, shoot a shot. And I want said camera to do a great job. Is it an SLR? No. Do I want an SLR? No. But for a camera phone, yeah, I want it to be awesome and I do visit places like that and take shots like that. But of course, there is a balance for what one can expect. But I will tell you what, I have awesome photos from in front of the Mona Lisa, or on top of Mt. Fuji, or in front of Mars Eating His Son, or on the back of an elephant in Thailand, or a night shot under the Eiffel Tower… and they are awesome photos – from a phone.
Less to carry and no major interest in photography for me. But I still like my photos turning out nice, but a good smart phone camera is sufficient in most situations. Bringing a stand alone camera needs planning as its a hassle – no pocket to spare
Yes! Almost the only time I take photos is when traveling and when there’s something “breathtaking” to photograph. I see JKs point though as most people photograph their dinner and their child from every direction
“it’s the real world things like kids running around a naturally lit living room”
This… So far with all of my phones, only the iPhone 6/6+ and now the S6 succeed in this area on a consistent basis.
my nexus 6 has an amazing HDR+ on it that is perfect for this….so far, it has exceeded my G3’s camera. My wife thinks it takes better shots than her iPhone 6. I do wish I had slow-mo though haha. I have no played with the S6, do you like it?
Love it… I’ve owned them all (well almost) and it’s my favorite android device to date, going back to 2008. 2 caveats:
1) I never have had a problem with Touchwiz
2) I’m near a charger 95% of my time and have quick chargers coming out of my a#% :)
haha I ALWAYS have a charger near by. I love the turbo charger for my Nexus, its a life saver. I had the S3 and found touchwiz to be HEAVY. So for me to comment would be flawed since I have not touched a sammy phone since. (except for playing with the Note 4). I really am curious to see what they do when the Note 5 is released….i really might consider crossing back into Sammy Waters.
Same here, I have a quick charger next to my bed, my car, and work. And tw is easily remedied by downloading a launcher (Nova), and icon packs, so far my favorite icon pack is Vivid, it’s awesome!
I have a feeling this camera is going to be good, but not miles ahead of any current phone released. They boasted about the G3 camera in just about the same manner. I’m curious to see what its like against the S6, then the Note 5 when that comes out.
I already have my eyes set on the Note 5 assuming they’re gonna keep the same design elements of the S6 and Edge variant. Benefit of a bigger battery, possibly a better camera (even if a little), and other features. I’d love a Nexus, but the camera alone kills it for me. I use it a lot in my life and with my hobbies a great camera on a phone is vital.
Am I the only one that hasn’t been able to load the galleries in these posts for weeks? Clicking on a photo just redirects to the main article, which is where you already are.
Yep, their colorbox effect is busted.
I want a G4 now for RAW shooting. COME ON SONY, GIVE IT TO US ON THE Z3!
That being said, Colby did a great job showing off the m8’s camera, too.
Hey Everyone. Just wanted to jump in here really quick and a say a few things. I can’t say much till the official launch on the 28th when my NDA is lifted but can talk about a few things…mostly that is already public knowledge if you payed close attention…
– Yes LR is not hidden in the video and yes RAW support is available. While the images in this video got a bump in saturation during the color grading process of making the video, the actual edits where minimal, which I will reveal in full on the 28th with a mini review on my blog.
– Yes not everyone will travel to the Grand Canyon or hike out into the forests of the Pacific Northwest…but a video simply of everyday life would never fly as a big marketing campaign. The idea is to use a trickle down mentality. If it can be used in the following “wow” situations…it should work for most others.
– This camera is pretty incredible. While I am certainly not replacing my pro gear with a mobile phone anytime soon, I want to make sure that no matter what camera I have on me, I can take great photos. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun working with it over the last month in a variety of wonderful and challenging situations.
– The brown leather back is awesome and my favorite so far. So soft and comfortable.
Thats all for now :)
Hey Colby, props to you for the honest response about the ad campaign. Also, wondering if you’ve had a chance to use the S6, and if so, if you would care to compare the two cameras?
My pleasure @TheScientists:disqus. I have played with the S6 (albet briefly), but will refrain from any direct comparisons. What I can say is that both represent the best options out there for those that prefer the Android spectrum. When I reveal my high resolution images on the 28th (unless LG green lights me to let a few teasers out), I will let you and the rest of the world make your own conclusions rather than simply take my word for it, especially since I am the guy in the LG video above ;)
Kind of figured you would have to refrain at this point. ; ) I have the S6, and must say it produces the best shots I’ve ever seen out of any smartphone, so if the G4 can best it, color me impressed. I’d love to have enough confidence in a smartphone camera that I’m not compelled to lug around my NEX 5T (not that it’s much to lug around).
Thanks for the reply and insight, sir.
Gonna hold further judgement until I see sample images/video from Phandroid.