DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

Search

 

Submit A Story

How Google built its “best ever” camera for the Pixel 2 smartphone

by Leave a Comment

Google’s Pixel 2 smartphone quickly dethroned the new iPhone 8 Plus once DxO Mark got their hands on it. And the reviewers so far seem to be giving it great praise, both as a camera and a phone. But how is the camera inside the Pixel 2 actually put together?

That’s what Nat of Nat and Friends wanted to find out. Being a Google employee, she has a little more access than most of us. So, in this video Nat takes us inside Google’s HQ to speak to engineers and find out more about how the camera’s development and working process.

[Read More…]

iPhone 8 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 8: hands-on camera comparison

by 41 Comments

According to the DxO tests, the camera of the iPhone 8 Plus is the best they’ve tested so far. It scored the impressive result of 94, but could Samsung Galaxy Note 8beat it? DxO hasn’t tested this phone’s camera yet, but SuperSafTV’s Safwan Ahmedmia has.

In this video, you can see a side-by-side comparison of iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8. He tests the quality of the video, audio and photos, in terms of sharpness, low-light performance, dynamic range, background blur and so on. It’s a pretty detailed test and gives you a really good insight into the performance of both cameras. And if you’re thinking of getting the latest iPhone, this comparison might make you think twice.

[Read More…]

Specs and more info released as the Godox A1 mobile flash trigger goes on pre-order

by 5 Comments

The Godox A1 flash trigger for mobile devices is now available for pre-order. The price actually isn’t that bad, either. It’s about where I was hoping it would be, but lower than I expected. At $69.90, it is a little more expensive pricey than the X1T for DSLRs & Mirrorless cameras. But, the A1 does also include a built in flash and continuous light.

First up, the good news is that the Godox A1 going to be compatible with both Android and iPhone. The bad news is, Android users will have to wait a little while. The Godox A1 is now available to preorder, and the GodoxPhoto app is already available in the Apple App Store. And, unlike the previously seen screenshots, it’s been translated into English.

[Read More…]

Smartphone Photography 101 helps you take better photographs with your phone

by 3 Comments

No matter how many photos people take with their phones, there’s still a lot of bad shots on there. We see them all day on Instagram and Facebook. Some of us shoot them and know we do, but we’re not sure how to get better. What can we do to help improve our shots?

Well, here comes the folks at COOPH to offer some suggestions. Most of these tips, though, aren’t limited to just smartphone photography. They apply equally as much to shooting with a DSLR, mirrorless or any other kind of camera, too.

[Read More…]

Were “shot on smartphone” commercials actually shot on smartphones?

by 1 Comment

Smartphones have certainly gone a long way and they can take fantastic photos and videos. However, not all of the inspiring “shot on smartphone” commercials were really shot that way. Technically, they were, but often with so much additional gear that the smartphone was probably the least important component.

This video from Marques Brownlee explores what lies behind the concept “shot on smartphone,” what it actually involves and what it’s meant to achieve.

[Read More…]

How to shoot great smartphone car photography to up your social media game

by Leave a Comment

Car photography seems to be becoming increasingly popular recently. People love their cars, they’re proud of them, and they want to show them off. When I browse through the feed on Instagram, I see them with some regularity, even from people who don’t normally post car photos. Just because you might be shooting it for social media, though, it doesn’t mean they have to look bad.

This video from the guys at COOPH shows a whole bunch of tips and techniques to help. The goal is to help you get the best smartphone car photos you can. The tips aren’t all limited to phones, though. There’s a lot of great advice with regard to environment, lighting, and general composition that apply no matter what camera you’re using.

[Read More…]

A professional photographer’s review of the OnePlus 5’s camera

by 4 Comments

I was lucky enough to be contacted at the end of April by OnePlus to be part of the shooting campaign for the new OnePlus 5. At the end of April, I received a working prototype of the OnePlus 5 and my duty was to test the camera, giving some feedback to the company and recording some nice pictures to use for the launch of the device.

I’ve to point out that my prototype was hidden by a quite bulky white cover that was impossible to remove. In this way, I wasn’t able to have an idea of the final look of the device until I got my final unit some days ago.

[Read More…]

HTC U11 beats Google Pixel and becomes highest-rated smartphone on DxO ever

by 2 Comments

After Google Pixel’s score of 89 and taking the first place on DxO Mark Mobile, there’s now a new king. HTC’s newly announced U11 takes over the throne and scores 90, thus becoming the highest-rated phone on DxOMark Mobile so far. This phone has a range of well-performing features, but at DxO, they particularly emphasize its low noise and fast autofocus. As they point out, these two features were the key to achieving the highest score and taking over the first place. But for the fans of phone photography, there are other features HTC U11 offers and that you may find handy.

[Read More…]

Recent Posts