Who has the Samsung S23 or similar model?

Karen00 · Feb 6, 2023

Hello again fellow saltines,

This is an adjacent post to my previous one regarding pics with my Pixel 7 Pro.

For those of you who haven't read that post here's a quick background. My old phone is an LGG7. It's on its last legs and LG doesn't make phones anymore so I had to go with a different phone. I read good things about the camera in the Pixel 7 series so I went with the Pro model for the macro lens.

I often take quick pics of my reef tanks without using any filters or doing any setting changes. Sometimes I see something cool happening in my tanks and if I futz with settings or have to grab my lense kit then I miss getting the photo of the thing I wanted to take a pic of. My LGG7 could take really good photos with no filters or anything (point and shoot). Yes, the pics were bluish (that's fine) but they came out properly balanced and properly exposed. The pics look like what my eye sees. I also don't run my tanks heavy blue. They are more white. In comes the Pixel that I just got. I took some test pics exactly the same way as I do with my LG (point and shoot) and all the pics come out super dark. It looks like they were taken just before lights out in my tank. My tanks are in a room with a lot of natural light plus I have a bunch of daylight lights going over my freshwater tanks so my room is not dark. Interestingly if I take a pic of my freshwater that sits right next to one of my reef tanks it comes out perfectly exposed. So it's something with the blue light that the pixel phone doesn't like but the LG has been calibrated for.

I have 30 days to return the Pixel. I'm now looking at the Samsung S23. Does anyone have this or a similar recent model? If so can it do point and shoot pics of your reef tank?

For reference I'm posting the a pic taken with my Pixel and my LG (please excuse the dirty glass).

I'm hoping the Samsung can do pics more like my LG. This is actually very important to me as a feature. I've had LG phones for so long I just assumed all phone had this type of calibration. If the Samsung phones are the same as the Pixel in this regard the I will just have to live with this.

1st pic: Pixel no flash
2nd pic: Pixel with flash (no difference)
3rd pic: LG G7
4th pic: My freshwater tank with my Pixel. This sits right next to my reef tank.

TheBear78 · Feb 6, 2023

I have the S21 Ultra which, while obviously older than the '23, no doubt shares a lot in terms of photography.
It will take very good tank pictures as a 'point and shoot'. Typically well exposed and focused just very blue like all other cameras.
I've added to a few photography posts in the past regarding this issue although it's not really a fault as such.
Very few cameras can cope with overly coloured scenes. Most camera software will have algorithms and databases of generic scenes which they apply based on information from the sensor. 99% of the time it will be close enough but extremes of colour are just too far outside the scope.

You don't need coloured lenses most of the time although it can help to get the most out of an image. The Galaxy phones use a 'Pro' mode (I'm unfamiliar with the terminology used by other brands) which is quick to access and allows basic camera settings to be modified on the fly. I usually just turn the white balance up to round 9500 K (WB is the crux of the blue issue) and go from there.
It only takes a second and as all other parameters default to auto it basically turns into a colour corrected point and shoot.

Reefbuds · Feb 6, 2023

So I have the s22. Thing I like about the camera on this is that on the pro mode you can change the color to 10000k which makes a blue reef look more like a white reef while still keeping the bright colors.. if that makes sense.

TheBear78 · Feb 6, 2023

My lights are off now but these are a couple of shots that I got a while back when I was trying to show the WB differences. First photo is on Auto, the second in in Pro mode with the WB at around 9500K. I added a little contrast and saturation in post (all in phone) just to highlight the abilities of the phone.
I know you wanted to hear about ease of use but this is so easy to set up I can't say I've missed a shot doing it!

Karen00 · Feb 6, 2023

TheBear78 said:
I have the S21 Ultra which, while obviously older than the '23, no doubt shares a lot in terms of photography.
It will take very good tank pictures as a 'point and shoot'. Typically well exposed and focused just very blue like all other cameras.
I've added to a few photography posts in the past regarding this issue although it's not really a fault as such.
Very few cameras can cope with overly coloured scenes. Most camera software will have algorithms and databases of generic scenes which they apply based on information from the sensor. 99% of the time it will be close enough but extremes of colour are just too far outside the scope.

You don't need coloured lenses most of the time although it can help to get the most out of an image. The Galaxy phones use a 'Pro' mode (I'm unfamiliar with the terminology used by other brands) which is quick to access and allows basic camera settings to be modified on the fly. I usually just turn the white balance up to round 9500 K (WB is the crux of the blue issue) and go from there.
It only takes a second and as all other parameters default to auto it basically turns into a colour corrected point and shoot.

Thanks for this! I guess LG was doing something with theirs that you can literally point and shoot and get well exposed and balanced photos. I think what I find so disappointing is how very dark the Google pixel shots are yet I don't run heavy blues. My tanks are fairly balanced between white and blue and my room is well lit. I probably wouldn't have been as shocked if I ran heavy blue like I have seen on some members' tanks although after seeing how dark mine turned out I'm beginning to think maybe some of these members aren't running heavy blues and it's just how their phones took the pic. LOL

I know it's fairly easy to go in and adjust the settings but sometimes you have just a split second to get a pic. It's not like taking a picture of a tree that just stands there. LOL. It's those "moment in time" types of shots where you either get it or you don't that I'm referring to. I could get those shots with my LG and if I wanted to pretty them up I would do all the colour correction, etc in my photo editing software. I'm going to look at the Samsung. Based on what you say it might be what I need. I really didn't realize how important this functionality is to me until I suddenly don't have it. Haha.

Dburr1014 · Feb 6, 2023

I have the note 20 and was looking also at 23 model.
The cameras are amazing in the pro mode shooting at tanks.
Shooting out doors you just point and shoot for a quality picture.

Karen00 · Feb 6, 2023

Reefbuds said:
So I have the s22. Thing I like about the camera on this is that on the pro mode you can change the color to 10000k which makes a blue reef look more like a white reef while still keeping the bright colors.. if that makes sense.

Absolutely makes sense. Is there a way to save that as a profile so you don't have to keep going in and selecting that? I would be happy if my pixel allowed me to save this as a profile that I can instantly call up. It's when you have to go in and spend precious seconds making these adjustments that you might lose that "perfect shot". Given my LG gave me good shots just by pointing and shooting I could get the pic I wanted and then do cleanup on the pic in my editing software. Gee, I sound like a walking talking advert for LG. LOL. I'm so disappointed they stopped making phones. Having said that I'm going to look into Samsung. It sounds like it takes better point and shoot pics regardless. I'm running out of time to return my Pixel.

maroun.c · Feb 6, 2023

Most new phones would be capable of good quality pictures of our tanks. Wb correction might not be as good on some.as much as others. I use the s21, 22 and the iPhone 12 pro max. I find Samsung s22 the best between all 3 and the 23 I assume would be even better. Yet in the pics u posted the glass isn't clean which is making it harder for the phone ur using to focus and meter and that is reducing the quality of ur shots.
Check out the photography tutorials I have shared, in one of them I discuss plmibile phone photography which I believe would help u take better pics and better assess any mobile phone you buy.

Karen00 · Feb 6, 2023

maroun.c said:
Most new phones would be capable of good quality pictures of our tanks. Wb correction might not be as good on some.as much as others. I use the s21, 22 and the iPhone 12 pro max. I find Samsung s22 the best between all 3 and the 23 I assume would be even better. Yet in the pics u posted the glass isn't clean which is making it harder for the phone ur using to focus and meter and that is reducing the quality of ur shots.
Check out the photography tutorials I have shared, in one of them I discuss plmibile phone photography which I believe would help u take better pics and better assess any mobile phone you buy.

Oh yes. I realize the glass isn't clean but my LG still properly exposed the pic. I guess it's possible the Google Pixel isn't capable of taking a properly exposed pic with dirty glass. Having said that I took another pic of some plants growing next to my other reef tank so they're also under blue light. Those pics were also super super dark whereas my LG was fine. I'm going to look at the Samsung phones. I guess I take way too many of these point and shoot photos of my tanks to make it super annoying if I have to change the settings or grab my lense kit each time I want to take a pic.

Lost in the Sauce · Feb 6, 2023

I carry a pixel 6 and an S24. Pixel 6 tank pics beats the s24 running away.

rtparty · Feb 6, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
I carry a pixel 6 and an S24. Pixel 6 tank pics beats the s24 running away.

S24??? Lucky duck!

Reef-_-Noob · Feb 6, 2023

I have an s22 ultra here are some photos I use the pro mode without filters and adjust the WB and also some with filter

Reef-_-Noob · Feb 6, 2023

Sand bed is a mess bc of my dragon wrasse in the 2nd pic

Karen00 · Feb 6, 2023

Lost in the Sauce said:
I carry a pixel 6 and an S24. Pixel 6 tank pics beats the s24 running away.

The S23? Pixel 6 is better than the S23 for doing point and shoot of your tank?

Karen00 · Feb 6, 2023

Reef-_-Noob said:
Sand bed is a mess bc of my dragon wrasse in the 2nd pic

Nice!! These are definitely closer to my LG. I am going to try doing the white balance on my pixel again out of curiosity. I was on the phone with Google support and was trying a whole bunch of things that didn't work. I will probably end up with the Sammy S23 regardless. There's also other things that aren't working on it so overall I'm just bummed the pixel isn't performing the way I expected.

maroun.c · Feb 7, 2023

Karen00 said:
Oh yes. I realize the glass isn't clean but my LG still properly exposed the pic. I guess it's possible the Google Pixel isn't capable of taking a properly exposed pic with dirty glass. Having said that I took another pic of some plants growing next to my other reef tank so they're also under blue light. Those pics were also super super dark whereas my LG was fine. I'm going to look at the Samsung phones. I guess I take way too many of these point and shoot photos of my tanks to make it super annoying if I have to change the settings or grab my lense kit each time I want to take a pic.

Increasing exposure if ur shooting in auto or moving to pro mode if available and adjusting exposure shouldnt be a huge deal on any phone.

AydenLincoln · Feb 7, 2023

Hi!

Karen00 · Feb 7, 2023

maroun.c said:
Increasing exposure if ur shooting in auto or moving to pro mode if available and adjusting exposure shouldnt be a huge deal on any phone.

It's not a big deal but it takes enough time that you might miss that perfect shot. I didn't have to worry about this with my LG. It gave me proper balance and exposure without doing anything. Yes, it was bluish looking but I could easily correct that in my photo editing software if I wanted to. The point is I didn't miss the shots I wanted to capture because I had to futz with settings.