Use the new Google camera instead of the stock Sony camera? - Xperia Z2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Google just released a new camera app on the play store and it works for every device that has KitKat, have you guys tried it? How are you liking it? Can you still take 4k videos with it? How's the quality of the images? Can you take 16:9 or just 4:3 pictures?
www.androidpolice.com/2014/04/16/breaking-google-releases-stock-camera-app-to-the-play-store/
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You can only take 4:3 photos with that app......I wouldn't recommend using it.
I think that app is really for nexus 5 users who were (understandably) appalled at the sub-standard cam app that came with that handset.
You'll get the best results with sony's home-grown app. The software algorithms will be optimised for the z2's sensor.
Also, as always, for best results one needs to familiarze themselves with manual control (i.e. ISO and white balance)...which that app completely lacks..... so it's pretty useless for Z2 users in my opinion.

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Google's Kitkat camera SUCKS! And it's one of the biggest reasons why I changed my phone.

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Does anyone know if the camera app can be installed separately? Because I'm definitely not planning on using the stock ROM any longer than I really have to, but the camera seems really nice.
EDIT: Nevermind. Apparently someone already did the work.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2667341
EDIT2: Apparently it only works with the stock ROM *sigh*

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Just tried it last night, while it may not be a bad camera app I don't think it fares anywhere near the stock Sony camera. Too limited in functions. It will be great for Nexus users though.
Sent from my non-Apple device via XDA App

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Seifer1975 said:
Google's Kitkat camera SUCKS! And it's one of the biggest reasons why I changed my phone.
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Google released a new camera app on the store , is far better than the stock one we had
paddylaz said:
You can only take 4:3 photos with that app......I wouldn't recommend using it.
I think that app is really for nexus 5 users who were (understandably) appalled at the sub-standard cam app that came with that handset.
You'll get the best results with sony's home-grown app. The software algorithms will be optimised for the z2's sensor.
Also, as always, for best results one needs to familiarze themselves with manual control (i.e. ISO and white balance)...which that app completely lacks..... so it's pretty useless for Z2 users in my opinion.
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Yeah, that's why I'm afraid of, and it sounds logical, Sony's app will be tailored to the phone, anyway google's camera app was released just yesterday so there's room for improvement, let's hope for the best, I'm sure more options will be added in the future.
By the way you can tweak the white balance, you just need to enable the option on settings (weird )
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Chad_Petree said:
By the way you can tweak the white balance, you just need to enable the option on settings (weird )
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No no, that's the white balance for the SCREEN.
There is a camera white balance that should be adjusted dependant on what lighting conditions you're shooting in. I haven't seen the Z2's options, but it should have the usual four: Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent & Incandescent.
They actually make a significant difference to the colour tones and how similar to the reality of the scene your shot ends up looking. In my experience phone cameras CAN NOT be trusted to calculate this correctly themselves (and I used to have a lumia 1020!).
Yeah this nexus app will be good for the n5 crowd but you're never going to get as good shots with an app like that (or apple's) without having the ability (and learning) to alter ISO and white balance manually.
Of course in proper photography the shutter speed and aperture are also important but unfortunately it's very hard to control these given the current CMOS limitations in phone implementation.

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paddylaz said:
No no, that's the white balance for the SCREEN.
There is a camera white balance that should be adjusted dependant on what lighting conditions you're shooting in. I haven't seen the Z2's options, but it should have the usual four: Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent & Incandescent.
They actually make a significant difference to the colour tones and how similar to the reality of the scene your shot ends up looking. In my experience phone cameras CAN NOT be trusted to calculate this correctly themselves (and I used to have a lumia 1020!).
Yeah this nexus app will be good for the n5 crowd but you're never going to get as good shots with an app like that (or apple's) without having the ability (and learning) to alter ISO and white balance manually.
Of course in proper photography the shutter speed and aperture are also important but unfortunately it's very hard to control these given the current CMOS limitations in phone implementation.
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Yes I know you are referring to the camera white balance, that's why I said it's weird you have to activate it in the settings menu first, check it out
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Chad_Petree said:
Yes I know you are referring to the camera white balance, that's why I said it's weird you have to activate it in the settings menu first, check it out
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That's not white balance though I think, isn't that just exposure-compensation?

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paddylaz said:
That's not white balance though I think, isn't that just exposure-compensation?
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You are right, there's no white balance , sorry

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Chad_Petree said:
You are right, there's no white balance , sorry
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no worries....the z2 app definitely has it though I'm sure (unfortunately still waiting for my bloody handset!!)

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Tried it, found no option for 16:9 photos... Uninstalled it
Sent from my Xperia Z1

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paddylaz said:
You can only take 4:3 photos with that app......I wouldn't recommend using it.
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Jiyeon90 said:
Tried it, found no option for 16:9 photos... Uninstalled it
Sent from my Xperia Z1
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I'm not sure but maybe you could take 16:9 shots if you decreased the resolution to 8 MP? Like in manual mode, you can only take 4:3 shots in 20.7 MP so I think the app is taking photos with the maximum resolution and that's why it's 4:3

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leocooper said:
I'm not sure but maybe you could take 16:9 shots if you decreased the resolution to 8 MP? Like in manual mode, you can only take 4:3 shots in 20.7 MP so I think the app is taking photos with the maximum resolution and that's why it's 4:3
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you can always tried an app called camera fv-5 lots of settings possible, and high resolution recording, png or jpg (png create 20mb file)

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nocomp said:
you can always tried an app called camera fv-5 lots of settings possible, and high resolution recording, png or jpg (png create 20mb file)
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Whilst Camera FV-5 is good I prefer 'A Better Camera'.
Has tons of options and gives excellent results.

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Beards said:
Whilst Camera FV-5 is good I prefer 'A Better Camera'.
Has tons of options and gives excellent results.
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thxx for the tip, your link gives a "not found" result, can you post apk here?
thx
sorry just found it, i try.
thx
---------- Post added at 09:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------
quite nice, didn t found the setting menu

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nocomp said:
thxx for the tip, your link gives a "not found" result, can you post apk here?
thx
sorry just found it, i try.
thx
---------- Post added at 09:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------
quite nice, didn t found the setting menu
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To get the settings to pop up all you need do is from the top drag down.This will display amongst others 'More Settings'.