iPhone 4S picture quality poor

Deckyon · Nov 30, 2011

@eyephonefour - 50 years ago, there was only film. I am in a camera club here where there are a few members who still only shoot film, one on an old 8x10 view camera I would give my right arm to have, and know nothing about the new digital world. Seriously? One does not need to know the differences in optical/digital zoom to have been in photography. Digital photography is still mostly new (the last 10 years, really)

You know what they say about assumptions...

larrymcj · Nov 30, 2011

adjuvantjfoster said:
2) I navigate to the Utilities folder in the Applications folder and open the Image Capture application.

John...I'm using the latest version of OS X Lion and don't have the Image Capture app It went away after Snow Leopard.

Garrett · Nov 30, 2011

High end point and shoot camera's have a extremely hard time producing a mediocre picture at best, what makes you think a device that is a phone 1st and a camera 2nd will produce anything that could be called remotely good.

Anyone that expects to get decent photo's out of a cell phone is sorely mistaken. Now don't get me wrong out of all the phones with built in cameras the iPhone 4s excels but by no means produces a quality photo even at its very very best.

xplod566 · Nov 30, 2011

larrymcj said:
@Skull One: I've only been am amateur photographer for about 50 years...so I'm sure you can teach me a thing or two if you're a pro. Also, not seeing where I assumed anything about how the zoom worked...just said that adding even one "+" notch of it caused pics to be grainy. Using the camera without zoom the pics are fine. Regarding the flash, it has a case but nothing is obstructing the flash...in fact, there is a very generous sized opening for the lens and flash. Nonetheless, I had already tried it without the case just to see if it made any difference...it does not.

My major complaint about the flash is during an indoor setting, ambient incandescent lighting, perhaps like you'd have if you were eating dinner. Then I take a pic anywhere (no zoom) and if the flash fires (in Auto) or if it's ON...the pictures are grainy. The effect I see is as if using VERY high ASA film indoors without flash in the old days...just grainy enough to not be a decent picture. The closer I get to a subject with the flash...the worse it gets.

Are all these symptoms normal...or could I have a defective unit? Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I moved to the iPhone from the original Incredible, which had a wonderful flash, took great pics in low light (such as a wedding reception) and the zoom worked equally as good at both ends of the spectrum. Thanks for any insight you might have.

May be coz u got a faulty camera.just open ur case and then take a pic.also if ur cell is laminated then open the lamination and then try.If its still like this consider taking it to the service centre.they should replace it.But since you are doing it for 50 years so that would mean that your Taste for pic quality will be pretty high.but then I think the quality is satisfactory in iPhone 4s and you would notice it.Try what I told and if it doesn't work then Good Luck with the new iPhone ;-)

larrymcj · Nov 30, 2011

tim89 said:
I can only agree to the zoom issue, since it is digital it is completely useless. I would rather never use and and give the pictures a small edit on the computer (since you can do this with basically every program)

I have not experienced any issues with the flash and pictures getting grainy so far, but I just think pictures taken with the flash do not look to great because of the light and colours you get when you use it.

@Tim: After playing with it a few days I agree the zoom is relatively useless, but I did make the following comparisons using the native camera and the same photos with Camera+

- Using the flash adds what is (to me, anyway) an unacceptable and unnatural light to the scene. Taking the very same picture with Camera+ is nearly perfect (or as perfect as it's going to be for a phone camera.

- Using zoom with the native camera definitely causes grainy pictures. Using the same amount of zoom and same scene with Camera+ clears up the pictures a lot...and I mean a whole lot.

I've chosen to just take pictures without zoom and using Camera+ and I think I have the best I can get with this camera. Someone here said a camera phone will never be a point & shoot...and they're correct. I have a Canon S90 but do I have it with me all the time? Of course not...so I'll sacrifice some quality to have the best of the camera phones at least with me all the time.

adjuvantjfoster · Dec 1, 2011

larrymcj said:
John...I'm using the latest version of OS X Lion and don't have the Image Capture app It went away after Snow Leopard.

Errrrrr.....Maybe not.....it is hiding in the Utility Folder (scroll down in Applications to find the Utility Folder)

[h=1]Image Capture[/h][h=3]Capture images from your devices.[/h]Image Capture transfers images from your digital camera to your Mac for use in iPhoto and other applications. You can download all or any portion of the contents from your digital camera or memory card and delete unwanted pictures. Image Capture also makes it simple to scan pictures and documents on your scanner or multifunction printer and save them in your Pictures folder.

Apple - OS X Lion - An operating system with a whole lot to offer.

Can your operating system do all this?
Applications

Address Book Automator Calculator Chess Dashboard Dictionary DVD Player Font Book
iCal iChat Image Capture iTunes Launchpad Mac App Store Mail Mission Control
Photo Booth Preview QuickTime X Safari Stickies System Preferences TextEdit Time Machine

Utilities

Activity Monitor AirPort Utility AppleScript Editor Audio MIDI Setup Bluetooth File Exchange ColorSync Utility Console DigitalColor Meter
Disk Utility Grab Grapher Keychain Access Migration Assistant Network Utility Podcast Capture
RAID Utility System Profiler Terminal VoiceOver Utility X11

larrymcj · Dec 1, 2011

adjuvantjfoster said:
Errrrrr.....Maybe not.....it is hiding in the Utility Folder (scroll down in Applications to find the Utility Folder)

Image Capture

Capture images from your devices.

Image Capture transfers images from your digital camera to your Mac for use in iPhoto and other applications. You can download all or any portion of the contents from your digital camera or memory card and delete unwanted pictures. Image Capture also makes it simple to scan pictures and documents on your scanner or multifunction printer and save them in your Pictures folder.

Apple - OS X Lion - An operating system with a whole lot to offer.

What’s New

What is OS X Lion?

OS X Lion Apps

How to Upgrade

Tech Specs

Upgrade OS X Lion Now

Can your operating system do all this?
Applications

Address Book Automator Calculator Chess Dashboard Dictionary DVD Player Font Book
iCal iChat Image Capture iTunes Launchpad Mac App Store Mail Mission Control
Photo Booth Preview QuickTime X Safari Stickies System Preferences TextEdit Time Machine

Utilities

Activity Monitor AirPort Utility AppleScript Editor Audio MIDI Setup Bluetooth File Exchange ColorSync Utility Console DigitalColor Meter
Disk Utility Grab Grapher Keychain Access Migration Assistant Network Utility Podcast Capture
RAID Utility System Profiler Terminal VoiceOver Utility X11

@John: I've been using Macs a long time and recently retired from the computing business as a developer. If "Image Capture" is in my Utilities Folder it's in the stealth mode...it just isn't there. In fact, looking over the list of app names under "Utilities" in your post here...I don't see it there, either. The list starts with "Activity Monitor" and ends with "X11"...nothing in there even begins with the letter "I" that I see. I have the same list of utilities that you post, so which one is "Image Capture"?

That said...I see where Apple mentions it on their website as a feature in Lion, but I sure don't see it here.

Rocko · Dec 1, 2011

What I notice about the 4S's camera-having experience with many Droid phones. To capture photo's similar to what was shown at the key note presentation by Tim Cook, you need to 1) have very well lit subject. 2) have the phone braced against something to be almost completely still. With these two scenarios the phone takes very nice pictures for a phone-in fact provably the best of any cell phone. If you don't have a well lit subject, the lens is too small to let in enough light and any movement causes blur.

Deckyon · Dec 1, 2011

Rocko said:
What I notice about the 4S's camera-having experience with many Droid phones. To capture photo's similar to what was shown at the key note presentation by Tim Cook, you need to 1) have very well lit subject. 2) have the phone braced against something to be almost completely still.

This is true of ANY camera.

Rocko · Dec 1, 2011

Deckyon said:
This is true of ANY camera.

While it helps with any camera, the more light let in will compensate for it being hand held. Many great photos are taken without tripods. With these small lenses it makes it paramount to have it still and well lit.

iris4 · Dec 1, 2011

larrymcj said:
@John: I've been using Macs a long time and recently retired from the computing business as a developer. If "Image Capture" is in my Utilities Folder it's in the stealth mode...it just isn't there. In fact, looking over the list of app names under "Utilities" in your post here...I don't see it there, either. The list starts with "Activity Monitor" and ends with "X11"...nothing in there even begins with the letter "I" that I see. I have the same list of utilities that you post, so which one is "Image Capture"?

That said...I see where Apple mentions it on their website as a feature in Lion, but I sure don't see it here.

It's not in the Utilities Folder, it's in your Application Folder.

iamkimosabi · Dec 2, 2011

Hmm, i'd like to see what your talking about. Maybe post a picture to give an example? Maybe you think it's worse than other people's iPhones? No telling, unless you post a picture as an example. My phone's camera is pretty nice, compared to all of the Android phones i've owned. But then again, im not using it to produce high quality photography either...it's a phone camera. =\

cliveyboy · Jan 1, 2012

I too see cloudy results when using flash on Iphone 4s white. Never had this with 3s or 4 ??

elektrobix · Jan 2, 2012

Garrett said:
High end point and shoot camera's have a extremely hard time producing a mediocre picture at best, what makes you think a device that is a phone 1st and a camera 2nd will produce anything that could be called remotely good.

Anyone that expects to get decent photo's out of a cell phone is sorely mistaken. Now don't get me wrong out of all the phones with built in cameras the iPhone 4s excels but by no means produces a quality photo even at its very very best.

I couldn't disagree more. A quick trip to flickr and some of the specialist point-and-shoot groups out there and you will find some truly spectacular photos. I've printed several poster prints from both point & shoot and a DSLR and you'd be hard pushed to know which picture was taken with which camera.

And in decent conditions even the iPhone is capable of pretty decent pictures.