Don’t shoot 8K on your phone! 4K 120 is WAY better!

Shoot better video!

We can make video “higher quality” in a couple different ways. We can increase resolution or we can increase frame rate. More phones are coming out with ability to shoot 8K, but is that really making our mobile video better?

I think 4k 120 is better as an EXTREME video quality… Continue reading “Don’t shoot 8K on your phone! 4K 120 is WAY better!”

LumaFusion on Android! Why I’m Dropping PowerDirector…

LumaFusion is the real deal.

I’ve been cutting video on phones for years now. My favorite app on Android has been PowerDirector, but recent changes to PD’s subscription and account verification have soured that experience. This isn’t a weak sauce comparison where I just read a list of plugins and show the UI. I’m legit dropping PD from my app drawer.

This is an airing of grievances!

LumaFusion comes at the EXACT right time. I can no longer recommend PowerDirector or Kinemaster anymore…

Smartphone Camera Pro Modes are a LOT easier to use than you think… (#SGGQA Podcast Highlight)

I got a comment on the podcast that I felt was important to comment on.

A LOT of techies act like the pro and manual modes on our phone cameras are SOOOO complicated to use. Those settings can look a little intimidating, but they’re really not that difficult to use. We can learn a lot from professional photographers in setting up a good shot, and preparing for a specific kind of action.

You’re (Probably) Thinking about Smartphone Camera Night Modes ALL Wrong…

No really. Chances are pretty good you’re missing the point of a good night mode on your phone camera.

We know the complaints. We’ve heard the “hot takes”.

“If I’m taking a photo at night, shouldn’t it be DARK? I HATE how PROCESSED phone photos are!”

Our competitors: Vivo X80 Pro vs Panasonic Lumix G9 with 12mm at f/2.8

It’s worth taking a second to break this sentiment down, because it’s likely being shared by someone who really doesn’t understand photography. At least, not as well as they think they do…

How do we make images brighter? Continue reading “You’re (Probably) Thinking about Smartphone Camera Night Modes ALL Wrong…”

Summer 2022 Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Performance Round Up!

We’re more than halfway through 2022, and it’s time to take a look at premium phone performance!

The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 has been a controversial chip for expensive Android phones. Qualcomm used ARM reference designs to build a powerful System on Chip. Samsung was responsible for producing the chip on Qualcomm’s designs. Then, manufacturers build phones around those power and thermal specifications.

That thermal conversation has been a challenge to track this year. The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 is a powerful chip, but it’s a finnicky performer if thermals and battery life aren’t handled appropriately.

This SOC arrived at the same time as some significant changes to Android. The way Android 12 handles storage reduces performance for numerous apps and services. Years of my benchmarking results on older phones are no longer directly comparable to current phones with Android 12 and newer.

Phones released in the first half of 2022 are a unique group of devices.

More powerful (but hotter) CPU and GPU, balanced against performance sapping software.

The refreshed Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 is starting to ship in new phones for the second half of the year. ARM is improving the power efficiency, Qualcomm is refining the design, and TSMC is replacing Samsung for the chip fabrication.

It’s a good time to chart how these devices currently compare against each other.

We’ll see where these companies are improving later in the year. We’ll get to see if the 8+ Gen1 runs cooler. We’ll get to see if app developers are taking better advantage of this SOC performance.

Let’s look at some benchmark scores! Continue reading “Summer 2022 Snapdragon 8 Gen1 Performance Round Up!”

Sony XPERIA 1IV vs vivo X80 Pro: Camera Comparison!

WHERE BOTH PHONES ARE WINNERS!

These two are MONSTER performers.

Two of the best camera centric phones of the year, and they couldn’t be more different if they tried. Sony and vivo both deliver excellent results!

Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of each phone, and see which might be the right fit for you! Continue reading “Sony XPERIA 1IV vs vivo X80 Pro: Camera Comparison!”

vivo X80 Pro: Phone vs Camera SHOWDOWN! (3 of 3)

vivo X80 Pro Camera SHOWDOWN!

Smartphone vs mirrorless camera!

I’m pitting this vivo against the pro camera I use to get my work done! Let’s REALLY dig into the math and show some samples!

The X80 Pro is one of the most impressive phone camera solutions of the year, but how does it stack up against a Lumix? Part 3 of our series on the vivo camera system!

vivo X80 Pro Camera Part 1 (intro): https://somegadgetguy.com/2022/06/01/vivo-x80-pro-camera-upgrades-and-improvements-2-of-3/
vivo X80 Pro Camera Part 2 (upgrades): https://somegadgetguy.com/2022/05/18/vivo-x80-pro-camera-features-modes-and-settings-1-of-3/ Continue reading “vivo X80 Pro: Phone vs Camera SHOWDOWN! (3 of 3)”

vivo X80 Pro Camera: Upgrades and Improvements! (2 of 3)

vivo X80 Pro Camera UPGRADES!

I’m so excited to be working with vivo to showcase the incredible camera technology on the X80 Pro smartphone! We’re collaborating on a three part series, and this is part two! We’ll take a closer look at some of the upgrades and improvements in this camera package!

Later in part three we’ll compare the X80 Pro against a proper professional camera. There’s a LOT of ground to cover!

This is a fantastic smartphone camera!
vivo X80 Pro Camera Part 1 (intro): https://somegadgetguy.com/2022/05/18/vivo-x80-pro-camera-features-modes-and-settings-1-of-3/
vivo X80 Pro Camera Part 3 (showdown): https://somegadgetguy.com/2022/06/08/vivo-x80-pro-phone-vs-camera-showdown-3-of-3/ Continue reading “vivo X80 Pro Camera: Upgrades and Improvements! (2 of 3)”