How to make a front camera. Choosing the best camera with effects for Android smartphone and tablet


Nowadays, it is difficult to imagine a smartphone that does not have a camera installed. The shooting module has become an integral part of a mobile device, like Wi-Fi or a second SIM card slot. And of course, every user tries to take a good photo using a mobile camera.

Looking at the pictures posted on social networks or blogs, you can see that even with a high-quality camera it is not always possible to take an equally high-quality photo. Sometimes the reason for this is the human factor - well, in principle, a person is not able to catch a beautiful shot - but most often the matter is that the user ignores or sets the camera settings incorrectly.

You can significantly improve the quality of photos and videos in three ways:

  • Using your own camera settings;
  • Through the engineering menu;
  • Using a special application.

In our article, we will give basic tips for improving pictures, and also tell you in detail how to set up the camera on Android.

Before you start setting up your camera, you should understand the basic rules for shooting with a smartphone. By following these recommendations, you will already be halfway to quality photography.

  1. Keep the lens clean. Before shooting, wipe the lens with a soft cloth so that the image is not spoiled by smudges and dust particles that inevitably fall on the lens;
  2. Consider the light. It is extremely important that the subject is well lit. If you are photographing a person or object in a room, do not place it in front of a window so that the photo does not end up with one solid white spot. We'll talk about how to adjust the camera to the lighting below;
  3. Don't overuse zoom. Smartphone cameras are usually equipped with a digital enlarger, which greatly distorts the photo. If possible, it is better to come closer to the subject so that you don’t end up with a picture like this:
  1. Use the flash only for its intended purpose. If photography takes place at dusk, sometimes you can’t do without a flash. In this case, set it to Auto mode. The smartphone itself will “figure out” when it needs to be used. During the day, it is better to completely avoid flashing:

In order to achieve a good picture, the user needs to set the right combination of camera settings that match the shooting conditions.

Let's look at the main camera menu items in order:

Exposition. This function determines the amount of light that hits the camera sensor. Typically, exposure ranges from -3 to +3. If you are shooting in the evening, set the exposure to positive. On a bright sunny day, it is better to reduce the exposure. The picture below shows examples of how a picture turns out if the frame is overexposed or underexposed in uniform lighting:

Color effect. As a rule, there are 6 main effects available in color settings:

  • Monochrome;
  • Sepia;
  • Negative;
  • Under the water;
  • Chalk on a black board;
  • White board.

These effects are useful if you need to add stylization to your photo. For example, for a more atmospheric and dramatic photo, you can turn on monochrome, and sepia will help if you want to take a photo in a retro style:

Shooting mode. Here the setting depends on the time and place of shooting. Use the appropriate modes if you are shooting on the beach, in the snow, in the city during fireworks, photographing a car race or taking night portraits.

White balance. This feature adds warm or cool tones to your photo. The white balance setting depends on the lighting. The photo below shows an example of two shots. The left one is made in the “Shadow” mode, the right one is in the “Incandescent” mode:

If you are not sure exactly which mode to set, it is better to switch to auto balance.

In the image settings, you can adjust the sharpness, hue, saturation, brightness and contrast of the photo. By default, all parameters are set to “Normal”.

Frequency. This parameter determines the flickering frequency of the light source in hertz. To avoid racking your brains over this value, leave the parameter in Auto mode.

The size of pictures is set in megapixels. If your smartphone has a sufficient amount of internal or external memory, it is better not to skimp on the size and set this parameter to the maximum setting as far as the camera allows.

The ISO parameter determines the light sensitivity of the camera sensor. The higher this indicator, the more light will reach the sensor. Therefore, lighting conditions should be taken into account when setting this parameter. In a dark room, the ISO should be set higher, and in bright sunlight, it is better to lower the sensitivity to 100 or 200.

The photo below shows two shots that demonstrate extreme ISO values. The left image has a value of 100, the right one has a value of 1600.

Setting up the camera in the Android engineering menu

Access to the engineering menu is provided only on smartphones with a MediaTek processor and Android version no older than 2. To get into the camera's engineering settings, you need to enter a special combination on the numeric keypad. As a rule, this code is *#*#3646633#*#*. Camera parameters are located in the Hardware Testing section. Here you can find a fairly extensive list of fine settings:

  • Camera sensor selection;
  • Capture and shutter speed;
  • Shade chart;
  • Flash calibration;
  • Focus settings;
  • HDR mode options and others.

Please note that setting up the camera through the Android engineering menu is a rather complex and responsible task. If you are in doubt or do not know which parameter is responsible for what, it is better not to touch the root camera settings and try to improve the picture through the parameters in the main menu.

Applications to expand the functionality of the camera

Some programs that are downloaded from the Google Play store significantly expand the smartphone camera settings. Having mastered such applications, the user can improve the quality of the photo. We recommend paying attention to several paid utilities. They are inexpensive, but your shooting will not be disturbed by constantly pop-up advertisements.

Cost: 129 rubles.

An application that adds a huge number of settings to the photo module on a smartphone, turning it into a real professional camera. Using the utility, you can fine-tune camera stabilization, level exposure, focus, flash brightness, set the shooting interval, colors and scene illumination. A special scale shows the angle of the camera, so you can use it to maintain an even horizon.

Cost: 179 rubles

A convenient application designed for high-quality camera settings before shooting. It is worth noting the very well-thought-out interface of the program, thanks to which most of the tools are available with one click on the screen.

Main functions of the application:

  • two states of the shutter button - press to focus, release to take a photo; movable viewfinder to set the focus area;
  • visual histogram; exposure compensation; exposure metering mode - matrix, center-weighted, spot;
  • autofocus mode - single-frame, continuous, face detection, etc.;
  • white balance;
  • shutter mode;
  • Scene setting;
  • color effects;
  • grids: rule of thirds, Golden ratio, etc.;
  • Volume keys act like shutter buttons.

If you seriously decide to improve the quality of your photos, in addition to the camera settings, pay attention to additional tools. When conducting a photo shoot outdoors or in nature, we recommend using special tripods for smartphones.

If you shoot small objects indoors, get an inexpensive lightbox - a special box that is essentially a mini-photo studio. A lightbox provides soft diffused light and allows you to avoid unnecessary noise and shadows in the photo. Also, do not neglect graphics programs. With simple manipulations, you can significantly improve the quality of the image. For example, this photo was taken using a lightbox and went through a little post-processing in Photoshop (color correction and sharpening):

Which smartphone to choose for high-quality photos

Many users believe that the quality of the camera is determined by the price of the smartphone. That is, according to this logic, the more expensive the gadget, the better the photo will come out. However, as practice shows, you can achieve excellent photographs using an affordable mobile device that will cost less than 10 thousand rubles.

An ideal example in this sense is the British company Fly, which since 2003 has been providing users with powerful, productive and inexpensive smartphones. One of the latest models with which you can safely go on a photo hunt is a new product for spring 2017 - a smartphone. The main 13-megapixel photo module will help you create an impressive photo even in difficult lighting conditions, and the 5-megapixel front camera will provide clear video communication and will appeal to lovers of spectacular selfies.

It is worth noting that the camera contains the most basic settings that will help you create the perfect photo. Here you can set ISO, white balance, color effect, tonality, and much more.

The smartphone is equipped with a powerful 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, which can easily handle the most voluminous photo post-processing application or utility for fine-tuning the camera. The size of the pictures can be safely set to the maximum - the internal memory capacity of 16 GB will allow you to save more than one thousand memorable photos. And if this volume is not enough, the smartphone’s memory can be increased to 64 GB using an SD card.

All created photos are displayed realistically on a bright and contrasting 5-inch IPS screen with FullHD resolution. On such a display it is simply impossible to miss even the slightest detail of the photo.

Now you know how to set up a camera on Android. Arm yourself with a powerful and high-quality smartphone, follow our recommendations, and you will not be left without great photos.

However, some smartphones do not come with good camera apps installed by the manufacturer, and therefore you cannot take advantage of a high-quality camera.

But this is not a problem if you have a good Android phone with an 8 or 13 Megapixel camera. Install these applications on your phone and you will be able to take professional-level photographs using your smartphone.

#5. Line camera

Line camera is one of the best apps to take selfies and photo collages on your smartphone. The app has high quality filters that are easy to customize.

It's not just a camera app, it also allows you to edit photos as you take them, stack photos side by side, and create a collage. This app is three in one! You can shoot, edit and create a collage of images using this application. And all this is absolutely free.

#4. Open camera

Open camera is one of the smallest (approximately 500 KB) applications of its type for Android devices. But despite its small size, the app has a lot of features and pretty decent exposure control. Open camera is recommended for night photography on an Android phone.

Simply tap anywhere on the screen to focus on an object and the image will magically become brighter. Open camera is also a completely free application for Android devices.

#3. Google Camera

Google Camera is Google's app for photographers and it has a ton of unique features that will help you take better photos. Google Camera takes photos and videos quickly and easily, taking advantage of the processing power of your Android device, as well as photo enhancement features such as HDR+, shallow depth of field blur, wide angle, panorama and 360 degree panorama.

But if you want to use Google Camera, you need to own an Android smartphone or tablet running Android KitKat 4.4 or higher. In this case, you can download the application for free from the Google Play service.

#2. A Better Camera

As the name Better Camera suggests, this app will allow you to take better quality photos with its high-end functionality. This app will allow you to take photos and videos in 11 different shooting modes such as HD panorama, HDR, Night, Group and others.

Apart from this, this camera app also has various features such as exposure mode, ISO settings, smart mode, autofocus, and more. This application is available on Google Play in both paid and free versions.

#1. Ucam Ultra Camera

The cameras of modern smartphones are not yet capable of completely replacing a good point-and-shoot camera, not to mention professional cameras. But nevertheless, you can achieve a passable image even from a budget smartphone with the help of a few secrets, programs and a couple of simple tricks.

Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of not just terrible photos on social networks, but ones that are generally embarrassing to show. Moreover, the “authors” usually do not stop, but use dozens of all kinds of “popular” filters that they can find, believing that this can really correct a deliberately incorrect composition.

We want to convey that really good pictures can be taken with a not very high-quality camera. Of course, their quality will not be perfect, but it will not be a shame to show the photo on the same social networks.

Part one. Learning to take photographs

To take a really good photo, you need to know and understand the basic photographic techniques that are sure to make your photos incredibly beautiful, no matter how many pixels your camera has.

Lighting

Of course, when shooting with your phone's built-in camera, there's no question of using professional lighting equipment to sharpen your photos and improve color. But don't despair - you can always use sunlight or artificial light to your advantage. But it’s still better to rely on natural light. It matches much better with almost any camera and provides a natural color palette.

Artificial lighting can often ruin your photography. Incandescent lamps, as you know, will give off a yellowish tint; moreover, they will not be able to sufficiently provide the required level of illumination. Fluorescent lamps, on the other hand, can provide overly bright and harsh light, which is also not a good aid for photography. Natural light sources will provide you with warm shades that can highlight the subject and not wash away the details. This is why, if possible, avoid using camera flash.

So, you've found the perfect light source for your photograph, positioned your subject to make the most of the light, and ensure that the light illuminates the subject of the photograph, but does not hit the camera lens, otherwise you will end up with an overexposed image.

Experiment, don’t be afraid to shoot from different angles, with different lighting brightness - morning, afternoon, evening. Advice is, of course, good, but it will give you absolutely nothing without practice - only through personal experience can you understand how it all really works.

Exposition

Exposure, in its simplest sense, is the effect of the amount of light entering the camera sensor on the overall brightness of the image. In conventional cameras, you can change this parameter by experimenting with the shutter speed, aperture and ISO value. This combination will determine how much light hits the camera lens and how sensitive it is to light. The better the lighting, the lower the sensitivity should be selected. And vice versa - in poor lighting, more light-sensitive settings are needed, although this, of course, can result in a grainy image.


The “native” Android camera is mostly deprived of customization options, and in most cases it only allows you to adjust the exposure with a moving slider. More advanced applications allow you to carry out almost the full range of manual settings - change ISO, aperture, etc.

Sleight of hand and no fraud

Of course, we will talk about focus, because a well-chosen exposure and good lighting are not everything. Before you take a photo, you need to make sure your subject is in focus. Fortunately, almost all modern smartphones can adjust focus and most have quite “smart” autofocus, but even the fastest ones require from one to several seconds to adjust. During this time, it is important to hold your hand as firmly as possible, otherwise you will get a smeared photo.

Also, most cameras offer the ability to randomly focus - focus in an area that you select by tapping on the screen. There are also many different automatic effects that would be quite difficult to achieve manually on such a camera (for example, background blur - “bokeh”).

Image composition

Now that you know some of the intricacies of the photography process, you can apply them all to get a high-quality picture, just remember to practice. But even with all these subtleties, your photo will only be as good as the correct composition. One of the main principles of photography is the “rule of thirds”. It divides the image area into nine equal parts using horizontal and vertical lines. The main concept of this rule is that the subjects (or object) should be located along the lines or at their intersection.

Unfortunately, in reality, natural lighting will not always be ideal, the moment may be fleeting, the subject itself may be constantly moving, etc. All these nuances make you rely more on memory than photography. Luckily, there are many software options for enhancing a photo you've already taken.

Part two. Programs for processing and shooting

No, we won’t talk about Instagram filters and other “popular” things on the Internet. We want to get the most out of the resulting photo, so we will try to do everything manually, because this is the only way we can get a result that will suit us.

This application is installed by default on most Android smartphones. It has a simple user interface and minimal settings, but it has several unique photo modes, as well as several effects.


With Google Camera, you can overlay a grid on the camera interface, adjust exposure, and it can also provide you with an HDR mode that will allow you to pull out a good picture even in less than ideal conditions. You can also create 360-degree panoramas with this camera.

This application provides you with a number of settings that not every professional camera can boast of. With it, you can manually adjust exposure, ISO, focus mode, white balance, etc.

This camera also has several night shot modes, HDR time-lapse photography, and a self-timer. Using this camera will allow you to experience the power of manual photo adjustments, allow you to practice with different shooting modes, and with this application you will be able to take really high-quality photos.

Of course, you can’t do without Photoshop even on Android. This application will allow you to customize and improve the photos you take right on the screen of your phone without the help of a computer.

Of course, this application does not have even a tenth of the settings of its “big brother”, but this is quite enough for you to eliminate red-eye, adjust contrast, exposure, adjust color, brightness, shadow and much more. And of course, everyone’s favorite filters are available here.

According to NPD Group, more than a quarter of photos taken and videos taken are taken using the built-in camera of a smartphone. While smartphone photography is on the rise, using a traditional camera is falling out of favor.

Modern smartphone cameras have the ability to take pretty high-quality photos compared to smartphones a few years ago, and with over 5 million smartphone photos uploaded to Instagram every day, it's the easiest way to share your photos.

While having a good smartphone camera still doesn't guarantee high-quality photos and videos, by setting up your smartphone camera correctly, you can take the quality of photos taken with the built-in camera to the next level.

1. Take care of lighting

One of the main problems with built-in smartphone cameras is poor shooting quality in low light. To fix this and not leave dark objects in your photo, you will have to put in a little effort.

Of course, there is nothing better than natural lighting, but on cloudy days, shooting is unlikely to be possible without additional light sources. When shooting, you should turn your back to the light source, and the objects, on the contrary, should be directed towards the light. If you're shooting indoors, also aim the light at the subjects you're shooting and away from walls and windows.

2. Use flash with caution.

While flash can help solve lighting problems in many situations, too much brightness can make the people in your photo look like ghosts. It's better to always take two pictures, just in case - one with flash, the other without. Later you can look at both options and choose the best one. Or don't use flash at all and use the following tip.

3. Try it increase exposure time
Instead of using the flash, try increasing the exposure time if you're shooting in a dimly lit room. Longer exposure times will allow you to take brighter, better quality photos when your surroundings are not well lit.

In case you are an iPhone owner, you can lock the exposure by pressing and holding a special area on your screen. When using other applications, simply increase the brightness settings to achieve the desired effect.

4. Use HDR mode

Another option supported by modern phones is High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode. By using HDR, you'll be able to capture a significantly wider range of tones and colors, resulting in higher-quality photos than using your phone's flash.

5. Clean the lens

While the lenses of regular cameras are protected from accidental impact thanks to special cases, fingerprints can often be seen on mobile phone cameras.

Wipe your lens with a tissue, otherwise your photos will end up with dirt from your lens, no matter what camera you use.

6. Increase your resolution

To take a high-quality photo, make sure you set your resolution settings to maximum. High-resolution photos will fill up your smartphone's memory much faster, but you can enlarge the photo you take without any risk.

7. Don't use digital zoom.

While optical zoom actually magnifies objects in a photo, digital zoom only ruins the quality of the photo. You're better off just getting closer and then, if necessary, cropping or enlarging the photo with the same effect as with digital zoom.

8. Keep your phone level

Hold your phone steadily while you take pictures. to avoid blur in images. There are several ways to ensure a stable camera position.

Some phones use a built-in accelerometer that senses device movement to only take a photo when the camera is at rest. Be sure to enable this feature on your phone if it has an accelerometer.

To ensure a stable position for your body and your phone, hold your smartphone with both hands and keep your arms at your sides. If there is a surface nearby, such as a table or shelf, use it as support.

9. Adjust white balance

White balance is another potential shortcoming of a smartphone camera when shooting in low light. Most cameras automatically adjust white balance before turning on the shooting app. If your photos look unnatural, try manually adjusting the settings to improve the quality of your photos in the given lighting.

10. Pay attention to shutter lag

Most cameras don't take a photo the moment you press the button. Experiment and determine when you need to press the shoot button to take the photo at the exact moment you want, given your shutter lag.

11. Adjust color balance

To adjust the color balance, you'll have to dig a little deeper into the settings. Fine-tuning saturation, contrast, and sharpness can give your photo a completely different look when the default settings don't produce the desired results.

Changing colors on your computer can be a lot easier than fiddling around on your phone. Software such as Gimp, IPhoto, and Adobe Photoshop can help you adjust the color balance after you take the photo.

12. Use the "rule of thirds" for good composition.

Of course, you can capture the subject in the center of an empty frame, but real professionals don't do that, so you don't need to. Instead, use the "rule of thirds" by imagining vertical and horizontal lines dividing the screen like a tic-tac-toe board.

You can easily enable the screen grid on iPhone by turning it on in Display Settings. In the case of Android, the ProCapture app will allow you to do the same. Then use these lines to position your subject and get the best composition for your photo.

13. Check the background.

While you may be focusing on someone's face, be sure to check the background of the photo. Objects peeking over someone's head can distract from what you really wanted to capture in the photo.

14. Update your camera app

While smartphones are sold with a photography app pre-installed, there may be better versions of the app available for download. Such apps provide additional options to customize and improve the quality of your photos.

The Camera+ app for iPhone offers 16 scene and shooting modes to enhance your shooting experience in specific environments. In the case of Android smartphones, pay attention to Camera ZOOM FX, an application with similar parameters.

To add a retro effect or interesting shades to your photos with a few touches, use Instagram. Instagram focuses more on funky photos with friends rather than customizing settings for professional-looking snaps, but it's very easy to use and allows you to share photos instantly.

15. Try professional shooting techniques

You shouldn’t give up special shooting techniques to get unique photographs just because you don’t have very expensive professional photographic equipment. Try the "panning" technique by moving your camera at the same speed as the object or person moving. The background will be slightly blurred, but the subject in motion will be captured quite clearly.

Plenty of apps will also give you the ability to take panoramic photos using your phone. It's quite simple, you just need to enable the required option and take a series of pictures, and your smartphone itself will assemble a complete picture from them.

Instructions

If you want to reduce the cost of video communication, install the Skype program (if it is available for your device model, but is not pre-installed on it). Configure the access point (APN) correctly: its name should begin with the word internet, but in no case wap. Register on the Skype website and receive a password. After starting the program, enter them. Add the nicknames of your interlocutors to your contact list. Choose one of them and call him. The front camera will turn on automatically, as in the previous case.

To take a self-portrait with the front camera, first launch the Camera app. In some devices, to do this you need to hold the shutter button for a long time, in others you just need to press it (with the keyboard unlocked), in others you need to find the corresponding item in the menu (for example, “Applications” - “Camera”). Immediately after this, a picture taken by the main (rear) camera of the phone will appear on the screen. To turn on the front one instead, press the left soft key, and then select “Second camera” in the menu (it may have a different name). Point the device at yourself from the desired angle and from the desired distance, then take a photo by pressing the shutter key (in some phones you should not press it lightly, but press it all the way, and sometimes keep it pressed for about a second). After taking a self-portrait, do not forget to then switch the mode back by selecting “Main camera” from the menu.

note

Do not use video calls (including via Skype) while roaming.

All modern laptops have webcams. Typically, this device is built into the top lid of the laptop, and the webcam peephole looks at the user from a panel directly above the screen. By default, the webcam is turned on and can be used at any time. If you need to enable web camera, this can be done in several ways.

You will need

  • - computer;
  • - drivers.

Instructions

Check if the web is present in Device Manager. Launch Device Manager by right-clicking on the My Computer icon and selecting Properties. In the list of devices, look for imaging devices. If the device is present, you can use it through the “Devices and Printers” section.

Open the Device and Printers window. You can find it in the Start menu, under Control Panel. Right-click on the camera icon and select “Get Image” (get pictures). You can also take photos via Skype.

If the webcam is not present in the Device Manager, or is present but with an exclamation mark, it means that the appropriate drivers are not installed on the device. Take the driver and utility disk from yours and install the required driver. Automatic Windows updates can also help with this issue.

Check if the webcam is recognized in the motherboard BIOS. When you turn on the laptop, press F2 (can be Del, Esc or another button depending on the model). Explore all the BIOS items and find the one that corresponds to Internal Camera or Onboard Camera. Set the parameter to Enable. Boot the operating system and install drivers for the webcam.

Some laptops have web camera can be turned off directly on the case using a special button. Make sure there is no such button or it is in the ON position. If all these points are met, but the device still does not work, contact the service center. If your computer is still under warranty, you can easily take it to a service center and they will fix the problem for you. In general, we can say that enable the built-in camera It's quite simple on a computer.

To observe events taking place in a certain place, you need to have a camera installed there, connected to the Internet and a personal computer from which you can control it. By connecting to it, you will see everything that happens in real time.

You will need

  • - network switch.

Instructions

Create a local network connection to connect to the remote camera. To do this, you will need a special network switch. It is needed in order to create several connections at once. Take two Ethernet cables and connect all your devices.

Use the installation program. As a rule, it is included in the basic package. If not, then download it from the Internet and install it on your personal computer. Using this program, determine the IP address of the remote camera. Subsequently, you will enter it into the address bar of your browser or any other program convenient for you.

Create a static IP address so that you can enable it later without any problems camera. Open your browser. Enter the IP address of the camera in the address bar. Use modern browsers that support video streaming to avoid the need for additional software.

Use special programs if you want to connect to a location located at a fairly large distance from you. To use remote camera install WebCam Monitor 4.20 or WebCam Survevor 1.7.0 on your personal computer. Using this program, specify the IP address of the camera you are interested in. What follows is a fairly simple setup procedure. You will only need to answer the questions that the program will ask.

If the installed program is not Russified, download the Russifier, or use a translator to correctly configure the software. After this, you will be able to use the remote webcam, if this use is legal and the administrator of the computer to which this camera is connected will grant you the appropriate rights.

When creating an architectural project or developing an interior design, it is very important to imagine how the object will look in space. You can use axonometric projection, but it is good for small objects or details. The advantage of frontal perspective is that it gives an idea not only of the appearance of the object, but allows you to visually imagine the ratio of sizes depending on the distance.

You will need

  • - paper;
  • - pencil;
  • - ruler.

Instructions

The principles of constructing a frontal perspective are the same for a piece of Whatman paper and a graphic editor. So do it on a sheet of paper. If the item is small, A4 format will be sufficient. For frontal perspective or interior, take a sheet. Lay it horizontally.

For a technical drawing or drawing, select a scale. Take as a standard some clearly distinguishable parameter - for example, a building or the width of a room. Draw an arbitrary segment corresponding to this line on the sheet and calculate the ratio.

This one will become the base of the picture plane, so place it at the bottom of the sheet. Designate the end points, for example, as A and B. For a picture, you don’t need to measure anything with a ruler, but determine the ratio of the parts of the object. The sheet must be larger than the picture plane in order to