Looking for opinions on camera, especially from parents

Hello, all.
I'm looking at getting a N3 and am currently using a N2. The camera of my smartphone has become an increasingly important feature now that I have kids, the main targets of my picture taking. I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old. As some of you know, toddlers move A LOT. I'm wondering if anyone can chime in on using the N3 camera for photos of kids and if not, just looking for opinions on the camera in general. If you previously used a N2, I'd be interested to hear how you think the two compare. Thanks!

bskarpa said:

I have a 6yr old and take pics of her all the time. The camera works perfectly and is much better than the Note 2 (which I also had). I think you will be pleased with it over all. You can also take video in 4K resolution. I did this at night (had some lighting) and turned out awesome. It's been a while since I've taken picks with my N2 (still have it) but the N3 can take pics at 13mp (13mp is not wide screen 9.6mp is though). I also have the gear and use it quit often to take those "quick moment" pics and it takes great photos as well.

Take a sec and hit thanks if I helped or if you're in a good mood!

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Thanks for the input!

pwhitersxs said:

Hi mlin, the pictures on this phone can be amazing. Having said that I gotta say that I enjoyed the camera on the note 2 a little better.

The reason being is the stabilization they use is not good for snapping a quick picture. So you have to turn that off and most of the time I go into sports mode to take a picture of my kid. So while the note 3 does take better overall pictures it is a lot of hassle to get the settings right. Plus for me the camera never stays on sports mode. But one bonus is the stabilization feature does take better night time shots on the note 3.

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This is a little of what I was afraid of, I was reading that the picture to picture times were slower than the N2. Is the pic-to-pic time faster with stabilization off?

pwhitersxs said:

With stabilization off and in sports mode the camera reminded me of the note 2. I remember my note 2 snapped pictures quickly and in focus. The focus is not as good on the note 3.

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Thanks, I ended up getting the N3 and so far have been really pretty happy with the camera. Having stabilization on really kills any opportunity to capture multiple pics in succession but I noticed with it off and in decent light, the pics still turn out pretty nice.

bskarpa said:

Here's a pic I took of my daughter riding her bike. This was taken in "Auto" mode.

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Thanks for sharing the pic.

hctimin said:

Personally the camera is the weakest part of an otherwise perfect phone.

I had an iPhone 5 before and felt that I was able to take better pictures all around with that phone.

That being said, this phone does take great pictures in well lit areas. Pictures and videos that I took while snowboarding look phenomenal [again, well lit areas].

However, I am one of THOSE people that share what I eat, and in turn take pictures of food [don't kill me] in low light areas. There are times when the camera works well, and others where I get flatter/grainier results.

I love the phone, and just wish that Samsung put in a larger sensor to capture more light. First world problems for me. Hoping that the camera gets beefed up in the Note 4,...which I will get without a second thought!

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I did take a pic in a dark restaurant the other night and while the picture wasn't noisy or grainy, the lighting turned out really weird. I guess this camera isn't as dummy proof as say the camera in the iPhone, S3 or N2, but it certainly has potential to be really great. I've taken some amazingly clear pics with it so far.

droidstyle said:

The camera on the n3 is better when set up correctly...I still like the N2 camera tho for its ease of use.

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Do you have recommendations for good universal settings?

dwkeepinup said:

I have to say that I hate the camera on this phone. Not that you can't get great pics, but my kid is almost 2 and maybe 20% of the pics I get are good. Video just can't seem to stay focused on her when she's moving. The droid DNA camera handled kids much better. I don't fiddle with camera settings much although on this phone,I put it in sports mode to give myself at least a chance of catching the moments when they happen. I do notice that sports mode pics aren't as nice and vibrant.
Was contemplating getting a droid maxx cuz I was so annoyed at this camera and wanted the nifty voice activation features...


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---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:28 PM ----------

How do you have yours set up?


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My 2 year old daughter is by far the most difficult subject for pictures. So far I've been pretty happy with the pics of her that I've captured, and they're certainly as good or better than what I was able to get with my N2 but there is definitely room for improvement, I'll let you know if I find good reliable settings for capturing good pics of an active toddler.