Phone settings
Last weekend I got myself a new phone, and I noticed (even more than with my crappy old one) that when I photograph my watches that the photos are out of focus, they lack detail. Particularly annoying is that the phone focuses on the object just after having made a milky shot. Apparently I can focus the thing by tapping, but for WRUW shots I am lacking the third hand to accomplish that.
Anyway, I was wondering whether I can alleviate the issue by meddling with the camera settings of the phone - which look scarier than an instruction manual of your average Casio. And I thought that you guys may have experienced the issue yourself and have some advice.
7 comments
Sort by
Balthazar
UK-based German expat. Likes cheap watches. Not bothered about brands.
Member since
Last active: 2 hrs ago
I followed a few things here and it helped => https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/how-to-take-better-photos-of-your-watches-without-buying-a-new-camera. I take all of my images on a phone camera.
Personal experience => good lighting (even a bit of white cardboard can make all the difference) and invest in a tripod with remote control shutter. Eliminates hand shakes which are a major factor in blurry, out of focus images.
If you have a portrait or food shot feature on your camera, I find that this can sometimes help focus the camera on the watch head.
Finally, some basic photo editing tools can sometimes rescue a "nearly there" shot. I use Snapseed, but there are plenty out there.
A little experimentation with your settings might uncover a mode which was never intended for macro shots, but works unbelievably well.
My own experience....
...the Phone - some phone cameras are just rubbbish - unless a flagship model from one of the big boys in the last few years, images will be average at best.
..Lighting. the more light, the easier it is for the phone to focus correctly, and to post-process to create a well-defined image (post relies on dynamic range, which descends steadily as light levels decrease) - phones have small lenses and they struggle to do a good job with low-light conditions (especially at macro range).
...Background - most phone cameras use post-processing, and (for some reason) this works much better if there is a consistent background colour - perhaps it makes it easier for the algorithm to identify the object.
...Experiment with macro/zoom....... sometimes a well-lit image using zoom will outperform the same lighting with a macro - it's amatter of finding a sweetspot for your phone.
Check if the phone cam can have a second shutter button on the screen. If it can, enable it, then place it near the center of the screen (or wherever is most convenient) so your finger can easily take the shot after your cam just finished focusing. Always works for me. 😉
Another option is to use a mini tripod. I created mine out of my mic's tripod and my camera stand.
Let me know if any of these works for you.
Using the 1st method, you can really ensure the cam focuses on the right subject...
Using the 1st method + mini tripod...
#benyar #benyarwatch #greendial #timex #timexwaterbury #whitedial
I enable a 3 second timer so the phone doesn't shake when tapped. Beats a remote.
I enable a 3 second timer so the phone doesn't shake when tapped. Beats a remote.
I second the motion of @ElTomstro. Makes both methods I suggested above even more effective. Plus, you can time the shot at your preferred handset combo, particularly the seconds hand. 🎯
#timex #timexwaterbury #whitedial #red #nylon #strap #quickrelease
#seiko #seiko5 #srpb93 #seikodiver #seikomod #marinenationale #natostrap