Good Smartphone for video recording (youtube)

[Deleted member 189968]

Hi,

I'm looking for a phone that can record good 1080P video ( of myself for tutorials) and can record decent audio (perhaps with a clipon)
so i can circumvent the need for buying a DSLR or camera and instead just get an all-in-one. I also don't want to work with the huge DSLR video files.

What i want to avoid!
* A phone where the focus jumps back and forth when trying to record myself (so it alternates between blurry and sharp) - so perhaps manual focus? or really good autofocus / continuous autofocus?
* Really bad audio.

So far I considered
Onplus 6 (pretty good image stabilization ) according to this test: However the Audio has a reputation for not being too good
Huawei P20 (the pro version might be above my budget but it is a sure winner)

Do any of you have experience with this? Any good considerrations or recommendations?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Have a look at the Nokia phones with OZO audio. I guess something like the 7.2 isn't half bad.
What you actually would want I guess, is a fixed focus camera for recording videos, as this removes any chance of focus hunting.
As a bonus, Nokia has pure Android and monthly security updates, which is a big bonus imho.

Huawei might be a really bad idea, since they can't do anything from Google any more...

 

[1000t]

Focusing is controlled by camera app. I guess majority does only autofocus/face detect, but here there are some that can lock it or do manual focus.

 

[potato580+]

Hi,

I'm looking for a phone that can record good 1080P video ( of myself for tutorials) and can record decent audio (perhaps with a clipon)
so i can circumvent the need for buying a DSLR or camera and instead just get an all-in-one. I also don't want to work with the huge DSLR video files.

What i want to avoid!
* A phone where the focus jumps back and forth when trying to record myself (so it alternates between blurry and sharp) - so perhaps manual focus? or really good autofocus / continuous autofocus?
* Really bad audio.

So far I considered
Onplus 6 (pretty good image stabilization ) according to this test: However the Audio has a reputation for not being too good
Huawei P20 (the pro version might be above my budget but it is a sure winner)

Do any of you have experience with this? Any good considerrations or recommendations?

yup huaiwei actually a winner in this era, you alr made a god choice

 

[Deleted member 189968]

Have a look at the Nokia phones with OZO audio. I guess something like the 7.2 isn't half bad.
What you actually would want I guess, is a fixed focus camera for recording videos, as this removes any chance of focus hunting.
As a bonus, Nokia has pure Android and monthly security updates, which is a big bonus imho.

Huawei might be a really bad idea, since they can't do anything from Google any more...

I will look into Nokia. What do you mean by "can't do anything from google?" Does it not have google play store etc.?


Regarding lack of mini jack cable for Huawei P20 pro: How do you listen to music on it?


Good autofucos so my face does not get blurry during video.

• Phase-detection (Ak.a Focus Pixels in Iphone) takes 0.3 seconds to focus an image.
  • Phase-detection makes it possible to do continuous auto-focus. ( moving objects stay in focus)
• Laser autofocus
  • works best within 5 meters
  • According to LG, it only takes 0.276 seconds to focus an image ,

Bad autofocus;

• Contrast-detection autof-focus (takes up to 1 second to focus), not good at tracking moving objects and poor in low light. So i will avoid this.

1000t thanks, an article i read confirmed this: so i can get manual focus on any smartphone, just by using an app
"This is where Open Camera by Mark Harman comes in. Open Camera is a fantastic app that offers loads of customization, from fine tuning your exposure to manual focus"

 

[erixx]

Sony X1 has a pro-mode, outside of the ordinary camera. Still getting used to it. Super-cam (3 lenses)!

 

[bug]

You could probably use a compact camera? Because phones with cameras worth a damn are not cheap, and they'll still come with smaller sensors. But if you shoot indoors with good, controlled lighting, that may not be a problem.

 

[Solaris17]

I was going to recommend huawei but it looks like you already know.

 

[TheLostSwede]

I will look into Nokia. What do you mean by "can't do anything from google?" Does it not have google play store etc.?


Regarding lack of mini jack cable for Huawei P20 pro: How do you listen to music on it?


Good autofucos so my face does not get blurry during video.

• Phase-detection(Ak.a Focus Pixels in Iphone) takes 0.3 seconds to focus an image.
  • Phase-detection makes it possible to do continuous auto-focus. ( moving objects stay in focus)
• Laser autofocus
  • works best within 5 meters
  • According to LG, it only takes 0.276 seconds to focus an image ,

Bad autofocus;

• Contrast-detection autof-focus (takes up to 1 second to focus), not good at tracking moving objects and poor in low light. So i will avoid this.

1000t thanks, an article i read confirmed this: so i can get manual focus on any smartphone, just by using an app
"This is where Open Camera by Mark Harman comes in. Open Camera is a fantastic app that offers loads of customization, from fine tuning your exposure to manual focus"

Huawei has been banned from doing a lot of things, but I guess you haven't read the news?
As you're apparently Danish, see https://finans.dk/erhverv/ECE115905...jenester-analytiker-spaar-store-udfordringer/

You can get USB-C to 3.5mm adapters, or USB-C or Bluetooth headphones.

Again, consider FIXED FOCUS, rather than auto focus. Not sure if phone camera apps can do it though.

Attached are some of the settings in my camera app on my now rather old Nokia 8. As you can see, it has three options for audio, so you can record using different mics depending on what works best for different situations. You can also live stream directly to a couple of platforms using the standard camera app.

 

[1000t]

I will look into Nokia. What do you mean by "can't do anything from google?" Does it not have google play store etc.?


Regarding lack of mini jack cable for Huawei P20 pro: How do you listen to music on it?


Good autofucos so my face does not get blurry during video.

• Phase-detection(Ak.a Focus Pixels in Iphone) takes 0.3 seconds to focus an image.
  • Phase-detection makes it possible to do continuous auto-focus. ( moving objects stay in focus)
• Laser autofocus
  • works best within 5 meters
  • According to LG, it only takes 0.276 seconds to focus an image ,

Bad autofocus;

• Contrast-detection autof-focus (takes up to 1 second to focus), not good at tracking moving objects and poor in low light. So i will avoid this.

1000t thanks, an article i read confirmed this: so i can get manual focus on any smartphone, just by using an app
"This is where Open Camera by Mark Harman comes in. Open Camera is a fantastic app that offers loads of customization, from fine tuning your exposure to manual focus"

Nokia has a pretty decent default camera app. It has also manual mode.

Don't fixate too much on the 3 autofocus methods you listed. These are only the hardware parts. While important, software implemented plays a big role where to focus and should be considered. What kind of scene do you have in mind when considering the autofocus performance? Because if it's only talking head (or other static scene where the distance between subject and camera doesn't change) manual focus is enough.

Finally, read some reviews on e.g . https://www.gsmarena.com.

 

[Deleted member 189968]

TheLostSweede: I would be able to get a Huawei P20 pro without being affected by google ban. Then for audio (music and audiobooks) I could get the USB-C to 3.5mm adapter which is of course the issue of having to carry 2 cables just to listen ot music.

Will UK drop Huawei tech from 5G network?

US officials have urged the UK to not use Huawei's tech in its 5G network

www.standard.co.uk

 

[TheLostSwede]

TheLostSweede: I would be able to get a Huawei P20 pro without being affected by google ban. Then for audio (music and audiobooks) I could get the USB-C to 3.5mm adapter which is of course the issue of having to carry 2 cables just to listen ot music.
View attachment 134594

Will UK drop Huawei tech from 5G network?

US officials have urged the UK to not use Huawei's tech in its 5G network

www.standard.co.uk

Until the network providers don't allow you to use the devices on their networks...
I would steer really far away from Huawei as long as the trade war with the US is ongoing.
Why do you think their phones are so cheap at the moment?
Also, don't expect any future OS updates to support what's already working.
Am I being paranoid? Maybe, but things aren't looking good for Huawei, as they're getting banned in more and more countries.
That said, you're obviously free to spend your own money on whatever you see fit.

 

[silentbogo]

Nokia has a pretty decent default camera app. It has also manual mode.

I'd hold off on Nokia. On my Nokia 8 the focusing mechanism is glitchy and unreliable at close distances. Started off with simple delay in focusing few months down the road, ended up so bad that I have to give it a good whack every once in awhile in order to fix alignment (camera just buzzing back and forth really quick). Same goes for other dual-camera models, like 7.1 : one of my co-workers had the same shit on his phone, and got the same issue after RMA. I simply learned to live with it. Not sure about 7.2 or 9, but they are both ugly AF in my opinion.
To be honest, recording on the phone is not a very good idea. I'd rather consider some non-expensive action cam or camcoder(depending on what and where you wanna shoot)

 

[Komshija]

Huawei P20, P30, Mate 20, Mate 30 and their direct versions with suffixes Pro and X have the best smartphone cameras on the market.

That being said, if you have a limited budget and are looking for a very good phone with decent cameras I would recommend Meizu 16th. I have it and I'm very satisfied with it. You can buy a brand new one for about 230 € on Aliexpress. There's no difference in performance between 6+64 GB and 8+128 GB model except for the storage capacity in favor of the latter.

Meizu 16th camera performance versus P30 and iSheep XS Max:

If you doubt Meizu 16th built quality, watch this :

 

[silentbogo]

That being said, if you have a limited budget and are looking for a very good phone with decent cameras I would recommend Meizu 16th.

I only have one thing to say: f#$%k Meizu and their buggy FlymeOS, and their abysmal firmware updates. This brand causes me the most headache, and people will never listen.
My neighbor is killing me with these stupid phones. Every gen starting from M2 note it's the same story all over again. He gets the Meizu phone, stays happy for 2-3 months and brags about how cool and cheap it is, until some shit pops up or until the firmware update kills baseband/wifi/microphone/camera/google services/files on SD card etc etc etc. I tell him not to buy this shit anymore, and next gen the process repeats itself all over again, with a few broken screens down the road.
Plus, the front glass is so thin on their phones that it can go full-on spiderweb if you sneeze in its direction. What makes matters worse, is that at least with older IPS/TN screens it was cheap to repair, but since everyone decided to go with Sammy's AMOLED - the cost-effectiveness of the repair makes little to no sense on low and mid-budget phones. On 16th and Pro 5/6/7 the display assembly costs upwards of $100 (nearly $150 for 16), cause it uses Samsung's AMOLED display.
Another downfall of buying from chinese retailers, is that in case you get a CN version and for some reason it gets Flyme-locked, then it essentially becomes a brick (just like iPhones, except tech support won't respond to your messages).

If anything, in 2019 there is no reason to go with anything that's not participating in Android One program (which is why Samsung is also one of my least favorite brands).

 

[TheLostSwede]

I'd hold off on Nokia. On my Nokia 8 the focusing mechanism is glitchy and unreliable at close distances. Started off with simple delay in focusing few months down the road, ended up so bad that I have to give it a good whack every once in awhile in order to fix alignment (camera just buzzing back and forth really quick). Same goes for other dual-camera models, like 7.1 : one of my co-workers had the same shit on his phone, and got the same issue after RMA. I simply learned to live with it. Not sure about 7.2 or 9, but they are both ugly AF in my opinion.
To be honest, recording on the phone is not a very good idea. I'd rather consider some non-expensive action cam or camcoder(depending on what and where you wanna shoot)

I'd say you were just unlucky. Why didn't you take it to one of their service centers?
Both my and my SO has a Nokia 8 and we haven't had any problems. She's actually on her second, as she smashed the screen on her first one...
I've dropped mine a fair few times, even in an escalator once (admittedly with a cover on it) and it's still going strong.
I'll admit it's not quite what I was expected, based on their marketing and the camera app never quite delivered what they "sold", but it's been a solid phone otherwise with regular updates like no other brand really provides, unless you get a Pixel phone.

I'd sort of agree on the camcorder thing though, unless he's planning on live streaming.

 

[potato580+]

i would like to recommend sony brand tho, becouse sony having longtime reputable for inbuilt camera, regardless other spec perform/price this may suit your need of video recording, otherwise go for huawei indeed

 

[Ferrum Master]

Simply don't do Nokia yet... as I am doing the RMA's... it is a hot immature mess.

 

[silentbogo]

I'd say you were just unlucky. Why didn't you take it to one of their service centers?
Both my and my SO has a Nokia 8 and we haven't had any problems. She's actually on her second, as she smashed the screen on her first one...
I've dropped mine a fair few times, even in an escalator once (admittedly with a cover on it) and it's still going strong.
I'll admit it's not quite what I was expected, based on their marketing and the camera app never quite delivered what they "sold", but it's been a solid phone otherwise with regular updates like no other brand really provides, unless you get a Pixel phone.

I'm just lazy and by the time it got really bad - my warranty ran out. Otherwise, I'm happy with the rest. There are some other small issues, but I can live with that. The phone paid for itself in-full already.
I've only dropped mine only once (very recently), and nothing happened ))) Though, I wouldn't put as much trust in it, as in my old HTC One M7 Dev. edition: that phone was unkillable.
I think next time I'll get something with a much longer warranty, cause 12mo is pretty much when all these kinks started to pop out.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Btw @silentbogo Samsung greatly droped screen prices for oled. And for entry J series it is quite normal. For some even 50% price drop, even for older models.

Huawei on the other side is way more pricey...

Cheapest is the one you never would guess - Sony. They are retardly complicated in construction, but cheap.

I am talking about the real partner prices, I cannot reveal them.

Also... the amount of out of warranty repairs when some random pep asks for repair is so small... most does insurance, so it does not matter...

Regarding this topic, I would take a gopro and a gimbal... or some small Fuji APS-C. More mature solutions.

 

[silentbogo]

Yep, I've noticed. My friend broke his J500H again, and this time module cost less than half of what we paid the first time around )))
Though, some are still ridiculously overpriced. Last week I had a customer (friend of a friend, cause normally I don't do phones) with Meizu Pro 6, which most likely also uses Samsung's AMOLED panel (like most today's OLED phones), and the replacement is >$100.
I hope this price drop follows into old flagships, cause I really wanna fix all of our S7 work phones without breaking a bank.

 

[Komshija]

I only have one thing to say: f#$%k Meizu and their buggy FlymeOS, and their abysmal firmware updates. This brand causes me the most headache, and people will never listen.
My neighbor is killing me with these stupid phones. Every gen starting from M2 note it's the same story all over again. He gets the Meizu phone, stays happy for 2-3 months and brags about how cool and cheap it is, until some shit pops up or until the firmware update kills baseband/wifi/microphone/camera/google services/files on SD card etc etc etc. I tell him not to buy this shit anymore, and next gen the process repeats itself all over again, with a few broken screens down the road.
Plus, the front glass is so thin on their phones that it can go full-on spiderweb if you sneeze in its direction. What makes matters worse, is that at least with older IPS/TN screens it was cheap to repair, but since everyone decided to go with Sammy's AMOLED - the cost-effectiveness of the repair makes little to no sense on low and mid-budget phones. On 16th and Pro 5/6/7 the display assembly costs upwards of $100 (nearly $150 for 16), cause it uses Samsung's AMOLED display.
Another downfall of buying from chinese retailers, is that in case you get a CN version and for some reason it gets Flyme-locked, then it essentially becomes a brick (just like iPhones, except tech support won't respond to your messages).

If anything, in 2019 there is no reason to go with anything that's not participating in Android One program (which is why Samsung is also one of my least favorite brands).

Their new OS is more limited than previous versions. Unfortunately. Other than that Meizu really is better than most. Far better. Front glass on pretty much every Meizu device is made by the US company "Corning" and has nothing to do with Meizu itself. Meizu 16th has Gorilla Glass 5 which is present on many newer Samsung, LG, Apple and other devices. I estimate that 80% of smartphones on the market use Corning's Gorilla glass, especially established brand names.
There should be no problems with updates but overwhelming majority of people put various useless crap on their phones, never reset their phone and so on. It's similar thing to installing/uninstalling a bunch of crap on your PC, never defragmenting or trimming drives, never optimizing the system, never cleaning cookies and then complaining.

You can always ask a reputable seller for a global version. There are plenty global versions on Aliexpress from Meizu official stores - it's nicely and visibly noted which version is global. You don't need FlyMe account to update your Meizu device nor you need Google account to install most apps in .apk variant. Chinese versions don't have Google Play services and you need some tweaking to install them properly or else you risk bricking your device.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I hope this price drop follows into old flagships, cause I really wanna fix all of our S7 work phones without breaking a bank.

G935 were expensive as it resided FP reader reader and sub board + chassis. G930 is plain. The cost dropped for them already. (~50-70eur).

But... Most of them kick the bucket by now, nand death is very common for S7, thus not very reasonable to invest in those.

 

[JovHinner123]

Sony X1 does look impressive, with 4K recording. But from what I know Sony mobile phones not very accessible now? I used to own a Z3 compact and that has a pretty impressive camera, I'm assuming newer models will have them too. The brand does have a good reputation when it comes to this regard.