Gcam vs stock camera for Nothing 3a

Nothingcanbeatme · 2025-10-14T14:05:48+00:00

Ich habe die Möglichkeit getestet, Gcam for Nothing 3a zu verwenden, und war schockiert, wie sehr es sich von der Standardkamera unterscheidet. Standardkamerabeispiele [upl-image-preview uuid=5774719c-ed07-4eea-9d5a-7bdef65631f7 url=https://cdn.nothing.community/2025-10-14/1760450491-19441-img-20251014-165651631.jpg alt={TEXT?}] [upl-image-preview uuid=0d2a3f76-d79e-4ce5-8088-f9bdc17b4638 url=https://cdn.nothing.community/2025-10-14/1760450491-718603-img-20251014-165654687.jpg alt={TEXT?}] [upl-image-preview uuid=3f6f8b12-30b3-451b-a82f-353c4e741585 url=https://cdn.nothing.community/2025-10-14/1760450492-254974-img-20251014-165657287.jpg alt={TEXT?}] Gcam-Beispiele [upl-image-preview uuid=8e138aa6-b6df-4784-84e8-d94a1251c2c0 url=https://cdn.nothing.community/2025-10-14/1760450514-391943-sgcam-20251014-165645226.jpg alt={TEXT?}] [upl-image-preview uuid=96926315-4c6c-44c6-81d1-fd59f932be8e url=https://cdn.nothing.community/2025-10-14/1760450514-907528-sgcam-20251014-165707316.jpg alt={TEXT?}] [upl-image-preview uuid=68a8a321-e5cd-483d-bfda-a34cf54055fb url=https://cdn.nothing.community/2025-10-14/1760450515-418061-sgcam-20251014-165709669.jpg alt={TEXT?}] Im Anwendungsfall ist die Gcam, die ich verwendet habe, im Vergleich zu der fehlerhaften Kamera, die wir haben, flüssig und schnell. Außerdem habe ich nur von gcam eine bessere Videostabilisierung erhalten. Der Dynamikumfang und der Kontrast sind für Gcam genauso natürlich. Ich bevorzuge es für die Verwendung, aber die Beispiele für die Frontkamera sind sehr schlecht.

Nothingcanbeatme

I have tested the possibility of using Gcam for nothing 3a and I was shocked to see how much it differs from the stock camera.

Stock camera samples

Gcam samples

In use case the gcam I have been using is smooth and snappy while comparing with the buggy one we have. Also I got better video stabilisation from gcam only.

The dynamic range, contrast are as natural for Gcam. I prefer it for using but its front camera samples are very bad.

huttonstephen5

Nothingcanbeatme I still have my old 2017 Pixel 2xl and it’s stock 12m pixel camera, however, it still produces superior photos out of the device standard than my current 3a pro. Your images clearly demonstrate the difference, yes agree there will always be some degree of trade off, but any photographic enthusiast can see the noise on both the buildings and Turkish Restaurant signage looks cleaner and crisper from the GCAM images, whereas the darker noisier images taken from the stock Nothing camera are a little disappointing. I also have plenty of comparisons myself and just hope that Nothing’s software updates will in some way improve these shortcomings.

CMF1_hacker

Gotta say that I like the OG better than the GCam. The skies are totally blown as is any detail in the white cars on the GCam variant. I might like the GCam with an EV of -0.3 or -0.7, could you take those pictures?

JochieSantiago

It’s just a matter of exposure. This one has no edits on and it’s a wide angel shot

CMF1_hacker

JochieSantiago I agree. I think there’s some default EV differences.

Also, did the user just open “Camera” and shoot, or did they press on the screen to capture AF/AE as that greatly adjusts EV depending on where they press.

I find most of these “GCam is better” threads show a lack of understanding of photography in general.

Anonymous931

JochieSantiago This looks like water colour painting + posterize applied over it. Quite terrible detail:

GCam wipes the floor with it in regards to detail, sharpness, depth and tone balance. Only proper XML config is missing to fine tune highlights and blues (skies), but that can be done on user’s own.

NocturnalDude84

JochieSantiago On a separate note, how did you get the watermarks outside the picture. I get all the details on the bottom left corner of the picture, not outside like its shown here.

Nothingcanbeatme

CMF1_hacker

Guys I know it’s not a debate that we should not compare the stock camera to Gcam. Gcam is an open source developing camera application while the stock camera, they have done so far with a small team of developers.There is no doubt that they have improved camera from scratch to here.

Still there need to be discussed it to meet the customer satisfaction.

I have just given the above samples of outdoor photography. If someone who is interested they will surely checkout the same.They should. That’s the reason these developers made it to this extent.

I have just given an outdoor samples, also while you are taking pictures of documents, texts I feel the stock camera have done better than Gcam. Also the selfie shot nothing made a beating success.

But this isn’t enough, they are competing with a large industry. Now that they have made a large investment the priority should have to develop a team more focused on camera department, Ai can wait.

Also the customers who have bought the same should not need to be understand photography. If learning photography was their goal they should have gone for sony since it’s a camera centric phone.

If you have tried Blackmagic camera, Gcam you will certainly know the difference. We have a good hardware which is good for camera. They just need to have a good update @Carl @Rob ⚡️

JochieSantiago

Anonymous931 well yes, as i said, it is a wide angle shot, and the NP3 wide camera doesnt capture the details of close objects very well. But still adjusts the exposure very well

CMF1_hacker

JochieSantiago I agree. I think the NP3 AF/AE is better than any previous NOTHING phone, and the (a) series has some deficiencies. I’m not convinced they’re covered up by the GCam option and that people could produce good photos with the 3(a) hardware but have no idea how to use a camera, i.e. the “Expert” mode, which isn’t that expert, to be honest.

Anonymous931

JochieSantiago Colours are very nice, photos are quite solid overall, it’s just that Nothing can’t tune them properly to make the most out of those VERY capable sensors and lenses in their phones. It’s pretty sad that you can take a random GCam without any config and almost certainly snap better photos right from the start without doing any tweaks 😐

I mean I said it already in another thread, and this is not GCam-related but still it’s funny at this point - my Nothing Phone (3a) default “Photo” mode vs my Redmi 10C (early 2022 entry level 120€ phone) default “Photo” mode:

So three years old phone, three times cheaper phone (when they were new on the market) phone, even 3-4 times weaker/less capable phone, is snapping noticeably better photos than any Nothing phone including my (3a). If that’s not pure comedy then nothing is. But, hopefully, they [Nothing] will improve this image post processing because, again, that hardware is insanely capable, but without proper software it’s nowhere…

JochieSantiago

CMF1_hacker i think that Gcam is good in some scenarios, but wouldnt the point be to improve the camera and postprocessing software on the phones? I believe users should experimento with the expert mode. It’s good, but coming from a S24 Ultra, some features are still missing. That being said, i hardly ever used the expert mode on my NP3 as i quite like the results i get with the normal camera. Just try presets or filters. And even then, i had the 3a and some photos were stunning.

This one is from my 3a with little editing on the shadows and color

Anonymous931

NocturnalDude84 Not available on (3a), only on (3).

JochieSantiago

NocturnalDude84

NP3 has it on the Watermark setting.

NocturnalDude84

JochieSantiago I see, yeah thought as much… I don’t have these options on the 3a. Good to know 🙂

JoeDissolvo

Has a gcam version been found to work with the wide angle lens/wide angle selfie on the 3a? Thats the only thing keeping me from using it.

ArkodeepSen

Buddy that’s not what natural contrast and dynamic range means. None of the photo have natural anything.

Also the GCam ones are bad. From color reproduction to the white balance…it’s evident even without looking at the scene.

There’s a lot to learn.