How to take good photos in low light with your smartphone

Smartphone cameras have a serious drawback — a very small sensor. A small sensor picks up less light. Therefore, in low light, photos are blurry and noisy. But here are some tips that will allow you to take acceptable pictures on your smartphone even in the dark.

Why low lighting is a problem

First, let’s take a closer look at why taking good photos in the dark is so difficult. As already mentioned, size is to blame. The light-sensitive area in most sensors integrated into smartphones has an area of ​​approximately 15 — 30 mm². By comparison, a full-frame SLR camera has an area of ​​about 860 mm². This is 30 — 60 times more. Therefore, only with good lighting can the small sensor of a smartphone camera get enough light to create a clear and high-quality picture.

Approximately this is the ratio of the dimensions of the matrices of a smartphone and a SLR camera. The blue rectangle is a 35mm SLR sensor. Red — smartphone matrix.

Useless Night Modes

Probably every modern smartphone with a camera has a “night mode” option. Alas, all these modes have very little effect on the final result. At the moment, there is only one smartphone whose night mode really pulls out the lighting in the photo. We are talking about the Google Pixel 3. Its Night Sight mode, using artificial intelligence, simply “paints” the colors on a dark photo.

AndroidPit experts compared the Mate 9’s HDR+ night mode to the Pixel 3’s Night Sight mode. Here’s what the results look like.

Above — a picture in normal night mode, below — in Night Sight mode.

The difference is huge, but let’s not forget that the Pixel 3 is still a unique exception to the general rule. And therefore, if you are not a happy owner of this novelty, you should not rely on “night modes” at all.

Sensitivity control

You are probably familiar with the term “ISO”, which refers to the light sensitivity of a photographic film or digital camera matrix. The higher the sensitivity setting, the clearer and brighter the pictures will be.

But how to control the sensitivity on a smartphone? As a rule, native applications do not have a manual mode. To get into the camera settings, you’ll have to install a more professional app. Luckily, there are tons of options on Google Play, both paid and free.

It is also important to note that increased sensitivity is not in vain. If the matrix is ​​set to too high sensitivity, it starts to «mistake». This is manifested in the appearance of interference in the picture — noise, multi-colored “snow”. As a rule, slight noise begins to appear already at a sensitivity above ISO 400.

More light

In order not to raise the sensitivity too high, you can try to highlight the subject. Every smartphone with a camera has a flash. But this is not the best option. Because the flash is in close proximity to the camera, it erases all shadows. Because of this, the subject appears flat, and the photo itself becomes like a collage.

If there is even the slightest possibility of not using the smartphone’s flash, it should not be used. Instead, you should try to find another light source. If you’re taking a selfie or portrait outdoors, take a few steps away from a streetlight or a bright sign. The main thing is to make sure that the light source is not directly above the subject’s head. In this case, long ugly shadows will remain on the face.

long exposure

But what if there is no additional light source? In this case, you will have to increase the shutter speed. Shutter speed is the time during which the smartphone sensor “looks” at the subject. The longer the shutter speed, the more light the sensor will receive. Thus, a slow shutter speed fully compensates for the low sensitivity and low light.

But there is also a “BUT” here. Everything that moves in the frame during the shooting will be smeared. A portrait or a self-portrait cannot be taken accurately due to small fluctuations of the body. But static night landscapes shot with a long exposure look great.

Here, for example, is a photo taken with a 65-second exposure on the camera of the already mentioned Mate 9. The bright stripes on the road are the lights of passing cars. The yellow swirl at the lantern is swirls of illuminated snow.

As with ISO, stock smartphone apps don’t let the user control the shutter speed, so you may need an app with manual mode.

Remember, shutter speeds over 1/10th of a second require the smartphone to be completely still. Even a frame with a shutter speed of half a second cannot be removed from the hands. Here you will need accessories. If you often shoot at night, get a portable tripod.

Remember, even a smartphone with the weakest camera can take decent pictures if you set the right settings for this or provide the right conditions.