Zenfone 9 Photo thread!

[Mattias_ASUS]

Zenfone 9 is here and as many of you probably have seen, we got some pretty impressive cameras this time around!
So I propose a thread with some of our best pictures, the pics I will upload are taken by normal average people and without any enhancements.

The picture above was taken with the camera's Light trail mode by a waterfall.

[scopulo]

If someone was still deciding if Zenfone 9 is yes or no phone - for me it was yes, but not for the full price (flagship price with midrange photo sensor, so I bought it in Black Friday). Plus yes, but with GCam (as the ASUS guys are almost magically ignoring all the complaints about oversharpening and unnatural colors). Anyways, this is subjective, some people like the stock app photos more, you can decide below by yourself.
Besides the camera approach for me, it is the most loveable phone on the market, if you like smaller phones and not keeping up with the mainstream curved screens, underdisplay slow scanners and too many too bad sensors, Zenfone 9 is something to look at for sure.
Regarding the camera, here are some comparisons between stock and GCam app. GCam is closer to colors I've seen with my eyes, not oversharpened and night photos are not trying to show every light beam, have many details, but stay 'nighty' with high dynamig range.
Stock:

GCam:


Stock (automatic) night:

GCam (automatic) night:


Stock against the sun:

GCam against the sun:


Stock interior/greenery:

GCam interior/greenery:


Stock close-up (let's call it macro) with wide cam's autofocus:

GCam close-up (let's call it macro) with wide cam's autofocus:


Regarding the video, I like ASUS stock app more. It is too sharp maybe as well, but it is not that punchy in the videos. Besides that, ASUS stock cam seems to filter surroundings sounds better, If it is good or bad is also subjective, but I like hearing the sound of what I am pointing at.
The video is default/automatic setup and stock video is five times bigger than GCam video (not sure why, both are FullHD).
Stock video:
GCam video:

PS: I use this Wichaya's mod with the Zenfone 9 config that the link contains (I cannot post links):
https://www.celsoazevedo.com/files/android/google-camera/f/configs-wichaya-04/
PS2: Shoutout to this guy, thanks to his video I decided to buy the Zenfone even if I didn't like the stock photos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nupkELMJck4

[Honza]

Yea - everybody know that they need to use gcam to shoot normal looking photos. But the gcam also isnt ideal - oversharpened selfied, sometimes crash, unable to turn off hdr because wide ange stops working normally etc.
Thats why I thought that ASUS would reflect that a improve their app.
ASUS moderators react in every topic on this forum but this.

[Pitek]

I want to ask, have you got problem only with 4K 60fps videos? I have a mini video lag/drop every few seconds, looks like miss frames or sth like that. I switch off FPS limiter in settings, HDR off, stabilization off (if on, the same problem).
The phone is great, but camera is the biggest minus of this phone. I'm very dissapointment. Phone for almost 890$ (in my country) should has top photos and videos quality. If next update (Android 13) won't bring really camera improvement, I'll try give back phone becaue is non-compliance of the goods with the contract.
Here is two samples videos:
First video - near bridge, look at the wall:
Second - green wall lag:

[b_preslavski]

Just updated to Android 13 - the shutter lag when shooting raw with main camera is still here, with still no option to shoot only raw(12 or 50mp). This is ridiculous, already... 10min coding will fix the damn problem.

[Pitek]

I just done with update to Android 13. Nothing change about photos and videos. The same problems as previously. I made photos and videos before and after update and looks exactly the same.
I see that Moderators are active in other threads, but here nobody want to reply. In my opinion, ASUS won't fix camera software and now ignore all comments here and around the Internet.