Adjust photography settings

Before you take a photo, you can adjust settings to get the best photo for your situation.

Use a timer

TipUse a tabletop tripod to stabilise the phone when taking timed shots.
  1. If you're taking a selfie, touch .
  2. Touch and choose 3s or 10s.
  3. Frame your shot. When you're ready, touch to start the countdown.
  4. Take your place in the shot (if you're taking a selfie, simply wait) and smile!

Use a flash

To set the flash mode (off, always on or auto), tap on the Camera screen.

Use HDR in high-contrast lighting

Taking a photo of a bright scene that also includes dark shadows? Use HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode. The camera captures multiple exposure levels and combines them into a single photo for vibrant colours and more detail in both light and dark areas.

To set HDR mode (off, always on or auto), tap on the Camera screen.

HDR is best for:

  • Landscapes with bright sky and shaded hills or foliage
  • Outdoor portraits with lots of contrast
  • Backlit scenes with dark shadows and streams of sunlight
  • When both the camera and subject are stationary

Do not use HDR for:

  • Action shots
  • Low-light indoor photos
  • When you want to use the flash or the front camera

When the camera detects a high-contrast scene, it automatically goes into HDR mode and HDR appears in the viewfinder. Consider whether HDR mode would improve the photo or not.

Use beauty filter

Your camera has a filter that can:

  • Soften and even the skin tone
  • Brighten the face
  • Add a rosy tone

To use the filter:

  1. On the Camera screen, tap > .
  2. Use the slider to adjust the intensity of the filter.
  3. Smile and tap to take the picture.

Adjust ISO

To refine settings before taking a photo:

  1. On the viewfinder, touch > > .

  2. Select an ISO number:

    • For capturing motion, use a higher ISO to stop motion and reduce motion blur.
    • To account for lighting, use a higher ISO for a brighter photo with more noise or use a lower ISO for a photo with finer grain and less noise.

Adjust white balance

Adjust the white balance for various lighting conditions, including incandescent, daylight or shade.

  1. On the viewfinder, touch > > .
  2. Select the lighting condition.

Adjust photo size

Lower-resolution photos and videos take up less space, but have lower image quality.

  1. On the Camera screen, tap Settings.
  2. Tap Photo size.

  3. Select size to use for new photos:

    • To display pictures that fill your HDTV or widescreen monitor without cropping, use 9:16 widescreen mode.
    • To print 5″x7″ or 8″x10″ photos, use 4:3 standard mode.
    • In general, use smaller file sizes (MP) for photos that you'll share; use larger sizes for photos that you'll print or edit.
TipIf you're running low on internal storage, adjust settings to save new photos to your SD card.

Fix an issue

If you're having issues, try these troubleshooting steps.