OnePlus 12 Photography - is GCAM Worth It?

I captured some beautiful images on vacation, but the need to learn and experiment never sleeps, so I tried a new photography method on the OnePlus 12.
A professional photographer joins this video to analyze and compare the pictures taken on both GCAM and the stock OnePlus. Plus, some bonus nihilistic theory on the anatomy of a good photo!
00:00 Intro
01:24 The Rules
01:54 Comparison & Analysis
14:08 Conclusion
GCAM version utilized: MGC_8.9.097_A11_V25

[@nanver4754]

For good gcam xml settings it take atleast 1-2 years to be written so of course it wont be better than stock after 1 month of development.

[@rr29871]

Great video. Thank you! It just proves that there is no substitute for dslr,. But I am happy with my op12 stock camera. Even the front camera is really good. To have such a fantastic quality at any moment, without actually tinkering with any settings is more than perfect. Perfect moments with your family and friends.

[@saurabhmehta9320]

came for the comparison.. stayed for the photography lesson.. (super like the video!!)

[@gmosc]

I bought my pixel 7 just before my trip to Edinborough. It "replaced" my oneplus 8t Then subsequently we went to Dublin on a second trip. If I were on the trip you JUST took, I would have been doing the same as you comparing gcam to the new OnePlus 12 but I would use the stock gcam on my pixel 7. I don't think I'll install gcam, but by seeing your comparisons here it is reminding me to use both of my phones for their strengths. Gcam on a Pixel is a great thing and the updates will always be up to date! :) When I traveled to Edinburgh my Pixel had my sim card and created a hotspot for my OnePlus. That wasn't ideal cuz the pixel battery system is not as advanced. And I couldn't quickly boost the pixel battery. My next Uk trip in the summer will have the sim in my new OnePlus 12 and the pixel will be the secondary camera. That will be a more useful camera combination.

[@sonny958]

hi, nice video! for me it's weird because i did the same comparison a while ago on my oneplus nord and the results were basically the opposite, with the gcam i had more bright and warmer pictures while with the stock i had more dark but sharper photos. maybe it's hasseblad, or the sensor, but it's nice to see that flagship phones are indeed flagship 😅😅

[@VitiateTheImmortal]

I love the oneplus 12 cam. It is so much closer to a real DSLR than any other phone ive tried. Does some great results for my eye 👌😁

[@dujankees]

Great video! I used to be a fan of GCAM and pixel camera algorithm, but there was a noticeable degradation in image quality ever since the Pixel 6 series. Must be the Tensor chip or just flaws with remosaicing using the quadbayer sensor. Colors are still great with the Pixels, and for me highlight and shadow control is still impressive, good image sharpness but resolving finer details like foliage, pavement, hair, etc. is just terrible. The recent Iphones, with all its flaws, is significantly better in this regard. It's all subjective in the end, but for me, details is the most important in photography because this is one thing that cant just be added in post (unlike white balance, exposure, highlight and shadow recovery, etc.)

[@Wildman-Tech]

Totally agreed! I read that the sensor upgrade in the Pixel 6 actually made the outcomes worse. On paper, the specs were improved from the Pixels 2 - 5, but the postprocessing computation Google excels at was all based on IMX363, instead of the new sensor in the P6.

[@madcowhunter]

You need to import to Gcam good custom lib instead od standard Google lib to really feel the difference. Libs like Matteo, slib or joqzt34hdr combined with Agc or Lmc Gcam deliver outstanding quality especially in terms of details. Problems with remosaicing from quad bayer sensor no longer appear with these libs

[@Triflixfilms]

Excellent video, would love to have seen some video thrown in as well

[@nightmarenyxcc]

The .aweme packages have access to all 3 rear lenses, at least on BigKaka's builds. What case are you using? I was searching for such a case but I couldn't find it

[@Wildman-Tech]

It's the Dux Ducis military airbag case on AliExpress - it's a really great case for the price! I added the magsafe ring and attachment myself

[@aneesh8963]

I think this is after an update to the phone cuz i remember shadows being too dark on OnePlus stock app when it was released

[@gmosc]

Thanks for the efforts. I've been an avid gcam user on previous OnePlus phones. The rat race of waiting for features (lenses) to be useable gets a little tiring, and going to the next OnePlus phone loses features and you have to wait until they get ported over to the newer OnePlus. That makes me less inclined to wait for those feature upgrades to arrive. (I too miss photosphere). My temptation is to keep gcam on my pixel 7 and if I get tempted to install it on the oneplus, avoid using that effort, and simply carry the Pixel for photosphere and night mode. The Audio zooming is actually nice on the pixel. I'm hoping that the OnePlus will be as useful. (As you zoom in video the camera's mics do some magic to lessen crowd noise). Keep up the gcam experiments. It would be nice if all of the lenses get accessed in the future.

[@Wildman-Tech]

Totally get it! I was pleasantly surprised with the stock OP camera performance - enough that I probably won't sweat using GCAM full time on this phone to be honest. Audio zooming is actually present on the OP12! It's not quite as consistent as the Pixel, and I wonder if there's even directional mic magic happening vs changing frequency focus based on the perceived subject, but it is a thing and it's been nice during concerts

[@hobog]

Wait, photosphere is gone??

[@gmosc]

@@hobog on pixel 8 it's gone. Pixels that had it will continue to have it. OnePlus doesn't have it.

[@sahanemmi2483]

dilimde alt yazı koyduğunuz için teşekkür ederim

[@michaellimanossa]

The photos with Gcam gave very good quality to the images, as if post-processing errors had been corrected.

[@mrdoom9004]

Brother, could you please share the link to the GCam you are using on your OnePlus 12? I've been searching for the best compatible GCam for my OnePlus 12, but haven't had any luck.

[@Wildman-Tech]

Hey! I added the specific build number in the description, so you should be able to search for that and get it from GitHub

[@shyhandiq]

Difference between true photographer's eye and consumer's eye

[@Harik3641]

She just wanted a warmer and brighter image all three time 🤣🤣🤣

[@ayachi_wrote]

To me it feels like Gcam is better at controlling highlights, so when shooting directly into a light source like the sun or a fire it looks better. But the stock app is better for most other situations. Gcam is definitely no replacement for the stock app, though one can experiment with it. Anyway, thanks for the comparison!

[@Wildman-Tech]

Totally agreed. I hope to either see OnePlus update to improve that harsh direct light handling, or to see one of the talented GCAM devs (at the very least) include the telephoto lens into a newer version.

[@Mega-tl8vv]

That's what I thought as well, so basically in most situations where gcam won you could just snap a raw pic with stock camera app, open it in snapseed, turn the highlights a bit down, done

[@JasonAhrendt]

Really enjoyed this video, seems the one plus is taking some good shots

[@Wildman-Tech]

Thanks! Yeah I'm honestly surprised! My last OnePlus was the 8 Pro, and it was a solid 6/10 camera, while OP12 is easily an 8/10 for me

[@shark.e]

Subscribed! 2nd time I find a video of yours, through a forum 🤣

[@Wildman-Tech]

Glad to hear it! What forum am I being shared on?

[@Thomas-wx7uf]

Subscribed...please keep it up this comparisons with gcam. Normally I always switch with every phone to it. I will switch to the OP13 if it has a flat display - please do a comparison :)

[@Wildman-Tech]

Oh no! I just heard a credible rumor that the OP13 will have FOUR curved screen edges (top of screen as well). It sounds interesting to me, but the thought of installing a screen protector on that makes me shudder.

[@Stanthorus]

I wonder which GCAM app you have installed? Is that the GCAM do not need the root or the one that just simply install on the phone?

[@Wildman-Tech]

I left the release number for my GCAM app in the vid description - I am unrooted! As simple as installing an apk

[@songieesiang]

@@Wildman-TechCould you provide the download link ?

[@AliAbbasi87]

i live in dublin and wasnt expecting to find a random video thats full of images from here

[@Wildman-Tech]

Nice! It was my first time in Dublin - really lovely city! Can't wait to return someday

[@chinsengfatt]

So...should we install gcam since there are areas where gcam excel in... I'm a gcam lover, and still trying to find a stable gcam for my phone.

[@Wildman-Tech]

I personally found that GCAM isn't worth the inconvenience and drawbacks FOR NOW. GCAM has a tendency to improve greatly with time well after a phone's release. I plan to redownload the latest GCAM versions in 6 months or so to see what's improved. For now though, stock was better overall

[@hobog]

Gcam's clear advantage is in panoramas: it helps you compile fish-eye and full-bubble panos. Gcam also has the edge in astrophotography

[@vinayakburadi4958]

what settings did you on stock version?

[@Wildman-Tech]

I very intentionally left everything in auto mode for both camera apps. I opened the app, tapped once to focus on my subject, and snapped the picture. The Oneplus camera offers far better manual control than GCAM, but I believe a phone's "point-and-shoot" ability is most important.

[@user-lc2xq2oc9l]

can i install the gcam version MGC_8.9.097_A11_V25 on the one plus 12? tnx❤

[@Wildman-Tech]

If you get it from a reliable source (the developer GitHub, validated by other users), there's no harm in trying any given version. At worst, it's buggy or doesn't open, and you just remove it and try a different one. While you should absolutely be careful installing third party apks, if you trust the source there's rarely any unintended harm caused to the phone if the app simply doesn't work on it

[@aleRH99]

Hello!! Thanks you for the video! Can i ask you where did you buy that case with the ring stand? Thanks!!

[@Wildman-Tech]

Both are available on Amazon and AliExpress, but I'll have an accessory video coming out soon in which I'll link to them!

[@aleRH99]

@@Wildman-Tech Okay thanks you! I'll wait for It 😊

[@demzara]

The key in gcam is you can adjust: sharpening, noise reduction, saturation and smoothing to you preference. Essentially making a picture to look more natural and not like from a phone.

[@InzamamulShaikh-567]

If you want a good video on oneplus.. try motioncam pro.. It shoot pure video quality .

[@deadlyalliance8281]

I used to shoot for shits and giggles with a nikon d750 about 4 years ago. Learned the lingo and how to shoot manual. Right before your wife said "dehaze tool" I said the left mountain picture is alot clearer because of less haze. Seems like I still know my shit even though I only point and shoot now with a 23 ultra lol.

[@Wildman-Tech]

Haha hell yeah! Sometimes just learning a good glossary of terms for something can set you up to be able to talk to experts for life

[@nastystone2931]

What would be interesting too is the difference with the Master auto mod

[@Wildman-Tech]

Ooh, fill me in on that. Do you mean the master camera mode on the stock app? Or is there a mod for GCAM I'm unfamiliar with?

[@nastystone2931]

@@Wildman-Tech yes, the master camera mode on the stock app. I have the phone only since 10 days so it is still a mystery to me. I tested to compare a few poctures I took, it just seems darker.

[@7a696d7]

Can we expect a Mi 14 ultra stock vs Gcam in future?

[@Wildman-Tech]

Unfortunately I can't afford every new phone coming out, and I'm not a large enough channel for brands to collaborate with

[@eeemir_official]

36 sub... Thank you for your work.

[@Wildman-Tech]

Thanks for the sub!

[@stevencorbo1220]

If you use completely automatic in the master mode you get much better point and shoot pictures

[@airgreek]

Hmmmmmmmm is that true?

[@nemakis]

Different phones need different settings. Config files allow users to quickly import (load) and export settings. If you didn't find the appropriate xml file for oneplus 12 and didn't use it, then gcam app didn't work properly on oneplus 12 cameras.

[@Wildman-Tech]

By that do you mean that a correct xml file would have enabled things like photosphere and the telephoto lens?

[@nemakis]

@@Wildman-Tech And not only that. Because each smartphone has different hardware sensors, lenses, etc., a different setup of parameters is usually needed. Thus, for each phone, different settings can be given to better suit the camera setup. Also Since different people like different things (eg: more details, saturated colors, quality vs speed, etc), the configs might create different looking photos. For example, in the past I used 2 different xmls (from different developers) and used them occasionally. One gave me less noise in dark shots, while the other behaved better in white temperatures. I must say that my old oneplus 8, after the upgrade to android 13, the stock camera app has the same bright photos as the gcam in night mode. Two more reasons for using the gcam were that the oneplus took the day photos more overexposed and that some shots brought out more correctly the color of the lamp towards the walls in low light. I notice that the oneplus 12 does not take overexposed photos and I assume that it also reads the colors from the lamps on the walls more correctly. OnePlus has improved the software and I don't think gcam is a must have anymore.

[@matthiasbollwein3618]

@@Wildman-Tech Telephoto works if you download "aweme" GCam packages. Correct config (xml, agc, noise model etc.) is crucial for GCam image quality - without it there is no point in using GCam at all.

[@franciscoboassen7522]

Why don't you upload videos in 4k or 2k

[@Wildman-Tech]

That's a great question! In short, I prefer the ease of working with smaller files. I record in 1440p, but downscale to help my computer move faster when editing. I intended to edit and export this full video in 1440p, but forgot to change my project settings at the start lol

[@reticent-]

gcam need well tuned comfig

[@xxbryan2]

I like how people came to the comments for the gcam lol..I noticed your girl likes more bright colors but I want to know what looked more realistic rather than brighten up..most people want the production of being more real like rather than edited/processed..just my thought..I do like one plus pro controls..now put this against the pixel 8 pro lol

[@Wildman-Tech]

The stock camera most definitely had the more realistic colors. Unsurprisingly, GCAM (being reminiscent of the Pixel color science) seeks to create the most appealing possible picture out of the image sent to post-processing. This results in a consistent standard of pleasant saturation and even HDR, but often at the cost of reality. So like I said in the video, you gotta pick what matters to you. I personally prefer to get a realistic image that I can edit myself later if I feel like I need it prettier.

[@StrIntDexGaming]

Watching on my oneplus 12

[@grandanimationssfm9884]

Me too

[@sunayfernandez]

Where to download gcam

[@Wildman-Tech]

Try searching the version number I put in the description. It should be the first or second GitHub link

[@user-pj7zn4gp1o]

Смотрю из России на One Plus 12,всем привет!

[@user-pj7zn4gp1o]

Россия, Москва смотрю с 12-шки! Привет 🎉

[@javierstrive3356]

More Like A Tie

[@techkinggamer7181]

if a big name like one plus flagship phone..... they still requires Gcam type software for the better camera result that means just don't waste your money on such phone...….. better buy Samsung , iPhone or Vivo...…

[@Wildman-Tech]

For what it's worth, I found the stock OnePlus 12 camera, out of the box, to be superior to GCAM. My curiosity just prompted me to compare the two!

[@techkinggamer7181]

@@Wildman-Tech stock is better but still most of the people will use gcam so...............

[@Wildman-Tech]

@@techkinggamer7181 oh, I would be surprised if even 5% of OP12 owners use GCAM regularly

[@techkinggamer7181]

@@Wildman-Tech I personally recommend the stock camera gcam is too much on cartoonish or you can say like water painting whenever u zoom in

[@azjarosz]

Sorry, but this video does not make a lot of sense. GCAM is all about config, and clearly you had very bad one. It is like comparing 30k camera to smartphone, but with 30k camera you take cheapest possible lens with no AF, you shoot in JPG and then you compare pictures and saying that "oh, smartphone one have more contrast, is brighter and sharper". I have S23U and GCAM is so, sooo much better than stock camera, but config was in develop for few month and it has like over 50 iterations.

[@Wildman-Tech]

Do you think the pictures were bad from GCAM on this? Obviously, GCAM as a concept is about iterative improvements on native hardware. Is there a specific version yet that's tailored for the OP12? Like I said in the video, I look forward to trying GCAM again in the future. I will not be the one to build this config, but I'm hopeful and preemptively grateful for those who do construct an excellent config for this phone.

[@azjarosz]

@@Wildman-Tech Thanks for your answer. Well, yes. I think these were bad as for what GCAM can do. There are some limitations, but they are rather coming from API of the camera (e.g. Samsung is not allowing to use in 3rd party apps like GCAM resolution different than 12Mpix) but when you compare pure quality, GCAM should rather always be on top. I had OnePlus 7T PRO, first GCAM that I have used back then was not that good, but when I found dedicated config, man, it was like new phone. Then I switched to S23 Ultra (a year ago) and from the very beginning I am using GCAM. From time to time (especially after some big updates) I check ExpertRAW or base app to check if there are any improvements, but quality is not even close to GCAM. Expecialy in DNG. Lately I was testing Xiaomi 14 Ultra, and while I could not find proper config, one from 13 Ultra after some modifications was giving good results, better than stock Xiaomi app. To be honest, that always makes me mad, that 3rd party app with configs prepared by regular people gives better results than dedicated software. If you are interested, on XDA forum I made few comparisons between S23 Ultra in all modes and GCAM. From my experience of using GCAM for 3 years now, it gives worse results compared to stock app only when config is very generic and works with all phones or is broken. But anyways, thanks for comparisons and I hope that you will find a good config, because trust me, if you do, you will like your OP 12 so much more. :) As for best GCAM with config for OP12 - I don't know, but I can look for it and if I find, I will reply to this comment. :)

[@Wildman-Tech]

@@azjarosz that would be awesome! I hope you can find one

[@azjarosz]

@@Wildman-Tech So I took some time to look for good config for OnePlus 12 and I did not find any. So at this point of time, I don't think that GCAM for this device has much sense. :(

[@Wildman-Tech]

@@azjarosz Dang, I figure within a few months someone will have put one together. Fingers crossed!

[@MK-iz4ly]

She sounds like Lululovely

[@Wildman-Tech]

She wishes she could land Kraber shots like LuluLuvely

[@mh7711]

I dont like the comparison 1) why no 4k? 1080p is not good, we all now have 3k and 4k devices, especially for comparisons like this 2) I dont like why you never zoomed in the photos to see the sharpening (what is important). For Samsung for example the gCam produces much better and more fine detailed sharpness than samsung stock app. So I hoped you can do this for OP12, too. So the comparison failed in a way for me.

[@Wildman-Tech]

I demonstrated that GCAM sharpness was lacking compared to the stock OnePlus camera. It is wholly unimportant how GCAM performs on Samsung because this is not a Samsung. As for 1080p, I am truly sorry. As a way of showing how sorry I am, I will personally donate every penny of income I get from this video to you.

[@InzamamulShaikh-567]

Did you just install a random gcam and called it a day? you realise that you need a good xml compatable with your phone ? gcam alone won't give you a good results.

[@Wildman-Tech]

I utilized the phone I read did the best job for the OnePlus 12 at the time. I invite you to find a better one, and I'd love to try it! These things take time to tune, and I'm unfortunately too dumb to do it myself. Maybe you would have better luck.

[@rickaustin3077]

Imagine doing a camera review and upploading it in 1080p wtaf bro

[@Wildman-Tech]

Do you feel like you were unable to judge the differences between the two camera apps without a KZbin-compressed 4K? Sorry if that's the case. To show my remorse, I will donate to you 100% of my channel income for this video.

[@rickaustin3077]

@@Wildman-Tech I'll hold you to that😂😂😂😂 na bro I just think if your gonna do any type of camera comparison it's silly to use 1080p

[@blinkingblank]

These people live in very cold temperatures so there is a psychological bias about the colouring and of course they are going to love warmer colours more

[@Wildman-Tech]

I live where it routinely gets to 110° F in the summer months, so that's an interesting theory, but not accurate for us!

[@danhorntx]

Oneplus 12 camera sucks, even with GCAM. I went back to my Pixel 8 Pro. There's just so much less detail in every photo that I took. The P8P takes amazing pictures with no effort.

[@Wildman-Tech]

My last video was a Pixel 6 / OnePlus 12 Camera Comparison, and I found that the OnePlus was generally superior. Considering that the Pixel 6 camera setup is largely similar to the P8 (barring superior aperture performance on P8), I'm surprised to hear that! I think it's a little dramatic to say OP12 camera sucks.

[@danhorntx]

@@Wildman-Tech it is definitely dramatic. The color and white Balance was really good on the OP12 (as was also pointed out in your video). I'm not dogging the video by any means btw, well done and enjoyable to watch. I subscribed even! I was more so disappointed that the OnePlus camera still lacks so much in detail. Next to the iPhone 14 pro max (latest iPhone I had) and the Pixel 8 Pro every photo I took was just a lot softer and it got really bad if you zoomed in at all or put it up on a bigger screen like a TV or computer monitor. I love everything else about the OnePlus so much and really wanted this to be the year it pulled me away from Pixel but the camera still isn't up to par for me and it's the one area OnePlus has always struggled to compete. It does seem better now than it's ever been but still not good enough in the detail department for me overall.

[@gmosc]

The updates seem to have helped, But I hear you. Here in Denmark, I haven't had good weather or the desire to take outdoor photos. So lots of my experiments have been in less than ideal lighting. OnePlus 12 seems to use too slow shutter speeds to catch faces that might be moving. The Pixels on the other hand use the HDR to choose a picture in the series of HDR pictures to find a face with eyes open and/or less blur. So the whole background scene gets HDR while the face only gets top shot, but HDR on a blurry photo is worthless, so the algorithm choosing best face picture is a better choice. So pixel wins in that department. I think that scenery shots will continue to be improved on the OnePlus also with what little influence Hasselblad offers, it would be there in scenery photos. Make sure you update your OnePlus since they have made changes and might also make more updates. Fingers crossed. My low light world really pushes the phone and even when useful updates come to the system I find problems like you have. One problem is even with the updates allowing the video to jump better from lens to lens, just by pressing 6x still won't guarantee that the 3x lens is used, it can still be 6x digital zoom on the 1x lens, it won't jump to the zoom lens until 10x- now I understand WHY they do that since the aperture is bigger on the 1x lens and they are trying to avoid losing too much light with the smaller aperture of the zoom lens, but the digital zoom is painful. Granted, the original video prior to the update had the whole videobeing jittery (reviewers showed it and I also experienced it) so the jitter is now gone but it isn't fully baked. So in the meantime the solution in low light is to get closer and avoid zooming. Sigh. The reason I mention video so much, is that those same problems are appearing in still photos. Zooming doesn't always switch cameras in lower light.

[@Shiddaruto]

I prefer gcam..and hearint a photographer say left is bettwr i feel like i don't know anything about photography 🥹

[@Wildman-Tech]

That's the beauty in it - if you preferred one over the other it's okay! There's no wrong answer, and there are a couple that I personally disagreed with the photographer as well

[@Shiddaruto]

@@Wildman-Tech I've had 10 smartphones over the years and this is the first one which captures good pictures. I'm so glad I bought it. Can you share the Gcam mod?

[@Wildman-Tech]

​@@Shiddaruto search for this, and it should be downloadable from a large GitHub repo: GCAM version MGC_8.9.097_A11_V25

[@favazzo]

Great comparison, I was looking for a good Gcam for OP 12, But for now the stock camera does a better job. I wanted a camera with more vibrant colours (colours with stock camera are pretty mild / real)