Sony Xperia XZ Detailed Camera Review

After unveiling the X series phones earlier in India, Sony has rolled out its flagship smartphone, the Xperia XZ today in India. Sony has been trying hard to catch up with the competition but the pricing of the products has always turned out to be the decider. This time, Sony has followed an aggressive approach with the Xperia XZ, hence it is reasonably priced at Rs. 51,990 (Best buy price is Rs. 49,990).

The highlight of the Xperia XZ is its unique camera that is claimed to be one of the best cameras among the current flagship devices. It comes with some major upgrades and unique features. Some of them are 5-axis video stabilization and triple image sensing technology.

I have been playing around with the Xperia XZ from last 24 hours and tested the camera in detail. In this post, I’ll be exposing all the nitty-gritty about the camera on Sony Xperia XZ.

Camera Hardware Table

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Must Read: What’s Unique In Sony Xperia XZ Camera Technology?

Sony Xperia XZ Camera Software

The camera app on Sony Xperia XZ is laid out very neatly and is easy to use. The left edge of the screen has the camera toggle icon on top, followed by the camera modes, video, auto mode and manual modes. You can swipe left to right rather than tapping on the icon to toggle between front and rear camera. It also allows you to switch between the modes by swiping it upwards on downwards.

On the right edge, you’ll find the recent photos followed by timer, shutter button and settings. Another unnoticed feature is that you’ll find an indicator right next to the settings icon, which shows if the camera is moving or is at rest.

 

One thing that I like the most about Xperia phones is its dedicated camera shutter button. Apart from a better camera control, it also allows you to half press and lock the focus. And if you notice, it removes the side icons and the viewfinder extends to the whole display.

Camera Modes & Filters

Sony has cut down the number of modes it used to include in the camera app, and I think it’s a good move. It has made the experience smoother and simpler. This time it has AR (augmented reality) Effect, Creative effect (Filters), Sound photo, Style Portrait (face effects), Sticker creator, 4K video, Sweep panorama and Timeshift video (Slow Mo and Timelapse with manual controls).

Samples

Sony Xperia XZ Camera Performance and Samples

Front Camera Samples

On the front, Sony Xperia XZ comes with a Sony IMX300 13MP camera with f/2.0 aperture. Selfie quality is excellent under proper lights; no matter it is natural light or artificial light. I must mention that this camera is one of the finest front cameras presently in market. It does not unnecessarily tweaks your pictures, and also the 90 degree wide angle lens gives it a leverage to cover larger area.

The only picture that I didn’t like is against light, but this is a very common case even with the top rated cameras.

Rear Camera Samples

Artificial Light

Camera performance in well lit artificial light is impressive. I clicked a few pictures inside the hotel which has yellow ambient lighting, and the results were very nice. The best part is that I didn’t even touch the manual control in the beginning and still the pictures matched the DSLR quality.

Natural Light

If you are a photographer or you just love clicking pictures with your phone, I am sure you are also obsessed with the natural light. The camera on Xperia XZ leverages your love for natural light. Even though many other phones have great capabilities in natural light but I liked it more on the XZ. A major reason may be the easy controls and physical camera shutter button.

The pictures came out to be striking in terms of details and colors. Also the camera balances the shakes pretty well. I was easily able to lock my focus and get a quick snap of anything I found interesting (also the moving objects). For more details you can check out the camera samples below.

Low Light

Low light photography has always been a cause of concern for most of the shutterbugs. Samsung Galaxy S7 was the first phone that changed the whole low scenario for low light photography on a smartphone. Talking about the Xperia XZ, I have mixed feelings about the camera.

The good thing is that it captures good amount of light even when there is almost no light. The low light pictures showed no grains or noise but the pictures did not look that crisp and sharp. It steals the details of the picture when it comes to a low light photo.

Camera Verdict

Sony has done a great job with the camera on Xperia XZ. By far the best camera any Xperia phone has ever had. I would not compare it with any other flagship or judge it on the basis of the price. I have uploaded enough pictures for you to see and judge how do you like the camera.