General camera settings
Photo modes overview
You can choose from different photo modes and camera applications. To switch between
They simply swipe left or right on the camera screen.
Manually
Manually adjust camera settings such as resolution, white balance and
ISO sensitivity.
Camcorder
Manually adjust video settings for any shooting conditions.
Camera apps
Select camera apps manually.
To learn more about how to improve the quality of your photos, visit
support.sonymobile.com
Camera apps
AR effect
Take photos or videos of virtual scenes and characters.
Artistic effect
Apply various effects to photos and videos.
Sound Photo
Take photos with background sound.
Panorama
Take wide-angle and panoramic photos.
Timeshift burst
Create a series of photos and select the best photos.
Panorama
You can take wide-angle and panoramic photos with a simple tap-and-slide gesture.
Panoramic photography
Turn on the camera.
Swipe to select
And choose.
Press the camera key, then slowly and continuously move the camera
direction indicated on the screen.
Automatic face recognition
The camera automatically detects faces and marks them with a frame. The colored frame shows
which face will be in focus. This focuses on the face closest to
optical center of the lens. You can also touch one of the frames to
choose the face to focus on yourself.
Auto-capture
Turn on Auto Capture to automatically take photos using
one of the options below.
Shutter release hands
Raise your hand with your palm facing the camera to enable the self-timer function and take a self-portrait in lock-on modes
Images Manually And Super auto mode.
Smile detection
Use Smile Shutter™ technology to capture smiling faces. The camera detects up to five
Face Detection and selects one face for smile detection and autofocus. When the selected person smiles, the camera
automatically takes a photo.
Switch off
If Auto Capture is disabled, you can use the shutter button or the
cameras.
Function Shutter release hands Available only for creating self-portraits.
Turn on Smile Detection
Turn on the camera.
Touch.
Find and tap Auto-capture > Smile detection.
Opening the camera and turning it on Smile detection, point the camera at the subject
shooting. The camera will select one face to focus on.
When a smile is detected, the selected face is displayed in a colored frame and the photo
is done automatically.
If a smile is not detected, you can press the camera key to take a photo
manually.
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Enabling the manual shutter function
Turn on the camera.
Switch to the front camera by tapping
Touch.
Touch More.
Find and tap Auto-capture > Shutter release hands.
Adding geographic information to photos
position
To add approximate information to photos while shooting,
geographic location, enable the function of saving object coordinates. Location
determined using wireless networks and GPS technology.
The symbol on the camera screen means that the coordinate saving mode is enabled, but
location not determined. The symbol means that the coordinate saving mode is enabled,
the location is determined and photos can be geotagged. If none of these
there are no two symbols, the location saving function is disabled.
Enabling geotagging
Turn on the camera.
Touch.
Select More, and then tap the slider Save location data to enable
or turn off the function.
When you enable the geotagging feature, you will be prompted to enable services
location detection if they are disabled. Touch OK, then tap
slider Location.
Shoot by touch
With Tap to Shoot, you can take photos by simply touching the screen
cameras anywhere.
Turn on
Front only. camera
Switch off
Touch adjustment
Tap the screen to select the focus area when taking photos.
Focus only
Brightness and Focus
This function is only available in Super auto mode.
Auto view photos
You can set up to view photos immediately after shooting.
Turn on
After taking a photo, its thumbnail appears in the lower right corner of the screen for 3 seconds.
Front only. camera
After you take a photo with the front camera, a thumbnail appears in the lower right corner of the screen for
3 seconds.
Switch off
After shooting, the photo or video is saved, but is not opened for viewing.
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Volume key mode
You can choose to use the volume key while shooting
photographs.
Zoom
Use the Volume key to zoom in and out.
Volume
Use the Volume key to adjust the volume of notifications, ringtones, and music.
Gate
Use the volume key to take photos.
When you take a photo or start recording a video, the camera plays a shutter sound. At
When using the self-timer function, a beep sounds to indicate the countdown. Optionally these
sounds can be turned on or off.
Data storage
Data can be saved to a removable SD card or to the device's internal storage.
Internal storage
Photos and videos are saved in the device memory.
SD card
Photos and videos are saved on the SD card.
Grid lines
As you shoot, you can use grid lines as a visual aid to help you find
correct composition.
Grid lines only appear on the screen while shooting and will not be visible on
final photo.
Quick start
Use the Quick Launch options to turn on the camera while the screen is locked.
Just run
When this option is enabled, you can launch the camera while the screen is locked by pressing and holding the Camera key.
Launch and remove
When this option is enabled, you can launch the camera and automatically take a photo while the screen is locked,
by pressing and holding the camera key.
Launch and record video
When this option is enabled, you can launch the camera and start recording video while the screen is locked by pressing and
holding down the camera key.
Switch off
Adjusting color and brightness
Turn on the camera.
Tap > Color and brightness.
To adjust color and brightness, drag the sliders to the desired position.
This option is only available in Best Auto mode and when shooting
video camera.
White balance, focus, exposure and response speed
shutter
White Balance is only available in Shooting mode Manually and allows you to configure
color balance according to lighting conditions. Alternatively, you can manually
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adjust the exposure value from -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV. For example, you can increase
brighten the image or reduce the overall exposure by touching the plus controls
or "minus" respectively when displayed. Focus and shutter speed
can be set either manually or automatically.
White balance
Auto
Color balance is adjusted automatically.
Incandescent lamp
Adjusting the color balance for shooting conditions
warm lighting (for example, incandescent lamps).
Fluor. lamp
Color balance is adjustable for fluorescent lamps
lighting.
Daylight
Color balance can be adjusted for shooting in sunny conditions
outdoor weather.
Cloudy
Color balance can be adjusted for shooting in cloudy conditions.
Automatic
focusing
Focus is adjusted automatically.
Manual focus
Focus is adjusted manually.
The shutter speed is adjusted automatically.
The shutter speed is manually adjusted.
Quite a large number of users in the #XperiaZ1chat chat were interested in what interesting facts the developers thought they could tell about the Sony Xperia Z1 camera. And so, on the official Sony blog, a representative of the Xperia Camera UX department named Yasu Nomura named five interesting facts about the Xperia Z1 camera that interested users.
1. Few people know, but the smartphone has a fully developed Auto mode, which intuitively selects the highest quality settings for taking photos on the Sony Xperia Z1. In total, the automatic mode, depending on the subject being photographed and the external environment, can immediately select one of 36 different types of shooting, and it is adjusted instantly, without any kind of delay. Thus, Auto mode in Sony Xperia Z1 allows you to automatically select the best camera mode that is most suitable for a given situation. After this, intelligent image processing algorithms are used to help users capture only the best moments of their lives quickly and without any intervention.
An example of the intelligent functioning of the automatic mode is shooting in the dark, a kind of “night landscape”, in which the camera will independently select the shutter speed so that the colors become brighter with less noise.
When shooting in good lighting conditions, Auto mode will also try to capture the scene as clearly as possible and improve the colors, especially blue and green, because these colors are inseparable for the high-quality display of common objects or events.
2. Using a high-quality Sony G Lens in the Xperia Z1 in itself is not likely. When developing a camera for a smartphone, Sony engineers wanted to achieve maximum brightness and a wider angle than the cameras of other smartphones. To do this, each component was tested separately, and after that they were assembled together, which made the lens almost flawless. After this, the lens goes through another testing process, during which the last blemishes and deviations are eliminated. Some technical polishing.
3. The Timeshift Burst technology used in the Xperia Z1 is unique in itself. The smartphone has a persistent buffer processing power sufficient to take 60 2-megapixel images every thirty seconds. This innovation in the world of mobile devices is a big step and means that you will never miss amazing moments and good pictures and they will remain on your device.
4. Another striking fact was the introduction of the BIONZ image processor into a mobile device. Few people know, but the Sony Xperia Z1 camera is actually capable of highly sensitive image processing up to ISO6400 using Sony's unique noise reduction technologies. In many ways, it was the BIONZ processor that helped achieve this result.
5. And the most surprising thing about the Xperia Z1 camera for Yasu Nomura himself was how all these components were able to be connected together, creating a perfect technological union of a high-quality Sony G Lens with an ultra-sensitive CMOS Exmor RS sensor with a 1/2.3-inch sensor and add to all this is done by the BIONZ image processing processor. Just imagine that just 3 years ago you would have been told that a thin, waterproof smartphone would be equipped with such a powerful camera with the highest characteristics that would allow you to take excellent pictures underwater and in the dark, while their quality would be so high?
All this suggests that Sony really works for people, creating new technologies and combining its own developments together, creating unique products.
Every time the next flagship comes out and a stream of comparisons of the shooting quality of certain smartphones begins on the Internet, it’s tempting to write “sheep, why are you shooting like that?!”
For a long time now, I have been very bombarded by inadequate comparisons of cameras in smartphones, especially when the Xperia flagships are involved.
Journalists from specialized publications do not want or do not know how to understand that different cameras have different different focal lengths of lenses, aperture ratios, sensor resolutions and even aspect ratios.
The most annoying thing is the so-called “ 8 megapixel problem". Premium Xperia phones (Z3, Z3+, Z5 and X) by default shoot in Super Auto mode 8 MP with an aspect ratio of 16:9, but most “testers” set the resolution to 20 or 23 MP, depending on the phone model, and the aspect ratio is 4 :3. Why are they doing that?!
8 megapixels by default. Why?
If dear readers think that Sony engineers are fools and set the default camera app to 8 MP resolution, then they are mistaken.
A typical example of biased comparison: Xperia Z5 at 23 MP 4:3 versus Galaxy S7 at 12 MP 16:9. In such comparisons, the full 8 MP 16:9 mode, which is a priority for Xperia flagship cameras, is “forgotten”.
The thing is that the Xperia camera application has approximately the same technology as Nokia's PureView, which has sunk into oblivion. Those who don't understand will understand.
The so-called pixel oversaturation is used. This is when several nearby pixels are included in one super-pixel. In the case of 8-megapixel photos, the ratio is approximately 3 to 1 (from full size to eight). Thanks to this trick, several pixels are combined into one.
By the way, another interesting application was found for the higher resolution of Xperia cameras. We are talking about a software five-fold zoom that shoots without loss of quality, which only works in 8 megapixel mode in the Xperia Z5 and Xperia X series smartphones.
In any case, the quality of photos taken in 8 MP and 20 MP mode is significant. Sony were really able to implement an algorithm similar to PureView, where one pixel is made up of several.
But it is worth noting that this only applies to the Xperia Z3, Z3+ and Xperia Z5 series. There is no information yet about the remaining devices from the Xperia X line.
Disadvantages of 8 megapixels
The 8 MP Super Auto shooting mode has only one, but quite significant, drawback.
Its name is low detail. If you are used to making Instagram posts from small pieces of a 23 MP photo, then I have bad news for you. At 8 megapixels it won't look very good.
You can crop an 8 MP photo, but don’t get carried away, otherwise you’ll lose the quality of the photo. Roughly speaking, you need to learn how to take shots so that you don’t have to cut out small crops from them later.
But what about 20 or 23 megapixels? Where should I put them?
It’s clear that when your Xperia’s camera is as much as 20 or 23 megapixels, but you have to shoot in a resolution of 16 or even 8 megapixels, it’s a bit of a shame. Some may even think that Sony is deceiving its customers.
However, it is not. 20 or 23 megapixel shooting modes (depending on your Xperia device) are perfect in the following situations:
- Daytime shooting outdoors on a sunny day. If there is a lot of light, then you can safely set the resolution to 16, 20 or even 23 megapixels. There will be no quality problems.
- Close-up shots in bright light. When there are a lot of small objects in the frame and they all need to be drawn, then the choice of 20 or 23 megapixels is justified.
- Landscapes with sufficient lighting.
- Documentary shooting.
This post should in no way be regarded as “attacking” ordinary people; fortunately, in most cases they use Super Auto 8 MP for shooting and don’t bother.
I often come across positive reviews online from users who are completely satisfied with the quality of the camera in the Xperia Z5 series, when many journalists (not all, there are adequate guys) criticize it as much as they can.
This is understandable; Sony Mobile does not have the same advertising budgets for product promotion as Samsung, LG or even Huawei.
To summarize, the main shooting mode should be 8 MP or a maximum of 16 MP in 16:9 aspect ratio in super Auto mode or manual with HDR enabled. It is in these modes that the capabilities of the Xperia flagship camera module are most fully revealed.
The XPERIA Z1 camera certainly deserves close attention. Its characteristics are impressive - a large 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensor with a resolution of 20.7 MP, intelligent Bionz for mobile image processing, and a Sony G Lens for creating ultra-clear images. Putting aside unnecessary modesty, the manufacturer declared this camera the best in the Android segment. Let's see if this is actually true.
The first plus is the camera interface. It is as laconic as possible and does not require any getting used to; absolutely anyone can understand the screen menu in a couple of minutes. The main camera screen will help you adjust the flash, change the camera to the front and back, select a shooting mode and change shooting settings, if necessary.
The burst mode is interestingly implemented. In its settings you can select not only ON/OFF, but also speed. At the highest level, for example, others may think that you have at least an imitation of a Kalashnikov assault rifle in your hands. Not without a fly in the ointment. Those who want to immediately turn on the coveted 20 megapixels and run to shoot in automatic mode will be disappointed - high resolution can only be connected in manual M mode, and even then only with an aspect ratio of 4:3. In other cases, if you please, shoot with a resolution of 8 MP, sulking at the desperately digital zoom and poor sharpness.
The sharpness of the camera, however, is not all right at any resolution. Perhaps the camera's autofocus can be called its main disappointment. It seems to aim quickly and correctly, but as soon as you press the shooting button, the focus square, as if blind, begins to rummage around the screen and only after that it takes a picture. However, there are no guarantees that you will get a sharp shot.
Maybe things are better with video? Let's see.
What a sad thing, and here the focus continues to misbehave, as if someone invisible inside is messing with the manual adjustment ring. The error is definitely software, so I want to believe that it will be fixed in the next updates. The front camera is equipped with a two-megapixel sensor and fulfills its modest role as an additional camera with dignity, as befits an auxiliary camera in a flagship smartphone.
Shooting modes
A quick glance at the XPERIA Z1's shooting mode menu may seem like there aren't enough of them. However, do not rush to conclusions; in some modes there are also expanded submenus.
Traditionally, increased attention is paid to the automatic mode, which here is called Superior Auto or the best auto-tuning mode. The camera itself adapts to the surrounding conditions for shooting, selects the required scene, confidently measures the exposure and almost confidently measures the white balance. This mode could be called ideal if it is possible to shoot in a resolution of 20.7 megapixels, but here the inexperienced user is left unsatisfied. And in vain! Keeping in mind that automatic mode is set in the camera by default and is used in most cases.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/640 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/2000 sec
The richest selection of camera settings is presented in manual mode M. No, don’t think that you can adjust the shutter speed or aperture yourself here, but adjust the exposure to plus or minus, select white balance, ISO (up to 6400 units!), set up continuous shooting, a method Exposure metering or focusing type is very possible. Managing the settings is as easy as managing the camera interface in general, so you can give the smartphone a well-deserved “excellent” for ease of use.
When using M mode, an additional Scn (Scene) menu appears in the main interface window, in which you can select a preset for certain shooting conditions. We must pay tribute, the choice of scenes in the XPERIA Z1 is great: this includes portrait shooting with skin smoothing, shooting night landscapes, HDR, shooting animals, food, movement... After such an abundance, complaints about the number of preset shooting modes disappear by themselves.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 640, F2, 1/64 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/125 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 400, F2, 1/25 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 125, F2, 1/32 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 400, F2, 1/32 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 320, F2, 1/32 sec
Fans of additional image processing also did not go unnoticed. In the “Graphic Effect” mode, you can choose from 9 different filters. For example, it is possible to use the miniature shooting mode, which currently only lazy people don’t do. However, you can play around with this digital imitation of tilt shift ad infinitum.
It's hard to resist some innovation in software solutions for a compact camera. Sony also decided to get creative, presenting some interesting solutions. One of the most interesting is the Timeshift Burst mode. When used in dynamic scenes, the camera instantly shoots a series of more than 60 shots, from which you can choose the best one. Selecting a photo would be as convenient as possible if it weren’t for the very small preview icons, on which, for example, it is very difficult to see blurs.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 100, F2, 1/32 sec
Another fun application of the gadget is the AR Effect mode, when working with which you can fill a photo with animated effects. I turned on a scene with Jurassic Park - and a tyrannosaurus with palm trees was added to the frame. I turned on the disco scene - and the camera “hands out” wigs and glasses to everyone around. We are sure that this option will be great entertainment for children.
Info-Eye mode has become a great addition to the smartphone. Imagine that you are photographing an object, and your smartphone, acting as Wikipedia, gives you all the background information about it. In Russia, unfortunately, this application does not yet work in the best way, recognizing only Red Square in Moscow. But there are plenty of places and interesting objects in the vastness of our homeland, so we desperately appeal to the developers not to delay software updates for this truly interesting application.
There’s also socializing: the Social Live mode allows you to quickly share photos with friends on Facebook and immediately display their comments on the screen. It’s difficult to call this development unique; nowadays, almost any smartphone is capable of making instant “sharing” of photos on social networks, so it’s even strange that Sony’s official press release focused on this seemingly mandatory mode.
Shooting in daylight
On a bright sunny day, the Z1 can take great, vibrant photos. The camera interestingly conveys the color of the sky, very rich and sometimes with a slight greenish “Fuji” tint.
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/1000 sec
C6903 SETTINGS: ISO 50, F2, 1/125 sec
When using zoom, be careful - strong magnification noticeably spoils the picture, making it flabby and faded. Digital zooms are still far from optical zooms.
You can choose from different photo modes and camera applications. To switch between them, simply swipe left or right on the camera screen.
Manually Manually adjust camera settings such as resolution, white balance and ISO sensitivity. |
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Optimize settings for any shooting conditions. |
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Camcorder Manually adjust video settings for any shooting conditions. |
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Camera apps Select camera apps manually. |
Camera apps
AR effect Take photos or videos of virtual scenes and characters. |
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Artistic effect Apply various effects to photos and videos. |
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Panoramic view Take wide-angle and panoramic photos. |
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Sound Photo Take photos with background sound. |
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Label Maker Create unique stickers from your favorite photos or using your camera's viewfinder. |
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Style Portrait Take photos using portrait styles in real time. |
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With a face in the picture Take photos using both the front and rear cameras at the same time. |
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Timeshift burst Create a series of photos and select the best photos. |
AR effects
You can apply AR effects (augmented reality effect) to photos or video clips, making them more fun. This option allows you to add a 3D background to your photos or videos when using the camera. Simply select the desired background and adjust its position in the viewfinder.
Artistic effect
With the Artistic Effect app, you can customize effects and color filters before taking photos and videos.
Photos with sound
Record background sound when taking photos using the Sound Photo app.
Label Maker
Application Label Maker Lets you create unique stickers from your favorite photos or using your camera's viewfinder.
Sweep Panorama
You can take wide-angle and panoramic photos vertically or horizontally with a simple tap-and-swipe motion.
Panoramic photography
Portrait in style
Style Portrait lets you apply retouching effects to portrait photos as you shoot, giving you stunning results. And using the Magic Beam option, you can add highlights to the eyes.
Using the Stylish Portrait Feature
Using the Magic Beam feature
With a face in the picture
Mode With a face in the picture used to turn on the front and rear cameras at the same time, which allows you to photograph yourself along with surrounding objects.
Timeshift burst
The camera takes a series of 61 pictures in an interval of two seconds: one second before pressing the camera key and one after.
Automatic face recognition
The camera automatically detects faces and marks them with a frame. The in-focus face is highlighted by the colored frame closest to the center. To move focus to another face, tap one of the other frames.
Auto-capture
Turn on Auto Capture to automatically take photos using one of the options below.
Turn on Smile Detection™
Adding geographic location information to photos
To add approximate geographic location information to your photos as you take pictures, turn on the POI feature. The location is determined using wireless networks and GPS technology.
The symbol on the camera screen means that the coordinate saving mode is enabled, but the location is not defined. The symbol means that the coordinate saving mode is turned on, the location is determined, and you can add a geotag to your photos. If neither of these two symbols is present, the save location feature is disabled.
Enabling geotagging
Shoot by touch
With Tap to Shoot, you can take photos by simply touching anywhere on the camera screen.
Touch adjustment
Tap the screen to select the focus area when taking photos.
Auto view photos and videos
You can set up a preview of photos and videos immediately after shooting.
Volume key mode
You can choose to use the volume key when taking photos.
Sound
When you take a photo or start recording a video, the camera plays a shutter sound. When using the self-timer function, beeps sound to indicate the countdown. These sounds can be turned on or off if desired.
Data storage
Data can be saved to a removable SD card or to the device's internal storage.
Grid lines
As you shoot, you can use grid lines as a visual aid to help you find the right composition.
Quick start
Use Quick Launch settings to turn on the camera when the screen is locked.
White balance, focus, exposure and shutter speed
The White Balance option is available only in Manual shooting mode and allows you to adjust the color balance to suit lighting conditions. Additionally, you can manually adjust the exposure value from -2.0 EV to +2.0 EV. For example, you can increase the brightness of the image or decrease the overall exposure by touching the plus or minus controls, respectively, when is displayed. Focus and shutter speed can be set either manually or automatically.
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