Sony Xperia I VII camera score revealed: What is Sony doing?
With modest upgrades on board, the new Xperia comes with a new higher-res ultrawide camera, but still relies on the same 48MP main camera and 12MP telephoto with variable focal length that can provides optical zoom at 3.5 and 7.1X zoom levels (85 to 170mm in 35mm film equivalent).
| Sony Xperia 1 VII | Sony Xperia 1 VI |
|---|---|
|
Main camera 48MP F1.9 Sensor: 1/1.35″ Exmor T 1.12 μm pixel size |
Main camera 48MP F1.9 Sensor: 1/1.35″ 1.12 μm pixel size |
|
Telephoto camera 12MP, 3.5x to 7.1x optical zoom (85-170mm) Sensor: 1/3.5″ Exmor RS 1.0µm pixel size |
Telephoto camera 12MP, 3.5x to 7.1x optical zoom (85-170mm) Sensor: 1/3.5″ 1.0µm pixel size |
|
Ultrawide camera 48MP F2.0 Sensor: 1/2.9″ Exmor RS 1.2µm pixel size 16mm 104º |
Ultrawide camera 12MP, F2.2 Sensor: 1/2.5″ 1.4 μm pixel size 16mm 104º |
|
Front-facing camera 12MP F2.0 1.22µm pixel size |
Front-facing camera 12MP |
Sony has put a new 48MP ultrawide in its latest Xperia flagship, an improvement over the 12MP one available on the older Xperia 1 VI flagship phone. However, the other two cameras are pretty much identical to their predecessor, but Sony has shaken up the image-processing algorithms in order to get closer to some of its bigger competitors, which are also using Sony’s sensors.
And don’t get fooled by Sony’s naming scheme: the Exmor T and Exmor RS sensors here are equivalent to the new LYTIA ones that are making the rounds on pretty much any high-profile flagship out there at the moment.
Well, with a total score of 136, the latest Xperia isn’t really doing great. Broken down, this result is made of a mostly okay still photo result of 142 points, but a disappointing video score of 130 points. That’s in the ballpark of the old Xperia flagship, but slightly lower in comparison, which isn’t the way camera evolution is supposed to go.
Sony Xperia 1 VII compared to its rivals
Now, compared to most of its direct rivals from the midst of the Big Three––Samsung, Apple, and Google––the Xperia 1 VII isn’t doing particularly good.
Let’s delve deeper and take a look at some camera samples.
Sony Xperia 1 VII camera spider chart
Main camera
The main camera delivers images with true-to-life colors and dynamics that look very realistic. Details are okay, but you can notice some oversharpening artifacts here and there. Auto exposure leaves something to be desired, as it has some issues with nailing the correct exposure level. The dynamic range is okay, but sometimes highlights tend to burn out. There are also some nasty HDR artifacts here and there.
Zoom Quality
The telephoto is good, delivering good detail at both the native 3.7X and 7.1X optical zoom levels. There is minimal oversharpening and good sharpness at both zoom levels.
Ultrawide camera
The ultrawide camera here is a noticeable improvement over the one on the Xperia 1 VI, so at least we have palpable improvements here. The detail and corner sharpness have been improved, but some oversharpening tends to creep in now as well.
Front-facing camera quality
The front-facing camera is just okay. It sometimes struggles to determine the correct exposure setting, leading to slightly overexposed facial features. Detail is lacking in comparison with most of the phone’s direct rivals.
Video main camera
The main camera delivers decent exposure, good dynamic range, and okay details with minimal amounts of oversharpening. Still, most rivals of the device deliver better footage with their respective main cameras.
Zoom video quality
3.7X
At the shorter 3.7X zoom level, videos are perfectly usable, with decent quality.
7.1X
At 7.1X, a general loss of quality and worse detail can be observed.
Ultrawide video quality
While the ultrawide is great in photos, it’s so-so in videos. Corner-sharpness leaves a lot to be desired, and the exposure errs on the side of overexposing the image.
Front-facing camera quality
The front camera delivers lifeless videos that lack both character and detail. Definitely among the worse front-facing cameras we’ve tested this year.
Conclusion
The Sony Xperia 1 VII will easily feel like more of the same to seasoned Xperia fans. It offers nothing groundbreaking in the camera department, doesn’t stand out with any particularly intriguing new feature, and you could even make the case that the overall image capabilities of the camera have deteriorated in comparison with the previous model as well as the direct rivals.
While the camera will do fine in most situations you may find yourself, it will rarely excite or inspire you to create more.
While Sony definitely has a galactic level of know-how when it comes to camera sensors, this knowledge fails to translate well to the real-life camera performance of its flagship phones.\
The Xperia 1 VII’s rivals easily beat it in the camera department, while carrying significantly lower price tags.
