My camera software update wishlist

[PanFin]

I produce visual content for my employer every week. My workhorse is naturally a smartphone camera, and a while ago I switched from iPhone 8+ to Xperia 1. I was convinced by the camera's natural colour output and clarity. However, I was also worried about the camera issues many reviewers had pointed out. After playing with the Xperia photo samples, I decided to give it a try. I chose it over Samsung S10 and OnePlus 7 Pro and wished the best.

So am I satisfied after real-world usage? Yes and no. I indeed find the Xperia colours and clarity great. This phone is clearly capable of excellent photography results. However, like many reviewers have said, the poor camera software loses much of the potential. I know that Samsung and OnePlus have topped their flagship camera game with software updates, and I'm sure Sony can do the same!

Here comes a list of the camera issues I have noticed. These all can be corrected with a software update.

1. The overall slowness of the camera app. For someone coming from an iPhone, the lag in the camera app feels so frustrating. The iPhone was always blazing fast in its camera app, but the Xperia camera is just slow, like a much cheaper phone. Something must be done for this.
2. Slow bokeh mode and bad bokeh rendering. I'm disappointed with the bokeh mode of the Xperia 1. It works really slow and any movement is like kryptonite for it. But the worst thing is the boked rendering itself. Often it just looks inferior compared to my old iPhone 8+. As bokeh can really make a difference when it comes to photography, this area cannot be forgotten. Again the boked mode feels like borrowed from a much cheaper phone, and currently it's not on the same league with some other flagship phones. 
3. Give a bokeh mode for the main camera too. This would make the Xperia 1 a real beast. The S10 has a working bokeh mode both in its main and tele cams (it got it via a software update). Sony, please do the same!
4. Add HDR toggle to the default auto mode. The manual mode has a well working HDR, and everyone wants it to the auto mode. So please just add it.
5. Add HDR toggle to the bokeh mode as well. Its clearly needed as the Xperia 1 tends to blow out highlights without the HDR.
6. Fix the yellowish auto white balance of the front camera. 
7. And finally, the most important thing: correct the EIS+OIS 4K video stabilization. This one is a real bug, and I wonder why it hasn't been fixed yet. 

What do you think about my list? Are these things relevant to you?

[Gilgameshuk]

Hey there

In still photography, I dont have any of the issues that you have, however i agree with the 4K stabilisation issues, however t he same problem is on 1080p when HDR is used.

Only pure 1080p works fine.

[PodgePapin]

I would like to see a full 21:9 photo mode, I can't imagine why it doesn't have one already.

[TobiasHedlund]

Sony also needs to fix the auto focus system om Xperia 1, it fails to look correct focus most of the time and the result is out of focus images and the manual focus is a joke. Has the same issue i told to Sony about on the XZ1 and that is when putting the manual focus slider above 70% the camera loses focus! 

Sony also needs to fine-tune the image/video quality/processing aswell. 

[Buddy122]

Slow focus and changing focus on mine. The camera overheats and shuts down in 60fps mode. Time's up Sony. I'll be looking to trade this in for a Galaxy Note  10 tomorrow. But thanks for the marvelous head phones at least. I'm just not used to buying a  phone with all of these hassles and after a month my patience has worn out. Never again. Loved your Z11 laptop but you discontinued that. Why? Because you don't advertise your products to make them sell, just like the Z11 and just like this phone. Why can't you get it together? So much to love on your Xperia 1 but in this case the camera has  killed it for me.

[Strampke]

I won't mingle into this camera discussion but you're gonna miss the form factor.

And you're right about the headphones.

Once you have used those you'll never want anything else.

With those even the longest flights turn into something pleasant. (says the one who hates flying, being locked up in a noisy tube)

[Gilgameshuk]

That is regrettable

Its strange where given that you OBVIOUSLY have a faulty phone and instead of taking it back and exchanging it, you chose just to give up?

I film all the time (I run the Xperia fan channel on Youtube) I have no issues with overheating on any format) so given that you possibly have a faulty phone=-why not just exchange it like anyone would?

I do agree that a the x1 has serious video stabilisation issues, however that is sorted with an update, do the sensible thing and exchange your phone as faulty-instead of throwing your hands up and walking away.

If you lived in the UK-  I would have purchased the phone from you.

[azzido]

Currently for me the pictures are too soft. And    because of it many details seems to be lost. l would like to have much sharper pics with higher contrast. Seems alpha is responsible for this issue.

Hope for the fix.

[RottenFoxBreath]

Learn to shoot in manual mode, and/or shoot RAW, and edit somewhere else.

And again, to reiterate what GilgameshUK says, you seem to have faulty phones, so replacing them is the better option.

Seems the ones who complain about soft pictures, are the ones who use Samdung, and their artificial sharpness algorithms.

And lastly, read the small print on your contracts/receipts, etc, when the phone goes back, the headphones are supposed to go back also.

[Gilgameshuk]

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@RottenFoxBreath wrote:

Learn to shoot in manual mode, and/or shoot RAW, and edit somewhere else.

And again, to reiterate what GilgameshUK says, you seem to have faulty phones, so replacing them is the better option.

Seems the ones who complain about soft pictures, are the ones who use Samdung, and their artificial sharpness algorithms.

And lastly, read the small print on your contracts/receipts, etc, when the phone goes back, the headphones are supposed to go back also.

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You also forgot Spamsung's Chernobyl radiation over saturated colours.