Sony Xperia Z3 Camera Test: First impressions of camera (with pictures)

Having just received a Sony Xperia Z3 to review, the first thing to do was get out and take some photos.

I’ll take more, and record some video (for one, to test out the new audio recording modes that allow you to adjust the mic gain) in the coming days, but here’s a first batch of raw, unedited, photos to kick things off.

There’s a mix of auto and manual photos, some with HDR on and some with HDR off. As ever, all the EXIF data is all there for those who wish to check the settings for each photo.

The Z3 uses the same 20.7-megapixel sensor as earlier models, but with a wider angle lens, as well as higher ISO settings for supposedly better photos at night.

It’s pretty likely the latter is just a software tweak, so existing Z1, Z1 Compact and Z2 users could get the same if Sony upgrades the camera app on those models. But, is ISO 12,800 really going to be of much use in the real world?

I therefore thought it wise to do some night shots, which shows (as I suspected) that once you bump up the ISO levels, the detail falls off a cliff.

However, it’s worth pointing out that while you can see the fuzziness when viewing at 100%, the same photos shown on the phone screen, shared on social media etc, don’t actually look that bad.

For normal daytime photos, on a rather cloudy day, the Z3 can still capture an awful lot of detail, and the leaves in particular show a level of sharpness that is often lacking on other phones when you zoom in.

Anyway, I prefer not to rate the photos and let you decide on your own, so enjoy and please share your comments, or indeed share this gallery with others…

PS. For all intents and purposes, the Z3 Compact camera is identical with the same lens and software.

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