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maximb

Dear Sony,

I would like to suggest some Sony camera improvements which will make Sony fans happy.

So, Sony XZ1 camera is good, but not the best. Color balance, video quality, night photos are great, but day photos (photos which are made with good light conditions) have many disadvantages which can be fixed/improved by Sony easily.

The following is the list of improvements which will make Sony camera the best:

1. Disadvantage: Sony noise reduction algorithm is too agressive which leads to photo details lost and another artifacts like many small blured spots which are visible when you zoom photo to 100%

Solution: Allow Sony camera users to adjust level of noise reduction. For instance, from 0 - level (disabled noise reduction at all) to N - level, and Auto level if possible. It would be great to have such option in both Sony camera modes, Manual Photo Mode and also in Auto Photo Mode.

2. Disadvantage: Currently, Sony HDR is not the best. I don't know tha cause of that, but it looks like some weak HDR algorithm.
Often, HDR is not necessary at all to make great photos. In Manual Photo Mode, it is allowed to enable/disable HDR, but in Auto Photo Mode there is no such option. That fact makes Auto Photo Mode useless. You can ask Sony fans, the most of them don't use Auto Photo Mode, the most users use Manual Photo Mode with disabled HDR.

Solution: Make HDR optional in Auto Photo Mode in order user can enable/disable HDR (enabled by default).

3. Disadvantage: As, I said above Sony camera has weak HDR and it can be fixed also.

Solution 1 (minimum): open Camera2 API to allow RAW in order Sony fans can use third-party Android camera software to make great HDR photos.
Solution 2 (maximum): open Camera2 API to allow RAW and improve Sony camera application HDR algorithm.

So, that is all
I am software dveloper (Java, Android) and I am pretty sure that (1) and (2) is easy fix/improvement for Sony developers team.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Sony fan.

r2d3

Teddy1980, but how to check your photos if their dimensione here are 999x749? It is too small dimension to check, because witsh such dimension even 15 years old photos will look good. Please post original photos where people can check their Exif and details.

I know what is Pixel XL, and I do not belive Sony XZ1 can do the same now (with such Sony XZ1 camera software). They are still blurred and lack of details, because of bad Sony XZ1 noise reduction algorithm (also the same problem with HDR). Also, there was no any camera updates last weeks.

Teddy1980

Sorry the photos were original size, i didn’t realise the forum would reduce their size and file quality.

How do I post the pictures in the original format?

Teddy1980

@r2d3 who said there was a camera update last week? This is news to me?

I am using build number 47.1.A.12.34

r2d3

Yes, I know, I just mean that maybe I missed some SonyXZ1 update which fix that camera issue, but there were no any updates ... unfortunatelly ...

r2d3

Teddy1980,
This is the link to russian forum where people argue/compare what smartphone camera is better. If you will register there, you will be ablo to see full size images and zoom to 100% to see details.

https://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=410214&view=findpost&p=69910634

I did some crops to show what is Sony XZ1 quality with Sony camera software which kills all photo details. I have the same bad quality if I use Sony camera app.

So, the following Sony XZ1 photo and photo from U11

Sony XZ1 photo
Sony XZ1

HTC U11 Photo
HTC U11 photo

red_cube

Hi Sony,

Will Sony fix camera issues and when we can expect that?
Could you say some words about your progress on these issues?

I think it doesn't make sense to explain what issues, because there are many topics about that.
Briefly:
- low photo details, blurred details like watercolor blots

- wrong white balance in some condition like slightly red white when snow and low light conditions (evening)

- etc.

Thank you.

patman89

The only thing I really, really need as soon as possible is a SMOOTH zoom while capturing videos. The current behavior of the zoom is way too rough! At it's current state it's almost unusable.

artttur

Don't you guys have three same fillings ,that camera theme is tabu for Sony, according to Smartphone?

I'm very, very disappointed.. They have disabled two most important things in photography. The first is RAW(that shows fool hardware potential), and the second is limited SS speed (low ISO value+more SS speed and you have super photo in low light)

And is really, really hard to become your question answered, from Sony support. I know it sins my Xperia S.

And I'm pretty disappointed, that I have changed my OnePlus 3 to XZ1.