Camera

The Xperia Ten Performance uses the same photographic camera setup equally the Xperia Z5: a 23-megapixel (5520 x 4140) Sony Exmor RS IMX300 ane/two.iii" CMOS sensor with i.i μm pixels, paired with a 24mm-equivalent f/2.0 lens. There's no optical image stabilization, nor is at that place laser autofocus, although you do become a single LED flash.

On the front end, Sony has upgraded the selfie camera significantly. We're now getting a 13-megapixel (4160 x 3120) Sony Exmor RS IMX214 1/3" CMOS sensor with i.12 μm pixels, paired with a 22mm-equivalent f/2.0 lens. This is the same sensor found on the rear of some older flagships, including the OnePlus One and Nexus vi.

I was impressed with the quality of the Xperia X Performance'south rear camera. Like with the Xperia Z5, the X Performance delivers very accurate photos with keen levels of detail, which keeps it in any discussions apropos the best smartphone camera of the year. For a while now I haven't really seen a phone commanding a flagship price tag that didn't pack a decent camera, which is great to see.

One obvious advantage that the Xperia 10 Performance has over its competitors is prototype resolution. High megapixel counts were once all the rage, but in contempo times, manufacturers have moved back to lower resolutions with larger pixels. This is why the 23-megapixel photographic camera here stands out among a field of 12- and xvi-megapixel competitors.

Wide shot (left) with a 100% crop (right)

Producing 23-megapixel images means at that place is more flexibility in the X Performance'southward images for zooming and image manipulation. The bodily level of item bachelor in 100% crops is not swell – there is a prominent 'oil painting' effect from racket reduction similar to photos taken with the LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 – which is disappointing considering what can exist achieved (the HTC 10 is a dandy example).

However, when shrinking photos from this camera downwards to 12-megapixels to match flagships similar the HTC 10, the Xperia X Functioning has a small-scale advantage in sharpness in clarity. At this size, many of the post-processing artefacts disappear as well, giving this camera a clear advantage over offering from LG and Samsung.

Dynamic range from the IMX300 is good, as I wait from a Sony sensor. The automated shooting mode does apply HDR automatically, even to 23-megapixel images, only the HDR mode isn't as expert as I've seen from Samsung or Huawei in item. With that said, the Ten Performance meters images extremely well, so it'southward unlikely that images will be overexposed or that HDR will be applied incorrectly.

The X Functioning produces images that very accurately capture the scene, with vibrant colors in vibrant scenes, and duller colors in duller environments. Sony has clearly fabricated a choice to produce photos like this, which falls in line with some other manufacturers (HTC comes to mind). This will delight photography enthusiasts, who want accurate imagery higher up all else.

Accurateness doesn't necessarily mean a lack of saturation. Images taken in strong lighting await just as good equally other smartphones, and indoors the Xperia X Functioning can produce not bad photos at times. Every time I went back and looked at a photo taken with the Xperia X, I was impressed at how accuracy was preserved without underexposing or undersaturating the shot, which can be an consequence with phone cameras in weaker lighting.

My main concern here is that photos taken with the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7, and even the Huawei P9 at times simply await meliorate. A combination of improve mail processing (G5, Galaxy S7) or improve effects (P9) delivers images straight off the camera that require less editing and are more 'sharable'. They may not be as accurate, but past slightly increasing contrast or saturation, the photos taken with these cameras pop more and look better at beginning glance. And for some people, this is what they may prefer in a smartphone camera.

The 10 Performance also suffers from weak low light performance when you're shooting 23-megapixel images. The LG G5 with its 16-megapixel rear camera is a clear winner here, as information technology uses its hardware stabilization well to create brighter images. The only manner the 10 Performance can produce vivid images in low light is by switching to 8-megapixel captures, which naturally comes at a cost of resolution and sharpness. Also, actually switching the resolution of photos in low light is clunky and hampers the basic signal and shoot advantages of a phone camera.

Exterior of epitome quality, the X Performance's capture speed is proficient, although focusing speed is only average due to a lack of dedicated focusing hardware. One of the features Sony is heavily touting about the X Performance is object-tracking focusing, which is very effective for capturing moving objects with ease. Enabled past default, all you have to do is tap an object in the preview and it will be tracked with locked focus. Information technology's not equally groundbreaking equally Sony makes information technology out to be, considering near photos I take practice non involve moving objects, but it's a handy inclusion nonetheless.

The camera app includes a transmission mode, which disappointingly doesn't give y'all much control over the bodily photographic camera settings. There'due south as well a range of camera add-ins for features similar panorama, augmented reality effects, photo filters, and more which you tin download.

I was surprised that the Xperia 10 Functioning doesn't include 4K video recording, despite no clear restrictions in the photographic camera hardware or SoC. The Xperia Z5 included 4K recording through a special 4K fashion, merely there'southward no such mode on the 10 Operation. This is a significant regression, as 4K recording on smartphones can offer much better quality than 1080p. The all-time you'll get out of the 10 Operation is 1080p at 60 frames per second, which has been included on smartphones for years at present.

The quality of 1080p captures from this handset is proficient, and the object-tracking characteristic does make it easy to proceed a certain area of the scene in focus at all times. Merely a flagship smartphone in 2022 should actually include 4K recording.