Great photos . Very good Review ! Thks! I wonder that most the xz2 Reviews didn’t have portraits of people . Do you have any samples for this ?
Alan Ward
July 9, 2018 2:12 pm
Thank you for a great review. Just to let you know, the camera app occasionally shuts down on my Z2. Hoping an update will fix it.
Christian
July 5, 2018 3:55 am
Thank you for the nice review. Having the same phone, let me make a few additional tips and comments.
1) Smudging / loss of detail: This is especially noticeable in far-away foliage and portraits. I’ve noticed that most of the smudging comes mostly from HDR, not so much from higher ISO (even though high ISO doesn’t help). HDR loss of detail is also true in bright conditions with this phone.
So most of the time I end up shooting in manual mode with all settings auto and I leave HDR OFF. I only turn HDR manually ON or switch to full-auto mode when there is an absolute need for HDR.
Another advantage of this technique is to avoid the auto-mode scene detection errors: typically in full-auto the phone sometimes thinks a face is a landscape and results in very strangely colored faces.
2) Hand shake / OIS: Yes the phone doesn’t have OIS, but shooting at 1/16 (that’s the normal speed it goes to handheld in low-light), I’ve experienced only a very very few blurry shots. In this respect Sony have made in my opinion a huge improvement compared to their previous XZ1 model, where I used to get blurr even at 1/50 shutter speed. I cannot explain why this is since the camera hardware is the same and I didn’t get nerve surgery for steadier hands.
Also for comparision I sold my Pixel 2 (which has OIS and a brighter lens), because the Pixel 2 resulted in blurred shots way more often in dark conditions. Again HDR is culprit as it spans many shots to combine in one, in effect introducing blur similar to what you’d get with an even slower shutter speed. The problem with the Pixel 2 is that HDR OFF is not a viable option in terms of picture quality.
3) My opinion: XZ2 has a very good camera. It’s not perfect, as this review explains, but I like it better than Pixel 2 (blur and very grainy skies in low-light) or Galaxy S8 (bad colors and no texture detail in low-light), which I’ve both owned.
@Christian, Thanks for the detailed tips! I may pick this phone up.
@Nasim, thanks for the excellent review! I’ll keep checking this site out when I’m picking out phones.
Mattew Colella
June 19, 2018 4:18 am
So far I can tell this is a very nice phone, and camera performs well but:
1)Bookeh effect, which is in a separated app, is very disappointing. Wrong cut and area effect. I understand that single camera cant perceive well how deep is background, but PIXEL 2 have same solution and one of the best bookeh software that we can find on market. So why Sony cant compete with Google in software?
2)Night shot without OIS are very bad. Tripod solve this, but i cant walk with a tripod in my pocket forever. I wish they will add OIS in next sony flagships
The bokeh app was from the Z2, not this phone, the update with that feature has just come out.
HMS
June 5, 2018 1:13 pm
Excellent review, Nasim. I use my phone camera only sparingly and only for casual snapshots, as I find the form factor rather frustrating. I was struck by the lovely shots you took in Morocco. Having just returned from a two week photo tour there, It looks like you covered the same itinerary that I did – looking forward to your future Morocco post and more pics.
LukasB
June 4, 2018 8:30 am
“I thought that everyone hated Apple for removing the headphone jack from its phones. Look today – the Xperia XZ2 does not have it. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro that I am going to review next does not have it. And it looks like many new smartphones don’t have it either. No matter what people say, you have to give it to Apple for leading the design and ergonomics of the smartphone industry. It seems like a lot of Apple’s innovations end up trickling down to its competition overtime.”
If everyone is copying bad idea, it does not make it any better. Apple is not an innovation leader. He just waits and then perfects what others trying to push on the market first. Dumping headphone jack is just a bussiness decision based on purchasing Beats. My 2c.
I like the review, well done, honest, fair an neutral. Great job!
Wrt some commentts in the review,
Sony and now any new high end Android offers LDAC, aptx HD etc. To be honest, for me it does not make sence if I have to plug in a USB-c, Apple plug, or a 3,5 plug. They are all still plugs. Point here is that you get limited BT audio quality by using Apple.
Amazing pictures taken here with the Xz2. I found also that Sony pushed the limit again with the Xz2. Not to say that this xz2 phone is1/4 cheaper than an iPhone 10. Samsung also really pushes the technology forward. Sony and Samsung are on price level of an iPhone 8 and should be compared to that one. The huawei P20 instead overperfomed the much more expensive iPhone 10 again.
Nevertheless, despite of great pictures I see from smartphones, for real photos I still use my d750. That is still far away from any smartphone.
Jamal
June 4, 2018 7:28 am
As usually..great reviews, mine using Xiaomi Mi Note 3 with Sony sensor too..it’s great camera with great pictures result too, but unfortunately..it’s same that’s not allowed shooting as RAW image..so editing is really too limited, anyway what best apps you can suggest it to post processing in the phone..?
i use vsco x and adobe light room cc these can make photos look as if tey were taken from a dslr and snapseed for correcting some issues or adding some hdr effects
Peter Collins
June 4, 2018 7:15 am
Great review!
John Z
June 4, 2018 7:03 am
As an iPhone X user, I’m not in the market to buy this particular phone. But one thing I have to say: the images are spectacular! And that’s not a credit to the phone, but a credit to someone who knows how to use it.
Good job Nasim! Keep up the good work and thank you for making it a joy for us PL readers to enjoy your photography. Hope to see more from you soon. It looks like your trip to Morocco was incredible.
Great photos . Very good Review ! Thks! I wonder that most the xz2 Reviews didn’t have portraits of people . Do you have any samples for this ?
Thank you for a great review. Just to let you know, the camera app occasionally shuts down on my Z2. Hoping an update will fix it.
Thank you for the nice review.
Having the same phone, let me make a few additional tips and comments.
1) Smudging / loss of detail: This is especially noticeable in far-away foliage and portraits.
I’ve noticed that most of the smudging comes mostly from HDR, not so much from higher ISO (even though high ISO doesn’t help). HDR loss of detail is also true in bright conditions with this phone.
So most of the time I end up shooting in manual mode with all settings auto and I leave HDR OFF. I only turn HDR manually ON or switch to full-auto mode when there is an absolute need for HDR.
Another advantage of this technique is to avoid the auto-mode scene detection errors: typically in full-auto the phone sometimes thinks a face is a landscape and results in very strangely colored faces.
2) Hand shake / OIS: Yes the phone doesn’t have OIS, but shooting at 1/16 (that’s the normal speed it goes to handheld in low-light), I’ve experienced only a very very few blurry shots. In this respect Sony have made in my opinion a huge improvement compared to their previous XZ1 model, where I used to get blurr even at 1/50 shutter speed. I cannot explain why this is since the camera hardware is the same and I didn’t get nerve surgery for steadier hands.
Also for comparision I sold my Pixel 2 (which has OIS and a brighter lens), because the Pixel 2 resulted in blurred shots way more often in dark conditions. Again HDR is culprit as it spans many shots to combine in one, in effect introducing blur similar to what you’d get with an even slower shutter speed. The problem with the Pixel 2 is that HDR OFF is not a viable option in terms of picture quality.
3) My opinion: XZ2 has a very good camera. It’s not perfect, as this review explains, but I like it better than Pixel 2 (blur and very grainy skies in low-light) or Galaxy S8 (bad colors and no texture detail in low-light), which I’ve both owned.
And congratulations for your very nice pictures !
@Christian, Thanks for the detailed tips! I may pick this phone up.
@Nasim, thanks for the excellent review! I’ll keep checking this site out when I’m picking out phones.
So far I can tell this is a very nice phone, and camera performs well but:
1)Bookeh effect, which is in a separated app, is very disappointing. Wrong cut and area effect. I understand that single camera cant perceive well how deep is background, but PIXEL 2 have same solution and one of the best bookeh software that we can find on market. So why Sony cant compete with Google in software?
2)Night shot without OIS are very bad. Tripod solve this, but i cant walk with a tripod in my pocket forever. I wish they will add OIS in next sony flagships
Thank for the review and greating from Italy
The bokeh app was from the Z2, not this phone, the update with that feature has just come out.
Excellent review, Nasim. I use my phone camera only sparingly and only for casual snapshots, as I find the form factor rather frustrating. I was struck by the lovely shots you took in Morocco. Having just returned from a two week photo tour there, It looks like you covered the same itinerary that I did – looking forward to your future Morocco post and more pics.
“I thought that everyone hated Apple for removing the headphone jack from its phones. Look today – the Xperia XZ2 does not have it. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro that I am going to review next does not have it. And it looks like many new smartphones don’t have it either. No matter what people say, you have to give it to Apple for leading the design and ergonomics of the smartphone industry. It seems like a lot of Apple’s innovations end up trickling down to its competition overtime.”
If everyone is copying bad idea, it does not make it any better. Apple is not an innovation leader. He just waits and then perfects what others trying to push on the market first. Dumping headphone jack is just a bussiness decision based on purchasing Beats. My 2c.
I like the review, well done, honest, fair an neutral.
Great job!
Wrt some commentts in the review,
Sony and now any new high end Android offers LDAC, aptx HD etc.
To be honest, for me it does not make sence if I have to plug in a USB-c, Apple plug, or a 3,5 plug.
They are all still plugs.
Point here is that you get limited BT audio quality by using Apple.
Amazing pictures taken here with the Xz2.
I found also that Sony pushed the limit again with the Xz2.
Not to say that this xz2 phone is1/4 cheaper than an iPhone 10.
Samsung also really pushes the technology forward. Sony and Samsung are on price level of an iPhone 8 and should be compared to that one.
The huawei P20 instead overperfomed the much more expensive iPhone 10 again.
Nevertheless, despite of great pictures I see from smartphones, for real photos I still use my d750.
That is still far away from any smartphone.
As usually..great reviews, mine using Xiaomi Mi Note 3 with Sony sensor too..it’s great camera with great pictures result too, but unfortunately..it’s same that’s not allowed shooting as RAW image..so editing is really too limited, anyway what best apps you can suggest it to post processing in the phone..?
i use vsco x and adobe light room cc these can make photos look as if tey were taken from a dslr and snapseed for correcting some issues or adding some hdr effects
Great review!
As an iPhone X user, I’m not in the market to buy this particular phone. But one thing I have to say: the images are spectacular! And that’s not a credit to the phone, but a credit to someone who knows how to use it.
Good job Nasim! Keep up the good work and thank you for making it a joy for us PL readers to enjoy your photography. Hope to see more from you soon. It looks like your trip to Morocco was incredible.
Thank you John for your feedback, I appreciate it!
I haven’t had a chance to write about my trip to Morocco, but once I complete a few other reviews, I will hopefully write a post and share.