Related
Now that the Ultra LTE is finally available at the Sony Stores, there is only one question - should i get this or the Z1?
I cant decide. I really like this phone but the camera is sub par with no flash. The Z1 has a decent shooter, but the design is not so thin and the screen had some negative reviews. ohh and its 1.4" smaller
what do you guys say?
X1? Haha or you mean Z1
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app
soncarl said:
X1? Haha or you mean Z1
Sent from my C6802 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol yes, i meant z1
It really depends..overall Z1 is a better phone than the Z ultra. (unless the screen is as bad as some reviewers are saying..the screen on the z ultra is amazing)
If you like big screens than obviously Z ultra
If you take a lot of photos than obviously Z1
That's pretty much the difference between the two.
I had this same dilemma and chose Z ultra simply because I wanted a big (the biggest) screen and although the camera is not that great, it's okay because i don't take photos anyway.
bryanky5 said:
It really depends..overall Z1 is a better phone than the Z ultra. (unless the screen is as bad as some reviewers are saying..the screen on the z ultra is amazing)
If you like big screens than obviously Z ultra
If you take a lot of photos than obviously Z1
That's pretty much the difference between the two.
I had this same dilemma and chose Z ultra simply because I wanted a big (the biggest) screen and although the camera is not that great, it's okay because i don't take photos anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i guess thats the issue. although i dont take a lot of photos, but when i do, my cellphone is my main (and only) camera. lol
so i expect decent pictures. Ultra really fails at that, especially in low light
intolaomair said:
i guess thats the issue. although i dont take a lot of photos, but when i do, my cellphone is my main (and only) camera. lol
so i expect decent pictures. Ultra really fails at that, especially in low light
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In decent lighting i think the z ultra is okay for the occasional shot. It's not THAT bad but yeah in low light it really suffers.
Same here, my phone is my only camera, but since I watch much more videos, play more games and browse the web far more often than i take photos, choosing the z utlra was a no brainer..
So I guess it depends on what you need most.
If only the z ultra had a good camera, it would be a perfect phone!
bryanky5 said:
In decent lighting i think the z ultra is okay for the occasional shot. It's not THAT bad but yeah in low light it really suffers.
Same here, my phone is my only camera, but since I watch much more videos, play more games and browse the web far more often than i take photos, choosing the z utlra was a no brainer..
So I guess it depends on what you need most.
If only the z ultra had a good camera, it would be a perfect phone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the ultra had a good camera it would be as thick as a ****ty One Max and lose much of it's appeal.
I got both the Z1 and Z Ultra. If I had to chose I'd pick the ultra. It's just the best phone to work with in the whole world. Size is an issue but you can always manage somehow.
Zabatoozl said:
If the ultra had a good camera it would be as thick as a ****ty One Max and much of it's appeal.
I got both the Z1 and Z Ultra. If I had to chose I'd pick the ultra. It's just the best phone to work with in the whole world. Size is an issue but you can always manage somehow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree one max is too thick. Stupid actually from HTC
Actually the Z ultra still fits in my jeans pocket so for me size is not so bad!
Sent from my C6802 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Z1 is the better all round phone in my opinion. Z Ultra has the better and bigger screen, but sacrifices the camera and is less portable due to the size.
All smartphone cameras are terrible anyways when compared to a DSLR.
For me its all about the screen. Its large enough so that it can replace your tablet and forms your primary reading/media consumption device as well as phone.
Z1 is just another phone with an overrated camera.
Both cameras will be fine for social media/happy snaps.
YMMV.
Yep I agree, if camera is ok enough for social media sites, I'm a-ok with that! Hence, I decided to get the XZU. I'd rather have a unique looking phablet (in terms of size) that I can browse, read, text, call and take pics with.
I was in the same boat last week. I went with ZU because the extra screen estate was on top of my list. You need to sort out your priorities as well. For me, ZU replaced a 5 inch phone and a 7 inch tablet all together. So it was a no-brainer. I also considered z1 for its camera. Like someone else said, ZU camera is not bad at all and I never used flash to take low light pictures (it freaks people out and these cheap $1 flash on smartphones basically ruin lowlight pictures). To sum it up
For big screen, sleek profile, excellent display, tablet usage, decent camera - go for ZU. Get the Sony CP12 3000 mAh power cover and double up on battery life.
For compact size, excellent camera - go for z1.
Performance of both are pretty much the same.
So an update for the OP I looked at the Z1 in store and reviewer's were right. The Z1's screen is washed out when compared to the Z ultra's and the viewing angles are comparable to the original Z
Sent from my C6802 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
yeah i noticed the same.
I called all the sony stores in Toronto and NONE of them had the unlocked ZU in stock. Apparently they don't have stock :S
I may just order online from the sony store. Its weird how they have NO cases on the sony store website for the phone either.
all the cameras on cell phones to me are the same with the exception of the nokia lumia and HTC one because the yhave optical image stabilization. A sony store employee told me last week when choosing the Z1 or ZU that they don't have OIS because they sell the QX100 and QX 10.
Funny, probally everybody went trough this process. I also hesitated when I heard of the camera.
But this screen is awesome, its like having a new high end lcd tv. But the in your hand.
The device is very thin, it gives it a very sophisticated look. Because its so thin i've the feeling it makes the phone look smaller then it actually is. And as mentioned before in daylight pictures are ok. Pictures outside are just the same as any other phone. Actually a photo outside and subject closeby it makes very decent photos.
When people see me with the phone, they first make a joke or something. When i turn the screen on, they're openly asking themselves if they also should buy and then where they should put it
Let me tell u something in terms of picture quality. It os beaten by even the ipad and ipad mini. Video recording. Quality is pretty good. But this is the worst.shooter.
Sent from my C6833 using xda app-developers app
Not a pro when taking photos. I take photos too but not too often, sometimes at daytime and seldom in the night. actually it's terrible at night. however, as i mentioned, I'm not a pro but for normal use, under normal, ISO and other adjustments would be better than auto. Just give a shot bro.
And for z1, i think camera is the only advantage.
Zu, fails for camera, but wins for all.
Cuz i like bigger screen and thinner body more than a camera which i could buy a real camera in the future.
Sent from my C6802 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
So I was going to test my Smartwatch ZGPAX S5 vs an old Fuji Finepix 2650 (2MP) and decided to just test the Xperia Z as well and use the NEX-6 as the control image if you will.
Nothing scientific..just me wasting some time for a quick experiment!
The images have been named to identify the device and which APP was used to take the image as well.
This is under a normal room lightning condition as going into even lower light levels I do not expect miracles from any of them aside from the NEX.
I did a quicker test before taking a pic of a violin on a wall and on that test the Xperia really looked bad so I would have to do that again to confirm if that is the case. In fact, it looked so bad that I was expecting it to be one of the worst during this Cobra Commander test but it was not. I think the A Better Camera did the best job for the Xperia although closely followed by Camera Zoom.
Regards
PS Just in case, after you click on the small preview to open the new window, you can click on it again for the full size image if you want to compare all the detail.
I am not camera veteran / expert
Can you make conclusion to average user ?
Thanks
That's kind of an unfair test. The NEX (which I own and love) is a DSL class camera for semipros. The rest including the ZU (which I own and love too) is kiddie stuff in comparison. I mean, the Finepix is from 2003
dancress said:
That's kind of an unfair test. The NEX (which I own and love) is a DSL class camera for semipros. The rest including the ZU (which I own and love too) is kiddie stuff in comparison. I mean, the Finepix is from 2003
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahah the NEX-6 was more of the Control image to see which one got closer to it
I would say if you want to improve the low light performance of the Ultra slightly from the horrible compression of the stock camera, either go with A Better Camera or ProCapture. Pro Capture has a noise reduction option which takes a couple of images and processes them, and there is something similar on A Better Camera as well.
Or get a NEX camera if you really are serious about your photos :victory:
i wasn't too serious either but getting a NEX is good advice anyway. best camera i ever had, including several large canons. you won't shoot a vogue cover with it but for everything else there's IMHO no better price-performance-ratio.
Oh yes, the NEX lineup is outstanding. I have seen some pros mixing their PRO camera pics with the NEX and you cant really tell which is which ...quite impressive!
BTW, I just tested a HTC Amaze with the 8MP camera which when it came out seem to have been received positively and dare I say the Ultra actually looks better!
Testing without the flash benefit of course which is sort of cheating I guess lol
UPDATE:
Just added the HTC Amaze also an 8MP camera.
Just a small update.
Added another pic with stock camera but ISO 50 and I will say, it looks pretty good to me. In fact, when its possible to use that type of ISO without blurring the image, I would go for the stock camera.
Hi everybody, I am hesitating between the LG nexus 5 and the sony Xperia Z2.
I know the nexus 5 is a great deal but the Z2 waterproof and 20.7mp camera just make me hesitate for a 300$.
Is the camera of Z2 is superior to te nexus 5 to make a very big difference?
Somedoy have test the two? what is your review?
Thank you!
LeGenDz R3DeaDz said:
Hi everybody, I am hesitating between the LG nexus 5 and the sony Xperia Z2.
I know the nexus 5 is a great deal but the Z2 waterproof and 20.7mp camera just make me hesitate for a 300$.
Is the camera of Z2 is superior to te nexus 5 to make a very big difference?
Somedoy have test the two? what is your review?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i found that the quality of the Z2 camera is much better than almost all other flagships of this year
the LG had extremly acurate focus but quality was poor and was only good in daylight, other than that the ui is quite nice and movies and games looks super sharp with that 2K display however that 2k display looks terrible sometimes and battery life isnt exactly stable, sometimes i can go days and some i can go hours, other than that its built nice and feels nice
the nexus 5 was quite good but wasnt amazing all around, literaly just android, nothing special aside the build quality and being the first to get android as it is a google nexus
The Z2 was quite good, the only problem i found was 4k recording has only ever hit 31mins ( avarage of 15 mins)
the Z2 although this damndable camera heating issues which SONY said they were working on fixing is quite anoying however the camera is great to play with and alows me to spew out near profetional quality shots
other than the camera the Z2 has style, a great firmware and a useful theme engine, aswell as also looking quit elegant, aside that the only other thing is that realy vibrant screen
take note i have the Z2 and also take note that the Z2 has faced majour manufacturing issues so the first 7 batches were terrible, (acording to sony they are fine now)
Hi,
I am now looking to buy a camera focussed phone but do not want to spend a flagship budget. With a camera spec of 16mp and 21 mp, this seems to be the best non-flagship camera phone. Read few reviews but none give it a absolute buy rating. Wanted advice from real world users.
Are the cameras really good and are of the top quality atleast when compared to a phone like Oneplus 3T?
rvs80 said:
Hi,
I am now looking to buy a camera focussed phone but do not want to spend a flagship budget. With a camera spec of 16mp and 21 mp, this seems to be the best non-flagship camera phone. Read few reviews but none give it a absolute buy rating. Wanted advice from real world users.
Are the cameras really good and are of the top quality atleast when compared to a phone like Oneplus 3T?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I have a Oneplus3 and a XA Ultra at home. If you have to choose between them don't hesitate and get the OP3T XA Ultra have a good picture quality but very poor support from Sony, OP3 is a very little more expensive but have a very good support and a little better picture quality. "Screen on time" is near the same, overall performance of the OP3 is far better than the Ultra (and even better for the OP3T).
If it's only a budget question choose the Ultra.
A few hands-on reviews are out. The consensus is decidedly mediocre. Disappointingly so.
Some common themes: battery life not great, device runs hot, and surprising to me, the camera in basic auto mode is really not that great. Causing me to rethink my pre-order.
https://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Sony-Xperia-1-III-Review_id5164
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Early...-heel-for-the-US-1-299-99-phone.549203.0.html
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/sony-xperia-1-iii-review-it-could-have-been-magnificent-phone/
Another review. More detailed, and equally underwhelming.
Sony Xperia 1 III review
The Xperia 1 III launches with an asking price of $1300/€1300, and even if that includes a pair of noise-canceling headphones in most regions, the number...
www.gsmarena.com
count me in too on questioning my pre order. not sure what i'm going to do but leaning towards cancelling.
Last review I will post as they are all consistent:
My requirements are a headphone jack and micro SD storage. So I'm stuck as no other premium phone offers both. My only other option is a Moto G, I'm not inclined to move that far down the performance ladder.
The reviews got me thinking whether the Xperia 5 III may be a better choice. In principle, the screen should be less demanding on the same sized battery... Other downside is the lack of ToF sensor which I'm still not sure how much it downgrades the image quality of the otherwise same camera setup.
I mainly want this as my pocket camera. I find the cnet review as promising. He was impressed by the cameras, all of them. With any smartphone camera, imo you should only use the telephoto cameras outdoors in good light. He got some nice images with all 4 focal lengths of the camera. I'm now confident I can get some nice photos with the telephoto lenses, especially when using the pro camera app and choosing ISO and shutter speed. as far as the cnet review he disliked the price and the battery life. But he had a pre production unit and battery life is the last thing addressed usually with new software and devices. I'm kind of excited again.
elwuero said:
I mainly want this as my pocket camera. I find the cnet review as promising. He was impressed by the cameras, all of them. With any smartphone camera, imo you should only use the telephoto cameras outdoors in good light. He got some nice images with all 4 focal lengths of the camera. I'm now confident I can get some nice photos with the telephoto lenses, especially when using the pro camera app and choosing ISO and shutter speed. as far as the cnet review he disliked the price and the battery life. But he had a pre production unit and battery life is the last thing addressed usually with new software and devices. I'm kind of excited again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think all the reviews I read, including this most recent one from Android Authority, are critical of the camera in low light settings. Another issue for me as I like to get a photo or two at concerts.
Sony Xperia 1 III review: Elegant, exhilarating, expensive
Sony's flagship smartphone packs some of the best hardware around, but should you buy it? Find out in this Sony Xperia 1 III review.
www.androidauthority.com
gmfeld said:
I think all the reviews I read, including this most recent one from Android Authority, are critical of the camera in low light settings. Another issue for me as I like to get a photo or two at concerts.
Sony Xperia 1 III review: Elegant, exhilarating, expensive
Sony's flagship smartphone packs some of the best hardware around, but should you buy it? Find out in this Sony Xperia 1 III review.
www.androidauthority.com
they reject the phones night mode. Just go into the manual mode and do an exposure adjustment according to the histogram. Or just adjust the shutter speed and iso yourself and you should get a fantastic picture. Takes literally 7-8 seconds. And then you'll have the settings ready to go to take as many pictures as you want at the concert.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't cancelled my pre order (yet). i can live with only using the main camera in low light. at f1.7 the photos should be good and the reviews so far seem to support that.
from this review all i can say is as long as you know how to use the camera, all photos should look good. on my xperia 1 ii i would almost always shoot in program mode and would just keep the iso at 100 and occasionally raise it to 320. in this review he seems to be doing the same thing. love the histogram on screen, so helpful.
elwuero said:
from this review all i can say is as long as you know how to use the camera, all photos should look good. on my xperia 1 ii i would almost always shoot in program mode and would just keep the iso at 100 and occasionally raise it to 320. in this review he seems to be doing the same thing. love the histogram on screen, so helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used a 1 Ii for quite some time and was able to get great pictures in program mode by just fiddling with the exposure compensation while looking at the histogram. Takes like 5 seconds and you've got a great picture. I guessing the 3 will take very similar pictures.
elwuero said:
count me in too on questioning my pre order. not sure what i'm going to do but leaning towards cancelling.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always play with it for a few days and re-sell it for the same price as an "open box" product. It will certainly work if you live in the country where Sony doesn't sell phones officially and you have to import your device.
gmfeld said:
Last review I will post as they are all consistent:
My requirements are a headphone jack and micro SD storage. So I'm stuck as no other premium phone offers both. My only other option is a Moto G, I'm not inclined to move that far down the performance ladder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought LG V60 ThinQ for around $350 (4 times cheaper than Xperia!) for exactly the same reasons. Yes, it doesn't look as sexy as Xperia 1 III but it has plenty of power (more than I actually need), great battery life, best in business sound, not getting hot as hell etc.
It's all theory. To get any good night shot on Xperia 1 III you'll have to use stand and bluetooth shutter button. I used to had Xperia 1 II / 5 II and taking night photos with Xperia handheld was impossible. Don't think that Xperia 1 III is different.
chetly968 said:
I used a 1 Ii for quite some time and was able to get great pictures in program mode by just fiddling with the exposure compensation while looking at the histogram. Takes like 5 seconds and you've got a great picture. I guessing the 3 will take very similar pictures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too much effort for $1300 smartphone to my opinion.
Not a complete review but I found this video entertaining.
btw, I decided to not cancel my pre order. B&H says I will have 30 days to return. I expect it will be my main camera/phone for at least a year.
Waiting on my pre order to arrive soon.
I really like my 1II and look foresees to the III. The only other phone that gets me excited is the Pixel 6 (if it doesn't have a curved screen)
Can't ever go Chinese as I need updates decently on schedule. Samsung has dropped prices a bit but no sd card and the same cameras and worse screen...
Their ultra is too heavy for comfortable one hand usage
I bailed on the Experia and cancelled my order with B&H. Going to get the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. No headphone jack and no sd storage slot, but I couldn't get comfortable with the Experia reviews I was reading, particularly the camera.
I had the ultra also. Traded it in while it was still worth a lot. The weight and one handed use was not my favorite and its hard to get a glass screen protector that works with the ultrasonic finger print reader. It didn't have enough memory and with no sd card I was forced to stream music.
But it takes great pics.
gmfeld said:
I bailed on the Experia and cancelled my order with B&H. Going to get the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. No headphone jack and no sd storage slot, but I couldn't get comfortable with the Experia reviews I was reading, particularly the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The same. Really kept my finger on pre-order button for a week but after numerous rather underwhelming camera performance reviews decided to buy nearly 3 times cheaper Galaxy S21.