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Hey guys,
So I have been playing around with the camera on my Z Ultra and I wanted to share a few things with you.
1. DO NOT use Superior Auto at all!!
It destroys pretty much every photo and has too much noise and no sharpness. It's just shockingly bad.
2. Always use normal shooting mode.
3. Become comfortable adjusting settings and actually getting to know the camera so you know when to use appropriate ISO etc.
4. Adjust ISO yourself and keep it at 400 or below. Use in combination with HDR for some very pleasing results.
Those are the 4 most important tips I think. Never ever ever use superior auto. The results with normal mode are very crisp and have lots of sharpness and contrast.
Overall the camera I believe is better than the Xperia Z. I own both and with the right settings, the Z Ultras images appear sharper.
I'll post a few examples.
Thanks and how are you all liking the camera so far?
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Here are a few examples.
1 taking with Superior Auto. The other taking with Normal mode on ISO 100.
Be sure to zoom.in on the bottle. You can see so much noise on the photo taking with Superior Auto.
Hopefully the results speak for themselves
If you want other photos I'll be happy to provide them.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Way to much red in the photos taken with Superior Auto. Hopefully Sony will fix this in the next update. Btw, do you have the old Sony UI or the new one? (Old has a dark settings menu, while the new one is white)
I have the Old UI with the Bravia Engine 2.
New UI should be released in about a months time. Hopefully sooner
When are you buying your Ultra?
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
ScottishSwan said:
I have the Old UI with the Bravia Engine 2.
New UI should be released in about a months time. Hopefully sooner
When are you buying your Ultra?
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
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I'm buying it as soon as it hits the stores in Norway, which i believe is in the first week of september(?), like the rest of Europe.
Unless a different beast emerges from the depths of hell somewhere, that is (which i highly doubt, so ZU it is.)
Is it not the last week of September it gets released in Europe?
Its funny right now, I am slowly becoming to accept the Z Ultras size as normal and the 6.4" display as normal.
Even when I pick up a 5" device now, it feels so tiny!! Haha
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
According to news sources, the release date for europe is september 6th.
I had the same experience when i got my Note. I came from the Desire HD with a 4.3" display, so the Note's size was ridiculous at that time, and i remember laughing my ass of when i unboxed it! Now? Not big at all. It's the same thing with the iPhone. I had the first gen. from the states and a 3GS, and they were really big at the time, but i just laugh at its tiny body now
When do you think phones will stop growing? I imagine 7" with almost no bezels at all will be the limit.
Unboxing my Ultra though, I did laugh when I seen it and my first day carrying it to work etc, quite a surprise haha.
Me personally I love big phones though, can never understand people who say they don't want anything bigger than 4.5 - 4.7 inches.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Good question, and i have no idea, but i think we are near the limit now. IF the OEM's are planning on something even bigger, then i guess they'll have to make them without any bezels. That would be awesome and i guess a little science fiction looking
Something like this:
ScottishSwan said:
Is it not the last week of September it gets released in Europe?
Its funny right now, I am slowly becoming to accept the Z Ultras size as normal and the 6.4" display as normal.
Even when I pick up a 5" device now, it feels so tiny!! Haha
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
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Click to collapse
I agree. I love big devices and my Xperia Z feels really tiny in comparison but one thing is for sure: I think the Ultra is the biggest size that a phablet can have and still being pocketable.
It fits my pockets but I notice that I can't carry a bigger device in them. The future development could be smaller bezels and therefore perhaps a 6,8 and perhaps even a 7 inch screen. I would even guess that the small tablets like the Nexus 7 will be replaced by phablets with the same screen size but smaller body (Ultra size).
So the future market will offer phablets up to 7 inch, then tablets starting at 8 inches and upwards followed by dockable "tablets" with screens of 12 inches and bigger. The small tablet is going to become a phablet - adding smaller bezels and a smaller body to the existing 7 inch screen and putting a dialer on is a straight forward development, especially when the Nexus 7 has connectivity to mobile networks already and the old Galaxy Tab could make calls.
I wouldn't be surprised if the 2014 edition of the Nexus 7 will be a phablet and that Sony are creating a partly new market with the Z Ultra.
Coming from iPhone 5, the UZ produces astoundingly bad overprocessed images. What's coming off the sensor is actually pretty good as you can see if you shoot in burst mode since that is the only setting that doesn't add a massive sharpness filter to the output. All other modes are crap. Massive over sharpening and then saving at what has to be 50% jpg quality. I don't get the mentality of putting in user defined ISO settings but forcing sharpening and jpg quality.
Taco Jackson said:
Coming from iPhone 5, the UZ produces astoundingly bad overprocessed images. What's coming off the sensor is actually pretty good as you can see if you shoot in burst mode since that is the only setting that doesn't add a massive sharpness filter to the output. All other modes are crap. Massive over sharpening and then saving at what has to be 50% jpg quality. I don't get the mentality of putting in user defined ISO settings but forcing sharpening and jpg quality.
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I do not have these issues. The only problems i have is when the phone is using Superior Auto.
Any other mode is perfectly sharp and noise free. I have also compared it to my iPhone 5 and the photos are very very comparable when you get the settings right.
Please tell me the about camera settings for best output of images in Xperia Z Ultra .. i donno how to configure my z ultra for best output images .. so please any one help abt best camera settings
Xperia Z Ultra said:
Please tell me the about camera settings for best output of images in Xperia Z Ultra .. i donno how to configure my z ultra for best output images .. so please any one help abt best camera settings
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sounds like u need a crash course on photography instead.
Xperia Z Ultra said:
Please tell me the about camera settings for best output of images in Xperia Z Ultra .. i donno how to configure my z ultra for best output images .. so please any one help abt best camera settings
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1. Always set the camera to Normal mode.
2. Set the ISO at a maximum of 400 and not higher.
3. Use HDR on occasions where it might be needed.
On those settings you will get sharp images. Of course, you have to learn the camera a little yourself too.
Xperia Z Ultra said:
Please tell me the about camera settings for best output of images in Xperia Z Ultra .. i donno how to configure my z ultra for best output images .. so please any one help abt best camera settings
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Frankly, that's not how you learn stuff. What's wrong with just experimenting like normal people do?
Excuse Peppa pig, this was ISO 200, hdr with center focusing
Sent from my C6802 using Tapatalk 4
Looking good
What are your thoughts on the camera?
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Does it miss not having any kind of flash?
Super Chimp said:
Does it miss not having any kind of flash?
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For me personally, in the 10 days I have owned the Z Ultra I have not missed flash at all.
Sent from my Sony Xperia Z Ultra
Hey guys, I have a Z Ultra and a Z1 (my dad's). He's letting me keep his Z1 in exchange for my Ultra. But I like my Ultra's screen but the Z1 has a better camera
Here are the pros of the devices as I see them:
Z Ultra -
1. Bigger screen
2. Can use a pencil
3. I've grown to like it :silly:
Z1:
1. Better ROMs (or at least, more)
2. Good camera
3. Bigger speakers
4. Smaller overall size
Now, the screen size of the Z1 is really small, I mean, it's tiny ! But it's got a better camera and 2 months of college have taught me how important a camera is . Add to that the fact that it has a better contrast ratio than the Z Ultra and I've got a sound conundrum on my hands...
Do any of you have any advice ?
@moderators this thread isn't intended to start a war between fanboys, please let it remain open. If you lock it, I'll have to take the coin-toss approach
Thank you all for taking the time to read this !
Sent from my Xperia Z Ultra using xda app-developers app
warfareonly said:
@moderators this thread isn't intended to start a war
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Okay, WAREFAREONLY (LOL), I would pick the Ultra. The screen is huge and has way better viewing angles than the Z1 (Ultra uses an AH-IPS LCD while the Z1 uses a VA LCD) and therefore it's easier to use (browsing, gaming etc.), its design is much better than the Z1 (subjective) and it's so freaking thin. We got ROMs and the Z1 and Ultra share the same internals, so cross development is expected down the road, so it's all good in that department. The only negative aspects of it is the camera.
Z1: Chubby with a nice camera
Ultra: Anorexic with a bad camera
Sent from my Z Ultra, using XDA Premium 4
warfareonly said:
Hey guys, I have a Z Ultra and a Z1 (my dad's). He's letting me keep his Z1 in exchange for my Ultra. But I like my Ultra's screen but the Z1 has a better camera
Here are the pros of the devices as I see them:
Z Ultra -
1. Bigger screen
2. Can use a pencil
3. I've grown to like it :silly:
Z1:
1. Better ROMs (or at least, more)
2. Good camera
3. Bigger speakers
4. Smaller overall size
Now, the screen size of the Z1 is really small, I mean, it's tiny ! But it's got a better camera and 2 months of college have taught me how important a camera is . Add to that the fact that it has a better contrast ratio than the Z Ultra and I've got a sound conundrum on my hands...
Do any of you have any advice ?
@moderators this thread isn't intended to start a war between fanboys, please let it remain open. If you lock it, I'll have to take the coin-toss approach
Thank you all for taking the time to read this !
Sent from my Xperia Z Ultra using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Personally, this is how I see it from the XZU point of view.
1. Camera isn't an issue. For perfectly good quality pictures, use a decent third party app. OK, no flash is an issue if night pictures are required. Personally I've never seen the appeal of phone cameras... I'd always use an slr.
2. Yes, the z1 has more developers, but I guarantee we'll be getting those roms as pretty much direct ports.
3. Speakers on a phone have never been intended as anything other than for notifications. Headphones will always be needed for actual media unless you're a bit weird.
4. If you got the XZU, there's something in you that loves this screen. I've looked at all the other 5.8 inch and lower screens and they are far too small. This is a true phablet and makes media stand out by a mile. You won't get that many other places. Thats all this phone is really about.
Stick with XZU. No comparison.
Sent from my C6833 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Stick with the Ultra.
My wife has the Z1 and I find the screen to small for my work. I have gotten used to carrying the Ultra now.
Now, the screen size of the Z1 is really small, I mean, it's tiny ! But it's got a better camera and 2 months of college have taught me how important a camera is . Add to that the fact that it has a better contrast ratio than the Z Ultra and I've got a sound conundrum on my hands...
Do any of you have any advice ?
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Well.. you are only going to get a bias opinion from us. We are ultra owners.. so we obviously want the big screen.
I moved from the Galaxy S4 to the Ultra. Purely for the screen size.
I still had my S4 a few days ago, until i sold it. I picked it up to take some better images, but didn't want to use it. It has a better camera (like the Z1) but its just too small. In fact its bordering on ugly!
The Z1 is similar, but just to fat. Like Lord says.. I can't go to a fatter device, or a smaller device... The Ultra is for me! and I would think you would hate moving to a smaller device also.
Additionally @SpyderTracks makes a good point. I've made 3 posts in the app section regarding mods that were originated on the Z1, and will work for the ultra. So expect what ever happens with the Z1 to happen to the ultra.
Well, you decide whats better for you, but there are some facts and imprecision to revaluate in your points:
Z1 has not a better Rom, they have just updates at different stage.
Z1 has not a "tiny" screen, is a top huge smartphone sized for its class.
Ultra is +- 6mm thick
Z1 has not a better screen than Ultra
Ultra is more suitable for book reading too
Z1 has a better camera but now there is the option QX10 around: Ultra + QX10 = better camera than Z1, of course..for who dont care carrying much sized stuff outside.
warfareonly said:
Hey guys, I have a Z Ultra and a Z1 (my dad's). He's letting me keep his Z1 in exchange for my Ultra. But I like my Ultra's screen but the Z1 has a better camera
Here are the pros of the devices as I see them:
Z Ultra -
1. Bigger screen
2. Can use a pencil
3. I've grown to like it :silly:
Z1:
1. Better ROMs (or at least, more)
2. Good camera
3. Bigger speakers
4. Smaller overall size
Now, the screen size of the Z1 is really small, I mean, it's tiny ! But it's got a better camera and 2 months of college have taught me how important a camera is . Add to that the fact that it has a better contrast ratio than the Z Ultra and I've got a sound conundrum on my hands...
Do any of you have any advice ?
@moderators this thread isn't intended to start a war between fanboys, please let it remain open. If you lock it, I'll have to take the coin-toss approach
Thank you all for taking the time to read this !
Sent from my Xperia Z Ultra using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
coming from the note 2 to the ZUltra was worth it. I was playing with my note 2 and couldn't adjust to the small screen. Go big or go home xD
That's it, I'm sticking with the Ultra !
I just can't be separated from this huge, beautiful screen !
Thanks for your opinions guys ! Much appreciated
Or you could just get the best of both worlds
Walking around with nearly 1500 USD stuffed in my pockets is not really an option
warfareonly said:
Hey guys, I have a Z Ultra and a Z1 (my dad's). He's letting me keep his Z1 in exchange for my Ultra. But I like my Ultra's screen but the Z1 has a better camera
Here are the pros of the devices as I see them:
Z Ultra -
1. Bigger screen
2. Can use a pencil
3. I've grown to like it :silly:
Z1:
1. Better ROMs (or at least, more)
2. Good camera
3. Bigger speakers
4. Smaller overall size
Now, the screen size of the Z1 is really small, I mean, it's tiny ! But it's got a better camera and 2 months of college have taught me how important a camera is . Add to that the fact that it has a better contrast ratio than the Z Ultra and I've got a sound conundrum on my hands...
Do any of you have any advice ?
@moderators this thread isn't intended to start a war between fanboys, please let it remain open. If you lock it, I'll have to take the coin-toss approach
Thank you all for taking the time to read this !
Sent from my Xperia Z Ultra using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same family so share! Solved.:highfive:
Hi Guys, new to XDA here. Would like to share my Xperia Z Ultra experience!
It's safe to say that the Z Ultra is one of the best Portable Mobile Entertainment Device I've ever used! Anything smaller would have made lying on the bed at night watching a movie, unenjoyable. And anything bigger would have reduced it's usage as a daily mobile phone device (which it's already at it's limit).
The Z Ultra's front and back sides are covered by shatter proof tempered glass, while the sides or mainframe is made out of tough polyamide glass. At first glance, the polyamide glass frame was even mistaken as metal by me as it felt very sturdy and solid on the hands. All this material combined and I felt like I was holding a really unique premium piece of equipment.
Here's my Unboxing Video of the Demo Unit, including a basic test drive!
Unboxing + Basic Test Drive
The Z Ultra is as snappy as a mainstream laptop today. Surfing the web and watching videos in YouTube is a breeze with no lag spikes at all. SONY has made the right decision in inserting Qualcomn's best available processor (Snapdragon 800 Quad Core 2.2GHz) into this beauty, making it a beast at the same time!
With the Z Ultra's Snapdragon 800 processor and the Adreno 330 graphics processing unit, Android 4.2.2 runs flawlessly while 3D Mark has met it's match, maxing out it's 1st and 2nd Benchmark Tests while attaining a score of 16.3k on it's ultimate test.
It's a good thing to see SONY implementing it's Bravia SmartTV's screen expertise into the Xperia Z ULTRA. The Triluminous Display works wonders, delivering really strong rich colors which beats my desktop's monitor. I sure hope SONY decides to produce their own line of Desktop Monitors in the future as I would definitely ditch my current one anyday for it.
Since the SONY ERICSSON days, I have cherished every moment with my W995 Walkman Non-Smartphone for it's irreplacable sound quality. When it comes to Sound Quality, SONY truly delivers what my ears desire. The Clear Bass technology works like a charm! Increasing low frequency without sacrificing the mids and highs, the result, a clean distortion free music experience with extremely strong bass. Audiophiles who are bass heads should definitely get your hands on a Sony WALKMAN certified device (if not this one) and max out Clear Bass, try it out for yourselves!
Battery-Wise, this beast is packed with a 3000mAh battery which is able to provide sufficient juice for at least 2 days on basic usage (In Stamina Mode) Watching a 1920x1080 Full HD 1 hour clip drained 10% out of the battery. I'd say the battery life on the Z Ultra is great, no complaints here.
The 8 Megapixel rear camera on this beauty isn't one to be replaced by DSLRs but is indeed a decent enough camera for casual shootouts. Here are some video samples I took at Gardens By The Bay's Cloud Forest.
Video Sample 1 (At Cloud Forest)
Video Sample 2 (At Cloud Forest)
As for it's waterproof feature, it's a sweet one but one that I will not want to risk. However, I definitely felt much secure holding the Z Ultra in the rain compared to my old W995 phone.
So I've listed the stuffs that were to my favour, this half beauty half beast has slight flaws to it though.
The Z ULTRA is far too big to be used as a phone. I've went around asking friends and relatives and most of them stated that although the bigger screen is pleasing, it's massive size was far too big for day to day usage (especially when tight fitted jeans equipped with tiny pockets are in the trend now). Getting the SBH 52 Bluetooth headset is decent enough workaround for those who really want the bigger screen over anything else.
While the Z Ultra produces superb sound quality through the 3.5mm jack, the built-in speakers are pretty much comparable with most other phones out there. Sound is flat, with little to no bass. It has a decent enough maximum sound ouput but that's as far as it goes. It will be great if SONY could add in dual front facing speakers as seen in the HTC One and perhaps a subwoofer in it's future devices? This would complete the term "Ultimate Mobile Entertainment Experience".
With the introduction of IPS Panels, SONY should definitely consider replacing their TFT panels with IPS ones to deliver better viewing angles and color accuracy, but still the 6.44" Triluminous Display on this beauty is not one to dissapoint.
Finally, here's my review (8 days after I received the unit)
Final Review
Is it worth the penny!? If you ask me, it's definitely a yes! Especially if you're one who would go for bigger screens at the cost of slight portability issues, go for it! Not only is the Xperia Z Ultra a beast packing high end technology with a beefy 3000 mAh battery, it's slim and in fact the slimmest phablet device yet. Else, there's always the Xperia Z1! But I'll save that review for later since I wouldn't want to get off topic.
In short, the Xperia Z Ultra is A Hybrid of a Beast & Beauty!
Build quality is awesome, few things could be changed; but overall an awesome case. Check out my full review, you can also get your own from XPERIA Z3 Battery Case use code CYBERPOWER for 15% OFF
If you'd like to see my other videos, consider subscribing by hitting the image below
Today Sony announced Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 compact at the MWC 2018 so I wanted to have a look at X compact users' opinions (like myself) and see if we are deciding to let XC go or not yet...
So here's my opinion :
In the beginning when I the leaked photos I didnt like the thickness of the XZ2c but now that I have seen the Hands-on videos Im becomin more intrested in buying it (Video here)
And my other reason is that the screen is now HDR 1080p and 5" so it means more colors and more usabality!
There's also a better camera and better front facin speakers.
Btw,
Dynamic vibrations are not available in Xz2 compact
And although it has dual front cameras, its only 5 mp!!!!
So if I buy it, it would be because of the new looks amd much much better gpu performance and of course HDR screen, otherwise, XC is doin a great job for me specially now that it has android Oreo...
Feel free to share your thoughts!
bye bye Sony
Very disappointed with Sony :crying:
Xz2 compact is not compact anymore. Thick (12mm), tall (135mm), no headphone jack, fingerprint reader on the back. What the f*ck is Sony doing?
The only fast compact device on the market is no more. Well, back to Samsung
NO, I'm really sad about this, but at least we have the XZ1 Compact to upgrade to, which seems like the best Compact they've ever made, basically updating SOC and better, matte, metal back/sides compared to the slippery, glossy sides we have on the X Compact...the lack of headphone jack and side fingerprint scanner on the XZ2's are really unfortunate changes imo
Kianush said:
Today Sony announced Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 compact at the MWC 2018 so I wanted to have a look at X compact users' opinions (like myself) and see if we are deciding to let XC go or not yet...
So here's my opinion :
In the beginning when I the leaked photos I didnt like the thickness of the XZ2c but now that I have seen the Hands-on videos Im becomin more intrested in buying it (Video here)
And my other reason is that the screen is now HDR 1080p and 5" so it means more colors and more usabality!
There's also a better camera and better front facin speakers.
Btw,
Dynamic vibrations are not available in Xz2 compact
And although it has dual front cameras, its only 5 mp!!!!
So if I buy it, it would be because of the new looks amd much much better gpu performance and of course HDR screen, otherwise, XC is doin a great job for me specially now that it has android Oreo...
Feel free to share your thoughts!
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Click to collapse
5" screen is not compact. I was already pushing my limits when I started with Z1c, (127mm tall), 4 years ago. I only upgraded to Z3c and Xc because they haven't gotten any bigger. I won't do 135mm..
No.
No. No real innovations, but it's gotten bigger and lost features like head phone jack and fingerprint on the side. The camera has to be on par with Samsung and iPhone to even consider the XZ2.
Maybe XZ3 Compact they ll back to the road, is there any real one-handed phone that we can expect this year?
Blue-Haze said:
Maybe XZ3 Compact they ll back to the road, is there any real one-handed phone that we can expect this year?
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Yeah, for me after a lot of reading i just think xz1 is not worth the cost, xz2 compact is like a new model phone. I am just going to wait for xz3 or any other compact version.
My next phone will probably not be from Sony. If I convert to a "normal" size it doesn't have to be Sony anymore.