{"id":119478,"date":"2018-11-27T09:51:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T17:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=119478"},"modified":"2018-11-27T09:53:39","modified_gmt":"2018-11-27T17:53:39","slug":"review-of-google-pixel-3-camera-for-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/11\/27\/review-of-google-pixel-3-camera-for-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Review of Google Pixel 3 Camera for Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Google Pixel 3 camera (and all the computational photography<\/a> involved) is phenomenal.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Buttery smooth camera<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Google Pixel 3, with Vista black and white filter. Processed in Google Photos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Good news:<\/p>\n

\n The Google 3 Pixel is a phenomenal camera.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you want a camera which takes really great pictures, regardless of the lighting situation, the Google Pixel 3 is a home run.<\/p>\n

Camera is buttery smooth. No perceivable lag. I really like the sound of the shutter, and it just works very well.<\/p>\n

Most photos out of camera don’t require post processing or filters. Applying filters makes the photos look better.<\/p>\n

2. Google Photos works very well with Pixel 3<\/h2>\n
\"\"
I really like the Vista monochrome filter in Google Photos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Something that nobody really talks about:<\/p>\n

\n Google Photos is pretty awesome.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It works very well with the Pixel 3. I really enjoy using it to post process and edit my photos. Furthermore, now that I can “favorite” my photos, it is easy to keep everything synced.<\/p>\n

When I favorite a picture with the star:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Favorites folder in Google Photos:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

3. Fine-tuned post processing<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Post processing for Google Photos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To post process the above photo, these are some settings I used.<\/p>\n

This is the original photo:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

4. Flash<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Flash inside toaster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The flash works quite well. This is a picture inside a toaster, then processed with the Vista filter.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Processing pictures with Google Photos app<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tip: shoot photos on your phone with flash, then process the photos in monochrome after to make nicer photos.<\/p>\n

5. Exposure compensation<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Minus exposure compensation on Google Pixel 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Using minus exposure compensation on Pixel 3 works very well. It is very delicate and captures light beautifully.<\/p>\n

However the UI is bad: when you tap the image to change the exposure, the exposure dial is all the way to the right side! Too far to operate single-handedly!<\/p>\n

\"\"
Bad UI: why is the exposure compensation dial so far to the right?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even worse, when you shoot horizontal (landscape) pictures, the exposure compensation is all the way at the top, and scrolls the opposite direction for compensation???<\/p>\n

\"\"
Why is the dial all the way on top? My suggestion: put it on the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Regardless, the camera light sensing powers are strong for dynamic range:<\/p>\n

\"\"
Minus exposure compensation on Google Pixel 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Strong dynamic range<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With the built-in Google HDR+ mode<\/a>, the dynamic range in this thing is phenomenal.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Even in the most difficult lighting situations, it captured everything well in the scene!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

7. Focus tracking<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By default, when you tap on something to focus on it, the focus sticks to it. This works very well.<\/p>\n

8. Unlimited storage<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It is cool if you have the Pixel 3, you have unlimited full resolution storage with Google photos. Big plus.<\/p>\n

9. Colors<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Colors look fantastic. Not too saturated. No blown highlights. Processes well with VSCO A6 preset<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Processed with VSCO with a6 preset<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A6 preset best for color:<\/p>\n

\"\"
Love the A6 filter in VSCO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10. Suggestions<\/h2>\n

This is my only gripe with the Google Pixel 3 camera:<\/p>\n

\n It is a really phenomenal camera, yet the user interface is very confusing, unintuitive, and you cannot customize it.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For example, some of the icons don’t really make intuitive sense.<\/p>\n

Suggestion 1: Change the magnifying button zoom icon with an exposure compensation dial<\/h3>\n

Exposure compensation more useful for photographers than zoom. All users know the gesture of pinching to zoom now:<\/p>\n

\"\"
Magnifying glass for zooming doesn’t really make sense here<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Make the night sight mode more prominent<\/h3>\n

Night sight (ability to shoot in near pitch dark situations) is very good. Make this more prominent on the bottom menu.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Night sight function is fantastic. Replace the panoramic mode with night sight (nobody uses panoramic mode anymore)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Have ability to apply filters while<\/em> you’re shooting photos<\/h3>\n

Google Photos has awesome filters. What if we could apply filters while<\/em> we are shooting, like iPhone, or Samsung phones?<\/p>\n

\"\"
Nobody uses the self timer mode on their phone. Switch this with a “filter” button<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Ability to change the functions on top of the camera<\/h3>\n

These dials on top of the camera should be able to be changed.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Nobody uses temperature on their phone. Just remove this and replace with something more useful. Or have the ability to customize this?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Takeaways<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Phenomenal camera. If you want the best Android smartphone camera, the Google Pixel 3 is the best.<\/li>\n
  2. I haven’t shot with the iPhone Xs yet; I’ll do a comparison later. But my gut says that Pixel 3 (with HDR+ and the computational photography technology makes for better image quality, yet the simpler UI and ecosystem of iPhone and ios is probably superior, and makes the iPhone a better “everyday” phone and camera). <\/li>\n
  3. Google needs to change the UI for their Pixel camera; make it more intuitive, ability to customize. <\/li>\n
  4. Use Google Photos “Vista” filter for monochrome, and process the photos in the app too! <\/li>\n
  5. Shoot more with flash, it works well for photos. Same goes with shooting more photos with exposure compensation. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    To sum up, the smartphone camera is extremely strong and powerful. The more I think about it, the phone is the ultimate camera<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Democratization of photography<\/h2>\n

    This is good for photography; more innovation will happen with smartphones and photography. Lots of new innovations in the computational photography<\/a> space.<\/p>\n

    Moving forward, your strength and skill as a photographer is less and less dependent on your gear, more dependent on your artistic vision and ability to compose beautiful photos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    JUST SHOOT IT.
    \nERIC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Google Pixel 3 camera (and all the computational photography involved) is phenomenal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119480,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_20181126_161020-scaled.jpg?fit=3024%2C4032&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119478"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":119505,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119478\/revisions\/119505"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}