The Almighty Z5!

[waterballoon]

The night pic is a joke, Sony trademark smearing processing.

hahaha. ya. they don't offer RAW support either, so if you really a good-looking night photo you can't edit it.

maybe it'S Sony's way of saying buy my phone because it's sexy but I'll make the camera garbage so you have to buy a Sony point-and-shoot camera as well

 

[gapboy]

i think close up photos do more justice than pictures taking from afar.... looks good in anyway those post by Alexz_Hong

 

[Alexz_Hong]

Just a quick test of the fingerprint sensor vs the Note 5. Just as quick on the Z5, but more consistent to me, and higher hit rate. I just put left right thumb and index finger, cover most scenarios. When in hand, use left index finger for left hand, and right thumb for right hand. When on tabletop, use left thumb for left hand, and right index for right hand side.

The trick is to set up the fingerprint in the manner you normally use it. so when setting up the left thumb, just put the phone on table and set up. That way the hit rate will be higher. Button is need press a bit harder than I would have liked la, but in a good location.

 

[carlover76]

Camera is good, but to me still not as good as Sammy or LG though. The camera UI pulls it down a lot. they need to push out the new UI as soon as they can. Like the processing after each shot taken. Sometimes after it's done i click to see the photo, it will be black screen for like 1-3 seconds then the photo come up. -_-

Images tend to be on the cooler side a little, but looks more natural.

Yes, Sony is always on natural colours unlike Samsung which is everything to the Maximum and saturated colours which makes the photo not natural.

I prefer my photos to be more natural in colours.

 

[xalkyrie]

Left Z3+, Right Z5. Both taken on superior auto mode 8MP. I took a 23MP shot as well, but that one looks worse than the 8MP in terms of details. The Z5 still has more details for sure when zoomed in, but when you look even closer, DAT image processing. :/ Though this is just pixel peeping, the low light shots definitely loses out to S6 and G4.

G4 left, S6 right.

The z5 has got a wider field of view and when doing comparison with other cameras with different fov, it places it in a "disadvantage ". When you crop the image produced by the z5 to compare,you are actually zooming it far further than the rest giving it a obviously more pixelated result. What you should do for the z5 is to move forward to your subject to frame it similar as the other camera, doing so "corrects" the fov for fair comparison.
Sadly i see many review sites and youtubers doing the same thing without correcting it giving the impression that the z5's camera is inferior which it isn't. Also reviewers like to use the z5 full 23 mp auto for their camera "battles" which is really not best setting for it. The z5 really shines when using its 8mp. I know it doesn't make sense how 8 can be better than 23 but that's when Sony's magic happen. It supersamples its full 23 mp sensor to 8mp giving it a clean low noise and detail rich image.
Coming from the z1 the camera is a stark improvement. I own both the z5 and s6 so i can post some real shoot out as well but I'm too lazy to do that...

 

[waterballoon]

I own both the z5 and s6 so i can post some real shoot out as well but I'm too lazy to do that...

please do!! we would all be really appreciative

 

[Mecisteus]

Coming from the z1 the camera is a stark improvement. I own both the z5 and s6 so i can post some real shoot out as well but I'm too lazy to do that...

you sound like a professional photographer. we really appreciate if you can provide some comparisons on what you have claimed. or at least quote a link out there which made a fairer comparison.

 

[shager]

Yes, Sony is always on natural colours unlike Samsung which is everything to the Maximum and saturated colours which makes the photo not natural.

I prefer my photos to be more natural in colours.

Nice but you can see the grain in the pictures

 

[rarenick]

The z5 has got a wider field of view and when doing comparison with other cameras with different fov, it places it in a "disadvantage ". When you crop the image produced by the z5 to compare,you are actually zooming it far further than the rest giving it a obviously more pixelated result. What you should do for the z5 is to move forward to your subject to frame it similar as the other camera, doing so "corrects" the fov for fair comparison.
Sadly i see many review sites and youtubers doing the same thing without correcting it giving the impression that the z5's camera is inferior which it isn't. Also reviewers like to use the z5 full 23 mp auto for their camera "battles" which is really not best setting for it. The z5 really shines when using its 8mp. I know it doesn't make sense how 8 can be better than 23 but that's when Sony's magic happen. It supersamples its full 23 mp sensor to 8mp giving it a clean low noise and detail rich image.
Coming from the z1 the camera is a stark improvement. I own both the z5 and s6 so i can post some real shoot out as well but I'm too lazy to do that...

Once your iso is higher than other brands, the noise will be more pronounced. Hopefully the 8mp setting can resolve this. However said, g4 can shoot in raw and shall win over z5 when cleaning noise in photos. Can also overcome white balance and shadows and highlights issues.

Sent from Xiaomi MI 4I using GAGT

 

[hueman]

To me, one key difference with those mentioned competing phones is none other than optical image stabilization.

The sample night shot photos by Alexz were downright hammering on Z3+ and Z5. I wonder how were they taken, with tripod and self-timer I hope. Else we are comparing more on OIS with SteadyShot which we know which one sucks.

Just my 2 cents.

Sent from Sony D5833 using GAGT

 

[Alexz_Hong]

All of the photos I posted are using 8MP, unless stated btw. But how good it samples down will be up to superior auto model liao. Having use the z2, z3c, z3+, and now the z5. While it has improved over the years, it's still not as consistent as a few other phones. Once in a while it will slip up.

Forgot to post link to full res files. https://goo.gl/photos/hGKN5rn7iE1DSrHp7

 

[Alexz_Hong]

To me, one key difference with those mentioned competing phones is none other than optical image stabilization.

The sample night shot photos by Alexz were downright hammering on Z3+ and Z5. I wonder how were they taken, with tripod and self-timer I hope. Else we are comparing more on OIS with SteadyShot which we know which one sucks.

Just my 2 cents.

Sent from Sony D5833 using GAGT

All handheld BTW. I consider myself to have relatively steady hands. It's basically how your average guy uses the phone camera, cause no one carries a tripod everywhere they go.

 

[rssd21]

All of the photos I posted are using 8MP, unless stated btw. But how good it samples down will be up to superior auto model liao. Having use the z2, z3c, z3+, and now the z5. While it has improved over the years, it's still not as consistent as a few other phones. Once in a while it will slip up.

Forgot to post link to full res files. https://goo.gl/photos/hGKN5rn7iE1DSrHp7

I think you have some of the good shots with closer objects.
Of course, there is only these amount of details that a small phone camera lens can do.

This may be hilarious, but I wonder what expectations of some people, all phone camera shots are noisy when you zoom it to significantly small levels.
Nobody buy smartphones only for camera, or maybe im wrong?

 

[Alexz_Hong]

I think you have some of the good shots with closer objects.
Of course, there is only these amount of details that a small phone camera lens can do.

This may be hilarious, but I wonder what expectations of some people, all phone camera shots are noisy when you zoom it to significantly small levels.
Nobody buy smartphones only for camera, or maybe im wrong?

I wouldnt say nobody. Haha. But probably a very very small niche market. Phone camera definitely has its limitation. I also believe most people don't choose their phone purely on camera alone. They choose brand/OS/design first then check out if the camera good enough. Good enough then get Liao. If people choose phone by camera Nokia wouldnt be in this state liao. Hahaha.

I'm doing all these only because it's my hobby to test and compare phones. Haha. Frankly nowadays you can hoot most flagship phone and get a good camera, and that fantastic for consumers like ourselves.

For the z5, daylight shots are good. And when superior auto gets it spot on, it's great. But I just wished it was consistently spot on all the time.

 

[yang_nastyman]

any tl;dr for people who aren't photographers?

How's the phone on auto mode when I just wanna take it out and shoot something? how does it fare compared to other flagship phones?

 

[yhw22]

Any ideas what is the default storage from Sony? My friend only left about 20GB.

 

[otaku7]

eh... so how?
I'm just a noob when taking pics.
so, for z5...do I choose the 8mp mode then turn on superior mode? of leave it in 23mp mode and on superior mode and let it down size itself?

Sent from Sony E6653 using GAGT

 

[waterballoon]

best to just use 8MP Superior Auto. use Manual only if you really need 23MP worth of a photo, but do note that with such a huge resolution you are gonna get a lot of digital noise.

for the layman, default 8MP SA should be decent for Facebook/social networking. don't need to bother going to "Manual" mode because it's half-assed and a waste of our time

 

[gapboy]

Z5 have quick charger capabilities but do not provide quick charger 2.0 if not wrong? Just to confirm those who have z5

 

[garychengjw]

Yes can quick charge but no qc charger.

Z5 have quick charger capabilities but do not provide quick charger 2.0 if not wrong? Just to confirm those who have z5