Can a Smartphone Replace my Compact Camera | First Test Review Sony Xperia Pro-I
There’s no doubt at all that in the last few years smart phones have had a huge impact on the compact camera market. The sheer convenience of carrying a slim, lightweight, pocketable multitasking device can’t be overstated. But there may be caveats of course, depending on what kind of photographer you are.
If you’re a casual snapper using your smart phone simply to record the odd interesting moment or family outing then chances are you won’t be too forensic about the photographic capabilities of your device. But what if you want to enjoy a measure of dedicated photography or videography with your phone? In which case smartphone photography may leave you disappointed by the result, highlighting the fact that we do need to set our expectations at an appropriate level.
In my working life I shoot almost entirely with Sony full frame cameras including the Sony A7Riii and A7C. My backups are my personal use cameras which include the Panasonic GX8 (four thirds sensor) and the Fujifilm XT200 (APS-C). The Fuji XT200 is a stellar lightweight walkabout “handbag” camera, and it’s the one I would choose to have with me as often as I can. Paired with its impressive and lightweight kit lens the combined weight is a mere 440g. In that regard, the Fuji XT200 really is a go anywhere camera, turning out images which rival those from my bigger and more expensive Sony full frame cameras. Light weight aside, it’s still a little too large to fit in an evening bag. As someone who has always been preoccupied with the weight I carry, I have to add the weight of a camera to the weight of a phone (which might average 190g). That’s a combined weight of 630g. Hmm.
If I could find a phone which is also a useful image making device then I could reduce that load to approximately 200g. That’s quite a saving when walking around town for a few hours, or travelling in general. Is there a phone out there which will satisfy me enough to do just that? In this article I’ll set out to answer that question as objectively as I can.
A New Mobile Phone for Somebody who Dislikes Mobile Phones
I must be the only person on earth who has managed to evade using a mobile until about a week ago. Yes, you heard that correctly. I bought my first mobile 12 years ago – a Samsung Galaxy SII, swayed by peer pressure and the security benefits of carrying a communications device. Through no fault of its own, I didn’t exactly warm to it.
Sadly my Galaxy SII was relegated to an occasionally remembered device and only when I was travelling. Emergency use, or those rare occasions when I might need to phone for a taxi (or to tell someone I was running late). In a decade I managed to make barely 30 calls (not including the brief calls from my desk to my landline to keep the SIM active).
Why did I have such an aversion to mobile phones? I’ve always found them resoundingly antisocial. I grew tired of having to compete for someone’s attention when their focus would often be on taking usually trivial calls partway through a meeting or social gathering. I can recall a similar level of annoyance during a relationship I had a couple of decades ago. A nice enough guy, who always had the latest and greatest cell phone. This object became more and more irritating to me as our friendship continued. It was always sitting on a restaurant table midway between us, a small but potent barrier to any conversations lasting more than half an hour. Or else it was in the top pocket of his shirt - like a middle finger gesture every time I expected some focus on a discussion. Politely asking him to switch it off (unless of course he was expecting a call from a VIP – aka his mother) usually fell on deaf ears. I did belatedly realise that the exercise was rather deliberate on his part - he wanted me to know that I was a lower priority than anyone else who might want his attention that evening. And indeed I was, but we were able to deal with it fairly amicably and we’re still friends to this day.
The years rolled on and my (very expensive at the time) Galaxy received no love whatsoever. I can also say that I have never taken a picture with it.
So why the change of heart in the last month? With enhanced security measures being applied to most of what we do now, an up to date mobile phone became something I couldn’t really avoid any longer. I could of course just continue to use my old but pristine Galaxy SII. But it’s slower than its newer counterparts and it’s basic by comparison. More importantly, I’m curious about the photography side of mobile technology. Is it possible that a new, all singing mobile phone might tempt me to be little more accepting of these devices? The time had come to put it to the test.
Choosing my New Mobile Phone – A Photographer’s Smartphone
Until last month I knew virtually nothing about today’s smartphone technology. I also had no idea what they cost - I almost spent the night in our local hospital after looking up the price of the phones I’d shortlisted for consideration.
As with many things in life, I started out with what I thought was a healthy budget only for that to be increased almost fourfold (had I been buying new). My priority was best in class camera performance, at least if I wanted to leave my handbag cameras at home.
I narrowed things down to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, the iPhone 13 Pro, the Sony Xperia 1iv and the Xperia Pro-I. All have screamingly expensive price tags, and I knew I’d be looking at the preowned market.
Setting Expectations – Can a Smartphone Replace a Camera
Mobile phones have tiny imaging sensors. Today’s compact cameras on the other hand generally have sensors which range from the small end (1/1.7”) right up to APS-C. Even full frame cameras have shrunk. Given the cameras I usually carry in my handbag, I was going to have to accept that the images coming out of a phone would be a step down in many situations.
Small sensors will also mean that shallow depth of field can be hard to achieve. Small sensors also mean visible image noise at higher ISO values.
Mobile phone cameras tend to rely on a main camera and additional cameras covering ultrawide and telephoto focal lengths. Zooming on a smartphone tends to be digital (with a commensurate loss of quality) although one or two smartphones have a ‘periscope’ zoom lens offering true optical zooming. The main camera will usually have the largest sensor and the most resolution. As my phone research progressed I happened upon a device which has certainly divided opinion, but which I realised was likely to be the only option for someone as controlling as I am. And that’s the Sony Xperia Pro-I.
Taking a look at the Pro-I optics, the phone offers a 1 inch 12MP main sensor paired with a 24 mm equivalent f2.0 or f4.0 Zeiss lens. There’s also a 50 mm equivalent camera with 12MP and a ½.9” sensor and an f2.4 aperture. The wide-angle camera has a 12 megapixel ½.5” sensor with a 16mm equivalent field of view at f2.2. But what of the massive 1” sensor Sony is claiming to use in this device’s main camera – it’s reasonable to assume that will push the image quality into previously uncharted territory. Or will it?
In reality the main lens on the Xperia Pro-I only covers about 60% of its 1” sensor (which incidentally is the sensor from the Sony RX100 vii). This means that the operational sensor size is broadly similar to that of current rivals such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Disappointing as that may sound, it’s important we remember that the Pro-I benefits from a large 2.4 micron pixel pitch, and therefore its image quality should be better than its rivals (even if it isn’t quite as good as its Sony 1” sensor camera siblings). It’s the phone’s main camera which I’ll be concentrating on today.
There’s also a front facing selfie camera which is nothing special, it’s an 8MP ¼” sensor at f2.0. If you’d rather use the main 24mm 1” sensor camera for your selfies you can either take a guess at the framing or else buy a dedicated Sony monitor which clips neatly onto the back of the Pro-I. This can then be attached to Sony’s selfie handle which is also acts as a small tripod and bluetooth controller for the phone (and other cameras in the Sony stable).
The Pro-1 also benefits from a 3.5mm headphone jack, micro SD storage (not present on several of its competitors) and high quality front facing audio.
Smart Phones Rely on Computational Photography
A glaring feature of smartphone photography is the (often overly) processed look of the pictures. The phone’s software will try to pull out as much detail as it can from skies, highlights, and shadows. The average consumer does tend to like that kind of a result, but a photographer might not. And camera phones are almost entirely biased towards average consumers. These ‘computational photography’ algorithms take a guess at the consumer’s tastes, creating a punchy result with an HDR flavour. It’s vital that software is utilised to create a pleasing result from a tiny sensor, given that the average smartphone user probably won’t be inclined to process their photographs afterwards. By and large, mobile phones do a good job of this. But the result may not be to your tastes.
What immediately attracted me to the Xperia Pro-I is the minimal use of computational processing. In fact the images look just like those we would expect to create from a proper camera without the visible HDR effects applied by its rivals. The Pro-I RAW files are what they say they are, unlike the more processed RAW files offered by some other high-end phones.
Then there is video – the Pro-I can shoot 4k at 120fps. Swoon. There’s also a dedicated shutter button, with a half press to confirm focus. If you’ve been thinking this device is just an over-priced ultra-phone, think again. OK, it might be a bit over priced – but it sets itself apart from the competition in so many ways. Sony is unashamed in naming this as a niche professional product, and openly admits that it isn’t a consumer focused device.
Key to the Pro-I is the level of control it hands to the user. This isn’t dissimilar to the interface you might find on a Sony Alpha camera. The Pro-I’s photography app offers as much control as you want, from a Basic mode for quick and convenient everyday snapping through to full Manual control. Not only that, the camera includes outstanding autofocus similar to that of its big camera counterparts, including face and eye tracking for both humans and animals.
In the Basic mode there is the expected portrait setting which will create an optional faux ‘bokeh’ at a level set by the user. In my opinion this is best ignored as the results can be hit and miss. This setting also tends to create very high levels of image noise in skies, particularly highlight areas. If you feel an urge to create faux depth of field then Lightroom or Photoshop is your best bet, albeit with a time investment.
Computational processing in the Pro-I’s Basic Mode is fairly tasteful and restrained resulting in highly detailed JPEGs which aren’t as over-sharpened as those from most camera phones. RAW files are of course flatter and softer, relying on the expertise or vision of the photographer when it comes to processing them – but they’re very good.
Sony Xperia Pro-I Image Quality Compared to ‘Proper Cameras’
The Pro-I is going to have its ISO capability and depth of field credentials compared to the Fujifilm X10 compact camera (2/3” sensor, 28-112mm f2.0-2.8 lens), the Sony ZV-1 compact camera (1” sensor, 24-70mm f1.8-2.8 lens), and the Sony A7C (full frame, with 28-70mm f4.0-5.6 lens). Clearly this won’t be a like for like comparison – but a real world test of how I would use these machines at my personal ‘ISO ceiling’ and their widest available apertures.
The sensor surface area used by the Pro-I’s main lens is fairly similar to the 2/3” sensors used in the Fuji X10. The sensor behind the Pro-I’s 50mm tele lens is smaller, so the quality difference will be clear in these comparisons.
The ZV-1 has the same 1” sensor as the RX100vii and the Pro-I (but as we know the Pro-I uses around 60% of this sensor). In order to see how the Pro-I stacks up against a camera which uses all of the 1 inch sensor, this test will be interesting.
One of my travel cameras is the venerable (yet quite small) full frame Sony A7C with its excellent kit lens. Travel cameras are almost always used with a kit lens because this will give a useful wide to slightly tele zoom range in a very lightweight package. The trade-off is a variable aperture. In the case of the A7C that’s f4-f5.6.
Bear in mind that the tiny Sony ZV-1 has a very good f1.8-f2.8 24-70mm (equivalent) zoom lens. In 35mm terms that’s two and a third stops faster than the A7C’s kit lens at the wide setting and two stops faster at the tele end. This means I can claw back a couple of stops on the ISO scale when using the ZV-1 - virtually negating the benefit of carrying the bigger and heavier full frame camera for travel and personal outings.
The wide test scene will show ISO performance at 800 and 1600 respectively using the Xperia Pro-I’s main 24mm camera. The shots taken at 50mm are more about showing the DOF differences, and how the Pro-I’s smaller sensor telephoto (50mm equivalent) lens performs. The higher resolution cameras (ZV-1 and A7C were down-sampled to 12MP, so the image sizes match). All images are unprocessed RAW files with my Lightroom default sharpening of 40 and noise reduction of 20 (click on each image to enlarge):
Telephoto scenes: below is a depth of field comparison at 50mm, which involved switching to the phone’s tele lens (which has an f2.4 aperture) – so expect some image degradation on the Pro-I. The A7C’s kit lens will be at f5.6 at 50mm, the two compact cameras will be at f2.8. The subject (a bag of almonds) was placed 4 feet from the background and 4 feet from the cameras.
As with the wide images, these were shot at ISO 800 (my ‘quality ceiling’) and ISO 1600 (my upper limit in most cases). The higher resolution camera photos were down-sampled to match the size of the Pro-I and X10.
Whilst the phone (main camera) and the X10 images appear very similar with respect to noise levels, the phone shows a little less noise than the Fujifilm X10 if pixel peeping the ISO800 images. The X10 images are more detailed though, due to its superior lens. The tele camera on the Pro-I has a smaller sensor than the X10 and is therefore more noisy than both the Pro-I’s main camera and the X10. Depth of field appears to be about the same on the phone and the X 10 in the wide shots. In the X10 telephoto images the X10 has slightly shallower DOF because the Pro-I tele camera has a smaller sensor. WINNER: at the wide setting the winner is the Xperia Pro-I. At the tele setting the X10 comes out on top.
The ZV-1 shows visibly cleaner images when compared to the phone after down-sampling to 12MP, and shallower depth of field at equal focal lengths. Given the Pro-I only uses 60% of its 1” sensor, this is about right. These differences are clearer still when we compare the tele photos. WINNER: Sony ZV-1
Comparing the phone to the full frame Sony A7C is a pointless exercise given how glaring the differences are. Instead I’m going to compare the Sony A7C to the little Sony ZV-1. This is not as unfair as it sounds given how fast the ZV-1 lens is (the A7 C kit lens is stunningly sharp though). Given the ability to leverage the fast lens on the ZV-1 and therefore keep ISO values low, out in the field there really isn’t much between the two cameras - and there is a huge weight advantage to the ZV-1. But when comparing like for like ISO values, as you’ll expect the A7C images will be cleaner. WINNER: Sony ZV-1 due to its very good image quality, fast lens, fantastic feature set and autofocus, and tiny size. I’ll be keeping my A7C for pro outings.
Will the Sony Xperia Pro-I Satisfy a Professional Photographer or Film-maker?
There’s no doubt the Xperia Pro-I is impressive. And I can of course make phone calls on it, engage in various forms of productivity, and browse the internet - something I keep forgetting.
This phone is aimed squarely at content creators (I’ll take a look at the video features in another article). I can say that at realistic ISO levels the stills images from this device are very good, particularly if you’re prepared to work the RAW files and stick to the main camera.
The big question is, am I going to leave my usual handbag cameras at home in favour of my new smartphone - in order to benefit from a notable size and weight reduction? For me, there is a strong case for having both a compact camera which is very small and portable alongside my new smartphone. If that falls to the Sony ZV-I this leads to a bearable total combined weight of around 510g.
If only the Xperia Pro-I was able to use all of its 1” sensor – that really would be a game changer. But it would also mean a large and bulky lens element which rather negates the purpose of a smartphone.
On a recent visit to a stately home in my village I took a few interior photographs with the Pro-I. If I’d been using one of my handbag cameras I would have been using a lightweight variable aperture kit lens and therefore much higher ISO values to those on the Pro-I. The phone is incredibly easy to hold still at very slow shutter speeds, greatly reducing the prospect of camera shake. The extra depth of field afforded by a small sensor can be very useful in situations like this and I think the images look good:
Can this smartphone replace a lightweight large sensor camera and kit lens? No, unless you’re prepared to take a noticeable hit in image quality. Can the Pro-I replace my ZV-1 compact camera (or other current generation 1” sensor cameras)? In some situations yes, if convenience and low weight is imperative. For casual recreational snapping (not to mention video) it’s hard to beat today’s flagship smartphones. And the Pro-I is arguably the closest you’re going to get to a real camera experience.
So far at least, I seem to be getting along with my new phone fairly well. It does have a tendency to get hot however. When I was taking photos around the garden on a warm but not baking (25°) day I’d taken a couple of dozen shots and received a heat warning. I gave the phone a brief rest in the shade before commencing and the warning went away. I suspect that if I’d been shooting some 4k video I might have had to stop altogether. A fast processor is great to have, but heat production is the downside.
Back to the real question. Could I do without my compact camera entirely and just use the phone for recreational image taking? No, the IQ and lens quality of my ZV-1 is just too good. They both have their place in my handbag, and to be fair there are days when I feel I can leave my ZV-1 at home. Compared to a compact camera like the X10 it’s a different story - I’d gladly reach for the Pro-I much of the time, if not all of the time - the convenience of it trumps what the Fuji has to offer.