Pixel Camera: The top features and how to use them
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Google’s Pixel phones are some ofthe best Android phonesavailable and are well-known for their advanced camera technology. With each new release, Google pushed its camera app into new territory. In 2017, Google’s computational photography changed how smartphone cameras process images. Since the Pixel 8 andGoogle Pixel 8 Pro launch, you have professional levels of control over how images are captured. Let’s look at the modes and features Google’s camera app offers.
Unless stated otherwise, screenshots are taken from a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro.
Pixel Camera app layout
Before we look at the features and modes in the app, let’s look at how to navigate the app.
Now that you know the layout of the Pixel Camera app, let’s look at the modes it offers.
Camera mode and its various settings
The Camera mode is the default mode selected when you open the camera app. This mode takes regular photos without any blurring or special effects. Several settings are available in this mode.
The Camera mode also suggests Night Sight or Astrophotography if those will improve your photo. This mode also allows you to set zoom settings through the Zoom toggle.
Portrait mode feature on the Pixel Camera app
Swiping right from Camera mode brings you to Portrait mode. Portrait mode takes portraits, so it blurs the background to focus on the photo’s subject. The settings available in this mode are the same as in Camera mode except for Top Shot. Portrait mode replaces Top Shot with Face retouching. Face retouching changes the look of faces in your photos. The options for this setting are off, smooth, or subtle.
The Zoom toggle swaps through the zoom settings unless it’s less than 1x. Portrait mode can turn on Night Sight if it will help you take a better photo.
Night Sight: A feature that made Google’s Pixel lineup famous
To the left of Portrait mode is Night Sight mode. Night Sight mode takes photos in low light situations without using flash. This mode has the same Timer and Ratio settings as the other two modes but adds new ones.
Night Sight mode can use all zoom settings.
Pixel Camera video features and settings
Changing from photos to videos, we get to the Video mode. Video mode takes videos and adds new settings to help you take better videos. Clicking the gear icon brings up three new settings.
The Zoom toggle lets you use the available zoom settings while taking videos. An additional toggle underneath the Zoom toggle swaps between video modes. The Camera app allows for Normal, Slow Motion, and Time Lapse video recording. To the right is a button for video stabilization that lets you choose between four modes.
Video mode only lets you change the brightness setting when you tap the Viewfinder, not the contrast.
To the right is the Modes section. This section includes three unique modes with narrow uses:
Exclusive camera features for the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro
Google’s latest smartphone offerings, the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel8 Pro, went on the market in early October 2023. If you’re an early upgrader, you won’t notice radical changes to the Pixel camera app, but you could use the cool new features. The Pixel 8 Pro includes pro settings, giving you more control over ISO, shutter speed, focus, and white balance. Tap the icon in the lower-right corner of the screen to display the pro settings options.
These pro settings are an attractive upgrade for photography hobbyists. TheMagic Editor toolis another feature to get excited about. The magic editor moves, changes, or deletes objects and adds dramatic weather effects. You must install the Google Photos and Pixel Camera apps on either the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro to use this feature.
In terms of hardware, the selfie camera on the newest pro has been upgraded from a fixed focus to autofocus, which improves the sharpness of images. The Pixel 8 Pro has a 48MP sensor for its ultrawide lens. That’s a significant upgrade. In the real world, unless you take lots of wide-angle shots or are serious about photography, you won’t notice a huge difference in image or video quality between the Pixel 7 series and Pixel 8 series.
Keep your photos organized
Superior photography continues to be a draw for Pixel users because Google’s Pixel Camera app has features to help you take the best photo or video for your situation. Since the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launched, that statement is truer than ever. Now that you’ve learned how to take great photos and videos, learnhow to manage your media using Google’s Photos app.
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