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Camera Quality

Michael SawhBy 3 Mins Read
Camera Quality

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Sony Xperia Z Ultra – Camera Quality

While it doesn’t match the Xperia Z1 in the photo-taking department or let you put a T-Rex on your mate’s head like that phone, you do get a decent 8-megapixel main camera. in the Xperia Z Ultra. It uses Sony’s Exmor RS image sensor and has a 16x digital zoom. 

Additionally, there’s a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and both cameras are capable of taking full HD video. The Galaxy Mega 6.3 in comparison hosts a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera and an 8-megapixel main sensor with a f/2.6 aperture lens.

Xperia Z Ultra screenshots 1Photo demonstrating camera's focus quality on a keyboard.
The Xperia Z Ultra camera app in action

 

Like the Z1 and Z, the Ultra uses the same camera UI with settings displayed above the screen. While it lacks Social Live and the augmented reality based Info Eye, there’s still plenty of shooting modes to stir your creativity including Burst mode, sweep panorama, HDR and even something specifically to take pictures of food.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra product 24Low-light photo of a busy city street captured by camera.

Photo taken in Superior mode with 8-megapixel resolution

Sony Xperia Z Ultra product 25Close-up photo showcasing camera's macro detail on leaves.
Photo taken in Superior mode with 8-megapixel resolution

 

Sony Xperia Z Ultra product 22Close-up photo of a yellow flower showing camera detail.
Photo taken in HDR mode with 8-megapixel resolution

You really shouldn’t expect Z1 or Nokia Lumia 1020-like images here. The decent colour reproduction makes the biggest impression here and you can capture good, but not fantastic photos in the right light. 

Upload the images to a computer for a closer look and you’ll begin to notice some of the slightly grainy, overprocessed nature of images. Even in bright daylight, things can look a little gloomy. HDR does help to enhance photos but on the whole images will not blow you away When you need to get up close though, the macro mode impresses and offers good levels of detail.

 

The lack of a flash makes it even more of a tough task to take photos in low-lit environments. Again, colour accuracy is good, but images can look blurry and out of focus and zooming in shows the distinct lack of quality.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra product 21Photo of flowers at night showcasing camera flash quality.
Photo taken in low-light mode with 8-megapixel resolution

 

Sony Xperia Z Ultra product 23Close-up photo of daisies demonstrating camera's low-light performance.
Photo taken in low light mode with 16x digital zoom and 8-megapixel resolution

The front-facing camera has similar issues down to lighting where can become an issue, but in general is good enough for video calling and selfies. You can shoot Full HD video of yourself which is a nice addition.

 

In terms of shooting film, the main camera can record video up to Full HD 1080p in 16:9 ratio but doesn’t support HDR. Despite its exclusion you can choose from a series of different modes to adjust settings slightly whether you are filming at a sport event or at the beach. It’s on par with the Xperia Z and Z1 producing good quality, high resolution video.

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Score in detail

  • Performance 8
  • Design 8
  • Battery Life 7
  • Value 7
  • Features 8
  • Software 8
  • Calls Sound 8
  • Screen Quality 8
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Michael Sawh

Michael Sawh

Michael Sawh is a Freelance Journalist specialising in wearable and fitness tech. Previously Editor of Wareable, he’s also spent time manning the features section at Trusted Reviews and T3. His words can now be found in and on Wired, GQ, TechRadar, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, BBC Science Focus, Coach Mag, Stuff, Wareable and The Metro. You can also find his videos on all things running over on The Run Testers YouTube channel.

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