OK, I'll make sure not to shoot any people with the Sony Xperia 1 VIII
Also, where's the real ultra-wide camera on that thing?!
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Once again, Sony has released a super expensive flagship. | Image by PhoneArena
Skin tones are probably the trickiest part in a camera.
Getting lobster-red faces is quite frustrating (but quite understandable if your model has been drinking since ten in the morning).
Colors are important, and nailing the perfect skin hue is a task that each brand tries to solve on its own.
It's not just about sharpness and dynamic range – hues are paramount. That's why you often hear, "Let's take the group photo with THAT phone, not with the other".
Sad to say, I don't think the brand-new Sony Xperia 1 VIII (one mark eight) will be "THAT" phone. Not unless there's some massive software upgrade to fix things ASAP.
Right now, the new Sony flagship doesn't render skin hues particularly nicely and I'd avoid taking portraits with it.
Our Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs iPhone 17 Pro sample photos comparison is what shocked me mildly.
Let's start with the main camera; here's a standard shot that is finely rendered by the iPhone.
Getting lobster-red faces is quite frustrating (but quite understandable if your model has been drinking since ten in the morning).
Colors are important, and nailing the perfect skin hue is a task that each brand tries to solve on its own.
It's not just about sharpness and dynamic range – hues are paramount. That's why you often hear, "Let's take the group photo with THAT phone, not with the other".
Right now, the new Sony flagship doesn't render skin hues particularly nicely and I'd avoid taking portraits with it.
The Apple comparison
Our Sony Xperia 1 VIII vs iPhone 17 Pro sample photos comparison is what shocked me mildly.
Nothing too crazy, but the Sony is using the green brush too harshly in my opinion. What's more, parts of the background are in the sunlight, while the subject is in the shade. The Sony can't handle perfectly well this high-contrast scene and the result is a bit washed out photo:
The next three shots are in portrait mode:
Wow, it gets worse with each next example! On the first one, the Sony produces a super sharp photo, but the subject looks too cold, too yellow, too green (all at the same time). Meanwhile, the iPhone comes up with some rather pleasing skin shades.
The next three shots are in portrait mode:
Wow, it gets worse with each next example! On the first one, the Sony produces a super sharp photo, but the subject looks too cold, too yellow, too green (all at the same time). Meanwhile, the iPhone comes up with some rather pleasing skin shades.
The second and third examples are more of the same. Great bokeh effect from Sony, but it seems like our model will be fainting any moment now. Clearly not a fair representation of the scene.
Once again, the iPhone excels here, while the Sony struggles with hues and highlights.
Both phones lag behind Chinese competitors like Oppo in terms of extra zoom territory. Both have a different idea of what the white balance should be, so pick your favorite:
Just look at how much more you're able to fit in your photo with Apple's flagship:
This one is similar to what OnePlus has done with the OnePlus 15. Not very amusing…
Just be aware that when it comes to night shots, the Sony doesn't do HDR too much:
Instead, it prefers to keep things natural:
What about the zoom?
Both phones lag behind Chinese competitors like Oppo in terms of extra zoom territory. Both have a different idea of what the white balance should be, so pick your favorite:
Where's my ultra-wide?!
While the new Sony Xperia 1 VIII packs a larger sensor for its ultra-wide, the lens is only 16mm equivalent in terms of focal length. You're probably used to a 14mm ultra-wide. You might think that 16mm is not that much of a difference from the iPhone's 13mm ultra-wide. Yeah, no:
Just look at how much more you're able to fit in your photo with Apple's flagship:
This one is similar to what OnePlus has done with the OnePlus 15. Not very amusing…
Is it that bad?
No, not at all. Sony's flagships are very interesting and if you want to stand out from the crowd, you're welcome to do precisely that. I can pretty much guarantee you that you find other Sony users in your friend group. You'll get a MicroSD slot and a 3.5mm audio jack and that's simply great (the MicroSD slot, I mean).
The phone's camera setup is impressive on its own. While I hope for a quick software update to fix those greenish skin tones, you'll get cool photos nevertheless:
Just be aware that when it comes to night shots, the Sony doesn't do HDR too much:
Instead, it prefers to keep things natural:
But I doubt that you'll find such a natural take suitable for your Instagram account. Yeah, you're probably better off with the iPhone.
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