Camera impressions: With the Sony Xperia 1 VIII in Edinburgh

With the Xperia 1 VIII, Sony is consistently continuing the tradition of its high-end smartphones in the Xperia 1 series and once again clearly positioning the device in the premium segment. The smartphone combines a sleek, functional design with the latest flagship hardware and, as usual, places a strong emphasis on multimedia and professional content creation, while also retaining features such as microSD storage expansion and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

A hallmark of the Xperia series is its close integration with Sony’s Alpha camera technology, which is particularly evident in the device’s camera system. The focus here is not only on classic automatic shooting modes but, above all, on advanced manual control, a high degree of customization for photo and video capture, and numerous features aimed at experienced users and content creators. Among the expected innovations in the current generation are advanced image processing, optimized AI-powered scene recognition, and improvements in low-light photography and autofocus performance. The Xperia 1 VIII is thus less aimed at pure point-and-shoot use and is instead positioned as a mobile tool for demanding photography and videography applications, with the camera clearly remaining the key differentiating feature, including a dedicated shutter button.

The rear camera setup on the Sony Xperia 1 VIII consists of three sensors. At its heart is a 52-MPix sensor (24 mm), which effectively provides 48 MPix and outputs images at 12 MPix via pixel binning. It is accompanied by a 48-MPix ultra-wide-angle lens (effective, 16 mm) and a new 50-MPix periscope zoom lens (48 MPix effective). The latter is now significantly larger than in its predecessor, the Xperia 1 VII (1/3.5“ vs. 1/1.56”), but now has only a fixed focal length of 70 mm; however, it also aims to impress with a virtually lossless 140 mm crop.

The main sensor shows an initial discrepancy with the spec sheet, as it is supposed to have a focal length of 24 mm, while the in-sensor zoom is listed as 48 mm. However, the EXIF data shows 23 mm and 47 mm, respectively.

In everyday use, the Sony Xperia 1 VIII delivers appealing images with balanced colors and a high dynamic range. However, the latter sometimes robs the image of depth, and in low light, blur or muddy areas can creep in quite quickly.

More bothersome, however, is the camera’s increased shutter lag. This makes it difficult to take snapshots of moving subjects, even though they are usually captured in focus. Image processing itself is quite fast, and the autofocus works quickly as well.

The ultra-wide-angle sensor also functions as a macro lens. Its sensor (1/1.56") is significantly smaller than the main sensor. Here, too, Sony delivers impressive, well-balanced image composition, though it reaches its limits more quickly in backlit conditions. On the other hand, lens distortions are well corrected.

The Sony Xperia 1 VIII also demonstrates its mastery of harmonious image composition when using the optical zoom. When the 70-mm optical zoom setting is selected, the photos are impressive across the board; only in dim light does the quality decline, as expected. With the 140-mm zoom, however, the loss of quality is surprisingly significant, although it is certainly still sufficient for a digital photo album.