Does Sony’s Alpha DNA deliver the best video quality in smartphone industry? | Xperia 1 VIII Review

Sony is promoting its Xperia 1 VIII by highlighting the advantages of its Alpha series, which is known for its excellent camera systems, particularly in terms of autofocus, real-time object tracking. The Sony smartphone also features “Creative Look” and “S-Cinetone for Mobile,” which, according to the manufacturer, are derived from the Alpha and Cinema lines and give photos and videos the professional look of Alpha cameras. Together with Creators’ Cloud, which includes cloud-based AI, the Xperia phone is designed to offer the same professional Alpha workflow as Sony’s system cameras.

Anyone willing to pay the high price for Sony’s flagship model, with prices currently starting at around €1,500 in the EU, can record UHD-quality videos at up to 120 frames per second across all focal lengths. However, real-time AF tracking is only available at 4K30. We’re taking a closer look at the image quality and stabilization of the Xperia 1 VIII using this 30-fps UHD option. For a better comparison, we’ve also provided video footage from the main camera of the Oppo Find X9 Ultra.

Videos with the Sony flagship were captured at zoom levels of 0.7x, 1x, 2x, 2.9x, and 5.8x. We really like the color reproduction and stabilization of the Xperia 1 VIII, though switching between lenses is a bit jerky. The autofocus performance is underwhelming as well, with clearly visible focus hunting in the recorded footage.

You can find all the information and test results for the Sony Xperia 1 VIII in our detailed review from Notebookcheck.