Google has recently released the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones, which come with significant improvements to their camera functions. One of the most notable improvements is the RAW photo function, which has been enhanced to provide better quality and more editing flexibility. In this article, we will take a closer look at the improvements made to the RAW photo function of the Pixel 8 and Pro phones.
Upgraded Camera Hardware
Both the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro come with a flagship 50MP main camera, which has 21% more light sensitivity than the Pixel 7 series, making it the best low-light camera on a Pixel yet. The ultrawide camera on the Pixel 8 has been updated to include autofocus, which brings Macro Focus outside the Pro series for the first time. The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, gets improvements across the board. It comes with an ultrawide camera jumping from 12 MP to 48 MP. This joins the 50 MP main sensor and a 48 MP sensor for the 5x optical zoom.
RAW+JPEG Mode
The Pixel 8/Pro phones allow users to capture photos in RAW+JPEG mode. This provides eminently editable RAW files for manipulation in Lightroom or other editing software, along with a JPEG ready to share, complete with Google’s image magic applied. This feature is particularly useful for professional photographers who require more editing flexibility and control over their images.
Pro Controls
The Pixel 8 Pro comes with new Pro Controls that provide even more control over camera settings. This opens up a world of creativity. In addition to white balance, exposure, and shadow brightness controls, users can now manually adjust focus, shutter speed, and ISO on the Pixel 8 Pro. The new Pro settings also allow users to take 50MP photos throughout the zoom range.
Dual Exposure Technology
Dual Exposure Technology is available on the new main camera in the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. It makes videos sharper and less grainy in scenes with the toughest lighting, like a sunset backdrop. Dual Exposure effectively takes two images simultaneously—one optimized for low light and the other for high dynamic range. The result is natural-looking videos with vivid color and low noise.
Pro Settings
Exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro are the new ‘Pro’ settings, which provide users with more advanced camera controls. These settings, especially couched as they are in a secondary tab in the general settings menu in the camera app, are actually quite useful and seem arbitrarily limited to the Pro model. The Pro settings allow users to adjust settings such as white balance, exposure, and shadows brightness, as well as manually adjust focus, shutter speed, and ISO.
Conclusion
The Pixel 8/Pro phones come with significant improvements to their camera functions, including the RAW photo function. It has upgraded camera hardware, RAW+JPEG mode, Pro Controls, Dual Exposure technology, and Pro Settings. Users can now capture high-quality photos and videos with more editing flexibility and control. These improvements make the Pixel 8/Pro phones a great choice for professional photographers. Anyone who wants to capture high-quality photos and videos on their mobile devices, can do so with the Pixel 8/Pro.
