How To Take A Picture Using Pixel 3a Camera

Simon Hill/Digital Trends

If there'southward one area where smartphones have actually improved over the final couple of years, information technology's photography. Google's Pixel 2 was our reigning champion in the best camera telephone category, then it'due south not surprising that the device that knocked it out of the top spot was its successor, the Pixel 3.

Anyone lucky enough to have a Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL has admission to the pinnacle of Google's camera know-how, and can expect forward to wonderful photos that will capture precious memories for posterity. But information technology never hurts to know more, which is why nosotros've crafted this hands-on guide to help you go the best from the Pixel three camera.

Camera specs

If you're concerned that the bigger, more than expensive Pixel iii XL might be more than capable in the camera section, you needn't be. The Pixel iii and 3 XL take identical cameras front end and back, so everything nosotros talk over here applies to both smartphones.

The main camera features a single lens rated at 12.2 megapixels. It has an f/one.8 aperture and support for phase detection and light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation autofocus. At that place's also support for HDR and optical image stabilization (OIS). It tin tape video at up to 4K resolution at thirty frames per second (fps).

Around forepart, you lot'll discover a dual-lens camera, with both lenses rated at 8 megapixels. One has an f/1.8 aperture and the other is an ultrawide, 97-caste lens with an f/2.2 aperture. The forepart-facing camera tin can record video at up to 1,080p at 30 fps.

These specs are underwhelming on paper, just Google's surreptitious sauce is its image-processing capabilities, partly powered past a special bit that sits alongside the chief processor called the Pixel Visual Core.

Getting started

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The camera icon can be found at the bottom right of your home screen by default, simply there is a way to access information technology apace, fifty-fifty if the Pixel 3'south screen is off. You can launch the Pixel iii camera from anywhere by tapping the power button twice. (Nosotros've got tons of other Pixel 3 tips and tricks, too!)

If this shortcut doesn't work for you, so become to Settings > Organisation > Gestures and tap on Bound to camera, then toggle it on.

You can too use a gesture to quickly switch between the front-facing camera and the main camera, though you need to be in the photographic camera app for this to piece of work. A quick double-twist of your wrist when the camera is open up should switch between forepart and back.

If this shortcut doesn't work for y'all, so go to Settings > System > Gestures and tap on Flip photographic camera, so toggle it on.

The camera app

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The Pixel 3 photographic camera app is very piece of cake to utilize. You'll discover modes listed forth the bottom under the viewfinder window when yous concur your Pixel 3 in portrait, and y'all simply need to swipe left or right to select them. In mural, they're on the right-hand side and you swipe up and down to select them. You can switch between front and back cameras using the 2 circular pointer icons that appear side by side to the large shutter button. The final shot you took appears on the other side of the shutter button and you can tap it to motion into the Photos app.

At the top or left of the viewfinder window, in that location'southward the timer, movement, the white balance, and the flash.

The timer is proficient for snapping shots, particularly group selfies automatically, as information technology gives you lot a few seconds to get the perfect angle. Motion captures several frames before and later you snap a shot, similar a short video. Information technology's fix to Automobile past default, but you may desire to plough information technology on all the time. We'll look at why in the Top Shot section below.

Because photos are often tinted by the lighting conditions they're taken in, Google's bogus intelligence (A.I.) sets the white residual automatically to get the colors right. We recommend leaving this setting on automobile. We more often than not plow the flash off as it doesn't tend to get great results. The Pixel 3 likewise features an splendid Night Sight mode that we'll become to in a moment.

What is HDR+?

HDR (high dynamic range) is virtually ubiquitous in smartphones at present, but sometimes it's an optional feature you can turn on and off yourself. With the Pixel 3, information technology's on all the fourth dimension, so you don't need to worry virtually it.

Loftier dynamic range brings the ability to capture bright highlights without blowing them out, but also pick upwards on details in the shadows. While in the past, camera phones typically took photos that suffered from racket and low dynamic range, Google found a way around the problem. HDR+ captures multiple shots and and so combines them to produce a single image that is much less noisy and shows all the detail in both calorie-free and dark areas.

If you lot adopt to exert transmission control over this, you lot can open the photographic camera app and select More > Settings > Avant-garde and toggle on HDR+ control. You'll then see a new icon in the camera app, and yous tin can change your HDR+ settings. You can turn HDR+ on or off, but you can also select HDR+ Enhanced. While HDR+ Enhanced will give you lot the best possible camera output every time — including impressive white residue — it does take longer to snap a shot and process.

Select the all-time shot with Top Shot

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If you have Motility turned on, then you lot are capturing a few frames before and after you lot touch that shutter button, and the Superlative Shot feature enables you lot to pick the best 1 after the fact. Open the photo in question, tap the 3 vertical dots at the top correct, then tap Select shots. Y'all'll see a timeline with all the available frames that were captured, and you tin can slide through them.

The original shot will oftentimes be the best quality, just information technology's not bad to exist able to choose another frame if you merely missed the action or someone had their optics closed. Look for white dots in a higher place the timeline to find recommended frames. Tap Save copy at the top right if you find 1 you like.

It'southward tempting to leave this on all the time merely bear in listen that Motility photos will take up more than space than regular photos.

How to employ Movement Autofocus

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Not to be confused with the Motility shots nosotros were but talking about, Move Autofocus enables you to tap on a subject and the camera will track it and keep it in focus, which is ideal for pets and children who don't ever sit still. Yous tin tap on your subject field in the viewfinder window to ready the focus on them and yous should encounter a small circle that stays with them even as you or the subject moves around. If you want to stop focusing on the bailiwick, simply tap the small circle in the viewfinder. This is invaluable for shooting video and tracking a moving subject.

How to use Portrait Style

The Pixel 3 boasts one of the best Portrait Modes around. It enables you lot to take photos of people and other subjects and utilize a background blur for a convincing bokeh effect. To try it out, simply swipe to Portrait in the camera app. It works with the main and forepart-facing cameras.

Google's A.I. is incredibly good at applying the mistiness to the correct areas, only it doesn't always get it right. Sometimes information technology struggles with hairlines or complex mixed areas where depth and altitude are tough to discern — a common Pixel 3 problem. It's miles alee of almost of the contest, however.

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Each portrait photo you take includes the portrait shot with the blur applied to the background and the original shot. Y'all can tap the thumbnails at the bottom of the photo to switch between them.

You can also adjust the depth, tweak the level of mistiness, and fifty-fifty change the focal point of the image later taking the photograph. To practise this, y'all need to tap the Edit icon at the lesser, 2d from the left, and then tap that same icon again to find a Depth slider. To adjust overall depth, you tin can slide it left and correct, but you can too tap on the pointer at the correct to open divide sliders for Blur and Foreground blur. To change your focal point, just tap on the photo where you want it to focus.

How to accept wider selfies

Information technology can be frustrating trying to fit in a big group of people when you're taking a selfie, and there are likewise times when you want to become more background into a solo selfie. Google has a elementary solution. When you have the front-facing camera open, you lot'll see a simple slider at the bottom. Slide to increase or subtract the width of your view. You lot have three widths to choose from.

Go dandy low-lite shots with Night Sight

Left: Night Sight off, correct: Night Sight on Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It can exist tough to capture good photos in dark environments, and the flash tends to launder out your subject, lose the background, and create glare or reflections, among other things. Google's solution is called Nighttime Sight. It extends the same approach that HDR+ employs by taking several shots and stitching them together to dramatically heave brightness and color.

Y'all can find Night Sight in the More section of the camera app, but yous should as well get a pop-up message that suggests when it's advisable. Information technology's important to endeavour and stay very still when taking a Nighttime Sight shot because information technology's capturing multiple photographs. It works with the front end-facing and the main camera and the results are impressive. Information technology works best in specific conditions, so you'll want to avoid using it to capture a moving subject.

How to use Super Res Zoom

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You tin can zoom in on subjects with your Pixel 3 and get pretty decent shots, even without a telephoto lens, thanks to the Super Res Zoom feature. Wait for a small magnifying glass icon at the lesser or top right of the viewfinder window in the camera app when you're using the main camera (this doesn't work for the forepart-facing camera).  Tap on this icon to open up the zoom slider.

It'due south also possible to zoom in by touching the screen with two fingers and sliding them apart. Slide them together again to zoom out. Alternatively, yous can double-tap the screen to zoom in and out.

At that place is one other way to command the zoom. If you lot select More > Settings in the camera app, so tap Gestures, you'll find the pick to set the Book key as a zoom control.

How to save RAW images

Left: RAW unedited, correct: RAW edited Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you're a professional photographer, or yous just want more than command over editing your images, then y'all tin can ensure that the Pixel 3 captures both RAW and JPEG formats. Swipe along and tap More than in the camera app, then Settings > Advanced and toggle onRAW+JPEG command. You can now discover RAW images in a divide folder, just be enlightened that each photo will now take up a lot more space. The sunflowers photo in a higher place shows what you lot tin achieve past editing RAW photos.

Now you're ready to go out and capture stunning photographs with your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 Twoscore.

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Source: https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/google-pixel-3-camera-guide/

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