The Pixel 8 Pro: A Camera Test Like No Other

As a long-time fan of pixel devices, I was excited to get my hands on the new Pixel 8 Pro and put its camera to the test. One of the main reasons I've been drawn to pixel devices is their exceptional camera performance, particularly when it comes to computational photography and video capabilities. In this article, we'll delve into the features that make the Pixel 8 Pro's camera so special.

First, let's talk about the design of the device. The Pixel 8 Pro comes in three color options: black (obsidian), blue (bay blue), and porcelain (a beige tone). I opted for the blue version, which looks sleek and premium. The device feels high-quality in the hand, with a matte finish on most of it that resists fingerprints. One distinctive feature of pixel devices is the camera bar, which protrudes from the side of the phone. This design choice has several benefits, including reducing wobble when using the phone on a flat surface and making it easier to use the 5x optical zoom camera.

The Pixel 8 Pro features a 48MP ultra-wide-angle camera, which was improved over previous models. Ultra-wide cameras are my favorite for capturing architecture, group shots, and more in a single frame. The device also boasts a 50MP main camera with an f/1.65 aperture, which provides excellent low-light performance. Additionally, the phone has a 10.5MP front camera, which is wider than what you'd typically find on other models.

When it comes to software, the Pixel 8 Pro offers exclusive features such as Magic Eraser and Specialty tools within the camera app. The device also includes a USB-C cable and a dongle for transferring data.

For this camera test, we had the unique opportunity to shoot on the court at the Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors. We were joined by Scotty Barnes, who graciously allowed us to use his court and even gave us a tour of the facility. Our goal was to put the Pixel 8 Pro's camera to the test in a low-light environment, simulating the challenges that come with shooting video and photos.

As we began our shoot, I couldn't help but notice the lighting on the court. The natural light from the windows above the seats was abundant, and the bounce-off of the floor created an intriguing effect that added depth to our shots. This was particularly noticeable when filming Scotty Barnes as he shot hoops on the court.

To capture the movement of Scotty's jump shot, we used the phone's slow-motion feature, which allowed us to grab a section of the frame and play it back at a slower pace. We also experimented with the Cinematic mode, which blurs the background like a portrait photo but in video format first. The result was surprisingly intimate and engaging, capturing Scotty's personality and movements.

One of the standout features of the Pixel 8 Pro's camera is its ability to accurately detect the edge of objects, particularly when it comes to clothing. This was evident during our slow-motion shoot, where we could see the subtle movement of Scotty's jersey as he shot.

The lighting on the court also proved to be a challenge for the camera, but the Pixel 8 Pro handled it with ease. As we moved up to higher seats and adjusted our position, the phone adapted to the changing light conditions, capturing each frame with precision and accuracy.

Throughout our shoot, I was impressed by the camera's performance, particularly in low-light environments. The resulting footage was crisp and clear, with minimal noise or artifacts. This bodes well for future content creators who will be utilizing this device for their work.

In conclusion, the Pixel 8 Pro's camera is a game-changer, offering exceptional features, impressive low-light performance, and an intuitive interface that makes it easy to capture stunning video and photos. Whether you're a professional content creator or just a casual shooter, this phone has something to offer.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso you guys know I've been a fan of the pixel devices for a while and one of the main reasons that I've been such a fan is the way that the camera performs and the way that Google treats computational photography and increasingly video as well I got an opportunity to do a very unusual kind of camera test using the pixel 8 Pro and you're going to find out what that is as this video progresses but first let's talk a little bit about what makes the pixel 8 Pro camera special cameras special so in front of me I've got the three color options obviously we've got black which they call obsidian this bay blue which is kind of a nice tone of blue and then lastly the porcelain which has a kind of beige tone to it I'm going to go for the blue in this case now actually in my Hands-On video I didn't show you the unboxing experience so real quick this is how everything's packaged together I like the fact that we have this matte finish and then uh the glossy frame so most of it is fairly fingerprint resistant the device feels obviously very high quality the distinctive characteristic on all these pixel devices now is this camera bar which is different from the rest of the market which seems to slam the camera up into a corner or have some other protrusion one of the side benefits of that is that it you're typing if it's laying flat on a table so it doesn't wobble it's got a no wobble situation and I presume it also has some benefits for camera layout in general certainly when it comes to jamming in this five times optical zoom camera which as you'll find out later in this video is quite useful beyond the 5x because of the computational work that Google's capable of doing in order to produce usable images even beyond the optical zoom but 5x Optical is already great the other thing we've got here is a 48 megapix Ultra wide originally were kind of this thing that manufacturers overlooked or they put them in there but it wasn't a huge emphasis this time around around we've got an improvement in this area and Ultra wide cameras tend to be my favorites they're great for shooting architecture big groups of people things like this and just capturing more in the frame and then we've also got the 50 megapixel main camera which that's your best performer better lowlight performance F 1.65 aperture and then there's one more camera on the device as well that's on the front obviously this is a 10.5 megapixel also wider than you might find on other models and this just makes it easier to take those group shots as well so lots of considerations and changes in the camera department and then of course the software aspects that allow you to use Magic Eraser and Specialty things within the camera app that are exclusive to pixel so the only other items in the package type-c cable and then this little dongle USB c2a just for transferring your data over all right so what what does this mean for you obviously we're going to get our camera versatility here but of course you guys have seen the famous plant far too many times at this point so we had the opportunity to spice up this camera test and head somewhere unusual we are at scoa Bank Arena right now and they gave us a court we're on the court like we have the court right now and Mo's shooting on the pixel8 pro and Will's shooting on the pixel 8 and I've yet to make a a three-point shot but I'm going to before I leave or until they kick me out like one or the other until I make it or until they kick me out oh that was oh never mind I'll just make it right now everybody Scotty Barnes right here we're hoping you can show us around this place a little bit show us around so today we're shooting on these Google pixel phones what we're really trying to do is do a camera test and see what they're capable of basically these have gotten a lot better at shooting video and photos almost like a lot more like a real big camera so there's a couple of different tests we want to do so obviously you have your 1X right there yeah get your 5x which is Optical but you can keep going on the digital zoom and you'll see the processing take place because like it's still usable that in the past you would need some huge long lens in order to achieve this and look at the Quality how they're actually achieving that me zooming far away on them look at him he staring at me that's what I'm saying usually with phones you know you zoom in and it just like automatically is bur you can't really see it yeah but I think it's pretty solid you've also got obviously really wide this has a portrait mode on it this one it like isolates you from the background see how you get this blur over here yeah now typically on a smartphone shot that stuff's going to still be in Focus yes and normally that's really good the other thing that is doing in the background is trying to figure out the edge on your clothes over here see it's tough right but it actually does a pretty good job of isolating you from the back it does when you're dealing with the slowmo you can kind of grab a section like we're doing over here and you can pick whichever segment you want to be slowed down there's two different settings for like really slow or sort of slow then they've got another cool mode which is the Cinematic mode which like the portrait photo that tries to blur the background does the same but in video first shot ooh hey two woo again that was the one that's the one and then my my deep voice in slow-mo as well at the end of it celebrate that was your voice like wait what is that noise just uh explaining how how um like different the cord is when you're on it like versus on on TV well the whole stadium really it's like you get a it's intimate it's like a lot more intimate than you expect and the lighting is much better than you expect as well especially when you're on the court so like when we were talking about doing a camera test on these pixel phones and shooting video and photos we were like oh we're going to be struggling with lighting like it's like a relatively low light environment and it is in certain sections obviously as you like move up to uh higher seats and different positions to spectate but on the coure not only is it the lighting itself but it's also like the bounce off of and the Shimmer off of the the floor it gives you twice as much light as you might expect like the light color floor so obviously I've never played on this court or like barely played basketball in a while but this is such a satisfying bounce man and predictable bounce yep nope man that Rim is so unforgiving there we go so there you have it that is the new pixel 8 Pro and a very special camera test that we were able to run I got to give a shout out to Google mlsc and obviously Scotty Barnes for letting us come into his territory letting us have access to the court and kind of a like a life experience to be out there shooting threes at the Scotia Bank Arena like that was pretty cool who knows maybe in the future we'll we'll have some of these upgraded camera tests again hopefully you guys enjoyed it the pixel devices have come such a far away it started with the camera it's still about the camera so there you have it that's the new pixel 8 Pro\n"