Promising “clear night shots equivalent to full-frame camera”, “incredible macro photography” and “high-quality footage”, the new Sony Xperia 1 VII can also capture “a world invisible to the naked eye”.

The new Sony Xperia 1 VII has not changed much in terms of its camera setup. The smartphone features the same wide-angle lens used in the previous model, offering 24mm/48mm (equivalent to 2x optical zoom in 35mm) and equipped with the ‘Exmor T for mobile’ image sensor, which also has excellent low-light performance, according to Sony. Thanks to this image sensor, the company notes, “high-quality footage with bright and clear video is possible even when cropping the image using AI Camerawork and Auto Framing. Additionally, the telephoto lens, which provides optical zoom from 85mm to 170mm (35mm equivalent), allows for “high-resolution images of distant subjects”, according to Sony.

What’s new is a 16mm ultra-wide-angle lens equipped with a larger 48MP 1/1.56-inch sensor, approximately 2.1 times larger than the previous model, allowing for clear night shots equivalent, Sony claims ”to full-frame cameras, with low noise and wide dynamic range. It has minimal distortion and can also capture close-up shots from about 5cm away for incredible macro photography.” The telephoto can also be used for macro and at a focal length of 120mm the lens can focus as close as 4cm from the subject, for nearly 2x magnification, capturing a world invisible to the naked eye.

A smartphone with Alpha heart

Designed in collaboration with the engineers of its α (Alpha) digital cameras, Walkman portable audio players and BRAVIA televisions, and incorporating cutting-edge technologies found in these iconic dedicated Sony devices, the Sony Xperia 1 VII explores AI technologies cultivated in these various fields and includes them, optimised for Xperia as ‘Xperia Intelligence’, to enhance the experience of its camera capabilities, audio, and viewing.

The results, as far as camera experience goes, are visible in the new features named ‘AI Camerawork’ and ‘Auto Framing’ that, according to Sony, allow you to capture stable and framed composition videos even when you take your eyes off the shooting screen. ​

The new ‘AI Camera Work’ feature helps, Sony adds, to create pro level stable and framed videos, keeping the subject fixed in the centre of the composition, even in situations where you’re walking around while filming a moving subject. This is achieved through powerful image stabilisation and posture estimation technology, ensuring the subject’s position remains consistent so that professional-looking video is possible for even the most novice camera users. One note of caution, though: depending on the situation, there may be instances where a subject other than the intended one is locked or framed. In such cases, Sony states, you’ll need to specify the intended subject again.

Live streaming made easy

Additionally, ‘Auto Framing’ uses AI to track the subject and automatically crops the shot to centre it on the screen (again, users may need to confirm, in some instances, that AI has done the job as required… and refocus on the intended subject if needed). When filming a moving subject, you can simply point the camera roughly at the shooting subject and it will automatically capture it without you having to chase it yourself. This Auto Framing, allows you to take two types of videos: one showing the whole scene and another cropped to focus on a close-up of the subject.

Built with industry-leading Alpha technology, Creative Look and S-Cinetone for mobile ensures colour and tonality much more typical of a professional camera than a smartphone, the Sony Xperia 1 VII features up to 30 frames per second with AF/AE burst shots and 4K 120fps HDR video recording. Sony’s Pro Photo and Pro Video camera interfaces are inherited directly from Alpha cameras for professional flexibility, so users can. capture RAW photographs, and leverage full manual control over shutter, exposure, and much more.

Live streaming to YouTube or other platforms supporting Realtime Messaging Protocol (RTMP) while still benefitting from premium camera features, like S-Cinetone for mobile, makes the Sony Xperia 1 VII a tool to consider for vlogging. A live chat viewing function is also available, enabling interaction with your audience. Sony states that with “vlogging has never been easier” thanks to the new device; simply select your photos, videos, music and the duration, “and the Xperia will automatically create an influencer-level video.”

Sony Xperia 1 VII gets four OS version upgrades

Equipped with Qualcomm’s latest chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the NPU, CPU, and GPU have each been improved by over 40%, meaning fast AI processing is supported during shooting and high-performance gaming environments while reducing battery consumption. Additionally, when “Processing Optimization” is turned on, it achieves up to 10% power savings for specific uses such as social media, web browsing, and online video viewing and enable two days of active use. Furthermore, following a trend seen recently in the industry, the Sony Xperia 1 VII supports up to four OS version upgrades and six years of security updates, allowing for comfortable use over an extended period.

The Sony Xperia 1 VII is now available to order in Slate Black, Moss Green and Orchid Purple direct from Sony and select online retailers (depending on the country) for approximately €1499/£1399, which translates to $1,650… although there is no indication when the model will be available in the US.