Nat and Lo is a YouTube Channel that started out as a '20% project' within Google and has an objective to 'demystify the technology in our everyday lives.' Now the makers of the channel have published a video that was almost entirely shot with Google's recently announced Pixel high-end smartphone.
The Pixel comes with a A 6-element lens with F2.0 aperture, a 1/2.3" 12.3MP sensor with 1.55µm sized pixels, on-sensor phase detection with laser-assist and a gyroscope-based electronic video-stabilization system. The demo video shows off all of those capabilities and features, mixing 4K output of the front camera with 1080p Full HD footage from the front camera and some slow-motion sequences. A comparison shot shows the efficiency of the new video stabilization system and viewers can enjoy some nice still images and panorama shots of New York City.
The video doesn't really show anything that we would not have seen before on various other mobile devices but gives a good overview of the Pixel's imaging capabilities. To judge for yourself watch the video at the top of this page and don't forget to flick on the 4K switch on YouTube.
So you have a great camera, on iPhone now every app will have support for RAW image editing. What about Pixel? How many apps support DNG input? So yes you have 4K video, but can you edit it? Again on iPhone Apple gives iMovie. On iPhone even Google Photos allows you to create and edit videos, not so on Android. Premium phone? So essentially you getting a cheap phone with 2-3 years of Google Drive subscription to store your videos/photos without quality loss. Then hopefully to another Pixel that will pay for storage for another couple of years. So if you compare Pixel with Axon 7 or LePro 3 and OP3 all 400$ phones and add $100 per year for 1tb Google Drive subscription you end-up in the Google Pixel price category. If you look at Pixel from this point of view its price is not so bad.
Nice image quality. 1/2.3 and moderate 12MP resolution has good results. I wouldn't mind a hump on that smartphone in exchange for OIS.
The price is iPhone territory though. For the same money, I might choose the iPhone despite I'm locked into Google's ecosystem and never bought anything Apple.
Had to stop after less than a min. Most annoying to see NY mothers act like their pre school play dates. Google, this is a fail. I like the comment below in giving it to real kids and not 40 year olds forcebly acting like one. Things to keep in mind, Sony makes the camera for the latest iPhone. HTC makes the Pixel phone, but not sure who makes the camera for it. The video stabilizer seems to work well though.
I have had the courage and I watched the entire video, more than 2 minutes long, but I had the same feeling of discomfort, one of two women in particular with all the continuous hyper-ultra childish expressions, rather pathetic.
What kind of narrow-minded ageism B.S. is that? People can act however they want, as long as they aren't hurting anyone. They're probably much happier than you are. My wife and I are in our 40's and we act like children all the time, because it keeps us young at heart.
I know cameras that are WAY better than this Pixel phone. The quality of this footage is unusable in any given situation. I prefer to use my CAMERA for taking pictures, my CALENDAR to remember important dates and my CALCULATOR to do my math. Who needs a GPS when MAPS has worked perfectly fine the last 1000 years or so??
For your information the calculator is mechanical and not one of those digital ones. Heavy but WAY more reliable.
Was great to watch this 4k video and appreciate the high quality and convenience such a slim portable device can give. The comment "The quality of this footage is unusable in any given situation." is just beyond belief.
The other comments remind me of the caveman who said to his son "Fire, we never had fire when I was a kid..."
Daniel... I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! I imagine you were sitting at a desk and someone handing you a typewritten document of this webpage and you using a typewriter to bang out a comment to give to someone like the old telegraph days to post the comment for you! So what do you use that is better than the Pixel phone? 8mm or one of them video cameras that uses the full-size VHS tapes?
Reading all the snarky comments below was quite amusing. If the dinosaurs had internet and could type, they probably would had been making similarly snarky comments, as the asteroid that cause their extinction was careening toward the Yucatan. Please keep the entertainment coming!
Pretty good; except where the fauxkeh effect obliterated the dinosaur on her shoulder. Dinolegs, sharp; dinotorso, gone.
So, cameraphone makers, who's up for the f/0.5 challenge; so we can have some real wideangle bokeh? ;) Actually it would make cameraphones a lot more useful in low light too. Win win - well except for the giant and expensive handset ;)
Except even f/0.5 would only be f/3.0 or so on 35mm aperture-size wise. I don't think you can get very good bokeh with wide angle at that aperture. I mean without really close minimum focusing distance.
I've never heard of them and, frankly, the curmudgeon in me thinks they are a bit too perky, and a bit too old to be perky. I don't do perky with any sort of joy as it is.
That being said, the phone looks pretty interesting. I like QuarterToDoom's suggestion of giving it to a bunch of HS kids. I like new applications, but as an old guy, I don't always think up new ones. I can however adopt/adapt like all hell.
Panasonic's Lumix DC-GX9 is a 20MP rangefinder-style mirrorless camera that aims to do a bit of everything. It borrows features from both the GX8 and the smaller GX80 / GX85, but does it strike the right balance?
App-based remote triggers are a fun and effective way to unlock even more creative potential from your camera. Here's a closer look at two popular brands.
Unlike most 360 cameras, the GoPro Fusion is designed to create both spherical and standard HD videos. If action/adventure is your game and your workflow is geared towards mobile and web, the Fusion may be the camera you’re looking for.
The Hasselblad X1D-50c is a mirrorless medium format camera from one of the most famous camera brands of the 20th century. Following a series of feature-enhancing firmware updates we've been able to complete our review.
The LG G7 ThinQ is a flagship device with a dual camera that departs from the norm: rather than the usual tele/wide combo, it offers wide and super-wide angle lenses. While it doesn't produce class-leading image quality, it's a solid option if you favor wide-angle shooting.
The instant camera market is heating up, and with four formats and 15+ cameras to choose from, we felt it was high time to examine them all and pick our favorite.
Whether you're hitting the beach in the Northern Hemisphere or the ski slopes in the Southern, a rugged compact camera makes a great companion. In this buying guide we've taken a look at seven current models and chosen our favorites.
What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best.
What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.
What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.
Panasonic's Lumix DC-GX9 is a 20MP rangefinder-style mirrorless camera that aims to do a bit of everything. It borrows features from both the GX8 and the smaller GX80 / GX85, but does it strike the right balance?
Apparently, Huawei hasn't learned its lesson. Two years after passing off a DSLR image as a smartphone image, it's once again misleading consumers in a new, 30-second advertisement for its Novi 3 and 3i smartphones.
Nikon has posted teaser number five for its full-frame mirrorless system being announced in just three days. In this one, early users of the camera share their first impressions, and there's also a quick glimpse of an F-mount adapter.
It's not just the Seattle team celebrating ten years since the announcement of the first mirrorless system. Chris and Jordan have also been looking back at the camera that started it all: the Panasonic Lumix DMC G1.
On a hot and hazy afternoon, DPR staffer Carey Rose took the Panasonic Lumix GX9 and Lumix G Vario 35-100mm F2.8 lens to a neighborhood music festival to gather some impressions of the autofocus system. Here's what he found.
The European Imaging and Sound Association has announced the winners of its 2018-19 awards, with Sony doing particularly well and coming away with five of the eighteen prizes.
When it was introduced earlier this year, Google's new cloud storage service wasn't available to new customers. Now, anyone in the US can sign up for a Google One plan, starting at $2/month for 100GB of storage.
DJI has launched a new video teasing its upcoming launch event. The August 23 date is more than a month later than the original July 18 event date given by DJI back in June.
A veteran wildlife photographer and typically a Nikon shooter, Aaron Baggenstos took the Sony a9 on a recent trip to the Alaskan Wilderness. Find out his impressions of the camera and see some of the incredible images he was able to capture.
Owners of V-mount Hasselblad lenses will now be able to use their modern and historic glass on the front of the Hasselblad X1D. The XV adapter hinted at late last year has now been officially announced and will cost €199 / $249 / £179.
Scottish whisky producer Macallen has teamed up with photographic cooperative Magnum Photos to create a single malt whisky in collaboration with Steve McCurry, Martin Parr, Paolo Pellegrin, Mark Power, Gueorgui Pinkhassov and Alec Soth.
App-based remote triggers are a fun and effective way to unlock even more creative potential from your camera. Here's a closer look at two popular brands.
The photography competition seeks "pictures that show the importance of health in society and the impact health issues have on people and communities worldwide."
Nikon has posted another teaser video for its upcoming full-frame mirrorless system featuring some classic Nikkor lenses. Perhaps the most notable thing about the video is the lens that's shown first...
Following the CES 2017 announcement of its revival, Kodak Alaris has started shipping test rolls of its new Ektachrome to photographers for beta testing.
Take an inside look at the work that goes into testing Nikon cameras from drops, dust, water and debris. There were definitely cameras harmed in the making of this video.
In a press release issued this morning, Sony announced it has sold more full-frame cameras than any other brand in the US over the past six months, measured both by units sold and by value.
Unlike most 360 cameras, the GoPro Fusion is designed to create both spherical and standard HD videos. If action/adventure is your game and your workflow is geared towards mobile and web, the Fusion may be the camera you’re looking for.
Alex and Kathryn are photographers, friends and Tokyo residents who love exploring Japan's hidden cultural treasures. They each brought a Canon EOS M50 on a recent trip starting in bustling Tokyo and ending in the peaceful riverside town of Gujo Hachiman.
Net SE, the parent company behind the likes of Oprema Jena, Meyer Optik Görlitz, Emil Busch, C.P. Goerz, Ihagee and A. Schacht products has filed for bankruptcy and removed itself from the German stock exchange.
Canon's latest 70-200mm F4L comes with a five stops of image stabilization, a new coat of paint and impressive sharpness. We've been shooting with our copy for several weeks now - see how it stacks up in our sample gallery.
Special 4K and 6K Photo modes may be one of the most under-appreciated features on recent cameras. In this week's episode, Chris and Jordan take a closer look at these modes and explain why – and when – you'll be glad to have them on your camera.
Ten years ago this month Panasonic and Olympus announced a new concept called Micro Four Thirds. We're now on the brink of full-frame mirrorless from at least one major player, so perhaps it's a good time to take a look back at where it all started – and how far we've come.
Comments