Sony’s flagship Xperia Z replaces the still-fresh Xperia T at the top of the company’s roster. The Z’s breakout feature is its display, which crams the resolution of the high definition TV in your living room into a 5-inch screen, yielding stratospheric pixel densities. The upgrades are otherwise less dramatic, with a few incremental spec bumps (more RAM, more cores). The Z’s external design is a substantial departure from its predecessor, with a hard-edged, iPhoneish form rather than the T’s unusual curves. 

The Z’s camera carries forward the T’s 13-megapixel resolution, and on paper there’s little to distinguish its imaging technology from Sony’s last generation. We put the Z through its paces to see how its camera performance and features stack up against the competition. 

Key Photographic / Video Specifications

  • 13-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor
  • F2.4 lens
  • LED flash
  • 1080p 30fps video recording
  • 2MP front camera with 1080p video
  • HDR (including video) and panorama modes
  • Scene modes
  • Digital image stabilization
  • 16X digital zoom

Other Specifications

  • 1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
  • Android 4.1.2
  • 5-inch 1920x1080 443 ppi display
  • Water and dust-sealed body
  • 2GB RAM
  • 16GB storage (11GB user accessible)
  • Micro SD Card support up to 32GB 

Our 10-page review

We've considered every aspect of the Sony Xperia Z camera, with the photographer in mind. We examined the user interface of the native camera app and its special features. We experimented with the camera's performance when taking stills and video, and had a play with the device's many special feature modes. Click any of the links below for more information of specific functions and continue to our conclusion for a final summary of our findings.