#xperiazbe

The summer of 2013 was my best summer ever. I studied Norwegian at the University of Bergen and went sightseeing in the weekends. Maybe "sightseeing" isn't the right word... Well, I hiked very much and was able to take pictures of really great views: lakes, mountains, fjords and the sea.

As usual, I made a video of my whole experience, completely filmed with my Sony Xperia Z!

After the iPhone 5S and 5C presentation last Tuesday, I just had to compare them with my own Sony Xperia Z.

I compared the price, display, CPU, RAM, battery, networks, front and back camera:

I've been a Sony Xperia Z ambassador for a month now and it has been very fun! Here are some thoughts about the phone.

** MY FINAL THOUGHT

✔ THE DESIGN is great: the phone is thin and light. I got used to the large, 5 inch screen after less than a day. ✔ THE SCREEN. Despite its limited viewing angle, I'm still positive about it: it's perfect for watching movies, reading an e-book or view some pictures. Setting the brightness a little higher will take away your (possible) viewing angle problem.  ✔ THE PERFORMANCE. The 1.5 GHz quad core snapdragon processor just rocked my world. It made the whole phone super-responsive. Gaming also went great, as I mentioned in my video reviews earlier. ✔ THE CAMERA. The camera starts up quickly and makes perfect 13.1 megapixel photos. Since the firmware update, the photos became even better and I'll definitely be using this on future holidays.

So all in all, I'm very happy with this phone. But how did my social followers react?

** REACTIONS from my followers

"As an iPhone-guy I'm still a fan of your reviews. They're clear, professional and realistic. Great job!" by Pieter-Jan Debouver

"thats how people should take their time to make phone videos, that was awesome" by Eduardo Ramirez

"I can't wait for your upcoming reviews!" by Tibo De Bree

"Respect for your work with the reviews of the Xperia Z!" by a student after class

"Can I buy your phone after you review it?" by a student

"Great vid. Good work" by roeshak10

"nice review :) own a z too." by Avelino Bryan

"Great job" by Pwnogosaurus

"Woah! First time to know that! Silly me!" (video about taking screenshots) by jagthesoldier

"This phone beats s4 and htc one" by superphone xperiaz

"Subbed for xperia z news and stuff" by Pwnogosaurus

"Thank you sony!!!!!!!!" by JinKazama92

"The best smartphone no.1 2013 all in one phone" by superphone xperiaz

The Sony Xperia Z isn't only water resistant, it also has a great camera. The past weeks I went out to test it in various places in Belgium and the Netherlands. This also means that I was able to take pictures and film in both good and bad weather. 

In this review I'll be comparing the main features, show you original footage of the phone and the specific camera functions.

••• MAIN FEATURES

Before I go into detail, let's just overview the specifications of the camera:

13.1 megapixel back camera

2 megapixel front camera

FULL HD filming with the front and back camera!

If you're interested in comparing this to the big phones at this moment:

iPhone 5: 8 MP back camera, 1.2 MP front camera, Full HD filming back, HD (720p) front

Samsung Galaxy S4: 13 MP back camera, 2 MP front camera, Full HD filming back and front

HTC One: 4 MP back camera, 2.1 MP front camera, Full HD filming back and front

••• SAMPLE PHOTOS

Here are some pictures I've taken with the Xperia Z. Please note that these have been taken before the firmware update had been released. You can find more information over here.

  ••• VIDEO SAMPLE

Watch a sample video compilation I made with my Xperia Z. All video has been shot with the phone, without enhancement! The video you'll be watching has been exported and uploaded in the same resolution as the original footage, so feel free to watch it in full HD. 

Please note that I just noticed that my stabilizator had been switched on the whole time (I recommend to turn it off when you want to film while walking or turning).

Please set the video to full HD when watching.

  ••• THE CAMERA APP

Starting the camera...

The camera starts quickly and you'll easily be able to snap pictures when you want to. You'll find the snap and record-buttons on the right, and all settings on the left.

Camera modes

The camera app has 9 different modes:

Superior Auto, which will detect what's best for you (back light, macro mode, etc.)

Normal, where you can set whatever you like

Video camera

Burst, to snap more than one picture at a time

Picture effect

Sweep Panorama

Scene selection

Front camera

Front video

Scenes

  Picture effect

Many picture effects to choose from. The effects Sketch, Kaleidoscope and Fisheye are my favourite. You can even customize the effects... Kaleidoscope for instance lets you change the size of the pattern by just pinching the screen.

Panorama sweep

To make a panorama shot, just set the camera mode to "Panorama sweep" and move your camera slowly. On the bottom left you can choose whether the camera should adjust its brightness or not. 

HDR, one of the Xperia Z's key features

You can't only take pictures with HDR effect, you can also film in HDR mode! This makes it possible to film against the light and to let colours stand out more, while non-HDR photos and videos will turn out dark.

Camera settings

When HDR is switched off, you can take pictures up to 13.1 megapixels. When HDR is switched on, you can still take wonderful 12 megapixel shots.

One of the camera settings is "Smile shutter", which will automatically take a picture when everyone on it is smiling. You can also adjust the "smile amount" according to your friends' enthusiasm...

Well, that's it. Remember to watch the video above to see the results of my filming the past weeks!