If there’s something that Sony has had time to master, it’s making pro-grade and consumer-level cameras that appeal to the entire spectrum of consumers that they cater to. And the company does this so flawlessly, which is why they currently are number one in the Mirrorless camera market but it seems that Sony is looking to bump other brands and be number one in the smartphone camera division, and their new Xperia Pro I might just be what the ‘photographer ordered’ (Get it?).
Quick Overview; The new Xperia Pro I features a 6.5 inch 4K OLED screen, a 4500 mAh battery, snapdragon 888 processor which already makes it a flagship contender but the cherry on this already ice cake is the inclusion of the first ever one inch sensor on a smartphone. One inch sensors are typical used in point and shoot cameras like the Sony ZV1 or Canon G series (or the rumored incoming Mavic 3 Pro). This simply means that the sensor is built for serious photography that isn’t based off of computation and processing algorithm (or maybe it’ll be a hybrid that combines both worlds, the possibilities are endless).
The main camera is supported by an ultra wide angle camera and a standard portrait camera both at 16mm and 50mm respectively. While the main camera does feature a 20 megapixel 1 inch sensor, Sony has chosen to use a base-line of 12 megapixels each for all three cameras effectively cropping into the one inch sensor but that has no bearing on image quality as most reviewers have stated. It also features a 3D iToF sensor that instantly calculates the distance between the camera and your subject, ensuring fast, accurate autofocus in any scene. All 3 lenses support phase-detection AF.
The cameras shoot 4K video, have a photo burst mode of 20fps, shoot 12 bit RAW images so you can play around in post processing to get the best out of that sensor and features optical image stabilization. The phone also doubles as an external monitor (just like the previously released Xperia 1 III).
The new Xperia Pro-I will be available in December for $1,800 but you can pre-order now if you’re so pleased with the specs. Below is Sony’s official introductory video of the smart phone.
