Google Camera update strips wide-angle astrophotography from Pixels
Recognition: David Imel / Android Authority
- Google has tacitly stopped support for astrophotography for wide-angle shooters on Pixel phones.
- Version 8.1 of the Google camera app now only allows night sky recordings with 1x zoom or closer.
- It is unclear if the option to switch between the two cameras will be rolled back on these phones at a later date.
Google initially allowed users to take astrophotography images with the primary or ultrawide cameras Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. Now it seems that the company has tacitly removed that selection in the latest Google Camera app.
Version 8.1 of the app as from 9to5GoogleWith this option, users will no longer be able to select the 16MP 107 degree wide angle camera when recording in special mode. Instead, the app now restricts users to the 12-megapixel primary shooter with at least 1x zoom.
It’s unclear why Google excluded the ultra-wide shooter from the stargazing fun, but this may be due to the overall quality of the snapper in this regard. Contributions to Google’s Pixel Help forums help. One user explains that taking pictures with 1x is “amazing” while taking pictures with the wide-angle lens is “awful, green, blotchy and full of noise”. Several users on this thread share this feeling as well.
The above snapshots were taken by forum visitor Harvey Etheridge on the Pixel 5. You can see the differences in hue and noise of the wide-angle view (right) compared to the product of the primary camera.
Commercial light for a larger view
Recognition: David Imel / Android Authority
This may be due to the design of ultrawide shooters themselves, who sacrifice light and overall quality for a larger field of view. This becomes even more apparent when the light is absent – especially when capturing the night sky.
Load surveyUnfortunately, while Google’s move could be an attempt to improve the overall quality of astrophotography on the pixels, the phones are being freed from a mode that makes the experience more enjoyable. In our Pixel 4 XL review, we complained about the lack of a wide angle lens for astrophotography on this phone. Taking pictures with the main camera just doesn’t do justice to the scale and breadth of the night sky.
It’s unclear if Google is working on a more refined overhaul for the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 smart wide-angle astrophotography smarts, but for now, it’s going to have to be foregone.
Next: The best cell phones with ultra-wide rear cameras
