Related
I'm well aware of the specs and I have been wanting to get a Z ultra for quite some time but I have waited until now.
Hands down, I like the bigger screen on the Z Ultra and the price of it makes it even more enticing. Where as the Z2 has faster/newer internals(CPU, etc.), better camera, and a flash(I'm so annoyed by the ZU not having a flash! I used the led flash as a flashlight all the time), but at a more expensive price.
What's your guys' take on it? Waiting is kind of out of the question(I heard about the Z3X which sounds like my next phone after this one... I don't like paying premiums for new releases)... I prefer something stable and working decently out of the box(I know, this is xda).
Key points:
Z Ultra:
+Price is lower
+Bigger screen
-slower
-worse camera, no flash
Z2:
+Faster/updated internals
+better camera
-costs more
Also, I heard there was a decent note taking app from Sony for the Z Ultra, where you could use a stylus and take notes(sort of like the Samsung Galaxy Note series), is that app available for the Z2 as well(anyone happen to know?)?
Thanks in advance, I appreciate any input. What's your take on it? I think I could go either way, I hear about lag on both units(I'm sure rooting can help, but I might keep it simple for now and use it out of the box for rooting/modding).
I happens to have a Z2 here (it is not mine but I got the responsibility to configure it) and all I can say is that it is a great device BUT wouldn't dream about replacing my Ultra. My Ultra is very smooth (CandyKat at the moment with GreatDevs V1 and OC to 2.46 GHz) and the only benefit I can see with the Z2 is more or less the camera when I make the comparison.
I am not talking down the Z2 when I say this but the Ultra offer a great package with a screen that make it a tablet replacement. The Z2 on the other hand is a great device for a person that has a Z today (which I also have) and I would recommend it warmly... if there wasn't an Ultra in the house (or rather two).
Since I read a lot and browse the Internet and so forth, the big screen of the Ultra wins me over - hands down.
camera camera camera. if you want to take even one photo then z2. i own a ultra as a backup to my note 4. the camera on the ultra is really just sad. but everything else is great.
pushcush1983 said:
camera camera camera. if you want to take even one photo then z2. i own a ultra as a backup to my note 4. the camera on the ultra is really just sad. but everything else is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera is poor in poor light but otherwise is not that bad other than over sharpining of the jpg
a buddy of mine has the z2...
i bought a z ultra like 2 weeks ago since its even cheaper than the original z
he saw it today and now he wants to replace his z2 with an z ultra
he doesn't use the camera and also he doesnt game much
camera would be my only concern though
also the led flash, if you just wanna have a flashlight, you can the big screen, its decent enough for finding your stuff in the dark
cant talk about hickups since i dont run stock (and never will / or did)
both phones seem blazing fast to me, i really dont think the performance of the z2 is much better
my last phones were a htc magic and galaxy s-plus, just so u know
also i have to say, since i got the ultra, i don't want to use any smaller phone anymore.. they seem so small and bad to use
Thanks to everyone who responded!
Helps a lot. It seems like the more I hear from Z Ultra users, the more I hear about how they love the device despite it's shortcomings(ie: camera and no flash).
I agree, once you behold such a big screen it's hard to go back!
How is battery life? And just to throw it out there, what are some of the custom roms you guys recommend that may improve the battery life/performance?
I was slightly concerned that the slower cpu/gpu might affect performance, and I was going to try to avoid custom roms for the sake of simplicity, but haha, it seems to be unavoidable with most devices I get.
You can slash "Slower" right away. If you care about games, the Z ultra is better desipite having an Older SoC, simply because of its Size.
Besides, even in stock rom, I experience no lags, even with the stock launcher, im in 4.4.4.
Get the Z2 If you want relatively smaller phone, 5 coll isnt really "Small" but compared to the Z ultra, it is.
The camera in the Z2 is also better and has flash LEd.
You should ask yourself, do you want a one handed phone thats fairly recent and a good camera or a 2 handed one, which is amaizing for multi media and reading.
Considering the price of the ZU, you get a premium phone for an amaizing price, just dont treat this phone as a normal phone, it might not fit in the pockets.
I love my ZU.
I snooze I lose, I should've gotten a Z Ultra from the Sony store US site while I still had the chance for it's great price, now it's gone and taken off the site. Now, I'm only looking at the Z2, and behold, my waiting has resulted in the Z2 being back ordered. I could really use a phone by mid January. So I'm still open, but the ZU is probably a closed door for me unless I can find it brand new for a great price and with a warranty. I'm also looking at the LG G pro 2(but it's really pricey for the F530-US At&t compatible LTE) or even a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (the price has really fallen on that phone lately).
A lot of people are having this problem right now as ZU gotten much cheaper. First of all you should decide what's most important for you in your smartphone and how you're going to use it. Both are really great but designed for different kind of people. To help you choose, I'll give you some pros and cons of both devices.
Xperia Z Ultra (I own standard edition but this will mostly apply to GPE as well)
Pros:
- huge screen, which makes browsing the web and watching the movies very comfortable,
- excellent performance in applications and games, backed up by nicely optimized system and solid stock kernel,
- because of it's size ZU doesn't throttle, which is not common in most of the high end 5 inch +/- smartphones packed with Snapdragon 800+, including Xperia Z2, (actually ZU does throttle but just a little, which is not event felt in games)
- operating temperatures are acceptable during stress, which makes sure that battery and hardware will last a little longer (especially non replaceable battery),
- very solid stand by and calling battery life,
- excellent microphone which makes calls really great,
- it's very cheap, considering how premium it's.
Cons:
- lack of flash, this is a problem if you want to make a photos in bad lighting conditions or you need a lighter,
- still photos quality is decent, improved auto mode is kind of useless and makes photos with huge amount of noise. You can
make some of the nice photos during day out of the ZU using manual settings though, photos made in poor lighting conditions are out of question,
- it's too big to use single handed (unless you have huge hands) and you might have some problems putting it in your pocket, might be too heavy for some people,
- front camera is pretty bad,
- battery life is at best only decent, if you're using a lot of screen, you'll need to charge everyday,
- speakers could be louder.
Xperia Z2:
Pros:
- Excellent cameras, still photos and recordings have amazing quality, both selfie and back camera,
- Can record very detailed 4K videos,
- It's much more handy and can be used single handed without problems, it's also much lighter than ZU and easilly pocketable,
- Pretty great battery life, especially with screen on, in some cases almost 2 times better than ZU,
- Speaker is much louder and call quality is also very good,
- It has 3 GB of ram,
- Propably it will be updated to 5.0 faster than ZU.
Cons:
- it has updated specs but in real usage it's weaker than Z Ultra, especially in games because of bigger throttling,
- it's not that smooth, compared to Z Ultra, on 4.4.2 in Z2 i experienced a bit of lagging, opposite to silky smooth ZU on 4.4.4,
- has much smaller screen, which is not as comfortable as ZU screen to use,
- can get very hot during games,
- overheating problems during 4k recording.
Both are finely crafted devices, you can't go wrong with both of them. But keep in mind, that if you need a handy smartphone that can be used single handed then ZU it's not a good choice for you.
Hi,
I'm selling my Z5 Compact under MM. The decision was hard because I kinda love the fingerprint but...
The battery is a complete joke, it doesn't last a day compared to my old Z3C which is far more better in everything,
The device gets warm and hot all the time, in any application I go (I have no games and I mostly use Google apps and Telegram)
The back camera glass protector has some problem, see: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-compact/help/dirty-camera-glass-protection-t3336230
I'm going to take back my good old Z3 Compact which is far more better.
And you ? Do you also share the same feelings about it ?
Before the MM update - yes, I felt the same. Since MM and the newest update mine has been great.
If it weren't for z3c side charging I would have never chosen the z5c. I'm holding onto mine for a bit longer until this HTC mini, s7 mini, and xiaomi mini release. Front facing speakers are keeping me from downgrading back to a mini Samsung for the time being.
And as far as battery life and heat issues I'm right on the same page. I've adapted to it for now by quick charging at lunch time to get me through the work day and clipping phone to me so I'm not burning myself in my pocket.
I am thinking about doing that too, but there are 2 things that keeping me from that, fingerprint sensor and camera! I don't know what to do, wait for S7 Mini,go for S7, wait for SONY to maybe fix issues of this phone or what else?
I think if only this phone had 3GBs of RAM we had no problem or even SONY used good old Snapdragon 801!
i had drain and heat problem until i shutoff 4G, now (3G.5HPSA) only dosnt need really need fast internet
now my phone is 40-90 hours average use , instand 12-30
i have 5.1.1 but maybe it will work also with 6, u can try
I am quite happy with the phones performance and battery life since MM, but I have now preordered the HTC10 and my neighbour is already waiting to buy the Z5C from me. If the HTC10 is as good as I beleive it is, I can overlook the fakt that I hate big phones in this case. Ive been a very happy HTC owner since the HD2 and lastly the M7. The Z5C is a great phone to me, but it will never be more than that. HTC usually managed to float my boat just that tiny bit better than the other brands
eivissa said:
I am quite happy with the phones performance and battery life since MM, but I have now preordered the HTC10 and my neighbour is already waiting to buy the Z5C from me. If the HTC10 is as good as I beleive it is, I can overlook the fakt that I hate big phones in this case. Ive been a very happy HTC owner since the HD2 and lastly the M7. The Z5C is a great phone to me, but it will never be more than that. HTC usually managed to float my boat just that tiny bit better than the other brands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to be a big HTC fan until they went to the one series. They are supposedly bring an h10 mini out with flagship specs this year. Hopefully they don't disappoint like the last two minis, I want to go HTC again.
eivissa said:
I am quite happy with the phones performance and battery life since MM, but I have now preordered the HTC10 and my neighbour is already waiting to buy the Z5C from me. If the HTC10 is as good as I beleive it is, I can overlook the fakt that I hate big phones in this case. Ive been a very happy HTC owner since the HD2 and lastly the M7. The Z5C is a great phone to me, but it will never be more than that. HTC usually managed to float my boat just that tiny bit better than the other brands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you know the HTC 10 has not stereo speakers anymore? only dual speakers one (lower) for bass and for top on high pitch
Z5C is kind the same thing BUT! still stereo , Z5C top speaker wave range of 150hz-22050KHz and bottom speaker is 500HZ-22050Khz (less bass)
Superrman said:
you know the HTC 10 has not stereo speakers anymore? only dual speakers one (lower) for bass and for top on high pitch
Z5C is kind the same thing BUT! still stereo , Z5C top speaker wave range of 150hz-22050KHz and bottom speaker is 500HZ-22050Khz (less bass)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude, I dont care about that stuff. If I want to listen to music I get me a proper stereo and speakers or headphones. Any cellphone speaker sounds horrible.
What kind of personality disorders do people have these days to need a stabilized photosensor for selfies? Is a look in the mirror in the morning not good enough anymore? Million megapixels cellphone cameras still make crappy pictures in comparison to any 100€ camera Ive gotten my hands on.
Marketing makes us beleive that we need so many things in our cellphones, but in the end they usualy cant to one thing great.
I bought the Z5C because it was the only product available that offered highclass specs in a small phone. I dont like the design of it, the picture quality, speaker sound quality, sony customizations...you name it. Its a good phone for what it is. A phone. Snappy performance and 2 days on a charge make me a happy user.
The HTC10 is not compact, which I am not happy about, but it has a beautiful design and HTC Sense. Apparently it also has better sound quality if you connect good headphones to it and I like to listen to music with the best possible quality. This is an archievable goal in a phone btw...dslr picture quality isnt!
If someone builds a phone with the size of the Z5C (or even smaller), 1080p resolution, aluminium body/looks like the HTC One series, happily dumps the selfy camera and top-spec hardware, but little to no changes to stock android, then I buy that phone in a heartbeat.
The complete contrast for me is Samsung now. Make it huge, put useless features on it and customize it to the max. Full throttle marketing bull**** in my mind, but people seem to love it.
eivissa said:
Dude, I dont care about that stuff. If I want to listen to music I get me a proper stereo and speakers or headphones. Any cellphone speaker sounds horrible.
What kind of personality disorders do people have these days to need a stabilized photosensor for selfies? Is a look in the mirror in the morning not good enough anymore? Million megapixels cellphone cameras still make crappy pictures in comparison to any 100€ camera Ive gotten my hands on.
Marketing makes us beleive that we need so many things in our cellphones, but in the end they usualy cant to one thing great.
I bought the Z5C because it was the only product available that offered highclass specs in a small phone. I dont like the design of it, the picture quality, speaker sound quality, sony customizations...you name it. Its a good phone for what it is. A phone. Snappy performance and 2 days on a charge make me a happy user.
The HTC10 is not compact, which I am not happy about, but it has a beautiful design and HTC Sense. Apparently it also has better sound quality if you connect good headphones to it and I like to listen to music with the best possible quality. This is an archievable goal in a phone btw...dslr picture quality isnt!
If someone builds a phone with the size of the Z5C (or even smaller), 1080p resolution, aluminium body/looks like the HTC One series, happily dumps the selfy camera and top-spec hardware, but little to no changes to stock android, then I buy that phone in a heartbeat.
The complete contrast for me is Samsung now. Make it huge, put useless features on it and customize it to the max. Full throttle marketing bull**** in my mind, but people seem to love it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup also one of the reason i bought this phone because its small, my previous phone was 3.5" sony with walkman WT19 , so even this one abit big for me, lol..
im mostly disappointed of
1.camera lens (plastic) can scartch easly and can ruin the shots
2.photos are noisy\blurry even with good light ,
3.phone heating fast, (even low end apps or, even 4G signal; if high end apps like asphalt 8 in 2mins its 50c\120F)
4.when phone get hotter it become slower ,
5.speakers are uneven and weak , loudspeaker awful, my previous phone was 4times louder didnt need it use of bluetooth in car, now i need...
6.didnt came with quickcharge QC adapter
7.didnt came with in-ear headphones
8.update the phone to MM make it worse battery and lags,camera*, didnt upgrade it yet*
still pretty fast phone with nice battery but not worth the price (mine cost about 800 US$ when i bought it)
My only problems with the phone are:
some hick-ups during normal operations
overheating
average camera
poor system customization options
Otherwise the phone is perfect. The battery is great, I've recently lasted two days (~10% when going to sleep on the 2nd day) with automatic brightness and 24h sync with mobile data, some sms and a few calls, I even played some Hearthstone on a bus. The battery seems to have problems on certain units.
Greets
EDIT:
Mine was 390 USD... gotta love Europe
The z5c came out almost 1 year ago, do you guys think the z5c is still worth buying?
What do you guys think? If no, what would you consider buying, considering the z5c as first option?
***edit: it's my 1000th post on xda yay! ***
i think yes, small phone, great performance, great camera, didn't have any problems in 5 months except camera lens, but devilcase lens protector fixed that, i would buy again
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I bought it 2 months ago. Totally happy with it. No problems up to now.
I wanted a small phone with good performance, and this one was the only one that fitted these criteria.
My 2nd option was iPhone SE... since I came from an iPhone 4S, I was a bit tired of iOS. Personally I think Android Marshmallow is in a really good shape when compared to iOS, in my opinion it is even better.
Buy.
bought one yesterday. Its the best small phone i could find for the $380 i spent. iPhone SE is about the only other 1 i would have considered.
If you dont require a sd slot there are better options.
I picked one up for USD370 (including shipping) for my wife. She had a Z3C before and loved it, but the screen stopped responding. For that price it is an amazing phone.
The latest firmware almost fixed all stuffs, the phone is pretty usable and finally safe to buy and recommended now. The only thing disapointed me is the photo/video quality still not as good as my older Z1c at high ISO(the sensor indeed got 25MP not only 23MP which is over crowed on a small 1/2.3" size) but no doubt Z5c focus speed and camera speed way faster and screen much much clear.
I think yes if you want to buy a small flagship phone. It's just great in everything, almost. I bought it on February and I love this phone.
+
fast
Responsive touchscreen
No lag in almost every game and apps even in high graphics
The camera is awesome (front and rear). but sadly it's can't run the camera over 25 min in 4k. The autofocus actually fast this will be great when you record a video. You can make a bokeh, hdr, or a long exposure pictures. And it's camera is also good in low light.
I like the keyboard, you can swipe like swift keyboard and the auto correct is very usefull
The battery life good also, I got 6-8 hours in normal use (social media, music and browsing) and 4-5 hours when I play fifa 16
-
The phone getting hot very fast when you use the camera, and play online game like fifa 16.
For me it recently sure was. As a former iPhone 5 user I wanted to switch to Android on a small (< 5" screen) high-end device. Early 2015 I choose a Z3C based on these criteria. Very nice in almost any way, though camera -especially rooted- was kind of crappy.
I recently upgraded to the Z5C based on the same search criteria. It seems that most manufacturers tend to put more low-end hardware in smaller devices, here Sony has done a nice job. I considered the Samsung Galaxy A3, though the Z5C came out best for me.
I look forward to the day that a more complete and stable version of Cyanogenmod will be released for the Z3C This is likely to make my Z35 experience optimal.
I had a z3c, love the small size and massive capabilities. I replaced it with the z5c about 8 months ago. There is no other device on the market I would rather have. Even tried a galaxy S6 for a bit... Hated every moment of having that one.
My only beef with its I cannot have any special software that comes from having a vendor branded device. (No VOIP on AT&T)
Bought one month before. Best decision according to me. But not the best for those who doesnt want small size or fm radio.
How do you guys have "great performance" from your Z5 Compact? Mine runs worse than my older HTC One M8 in games. The Z5 Compact gets hot after 2 minutes of high graphics gaming, however, if you know how to root, install a new kernel etc. you might get good performance. I'd say underclock the CPU and let it get a bit hotter before automatically downclocking. That's at least what I'm trying now. The camera is good, however not the best. Batterylife is better than most phones, speakers are meh, and overall the phone is stable. Used it for 3 months or so and since I got it 100 dollars cheaper than the iPhone SE I think it's good enough. Just hope I can push the performance to at least as good as my One M8 :/
InterestedHacker said:
How do you guys have "great performance" from your Z5 Compact? Mine runs worse than my older HTC One M8 in games. The Z5 Compact gets hot after 2 minutes of high graphics gaming, however, if you know how to root, install a new kernel etc. you might get good performance. I'd say underclock the CPU and let it get a bit hotter before automatically downclocking. That's at least what I'm trying now. The camera is good, however not the best. Batterylife is better than most phones, speakers are meh, and overall the phone is stable. Used it for 3 months or so and since I got it 100 dollars cheaper than the iPhone SE I think it's good enough. Just hope I can push the performance to at least as good as my One M8 :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the guys that claim good stories are unrooted so you know they don't actually use their phones. I've had great results in power consumption and heat with androplus v34, but it comes at the price of performance.
My 2 are rooted (one with dry restrored) and running xposed,and xpower rom. Both seem to be faster and smoother than my sons' - much bulkier - m8 and iPhone 6. Can't find anything close to the quality of this phone at this convenient size.
I actually wouldn't recommend it at all since Sony stopped updating the software already. I am still on 1 April security patches. I find that unforgivable. And I'm going to switch to S7 once T-Mobile gets its sheet together –*they raised the price by 100 euro a week before I could extend my contract.
+
Small
microSD
water/dustproof
I like the screen very much
-
2 GB RAM which means apps unload faster than you can say "but I just opened two tabs in Chrome"
gets hot even without gaming (I reinstalled the software just in case but it didn't help)
no software updates
camera is not what I expected
I would actually recommend Z3C over Z5C. It's same size, cheaper, works faster (!), doesn't get hot and the Concept software is awesome.
Going to research rooting now, maybe it will manage memory a bit better.
S6 looks like on the same boat stuck with 1 April security patches. 720P required less memory intensive. Z3c is very easy to get touch screen problem after one year and the camera quality even worse than Z1c. I don't satisfied with Z5c but the price is dropping so I think still worth for new owner.
raytheblacksmith said:
I actually wouldn't recommend it at all since Sony stopped updating the software already. I am still on 1 April security patches. I find that unforgivable. And I'm going to switch to S7 once T-Mobile gets its sheet together –*they raised the price by 100 euro a week before I could extend my contract.
+
Small
microSD
water/dustproof
I like the screen very much
-
2 GB RAM which means apps unload faster than you can say "but I just opened two tabs in Chrome"
gets hot even without gaming (I reinstalled the software just in case but it didn't help)
no software updates
camera is not what I expected
I would actually recommend Z3C over Z5C. It's same size, cheaper, works faster (!), doesn't get hot and the Concept software is awesome.
Going to research rooting now, maybe it will manage memory a bit better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you on the latest software? Because i owned the z3c and now the z5c and besides the battery life i love this phone way more. Camera is far better and the software runs pretty smooth also even with a sheet load of apps in the ram is still fast.
Actually, the other important thing bugged me is the slow AC wifi speed but since the compact model got only single wifi antenna(Z5 got dual wifi antenna), it is impossible to top out wifi if you got a damn fast Internet connection and router like me.
When you build a NAS or share files via router, the Z5c can't playback ultra quality videos(like the video shoot from a DSLR at 100M+ 4K) though the connection detected at 433Mbps but in reality, I got only 70~120Mbps around. The speed is faster than 802.11b/g/n and good for general Internet purpose but only reached the very entry quality of AC speed.
Plus the rom I'm running Xpower 3.0(.224) bugged to browser vidoes shared out via win10 smb. I can view any photo but can't playback all videos, tested to roll back 5.1.1 and no problem. Not sure if .253 fixed the issue, been waiting for Xpower 4.0(.253) to release.
Yeah I am on the latest software. I had great hopes for it. But for instance today the phone heated up, stayed hot, lost 70% battery in three hours and then finally shut down with the red light blinking. Ummmmmmmm.
raytheblacksmith said:
Yeah I am on the latest software. I had great hopes for it. But for instance today the phone heated up, stayed hot, lost 70% battery in three hours and then finally shut down with the red light blinking. Ummmmmmmm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Real hard to solve without root. If you root it, you can flash the Increase thermal-performance mod plus lower down the max cpu clock for the price of slower speed. In my experiences, they are quite a helping hand but sure can't fix all, might be 50% better experiences though.
If the X Compact with sd820 is real coming up, probably it can fix the heat issue(even so, sd820 is also hot). But I doubt I will switch to Xc bcoz Z5c already spend me much money, or only until the price dropping a lot next year.
I have owned both Z3 Compact and Z5 Compact. I remember the Z3c camera being utterly crap while Z5c being acceptable but less than satisfactory. Have to say that the camera on X Compact is on par with "modern" standards. Daylight Images is sharp (if not a little bit over sharped), saturated and without color cast. Sony has indeed made steps from the two predecessors.
Night photos is still a little bit smeared. However, the pictures are bright and rich in tones. It produces way way better night pictures than my iPhone SE. The dark purple vignette in Z5c is also corrected.
However, I suggest again not to trust the superior auto and HDR processing in Xc. HDR photos and "backlight corrected" scene mode produce over processed photos which are oversaturated and unrealistic (I'm sure u will not like them). Using manual mode usually yield better results.
two more surprise: 1. when half pressed the shutter, the image on screen becomes sharper and free from vignette. Sony must have done a hell lot of post processing to improve image quality. 2. The image quality when zoomed in under 8MP is not bad. Maybe some sort of oversampling technology is used. For example: this picture with 2x zoom mimicking a 50mm focal length.
Please refer to photo samples in my album (shot in Glasgow, UK), and please share ideas and more photos shot by Xc.
P.S: SOT is over 6 hours under heavy usage. 10-15% less than Z3c and 20% better than Z5c. Everything is snappy and the screen is absolutely beautiful (nearly indistinguishable from AMOLED).
Thank you for the sample photos. Your review of the device seems pretty accurate. Sony still has trouble with soft details and excess noise, but the over-all color reproduction and daytime exposure is much improved over the Z3C. I can't take a daytime shot with my Z3C without it looking washed out and over-exposed. Manual mode helps, but its too tedious for something that should be so simple.
Hi @ all,
2 Important questions, related to 2 design flaw of previous compact phone (yes, i've own z1 compact, z3 compact, z5 compact):
1) Does the camera external lens is STILL made by plastic (blurred and scratched just after some days in all compact sony phones) or finally the decided to switch to glass as EVERY phone maker?
2) Does the camera support raw api? You can try just by installing "manual camera" from play store, and try to shot raw photo.
Thanks in advance,
WZ
Wing_Zero85 said:
Hi @ all,
2 Important questions, related to 2 design flaw of previous compact phone (yes, i've own z1 compact, z3 compact, z5 compact):
1) Does the camera external lens is STILL made by plastic (blurred and scratched just after some days in all compact sony phones) or finally the decided to switch to glass as EVERY phone maker?
2) Does the camera support raw api? You can try just by installing "manual camera" from play store, and try to shot raw photo.
Thanks in advance,
WZ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I have responded in your original post. Hope those help.
qwsdert4 said:
I have owned both Z3 Compact and Z5 Compact. I remember the Z3c camera being utterly crap while Z5c being acceptable but less than satisfactory. Have to say that the camera on X Compact is on par with "modern" standards. Daylight Images is sharp (if not a little bit over sharped), saturated and without color cast. Sony has indeed made steps from the two predecessors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the Z3c and Z5c camera is much better now with mod but you'll need root.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony-themes-apps/sonyz5-family-unlocked-xz-xc-camera-t3463148
For the Z5c, we ported the XC cam to Z5c with 23MP scene mode unlocked.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony-themes-apps/mod-cyberian-camera-t3267271
You can use this one on Z3c.
TheEndHK said:
Actually, the Z3c and Z5c camera is much better now with mod but you'll need root.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony-themes-apps/sonyz5-family-unlocked-xz-xc-camera-t3463148
For the Z5c, we ported the XC cam to Z5c with 23MP scene mode unlocked.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony-themes-apps/mod-cyberian-camera-t3267271
You can use this one on Z3c.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder how the z5compact with either of the above mods compares to the x compact out of the box camera. From what I understand we have root on the z5c but it will take quite some time before we get it for the x compact, I'm afraid.
charliebigpot said:
I wonder how the z5compact with either of the above mods compares to the x compact out of the box camera. From what I understand we have root on the z5c but it will take quite some time before we get it for the x compact, I'm afraid.
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XC should better with IR sensor and laser focus assisted plus a more updated camera driver in system. However, the mod cam got 23MP unlocked in scn mode when shooting with scene I'm afraid Z5c even more better now.
It will real take a while for XC not only about rooting but you'll also need to wait for the DRM patch available for XC to fully get back the quality of camera after bootloader unlocked. We've been waited for four months on Z5/Z5c/Z5p last time, not sure about XC/XZ.
TheEndHK said:
XC should better with IR sensor and laser focus assisted plus a more updated camera driver in system. However, the mod cam got 23MP unlocked in scn mode when shooting with scene I'm afraid Z5c even more better now.
It will real take a while for XC not only about rooting but you'll also need to wait for the DRM patch available for XC to fully get back the quality of camera after bootloader unlocked. We've been waited for four months on Z5/Z5c/Z5p last time, not sure about XC/XZ.
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Right - to me it seems that support for the Sony phones is gradually fading, I had a z3compact, I've been following the z5c forums and maybe it's just me, but it seems as if it's getting more complicated to root/exploit, hence less developers are interested.
I'm really torn between buying the Z5c (just because of the mods) or the XC.. price doesn't really matter, since it's only about 50$.
charliebigpot said:
Right - to me it seems that support for the Sony phones is gradually fading, I had a z3compact, I've been following the z5c forums and maybe it's just me, but it seems as if it's getting more complicated to root/exploit, hence less developers are interested.
I'm really torn between buying the Z5c (just because of the mods) or the XC.. price doesn't really matter, since it's only about 50$.
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The development is there though can't compare to Z1c/Z3c. Z5c got one custom rom(xpower) which is working good and two custom stock kernels( AndroPlus and OM5Z), Z5c also got some thermal patches to fix the heat issue. Not to mention it got TA partiton backup no avoid warranty with root.
XC hardware is better(other than no water resistance and gpu slower) but it will real take a long time for DRM patch and TA backup. At this time, Z5c is much more mature bcoz XC just born out. I'll recommend Z5c in this year with better support and cheaper price. For the user who don't root no doubt to get XC.
I'm thinking to up to XC next year when DRM, TA, cam mod all ready. I won't consider XC now bcoz without DRM the camera at low light is bad, no point to get a camera worse than Z5c, root is almost a must to me.
The Sony sales is decreased so the development is slow now.
TheEndHK said:
The development is there though can't compare to Z1c/Z3c. Z5c got one custom rom(xpower) which is working good and two custom stock kernels( AndroPlus and OM5Z), Z5c also got some thermal patches to fix the heat issue. Not to mention it got TA partiton backup no avoid warranty with root.
XC hardware is better(other than no water resistance and gpu slower) but it will real take a long time for DRM patch and TA backup. At this time, Z5c is much more mature bcoz XC just born out. I'll recommend Z5c in this year with better support and cheaper price. For the user who don't root no doubt to get XC.
I'm thinking to up to XC next year when DRM, TA, cam mod all ready. I won't consider XC now bcoz without DRM the camera at low light is bad, no point to get a camera worse than Z5c, root is almost a must to me.
The Sony sales is decreased so the development is slow now.
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At this point I'm even wondering if it's not worth buying a Z3C, I don't think that there was a big difference between the z5c and z3c from a hardware perspective and the mods seem to work on both. I think the only advantage of the z5c was the better water proofing.
charliebigpot said:
At this point I'm even wondering if it's not worth buying a Z3C, I don't think that there was a big difference between the z5c and z3c from a hardware perspective and the mods seem to work on both. I think the only advantage of the z5c was the better water proofing.
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Buying a Z3c? Do you mean XC? If you are speaking to Z3c, the different is still large enough there. The Z3c camera focus is very bad, Z5c performed much much better in this area with phase detection focus added. The Z5c screen and speaker also a bit better.
TheEndHK said:
Buying a Z3c? Do you mean XC? If you are speaking to Z3c, the different is still large enough there. The Z3c camera focus is very bad, Z5c performed much much better in this area with phase detection focus added. The Z5c screen and speaker also a bit better.
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I did mean the Z3c but it's unbelievable that where I live there's almost no price difference between the z3c and z5c. I think I'll wait until more people bought the XC and then we'll see - cheers for your pov!
charliebigpot said:
I did mean the Z3c but it's unbelievable that where I live there's almost no price difference between the z3c and z5c. I think I'll wait until more people bought the XC and then we'll see - cheers for your pov!
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Z3c .....
1. camera focus real bad
2. white balance is bad even worse than z1c
3. many have touch screen issues after 1 year
4. no android 7.0 from sony
5. front cam 2MP
I don't see any reason to get z3c again, either z5c or xc will blow it.
TheEndHK said:
Z3c .....
1. camera focus real bad
2. white balance is bad even worse than z1c
3. many have touch screen issues after 1 year
4. no android 7.0 from sony
5. front cam 2MP
I don't see any reason to get z3c again, either z5c or xc will blow it.
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This is quickly getting off topic, but there are some tradeoffs that you didn't mention:
The Z3C has:
1. Better battery life
2. Less heat issues (camera app doesn't shut down as often)
3. Personally, I think is the better looking phone
But back to the photo quality. It appears that Sony makes tiny improvements with each phone release, but none of them are enough to truly compete with Samsung and Apple. Even LG and One Plus have better cameras the past couple of years. I wish Sony would finally utilize Optical Image Stabilization so we can take better pictures. It's nice to have, but I don't need cinema quality videos from my cell phone. I'm not a movie creator, but if I was, I'd probably use a proper video recorder.
PuffDaddy_d said:
This is quickly getting off topic, but there are some tradeoffs that you didn't mention:
The Z3C has:
1. Better battery life
2. Less heat issues (camera app doesn't shut down as often)
3. Personally, I think is the better looking phone
But back to the photo quality. It appears that Sony makes tiny improvements with each phone release, but none of them are enough to truly compete with Samsung and Apple. Even LG and One Plus have better cameras the past couple of years. I wish Sony would finally utilize Optical Image Stabilization so we can take better pictures. It's nice to have, but I don't need cinema quality videos from my cell phone. I'm not a movie creator, but if I was, I'd probably use a proper video recorder.
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A bit(long) off-topic to XC now.
I've to disagree all. It's not easy to distinguish which is better nowadays in 2016, they've all got pros and cons. In the real old day, Samsung and Apple were overall much better. I've owned Z1c, Z5c, S6(sold), G3 and my friends got G5, IP6 and IP6s plus.
Z3c got excellent battery with KK, on LP/MM the battery performance decreased that had been confirmed by so many guys on net. They are pretty much identical now or Z3c leads at a small margin. Z5c does heat, the best firmware is .224 in my experiences but since charliebigpot mentioned he will root the phone, heating isn't a big problem to him bcoz we got some thermal mods working good though the phone still hot. Z1c with metal bump got best looking, Z3c and Z5c are at identical level.
In Andorid, Samsung win hands down during at focus, camera speed, photo/video artifacts handing and OIS but the white balance(heavy yellow cast) and auto exposure(always over or lower exposure) is the worst I've ever seen. The true is I never use S6 to take any serious photo but S6 is good as a camera phone or post to facebook/Internet, most people prefer Samsung bcoz they are using in this way, just shot some casual photo.
LG got best color and quality and functions. LG is the best now but Samsung somewhats better on focus and OIS. Apple stable overall and very easy to use but Sony and LG indeed got better color. The conclusion is Samsung and Apple are the fastest, more predicable so most guys prefer them for daily live photo but that doesn't mean they are best, they are just the best casual camera.
The Z5c focus is way better than my Z1c like 3x faster and accurate, not a tiny improvement.
Is it just me or the pictures with this phone are incredibly grainy? I have the impression the processing software tries to over-sharpen the photos, so in the end they look full of digital artifacts and very grainy... This is also due to the fact that in auto mode the ISO level is always very high! So it is way better to use the manual mode. However, this does not completely solve the issue... and shooting with the app "open camera" delivered better results for me.. I am considering to return the phone, because a good camera is important for me, but I'm really uncertain because I love the phone in any other respect...
vispinet said:
Is it just me or the pictures with this phone are incredibly grainy? I have the impression the processing software tries to over-sharpen the photos, so in the end they look full of digital artifacts and very grainy... This is also due to the fact that in auto mode the ISO level is always very high! So it is way better to use the manual mode. However, this does not completely solve the issue... and shooting with the app "open camera" delivered better results for me.. I am considering to return the phone, because a good camera is important for me, but I'm really uncertain because I love the phone in any other respect...
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Edit:, I attach 2 photos:, one shot in manual mode (0016) and one in auto mode (0017). The one shot in manual mode is for me more realistic (the room was not that bright as in the other one, where you also see the parts of the wall closest to the light are over-exposed). However, zoom in at the door edges, they are soft and blurry. I have never seen an issue like this. Is my device defective or is the Sony camera so crappy. Maybe my expectations are too high because I come from. Lumia 930... Please advise because I'm considering returning the phone...
vispinet said:
Edit:, I attach 2 photos:, one shot in manual mode (0016) and one in auto mode (0017). The one shot in manual mode is for me more realistic (the room was not that bright as in the other one, where you also see the parts of the wall closest to the light are over-exposed). However, zoom in at the door edges, they are soft and blurry. I have never seen an issue like this. Is my device defective or is the Sony camera so crappy. Maybe my expectations are too high because I come from. Lumia 930... Please advise because I'm considering returning the phone...
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Looks like your hand shook in the darker image. But yes, the Auto Mode will always prioritize cranking up ISO in low light photos, and the noise reduction is hyper aggressive, resulting in soft looking images. This is how Sony programs all of its phone cameras. I would never buy a Sony phone for its camera alone; otherwise, you will be disappointed. It's not a terrible phone, it just doesn't look as good or work as fast as other point and shoot cameras.
Don't get me wrong, in the end I don't find the camera to be so average... Actually I wish photos looked softer.. I think the phone over-sharpens everything and probably that is the cause of all the grains you see especially in the dark areas... E.g. I took a pic of my girlfriend in a restaurant. My hand shook and was expecting to see a blurry image. What I saw was grains all over... It's like the phone tries to sharpen things at all costs. In these cases I would prefer to see a blurry image so that I notice right away that the photo is not good and I have a chance to re-take it.. Like this you only see it when you zoom a bit (even to real size) and the photo looks terrible...
Maybe this is just camera app issue?
Hey everyone. This is my first post in xda and I joined specifically to ask this question. I'm posting this as a new thread because I wanted an answer from the perspective of 2017.
Should I go for the Z5c or Z3c? I'm looking for a new phone. Personally I love the size of the phones, and I fell in love with the screen positioning on the Z3c, where it's more symmetric unlike the Z5c whose top bezel is bigger. But yeah, the Z5c has the fingerprint sensor, and has better specs I guess? I also prefer the rounded edges of the Z3c, but everyone I know is asking me to go for the Z5c. Help?
Z3C doesn't have Nougat and won't receive updates anymore. Although Z5C has a bit worse battery life, it is better in every other aspect.
Zenthusiast said:
Z3C doesn't have Nougat and won't receive updates anymore. Although Z5C has a bit worse battery life, it is better in every other aspect.
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Will not receiving Nougat matter? From what I've read it caused plenty of bugs in the Z5c. Also, will not having Nougat mean the Z3c won't receive the latest updates on apps?
I'm sorry I don't know a lot
Z5c faster from Z3c almost x2 also finger scanner. better speakers from every Z series (even other z5)
but if you can buy go to Xperia X performance (is only 0.2 bigger and still small) and faster then both, and 3GB RAM, the screen got 1080P and not 720P although is enough if you wont use VR
btw you also have xperia X Compact but hes in-between z3 to z5 so leave it last he just looks like small XZ but specs not much different from z3 and performance if you want better design and android 7
anyway the big cons for me (i have z5c for 1 year now,):
1. 2GB RAM only (If i open highend, big\app\game) it use all the 2GB its even close the whatsapp!
2.the phone gets hot fast 40C/105F degrees after 5 minutes then the device close the big 4cores to cool down (mostly in highend apps)
some software bugs but this you can change(ROM) and or get updates so its any sony phone
---------- Post added at 04:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:18 PM ----------
PS
software bugs in Z5's started from 6 marshmallow not from 7 nugget
the big bugs for me is
1.limited charge voltage cannot be turned off (maybe thats why some ppl get abit low life battery its like the battery stop charging at 90%) but its good to the long term anyway to prolong battery life
2.unbalance speakers (only in the stock app they fix it)
3.only one speaker works in ringtones
I'd say the z3c is getting a bit long in the tooth now, however, the Z5 is a bit of a disaster - overheats, battery drain issues, and the nougat firmware is littered with bugs. If you absolutely have to have a Sony compact, go for the X compact. In most cases it faster than a Z5C for general usage due to the dire throttling of the processor in the Z5C. (Z5C will still be better for gaming, if you wear oven gloves)
Personally, I'm waiting to see what comes along next, as I'm hoping for an XZ compact or similar.
i agree with stevo almost on all parts he said, beside battery, i charging my phone every 2days, or every 24hours on average+ usage . even with the battery software bug
and X compact Cpu only bit better, and not get hot,
but GPU is almost 2 times faster on the z5c , if you dont gaming Xperia XC will be enough for you
anyway im not happy with sony anymore, and probably my last device from them, customer service and support is sucks, they rarely update with new device come up, they barely put in any updates
i was also looking for small device with P68 and stereo speakers , and this was the closest most companies stopped doing mini phones with high end specs
also iwas happy with my previous sony, the speakers was X2 better and louder i didn't even needed bluetooth for my car, now i got one..
he got CM updates till 2day and he from 2011, and the fourm there is still active Z5C barely a year or so and this forum dieing, meaning ,less Customs Roms, and updates from sony for sure,, the last android will be no more than N7.1.1
z3 compact is my proposal.
A ton of custom roms makes sure your phone stays lightning fast, very customizable, root without unlock bootloader, a couple of camera mods with unbelievable quality, a bit better battery, not getting warm, cheaper ...
I had it a few weeks, got stolen, then i went and bought the z5compact.
I am still searching for someone to switch phones with...
personal opinion,
new processor+new camera+fingerprint <<< community support