Lab – Sony Xperia Pro-I: behind the marketing, the contrasting reality

Sony wants to mark the end of 2021 with an extravagant smartphone. The Xperia Pro-I is indeed equipped with a 1-inch photo sensor inherited from the compact expert RX100 VII. But behind marketing, is reality a source of joy?

To stand out more, Sony is offering the Xperia Pro-I at the end of 2021. At first glance, its design suggests that it is a Xperia 1 III with its long 6.5-inch screen with a 21: 9 ratio. Turning the terminal over, in addition to the UGA and telephoto modules, however, there is a much larger main module. Indeed, the latter houses a 1-inch Exmor RS sensor inherited from the expert compact device RX100 VII.

A 1-inch sensor in a smartphone from 2014

This is not the first time that manufacturers have integrated sensors of this size in a smartphone. Already in 2014, Panasonic launched the Lumix CM1, a phone disproportionately thick because of the optics mounted in front of the sensor and which had at the time moderately convinced. The 1-inch fashion hadn’t caught on, and after a seven-year silence, 2021 saw the return of smartphones with such sensors. In the spring, and only in Japan, were announced the Sharp aquos r6 and Leica Leitz Phone 1, both with the famous sensor.

Then Sony arrived with its Xperia Pro-I. A terminal which, despite a fairly classic technical sheet for a high-end device, displays a rather steep price of € 1,799. A slate justified only by the 1 inch sensor. As a reminder, the compact RX100 VII was launched at 1299 €, just like the Xperia 1 mk III (from whom he borrows a lot). As it stands, it therefore intends to offer the best of both worlds.

Sony or the flanged 1-inch sensor

Before embarking on the analysis of images from the Xperia Pro-I, it is necessary to carry out an update. No, the smartphone does not fully use the 1 inch sensor. The shooting takes place only on 60% of the total surface with a definition passing from 20.1 Mpx to 12 Mpx. The original 3: 2 aspect ratio is then changed for a final 4: 3 ratio result, with the sensor dropping from a dimension of approximately 13.2 x 8.8mm to an actual used area of ​​9.68. x 7.26 mm.

This surface used is thus substantially close to the sensor of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, for example. In this case, the Sony sensor has a theoretical advantage thanks to the photosites with the larger size.

The choice to restrict the sensor is however a little strange and is probably explained by the desire to limit the size so as not to end up with an optical unit that is too thick, as on the Lumix CM1. Indeed, the lens is a 24 mm equivalent and offers a variable aperture between f / 2 or f / 4. Finally, does not this choice which plays on ambiguity make the Xperia Pro-I lose interest?

Facing the Google Pixel 6 Pro

For this first duel, we wanted to pit the Sony Xperia Pro-I against the Google Pixel 6 Pro, the spearhead of the American manufacturer. The Pixel 6 Pro, in addition to the hardware aspect with a main sensor of 50 Mpx, relies heavily on software work. Google is thus a past master in this area and this is strongly felt.

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Day and night, what stands out the most is the difference in treatment between the two terminals. In full light, between the use of pixel binning and the accentuation of the contrasts, the Pixel 6 Pro offers a very contrasted image with, in the center especially, an almost too artificial sharpness. The Xperia Pro-I comes out with a more homogeneous image between the corners and the center, and above all more faithful to reality.

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At Google, software processing is most noticeable at night. The Californian manufacturer has made its various night modes a trademark. Thus, the photo of the Pixel 6 Pro impresses with its level of detail and seems to have been taken during the day. However, this image is far from reflecting the reality of our scene with our night lighting. Conversely, if the Pro-I photo is less rich in detail and less bright, it is closer to actual shooting conditions. Thus, the Sony terminal is doing more than honorably, even if it does not process its images as strongly.

Facing the Apple iPhone 13 Pro

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Concerning the opposition with theiPhone 13 Pro, the Sony Xperia Pro-I is doing brilliantly. While Apple’s latest flagship is not a competitor to be underestimated, it appears to fall short of Sony. The image is less sharp, and this time we can estimate that the treatment of Sony is a little more marked, without that making lose in naturalness to the cliché. Despite everything, Apple offers an image with more vivid colors and a more flattering exposure, thus offering a general rendering surely more likely to convince the greatest number.

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At night, here again, the image of the Sony, in addition to being more faithful, offers more details, while the iPhone 13 Pro clearly shows its limits. The advantage of the larger sensor is undeniable.

Facing the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

We conclude this duel against a third smartphone with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. The latter is interesting since it is equipped with a 1 / 1.33 inch sensor, which is more or less the same size as the sensitive surface exploited of the 1 inch type sensor by the Pro-I. The South Korean mobile has 108 Mpx, but leaves 12 Mpx pictures by default (like the Pixel 6 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro).

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By day, Samsung applies a very thorough treatment, in particular with a treatment of shadows and a very marked exposure. If we observe a good homogeneity between the center and the edges of the image, it is nonetheless a little too distorted for our taste, with a rendering that is far too artificial. We again prefer the more natural rendering of the Sony Xperia Pro-I even though the detail rendering of the S21 is very good.

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Once the brightness comes down, the S21 Ultra gets closer to the iPhone 13 Pro. The photo is quite dull and both the exposure and the general tint are quite far from the original scene. The textures are also a little runny with a significant loss of detail.

Facing the compact Sony RX100 VII

Finally, we wanted to pit the Xperia Pro-I against its close relative, the compact RX100 VII. We proceeded with our classic increase in sensitivity while resizing the images from the RX100 VII, since the latter therefore uses 100% of its 20 Mpx sensor.

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From ISO 400 – and this intensifies at ISO 800 – the digital smoothing is quite marked. Then, as we increase in sensitivity, where the RX100 manages to maintain a good level of detail, the Pro-I associated with its lower quality optics give a less convincing result to the image of the ISO 3200 value. . With the compact, despite the digital noise, it is possible to read the letters and numbers located under the old character. At the same value for the Pro-I, they are totally submerged in the smoothing.

A very convincing main module

Finally, we observed that the main module with a 1-inch type sensor of the Sony Xperia Pro-I is able to offer very successful photos, although we regret that Sony did not exploit the full potential. of its sensor. The shots still benefit from a level of detail generally higher than the competition, with an overall rendering more faithful day and night which is similar to a more classic photo practice using a dedicated camera. the brand.

That said, we must not forget to note the choice of Google, Apple and Samsung with a software treatment always marked which makes it possible to please more easily, in all circumstances and to the greatest number. Faced with this approach, the choice may lie above all between a more traditional approach to photography and a rendering boosted by algorithms once we have left our comparison exercise.