The Google Pixel 7 Pro has a brilliantly potent camera. Here’s all the Pixel 7 Pro camera specs and its new features and abilities detailed in one place…
Google has seriously beefed up the Pixel 7 Pro’s imaging capabilities, so much so that there is now a clear and definite case for skipping the cheaper – still excellent value – Pixel 7 and splashing out for The Big G’s 2022 flagship device.
And the star of the show, besides its truly smart and useful features, is, of course, the camera. This year’s Pixel 7 Pro features a new 48MP telephoto lens that’ll seriously ups the phone’s zooming capabilities and, when taken in full, alongside its 50MP main and 12MP ultrawide lens, the complete package is very compelling.
Google Pixel 7 Camera Specs
- Primary: 50 MP 1/1.31-inch sensor, 1.2μm pixels, 24mm equivalent f/1.85-aperture lens, OIS, PDAF, Laser-AF
- Ultra-wide: 12MP 1/2.86-inch sensor, 1.25μm pixels, 13.4mm equivalent f/2.2-aperture lens, PDAF
- Tele : 48MP 1/2.55-inch sensor, 1.4μm pixels with binning, 116.2mm equivalent f/3.5-aperture lens, OIS, PDAF
- Video: 4K at 30/60fps, 1080p at 30/60fps (tested at 4K/30fps)
Pixel 7 Pro Zoom Capabilities
The Pixel 7 Pro has three cameras in its main module, including the new 48MP telephoto lens. With respect to its overall zooming capabilities, the Pixel 7 Pro recruits all of its lens to create a near-continuous zoom range from 0.5x to 30x and the image is then “treated” by Google’s new Super Res Zoom algorithm.
What is this Super Res Zoom algorithm? It’s essentially yet more super-smart camera software that works by capturing multiple frames and, through the magic of machine learning, composites them to create a fuller, more detailed image free from noise and/or other artefacts that are usually present when zoomed in on a subject.
Going deeper in the Pixel 7 Pro’s zooming capabilities, with 2x zoomed shots, the Pixel 7 Pro crops into 50MP primary sensor to create a 12.5MP image which is then enhanced by Google’s HDR+ algorithm as well as re-mosiaced. Beyond 2x, the Pixel 7 Pro uses ML fusion which combines data from its main sensor and telephoto lens for optimal photo quality.
Up to 5x, the Pixel 7 Pro uses optical zoom and pixel binning to improve both its performance in low light conditions as well as the image’s overall quality and dynamic range. Beyond 5x, the Pixel 7 Pro switches back to software-lead zoom which is assisted by Google’s machine learning algorithms, and this process remains the same right up to 10x zoom.
When shooting between 20x and 30x zoom, the Pixel 7 Pro leverages Google’s Super Res Zoom algorithm and combines this with the Tensor G2 CPU’s new ML upscaling component create and build supremely detailed images free of noise and the usual mess you experience when zoomed in at the 20-30x range.
Overall Camera Performance Versus Pixel 6 Pro
The Pixel 6 Pro was no slouch in the camera department but Google has made some serious improvements aboard the Pixel 7 Pro – some hardware-based but the vast majority, as per usual, is software-driven. It comes with a fusion algorithm now, as seen on other high-end camera phones, which improves texture rendering in zoomed-in shots, resulting in smoother, more natural looking images – regardless of zoom length.
The new fusion algorithm uses a combination of information from the tele camera and the Pixel 7 Pro’s main camera to essentially “fill in the gaps” and smooth out the edges of shots taken at different zoom lengths. Before, zoomed-in images had a tendency to look messy and choppy, with this new software tweak they’re almost as solid as non-zoom images.
The Pixel 7 Pro now also has a new macro mode that activates automatically as soon as you start getting close to your subject. Macro shots uses the ultrawide lens and is great in all kinds of lighting conditions thanks to its f/2.2-aperture lens. You can also disable the automatic loading of macro mode with a simple on-screen tap. Not that you’ll want to; the macro mode is super useful.
Pixel 7 Pro Camera Reviews
But just how good is the Pixel 7 Pro’s camera next to, say, the iPhone 14 Pro Max? It is better at zoom than Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra? Is this the year that Google retakes its crown as the best overall camera in the business? Let’s find out what the critics thought about the phone and find out…
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Is The Pixel 7 Pro Worth It?
I think the case for the Pixel 7 Pro, over the standard Pixel 7, has never been stronger than it has with this year’s Pixel phones. The Pixel 7 Pro’s camera will run rings around the Pixel 7’s; the Pro model has a higher resolution display with a higher refresh rate; it has more RAM and more options for storage; and, finally, it has a larger battery too.
And you get all of this for considerably less than Apple’s iPhone 14 Pro Max and/or Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra – both of which retail for well over $1000. The Pixel 7 Pro undercuts both with its $899 RRP, making it one of the best ultra flagship options on the market right now, from a value for money perspective.
