Sony's Xperia 1 II camera just got better, but you'll need to tinker with it

Sony Xperia 1 II
(Image credit: TechRadar)

The Sony Xperia 1 II is now available around the world, and a new update coming to the phone is designed by the company to give a major improvement in its rear camera capabilities for photography enthusiasts.

According to numerous Xperia 1 II owners on Reddit and other social networks, an update is rolling out to the phone that brings raw capture support to all three rear cameras on the phone.

If you own the device, it's part of the upcoming July security update (that's called 58.0.A.3.88 if you're looking for it) and it's set to bring the new photography feature alongside security improvements in a 75MB download.

The raw capture will work on the wide, ultrawide and the telephoto cameras on the Xperia 1 II. All three of these are 12MP shooters, and this may allow you to get a lot more experimental with your photography.

You'll be able to shoot raw within the phone's Photo Pro mode, and switching to this format gives you far more editing information to work than compressed formats like JPEG.

This is really only useful if you're into photography and are looking to take your photo editing to the next level, but if that's you this will allow you to make the most of your phone's camera. 

Shooting in raw will be a bit more involved than just hitting the shutter button on the phone's camera app – plus the pictures will take up more of your phone's storage – but if you're willing to experiment with the Xperia 1 II, this should make your photos better than ever.

Via XDA Developers

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.