Imaging specialists DxOMark have finally put the Sony Xperia XZ3 camera through its paces, giving the phone a score of 79 overall. For context, this is below that achieved by the Xperia XZ Premium (83), and above that of the Xperia XA2 Ultra (75). It is the same score achieved by the budget Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018).
DxOMark places emphasis on camera smartphones that have additional rear cameras, for features such as bokeh and zoom with a telephoto lens, therefore this is where the photo part of the score is really affected. It scored 27 for zoom and 25 for bokeh, which affetcs the weighting for the overall score for the camera (76). On the video side, the Xperia XZ3 scored a respectable 85.
In particular, the Xperia XZ3 comes in for criticism in its dynamic range, with bright images showing low contrast. They also pointed to slower autofocus in low light compared to the competition. Overall, they say that the Xperia XZ3 is capable of good images in good light, but is fighting one-arm behind its back given the single-lens setup. DxOMark concludes that the “XZ3 is tough to recommend when looking at the performance of some of its direct rivals in the high-end bracket of the market.”
Thanks Tobias!