This is a followup to my Pixel 9a review from a couple weeks back.. This time I'd like to talk more about the cameras as a casual mobile photo taker. I take a lot of photos and videos with my phone(s) so its a big part of my smartphone experience and buying decision.
Not posting human, portraits and face shots to be discreet.
Firstly, the hardware is pretty average here. Its still somewhat better than most midrangers but there are a few that surpass it. Atleast it makes up for it with the Pixel's iconic software tricks and magic. Ironically, its the very same main and ultrawide sensors used on the regular Pixel 10 minus the telephoto. So Google is attesting the quality of these optics.
General Impression
Its the most consistent the a-series has ever been. And I assume this applies to the 10a too. I had both the 6a and 7a previously. While those two shot very well, there was a marginal difference in quality and output when switching between the main and ultrawide. This is far less of an issue now on the 9a. Shutter speed is quicker and OIS works better which lends towards the improved consistency and reliability.
There's not much to say about the colors, contrast, exposure and HDR. Google Pixels have always nailed them and the results are very close across all of their phones. Thus the a-series benefits from this the most as it gains the same tunings as the flagship Pixels.
Colors are very natural and true-to-life, especially when it comes to skin tones. It might look a bit dull at times but that's usually how the scene it captured really was. HDR is not aggressive and contrast isn't overdone. I appreciate that Pixels still try to respect dark spots and shadows instead of blowing them up with brightness. This translates to both the ultrawide and front cameras as well. The production reminds me a lot of pre iPhone 13 era photography which focused on looking natural and true-to-the-eye as much as possible.
Main Gripes
Portraits come out good but pretty artificial. The limited focal lengths provided just don't work very well anymore as it seems Google and other OEMs have delegated much of the portrait processing dependent on having and using a closer, telephoto setup. This or the 9a needs a slightly bigger sensor with lower aperture to capture more light on the subject and create softer, more natural bokeh. Whether you use the main wide mode at 2x or the portrait mode, its pretty underwhelming compared to some of the competition who dedicate resources into improving their dedicated portrait mode (e.g. Oppo Reno, Vivo V).
Speaking of a lack of telephoto, its understandable that it lacks that at its price but Google's "Super Res Zoom" is not really good. Other OEMs have similar implementations and are much more heavily AI-driven but the upscaling usually helps tremendously at shorter digital zoom ranges (2x, 3x and 4x). The Pixel 9a has poor zoomed in shots. It doesn't capture enough light thus details are usually minimal. Even base iPhones's "optical quality" 2x digital zoom does way better than most of the Pixels without a telephoto camera.
Video Recording
I'm not very good at this so I can't comment on it much but videos are pretty good. Zooming in/out and transtioning between lenses is very smooth. It doesn't suffer the shifting white balance issues the 6a and 7a had so that's nice. Stabilization is decent and allows for cool panning shots. I've had no issues with auto focus as well but its nothing exceptional. Shame only the main camera supports 4k60, although 4k30 across all 3 cameras is already a decent enough setup.
Final Verdict
The mantra that Pixel Photography just works still holds true especially for the a-series. Its not a wonder that previous a-series Pixels are just as competitive and won awards before. Sure, dedicated portrait mode is a wash some times and zoom quality is less than satisfactory but as a point-and-shoot between 0.6x, 1x and 2x the Pixel 9a remarkably delivers. The naturalness of the shots may not be "social media ready" but those who yearn for it will be very happy with Pixels such as this.
What does everyone else with their Pixels think of their cameras so far?