Pixel 3 camera: Six tips and tricks to get the best photos

Google Pixel 3 ($ 800 at Verizon Wireless) and Pixel 3 XL ($ 930 at Verizon Wireless) both have one of the best cameras that a phone can offer. The success of the camera is partly due to the hardware, and partly to its software modifications.

The material takes care of itself, but you must familiarize yourself with the software before you can push the Pixel 3's camera to its limits. Here's what you need to know.

Quick access

Out of the box, the Pixel 3's camera opens each time you press the sleep / wake button twice. If you activate Flip camera in settings > System > gestures > Flip CameraYou can also quickly switch between the front camera and the rear camera by twisting your wrist twice.

modes

There are nine modes in the pixel ($ 374 at Amazon) Camera application:

• Panorama
• Portrait
• Camera
• Video
• Photo sphere
• Slow motion
• Photobooth
• Playground
• Lens

The first four of these modes are always available at the bottom of the viewfinder. Swipe left or right to switch between modes. Selecting "More" will reveal the remaining camera modes.

Top Shot

Have you ever taken a photo to notice that someone is blinking or if the action you were trying to capture happened just before you pressed the shutter release button? Top Shot is Google's solution for misses.

Top Shot captures multiple photos just before and right after the shutter button is pressed, and then identifies the best picture in the group. To use Top Shot, you must first activate the motion pictures by tapping the circular icon at the top of the viewfinder. To consistently use Top Shot, it is best to select Motion on instead of Automatic movement.

When motion is enabled, take pictures as you normally would. Then, when you have a photo that does not suit you, open the Photos application and view the photo. Swipe up on the photo, where you will find a section called "Photos on this photo". This strip of photos contains suggestions for shots, which are mostly better than the original photo.

Automatic movement

Taking a picture or video of something that is constantly moving usually leads to blurry and fuzzy pictures. The Pixel 3 is now equipped with the autofocus feature, which means you can tap an object and the camera will follow it, constantly adjusting the focus as you go.

To enable autofocus on the motion, tap the subject you want to follow before pressing the shutter button. A white circle will appear on the subject and will move as needed.

Selfie Group

The Pixel 3's front camera lets you zoom out, giving you a more complete picture of your surroundings or contacts. Google really plays this feature, with ads showing various users who have trouble getting everyone involved.

When using the front camera, tap the magnifying glass to display the zoom interface. Zoom out by adjusting the slider, then take your picture.

RAW + JPEG

Pixel 3 has the ability to store the raw version of a photo, alongside the more common JPEG file format. The raw files are the unprocessed image captured by the sensor, which makes the file larger than JPEG and takes up more storage.

Only enable this feature if you want to change the unprocessed raw image and accept that, as a result, you will be using more storage.

For the average user, leaving RAW + JPEG disabled is the solution.

To activate RAW photos, open the Camera application and select More different modes along the bottom. Then select settings > Advanced then enable RAW capture.