How to Improve Low-light Photography on your Pixel 2
All Pixel 2 handsets will, over the next few days, receive a camera app update which will bring with it a new feature – the Night Sight. If the Pixel 2’s camera was excellent, the Pixel 3 is exceptional, but if you don’t plan to upgrade any time soon, you see that your device isn’t forgotten, but quite the opposite, this update comes with one of the most desired features.
Night Sight comes as Google’s answer to the Night Mode found on Huawei’s latest flagship phones, and I can assure you of the fact that the update lets you take better low-light pictures without a harsh, unnatural flash, meaning you can capture a clear photo of your new dress while getting ready to go out and party or of that amazing dinnerplate the next time you take dinner in that fancy new restaurant.
Night Sight works by taking up to 15 frames in a third of a second, so you must play your part tool: just hold the phone steady for a second or two after firing the shutter as it renders the image. The camera uses machine learning to judge the right color, white balance and lighting conditions based on the content of the image, and if the camera’s gyroscope senses a notable amount of motion blur, then it will basically shorten its shutter speed to reduce blur.
That’s the idea behind the Night Sight and it works flawless. Have you received the update already? Then, that’s your lucky day! Up to this point, your Pixel 2 handset will suggest using the Night Sight mode if it detects a low-light situation, and you’ll have the chance to tap the on-screen prompt to jump straight into it.
However, don’t forget what I have told you from the start: you must hold the phone still, before, during and after tapping the shutter key, to allow the phone to pull in as much light as possible – so ask your subjects to keep still for a few seconds for a blur-free shot.
And if waiting for the update isn’t really your thing, then let me tell you that you can grab a slightly-modified version of the Google Camera app right away. I have though to warn you about the fact that this is based on a leaked version of the software, so it might not be as good as the final version.
