CONNECT WITH US
Tech

Tech

I put the new Pixel 11 Pro XL astrophotography mode to the test against this $3,000 proper astro camera setup — and the difference is surprising

Tom's Guide logo

Published on

Add as a preferred source on Google
I put the new Pixel 11 Pro XL astrophotography mode to the test against this $3,000 proper astro camera setup — and the difference is surprising

Ever since the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Google’s flagships have consistently impressed me with their astrophotography performance — and the latest Pixel 11 Pro XL is shaping up to be no exception. That’s largely down to its updated Night Sight engine, which directly dictates how effectively it navigates the nuances of night-sky imaging.

But that effortless automation is precisely one of the biggest strengths of shooting on the Pixel: all the heavy processing happens silently in the background. Google claims this updated Night Sight captures up to 4.5 times faster than prior generations, but I wanted to see how it holds up against dedicated hardware.

To find out, I pitted it against an OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro setup — a $2,500 specialized mirrorless body meant to capture the night sky paired with a fast Olympus 12mm f/2 lens. On paper, it looks like an absurd mismatch, but the side-by-side results downright surprised me.

The greatest advantage of shooting astrophotography with the Pixel 11 Pro XL is that you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to capture scenes filled with brilliant, twinkling stars. With a dedicated setup like the OM SYSTEM OM-3 Astro, you can't just lean on full auto and hope it takes care of the rest. Instead, you have to dial in manual exposures, balance your ISO, and make sure your focus is spot on.

The Pixel effortlessly turns any first-time astrophotography shooter into a seasoned pro. All you have to do is follow my usual advice: secure the phone to a tripod, point it toward the sky, and switch over to Night Sight.


Source link
Related Topics:Tech

Disclaimer

We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We TheMorningPulse.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It's possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.