Features
Handling and Performance
Verdict
Specification
Announced last year in 2015, the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact has a 4.6-inch display and Sony say it has all the technological advances of the 'big boys' IE larger smartphones, such as the Sony Xperia Z5, in a more compact and portable body.
Featuring a 23-megapixel f/2.3 camera on the back and a 5-megapixel front 'selfie' camera, the Z5 Compact can also capture 4K video (at UHD resolution), giving it a strong pull to those who are interested in photography as well as keeping the smartphone relatively small. I would say that I fell into this category when I chose the phone as my next upgrade. Here, we'll take a look at how easy the phone is to use and how it performs in terms of the camera and taking photos.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Features
In terms of size, the phone is 5 inches tall and 2.55 inches across from edge to edge. This makes it easy to reach all of the screen when you're holding it. It's not the thinnest smartphone out there, at 8.9mm, but the overall style is quite square and this gives it a robust and fully formed feel.
It's waterproof and dustproof; Sony say getting caught in the rain or washing dirt off under the tap won't phase it, but you must make sure all the port covers are firmly closed.
The battery is said to last up to 2 days however, I have found that it will last longer than this if you keep screen brightness to a minimum and turn off data / Bluetooth etc when you're not using it.
The screen features Triluminos technology taken from Sony Bravia TVs, meaning you should be able to see a bright and vivid image wherever you take images, which sounds very promising for any phoneographer. It's also 720p HD enabled, giving a really clear view of what you're shooting.
Moving onto the camera related features of the phone, there is a dedicated camera button placed on the right-hand side below the volume buttons. When you hold the phone in a landscape position this is placed like a shutter button would be on a camera, giving an authentic feel then you take images. Hold the button down for a couple of seconds and you're taken straight to the camera, even if the screen is locked, however you can't change camera setting until you unlock the screen. This is a great feature for when you come across something fleeting that you want to shoot.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Key Features
- 23 megapixel 1/2.3inch Exmor RS (BSI) sensor
- 24mm equivalent wide-angle G lens
- Hybrid AF system
- 4.6inch 1280x720 screen
- GPS / Wi-Fi / NFC
- ISO up to 12800 for photos
- 4K video recording (UHD)
- Waterproof and dust tight
Xperia Z5 Compact Handling & Performance
The phone is extremely responsive with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit Octa-Core processor, meaning in real terms there is virtually no delay from when you access the camera app to being able to take photos.
The camera has superior auto, manual and video modes as well as several built-in apps such as 'Style Portrait' and 'Creative Effect' to alter the look of your images.
In manual mode, you have the ability to change the white balance and make the scene brighter or darker to your liking. There is also access to a SCN button in manual mode allowing you to choose a mode appropriate for the scene, including night mode, soft skin, anti motion blur, landscape, night portrait, night scene gourmet, pet, beach, snow, sports, party, document, high sensitivity, handheld twilight, backlight correction HDR, soft snap and fireworks.
Under the setting button, (little cog in the bottom right-hand side), you can set a self-timer, adjust the colour and brightness of the image, choose the resolution of the photo and adjust your settings accordingly to you liking. For example, you can choose whether touching the screen anywhere will let you capture an image, whether you want a sound when you take an image and if you want grid lines on the screen. There is also a mode that will capture an image when everyone is smiling in the photo.
For video mode, there is also a setting menu allowing you to change the resolution of the video, limited scene modes to choose from and colour and brightness settings.
Flash options are Auto, fill flash, red-eye reduction, off, and torch mode for video recording.
The camera boasts Hybrid Autofocus capable of focusing in just 0.03 seconds. There is also 5x clear image zoom, though this is cropping the photo, meaning that it will lessen the resolution of your images if used. There is a max ISO of 12800 for photos, meaning it should be capable of capturing some good images in low light situations.
Sony Xperia Z5 In The Field
The phone is very responsive - you can tap the screen to choose the focus point and press the camera button to secure the shot. There is also an option to make it so that wherever you press the screen the phone takes an image.
The phone's set to take 8-megapixel photos as standard so you'll need to change the resolution in the settings to get the full resolution 23-megapixel photos. The scene modes in manual mode only work with 8-megapixel images so setting the resolution higher than this will render you unable to use the scene modes.
Sample images were all taken at the highest resolution available. I used the phone in low light to take images at a gig using the auto mode, and it coped well. Flare from the spotlights was present but it didn't ruin the image and noise was kept to a minimum. There is a really good amount of detail in the images to say how dark the room was.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Other sample images
On a trip out to York, I tested how the phone coped with bright sunlight and also tested the digital zoom which is meant to keep pixelation to a minimum. Colours are bright, vivid and true to life. The two images of the clock, taken from the same standpoint, illustrate the amount of digital zoom available. Here, The image is grainy and some details have been lost as you would expect from digital zoom but the Z5 Compact has managed to smooth out any major pixel blocking well.
As a fan of macro photography, I was impressed with the phone's close focusing capability and it produced a nice blurred background.
The are a wide variety of effects that you can apply to your images. Scrolling along to the apps screen (pictured) allows you to access 4K video recording, slow motion video, sweep panorama, style portrait, AR mask, creative effects plus lots more.
In the creative effects folder, you will find effects like miniature, vivid, fisheye, sketch plus lots more. There are also video effects which are really cool, like motion trail and motion effects, which produces bubbles, sparkles or musical notes as the image moves.
Xperia Z5 Compact Video Performance
I took the camera to a local gig and tested out the low light capability of the video, at Full HD (30 fps) resolution, which is the resolution that the camera is set to as default.
Benjamin Yellowitz performed at 99 Mary Street, Sheffield.
The quality of the video was really good and the sound quality/ output was also very good for a smartphone. I would highly recommend the camera for low light video and gigs.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Value For Money
The Xperia Z5 Compact is available to buy sim-free for £306.95. There are a variety of contracts available for the phone with leading providers starting from about £26 a month. It's available in Coral, Yellow, White and Black, and price can depend slightly on which colour you go for.
If you want a more compact smartphone that still has the capability of the bigger phones then there's really not much to compare the phone to. The new iPhone SE or an older iPhone like the 5S is probably the closest in terms of size. It's available for £279 but only has an 8-megapixel camera.
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Verdict
If you're an Android user and want a high-performance camera on your phone without the bulk of a larger phone body, then the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is ideal for you. Manufacturers like Samsung have now stopped making the 'Mini' versions of their flagship smartphones and a lot of the other brands seem to be gunning for the 'bigger is better' mentality.
This phone packs a 23-megapixel camera and has a superb screen and low-light capability thanks to Sony technology. A well-known name in both TV and mirrorless camera circles, the Z5 Compact combines innovations from both leaving you with a small but perfectly formed phone capable of amazing photos and video in a size that will still fit in your pocket. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to keep the smaller phone body but wants the power of a top of the range camera too.
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The Sony Xperia Z5 Compact is a great choice for someone passionate about phoneography but conscious about size. |