Recent complaints have been cropping up online about the Pixel 8’s selfie camera, with some blaming the lack of autofocus for the unpleasant photos that come out of it. The lack of autofocus on the Pixel 8 isn’t to blame, but that’s a little more worrisome than a simple hardware issue.
The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are supposed to be Google’s best phones to date, and the consensus among colleagues and users echoes that sentiment rather strongly. One of the main takeaways is that the devices have superb cameras that join good hardware with Google’s post-processing for exceptional mobile photos. There are a couple of differences between the two devices. Namely, the Pixel 8 Pro has a telephoto lens for further zoom shots. On the flip side, the Pixel 8 Pro has a selfie camera with autofocus, which actually isn’t that common for Android smartphones. The Pixel 8 lacks this advancement, which has caused somewhat of a stir.
Here’s the thing – the Pixel 8 does not have autofocus in the same way that the Pixel 7/7 Pro did, and the Pixel 6/6 Pro didn’t have autofocus. Front-facing selfie cameras are built to take photos at high sensitivity and narrow aperture, which naturally focuses more content in the photo. As long as you’re not extremely close or a mile away, you’ll likely be in focus, and quality should be in line, if not improved over previous generations.
However, some users seem to be seeing issues that aren’t a result of fixed focus in the front-facing lens. This makes it pretty strange that some users are seeing selfies that are completely blurry.
One user on Reddit noted that images in the viewfinder appear blurry, with a lot of detail lost in hair and the face. Holding the camera at arm’s length seems to be a fix, however uncomfortable and inconvenient that is. Another states that he also has to hold the Pixel 8 camera out to arm’s length for anything to be in focus.
You shouldn’t need to get a cramp trying to extend your arm far enough for a decent picture, and you largely didn’t need to on past Pixels. So this could be a case where some additional tuning is needed.
And, on that same note of added tuning, our Max Weinbach is having a different issue with his Pixel 8 and 8 Pro cameras. Images in the viewfinder look lossy, lacking in detail, and generally “dead.” However, the resulting photo once the picture is taken in the Camera app looks great, as it should with Google’s processing. However, photos taken on Instagram or Snapchat don’t use the same shutter, so the viewfinder image becomes the final. Google has yet to address this issue, but it’s happening throughout every app with a viewfinder on those affected devices. Once the Pixel 8 camera’s shutter is triggered, a normal photo appears.
Autofocus – or lack thereof – is not to blame in these situations. It’s annoying that the Pixel 8 doesn’t have it, but that really only affects your ability to use better facial recognition. In any case, there’s a bigger issue with the Pixel 8’s camera that needs to be addressed. Let us know in the comments if you’re experiencing the same problems with your Pixel 8.
Max Weinbach contributed to this article.
More on Pixel 8:
- Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro now charge faster over USB-C
- So, what is this Google Pixel 8 color?
- Pixel Watch 2 won’t be compatible with original Pixel Watch cases
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