Night Sight Camera Mode Rolls Out To Google Pixel Phones

Google has begun rolling out its new Night Sight camera mode to all Pixel phones, including the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The new feature on the Google Camera app will allow users to take incredible photos even in very dark conditions thanks to machine learning.

“Because life’s best moments aren’t always perfectly lit, we developed Night Sight, a new feature for the Pixel camera that helps you capture vibrant and detailed low-light photos without a flash or tripod,” Google said in a blog post. “Over the next few days, Night Sight will be coming to the front and rear cameras on all three generations of Pixel phones.”

Night Sight mode can be accessed directly from the Google Camera on Pixel phones. Users will simply have to swipe to Night Sight mode and start shooting. There are already several samples floating around on the net, showing that the new camera feature is able to deliver amazing results. But how does Google’s Night Sight camera mode really work?

When in Night Sight mode, the Google Camera app is able to measure the user’s natural hand shake and the motion on the scene even before a user presses the shutter button. Depending on how stable the Pixel phone is being held, Night Sight will spend some time capturing more light in the scene. Additionally, Night Sight will capture a short burst of photos and merge them all together to produce a single photo. This also allows the feature to compensate for motion blur if the subject moves when the photo is taken.

“Night Sight is designed to capture true-to-life photos, adapting to the various lighting conditions you’ll see at night. Using machine learning, Night Sight balances the color of your photo so that objects show their natural color at night,” Google said.

The Google Camera app on the Pixel phones is capable of automatically notifying users to switch to Night Sight mode when it detects that the scene is too dark. Users can manually go to the mode or simply tap on the suggestion pop-up to start shooting a Night Sight photo.

Google suggested that users should hold the phone steady or prop it against something stable. If users are taking a photo of a person, they should ask that person to hold still for a few seconds. Some other tips include tapping on the subject to help the camera focus and avoid pointing the camera at bright light sources. Google also said that the feature won’t work in complete darkness because Night Sight will still require a small amount of light in order to work.

Although the new camera feature is intended to be used for low lighting conditions, Android Police has discovered that it can also be used to capture photos in any situation, including in broad daylight. When users do this, Night Sight is able to reduce noise in the image and improve its resolution.

Although Night Sight works on the original Pixel and the Pixel 2, it will work best on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, according to Android Authority. Night Sight was apparently calibrated and trained specifically for the white balancer of the Pixel 3.