Google Pixel 3 Night Sight Mode Official

The Google Pixel 3, and Pixel 3 XL is set to get a new camera update that includes a new "Night Sight" shooting mode. The new update to the camera app will be available for other Google phones, including the Pixel 2, 2 XL, and original Pixel and XL. 

As well as Google proclaiming that the Pixel 3 has the best digital zoom of any device, they are introducing a new Night Sight mode, which is designed to give the best night photos.

We've been testing this new night mode and can share images with you. Here's a quick example from our studio, taken in almost complete darkness.

Normal shot | 1/8 sec | f/1.8 | 4.4 mm | ISO 2640	Night Sight | 1 sec | f/1.8 | 4.4 mm | ISO 2656

The Night Sight mode combines a number of photos, to give images that would otherwise not be possible. It works with or without a tripod, in fact it's designed to work without a tripod (and will automatically detect if you have the phone on a stable surface).

The Night Sight mode will "de-mosaic" the image and get colour information for each pixel, using the same technology as used when using the "super res" for digital zoom. It's much like the "hi-res" modes on cameras with built-in sensor based image stabilisation (like the Pentax K-1 II, and Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, etc). The Pixel 3 uses movement of your hand, or movement of the OIS unit (when on a steady surface or tripod).

The problems Google say they've overcome include focus problems - if the camera can't focus it can automatically set the focus to infinite. You can also choose whether you want auto-focus, near or far focus.

They also needed to work on a new way to work out the white balance for the scene (considering the scene may be poorly lit) using machine learning. This is built-in to the phone (and doesn't need the Cloud to work), which means it will also work in airplane mode.

Tripod Night Sight | 1/8 sec | f/1.8 | 4.4 mm | ISO 198

Here's another example we shot with the Google Pixel 3. This was a particularly challenging scene to capture, with bright lights, and dark water and skies. We've compared the night shooting mode with a number of other premium smartphones, which you can find here.

From Google: Night Sight is a new feature of Pixel phones that lets you take sharp, clean photographs in very low light, even in light so dim you can't see much with your own eyes. It works on the main and selfie cameras of all three generations of Pixel phones, and does not require a tripod or flash.

Pixel’s camera is designed to help you capture life’s best moments effortlessly. With features like HDR+, Portrait mode and Super Res Zoom, Pixel 3 uses computational photography and machine learning to help you capture stunning, creative and even professional photos. All you need to do is press the shutter button.

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. Over the next few days, Night Sight will be coming to the front and rear cameras on all three generations of Pixel phones.

Why photography is difficult at night

The key ingredient for a photo is light. When it’s dark, cameras compensate by spending more time capturing light and increasing their sensitivity to light, often adding unwanted motion blur and noise to your photo.

Flash helps by adding light to the scene, but it awkwardly blinds your friends and can annoy others around you. Not to mention, it usually creates unflattering photos and isn’t even allowed in many places where photography is permitted. Flash only brightens nearby subjects and isn’t useful for landscapes or faraway objects.

Tripods stabilize the camera, allowing it to capture more light, but they’re bulky and impractical for everyday use. By enabling longer captures, tripods may also introduce unwanted motion blur from moving objects.

How Night Sight Works

Night Sight constantly adapts to you and the environment, whether you’re holding Pixel or propping it on a steady surface. Before you press the shutter button, Night Sight measures your natural hand shake, as well as how much motion is in the scene. If Pixel is stable and the scene is still, Night Sight will spend more time capturing light to minimize noise; if Pixel is moving or there’s significant scene motion, Night Sight will use shorter exposures, capturing less light to minimize motion blur.

If your subject moves during the capture, Night Sight can adapt to prevent a modest amount of motion from ruining the shot. Instead of capturing one bright and blurry photo, Night Sight captures an equal amount of light over a burst of many photos that are dark but sharp. By merging this burst, Night Sight prevents motion blur and brightens the photo, giving you a bright and sharp photo.

If your subject moves during the capture, Night Sight can adapt to prevent a modest amount of motion from ruining the shot. Instead of capturing one bright and blurry photo, Night Sight captures an equal amount of light over a burst of many photos that are dark but sharp. By merging this burst, Night Sight prevents motion blur and brightens the photo, giving you a bright and sharp photo.

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.

For more details on how Night Sight helps you capture vibrant and detailed low-light photos, head over to the Google AI blog.

How and when to use Night Sight

If you’re taking a photo in low light, Pixel will suggest using Night Sight. You can enter Night Sight by tapping the suggestion or manually navigating to the mode. After you tap the shutter button, try to hold still until Night Sight finishes capturing the photo.

If you’re taking a photo in low light, Pixel will suggest using Night Sight. You can enter Night Sight by tapping the suggestion or manually navigating to the mode. After you tap the shutter button, try to hold still until Night Sight finishes capturing the photo.

Night Sight was designed to excel in dimly lit conditions, but it won’t work in complete darkness. You don't need much light—but you'll still need some.

Night Sight will be rolling out over the next few days with an update to the Google Camera app. Share your photos using #teampixel and #nightsight.