Let me take a selfie: hands on with the Sony Xperia C3 camera
**With all the talk about the upcoming Xperia Z3 and Z3 compact hitting our shelves, the release of the mid-range Xperia C3 almost slipped under the radar. **With a larger than life ‘selfie snapper’ adorning the front of the handset, the C3 stands out as one of the best camera phones to deal with the emerging selfie trend.
So, apart from its front facing camera, what makes the Xperia C3 such a great smartphone to snap away on?
PROselfie wide angle lens
As we’ve already touched upon, the Sony Xperia C3 stands out from its closest rivals thanks to its 5 megapixel front facing camera. But if there’s anything to be known about smartphone cameras, it’s that megapixels aren’t everything.
The C3’s front camera also offers a specially built wide angle lens measuring 25mm wide. Add this to its 80 degree field of view, and you’ve got a front facing lens that’s capable of snapping far more than just one face at a time. Ellen Degeneres didn’t do too bad of a job with her famous Oscars selfie- but just imagine how many more celebs could have piled into the pic with the Xperia C3 in tow!
On the back side of the C3, Sony has given us a respectable 8 megapixel lens, which is capable of snapping all of your best shots. And teamed with all of Sony’s infamous camera technology and apps, the rear-facing camera on the C3 offers everything that its pricier Xperia Z counterparts do.
Front-facing Superior Auto
Superior Auto is a feature that has put Sony’s camera phones on the main stage in recent years, and this time round the manufacturer has managed to take it one step further by bringing Superior Auto to the C3’s front camera.
The only Sony smartphone to do so, the Xperia C3 uses its clever technology to match the background of your selfie with the appropriate camera settings in order to bring you the perfect shot every time. Whether you’re snapping a quick photo of you and your mates at the beach, or just a solo self portrait in the club, Superior Auto recognises up to 36 different scenes, from day and night, to macro and close-up shots.
Sony camera technology
Another great thing about the Sony Xperia C3 camera is that it shares all of the same technology as Sony’s best range of traditional cameras. The Sony Exmor RS image sensor technology reduces noise, helping you to produce crystal clear photos which capture every minute detail.
On top of the C3’s Exmor sensor, Sony has packed in a unique soft LED flash into the phone’s front and back cameras, ensuring that your shots don’t leave you in the dark, or at the other end of the scale, looking like a ghost.
Xperia C3 camera apps
It’s not just in the Xperia C3’s camera specs that Sony is trying to fend off its closest competition, however. With Sony’s range of built-in camera apps first seen on the Xperia Z flagship, the device becomes more of a traditional point and shoot camera than a phone
Another fun app that you’ll find built into the Xperia C3 is AR Effect. Perfect for messing about with your mates, it lets you add quirky animations to your shots- anything from dinosaurs and stars to fun hats and moustaches to your selfies!
If Portrait Retouch and AR Effect don’t take your fancy then you’ve got a whole host of pre-installed camera features on the Xperia C3, from Sweep Panorama and Movie Creator to colourful Picture Effects and Timeshift Burst.
Sony Xperia C3: the best selfie camera?
Sony has made sure that its latest mid-range camera phone designed for selfies went much further than just its 5MP front facing lens. With built-in camera specs set to perfect your shots- selfies or not- plus an array of flagship level camera apps, one thing is clear: the Sony Xperia C3 is not one for the camera shy.
Designed especially for the selfie craze, Portrait Retouch allows users to ‘jazz up’ their faces with up to 10 beauty styles. You can add eye shadow, lipstick, or even a self tan with this fun mode- and there are even more natural styles available if make up’s not quite your thing.