Google is bringing the faster Night Sight feature that was first introduced for the Pixel 7 line to the Pixel 6 series. It’s a great addition that makes snapping photos in low light easier.
The update comes in the form of version 8.8.224, which is currently rolling out to Pixel 6 and 6 Pro devices. It improves the performance of the camera app by introducing better noise reduction in photos with ML techniques.
Better Control Over Exposure Time
Google Camera 8.8 Update for Pixel 6 Series Enhances Night Sight Feature
The new Camera app version adds a new option that allows users to control the exposure time for their Night Sight photos. Instead of a simple on-off toggle, users can now select from 1, 2, 3, or Max (6s) exposure time via a slider on the lower right side.
This is a pretty good improvement, and it’s definitely worth waiting for the March 2023 Feature Drop to roll out to older devices like the Pixel 4a (5G), 5 and 5.
The most notable changes here are Action Pan and Long Exposure, which mimic tricky photo modes that you would normally find on high-end phones with expensive lenses. Using this software magic, it’s possible to get some really sweet natural bokeh out of the Pixel 6 Pro’s 4x zoom lens, even if you’re only a few feet away from your subject.
Less Motion Blur
Google has a reputation for delivering excellent camera experiences on its phones, and the Pixel 6 Pro is no exception. It boasts plenty of great features, including 30x Super Res Zoom, Macro Focus-only, and Cinematic Blur.
In addition to that, the Google Camera app also has a lot of AI-based photography tools that make it easy to take better pictures. Among them is the AI scene optimization, which can tweak your pictures depending on the settings and help them look more attractive.
The latest version of the Google Camera 8.8 update also adds faster Night Sight capture like that found on the Pixel 7 Pro. It needs just half the exposure time to produce low-light photos that are sharper than before.
This is a very nice enhancement, but it won’t work for every shooting scenario. You can still control the exposure time by tapping on the “seconds” option on the Night Sight tab and choosing between 1, 2, 3, or Max (6s) exposure time, depending on lighting conditions.
Better Image Quality
The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are the latest phones in the line that meet the hardware requirements consumers demand from premium Android phones. That means they have high-end internal specs, a top-tier camera and display.
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro also have a new chip that was specifically designed for them, the Tensor. It makes the phone fast and peppy, even when using heavy apps or games.
Now, the latest update for Google Camera 8.8 will make these phones even more impressive by enhancing the Night Sight feature. The update will give you the option of using the Night Sight mode with a faster exposure time or a longer one for better image quality.
As soon as you open the Night Sight mode, you will see a circle on the bottom-right side of the screen with a slider. Tapping on it will give you the option to choose between two seconds or Max, which goes up to six seconds.
Better Performance
Google Camera 8.8 Update for Pixel 6 Series Enhances Night Sight Feature
If you’re a fan of night photography on your Pixel device, you’ll want to grab the latest version of the Camera app. As reported by 9to5Google, the latest Camera 8.8 update now gives you more control over the exposure time.
When you tap on the Night Sight mode, you’ll see a circle in the bottom-right corner that lets you choose between two seconds and Max (which goes up to six seconds). This option allows you to capture longer exposures for improved photo quality, which is a nice bonus.
This feature first appeared on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro devices back in March, and it’s now available for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Google advertises that Night Sight photos have “less motion blur since exposures can be half as long as before.” It credits updates to HDR+ with Bracketing and new ML algorithms for minimizing noise.