Sony Xperia M5 review: middle class problems

The Sony Xperia M5's cameras are clearly its strong point. The main camera delivers high-contrast, sharp images in 21.5 MP and the selfie camera produces pleasing wide-angle shots in 13 MP. The Quick Start function wakes the phone from standby directly into the camera app.

Sony has equipped the M5 with a similar sensor to the Xperia Z5. / © ANDROIDPIT

The cameras are the selling point for the otherwise unremarkable Xperia M5. Sony has, therefore, provided the phone with one the best sensors on the market. The Exmor RS is distinguished by its fast autofocus, which takes only 30 milliseconds. Thanks to face- and smile-detection technology, you can shoot your selfies without even having to press the shutter button.

As with most Xperia smartphones, Sony has also built in a physical camera button on the Xperia M5. If pressed while the smartphone is in standby mode, it instantly wakes the device up and opens the camera app.

Unfortunately, the front-facing camera lack a flash. / © ANDROIDPIT

The Sony Xperia M5, although gifted with excellent camera sensors, has not, unfortunately, been equipped with a great flash. Dual LED flash is now a common feature on smartphone cameras, with a second, more reddish flash ensuring skin tones don't appear faded and people's faces in flash shots look more natural. Meanwhile, there are also numerous smartphones with flashes on the front for low-light selfies. The Xperia M5 does not have either of these features - only a simple white flash on the back.

Under poor artificial light, the M5's camera produces no visible noise. / © ANDROIDPIT The main camera's sensor produces pleasing light sen sitivity / © ANDROIDPIT Macro images also come out well-focused. / © ANDROIDPIT The autofocus is more than capable of capturing moving ob jects. / © ANDROIDPIT The M5's camera is also capable of decent night shots. / © ANDROIDPIT

Sony's default camera app is quite complicated to use. In low-light conditions, you are forced to adjust the settings, and this sometimes takes a long time; the autofocus is also much slower in darker environments.

However, when we tried some alternative camera apps, we were able to take better shots in the dark. Overall, the M5 camera is a reliable and powerful tool, but, as it's the phone's biggest selling point, it could still be better.

Source: Sony Xperia M5 review: middle class problems