Given most high-end phones especially that cost north of $600 now have Optical Image Stabilization where reduces blur in images due to shaky hands or at night when the shutter speed is lowered to capture more light. However, Google decided to skip on the OIS module for its Pixel smartphones even though the company claims it has one of the best smartphone cameras in the market.
With the mounting questions on the omission, Google's representative 'IsaacOnCamera' said that the two technologies, EIS and OIS have different goals. While EIS is aimed at reducing shake during video recording, OIS is is used to improve low light photography by reducing hand shake while taking long exposure shots.
However, he maintains that the Pixel and Pixel XL cameras are already so great at low light imaging with their larger pixel size and more sensitive sensor that OIS won't be needed on these smartphones.
This is his explanation:
And despite lacking OIS, Pixel is still very strong in still low-light photos, beating other cameras that do have OIS modules. That’s a testament to its world-class software algorithms, notably HDR+. And with software algorithms instead of OIS hardware, Pixel can get better and better over time.
At the end of the day, Pixel takes some of the best low-light photos you’ll find on any smartphone, even without OIS. And that’s what really matters — better pictures, not how Pixel does it.
There's one cool thing about EIS though with the Pixel smartphones, they can record 4K videos with stabilization which is a bit strange given that EIS generally works by cropping video to get a stable frame. But without having a look at how good video stabilization works on the Pixel, we really can't comment if its worth it.
Source: 9to5Google
