[Sony Cross-Device Development Themes and Apps] csfrank271:
Prior to the Xperia Z5, I was possession of a LG G4. I found it to be a beautiful device in most regards - especially the fantastic camera - until it was stricken with the infamous boatloaop issue.

I contacted support, and I was given the choice between:

a) Receiving a new G4, or

b) Receiving a complete refund in store credit to use towards a different phone.

I chose option b, my phone of choice being the Xperia Z5. I've liked everything about this phone more than the G4 except for the feature which I was drawn to the most: the camera.

Technically, Sony have been truthful with their advertising; the autofocus is ridiculously quick, the camera handles low-light situations well for the most part, and the dedicated camera button is useful.

But even with all these features, even with 23mp as an option, the camera just can't compete with the G4.

This is understandable; the G4's camera has a larger sensor, and the OIS reduces blur significantly. For a while I was disappointed with the Z5 camera, but I have come to accept that - while it will never be as good as the G4 - it is still a good camera, and that it can be improved.

So when I discovered Cyberian Camera, it lit a spark of hope for me. To see others not only recognising the flaws of Xperia cameras, but to be acting upon them, is wonderful. I simply can not wait for the release of your universal version 7.

If I could be so lucky as to capture your attention Cyberian Team, I'd like to ask you some questions.

As I mentioned, the G4 has OIS for reducing blur in photos. Xperia phones have Steadyshot, a Sony variant of EIS for stabilising videos. Is it possible to utilise SteadyShot, or another form of EIS, to steady the camera while taking photos? I've noticed that many of the pictures I've taken with the Z5 are very blurry.

Also, I've been researching the capabilities of the Z5 camera and I have noticed that it lacks some of the Camera2 API functionality, such as RAW support. I have concluded that the reason for this is one of the following:

a) The hardware can not support these features, or

b) The hardware can support these features, but implementing them would require a complete rewrite of Sony's camera api, which they consider to be too much effort.

Are any of these thoughts correct?

I'd also like to suggest a couple features. I believe they are not beyond the scope of your project and will be very useful.

Firstly, an option to change the naming format of photos will be very useful. I like having my photos named 'YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.ext' so they can be sorted chronologically, but Sony uses the 'DSC_****.ext' naming structure. This is madness to me.

Secondly, when photos are taken in portrait they have the incorrect orientation. The photos are embedded with EXIF rotation data, so they appear to be correctly rotated in most picture viewers. But when I view the pictures on my PC, I can see they are on the side and I have to rotate them manually / update the EXIF data.

Thank you, Cyberian Team, for engaging in some discussion with me (should you choose to reply) and for taking the time to assess my thoughts. I admire your work, and I can't wait for the release of version 7. :)