TL;DR Pixel Pro phones feature a manual photography mode that provides advanced control over key settings, including focus, ISO, shutter speed, and more.
A little-known tool in Pro mode — a toggleable zoomed-in viewfinder during manual focusing — enables greater precision with focus peaking visual cues.
Pro controls are available on the Pixel Fold, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro series, and Pixel 10 Pro series.
Pixel phones pack a great camera setup, even though many would agree that there are even better Android camera phones out there. While Pixels remain great for point-and-shoot use cases, the manual camera mode on the Pixel Pros is a great jumping point for anyone interested in becoming a better photographer. The mode is surprisingly well-equipped, and to this day, people are discovering features that they previously hadn’t noticed.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a favorite source in Google Discover to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
to never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. You can also set us as a preferred source in Google Search by clicking the button below.
Reddit user YouBugged just noticed that their Pixel 10 Pro has a zoomed-in viewfinder window available whenever they use manual focus.
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
When users switch to manual focus, Pro Pixels provide focus peaking visual cues, which many have already noticed and used.
However, many users may have missed the small overlay button that appears in manual focus mode. Tapping this button presents an additional zoomed-in viewfinder in the top right. The focus peaking visual cues are displayed in the smaller viewfinder, allowing you to achieve a much more precise focus. You can tap anywhere on the main viewfinder to re-centre the view visible inside the smaller viewfinder.
... continue reading