Busy Bee

I am in process of completing a review of the Moto Z Force Droid, which is a Verizon Wireless exclusive. This afternoon, I shot some nectaring bee photos with the smartphone and iPhone 7 Plus for comparison. My wife and I went on a walk with both devices, stopping at what we affectionately call the Butterfly House. The residence is a mini-wildlife refuge for Monarchs, hummingbirds, and other flying things; oh, and chickens, too.

The Featured Image comes from the Droid, which packs a 21-megapixel camera. Vitals: f/1.8, ISO 50, 1/465 sec, 4.51mm; 3:01 p.m. PDT. However, the image is only 16MP because the default setting, which I neglected to check, is 16:9 rather than 4:3. No matter, focus is spot on, IQ high, bokeh beautiful, and color accurate. I’m pleasantly surprised. 

The other image comes from the iPhone 7 Plus. Clarity also impresses but color is saturated, which makes a prettier picture but isn’t what the eye sees. It’s all about the photography you want, and for many people that’s the Apple device. Shoot and share. Vitals: f/1.8, ISO 20, 1/1389 sec, 3.99mm; 3:01 p.m. PDT.

I have long liked the Motorola phone cameras for capturing what the eye sees, even if that means an image with comparatively duller colors than some competing devices. But focusing and performance problems have been a handicap—many of which the Moto Z Force Droid remedies.