The Google Pixel 2 just can't get a break, huh? From burn-in issues to unresponsive edges to flashing screens to slow charging times, the initially critically acclaimed phones have been mired with a number of lingering issues. Barely having recovered from such woes, it appears there might be a new issue altogether.
Google Pixel 2 Camera Banding Issue
There's been a small but growing number Pixel 2 owners saying their device has been behaving rather oddly. When taking a photo of LED lights, the camera appears to be suffering from a banding visual effect. This looks similar to flickering scan lines on a television. The video below gives a clear example:
For those uninitiated with how LEDs work, read on. This type of light actually emits a flicker that the naked eye can't detect. Only a number of smartphones and cameras can capture this visual phenomenon, as seen in the video above.
The good news is that this isn't really a bug in the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL, but an issue with LED lights in general. Some remedy this by adjusting their shutter speed to 1/60s, 1/120s, 1/180s, according to Droid Life. But the problem is that the Pixel 2 doesn't actually offer manual shutter control.
The banding issue, which has since been brought up in the Pixel User Community forums, can be solved in a couple of ways. Either Google releases an update to the phone's default camera app that enables manual shutter control or it sets the camera in a way that it can automatically detect LED lights and adjust its shutter accordingly.
Several Pixel 2 users have collected a number of photos and videos and put them in this Google Photos album, so be sure to check that out to see specific examples of the issue. In the meantime, users can try moving away from LED lights when taking photos or shooting video as a way to avoid the problem.
Google Pixel Visual Core
Last year, the Google Pixel had one of the best cameras out of all competing flagships, and that honor continues with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, whose cameras are now even better thanks to their built-in Pixel Visual Core chip. So it's quite unfortunate that the best cameraphone on DxOMark's ranking, and what's arguably the best cameraphone this year, is suffering from performance problems.
Is your Pixel 2 suffering from camera banding problems? Tell us in the comments section below!
