With the likes of the Huawei P9 and P10 giving those DSLR-quality photos, I can't help but just envy them. And since I can't upgrade to a new phone yet, I would like to share Sony's "answer" to that, dating back 2014.


Background defocus, as the name suggests, aims to achieve that DSLR-like shots. A blurred or bokeh background usually gives drama to a photo, and who wouldn't want that in a smartphone?

It has been installed in my phone since I got it but never got the chance to play around with it, not until I saw how awesome the latest smartphone cameras are! Tbh, I've become more and more disappointed with Sony, but that's a different story.


So I tried to play with the app. It could be accessed in two ways. Since it's an app, you should see it in your app launcher. I have mine hidden in a folder together with other Xperia apps.


Another way is through the camera. Tap the auto mode icon on the lower right side of the screen to see this menu.


The app works like the HDR. The camera takes a photo twice, one focused on the foreground, the second focused on the background, and the phone does the magic. Everything sounds magical on paper, but how was it IRL?


The app wasn't perfect. It took me a few snaps before it could blur the photos. It also struggled to highlight the foreground,which is the minion, as seen in the photo.

Sony suggests to position the subject 15-45cm (0.5-1.5 feet) away, the background object 5 meter away from focus target, and to hold camera steady. I don't have a ruler handy to do all those measurements, but placing your subject near the camera and holding the phone on a flat surface would help.

Below are the most decent shots I had:

sebo de macho 💪

Bob says hi!

All in all, the app is good but still not at par with what the P9 and the P10 can offer. Not surprising though since this was developed in 2014 although Sony developers could have updated it to join the mobile photography game.

Is it useful? Yes.
Would I use it everyday? Nah.