Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc review: Video
The Xperia Arc records its video in a selection of resolutions all the way up to the 720p HD size, with clips emerging from the camera in MP4 format. A 30-second clip recorded at this maximum resolution takes up around 23MB.
The big bonus here is in having continuous autofocus while recording videos, which is rather a rarity on a mobile phone camera.
The video recording options are also simplified, as with the still camera. There's only a choice of six scene modes while recording video clips, plus a slider for fiddling with the exposure and a selection of automatic white balance settings for various lighting conditions.
It's possible to leave the camera's flash on permanently if recording a clip in the dark, plus there's a digital image stabilisation option which crops the image in return for doing a noticeable job of smoothing out wobbles.
Video quality is good and manages a near constant 30fps even when recording in 720p, although there's some noticeable blurring and blotchiness when filming moving scenes. We also recorded the odd glitch, where the sensor fails to update for half a second or so. It's not a disaster, but also not quite what you'd expect from a phone being sold on its media-capturing abilities.
Switching between light and dark areas is quick and subtle, with the camera doing a fine job of managing differing light conditions. It really is a pleasure to use.
The sensor is also quick to switch focus when recording clips, which is one of its best features. It also has a very sensitive mic, recording sounds very well indeed. Sony Ericsson's fine tradition of providing the best in mobile phone cameras lives on.
