Google Camera 5.3 prepares to add correction for wide-angle distortion on faces

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Wide-angle lenses have been a great addition to smartphone cameras. They allow you to essentially take a step back and get more in the frame. However, wide-angle lenses are not without their drawbacks. Distortion is a common side-effect when using these lenses. The outside edges of the photo can appear warped and it can even affect faces. Google is working on a fix to make this problem less noticeable with the wide-angle mode in the Google Camera app.

The following strings are from the latest Google Camera v5.3 taken from Android P Beta 3 (Developer Preview 4) on the Google Pixel 2 XL. They mention fixing faces when they are distorted by the angle of view.

<string name="pref_acat_summary">Adjust faces to look more natural when angle of view distorts them.</string> <string name="pref_acat_title">Correct wide-angle distortion on face</string>

The Google Pixel phones don’t have a secondary wide-angle camera like you can find on the LG G7, but the Google Camera has a nifty faux “wide-angle” mode in the Panorama section. It’s very handy when you need to fit more in the frame. Taking these types of photos can create a lot of weird distortion when stitching photos together. If you’re taking a big group photo with a lot of people you want to make sure faces look good.

To try the wide-angle feature out for yourself, open the Google Camera app and swipe open the menu. Select Panorama and choose one of the styles up top (horizontal, vertical, wide-angle, or fisheye). The camera app will guide you through the steps to take the photo. When you’re done, the photo will be stitched together and hopefully, this new trick can fix faces.