Pixel 7 Pro Camera Review: Action Pan Action, Man

We all know Action Pan, at least with our own eyes. Think of watching your favorite sport live, in the arena.  The intensity is through the roof. You track the player inch by inch while he’s going road runner style across the field. Your eyes are panning along with the subject. It’s now the single in-focus point from your perspective while the world around it stays outside your visual attention, faded.  Wish your phone could do the same?  Then just get the Pixel 7 Pro.  With some practice, it will help you to create that feeling of being inside the action, focused on a single point in motion.  Here are the basics you remember to make the best out of this feature:

• You need to Match The Speed of Your Subject. Start out simple. Get in a car. Sit in the passenger seat and take shots of things outside by matching their speed. Try a cyclist in the bike lane or pedestrian on pavement, a car coming from the opposite direction on a curvy road. I think being in a vehicle takes the load off and it is a great way to get a feel for the feature.  You just have to  hold the camera still on the subject you want to capture, and the background is guaranteed to move and blur.

Downtown Reno, Nevada

• Move Along with The Subject. Think of my previous example, where I explained how you track the player at a game. Now… Add your body movement too. Panning is a well-known photographic tool, nothing new there.  The Pixel’s computational photography is new though, just helping you to smooth out the jerky motions, and adjust the settings to make sure you get a good exposure. To practice this, you’ll need to be ready to move your whole body, not just to follow the subject with the lens.  Easy practice would be to have a partner walk, and you match their pace. This is a great way to create that motion and blur when the object isn’t really moving that quickly.

• Stability is key. Holding the camera requires practice.  So you’ll either just have to keep practicing or use a tripod.  If you just can’t get your hands steady enough, mount the camera, loosen up the top and move it from one side to another. 

Google Pixel 7 Pro mounted on tripod

As the name suggests, the Action Pan feature is typically used for action shots. But try to think outside the box. Because after all, this effect brings narrative and excitement to your photos. Take these shots for example. I think they could be good for editorial use if you were to run a local news site.

Downtown Reno, Nevada

An article talking about a bustle of a city, opening of a new exciting business, 

Downtown Reno, Nevada

or a bleeding problem of a city - the increase in numbers of drunk-drivers for example…

South Meadows Reno, Nevada

A picture is worth a thousand words and this feature has the power to make your narrative more meaningful. 

There are cases where Action Pan can look and feel like an accidental shot or beautiful by accident. When you start out, be prepared to have a lot of shots where nothing is in focus.  Practice practice practice until you achieve technical and artistic success of telling a story. It’s a worthwhile thing to learn new techniques for bringing your audience into the moment.  Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, although the Pixel 7 Pro sure does make it easier.   

Ok, I’m moving on from the Pixel 7 Pro’s features and modes, although if you have any other questions about anything, just leave them in the comments and I’ll swing back around.  The next video will be related though, I’ll be talking about the Pixel Watch, and in particular how it complements the Pixel 7 Pro.  If you’re interested, like and subscribe, so we can continue the Journey together.  Have a bright and focused week.

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