Motorola Moto X Force / Droid Turbo 2 camera review

review By Ahmed Hossny , mogha.review
email; zmogha@gmail.com

The Moto X Force is the international version of the Verizon-exclusive US model Droid Turbo 2 and the current flagship model in the Moto line. With a Sony 1/2.4-inch 21MP IMX230 sensor, F2.0 aperture, 4K video and a flash-equipped 5MP front camera, the Force's imaging specification is very similar to the Moto X Style. However, it comes with higher-end processing components, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset and 3GB RAM.

DPReview smartphone reviews are written with the needs of photographers in mind. We focus on camera features, performance, and image quality.

The Moto X Force's stand-out feature is its AMOLED display. At 5.4" it is a little smaller than the Moto X Style's 5.7" IPS variant but offers Motorola's new ShatterShield protection which means it's guaranteed not to crack or shatter. The device body is water-resistant with a solid metal frame and a back that is covered with a rubberized material, making the Moto X Force an ideal phone for use in rougher surroundings. 

Key Photographic / Video Specifications

• 21MP 1/2.4-inch SONY IMX230 BSI CMOS sensor
• F2.0 aperture
• 4K video
• Dual-LED flash
• 5MP wide angle front camera with flash

Other Specifications

• 5.4-inch Quad-HD AMOLED display (540 ppi) with ShatterShield protection
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Processor with 2.0 GHz octa-core CPUs
• 3GB RAM 
• 32/64GB of storage
• MicroSD support up to 2TB
• 3760 mAh battery with quick and wireless charging technology (Qi and Powermat)
• Water-resistant

Our 9-page review

We've considered every aspect of the Motorola Moto X Force with the photographer in mind. We examined the user interface of the native camera app and its special features. We experimented with the camera's performance when taking stills and video, and had a play with the device's many special feature modes.

Design & Hardware

Thanks to a rubberized back the Moto X Force lies comfortably and securely in the hand when used as a camera.

From a design point of view the Motorola Moto X Force does not stand out much from the crowd but the almost logo-less black front looks nice and clean and the characteristic dimple on the back clearly identifies it as a Motorola device. And if you are more focused on practicality than flashy looks, the Moto X Force might be just what you have been looking for.

The 5.4" QHD AMOLED display comes with Motorola's new ShatterShield protection and claims to be completely shatterproof. I have - unwillingly - tested this feature several times while using the Force and can vouch for its efficiency. The device's rubberized back plate is comfortable to hold and much less prone to scratching than the metal or glass backs of other high-end phones. The device is also water-resistant, with internal components featuring a water-repellent nano-coating.

The Quad-HD display is very sharp and covered with shatterproof glass.	The camera module is located at center top, above the characteristic Moto dimple.

Underneath the rugged shell Qualcomm's top-end chipset Snapdragon 810 and 3GB RAM power the Android mobile OS. The large 3760 mAh battery supports quick as well as wireless charging and easily takes you through a day of heavy use. 

The components used in the camera module are very similar to those on the Moto X Style. A Sony 1/2.4-inch 21MP IMX230 sensor offers on-sensor phase detection autofocus and is combined with a F2.0 aperture and dual-LED flash. There is no optical image stabilization but in video mode the Force is capable of recording clips in 4K resolution. At the front you'll find a 5MP wide-angle camera for selfies and video chats and the 32 or 64GB of internal memory are expandable via microSD-slot. 

The combined SIM/microSD slot can be found at the top edge of the device.	Volume rockers and power button are located in the conventional position on the right edge.

Camera Operation

The Moto X Force camera app is very simple, with hardly any on-screen controls. The focus-target comes with a useful exposure compensation slider.

The Moto X Force comes with the same stock camera app we have seen on previous Motorola devices. It's very much focused on simplicity and ease of use. There is no manual control over shutter speed or DNG Raw capture and the Moto X Force does not support these features with third party camera apps either. 

However, if you are the kind of mobile photographer who thinks these features are overkill on a smartphone camera and prefer a snapshot-style of shooting the Motorola app does a very good job. You can tap anywhere on the screen to capture but can also activate a target for setting the focus and exposure point manually. Exposure and focus cannot be locked but with the target you also get a digital exposure compensation slider, allowing for exposure fine-tuning.  Tapping and holding captures a burst. 

Settings and special modes can be accessed via a pop-out dial on the left edge of the screen.

Almost all features and settings (such as video resolution or panorama and HDR modes) can be accessed via a pop-out virtual dial on the left edge of the screen.  A tap on the video icon in the top right corner starts and stops video recording. In the bottom corner you'll find the button for switching to the front cam.

Like most current smartphones the Moto X Force does not have a physical camera button but you can set the volume rockers to act as shutter buttons. The device also comes with Motorola's 'Quick Capture' feature. Snap-twisting the phone around the long axis twice opens the camera app. It works reasonably well but I've rarely found myself using it.  Overall the Motorola camera app best for those who want to keep things quick and simple. Camera apps with more manual control are available on Google Play for those who want it but keep in mind that the Moto X Force does not support manual control over shutter speeds, no matter what app you use.

Features

The Moto X Force pre-installed imaging feature set is concise but with HDR and panorama mode you get the essentials. Night mode, which previously was a user-selectable function, now kicks in automatically when things get too dark. Like the Moto X Style, the Force comes with a dedicated front LED flash which helps capturing self-portraits in dark conditions. Unfortunately for more tech-minded mobile photographers, as we've already noted, Raw capture and full manual control are not possible.

HDR Mode

HDR mode combines several exposure into one and, as you can see in the samples below, does a good job at recovering some highlight detail and slightly brightening the shadows, without making the image look unnatural. In high-contrast situations, such as the one below, leaving HDR on all the time is not a bad idea.

ISO 64, 1/30 sec, HDR off	ISO 64, shutter speed not reported, HDR on
100% crop	100% crop

On the downside, HDR images are a touch softer than their standard counterparts but you'll have to view at 100% to see the difference. Occasionally you also get slight ghosting effects on moving subjects but again you'll have to look very closely to notice.

ISO 50, 1/1003 sec, HDR off	ISO 50, 1/969 sec, HDR on
100% crop	100% crop

Panorama mode

The Moto X Force's panorama mode produces results that are similar to what we've seen on previous Motorola devices. Panorama images are well-stitched but in comparison to the best in class very small, with low levels of detail. In fact the 21MP sensor's standard output images are larger in both dimensions than those captured in panorama mode.

Nevertheless panorama mode can be a useful tool when you cannot move further back to capture an entire scene as it was the case in the cloister that can be seen in the sample below. Panorama mode can capture an angle of view of approximately 180 degrees. You can stop capture manually at any time though, as we did for the image below.

Vertical panorama, 1632 x 912 pixels

100% crop

Unfortunately panorama mode does not deal well with moving subjects. Even slow-moving subjects, such as the persons in the sample below, will show ghosting artifacts. A faster moving object, for example a bike or car, can render an image unusable.

Vertical panorama, 3312 x 926 pixels

100% crop

review By Ahmed Hossny , mogha.review 

email; zmogha@gmail.com

In the settings you can switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio.

review By Ahmed Hossny , mogha.review

 email; zmogha@gmail.com