Google Pixel 7 Pro camera footage shaky when recording at 60FPS with 5x zoom

An unusual issue has cropped up for some Google Pixel 7 Pro users when trying to capture video using the phone’s camera system. Some reports on Google’s support forum reveal that footage appears very shaky or jittery, specifically when using the 5x telephoto zoom lens while recording at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second (FPS).

I’ve also directly experienced this shakiness firsthand on a Pixel 7 Pro unit. The footage looks smooth when viewing it at regular 1x view, but as soon as I switch to utilizing the 5x zoom, an apparent juddering effect kicks in at 60FPS that makes videos unusable. Check out the clip below (loads from Imgur):

Curiously, the shaky footage seems isolated to that specific recording mode combination. When keeping the 5x zoom active but dropping the frame rate to 30FPS at 1080p, the videos suddenly appear stable again with no noticeable jitters. This points to the 60FPS setting likely being the culprit when paired with that particular 5x telephoto lens.

I tried experimenting with different settings to see if I could replicate or solve the issue. When using any frame rate other than 60FPS, the 5x zoom yields smooth, judder-free video. And even at 4K resolution with the main wide camera, 60FPS looks perfect. So it seems to be an isolated problem with that specific shooting mode on the telephoto lens. Here’s a sample of a video I took with the 5x zoom, 30FPS, and in FHD:

The shakiness persists even after installing the May 2024 software update on the Pixel 7 Pro, indicating this is likely a bug that Google’s developers have not addressed yet. With the issue gaining more awareness in online Pixel communities, hopefully a fix will be prioritized and included in an upcoming monthly update.

For the time being, Pixel 7 Pro owners who want to use that versatile 5x telephoto zoom for video recording may need to avoid the 60FPS mode at 1080p to prevent shaky footage. Stepping down to 30FPS or lower resolutions works around the issue entirely. At 1x or the ultrawide zoom levels, the 60FPS mode does not exhibit the same jittery problem.

This is certainly a relatively niche use case, but it’s still disappointing for Google’s flagship smartphone to have such an apparent bug and limitation when it comes to the heavily marketed camera capabilities, especially when shooting at a very common frame rate like 60FPS. The shaky 5x zoom videos sharply contrast with the otherwise excellent, stabilized, high-quality video the Pixel 7 Pro can produce in most other modes.

For Pixel photographers who frequently use that 5x telephoto zoom or prioritize ultra-smooth 60FPS footage, this is absolutely something to be aware of until Google is able to properly resolve and optimize this particular mode through a software update. I’ll keep an eye out for any official statement from Google or any other developments regarding the bug and will post an update if there’s something worth sharing.