Hands on review: Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia has finally unveiled its worst-kept-secret flagship Windows Phone, the Lumia 1020. We spent some time with the device, and even test-drove its jaw-dropping 41-megapixel camera.
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Nokia's 41-megapixel smartphone camera
Megapixel maven: The Nokia Lumia 1020 has a camera with a 41-megapixel image sensor that retains clarity in images when you digitally zoom up to 3x.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 doesn't feel like a camera when you hold it, which is a leg-up over other camera-phone hybrids such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom.
Nonetheless, its photo-taking ability is the clear emphasis, which is
obvious from the lens-holding protrusion on the back and – to a lesser
extent – the dedicated shutter button on the right side.
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Nokia tried its hardest to keep the 1020 as thin as possible
(protrusions notwithstanding), and it's significantly lighter than the
company's previous flagship, the Lumia 920 –
159 grams instead of 184 grams. The screens are exactly the same at 4.5
inches, but the 1020 feels better in the hand, which is also probably
why Nokia didn't incorporate wireless charging into the phone (although
an accessory makes that possible).
Camera app(s)
The camera app is where all the action happens. In fact, it's so much action that Nokia actually has two camera
apps. The first is the Pro Camera, which is the default app that
launches when you hold down the dedicated shutter. The Pro has manual
controls and generally works the same way as most phone cameras (touch
to focus, pinch to zoom, and so on).
Then there's the Smart Camera app, which takes several photos
of a subject in rapid succession to allow for some photographic
trickery. With Smart Camera, you can use the multiple photos to pick the
best shot, adjust facial expressions, add motion blur and other tricks.
I question the wisdom of including two different camera apps, but I
guess it keeps things simple.
Other phones perform similar trickery,
so I spent most of my time trying out the Pro camera. Right off the
bat, I have to credit Nokia with providing a way to zoom with one
finger. You can also pinch, but I found it much more convenient to just
slide my finger up the screen to zoom while my finger was on the shutter
button.
The Lumia 1020 has manual controls that look completely ripped off from the Samsung Galaxy Camera –
virtual dials that swoop in from the right side when you "pull" the
shutter icon toward the middle of the screen. I have to admit, though,
that Nokia's implementation is better: the icons are subtler so they
don't overwhelm the image onscreen, respond fluidly to the touch and
show the effect of adjustments in real time (such as blowing out the
photo as you increase exposure). Very nice.
Taking photos is pretty straightforward, and I appreciated
the ability to press the shutter button halfway down to focus, just like
a DSLR. You can select the focus point simply by tapping the screen,
and the button remembers – it returns to the default centre position
after a few seconds. The phone has 32GB onboard for storage.
Shooting and zooming
I shot a few photos with the Lumia 1020 to see what the 41
megapixels could really reveal in a typical shot. (It can actually only
take advantage of 38 of those megapixels, but whatever.) Zooming in on a
photo of a crowded room, I could get a better focus on faces that were
10 or 20 feet away, but when I tried to get up close to faces further
than that, they looked more like a Monet painting than a proper
photograph.
So, yes, megapixels help to a point, but they're not magic.
Indeed, Nokia only promises that the 1020's ultra-high-res photos let
you zoom to about 3x with decent clarity. That's still 3x more than
pretty much all other phone cameras, of course.
A more practical feature is how the images implement the
zoom. If you zoom in on your subject to take a photo, the entire
(non-zoomed) photo still appears, letting you access it at any point and
re-framing the photo afterward.
Excited to share those huge, high-res 1020 photos on Facebook?
Not so fast – those pics are too big to share on social networks, and
the phone won't let you share them directly to any service. However,
Nokia thought ahead, and the 1020 will simultaneously create a
5-megapixel version of your photo for sharing.
You can buy a $US80 grip accessory, which also acts as a
spare battery. The grip doesn't add a ton of weight, although it
certainly makes the camera less pocketable. The larger shutter button
feels great as well. If you intend to use the Lumia 1020 as your primary
phone, the grip is a good investment for the extended battery life
alone.
The bottom line
For anyone who prioritises taking the best photos on a phone,
the Lumia 1020 seems to have it all – even getting app partners on
board, such as Path, giving you a place to share. I doubt this will
inspire many iPhone or Android users
to switch, but for mobile shutterbugs who really can't bring themselves
to carry around a dedicated camera, the 1020 is worth a good, long
look.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 is available in the US from July 26. No
information on an Australian price or release date is currently
available.
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