Lumia 950/XL still the best Camera in 2018?

[Windows Central Question]

Just wondering what those of you who have tried some of the newer phones think. Personally, from comparison shots by trying newer phones in stores and reading reviews on newer tech out there that the Lumia 950/XL has the best overall image quality.

It's the main (almost only) reason I haven't upgraded yet. I can't justify spending $300+ for myself and my spouse to upgrade to get matching or potentially worse camera performance.

The App gap doesn't bother me as I don't game and since I use Windows 10 on everything at the house along with my Bands 1/2 when working out it's a great setup.

I don't want to reinvest $1000+ per person to get the latest iPhone/Android + Smart Watches for us to upgrade when our Microsoft tech still works flawlessly.

Sorry for the ramble...

 

[worldspy99]

I had the 950XL and there is no contest between the newer Pixel 2 and the 950. In fact Dec 2016 and Jan 2017 I used a 950 and the original Pixel side by side and even then the Pixel consistently crushed the Lumia 950. The Pixel 2 is even better. This HDR+ / Machine Learning thing that Google employs is amazing.

 

[fin11]

http://allaboutwindowsphone.com/features/item/22562_Camera_head_to_head_Lumia_950_.php

 

[Scienceguy Labs]

Interesting article above. I gotta say, though, I'm no professional photographer, but I've never gotten shots on my P2XL as bad as that guy. I'm not sure what he was doing. My 950 XL has an awesome camera, but from what I've gotten, it can't beat the P2XL. But, like I said... I'm not a pro. I just point and shoot.

 

[mark233]

I'm not dissatisfied with my LGV30's camera's ability ... particularly using manual mode. To my ears the audio captured by the V30's video is cleaner and more desirable to me. The only phone camera (particularly video) I've used that closely rivals (if not outshines) the 950 is the V30...

 

[Iain_S]

I would say the top 2 cameras on phones right now are the pixel xl 2 and the note 8. The 950 is definatly not the best camera anymore.

 

[anthonyng]

I'm still pretty damned happy with the results from my 950XL!

It's why I keep fixing the screen when I smash it. As an overall package, it's good enough for me, I don't feel I'm missing out on too too much at this time. I've been big on quality camera's on my phone since the Nokia N73!

 

[fin11]

I'm also still very pleased with my 950XL camera. My GF has a new Samsung S8, it has a good camera, but it doesn't match the 950XL. She always wants me to shoot pictures in demanding light conditions (ie low light, sunsets) and I beam them over to her S8. My friends with various other new top end smartphones are also still amazed when they see the pictures taken with my phone. Low light conditions are of course tricky with any phonecamera. When using autofocus without flash the 950XL sometimes doesn't focus in low light, so I use manual focus, longer exposure and try to keep the phone steady with excellent results.

I've considered the hp Elite x 3, but the camera and glance screen are the reasons I will not change. I would also try to replace the screen or try to buy another 950XL if this phone would break. I replaced the battery, and have another spare battery so I hope I can use this phone at least 2 more years.

 

[Ariel Takom]

OFF-TOPIC: Wow, it's been so long since I last answered a question or participated in this forums.

ON-TOPIC:

TL;DR: NO. The 950/XL phone no longer has the best camera in the smartphone world. The article from AAWP should be taken with a grain of salt since the author is very biased towards Windows Phones.

Text-Wall: About a few months back (probably in September or October) I've decided that I need to upgrade from my Lumia 950. The 950 was a great phone when I first had it, but after a year's worth of use, the phone, along with the OS, became too much of a burden for me to keep using.

From the phone's hardware perspective, the battery could only give me about 3 hours of SoT before turning off, and this was on WiFi. Also, the camera sensor of the phone is very, VERY fragile. Within that year of using the 950, I broke the camera sensor twice. The first one was from a very hard fall, but for the second one, the phone never got dropped. The hardest drop I gave it was probably a throw to my bed where it bounced on the bed a few times. That was enough to cause the camera sensor to malfunction, in a sense that it has a hard time focusing on subjects and while it's trying to focus, it makes this weird spark noise (I concluded that this sound was produced by the sensor's rapid movement to focus and defocus).

From the OS perspective, well, you know how it is. No need for me to explain. What makes this more of a problem is the app gap. I'm going to transfer to another university soon, and that uni is apparently very large and is very easy to get lost in. The uni's admin made an app for students which allows them to navigate through the school easily, but it's only available for Android and iOS. Bummer.

After doing my research on what phone is best for me to replace my 950 with, I ended up buying the Huawei Mate 10 (the non-pro version). The phone is a beauty (but also fragile. Glass is glass), has higher-end internal specs, bigger screen with a really good screen-to-body ratio, very big battery (8 hours SoT on Mobile Data), very good speaker, and a camera set-up that so far, in my experience, has been better than the 950 ever did. While it lacks the RGB flash for natural tones, it does come with a dual camera set-up which made my picture taking ability go to the next level.

It offers a whole lot more camera modes such as light painting, star trailing, night shots, portrait, and more! The manual/Pro mode is also imo much better than the 950. The Mate 10 can take pictures at a maximum of 30 seconds of exposure time vs the 4 s maximum exposure time of the 950. The post-processing of the photos I took are also top-notch because the colors of the photos are very accurate. In terms of pixel-peeping, the 950 slightly wins because the regular camera sensor has a very high MP count, but in terms of image quality, the Mate 10 is better, ESPECIALLY in low light.

The only thing that the 950 wins considerably over the Mate 10 is in terms of video recording. The videos in my 950 is slightly smoother than my Mate 10, despite both having OIS. Also, the audio recording with the 950 is much, much better than the Mate 10. Other than that, however, the Mate 10 wipes the floor with the 950. It even has the somewhat Continuum-like function similar to Samsung's.

All in all, the Mate 10 has so far impressed me. I felt sad when I was about to part with my 950, but honestly, after a month of using the Mate 10, the only thing I missed about the 950 is very insignificant.

Anyway, if you want to find cheap but great phones with great cameras, check XiaoMi, OnePlus, and also some of the older Huawei phones like the Mate 9 or the P9.

P/S: Forgive me if what I'm talking about doesn't make sense. I'm quite tired while writing this.

 

[vEEP pEEP]

Nokia used to make great camera phones.....until.....

 

[Iain_S]

Nokia used to make great camera phones.....until.....

will be interesting with the Nokia 9 and what HMD do with this device.

 

[MBytes]

I had the 950XL and there is no contest between the newer Pixel 2 and the 950. In fact Dec 2016 and Jan 2017 I used a 950 and the original Pixel side by side and even then the Pixel consistently crushed the Lumia 950. The Pixel 2 is even better. This HDR+ / Machine Learning thing that Google employs is amazing.

Based on reviews I see, and image comparison with friends, the Lumia 950 camera is now equivalent to others. Note: I am comparing rear camera, with auto mode, as this is the realistic mode that most would use a phone camera. A Point & Shoot camera, not a professional DLSR camera.

The Lumia 950 / XL camera is on par as other premium phones with a difference of 5-10% (subjective percentage) + or - depending on the phone. In other words, some things other phones are better at by a few percentage, and some things the Lumia 950 camera is better at by a few percentage.

Not bad for a 2 year old phone.
That said, I expect that the Samsung Galaxy S9, and the Pixel 3 to really have something that you can pretty much clearly say, yea it is better, it worth an upgrade to. But upgrade to a 950 to a Pixel 2 or S8 (which uses the same camera as the S7), would be a disappointment (for the camera specifically, I am talking about), as you would have spent all this money, for a phone that will give you similar pictures quality. They would be better, but marginally. I am comparing shot with friends Pixel 2 and S7 (S8 uses the same camera, as mentioned) even, and they are surprised by the Lumia 950 results. It is so incredibly close.

That said, I want to be clear, if you have NO Lumia 950, or S7, S8 or Pixel phone, DO NOT buy the 950 or 950 XL. It is not worth it. Other premium camera are at worst equivalent to a bit better. If you have Lumia 950, WAIT.

What wait?

• Coming up gen phones should have a better camera that is visibly better over the Lumia 950
• Google hopefully should figure out how to finally fix all the production issues that keep happening, and still read stories about people having to exchange their device due to issues... let alone software issues that Google takes ages to fix like the lock screen with the latest Android (go figure).
• Microsoft apps on Android are getting visibly better each month, so by the time these new phones come out, and you have your hands on it, you should expect great MS apps, better than on the Lumia 950, more advancement on Cortana on Android (maybe even SMS on PC feature), and a killer MS launcher, which is already excellent and supported by excellent reviews and 10+ million downloads.

In other words, if you want to stick to Microsoft ecosystem the most, and Windows 10 integration to treat your phone as an extension of your PC as the Lumia 950 you have was, it should be all be ready by then, or mostly.

 

[worldspy99]

Based on reviews I see, the Lumia 950 camera is now equivalent to others. Note: I am comparing rear camera, with auto mode, as this is the realistic mode that most would use a phone camera. A Point & Shoot camera, not a professional DLSR camera.

The Lumia 950 / XL camera is on par as other premium phones with a difference of 5-10% (subjective percentage) + or -. In other words, some things other phones are better at by a few percentage, and some things the Lumia 950 camera is better at by a few percentage.

Not bad for a 2 year old phone.
That said, I expect that the Samsung Galaxy S9, and the Pixel 3 to really have something that you can pretty much clearly say, yea it is better, it worth an upgrade to. But upgrade to a 950 to a Pixel 2 or S8 (which uses the same camera as the S7), would be a disappointment (for the camera specifically, I am talking about), as you would have spent all this money, for a phone that is essentially the same in camera quality.

You are basing your comments on reviews.

My original post was based on owning the 950, 950XL and both Pixel devices.

I just wanted to point out that minor difference.

 

[Ejay Lozano]

It still has the highest megapixels, but it's missing the dual camera feature that the newest smart phones have today.

 

[Player Piano]

I guess a better question might be is the 950XL still considered a smart phone in 2018?

 

[SvenJ]

Some things are subjective, and there are numerous aspects that can be compared. I still think the 1020 camera competes favorably with most of the current offerings with the huge exception of speed. It is dog slow, but the pictures it produces and the post cropping abilities are second to none. That's using WP8, not an upgraded 10. It was way more than just a super high pixel count.

That said, I have a 950, 950XL, iPhone X and Pixel, (and a couple of 1020s) and while they each have their strengths and failings, you wouldn't be disappointed in the shots any of them take, unless you are super critical. These are designed to capture memories, not works of art.

 

[SvenJ]

I guess a better question might be is the 950XL still considered a smart phone in 2018?

The snark is strong with this one.

 

[darrell reimer]

I tried the Lg V30 for 2 weeks; loved the phone, but the camera was not nearly as good as my 950 XL; i noticed it right away, indoors and out, so i returned it. I take a ton of pics, so a top notch camera is near the top of my requirements. I'm trying an S8+, and am super happy with the pics. I've always liked Samsung cameras; my first Windows phone was the ATIV S; then i moved to the ATIV SE. Both took amazing pictures (still and vid), and the S8+ is now also making me very very happy with my pictures.

 

[slysy]

Not bad for a 2 year old phone.
That said, I expect that the Samsung Galaxy S9, and the Pixel 3 to really have something that you can pretty much clearly say, yea it is better, it worth an upgrade to.

I think the Pixel3 is just a little too far away and I'm too impatient The S9 could be interesting though. Do you think it will have a market leading camera, based on leaks so far (variable aperture etc)?

 

[Vincent McLaughlin]

The 950 XL certainly has a great camera and it can still rank in with some of the best IMO, but I wouldn't say it is the best, at this point. My Note 8 takes excellent pics and just as good, if not better than my old 950 XL. However, despite not being the best, I wouldn't necessarily say it would be blown away by newer phones.