Lumia 1520 Camera Review...I am not impressed really
- Thread starter Nogitsune Micah
- Start date
falconeight
New member
Haha okay
lol. Thankfully, I went home to NC for thanksgiving break and it was fairly calm.
I've been trying proshot out and I wasn't really feeling that camera. Though I loved it when I used my 920.
Oneshot beta was another app I tried and it sucked to me
Oneshot beta was another app I tried and it sucked to me
I was clueless about camera settings, before I got my 1020. Just read up on ISO, Shutter speed and exposure and play with those settings to familiarize yourself with how they can effect your shots. You'll know what your doing in no time.
A little boost to ISO or keeping the shutter open longer could really brighten up those doll pictures. Raising ISO will also increase grain/noise, so take it easy there. Increasing shutter time will require you to hold the camera steady, while the picture is taken. There will be much less noise though, than raising the ISO or boosting exposure.
If you wanna impress your friends, look into "light painting".
. You can do this, as the 1520 and 1020 allow you to keep the shutter open long enough.
A little boost to ISO or keeping the shutter open longer could really brighten up those doll pictures. Raising ISO will also increase grain/noise, so take it easy there. Increasing shutter time will require you to hold the camera steady, while the picture is taken. There will be much less noise though, than raising the ISO or boosting exposure.
If you wanna impress your friends, look into "light painting".
. You can do this, as the 1520 and 1020 allow you to keep the shutter open long enough.I am not impressed by camera either. While it has very good image stabilisation those small pixels just cant pick up details or noise reduction is too aggressive which washes up details.
Check this out. https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=a7e6ec70cbc020d7#cid=A7E6EC70CBC020D7&id=A7E6EC70CBC020D7!1635
My 920 beats 1520 in daylight performance. 920 produces more detailed and sharper image. Last set where i compared zoom is quite telling how badly 1520 picks up details compared to 920.
920 also got white balance right where 1520 has too much blue tint. Contrast is also too high on 1520 shots and 920 can show more details on shadowed areas.
I'm bit disappointed by 1520 camera. 920 is really good after Amber update and it could beat many phones cameras right now. Hopefully there is going to be update for 1520 camera.
I which Nokia/Microsoft goes back to bigger pixel cameras. Small pixels isn't way to go :unhappy:
EDIT: I did some pixel peeping on full resolution pics from 1520 and those indeed show better details when compared to 920. It just seems that noise reduction is too aggressive on 1520 and it blurs image too much and crushes details. While images are clean from noise it would be better if it wasn't that aggressive and would benifit to sharper images. Also contrast needs to be lower since it hides highlights from image. Simple software tweak can fix this.
Check this out. https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=a7e6ec70cbc020d7#cid=A7E6EC70CBC020D7&id=A7E6EC70CBC020D7!1635
My 920 beats 1520 in daylight performance. 920 produces more detailed and sharper image. Last set where i compared zoom is quite telling how badly 1520 picks up details compared to 920.
920 also got white balance right where 1520 has too much blue tint. Contrast is also too high on 1520 shots and 920 can show more details on shadowed areas.
I'm bit disappointed by 1520 camera. 920 is really good after Amber update and it could beat many phones cameras right now. Hopefully there is going to be update for 1520 camera.
I which Nokia/Microsoft goes back to bigger pixel cameras. Small pixels isn't way to go :unhappy:
EDIT: I did some pixel peeping on full resolution pics from 1520 and those indeed show better details when compared to 920. It just seems that noise reduction is too aggressive on 1520 and it blurs image too much and crushes details. While images are clean from noise it would be better if it wasn't that aggressive and would benifit to sharper images. Also contrast needs to be lower since it hides highlights from image. Simple software tweak can fix this.
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Mark Reed2
New member
Just wonder, with people on here not happy with the camera/videos, how many of us have got in touch with Nokia to voice this? I have been on live chat and sent messages, the reply I get is "oh you are the first to mention this" I think it would be wise for all these not happy with the photos/videos to contact Nokia, nothing will happen if they think we are happy with how it is.
Anthony Vangeli
New member
The "auto" mode hasn't been particularly as good as it is on something like iOS, but Nokia has been slowly improving it.
Yeah, as you said, the white balance here isn't particularly great. Just messing with the first image for a half second, it looks much better compared to the original on the right. (All I did to it was press the "auto-level" button. It literally took a half second. Would be great if this magical button was available on Windows Phone somehow.)
As for the indoor shots, there's too much post-processing done by the G2. There's more aggressive noise reduction, (with the 1520 you can at least see the stitching on the arm of the couch in the first image, with the G2 it's a muddy blob of nothingness.) The G2 chooses a warmer white balance, which looks better, but the image quality looks like "VGA camera from 2007 flip phone" bad. The 1520 isn't that great either, but the sharpness is at least more desirable. The 1520 is a better camera all-around, just not when used in auto-mode. That will only improve though, as has every Pureview device since, well, forever. My 920 has the worst Pureview camera, but it's a pretty great camera on auto.
Also, "black Friday" was pretty relaxed. (At least up here in Maine.) I went to Target 15 minutes before they opened, behind at least 1000 people, and got in within two minutes of opening. Nobody pushed or shoved; nobody ran. Could've been there a half hour later and still gotten everything I wanted. Everyone was smiling and happy, someone even brought cookies. I then went to BestBuy, Wal-mart, Gamestop, and a whole bunch of other places, and it was the same story. Have to say, for my first "black Friday," I was expecting more carnage. Oh well. Guess that aspect of it is blown out of proportion, (or we're just a very polite state.)
Yeah, as you said, the white balance here isn't particularly great. Just messing with the first image for a half second, it looks much better compared to the original on the right. (All I did to it was press the "auto-level" button. It literally took a half second. Would be great if this magical button was available on Windows Phone somehow.)
As for the indoor shots, there's too much post-processing done by the G2. There's more aggressive noise reduction, (with the 1520 you can at least see the stitching on the arm of the couch in the first image, with the G2 it's a muddy blob of nothingness.) The G2 chooses a warmer white balance, which looks better, but the image quality looks like "VGA camera from 2007 flip phone" bad. The 1520 isn't that great either, but the sharpness is at least more desirable. The 1520 is a better camera all-around, just not when used in auto-mode. That will only improve though, as has every Pureview device since, well, forever. My 920 has the worst Pureview camera, but it's a pretty great camera on auto.
Also, "black Friday" was pretty relaxed. (At least up here in Maine.) I went to Target 15 minutes before they opened, behind at least 1000 people, and got in within two minutes of opening. Nobody pushed or shoved; nobody ran. Could've been there a half hour later and still gotten everything I wanted. Everyone was smiling and happy, someone even brought cookies. I then went to BestBuy, Wal-mart, Gamestop, and a whole bunch of other places, and it was the same story. Have to say, for my first "black Friday," I was expecting more carnage. Oh well. Guess that aspect of it is blown out of proportion, (or we're just a very polite state.)
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I just send feedback from the app on my 1520. Mentioned the touch issue also when you want scroll but registered it to tap instead.
Mark Reed2
New member
Yeah I sent that also 
I know no company wants to admit any issues with a new phone but to turn around and say to me that I was the first to mention the poor performance of the videos in low light (not amazing in daylight either) is shocking, does no one test these, I mean just point it at something when in doors (does not need to be that low a light) and watch the noise fill the screen.
Just gutted that one of the main reasons I gave Nokia a try turns out to suck, and I tend to change phones every year, so if there is no fix/help towards this I cannot see me staying with Nokia for a second phone.
I know no company wants to admit any issues with a new phone but to turn around and say to me that I was the first to mention the poor performance of the videos in low light (not amazing in daylight either) is shocking, does no one test these, I mean just point it at something when in doors (does not need to be that low a light) and watch the noise fill the screen.
Just gutted that one of the main reasons I gave Nokia a try turns out to suck, and I tend to change phones every year, so if there is no fix/help towards this I cannot see me staying with Nokia for a second phone.
Reflexx
New member
Stephen King is from there right?
I'd be very careful of being rude to anyone there then. Wouldn't want someone creepy like him following me home. lol
Yeah when i take pics lately I've noticed that when I hit auto fix in the editing it makes it come out much better.
I'm happier now with the camera after doing that lol
dropofdreams
New member
I'm actually very impressed with it personally. That being said, I didn't spend a lot of time with the 1020 at all. My experience is likely biased due to the last phone I was daily driving for the last couple of months. The Sony Xperia Z Ultra. This has to be the absolute worst camera ever...As such, the 1520 is incredible. PS, That's a lot of photos of a Disney Princess.
Mark Reed2
New member
The photos are not bad for out the box settings, a little dark though when side by side with my old SGS4, but the detail and white balance is better with the 1520.
The SGS4 does work much better in low light though (without flash, with then the 1520)
Video wise (just picture) my SGS4 looks a bit better, and in low light the SGS4 beats it no problem (well known issue with 1520 low light videos been horrible)
Focus, image stabilization, and sound are better on the 1520.
The SGS4 does work much better in low light though (without flash, with then the 1520)
Video wise (just picture) my SGS4 looks a bit better, and in low light the SGS4 beats it no problem (well known issue with 1520 low light videos been horrible)
Focus, image stabilization, and sound are better on the 1520.
i have the 5s and 1520...
There have been times i have been really impressed with the 1520 and then there are times when i am like wtf....I have had both on my most of the time when i go out because it is very hard for me to choose between either one. Usually I will take comparison shots to compare the cameras. I would say the 1520 edges out the 5s in most situations, but there are some situations where i am like WTF is the 1520 doing...mostly at night time. A deciding factor though between the phones should not be the camera though, the 5s, even though it has a really simple camera interface trumps the 1520 IMO because it takes shots that are almost/just as good with no adjustments needed, the software does it itself. The slow motion mode on the 5s is also very fun to use.
Anyway...bottom line, the two cameras are equal i would say. But with the larger screen on the 1520 they will appear to look better. I have brought all the photo's i took into the computer and looked at them on my monitor for all my views above.
There have been times i have been really impressed with the 1520 and then there are times when i am like wtf....I have had both on my most of the time when i go out because it is very hard for me to choose between either one. Usually I will take comparison shots to compare the cameras. I would say the 1520 edges out the 5s in most situations, but there are some situations where i am like WTF is the 1520 doing...mostly at night time. A deciding factor though between the phones should not be the camera though, the 5s, even though it has a really simple camera interface trumps the 1520 IMO because it takes shots that are almost/just as good with no adjustments needed, the software does it itself. The slow motion mode on the 5s is also very fun to use.
Anyway...bottom line, the two cameras are equal i would say. But with the larger screen on the 1520 they will appear to look better. I have brought all the photo's i took into the computer and looked at them on my monitor for all my views above.
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