Using the Nokia Camera app

[Madam ImAdam]

I've recently switched back to a Nokia phone (a Lumia 1520) after many years with various iPhones. I am enjoying the phone for the most part and am interested in making better pictures with it versus the iPhone, especially with the manual control settings available.

However, one thing I don't like is how the screen doesn't show live effects of ISO and exposure adjustments, as my old canon s-30 from 2004 used to. If I adjust the exposure duration, it would be nice if the screen either gained brightness or became darker accordingly. With this Nokia, you have to take a picture in order to see if you've got the right exposure. Changes to the EV, WB and focus are shown on the display, but not ISO and Exposure. For me, WB is not necessary as I already know how these will effect the image. Same with EV, and the focus adjustment is nice, I guess, but I find that without distance data, manually focusing on this device is a novelty. It is the ISO and Exposure duration that are critical.

Here are a few shots (I posted these already in the Lumia 1520 Forum) I taken recently and would like to get a discussion going on how to best use this camera.

Using Nokia Camera under full auto settings.




and under low light with ISO and exposure set manually.
ISO-100 @ 1/3 sec


ISO-100 @ 0.8 sec


ISO-100 @ 1/5 sec


ISO-200 @ 1/3 sec

 

[Quinn FitzGerald]

hm, must be a problem unique to the 1520... As my 1020 (and 920) both both show changes as I make them.

I would go to the 1520 subforums (Nokia Lumia 1520 - Windows Phone Central Forums) and ask the question.

-Q

 

[Sam_oslo]

However, one thing I don't like is how the screen doesn't show live effects of ISO and exposure adjustments, as my old canon s-30 from 2004 used to. If I adjust the exposure duration, it would be nice if the screen either gained brightness or became darker accordingly.

It should actually show all changes in Exposure Triangle (aperture, shutter speed and ISO dependency) at the bottom of the screen in real time. If you change the ISO then you should be able to see how it's affecting the exposure time, etc. But that's not happening on my 1520 either.

The App-developer seams to be stuck in "old" Phone Cameras, when everything was Auto without any possibility for manual-changes. But now we have got "pro" capabilities and can change some parameters manually and we need to see how it's affecting other parameters.

I couldn't find a way to change the aperture in my 1520 either. I don't know if I'm overlooking something or it's a future/bug.

The camera is nice, but it seams to need a proper App worthy of it.

BTW, nice shots.