I'm a Pro Photographer. Got the 1020. Wow I'm impressed! A few samples inside. =)

[EvilFiek]

@tgr42
Fair point, but personally what mattered most to me were the results and the pictures taken by the Nat Geo guy with the 1020 were stunning! I genuinely doubt any other mobile phone on the market could've produced such results.

 

[Ferazzz]

Lmfao!!!

 

[Bahamen]

...except the National Geographic thing was blatant paid publicity for Nokia. That doesn't mean it's entirely worthless, but there's a huge difference between being paid to promote a product vs. giving an unsolicited opinion. We have no way of knowing the true off-the-record feelings of that National Geographic photographer - maybe he really does like the 1020, or maybe he threw it off a cliff when the shoot was over.

The National Geographic thing is not the same as a celebrity endorsement (Jessica Alba comes to mind). As a reputable publisher, it should not publish pictures taken with the 1020 unless it is perfectly satisfied with the quality. If it were not that good you would have seen Nat Geo's mag photos shot by an assortment of sponsored cameras including those of questionable quality like an iJunk. Heck National Geographic can even be a free publication since each page will be sponsored by the likes of Samsung, Apple and Sony. Just take a look at those Nat Geo pictures taken with the 1020, you will know that they have not compromised their publication quality.

Besides, it is very instructive to read commentaries by the photographer. Some comments are very insightful, like how it is easier to take pictures using the 1020 while suspended on a cliff, as a DSLR would have been too heavy and difficult to maintain balance. All these comments come across as genuine and I'm pretty sure Nokia did not script that. So it's very unfair to just imply that some publisher is untrustworthy just because of the sponsorship arrangement without looking at the full picture. So yes, I regard the National Geographic piece to be a useful and credible demonstration of the 1020's capabilities.

 

[Bahamen]

As much as I distrust cNet after their recent hatchet job on the 1020, here is a pretty good list of what you can get in the $100-$150 range in a point and shoot camera. I know the original webpage title says $400-$500, but I moved the maximum slider down to $105. cNet still showed some upwards of $150, but what ya gonna do?

$60 - $150 Digital Cameras - CNET Reviews

I have fun playing with the little slider up to about $500 to see what kind of camera I could get for the difference between my 521 and the 1020, although as I've said most wont fit in my pocket and I don't want to carry two devices everywhere.

Those are all 1/2.3" sensors. As I said, NONE of those 1/2.3" sensors stand a chance against the 1020, which has more than double the sensor size. So the only P&S cameras that can be compared to the Lumia 1020 would cost $300-400. Hmm... 20+ years in photography, really? Nikon F, really?

 

[roastbeefalo]

"I'm very happy using the 5MP files from the camera. I know it takes 41MP photos, but the whole purpose of 41mp is to get the nicest 5MP files possible. I will trust Nokia's R&D and take their 5MP files, which upon inspection, are beautifully detailed and crisp."

Anyone have thoughts on this comment? If I am honest with myself, no way will I take the time to edit all the 41mp photos. I am often too lazy to get photos off my digital SLR, much less off my phone. If I got the 1020, I would just be using the 5 mp. Can you set up the phone to just take 5 mp? Are they always oversampled, regardless of the application used? Are the 5 mp significantly better than other camera phones?

 

[majortom1981]

Yes you can set it to just keep the 5mp versions and yes they are oversampled. If you keep only the 5mp ones you cant reframe the shots.

 

[Smyrna5]

"I'm very happy using the 5MP files from the camera. I know it takes 41MP photos, but the whole purpose of 41mp is to get the nicest 5MP files possible. I will trust Nokia's R&D and take their 5MP files, which upon inspection, are beautifully detailed and crisp."

Anyone have thoughts on this comment? If I am honest with myself, no way will I take the time to edit all the 41mp photos. I am often too lazy to get photos off my digital SLR, much less off my phone. If I got the 1020, I would just be using the 5 mp. Can you set up the phone to just take 5 mp? Are they always oversampled, regardless of the application used? Are the 5 mp significantly better than other camera phones?

I think (don't have a 1020 to know for sure) I would use the 41 MP to reframe important shots. I often find my self wanting to re-frame (crop) pics I take with my 521. At 5 MP there isn't a whole lot of re-framing I can dn the other hand, storing a lot of 41 MP pics is problematic. It might be better to develop the discipline to frame them right on the first shot, but I sometimes have trouble seeing the picture as well on the screen as I can through a real view finder.

 

[tgr42]

"I'm very happy using the 5MP files from the camera. I know it takes 41MP photos, but the whole purpose of 41mp is to get the nicest 5MP files possible. I will trust Nokia's R&D and take their 5MP files, which upon inspection, are beautifully detailed and crisp."

Anyone have thoughts on this comment? If I am honest with myself, no way will I take the time to edit all the 41mp photos. I am often too lazy to get photos off my digital SLR, much less off my phone. If I got the 1020, I would just be using the 5 mp. Can you set up the phone to just take 5 mp? Are they always oversampled, regardless of the application used? Are the 5 mp significantly better than other camera phones?

You can set the phone to save just the 5MP image, but you will give up a few things doing so. First, the phone really does capture detail beyond 5MP, so you will lose some detail. This may not be important if you don't want to crop, look at the image very closely, or do a very large or high res print. Second, when the phone resizes the captured image down to 5MP (aka oversampling), it uses very aggressive sharpening. This can cause ugly artifacts such as fringing and rainbow aliasing

I've provided examples of these problems in the images below. Please be sure to open each image in a separate tab and view at 1:1 so you can see them properly.

First, flip between the first two images. The first image is a crop from the 5MP image created by the phone. The second is a crop of the 38MP image resized down to the same size as the first crop using Paint.NET. Note how the phone's resizing algorithm has caused noticeable fringing around the letters in the sign, and a rainbow aliasing effect around the vertical columns above and below the sign. Paint.NET's resizing of the same original image is softer and does not have these artifacts. It looks better to me.

Finally, compare the third image to the first and second. The third image is the unresized crop of the same area from the 38MP image. Notice how the "Rush Only" text in the YL circle is clearly legible in the full size image, but it's mangled in the first image and only maybe slightly legible with prior understanding in the second image. This is the kind of detail you lose going from 38MP to 5MP.

 

[Winfonejunkie]

Wow, your an excellent photographer. Beautiful pics. I captured some similarly amazing shots when i was in Mexico. This camera is truly a marvel.

 

[hcrick]

You can set the phone to save just the 5MP image, but you will give up a few things doing so. First, the phone really does capture detail beyond 5MP, so you will lose some detail. This may not be important if you don't want to crop, look at the image very closely, or do a very large or high res print. Second, when the phone resizes the captured image down to 5MP (aka oversampling), it uses very aggressive sharpening. This can cause ugly artifacts such as fringing and rainbow aliasing

I've provided examples of these problems in the images below. Please be sure to open each image in a separate tab and view at 1:1 so you can see them properly.

First, flip between the first two images. The first image is a crop from the 5MP image created by the phone. The second is a crop of the 38MP image resized down to the same size as the first crop using Paint.NET. Note how the phone's resizing algorithm has caused noticeable fringing around the letters in the sign, and a rainbow aliasing effect around the vertical columns above and below the sign. Paint.NET's resizing of the same original image is softer and does not have these artifacts. It looks better to me.

Finally, compare the third image to the first and second. The third image is the unresized crop of the same area from the 38MP image. Notice how the "Rush Only" text in the YL circle is clearly legible in the full size image, but it's mangled in the first image and only maybe slightly legible with prior understanding in the second image. This is the kind of detail you lose going from 38MP to 5MP.

Very good example. I can spot the differences even without opening them up separately but it does become more evident once you do. Personally, I actually prefer the first image over the second; I just feel it's a better compromise (at least for this example). I have seen other pictures where I liked the smoother, softer approach more so it does depend on the shot and individual taste. The beauty of the 1020 though is that you also have the ability to produce "uncompromised" crops like the third image.

 

[tgr42]

Very good example. I can spot the differences even without opening them up separately but it does become more evident once you do. Personally, I actually prefer the first image over the second; I just feel it's a better compromise (at least for this example). I have seen other pictures where I liked the smoother, softer approach more so it does depend on the shot and individual taste. The beauty of the 1020 though is that you also have the ability to produce "uncompromised" crops like the third image.

Ideally you would resize with software that gives you continuous control over the amount of sharpening during resize, with a good preview of the output so you can find the exact compromise that suits your tastes. Unfortunately most software doesn't let you do this. I think Photoshop might, but I don't have it.

If you prefer the sharp look, IrfanView set to "Sharpen after resize" actually does a very good job in this case, providing all of the sharpness of the phone's 5MP image but with significantly less artifacting. Compare the attached image with the first one in the earlier post. In this example, I think 1:1 viewing of both images is truly necessary.

 

[AccentAE86]

Well, part 2 is now up! Forced my 1020 to do some macro duty. Check it out!

http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...t-2-taking-1020-next-level-macro-edition.html

 

[liin]

It amazes me how people can convince themselves that images that can be replicated by a $99 point and shoot are somehow stunning and impressive since they are from a Lumina 1020, or iPhone, or high end Android phone ...

Obviously, this camera phone is not going to offer more than DSLR with a bunch of prime lens to swap. And can't even do what a common 50mm f/1.2 on a full frame sensor ( or even film ) can.

The disappointment with pocket p&s cameras had been the lack of control. We had seen that tackled by Sigma DP series, Ricoh GR series, and subsequent follow-up from other companies. And today we have super compact full frames and Sony's WiFi lens offering ( with sensor and SD storage ) that use any phone as its body, practically turning the phone into a swappable lens camera body that can take any lens and the great sensors that they come with. We are very well aware of that.

However, for those who are inclined to just draw out their phone to take snapshots, but want control over images taken, this is a great phone. Yes, there's almost no control of depth of field, and no way of getting the look of specific focal length since zooming is just cropping. But. There is creative control over the composition of light and shadow. That is very attractive. And I can assure you most low/mid range p&s can't do that. There had been some apps that allow this on iOS, but 1020's oversampling makes this advantage far more attractive, since in such compositions, noise in shadow can ruin even a good composition.

This isn't about a phone camera surpassing or replacing $700 p&s. It's a phone that surpasses other phones in image performance. And it's a phone with enough reason to ditch carrying a separate low/mid range p&s when on the go. It really does serve the purpose of two devices.

I love taking photos. Yet, I've never felt compelled to take snapshots with my phone. I just carry a camera, even if it was just a p&s with exposure control and better lens+sensor. This is the first phone that I don't feel silly fiddling with its camera.

Edit: I've added two shots taken from the same spot. It's a mall walkway just outside MS retail store where I just got my phone 5mins prior. These two very first test shots aren't great photography but illustrated what 1020 can do from the same spot. Pretty sure most low to mid p&s can't do this.

 

[Lurchorama]

If you take the 1020 from a P&S perspective; its a great overall solution. So I bought one
It's just not practical to carry around my D800, grip, lenses, flash, blah *everywhere* I go. I also have a Pentax Q which is a wonderful little beast, but I just never got into the habit of taking it everywhere with me (which was the original idea). But the 1020 is *always* with me.
Whats that old saying? "The best camera you have is the one you have with you". At least now the "camera you have with you" is actually half decent.

(Still would like an ND filter and for the App to remember my bloody settings!!)


Oh... nice pics btw

 

[Smyrna5]

(Still would like an ND filter and for the App to remember my bloody settings!

ProShot remembers your settings for up to 4 custom modes. Does almost everything ProCam does and more for only $1.99 and runs on all the Lumias.


Oh... nice pics btw

 

[yeewiz]

(Still would like an ND filter and for the App to remember my bloody settings!!)

Use your sunglasses as a ND filter. Yes, ProShot is great!