Lumia ICON Camera

[bsayegh]

Taking the best photos should be an option, but so should taking a quicker photo. Before we get in to how much better the WP photos are than on the iPhone, I have seen plenty of images that were better taken with an iPhone than a high-end WP (mainly due to lighting).

For the times when things are static or not moving around that much, yes I want the best images possible. I want lossless zoom. I want to take frame-worthy pictures.

For the times when things are moving around and speed is important, I want a faster shutter speed. I can live with the picture being lower quality.

For times when things are moving around but I still want a fantastic image... I'll use a DSLR camera?

What you are suggesting is that I go in to one app with one set of settings if I want pictures one way, and another app with another set of settings when I want pictures another way. When I pull out my phone and hit the shutter button to take pictures, I usually just want to start taking pics. If they turn out ugly, I can always change the settings.

 

[Slater_GS]

Taking quicker photos IS an option. Change your default camera app. Done, not sure what is so difficult, the option is there. You don't have to mess with it everytime if 99% of the time you want speed. Taking better photos with other phones is another story, you can't magically get better quality out of the hardware. Taking good photos ultimately depends on who is behind the camera. A good photographer with a Point and shoot will take better photos than a novice with a professional rig.

 

[JBConforti]

As said above use the other camera app. There is the default app which is quick and snappy and then there is Pro Camera where you adjust your iso, exposure, shutter speed etc etc. Its the cool thing about having the different apps/lenses

 

[bsayegh]

How quick and snappy is it? If it is that fast then I will happily rescind my previous statements.

 

[JBConforti]

We really won't know until the 20th (I can tell we're all getting anxious). However messing around on my 928 I could average a picture almost every second. I truly don't think that the people doing the review know what they are doing. I bet if you're shooting in RAW it probably takes a bit to process it, but I'm sure in the default camera app or Nokia Camera with all the settings on auto you average about 1 a second. Again this is all based off the 928 but with the processor in the ICON it should be pretty speedy.

 

[JBConforti]

I should post the videos I took from a concert a few months back.
My 928 couldn't handle it. The flashing lights in the center of the screen just blew out the imaging processor. Everything was either pitch black or bright white, absolutely nothing in between. People around me with iPhones could actually see the band in the lights. Me? I just saw lights.

Now, my sound was better, but the video accompanying it is utterly worthless.



And, for everyone going "it's better than the iPhone!," what makes the iPhone camera nice is that you can spam the shutter button and take pictures as quickly as you tap. They're saying this is 8.5 seconds between shots. The iPhone is about .5 seconds. That's a huge, huge, huge difference.
8.5 seconds isn't really acceptable these days.

I'm legitimately interested. It was having a little bit of trouble in this video, all of the other videos are fine (just didn't want to spam a bunch of videos on the thread).

 

[Slater_GS]

How quick and snappy is it? If it is that fast then I will happily rescind my previous statements.

Well this is with my wifes 928, so not much help with the newer units until I get my icon.
All tests were done for 10 seconds with the phone screen off and camera application closed out.
Smart Cam set as default - phone opened app and went through one full sequence and the start of the second in the ten seconds. There are 7 images per sequence. Second sequence finished about at 12 seconds.
Default app - opened app and shot 4 images by 10 seconds.

I'd still like this to be a bit faster and maybe it will be with the icon with the newer specs, but that speed is plenty speedy for me, especially coming from a turned off screen. The burst mode in 8.1 will be welcome as well.

 

[JudgeHolden]

Well this is with my wifes 928, so not much help with the newer units until I get my icon.
All tests were done for 10 seconds with the phone screen off and camera application closed out.
Smart Cam set as default - phone opened app and went through one full sequence and the start of the second in the ten seconds. There are 7 images per sequence. Second sequence finished about at 12 seconds.
Default app - opened app and shot 4 images by 10 seconds.

I'd still like this to be a bit faster and maybe it will be with the icon with the newer specs, but that speed is plenty speedy for me, especially coming from a turned off screen. The burst mode in 8.1 will be welcome as well.

The reviews quoted this as having an 8.5 second time between shots.
Yes, there are other options, but nothing is nearly as fast as an iPhone can spam shots.

Sometimes spamming shots is very, very important. I'd wager far more often than needing a large and small image. Having a great looking shot isn't important if your timing is off.
And your timing is kind of pointless. NO ONE is going to use Smart Cam as their default. It is incredibly slow and it takes an enormous amount of memory per image. You only want that functionality rarely.


There are an ENORMOUS amount of excuses made here. "Well, if you jump through this hoop and sacrifice this thing and blah blah blah." You should expect more, not expect to do more. Sorry, my 928 was the best camera on the market when it came out, then the iPhone 5S hit. Now, when trying to take stupid pictures of the new puppy at work, I have to open my camera, fumble to get Smartcam open, look, hold down the button, hope the puppy looks at me while it's taking its burst. My iPhone friends just open the cam and hit the shutter repeatedly, with no predefined timeframe and no fumbling to switch lenses.
They have significantly, SIGNIFICANTLY, better photos than I do.

 

[JudgeHolden]

Speaking of blown out images, this is Seinfeld with a default photo:


Here it is after taking a few hundred images with the Pro Cam to try to get some facial details:


I'll try to get my coworker to email me his default iPhone shot. It... let's just say it was better.

 

[JBConforti]

 

[Slater_GS]

I have to open my camera, fumble to get Smartcam open, look, hold down the button.

I've already stated that smartcam can be set as default. No need to 'fumble' to get it open. Not sure how that constitutes as loop holes and excuses, more like a baked in system of choices. If you can't figure that out then maybe you should get an iPhone.
I never argued that Lumia phones took faster photos than the iphone, just that the reviewed 8.5 seconds from somebody who should never be allowed to touch a nice camera is not a good representation of what the camera can do.
I'll leave it at this.
I can take plenty fast images with my 928 for my needs (almost 14 shots in 10 seconds from the time I push the shutter button to turn the screen on), no problems keeping up with the kids, BUT I can also do a lot more with the camera when I have time to mess with manual settings.
My friends 5s can take faster images (not by that much), BUT he can't come close to the quality of images I get when the time is available to manually set up the shot.
Personally I prefer the first option rather than the second, while others will be satisfied with the second.
I have no problem with the iPhone or its camera, in fact I think they did a stellar job, but I have a problem with 'bloggers' and self proclaimed experts that throw the fantastic imaging capabilities of some of the Lumia line under the bus because they wouldn't know how to change a manual setting to save their life. And yes, you can get better with a dslr, but a camera is as good as the one you have with you (and the person behind the lens)

 

[JudgeHolden]

I've already stated that smartcam can be set as default. No need to 'fumble' to get it open. Not sure how that constitutes as loop holes and excuses, more like a baked in system of choices. If you can't figure that out then maybe you should get an iPhone.
I never argued that Lumia phones took faster photos than the iphone, just that the reviewed 8.5 seconds from somebody who should never be allowed to touch a nice camera is not a good representation of what the camera can do.
I'll leave it at this.
I can take plenty fast images with my 928 for my needs (almost 14 shots in 10 seconds from the time I push the shutter button to turn the screen on), no problems keeping up with the kids, BUT I can also do a lot more with the camera when I have time to mess with manual settings.
My friends 5s can take faster images (not by that much), BUT he can't come close to the quality of images I get when the time is available to manually set up the shot.
Personally I prefer the first option rather than the second, while others will be satisfied with the second.
I have no problem with the iPhone or its camera, in fact I think they did a stellar job, but I have a problem with 'bloggers' and self proclaimed experts that throw the fantastic imaging capabilities of some of the Lumia line under the bus because they wouldn't know how to change a manual setting to save their life. And yes, you can get better with a dslr, but a camera is as good as the one you have with you (and the person behind the lens)

Jeez...
Yes, you did already state that. And I already acknowledge it by pointing out that SmartCam is a limited-use program and nobody in their right mind would want a lens that is slow to load and does a 5 shot burst as their default camera options.

Again, you're asking us to make sacrifices no other top of the line camera asks. Do iPhone users have to choose which camera program they use as default? No, they use one that is fast and can do very quick bursts of infinite time.
Not to mention, I doubt your 14 shots in 10 seconds. My 928 will do 2 quick ones, one of which will be blurry, then do the wipe-animation. It will not take during that wipe animation, and that wipe animation takes about a second. Not sure why mine would do that and why yours wouldn't, so I just don't believe you. Not to mention, one of those shots is blurry because, if you slam the photo key, it just takes without focusing. If you tap the screen it takes about two seconds to focus.

Listen, I'm not saying the 928 isn't pretty good, I'm saying the iPhone takes better photos faster. Excuse all you want, but it's pretty much fact. Read any review. Any comparison. The iPhone is typically found to be easier and, in most circumstances, at least as good in photo quality as the 928.
This is coming from someone that HATES iOS, is on his 2nd windows phone, and is about to get an Icon.
But unlike some of you, I don't just say "it's good enough!" I want more. I expect more.

And for godssake stop talking about manual settings. We're talking about what a phone does for you when you try to take a quick shot - which is how 99% of smartphone cameras are used. You can spend a good amount of time taking your photo. I want something that defaults well.

But holy crap, it's amazing to see you jump through hoops of all the time consuming ways you can make the 928 do what the iPhone does immediately. "You can change the default to something useful for 1% of your shots!" Wow, man. Seriously. How do you think that's a good comparison to what something else defaults to?

 

[JBConforti]

No comment on shutter speed but this guy has a very detailed video comparing 1520 to the 5s camera.

 

[airjeff]

LOL, I think you guys need too agree to disagree. You have two different perspectives so you are both right. If a smartphone camera should be quick and simple the iPhone is great. If you want a great camera that offers the flexibility to adjust the settings for even better pictures a Nokia would fit the bill. It's not quite as quick, but offers the flexibility when you want it. There is a reason there are so many SLR lenses, they have specific purposes. One phone will never excel at all types of pictures. I'll be a little disappointed if the Icon's camera isn't as good as the 928 in low light, I've enjoyed that on my wife's 928. But the flip side is that I'll be able to zoom with this one and there is no hump from a camera. Anyway, until Thurs. we'll have to be content reading about the camera.

 

[falconrap]

No comment on shutter speed but this guy has a very detailed video comparing 1520 to the 5s camera.


Nokia Lumia 1520 vs iPhone 5S Camera Comparison Using Canon 6D as Reference - YouTube

Interesting video. I wonder why the video recording shots look so bad on the 1520. Even the daytime one had color shifting issues. The one video of the drag racers on the Icon doesn't appear to exhibit this (in fact that video looked very good). I wonder if this is a software/firmware issue where the camera isn't being setup right in software during video recording. I've seen tons of night time videos from the 928 that are well beyond both the 5S and 1520 videos here. The pictures appeared to be notably better in most cases (color accuracy notwithstanding, which can easily be corrected) on the 1520.

I guess we'll find out when the phone hits and the pros tackle it.

The 5S has certainly improved the iPhone camera quality a lot in difficult circumstances, but older iPhones don't hold a candle to the better Lumias. My 822 takes far better shots than my wife's 4S does. Especially if I use ProShot in Auto to do it.

 

[maverick786us]

No doubt that Lumia ICON, 1020, 1520, 920 takes better pictures than iPhone 5S. But burst shot mode of iPhone 5S is impressive. My friend owns an iPhone 5s, and I took 100 photos in burst shot mode, which is amazing (although I am not sure if burst shot photos are 8MP or 2MP).

Last week, when I was I a family gathering, where I was asked to take photographs with my Lumia 920. I decided to go for burst mode. Although I don't often use Smart Cam that often. I've set Nokia Camera as my default camera application. Over there it took couple of minutes to find out, how to invoke Smart Cam application from Nokia Camera, which was bit frustrating, when everyone was waiting for me to take photographs. And then I noticed, that photos taken using smart cam are not that good as the one taken using default camera application. Most of the time you tend to loose focus.

Therefore once Nokia implement burst shot mode with the default camera application, it will be exciting. I know that you need a lot of horse power to take 20MP images in burst mode (not sure if its possible with Snapdragon 800 processor). But even if it can take 8MP burst mode, it will be OK. I presume that Snapdragon 800 is a better processor than the one used by iPhone 5S. iPhone 5s still uses dual core and has such a good, optimized camera software. I think if Nokia too should bring this option of burst mode directly in Nokia camera application.

 

[JBConforti]

Therefore once Nokia implement burst shot mode with the default camera application, it will be exciting.

Believe its coming in 8.1! I understand what they were doing with the lenses but they really need to combine some and cut down the number of them.

 

[fonefan]

Believe its coming in 8.1! I understand what they were doing with the lenses but they really need to combine some and cut down the number of them.

Just read an article that states burst mode is going to be added in the 8.1 update. So this means the Icon will have this ability one it upgrades to 8.1.

Posted via the WPC App

 

[maverick786us]

Just read an article that states burst mode is going to be added in the 8.1 update. So this means the Icon will have this ability one it upgrades to 8.1.

Posted via the WPC App

I more rely on Noka's camera software, rather than Windows camera application

 

[falconrap]

With ProShot you can select burst mode. You can adjust the rate from 1 to 5 pics per second, full res. Once set to burst mode, hold the camera button down as long as needed, up to 15 seconds. Not quite the 10/second on iPhone, but I can guarantee you that picture quality will suffer with faster burst speeds. The 5S does have slightly larger sensor cells at 1.5micron versus 1.4. Not sure what it is on the Icon. The true OIS is the only advantage you will find with the 928. So let's be honest - both phones can take great pictures at times. There are trade-offs to each. But the Lumias do offer far better flexibility and can be made to get better shots under situations where you have to go manual to make the proper adjustments.

Overall, I've been pretty happy with my 822, and I'm sure the Icon will be far better, and I take a lot of action shots of the kids.