What happens when your camera is no longer better?

[LumiaIcon]

I just saw a comparison of the Lumia 1520 and the Galaxy Note 4. I have the 1520 and absolutely love the phone. However, this is the second review of the two handsets that say the camera is "as good or better" on the Note 4. It seems to me that Lumia and Windows Phone in general have always held on to the edge in camera capability to justify the other shortcomings (real or perceived) on the platform. Are we about to lose the camera argument too? And if we can't say "... Yea but, the camera kills everyone else..." What happens?

 

[jleebiker]

Since you can't upgrade the camera in the phone, depends on if you want to listen to the bobble-heads or are you ok with what you have. If you listen to the bobble-heads, upgrade your phone. If you're ok with it, pay them no mind.

 

[Jaripi]

Just like me, wait new Lumia Denim fw and new Lumia Camera for your Lumia 1520 - it is coming during Q4, but when exactly ? - anyway, I think that we will see a clear improvement for camera ...

 

[theefman]

Was it "better" in picture quality or in gimmicks like slow motion and other rubbish? Years from now when you're looking at old pictures, which will be more important, having a memory preserved or remembering how you took a slomo vid? I know which one I'd take.

 

[LumiaIcon]

Since you can't upgrade the camera in the phone, depends on if you want to listen to the bobble-heads or are you ok with what you have. If you listen to the bobble-heads, upgrade your phone. If you're ok with it, pay them no mind.

I guess it is just another argument for Microsoft to follow the traditional refresh schedule of all the other big players and have something new within a year. Slap an 801 processor on with Gorilla Glass 3 and bump the camera a bit and no one wants for anything. How hard is that? The only reason the Note 4 is standing out a bit is that the 1520 really should be put up against the Note 3 not the 4. That is Microsoft's fault.

 

[several potatos]

Don't worry; the Note 4, like all Samsung Galaxy phones, will have terrible build quality and people will get to enjoy the nice camera for a few months before the warranty replacements start getting shipped in droves.

 

[blue1k]

The Note 4 does not have same ISO cell sensor as found in the S5. I'll pass.

Note 4 has exceptional build quality. Have you actually tried one. I have. Fantastic improvement over the old plastic frames.

 

[fatclue_98]

Depends how much you want to keep up with the Joneses.

With all the improvements on digital photography over the last 2 decades, I defy any to top my old Pentax ME Super 35mm. How much would you want to spend to say you have the newest or most up-to-date technology. As theefman opined, which would you rather think about 20 years from now?

 

[jleebiker]

I guess it is just another argument for Microsoft to follow the traditional refresh schedule of all the other big players and have something new within a year. Slap an 801 processor on with Gorilla Glass 3 and bump the camera a bit and no one wants for anything. How hard is that? The only reason the Note 4 is standing out a bit is that the 1520 really should be put up against the Note 3 not the 4. That is Microsoft's fault.

I would agree that the WP handsets have been "conservative" to say the least. Then again, re-tooling an assembly line is incredibly expensive and most manuf aren't going to go out on a limb for a product that has less than 10% market share.
I would LOVE the S5 Active handset, but sadly, Samsung isn't going to go after the tiny market share that would want this phone AND have WP. I DO think though that if manuf were to get a bit more aggressive or creative, they would see sales rise.

 

[gpobernardo]

Just keep taking photos. :wink:

 

[raycpl]

... my take on this is ...it is "you" who takes pictures, not the camera..

 

[etphoto]

A camera that takes good pictures today will take good ones tomorrow. Who cares who has the latest / greatest.

 

[JamesPTao]

I just saw a comparison of the Lumia 1520 and the Galaxy Note 4. I have the 1520 and absolutely love the phone. However, this is the second review of the two handsets that say the camera is "as good or better" on the Note 4. It seems to me that Lumia and Windows Phone in general have always held on to the edge in camera capability to justify the other shortcomings (real or perceived) on the platform. Are we about to lose the camera argument too? And if we can't say "... Yea but, the camera kills everyone else..." What happens?

Keep in mind most reviewers know nothing about cameras. Even in the actual phontograghy industry (dslr's) most reviewers are clueless and those that know often refer to them appropriately as measurebaters.

 

[undulose]

I don't think that Note 4's camera is better. Android and iPhones are built to enhance captured moments using software optimizations before compressing them to JPEG. Nokia Lumia's , on the other hand, are better in the hardware department. The 1520's camera has six-element Carl Zeiss lens - do I need to say more? That alone is worth pointing out. Aside from that, it has more pixels that can be captured and has RAW support. That's where people like I transform dull photos into lively images after editing them into Camera Raw. That kind of editing lets you meddle like you were fiddling with the camera's setting BEFORE the shot is taken, as opposed to Android and iPhone's way of editing images. See the difference? If you want, I can post pics of both unedited and edited photos here later when I get home.

 

[HeyCori]

What happens when your camera is no longer better?

If it really mattered that much then I would just buy a really good camera. It's a much better option than hopping from phone to phone because the camera is .006% better on a newer model/platform.