Nokia PureView showdown: Comparing the Lumia 920, 925 and 1020 cameras

There'due south lilliputian debate that Nokia has inverse the way we look at our Windows Telephone cameras. From the PureView technology to optical prototype stabilization (OIS) to making Zeiss a household proper noun, Nokia has designed a salubrious, quality assortment of cameras for their Lumia Windows Phones.

While the atmospheric condition wasn't exactly agreeable all the time, nosotros took the Nokia Lumia 1020, 925 and 920 out to see how these three cameras compared. All iii are solid contenders to satisfy your smartphone photographic needs only is the Lumia 1020 the clear winner? The answer may surprise you lot.

Specifications - How they differ, how they are the same

Each camera has optical image stabilization (OIS) to minimize camera motion, assuasive longer exposures and less blur. Behind illuminated sensors (BSI) are nowadays as well, which puts the wires behind the hardware allowing ameliorate depression-light images. Finally, all 3 accept PureView technology (Nokia's surreptitious sauce so to speak) and each utilizes Zeiss optics.

However, the Lumia 925 and 1020 have six lens-elements versus the five in the Lumia 920. The extra lens element allows the 925 and 1020 to capture slightly sharper daylight images and yes, it matters.

At present for the differences in the lens and sensor sizes...

• Lumia 920: 8.seven MP 1/3.ii" sensor and a f/ii.0 26 mm lens.
• Lumia 925: 8.7 MP 1/3" sensor and a f/2.0 26 mm lens.
• Lumia 1020: 41 MP i/1.5" sensor and a f/2.2 26 mm lens.

The Lumia 1020 and 925 have access to Nokia's Pro Cam camera app. The Lumia 920 does too if yous are one of the fortunate souls to be able to update your Lumia 920 to the Lumia Bister firmware. Nokia's Pro Cam gives you lot more than control over the camera's settings (shutter speed, focus, ISO, etc.) and it has that cool "zoom subsequently" feature. While we are a fan of Nokia'southward Pro Cam, the native Windows Telephone app performs rather spot on within information technology's own correct.

Nokia Lumia Photo Samples - Lumia 920, 925, 1020 (left to right)

And with my AT&T Lumia 920 non yet updated (come up on AT&T release it already!) to be off-white, we used the native camera app for the comparison between these three Windows Phones.  Each image was shot at the 16:9 ratio with the settings on automatic and handheld (thus the slight differences in framing).

Results - Comparing the Lumia 920, 925 and 1020

Nokia Lumia Photograph Samples - Lumia 920, 925 and 1020 (left to right)

In many respects, I saw little or no difference in the operation of these three Lumia cameras in optimum atmospheric condition. However, I experience comfy in making the following assertions subsequently looking at images taken beyond a wide variety of lighting conditions.

• The Nokia Lumia 1020 had the better color saturation, warmer white balance and sharpness.  The Lumia 920 and 925 photographic camera's saturation, white balance and sharpness wasn't terrible or beyond correction through mail service-processing apps.

Nokia Lumia Photo Samples - Lumia 920, 925 and 1020 (left to right)

• The Nokia Lumia 925 performed amend in lower lighting conditions with regards to exposure, but the optical stabilization wasn't as potent as the Lumia 1020's at slower shutter speeds. The Lumia 925 seemed to allow a lot more calorie-free to the sensor, but the Lumia 1020'south images were a touch sharper.  On a side note, I also found that the native Windows Telephone camera app captured ameliorate low light images than what Nokia'southward Pro Cam captured. Why that is, is not clear at the moment.

Nokia Lumia Photograph Samples - Lumia 920, 925, 1020 (left to right)

• While still a solid performer, the Lumia 920's images were a bear upon softer and had a cooler white balance (slightly blue clouded) at times. The softness tin can be attributed to having only v lens elements versus the 6 constitute in the Lumia 925 and 1020 mentioned earlier. I also noticed a few cases where the Lumia 920'south images were slightly underexposed.  The photos taken from the bridge were shot under rainy, over cast skies.  The Lumia 1020 and Lumia 925 seemed to handle the lighting weather a fleck better than the Lumia 920.

Nokia Lumia Photograph Samples - Lumia 920, 925, and 1020 (left to right)

• It is challenging to shoot pictures with any of these cameras while holding an umbrella.  Makes me wish Nokia had a waterproof housing (hint, hint).

Nokia Lumia Photo Samples - Lumia 920, 925, and 1020 (top to lesser)

Nokia Pro Cam

While the AT&T Lumia 920 lacks the power to take advantage of Nokia's Pro Cam at this time, we did have a peak at how the Lumia 1020 and 925 handled ane of Pro Cam'southward main features, zoom later.

Nokia Lumia Photo Sample Uncropped

Nokia Lumia "Zoom Later" - Lumia 925 (left) and Lumia 1020 (right)

Obviously with the college resolution and larger sensor, the Lumia 1020 has more than room to work with as far as re-cropping an image. While you can zoom a skillful fleck with the Lumia 925, the further you zoom the more prototype quality suffers. The Lumia 925's zoom later on sample is zoomed to the max, focusing on the yellow pigment remover cans.  Nosotros zoomed into the same photograph using the Lumia 1020, trying to friction match the crop as closely equally possible.  To further friction match the images, the Lumia 925'south image was resized up to that of the Lumia 1020.  When zoomed to the max, the original Lumia 925 image was 231x174 pixels while the 1020's epitome was 465x348 pixels.

Nokia Lumia 925 Pro Cam Sample Paradigm

Nokia Lumia 925 "Zoom Later" Sample

While the Lumia 1020's larger prototype file has more pixels to dispense, the zoom later on isn't a bust with the Lumia 925. The higher up paradigm, zoomed far less than the max on the Lumia 925, allows y'all to zoom in rather nicely on the lettering on the vise.  While y'all may not have as much room to zoom on the Lumia 925, this Pro Cam feature can come in handy when y'all demand to crop an image to get things simply right, whether information technology's cropping a landscape image but right or keying in on details of an item in the picture.  It volition be interesting to come across how well it performs once the AT&T Lumia 920's are able to use this app.

If forced to choose simply i...

If I was forced to choose merely 1 Lumia Windows Phone solely for information technology'south photographic camera what would I choose?

The Lumia 920 was a ground billow. The optical stabilization and depression lite performance brought smiles to many. While it is a fantastic camera, images were a smidgen soft and at times under saturated or had a cooler white residuum. All hands corrected through post-processing software such as Nokia's Creative Studio but nonetheless, information technology left room for comeback on an otherwise very nice Windows Telephone camera.

Nokia Lumia Photo Samples - Lumia 920, 925, and 1020 (left to right)

While the Lumia 920 was a ground breaker, the Lumia 1020 is a game changer. It built upon the foundation the Lumia 920 created, took a few pages from the 808 PureView camera, and throws in a few new ingredients for practiced measure.  Some may not similar the camera hump simply it's hard to dispute the quality of the images the Lumia 1020 spits out.

The Lumia 925 feels and performs like a finely tuned or refined Lumia 920 camera. Taking all the good from the Lumia 920 and improving on its short comings, the Lumia 925 captures sharper images with a touch more than colour saturation. Depression calorie-free functioning has improved and it may be the best selection if you find yourself constantly in dimly lit rooms in demand of taking a photo.  You lot still have a slight camera hump only information technology'due south no where as obvious as what you accept with the Lumia 1020.

Of the three, I run across the Lumia 1020 equally the more capable camera across the board, which is probably non a shocker. The Lumia 925 has a lot going for it, but it's hard to ignore the larger camera sensor and higher resolution establish in the 1020. I also think the Lumia 1020'south optical stabilization is amend tuned.

Just what virtually for the average consumer? The Lumia 925 is easily the all-time all around Lumia device in terms of pricing, features and even at that place camera. It excels in virtually every area and information technology holds its ain against the iPhone 5S (more than on that tomorrow). While the Lumia 1020 will concenter the prosumer market place, the Lumia 925 is better suited for the more coincidental user--it'due south lighter, cheaper and thinner than the Lumia 1020. Information technology's really an impressive Windows Phone and the best value (then long as yous are okay with 16GB of storage).

Are you going to feel brusque changed with the Lumia 920? Not at all. Merely I exercise think the Lumia 925 (and the Lumia 928 for that matter) is a more refined camera than the 920.  Those moving from the Lumia 920 to the 925 will be pleased with the fine tuning Nokia has made with the camera.

When all is said and done, the groovy thing about these iii cameras is that there's really not a bad egg in the bunch.

Nokia Lumia Photo Samples - Lumia 920, 925, and 1020 (superlative to bottom)

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-camera-showdown-lumia-920-925-1020

Posted by: nashpitand.blogspot.com

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