GADGET GIZMO Review SUPER SHOOTERS
At
a combined count of 77 megapixels, these are some of the best camera-phones
today. Which snapper should be in your pocket ?
Nokia Lumia 1020
The Camera
Tech: With a 41MP sensor, the Lumia 1020 wins the specs war as no other phone comes close to that. The PureView tech means that when you click a photo, you get a full 41MP snap as well as a 5MP oversampled picture with lossless zoom. In a nutshell, click first and zoom later. Software: Nokia’s Pro Cam app makes photography easy and also offers manual controls. It’s simple to adjust settings like shutter speed and white balance, encouraging you to play around with these even if you are an amateur. But it is also slow between shots.
The Camera
Tech: With a 41MP sensor, the Lumia 1020 wins the specs war as no other phone comes close to that. The PureView tech means that when you click a photo, you get a full 41MP snap as well as a 5MP oversampled picture with lossless zoom. In a nutshell, click first and zoom later. Software: Nokia’s Pro Cam app makes photography easy and also offers manual controls. It’s simple to adjust settings like shutter speed and white balance, encouraging you to play around with these even if you are an amateur. But it is also slow between shots.
Results: The 1020 has better detail than any phone camera out there.
In fact, it’s good enough to go toe-to-toe with high-end point-and-shoot
cameras. For night shots, Nokia is the clear winner.
However, it does not reproduce the right colours. The colours you see with your eyes won’t be what you get on any screen.
The Rest
As a smartphone OS, Windows Phone still lags behind the likes of Android and iOS with its apps, notifications system, and other quirks. The 1020 is a stylish and sturdy device. The performance is great for regular tasks, but high-end games struggle. The screen suffers in sunlight and it doesn’t support expandable memory. On average, you can expect 14 hours of battery life.
SPECS: 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.5-inch 800x480 screen, 41MP rear camera with Xenon flash, 1.2MP front camera, 32GB memory, 2GB RAM, GPS, WiFi-n and Bluetooth 3.0
Price: Rs 41,499
Verdict
Is the Lumia 1020 the best camera-phone today? Definitely. Is it the best phone-camera today? Not by a long shot. If you care most about the camera and can live with Windows, then this is what you should buy
However, it does not reproduce the right colours. The colours you see with your eyes won’t be what you get on any screen.
The Rest
As a smartphone OS, Windows Phone still lags behind the likes of Android and iOS with its apps, notifications system, and other quirks. The 1020 is a stylish and sturdy device. The performance is great for regular tasks, but high-end games struggle. The screen suffers in sunlight and it doesn’t support expandable memory. On average, you can expect 14 hours of battery life.
SPECS: 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.5-inch 800x480 screen, 41MP rear camera with Xenon flash, 1.2MP front camera, 32GB memory, 2GB RAM, GPS, WiFi-n and Bluetooth 3.0
Price: Rs 41,499
Verdict
Is the Lumia 1020 the best camera-phone today? Definitely. Is it the best phone-camera today? Not by a long shot. If you care most about the camera and can live with Windows, then this is what you should buy
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom
The Camera
Tech: It’s a phone in a camera’s body! The physical zoom lens makes this handset look like a point-andshoot with a touchscreen on the back. But hey, it’s still 10x optical zoom and a 16MP sensor.
The Camera
Tech: It’s a phone in a camera’s body! The physical zoom lens makes this handset look like a point-andshoot with a touchscreen on the back. But hey, it’s still 10x optical zoom and a 16MP sensor.
Software: Samsung’s camera app for the S4 Zoom gets things done. It’s
simple, it’s easy and there are manual controls available if you want them.
It’s not as inviting as Nokia’s Pro Cam, but it’s not intimidating either.
Results: Photos are crisp and detailed, colours are true, and the
amount you can zoom is incredible for a phone. It’s also quite capable in low
light, especially with the Xenon flash. On Android, it’s the best camera you
will get.
But for a camera that’s so focussed on its lens, it’s terribly difficult to use the zoom. There’s no zoom ring, forcing you to use on-screen controls or the volume buttons, both of which aren’t easy to reach. It’s great hardware let down by poor design.
The Rest
The design and look of the S4 Zoom is its biggest undoing. It’s a camera that just happens to be a phone. The screen and performance are all right, but don’t expect to play high-end games or really task this device. And the battery life is quite poor, you need to charge it twice a day if you’re going to use the camera often.
But for a camera that’s so focussed on its lens, it’s terribly difficult to use the zoom. There’s no zoom ring, forcing you to use on-screen controls or the volume buttons, both of which aren’t easy to reach. It’s great hardware let down by poor design.
The Rest
The design and look of the S4 Zoom is its biggest undoing. It’s a camera that just happens to be a phone. The screen and performance are all right, but don’t expect to play high-end games or really task this device. And the battery life is quite poor, you need to charge it twice a day if you’re going to use the camera often.
Price: Rs 29,990
SPECS: 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch 960x540 screen, 16MP rear camera with Xenon flash, 1.9MP front camera, 8GB memory, microSD upto 64GB, 1.5GB RAM, FM radio, GPS, WiFi-n and Bluetooth 4.0
Verdict
You have to ask yourself: do you use your smartphone more often for non-camera tasks or camera tasks. If it’s the latter, then the Galaxy S4 Zoom is a good purchase. If it’s the former, forget about it
SPECS: 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4.3-inch 960x540 screen, 16MP rear camera with Xenon flash, 1.9MP front camera, 8GB memory, microSD upto 64GB, 1.5GB RAM, FM radio, GPS, WiFi-n and Bluetooth 4.0
Verdict
You have to ask yourself: do you use your smartphone more often for non-camera tasks or camera tasks. If it’s the latter, then the Galaxy S4 Zoom is a good purchase. If it’s the former, forget about it
Sony Xperia Z1
The Camera
Tech: The 20MP sensor is the best you get on Android phones. The bonus here is that the Z1 is waterproof, so you can safely take pictures out in the rain – very cool!
The Camera
Tech: The 20MP sensor is the best you get on Android phones. The bonus here is that the Z1 is waterproof, so you can safely take pictures out in the rain – very cool!
Software: For all its hardware goodness, the Z1 is let down by its
camera app, which overexposes shots and aggressively smoothens images, thus
losing details. Fiddle with the manual controls or use a third-party app like
Camera Zoom FX and you can fix these issues. Results: On Auto mode, the
Xperia Z1 isn’t even worth being in this shootout. But with manual settings, it
takes on a new life and starts clicking stunning images, matching up to
mid-range point-and-shoot cameras. And you have to click photos in the rain to
find out what you’ve been missing all these years.
However, low-light performance leaves a lot to be desired. Images are oversampled, the colours are off, they lack sharpness and detail. It’s a mess.
The Rest
The screen of the Xperia Z1 suffers from poor viewing angles, especially noticeable when you’re watching movies or playing games – it’s simply unacceptable at this price. But that apart, the phone is near perfect. It is sleek, sexy, has fantastic performance and lasts for a day.
SPECS: 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 5-inch 1920x1080 screen, 20.7MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front camera, 16GB memory, microSD upto 64GB, 2GB RAM, FM radio, GPS, WiFi-ac and Bluetooth 4.0
Price: Rs 44, 990
Verdict
The faulty screen of the Xperia Z1 is what goes against it more than anything else. If only that aspect was taken care of, the Z1 would have won this shootout as the overall best phone-camera out there. But can you live with that screen?
However, low-light performance leaves a lot to be desired. Images are oversampled, the colours are off, they lack sharpness and detail. It’s a mess.
The Rest
The screen of the Xperia Z1 suffers from poor viewing angles, especially noticeable when you’re watching movies or playing games – it’s simply unacceptable at this price. But that apart, the phone is near perfect. It is sleek, sexy, has fantastic performance and lasts for a day.
SPECS: 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 5-inch 1920x1080 screen, 20.7MP rear camera with LED flash, 2MP front camera, 16GB memory, microSD upto 64GB, 2GB RAM, FM radio, GPS, WiFi-ac and Bluetooth 4.0
Price: Rs 44, 990
Verdict
The faulty screen of the Xperia Z1 is what goes against it more than anything else. If only that aspect was taken care of, the Z1 would have won this shootout as the overall best phone-camera out there. But can you live with that screen?
Mihir Patkar MM1321219
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