These photography big shots are almost more camera than smartphone. We match up their specs and strengths.
(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)
With their focus on photography, Nokia's Lumia 1020 and Samsung's Galaxy S4 Zoom are the smartphone industry's camera big shots.
While both strive for smartphone imaging prowess, these two devices are really very different. It's best to think of the Lumia 1020 as a smartphone with a good camera, and of the S4 Zoom as a point-and-shoot that can make calls.
Editor's note: I've spent time with both these phones. The Lumia 1020 has been fully reviewed, and I've also has gone hands-on with the Zoom. I'll update this story after fully testing the Zoom.
Camera resolution The Lumia 1020 has a 41-megapixel resolution, which is a bit of a misnomer because photos resolve to 5-megapixels by default. You can peel off larger RAW images manually, through the computer.
Most of the time, the higher resolution information goes into lossless cropping. It's all explained here.
Samsung's camera grabs 16-megapixel shots, but its sensor is also larger and it's easier to get to the full-resolution output. We'll need to wait on a photo quality shootout to decide which ones takes the better photos.
* At their slimmest points. The Lumia's camera mount extends 0.5-inch; The Zoom's is 2 inches away from the face.
Zoom in on it The Zoom has all the advantage with a 10x optical zoom that should handily smash the Lumia 1020's 3x digital zoom.
At least that's what we expect for a physical zooming lens. As a general rule of thumb, optical zoom produces higher quality images than digital zoom (which the S4 Zoom does as well.) Of course, we won't know for sure until the test result come in. Stay tuned!
Settings and controls Apart from high-resolution images and the larger sensor size, advanced settings at your fingertips is Nokia's manual camera controls. There aren't any preset modes, which isn't great, and there doesn't appear to be a macro mode, but the sliding controls are convenient for creative snaps.
Lumia 1020: Calling all photogs
Samsung has its manual controls, too, which you access through an Expert mode. That's a small part of the setup, though. Casual and avid photographers can also turn on presets like night mode, macro, and landscape.
It's also easier with the S4 Zoom to switch to the front-facing camera using an on-screen button.
The 1020's Nokia Pro Cam app (the default for getting those high-res images) makes you open a menu before flipping cameras.
One area where the Lumia 1020 excels is in loading up the camera in the first place. Press and hold the shutter button and it'll snap open the camera app, even if the phone is locked and asleep. Not so with the Zoom. You'll have to go through the unlocking process before pressing the shutter button to wake the app.
You can also open the camera app on both phones through their respective app icons.
Portability and design The Zoom's optical upper hand comes at a cost. Its shape as a point-and-shoot makes it the most outrageously awkward smartphone I've ever tried to carry around.
Hands-on with the crazy Galaxy S4 Zoom
If you're seriously thinking of using it as your primary device, invest in an excellent Bluetooth headset now.
The cost quotient Apart from image quality and portability, cost is going to be a huge deciding factor for serious mobile photographers. The 1020 is a hefty $300 on-contract with AT&T, and even more if you're buying a global model of the phone unsubsidized.
In the UK, the Zoom costs 440 British pounds, or about $675. There's been no official U.S. announcement yet, but given the enormity and ambition of this cellular-ready camera, I'd expect a carrier to pick it up eventually.
Stay tuned for an update to this story after we've had a chance to fully review the Galaxy S4 Zoom. In the meantime, read our hands-on with the Zoom, and my full review of the Nokia Lumia 1020.
Read the full CNET Review
The bottom line: Avid mobile photographers will love the Nokia Lumia 1020's exact controls, but casual users should stick to cheaper camera phones. Read Full Review
news by July 26, 2013 at 05:53AM
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