# Nokia Lumia 1020 - blimey the camera's good



## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

I've got one of these on loan for a week and so far and I have hugely impressed with the camera's abilities, especially in low light.  

It's bulkier than your average phone on account of the protruding lens but the optical image stabilisation seems effective and the quality seems excellent - certainly better than any camera phone I've tried to date, it's the first that has a usuable zoom.


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## fuck seals (Oct 2, 2013)

editor said:


> I've got one of these on loan for a week and so far and I have hugely impressed with the camera's abilities, especially in low light.
> 
> It's bulkier than your average phone on account of the protruding lens but the optical image stabilisation seems effective and the quality seems excellent - certainly better than any camera phone I've tried to date, it's the first that has a usuable zoom.
> 
> ...


  nice ... what's the raw resolution it delivers in those pics?


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

fuck seals said:


> nice ... what's the raw resolution it delivers in those pics?


It varies if you zoom, but the three above are all 7712 x 4352 pixels.


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## bi0boy (Oct 2, 2013)

editor said:


> It varies if you zoom, but the three above are all 7712 x 4352 pixels.



Crazy, that's much bigger than what my 10 megapixel SLR produces.


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## fuck seals (Oct 2, 2013)

very nice.  i do like nokia really, and altho' the software was always horrid (symbian!), the hardware was built to last in general.  i hope that m/s can save the brand.

microsft & nokia is the losers' club of phones; i wish them well.


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## killer b (Oct 2, 2013)

Is it out then? Due an upgrade and we were waiting for this...


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

I really like the interface - the phone is very fast indeed, the manual  controls for the camera are leagues above any other mobile phone I've used before.


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## TitanSound (Oct 2, 2013)

Wow, those sample pics are very impressive.


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

Here's a fairly shonky video from the Lumia event last night taken with the 1020. My already limited film making skills were compromised by the free cocktails, but given the extreme lighting it did a pretty good job.


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

The plastic bit that clamps on t make it feel like a 'proper' camera is an excellent idea. First impressions: this is a really, really good phone.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 2, 2013)

fuck seals said:


> very nice.  i do like nokia really, and altho' the software was always horrid (symbian!), the hardware was built to last in general.  i hope that m/s can save the brand.
> 
> microsft & nokia is the losers' club of phones; i wish them well.



Me as well. Wish they'd not gone with MS. 

It's a very impressive for a camera phone, I actually like the design and if it's like the Nokias of old should take a few knocks.


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## killer b (Oct 2, 2013)

I've had a lumia for the past few years, they're great phones, and windows is a decent platform - I much prefer it to the android phones ive tried.


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## TitanSound (Oct 2, 2013)

killer b said:


> I've had a lumia for the past few years, they're great phones, and windows is a decent platform - I much prefer it to the android phones ive tried.



Same.


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## Barking_Mad (Oct 2, 2013)

How are windows apps?


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## killer b (Oct 2, 2013)

They seem to have all the apps ive ever needed. Id be the first to admit that isnt very many though...


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

Barking_Mad said:


> How are windows apps?


Still working my way through them. There's nowhere near as many apps as Android/iOS, but most of the big guns seem to be there. But any shortcomings in the apps department is substantially made up by the camera - I could imagine going on holiday and strapping on the extension in the daytime for shooting to make it a 'proper' camera.


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## twentythreedom (Oct 2, 2013)

How much £?


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

twentythreedom said:


> How much £?


Not sure yet, but it's going to be up there at the top end with the likes of the iPhone 5s, I reckon. What might offset the high cost for some punters is the fact that they really are getting a true compact camera replacement.

Five star review here:


> Simply stunning photos make the Lumia 1020 the ultimate cameraphone
> http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/smartphones/1302526/nokia-lumia-1020


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## Hocus Eye. (Oct 2, 2013)

This looks good. The camera in mobile phones can be a deal maker/breaker and this Nokia makes the top end Apple and Samsung (in alphabetical order) cameras look ordinary. In a year's time I will be in the market again and look forward to what is available then. Sensor size matters.


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

The interface really is rather splendid. This interface slides out and you can adjust all the parameters by moving the circles along. To zoom, you pinch the screen. Very intuitive. 






There's also a simpler quick menu at the top.


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## ChrisD (Oct 2, 2013)

editor said:


> The interface really is rather splendid. This interface slides out and you can adjust all the parameters by moving the circles along. To zoom, you pinch the screen. Very intuitive.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



looks amazing.   Any idea what (35mm equivalents) the zoom is?


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

ChrisD said:


> looks amazing.   Any idea what (35mm equivalents) the zoom is?


It starts off at 26mm and manages 3x zoom with its sampling stuff. 

More here: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_1020-review-989p8.php
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_1020-review-989p9.php


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

Review conclusion:


> Many who care about Nokia, believe Windows Phone was a mistake. Now, go ahead and call the Lumia 1020 a mistake. The best camera in business and one that probably will only be bested by its successor, whatever the logo on the tin.
> 
> Lumia 1020 is The One That Got Away. We didn't realize it until we were through with our review and we knew this is probably Nokia's farewell with the world. There are a few more devices to come from the Finns, but none of them will come close to the Lumia 1020. And yet, lots of people won't get this gem even though they love it.
> 
> ...


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## Lemon Eddy (Oct 2, 2013)

ta for the review.  Will wait to see what the next Nexus is like (due out mid october) but probably going to get this.


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## dweller (Oct 2, 2013)

sim free black is £599 on amazon
white is £691
yellow ones seem to be coming from Germany from £550 - £610
The camera grip is £45

I wouldn't mind one as I've more and more got past my android mania.
One reviewer says the battery is shite though which is a shame when you're
 going to want to use the camera a lot.


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

Installing apps now. It's got most of what I need, but the two I haven't found yet - and I use them all the time - are Google Hangouts and Keep. I'm assuming that they're unlikely to ever appear too. Oh, and it looks like Chrome is not there either.


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## Pickman's model (Oct 2, 2013)

editor said:


> I've got one of these on loan for a week and so far and I have hugely impressed with the camera's abilities, especially in low light.
> 
> It's bulkier than your average phone on account of the protruding lens but the optical image stabilisation seems effective and the quality seems excellent - certainly better than any camera phone I've tried to date, it's the first that has a usuable zoom.
> 
> ...


it seems to filter out the people


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## beesonthewhatnow (Oct 2, 2013)

Great camera it may be, but how's the battery life? If it's no better than other smartphones it's pointless, as after a mornings shooting it'll be dead.


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> Great camera it may be, but how's the battery life? If it's no better than other smartphones it's pointless, as after a mornings shooting it'll be dead.


Seems about the same as any other phone so far,  but the battery grip bit usefully adds a 1020mAh built-in rechargeable battery.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Oct 2, 2013)

editor said:


> Seems about the same as any other phone so far,  but the battery grip bit usefully adds a 1020mAh built-in rechargeable battery.


That would make it usable for a day then I guess, although it makes the "optional" accessory somewhat of a necessity.

How are you finding the Windows os? Have you been using it as a phone, or just the camera bits?


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> That would make it usable for a day then I guess, although it makes the "optional" accessory somewhat of a necessity.


Any camera phone is a compromise, especially when it comes to battery life, and it's a real shame that this phone hasn't got a removable battery.  It is a hell of a camera though.  

Battery life does seem decent enough: I rattled of loads of pics and a video last night and the battery wasn't down that much, but I've yet to properly test it.


beesonthewhatnow said:


> How are you finding the Windows os? Have you been using it as a phone, or just the camera bits?


I've installed a load of apps and I really like the OS: it feels a lot fresher than iOS and Android, and it's very slick to use.

If Keep, Chrome and Hangouts were available I think I could switch over without much bother.


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

Here's a scene taken at ISO 3200, f2.2, handheld.

 

Detail:

 

Not bloody bad, eh?


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

Same scene, 800ISO.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Oct 2, 2013)

If that was truly handheld (not propped on a ledge etc) that's pretty impressive.


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> If that was truly handheld (not propped on a ledge etc) that's pretty impressive.


Truly handheld squire! The phone's shape doesn't lend itself to resting on my window ledge.


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## ChrisD (Oct 2, 2013)

blimey....impressive picture quality,   they'll be putting tripod mounts on phones next !


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## editor (Oct 2, 2013)

ChrisD said:


> blimey....impressive picture quality,   they'll be putting tripod mounts on phones next !


The handgrip extension has a tripod mount


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## Barking_Mad (Oct 3, 2013)

Always susprises me Sony aren't way ahead in producing the best camera phones.


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## editor (Oct 3, 2013)

Barking_Mad said:


> Always susprises me Sony aren't way ahead in producing the best camera phones.


The new Xperias are supposed to be very good too.


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