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DxOMark tests Lumia 1020 as the best modern phone for still images, lacking in video capture

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By Daniel Petrov

Published: Oct 15, 2013, 6:50 AM

DxOMark tests Lumia 1020 as the best modern phone for still images, lacking in video capture

The folks at DxOMark, "the trusted industry standard for camera and lens independent image quality measurements and ratings," have put a couple of flagship smartphones through their rigorous testing, and reached conclusions pretty close to our own recent camera battle, putting the Nokia Lumia 1020 ahead of the pack in still images, behind only the 808 PureView.

When taking into account its superior low-light performance, it is ahead of handsets like the iPhone 5s, Xperia Z1 or Galaxy S4, but the video capture quality drags it down in the overall ratings. The overall verdict on the Lumia 1020 abilities?

In summary then, the Nokia Lumia 1020 is one of the best camera phones for stills, but its video performance could be improved which lowers the overall ranking to fourth place.

In fact, under low light conditions the Lumia 1020 outperforms rivals, producing still images with low noise and detail preservation that are simply the best we’ve ever seen from a smartphone.

Compared with the more recent Apple iPhone 5S, we can see that while Apple is getting the most from its existing technology but they appear closer to their technical limit than Nokia is with their Lumia 1020.

So does it mean there's a lot more where the 41MP PureView sensor came from after a few firmware updates? Probably, and we'll keep an eye for any and all software algorithm updates to redo the comparison, this time throwing in phones like the Z1 and the upcoming Lumia 1520, which should have a camera to behold, too.

source: DxOMark via AAS

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.

DxOMark tests Lumia 1020 as the best modern phone for still images, lacking in video capture

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