Lumia 928 ad talks up the phone's "better than iPhone, better than Galaxy" low-light camera performance

posted by Ray S. / May 28, 2013, 2:53 AM

This story is sponsored by Microsoft. PhoneArena's opinions in this article have not been affected in any way!

With the Nokia Lumia 928 assuming the position of most versatile Windows Phone cameraphone, Microsoft has felt that the time is right to support the handset with a strong ad campaign (always a good idea). So, here's a cool commercial that puts the focus on the Lumia 928's ability to capture beautiful images in low-light situations thanks to its PureView Phase II camera and Xenon flash. Enjoy!

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Display 4.5" 768 x 1280 pixels

Camera 8.7 MP / 1.2 MP front

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus, Dual-core, 1500 MHz

Storage 32 GB

Battery 2000 mAh(17h 3G talk time)

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102 Comments

1. Rehankhan

Posts: 323; Member since: Oct 24, 2012

low-light camera performance bla bla thats all you got nokia ?

posted on May 28, 2013, 2:55 AM 58

2. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

Haters gonna hate. No one can beat Nokia when it comes to camera. This is Lumia.

posted on May 28, 2013, 2:59 AM 48

3. tech2

Posts: 3487; Member since: Oct 26, 2012

He is right Nokia triumphs in low-light performance only. Even Nokia are only bragging their low-light performance and not overall. So what makes you think it can't be beaten in overall tests ? and thanks for reminding 'This is Lumia' we could've never guessed it otherwise. -.-

posted on May 28, 2013, 3:08 AM 35

5. Snoobab

Posts: 175; Member since: Dec 07, 2011

Take a close look at how much software image sharpening is applied to photos captured by the Galaxy smartphones. This is because their optics simply CANNOT resolve enough detail alone. From a purist point of view, Nokia/Carl Zeiss imagining technologies are light-years ahead of the pack.

posted on May 28, 2013, 3:28 AM 20

10. tech2

Posts: 3487; Member since: Oct 26, 2012

Dude were u even bothered to read my comment ? I never said others were better than Lumia in low light performance. Of course, Lumia is better in low light but when it comes to overall camera performance specially in day light Lumia produces way to over saturated/unrealistic colors ! and of course everyone should believe a company which puts a comparison for its own product is completely believable but a neutral site's blind camera test is not ! #sarcasm -.-

posted on May 28, 2013, 4:11 AM 17

33. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

Some of you guys have to stop getting your information from one source, because you are sorely mistaken. Lumia 920/928 camera performance is fantastic across the board -- it simply EXCELS in low light and macro photography. I own a Lumia 928 and can say that the colors have been very true to life as long as you are not using an inappropriate white balance (which sometimes the Auto setting does). If you want to see what the camera's actually capable of, go visit some forums where real owners of the device share their photos (won't plug the forum name I'm thinking of here, but you can find it).

posted on May 28, 2013, 2:02 PM 4

40. UrbanPhantom

Posts: 949; Member since: Oct 30, 2012

Penny is right: NOKIA Lumia smartphones have the best cameras for both day and night shots. The ones claiming otherwise are simply paid bashers, and/or amateurs who know absolutely nothing about photography! Enough of this stupidity: I will only listen to the opinions of dedicated professional photographers, and PhoneArena has yet to consult with any... Samsung and Apple both make good products, but their respective camera technology is light years behind what Nokia is using now. There's no contest, only the rantings of pathetic idiots trying desperately to spread false and misleading misinformation. Windows Phone Blue will be out soon, and that will fill in many of the missing features that currently allow Android to enjoy some minor advantages over WP8. Then it will simply become a matter of preference regarding which OEM and OS is choosen, with certain technologies being the primary determining factor as to what people will want to choose. If you want the very best smartphone camera performance, then NOKIA is and will continue to be your perfect solution...

posted on May 28, 2013, 5:20 PM 6

62. therealestboy

Posts: 82; Member since: May 03, 2013

The last time this site did a blind test, the Iphone 5 and S4 won.

posted on May 29, 2013, 5:23 AM 0

42. SleepingOz unregistered

Low light isn't just the only thing that count when it comes to photography, you know. And PA is not the only site that says the L920 is an average/mediocre performer, low light performance aside compared to other smartphones like the ip5 and the GSIII. GSMArena, Mobilesyrup and even DxOlabs(http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Mobiles/Nokia-Lumia-920 ), which is a professional DSLR reviewer site, came to the same conclusion. And I'm pretty sure they aren't the only ones!

posted on May 28, 2013, 5:24 PM 9

48. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

So the point of my comment was to state precisely that the L920/L928 are more than just about low light photography -- that just happens to be an area in which it is more clearly superior. I like to see pictures side by side and make the comparison myself, because the way a person takes a picture can also say a lot about their photography skills. The fact that dxomark uses some form of statistical analysis without actually showing any pictures is a bit worrisome in a camera comparison. Here is a camera comparison between the L920 and GS4 in which you can actually see the resulting photos and make a judgment for yourself (http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/04/25/samsung-galaxy-s4-vs-nokia-lumia-920-camera-comparison/). And here is a forum in which you can see what this camera is actually capable of in the hands of users: (http://forums.wpcentral.com/nokia-lumia-920/200218-97.htm).

posted on May 28, 2013, 7:28 PM 1

59. SleepingOz unregistered

Haven't PA carried enough camera comparisons yet? Some nokia fanboys like to claim that 'x' is biased etc.. Well, the L920 camera has been reviewed by 4 writers here. And all of them came to the same conclusion. http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-Sony-Xperia-Z-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-S-III-Galaxy-Note-II-iPhone-5-Nokia-Lumia-920_id3251 http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-Samsung-Galaxy-S4-vs-HTC-One-Sony-Xperia-Z--iPhone-5-Nokia-Lumia-920-and-Galaxy-S-III_id3285 By Nick T http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-HTC-One-vs-Nokia-Lumia-920-vs-Apple-iPhone-5-vs-Samsung-Galaxy-S-III-vs-Sony-Xperia-Z-vs-Google-Nexus-4_id3273 By Victor H http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Camera-comparison-iPhone-5-vs-Nexus-4-vs-8X-vs-DROID-DNA-vs-Lumia-920-vs-Note-II-vs-Galaxy-S-III_id3208 By Ray S http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Nokia-Lumia-920-Review_id3187/page/3 By John V http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_920-review-858p7.php By GSMArena http://mobilesyrup.com/2012/11/22/rogers-nokia-lumia-920-review/ By Mobile Syrup http://connect.dpreview.com/post/9128863653/nokia-lumia-920-camera-review-first-look By Digital Photography Review http://www.digitaltrends.com/cell-phone-reviews/nokia-lumia-920-review/ By Digital Trends http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/16571_By_popular_request_Nokia_N8_vs.php By All About Symbian(even a Nokia fanboy site) http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Mobiles/Nokia-Lumia-920 And of course DxOlabs, which is trusted by professional photographers from all over the world! (I think this is enough to refute your "only one source" claim but if you want more comparison/review, Google is your friend.) They all praise its low light performance but say it's ok/average/mediocre in all other categories. It might be true if you say that one or two reviewers are biased, but on nearly every tech/photography site I go, they all came to the same conclusion. So now, whether you agree with them or not, it's your choice, right. But if you think that they are all biased because their conclusions don't suit the fanboy in you(like nokia fanboys always do); well, actually, that makes you the biased one.

posted on May 29, 2013, 2:46 AM 7

65. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

Oz, I understand your point, and it is a fair point to consider whether or not I might be a fanboy. All I can say to lend some credibility to my position is that yes, in many places across the web, you will find 'reviewers' saying that the camera offers average daylight performance. I will reiterate here that my position is that the camera is CAPABLE of far superior performance, but it requires the individual to know how to use manual settings on a camera. For whatever reason, whether it's hardware or software, the Lumia 920/928 cameras suffer from less than ideal auto-focus when using the camera in auto mode. Almost all reviewers will be using auto settings to compare cameras, and that's fair enough considering that is how most people will use their phone cameras. But seeing all of those negative camera reviews myself before purchasing my Lumia 928 (and trust me, I do like to do my research and have read my fair share of both negative and positive articles), I was expecting decidedly mediocre performance in daylight. I can assure you that is not the case. If you go to the forum link I provided in my previous comment, you will see actual owners of the phone posting their photos there. These are REAL shots taken by individuals who have devoted more time to learning their phone than any of those reviewers.

posted on May 29, 2013, 3:28 PM 0

66. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

What it comes down to is this: You can come to two different conclusions based on the different reviews of the device around the internet: A) That the camera is pretty good, but suffers from subpar daylight performance and fuzzy details, and B) That the camera can take spectacular photos in daylight based on images submitted by some reviewers and many users. Not taking into consideration my own experience with the device, from these two seemingly contradictory conclusions, one can come to a greater hypothesis that the hardware is inherently capable of shots demonstrated by users in conclusion B, but achieving that kind of performance requires you to use it like the users in conclusion B, and not like those in conclusion A. Adding in my own experience with the Lumia 928, I think that is the most accurate way to objectively sum up the Lumia 920/928 camera's performance capabilities.

posted on May 29, 2013, 3:51 PM 1

78. cripton805

Posts: 1485; Member since: Mar 18, 2012

Light Years measure distance. Not time... fail

posted on May 31, 2013, 11:59 AM 1

88. roldefol

Posts: 4744; Member since: Jan 28, 2011

Then he was using the term correctly: as hyperbole for "miles ahead of the pack".

posted on Jun 03, 2013, 10:56 AM 0

106. cripton805

Posts: 1485; Member since: Mar 18, 2012

Technology is always based in time. It's still an analogy based on distance which is still a fail. As in "Years ahead", etc... Touche.

posted on Jun 07, 2013, 12:22 AM 0

96. glentomas123

Posts: 70; Member since: Jun 01, 2011

I don't think a "purist" is that interested in a camera on a phone. On second thought, I'm sure the definition of "purist" is relative.

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 5:36 PM 0

9. iNotSheap

Posts: 5; Member since: Jan 17, 2013

No one actually need!!! The only one who is making "Supreme" from "Average" is fans... Don't like it? (I don't care) You can look by your self: dxomark.com/index.php/Mobiles/Nokia-Lumia-920 dxomark.com/index.php/Mobiles/Samsung-Galaxy-S4-overview-Does-bigger-mean-better dxomark.com/index.php/Mobiles/Apple-iPhone-5 *dxomark is a very reputable camera test source among all professional photographers (which recently added a mobile camera section as well)

posted on May 28, 2013, 4:04 AM 12

12. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

Watch this professional camera comparison video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeHlUNKoTJo

posted on May 28, 2013, 4:20 AM 2

14. iNotSheap

Posts: 5; Member since: Jan 17, 2013

Watched this a long time ago. This is in most a bulls**t! I can see already that you amateur in camera world. Just read about DXOmark before you reply.

posted on May 28, 2013, 4:27 AM 14

15. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

Both of them are professional, none of them are bull5**t. That's all! Peace!

posted on May 28, 2013, 4:36 AM 3

43. SleepingOz unregistered

Sorry dude, I'd rather trust PA,GSMArena and co.. And of course, DxOLabs! They have reviewed other hundreds of professional DSLRs and are trusted by the pro photographer community.

posted on May 28, 2013, 5:33 PM 3

57. UrbanPhantom

Posts: 949; Member since: Oct 30, 2012

SleepingOz, I think you are trying hard to make it seem like one camera review website with a negative opinion means the word of god in the face of positive reviews by countless other photography websites that gave the Nokia Lumia 920 thumbs up. PhoneArena and GSM count for nothing: they have no qualified staff able to gauge this type of hardware consideration. Also, what about the mechanical OIS on the 920, versus digital OIS on the S4? The S4 was deemed to be pathetic in this respect, but you still believe it's the end all be all of smartphones. Blind, blind, blind... Like I said, there are no respected photography pros doing reviews who are critical of the 920/925/928, and Android fanboy opinions don't mean sh*t...

posted on May 28, 2013, 10:25 PM 1

60. SleepingOz unregistered

Butthurt much buddy? Your answer in post 59, above.. =]

posted on May 29, 2013, 2:47 AM 4

17. jackhammeR

Posts: 1548; Member since: Oct 17, 2011

none of us is a pro. You enjoy your pictures, that's great.

posted on May 28, 2013, 4:48 AM 1

26. MCrapp

Posts: 318; Member since: Apr 07, 2013

Nokia make good camera,but good low-light camera is not everything! And I'm old N-series fan

posted on May 28, 2013, 10:53 AM 7

28. lovefist unregistered

wow great camera from nokia! and... that's it. hohummm...

posted on May 28, 2013, 11:53 AM 3

36. Penny

Posts: 1844; Member since: Feb 04, 2011

Ummmmmm, yeah, so there's more to it than just the great camera. Despite your arbitrary proclamation to the contrary.

posted on May 28, 2013, 2:53 PM 1

70. squallz506

Posts: 1075; Member since: Oct 19, 2011

Why was the lumia 510 released without a flash if no one can beat nokia's cameras? My $40 kyocera android has a flash, Nokia's $150 lumia doesn't. NO EXCUSE!

posted on May 30, 2013, 8:33 AM 0

76. shy2papa

Posts: 336; Member since: Jan 23, 2010

Acts of desperation BB10 is even doing better than the so called wp, Microsoft is busy advertising Nokia whatever's hardware with it has nothing to do with MS' wp, what if the share holder kick elop out which is just a matter of time and then Nokia comes to its senses and adopts Android and also release and Android phone with better camera than the so called luniatic sorry lumnia. Then what?

posted on May 31, 2013, 6:28 AM 1

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