Battle of Pixels

Nokia 808 Pureview(41 MP) VS. Samsung Galaxy S4(13MP)

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NOKIA 808 Pureview:

     

Pros:

The Nokia 808 PureView's excellent, envelope-pushing 41-megapixel camera will satisfy photo enthusiasts. It also has strong battery life, an HDMI port, and steady call quality.

Cons: 

A slower processor doesn't match the 808 PureView's camera prowess, and it's saddled with a bulky body, a cramped virtual keyboard, and software that's behind the curve.

MAIN VIEW:

Even if you're only interested in its sharp, innovative camera, the Nokia 808 PureView's weak Symbian Belle OS and slower processor make it a questionable investment considering the price, especially since Symbian's days are numbered.

CAMERA REVIEW:

The PureView's photo quality lives up to the hype. Yeah! The camera does have a 41-megapixel sensor and it is overkill for a smartphone camera -- at least on the surface. While it actually does do pretty well at resolving detail when you use that full resolution, that was never really the point. It's Nokia's oversampling technology that turns those 41 megapixels into 3, 5, or 8 megapixels that's important.

 The PureView's lens features a large f2.4 aperture with a 26mm focal length for 16:9 and 28mm for 4:3 aspect ratio photos. The combination along with the large sensor size will give you some nice background blur for close-ups; the PureView can focus as close as 6 inches from a subject. (Add in the lossless zoom and you can get very close to what you're shooting and still get great fine detail.)

The 5-megapixel PureView setting gives you access to a 3x lossless digital zoom. Though you could use it for zooming in on a subject you physically can't get closer to, it's more likely you'll use it to adjust your framing.

There is no HDR option available for improving high-contrast scenes or backlit subjects. You can shoot bracketed exposures (three or five), though, and use software to combine them into a single photo with improved highlight and shadow detail. Unfortunately, it doesn't take them all that fast, so you'll need to put the camera on a tripod or other support to get the best results.

Though there's no direct control over shutter speed, by turning the ND filter off or on you can speed it up to freeze action (top) or create a long exposure up to 2.7 seconds (bottom).

If the natural colors of the PureView's Normal setting aren't vibrant enough for you, there is a Vivid option, too.

As long as you're able to keep your ISO low, the fine detail in macro shots is remarkably good. This is a 100 percent crop of the inset image.

The 808 produces very nice, natural colors. Exposure is generally good, but highlights have a tendency to blow out.

Conclusion:

If you're the type to buy a phone for its camera, the Nokia 808 PureView will give you all it's got. A photographer's smartphone, its multiple modes will suit casual shooters while also giving enthusiasts much more structured control. Add in some accessories, like a portable tripod, and you've got a satisfying camera that can also make calls and check your e-mail. While it sounds good in theory, the 808 PureView still won't replace a serious photographer's DSLR, though it will be more conveniently on-hand for relaxed photo opportunities. The 808 PureView's strong build quality and willingness to take risks in camera innovation demonstrate Nokia's promise as a continued Windows Phone handset maker, despite shaky financials and a clouded future.

SAMSUNG Galaxy S4:

Pros: 
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has Android 4.2.2, a fantastic camera, a powerful quad-core processor, and software solutions for just about every scenario -- including working as a TV/DVR remote. It's also comfortable in hand and has NFC, a user-replaceable battery, and a microSD storage slot.

Cons: 
Its screen is dimmer than competitors', its plastic design gives it a cheaper look than its rivals, and we found the Galaxy S4's power button turned on at undesirable times. Not all camera modes work as promised, and a long list of software features can quickly overwhelm and confuse.

MAIN VIEW:
Its laundry list of features require time and effort to truly master, but the Galaxy S4 is the top choice for anyone looking for a big-screen, do-everything smartphone.  

CAMERA REVIEW:

Samsung has absolutely packed its camera full of new and existing features, and I'll admit that I had more fun testing them all out than I imagined I would. When it comes down to it, though, my smartphone photography needs are simple. I want to whip open the camera app and take a really good picture or video, fast.

Toss aside all the fancy modes and the Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel sensor is good. Very good. No, not every photo came out perfectly when I took picture after test picture in full automatic mode, whether because of off-target photo rendering for a shot or because sometimes you just can't overcome bad lighting. Overwhelmingly, though, I was happy with the pictures I took, and the excellent image quality inspired me to snap and share even more photos.

The jump from the Galaxy S3's 8-megapixel camera to the GS4's 13-megapixel camera makes a huge difference in photo size, of course. I also noticed that images I had perfectly focused still looked terrific after I cropped them, and after they had resized to fit the phone's screen. I checked them out both on the phone and again on my laptop's larger screen, both in full resolution and also resized.

I cropped this full-resolution shot of a pink flower at its focal point.

Samsung incorporated interface elements from its 16-megapixel Samsung Galaxy Camera, like the onscreen menu options at the top of the screen for dual-shot mode and for settings that include night mode and flash.

Creative camera settings:

Of all of the Galaxy S4's five kooky new camera settings and modes -- out of 13 total modes including auto -- dual-shot mode is my surprise favorite. Like the same feature on the LG Optimus G Pro, dual-shot mode uses both the front- and rear-facing cameras to create a composite photo or video.

Drama is the mode you want when you have a well-planned out action sequence you'd like to take from a distance. If you position the camera right and keep it still, it compiles a series of still images into a single frame, keeping the background the same. You can check the box to add or remove which frames you'd like to include. I failed the first handful of times I tried using this mode. It helps to back away from the subject and plot your shot for subjects moving in a single direction.

I had the same trouble making the Eraser mode work, this mode compares five pictures and plays the game of "which of these things is not like the other." If a person or object clutters a few frames, but not all, the GS4 camera offers to help you remove the offender. As with Drama mode, Eraser mode requires a certain amount of premeditation to successfully use, and as of this review, I still haven't been able to make it work in real-world tests, even if someone deliberately walked through the frame.

Sound and Shot is one mode I really warmed up to in theory; consider it an audio postcard you'll send to someone. Instead of captioning the image, you leave up to nine seconds of a voice recording that's attached to the photo. Unfortunately, it's completely useless unless the person you're sending it to also has a GS4.

If you've ever wanted to turn your photos or short videos into animated GIFs, the Animated Photo mode is your tool. It lets you isolate any part of a mostly static video, which you "draw" on to select the part you'll want to animate or freeze. If you keep your camera steady, as I did in a video of waving flags, the tool suggests areas to animate. It looked cool and worked pretty well. Just keep in mind that you need to pick this mode first to use the tool, and that the Galaxy S4 won't save your original video in the gallery.

If you're going for a humorous or stylized video, you can play around with high-speed or slow-motion video settings. It makes sense that you can't convert a video you've already shot in another mode (like standard). In addition to these newbie features, best photo for a group, burst shot, HDR, and panorama.

Whether Samsung originated the extra camera feature or introduced it after a competitor, there's one Google Android goody that's conspicuously missing, and that's Photo Sphere, which lets you take a 360-degree panoramic image. A Samsung representative suggested that there may be a conflict with the Galaxy S4's hardware capabilities, but we'll need to confirm that's the real reason for Photo Sphere's absence.

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