29 replies to this topic

[EOSHD]

The best camera is the one you have with you and the best smartphone is an Apple iPhone.

Unfortunately the camera on your iPhone just became very very obsolete.

EOSHD deals with a dilemma.

[MOONGOAT]

Who cares about how it looks. It has a shutter button!

[sandro]

I didn't know the iphone 4s video was so good. Details are awesome!

[Policar]

A test with two 28mm lenses is ridiculous; the FOV for the 5D would be much, much wider. A modern point and shoot with a 28mm lens will outresolve any dSLR with a 28mm lens, but at a matched FOV it will be another story.

The camera is still pretty impressive.

[Paul Ning]

I have touched this phone and the final words I want to say is "when will Nokia make camera". Nokia is really in hell now and the only surviving reason is serving WP system like a guinea pig. Although the trend of using smartphone instead of compact DC is growing fast, it might still a smart move to concentrate on a strong and invaluable business rather staying in dying OS. I really want to see a point and shoot made with the 1/1.2 sensor and a prime lens with big aperture that can produce sallow depth of field. The image from 808 is really amazing! If it can support HDR as same as iPhone 4 than it should be better.

[userage]

Would have been nice to see the iPhone video without Filmic Pro. (I assumed Filmic Pro lets the iPhone shoot at higher bitrate?)

[sanveer]

I must admit, that, I am a little disappointing, that, the iPhone 4S beats the PureView 808, at video.

Does Filmic Pro increase the bit rate, as well as improve the video quality, on the iphone?

[EasycapExpertti]

Nokia 808 beats iPhone at video, because of its 4x lossless zoom and much better quality of the audio. The 808 has 2 microphones and high quality Texas Instruments TPA6140A2 audio amplifier which supports Dolby Digital sound and distortion free low bass. Here is for example recordings of Born in USA by Bruce Springsteen - first one shot with Nokia 808 and second shot with iPhone 4S:

[RichST]

I really wanted to get an 808 to replace my 1st generation iPhone that I've had for 5(!) years but considering on how hard I am on phones (I drop them every couple of months) I opted for a used n8 for less that $200. It's only 12mp with no oversampling feature but I've been very happy with the quality and now that I've gotten used to the different user interface (it's certainly no iPhone in that regard) I can definitely see myself moving up to an 808 in the future. IMHO Nokia would do well specializing in high-end cameras with phones on them (oops I said that back backwards.....or did I?). Future improvements could include features like a one-shot HDR mode that makes use of the oversampling feature. Also, while putting an optical zoom might be impractical, I wonder if two lenses could be put in the body and moved by a slide or wheel in front of the sensor.

The sample videos I've seen looked pretty good, virtually no moire and good detail, do you have stabilization enabled on yours? I wouldn't be surprised if someone releases an app to increase the bitrate, there is an older app called CameraPro I think that lets you change the compression settings for the jpegs, including an uncompressed mode.

Oh and by the way get the Symbian version of Opera for the camera, much better than the included browser. I'm still trying to find a good alternative to Google Maps, which only works when you're connected to wifi (like that does you any good on the road)

[EOSHD]

A test with two 28mm lenses is ridiculous; the FOV for the 5D would be much, much wider. A modern point and shoot with a 28mm lens will outresolve any dSLR with a 28mm lens, but at a matched FOV it will be another story.

The camera is still pretty impressive.

In the review it means 28mm equivalent, not 28mm focal length lenses on both cameras. It is 8mm on the Nokia. The field of view was matched.

[EOSHD]

Does Filmic Pro increase the bit rate, as well as improve the video quality, on the iphone?

Yes and yes.

[userage]

Yes and yes.

Any chance you could do quick comparison of the iPhone without filmic pro? I'm just interested to see the difference. Hopefully in the future apps develop to increase the 808s quality as what happened with the Nokia N8

[Policar]

In the review it means 28mm equivalent, not 28mm focal length lenses on both cameras. It is 8mm on the Nokia. The field of view was matched.

Score one for Nokia then (and one for the iPhone's video--wow!).

Just got a survey from Canon regarding dSLRs, btw. Emphasis seemed to be on what kind of user needs dSLR video and why (power user vs casual photographer; web video vs. narrative vs. videography, etc.). Primary emphasis seemed to be on to what extent Canon should further hybridize its dSLRs rather than splitting video off into a separate camp (obviously Canon is trying both strategies to some extent), but lots of questions about image sharpness as a concern. They're listening, just not responding.

[RichST]

Andrew

I just dropped the $3 for the CameraPro app for the n8 (which is supposed to work for the 808 as well) and it allows for much more control, including bitrate for video, audio, frames per second (any number from 1-30), etc.

A summary of all it can do is here:

http://www.tequnique...ameraPro1_4.pdf

[EOSHD]

Tried the CameraPro app and I don't think it is worth even $3. It crashes when entering expert mode settings, and it doesn't do anything in stills mode that the built in camera doesn't, apart from crash when you set the JPEG compression... And video quality seems the same too.

Compression issues are the main thing that is wrong with video on the 808, so if Filmic Pro comes to the Nokia store (unlikely) then it could be great.

[amband]

If like me you have Apple computers, best stick with iphone that works with them. Use a phone that works with the kit you have

[RichST]

Hmm the app was probably written more for the n8 since I haven't had any problems with it crashing

[stylinred]

Not sure if its been touched on in the comments but it wasn't in the review and that's the Nokia 808s Rich Recording feature when using the Video function, its stereo sound and allows up to 140db to be captured that and the zoom function should really trump the 4S in its stock function, I don't see how an App could make it all that better either to trump those features...

Also the 808 records up to 25mbps in video bitrate; are you telling me the 4S does more than that with Filmicpro?


I also have a question about the stills tests, when shooting in Low Light did you use the 808 in full resolution or did you use the pureview mode (2/3, 5, 8mpx)?


(ive got camerapro in my 808, no issues but i dont use it fine with Nokias creative mode)

[sanveer]

Andrew, thanks for the info.

[Stephen Cernava]

Is there any chance of a simailar comparison with the 808 video being shot with camera pro. I dont own the 808 but on the n8 camera pro always improves the video quality over stock. thanks for the review.