Category Archives: Reviews

Nokia Lumia 1020 update

Reviews, Tech News, Windows,

I haven’t written anymore on the Nokia Lumia 1020, partly because I was involved in a car accident a few days ago, and suffering from that. So what does the 1020 have to do with the accident.

Well, it was a very reassuring moment following the accident when I realised that photographic evidence would be needed. I quickly took the 1020 and started taking photos. I now have 34mp pureview shots of the scene and damage which can be zoomed in with incredible detail and accuracy.

And I have a feeling that the other party involved in the accident will not expect there to be such detailed photographic evidence!

As the saying goes, it is the camera in your pocket that often counts to capture that moment.

Windows Phone and the Nokia Lumia 1020

Reviews, Windows

Overall as you would have figured out from my previous posts, I really like the 1020. But I do have one annoyance and it’s more software and app related.

Over the weekend there was a discussion going on twitter with regards the Pureview photos and the need to have to connect the 1020 to a PC or Mac to extract these. This discussion also involved an app called 1shot Beta, which has a easier to understand interface, allows various options in image size, has default modes for things like sport, night, macro etc but more importantly if you shoot at the apps top resolution of 38mp, it saves that on to the camera roll and skydrive will on wifi export that over the air into your skydrive. My mac has skydrive built in to the folder system, similar to Dropbox and will automatically import photo. All done without wires.

A warning of caution. You need to make sure in settings on the Lumia 1020 that skydrive settings are setup to import highest quality. I realised I didn’t have this option ticked, which now explains why my photos from the start of my review didn’t look as detailed as the ones I took on my iPhone 5S.

The discussion on twitter factored around that fact that why would you want the 34mp version anyway. Over 5mp phone screens cannot differentiate the difference and this is the same for social networks. Don’t forget the 1020 saves a 5mp and 34mp for each shot you take. With the 34mp version you can go back into the photo, reframe it and save a different view from the original and keep doing this until the cows come home. It was therefore considered acceptable that using the USB cable to copy off the larger Pureview to your PC. I disagreed with this fact. In today’s world it’s all about the cloud and wireless. There should be the option for both.

Then there was a disagreement that the beta app 1shot actually made using the Lumia 1020 easier and was in some ways better than the Nokia Camera app. Well this comment erupted a stampede. How could any app be better than Nokia Camera app. Well, it all depends how you cut that comment. As a kickback I highlighted the camera app from the Samsung S4 Zoom being one of the best apps I’ve ever used. That response got ignored. Have a look at my review of the S4 Zoom and the booklet that describes the 40 smart camera modes. And that is the problem. People get too stuck in defending a different operating system over another to realise that actually if they did take some of the good bits from one it will improve theirs and make more people want to use and buy their phone. The problem with the Nokia Camera app is that is lacks different modes versus the Samsung S4 Zoom camera app. As an example the S4 Zoom app has waterfall, fireworks, light trails and other modes. It also has manual control options. In my mind the Nokia Camera app needs the great pro mode ring it created along with shooting modes and the option to wirelessly and or via the cloud upload the 34mp version it creates with each photo.

If Nokia implemented the above they would make the phone easier for novices and still as hi tech for pro photographers.

If people buy the 1020 they are more than likely going to be coming from android or iOS. These platforms especially iOS offer smooth seamless photo transfers and this is where Windows Phones need to improve especially with the 1020 and the 34mp photos. If people are used to something on another platform as a minimum it needs to be the same or better elsewhere.

Just my thoughts.

Day 5/6 with the Nokia Lumia 1020

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It’s interesting how since using the Nokia Lumia 1020 over the last 6 days how it has completely changed my mind on the phone. In the beginning I couldn’t quite grasp the real and full benefit of the hardware. But as soon as I removed the Pureview 34mp hi resolution photos of the 5mp I had previously viewed, it was then that the full magic of the 1020 hardware came to light. Have a look at my flickr photo stream to see full res samples. Click here.

And then you have all the manual control settings to produce some even more remarkable end results. But I will say that if all you do is share photos on social media and nothing else, then the 1020 is overkill.

I have started to post edit some of the 34mp photos and because the photo has so many pixels it has allowed some huge improved post processed photos.

In fact the fun really begins using the pro features on the 1020 and then after you remove the 34mp version. I don’t think I can say much more since the remainder of the 1020 is based on the Lumia 925 which I have written and reviewed extensively.

If photography is your hobby or interest, then the Lumia 1020 should be on your wish list.

But I have one frustration, and that’s in my other article for today.

Day 4 with the Nokia Lumia 1020

Reviews, Tech News, Windows

I’m a bit late writing this as I was out last night at a business/work function. It was a black tie event, so it was ideal conditions to test low light shots with the 1020.

I can’t publish any of the photos from last night, but needless to say the photos were all ok. The xenon flash helped really well, in particular preventing blurring on low light. I also took a few shots with the iPhone 5S which also were acceptable but not at the same level as the 1020. I also had a few blurry shots from the 5S, but not the 1020.

I must admit the more I have had the 1020, the more it has grown on me. The camera is the showcase feature, but actually I am finding the rest of the phone a joy. I will not hide the fact that I like Windows Phone operating system. I just find it fun and refreshing to use and totally different to android and iOS. At first I struggled to understand the camera immediately, but as the days have progressed I am starting to get to grips with its capabilities. It is a serious “bad ass” piece of camera technology. That’s a positive statement by the way.

During the business/work function I showed the 1020 to a number of people. Nobody could quite believe how there was a 41mp camera on the phone. Everyone had a go using the phone and everyone loved it.

And that comes nicely to my closing thought of the day. At the end of last night/early this morning I was thinking about the real possibility of using the Nokia Lumia 1020 as my main phone. It is that strong a package for me.

Day 3 with the Nokia Lumia 1020

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I took some more photos with the Nokia Lumia 1020. See my flickr account for some of the shots. Sadly whilst the sun was present, so was the brutal weather. The sunrise shots were taken just as the heavens opened up at full blast. The other shots taken during the day were against gale force winds.

Actually the wind was strong enough making it tricky to stand upright. But none of the 1020 shots were blurred. That was partly due to the optical image stabilisation. I also noticed with some of the shots with bright sun, the xenon flash fired to help spread the light more evenly.

I still stand by my first findings that in good light, the benefits of the 1020 camera will be not visible. It you need to zoom in, then the 1020 is ideal. In lower light the 1020 starts shining. And when you start getting creative with the camera settings I started to take some photos impossible with other smartphones. I also think the 1020 post processing is slightly too aggressive on some photos.

Moving on to the rest of the phone, it works as expected. It is good to see more camera centric apps appearing, as well as more mainstream apps. Whilst the 1020 feels less polished compared to an iPhone, I am finding it far greater fun to use.

I took a number of photos and did notice the battery level dropping, so if I was out for a while, I would get the camera grip which has extra battery power built in.

The polycarbonate build of the 1020 is excellent. It feels great in the hand, just bright yellow is not my colour. Black would be my colour of choice.

One thing I don’t get is why I can’t transfer the 41mp photos over the air. I will have to connect the 1020 to my computer at the weekend to extract these via USB. I had heard about slow camera start up times and slow shot to shot times. My experience is that it’s reasonable in its start up, and perfectly ok between shots. It didn’t slow me down. However, if it was an action shot of the moment, the 1020 would miss the moment.

Update – late last night I finally extracted the Pureview Hi-res versions off the 1020 on to my mac. Not as easy as I thought as you have to download special software from Nokia, and at first I downloaded the wrong app. I am exporting 7 hires shots to my flickr account at the moment (6.20am) so by 7am the full 34mp photos will be uploaded. The extra definition is excellent.

Day 2 with the Nokia Lumia 1020 – part 2

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Ok, so part 1 looked at bright power sunrise photo shooting. So how about no sun and very overcast. In my mind this is where I started to get really impressed with the 1020. Also, I was able to reframe and zoom in on the cows. The iPhone 5S had no chance in hell getting the level of detail on the cows when zoomed in.

So below is the first shot from the 1020.

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And now a crop of the cows in the distance.

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And now the same shot from the iPhone 5S. But zooming in on the cows wasn’t really that great to view at all.

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So do you agree with my verdicts?

My view of the 1020 is that it really is all about the camera. In some bright light situations it doesn’t in my opinion offer a night and day difference but as soon as the lighting changes, or you need to use some of the pro features it comes into a world of its own. In fact the advanced camera features are brilliant. I took a few pitch black shots and was impressed by the results.

My only disappointment is that the new Nokia Black update is not due to arrive until 2014, and I would have loved to have been able to install this now. Not that it is available in any event.

Using the 1020 as a phone is fine. It’s the Lumia 925 in polycarbonate and with all the weaknesses and strengths of a windows phone.

Day 2 with the Nokia Lumia 1020 – part 1

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It was a great sunrise this morning and so I thought I would take a few photos with the Lumia 1020 and iPhone 5S. Later on in the afternoon the sun faded and the light wasn’t very good. So what I have found is that while the 5S takes very good shots, as soon as the light fades, the 1020 can still take really good shots. Also in every shot the 1020 appears to have more detail, and the proof is on the reframing and zooming in on a photo even in poor light. In fact the level of detail possible was impressive on the 1020. And don’t forget the iPhone 5S has hardly any controls for the camera. The 1020 has a wealth of options to help take a stunning photo.

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The photo above was taken with the 1020. Below is the same shot using the iPhone 5S, normal and the other in HDR mode.

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Ok, another view from the 1020 below.

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And now the iPhone 5S , in normal and HDR mode.

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So which do you prefer?

From what I can notice the 1020 does sharpen and saturate the colours more. The 5S is more natural in its results. But there is no denying the 1020 delivers more detail.

Further Thoughts on the Sony QX10 and QX100 Hub Lens Cameras

Apple, Reviews, Tech News,

I have had the QX10 and QX100 now for several weeks and my views on them have slightly changed. They are both excellent however I now carry the QX10 with me more than the QX100.

I carry the QX10 permanently with me as it is considerably lighter and smaller to pocket. It also has 10x optical zoom so for most situations it is a better option to carry.

If I know I will be travelling to somewhere specifically where I intend to take photos or where there might be an opportunity for good shots then I will take the QX100. The QX100 takes incredible quality photos.

But if I had to choose just one, it would be the QX10. If I wanted QX100 quality I would use a DSLR camera instead.

However, my wife and I have been out several times with our iPhone 5S’s using the QX10 and QX100 and had a great time using them. More fun actually than most cameras.

iPad Air First Impressions

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Yesterday morning was a quick rush down to Apple Plymouth, only to find that at the crazy early hour there were only 9 people in the queue. By 7.45am there was nearer to 35. But that was the same amount of Apple staff too. I had to go early as I was working. Anyway, I was in and out in 10-15mins. I bought the space grey iPad Air wifi only in 128gb. I got both the Smart Cover and smart case in black as I wasn’t sure which one I wanted. I will probably stick with the cover but it is too early to decide.

Unlike my last iPad which was the Mini I decided it was time to break the cord and not sync it to my MacBook. So now I am only using my MacBook to rip CDs and store photos and music. It’s getting close to me ditching the MacBook completely. After the Mini I got the new Nexus 7 which I ended up returning as it was faulty even after a few software updates.

But. I am pleased I did return it. The iPad Air is massively better than any tablet IMO. It’s better than the Mini. It’s better than my MacBook. Why? Well the onscreen keyboard on the Air is so damn fast to type on it is scary fast. I’ve typed this article using the Air and I am flying with keyboard entry faster than I would be on my MacBook mainly because the iPad auto correction is so fantastic.

So, first up the Air screen is fabulous. And the extra size for viewing and typing is perfect. Also the iPad had loads of beautifully designed apps for it, and that makes the user experience so much more enjoyable.

The reduction in bezels is noticeable, the depth not so much, but the weight is much better. It’s not as light as the Mini but it is lighter than the previous iPad by a fair amount and that makes this new Air more pleasurable to use for long periods.

I synced my entire music collection, 10 videos, my entire photo collection, and hundreds of apps. I have now have 9.4gb freememory left free. 128gb is extreme but I now feel I have a device with no compromises.

In fact I would describe the iPad Air as a tablet with no compromises. Stunning build quality. Stunning audio thru headphones. Good camera. And great software. I’m very happy with it.

Screen shot of my home screen below.

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The Best iPad Air Review

Apple, Reviews, Tech News

AnandTech have written the best review I have seen of the iPad Air. Click here to read it http://www.anandtech.com/show/7460/apple-ipad-air-review .

It is insanely detailed, but it is worth reading to truly appreciate what Apple have achieved with this new iPad. If you were undecided between which size iPad to get, reading this review should help you decide.

And to give you an idea as to how good this review is, a comment was left that read “after reading just two paragraphs of this review, it is already better than all others”.