Notes:
- The KEY2 was set to 8MP at 16:9, the native resolution of the main camera. The Lumia 950 XL was used in its oversampled 8MP mode, also at 16:9, to match and for ease of comparison. Don't worry, I'm not doing the Lumia a disservice - by using the oversampled mode (my default), all photos are purer and clearer.
- For zoomed shots, the KEY2 was using its 2x telephoto lens, apart from in low light, where its software forces the use of the larger aperture main lens. The 950 XL, in turn, has its usual 1.5x lossless PureView zoom and then adds another 0.5x digital (lossy) zoom on top.
- All photos were taken handheld on full 'auto' on both phones, unless stated otherwise, and with the phones handheld. Mimicking real life users.
Let's pit the results against each other, using our Famed Interactive Comparator (FIC). All 1:1 crops are at 900x500 for comparison, but see the links for full versions.
| Note that the interactive comparator below uses javascript and does need to load each pair of images. Please be patient while this page loads, if you see a pair of images above each other than you've either not waited long enough or your browser isn't capable enough! You ideally need a powerful, large-screened tablet or a proper laptop or desktop. This comparator may not work in some browsers. Sorry about that. On Windows 10 Mobile, use the 'AAWP Universal' UWP app, which handles the comparator very competently (see the tips in the app's help screens). |
Test 1: Sunny landscape
A favourite subject with lots of detail, in bright sun. Here is the scene, as shot by the Lumia 950 XL:
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Lumia 950 XL and KEY2, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
The KEY2 possibly gets the colour cast right, while the 950 XL adds a characteristic warm/golden aspect to the scene. But this aside, the 950 XL simply has more detail and better dynamic range, all handled tastefully. A combination of better optics and better image processing.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Blackberry KEY2: 8 pts
Test 2: Sunny landscape, zoomed
Same subject but this time at 2x zoom.
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Lumia 950 XL and KEY2, click the links to download. To look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
The KEY2 fares better here, with the true 2x telephoto lens producing better clarity, here in good light. In contrast, the Lumia 950 XL's hybrid zoom approach at 2x shows up some artefacts and - it has to be said - the yellow/golden cast is all the more dramatic here in the zoomed crop, and it loses an extra point for this.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 7 pts; Blackberry KEY2: 9 pts
Test 3: Indoor detail
Inside the church, light levels were much lower (it was darker than the 950 XL's image makes it appear!), providing more of a challenge. Here is the scene, as shot by the Lumia 950 XL:
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Lumia 950 XL and KEY2, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
The Lumia 950 XL's camera shows its class when light levels go down, of course. The use of really good OIS means that the shutter time can be 2.5x longer, plus the clever use of oversampling from the 20MP sensor means that there's dramatically more (and cleaner) detail and colour. In contrast, the KEY2 is starting to struggle here, with noise and general gloom in this handheld 1/30s shot.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 10 pts; Blackberry KEY2: 8 pts
Test 4: Indoor, zoomed
Same subject, inside the gloomily-lit church, but this time at 2x zoom (as usual on the 950 XL, having to guess what 2x is because there's nothing in the UI to help out!!):
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Lumia 950 XL and KEY2, click the links to download. To look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
While the 950 XL camera is finally showing some noise and artefacts, they're minor compared to what's happening in the KEY2. The latter detects that light levels aren't high enough for its f/2.6 telephoto lens and automatically switches back to its main f/1.8 lens. With the result that what is beautifully crisp zoomed detail outdoors devolves to blocky, lossy, artefact-strewn digital zoom indoors.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Blackberry KEY2: 6 pts
Test 5: Flower in shade
We all love flower macros, so here's one such, deliberately shot in the shade, i.e. good light but not the harsh direct sunlight. Here is the scene, as shot by the Lumia 950 XL:
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Lumia 950 XL and KEY2, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Both photos are excellent - the Lumia with slightly more pleasing and less processed detail, but that's perhaps personal preference - I'm not going to criticise the KEY2 shot here at all - you could argue that its extra sharpening produces more genuine clarity in the petals, for example.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 10 pts; Blackberry KEY2: 10 pts
Test 6: Dusk
Always a lovely scene, with the floodlighting and the silhouette against the darkening sky. Here is the scene, as shot by the Lumia 950 XL and the KEY2 - use your slider as usual:
Again, as the light levels drop there's no contest and the Lumia can capture so much more light and detail. The KEY2's low light captures are about what I'd expect from a phone half its price (it's £579 currently), which is disappointing.
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Lumia 950 XL and KEY2, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
In fairness, the KEY2 image isn't terrible for detail, but ultimately there's just not enough light getting to its sensor. In 2018, smartphone cameras either need to do the Pixel trick of taking multiple shots and then combining them (PureView take 2) or put proper OIS in. And Blackberry has done neither.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 10 pts; Blackberry KEY2: 8 pts
Test 7: Night time
Dead of night. Here is the scene, as shot by the Lumia 950 XL, as usual making it look much lighter than it actually was(!):
In case you want to grab the original images to do your own analysis, here they are, from the Lumia 950 XL and KEY2, click the links to download. And to look at the images in more detail, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, again use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Again, the KEY2 camera isn't terrible - there's no motion blur from hand shake, despite a 1/12s exposure - and the overall effect of its photo accurately represents what my eyes saw. But the imaging geek inside me also notes the amount of digital noise, whereas the Lumia 950 XL's photo is pure and almost noise free, again thanks to oversampling and to a much longer OIS-assisted exposure.
As to whether a night time photo should snap what your eyes see or whether it might go beyond the human eye's perception, the jury's out. Certainly you could do a lot more with the Lumia 950 XL photo, should it be of a more interesting and inspiring subject!
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Blackberry KEY2: 7 pts
Verdict
Adding up the points gives us a comfortable win for the Windows phone, as you'd expect for an imaging-centric smartphone (albeit from 2015) versus a productvity-centric device:
- Lumia 950: 64/70
- Blackberry KEY2: 56/70
Opinions have varied around the Internet on the KEY2 camera - in short, it depends what you're snapping. Stay in good light and enjoy the zoom facility and it can produce cracking results. Indoors and in low light, it struggles and the zoom is useless. But horse for courses, I think.
Hopefully those readers contemplating the KEY2 as their next smartphone as part of a move to Android at least now have some definitive reference/data points.
Comments welcome.
PS. See also my overall comparison between the KEY2 and the Windows-powered Lumia 950 XL.