I've deliberately thrown in some tricky shots and zoom 'asks' in the scene selection, to test the USPs here, all photos were taken on full auto and handheld, as a regular user would do. No tripods or RAW editing sessions needed! (Though both the 950 XL and P30 Pro can shoot in DNG/RAW, of course, should you be even more of an imaging nerd than me and that way inclined.)
Notes:
- I've also shot at the default output resolutions for 4:3, leaving headroom for lossless PureView zoom and also getting the advantages of oversampling and noise reduction in both cases.
- The 8MP shot from the 1020 and the 10MP shot from the P30 Pro, added to field of view differences, do mean slightly different crops below, but you'll still be able to compare what each phone camera has achieved.
Let's pit the results against each other, using our Famed Interactive Comparator (FIC). All 1:1 crops are at 900x500 for comparison, though I've put up the originals on my own server, for you to download if you want to do your own analysis.
| 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 detail
My nearby clock tower, lit in slightly hazy spring sun. Perfect lighting. Here is the scene:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
The Lumia 950 XL shot here is perfect - except for the gold/yellow cast, typical of the marque in the sun - it's golden hour all the time! The P30 Pro over-sharpens a little too much for me, but then it gets the colours right, so honours even overall.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 9 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 9 pts
Test 2: Now with 2x zoom
The same clock tower, but this time zooming to roughly 2x on the Lumia 950 XL (it's hard to guage with no UI indent) and 2x on the P30 Pro, the latter lossless in theory, thanks to smart-cropping down to 1:1 on the sensor. Zooming isn't the strong suit on the 950 XL, mind you - as we'll see again below.
You can grab the original zoomed photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Artefacts show readily in the small detail (e.g tree branches) in the Lumia 950 XL zoomed shot, since it's all out of sensor resolution at 2x. You can't see it much on the textures of the church, mind you. But the P30 Pro 2x shot is of higher quality, despite the slight sharpening (again). And its colours are again more accurate.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 7 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 9 pts
Again, I have to acknowledge the presence of the 5x telephoto lens on the P30 Pro, but there's nothing to compare it to on the Lumia 950 XL, so I'll settle for just showing the equivalent crop on the P30 Pro and awarding a few bonus points for the scoring. The original 5x zoomed photo from the Huawei P30 Pro is on my own server, for your own analysis.
Here then is a fairly central 1:1 crop from the telephoto image from the P30 Pro:
Very impressive in good light here from the P30 Pro's periscope 5x telephoto system. The inclusion of a genuine telephoto lens of this power gives enormous potential for zoom from a relatively slim smartphone camera.
Bonus Huawei P30 Pro: 4 pts
Test 3: Zoomed detail in shadow
A tough test here, shooting into light and zooming in losslessly by 2x, to look at the pub frontispiece. Here is the unzoomed scene:
You can grab the original 2x zoomed photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the 2x zoomed images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Looking at these shots after the fact and at the differences in exposure, I'm wondering whether I tapped to set this on the P30 Pro and not on the 950 XL. Oh well. I won't judge the crop detail on brightness, but in fact there's no contest in terms of detail. Just look at the signs on the P30 Pro's shot - remember that it won this test against the also lossless zoom Lumia 1020, so the 950 has no chance.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 7 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 10 pts
Test 4: Grave bouquet, zoom as needed
A typical use for zoom in a real world setting - a nice bouquet of flowers at about two metres and with no way to get closer without stepping on graves, always a bit of a no-no. Here is the scene:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
I'm not going to use 1:1 crops here as the goal is to capture the flowers in an attractive way, not to look at pixel purity. Just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
A dramatically better result from the P30 Pro, the much newer phone, with the 5x zoom lens. The 950 XL doesn't blow out the roses like the 1020 did, but it also can't get as close, optically. A great example of real world zoom.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 5 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 10 pts
Test 5: Arty bokeh
Another real world non-pixel-peeping example, this time looking at a close-up subject with arty shallow depth of field. You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
I'm not going to use 1:1 crops here as the goal is to capture the blossom and bokeh in an attractive way, not to look at pixel purity. Just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Both really nice shots, though I'm going to give the 950 the win by a nose. Its natural bokeh isn't really enough (it's not in the 1020's class), but then the P30 Pro's is over the top (though it can be dialled back in the interface). The clincher is that the P30 loses the lovely blue of the sky.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 9 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 8 pts
Test 6: Shadow detail, indoors
Another real world subject, unzoomed and looking at detail in the shadow, here on the pages of a book. Here is the scene, more gloomily lit than the photo makes it seem, and with great contrasts in bright light (through the windows) and deep shadows:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Now that we're done zooming (at least), the Lumia 950 XL is showing its imaging chops, with an almost perfect photo - just look how clear and artefact-free the text is on the page. The wood looks natural and the entire scene is top notch. The P30 Pro does pretty well, but look down at the pixels and it's clear that there's sharpening going on - and this messes up the really fine detail.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 10 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 9 pts
Test 7: Greenery
Where many phone cameras fall down they can't get the greens and detail right without over-sharpening and things getting ugly. Here is the scene:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
I thought the Lumia would edge this, but no, it gets the colours wrong, with a red cast that wasn't there in real life. The P30 Pro gets the colours more accurately, though a little cool, plus the trademark over-sharpening is well under control. A Huawei win.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 7 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 9 pts
Test 8: Plane, dusk
30 mins after sunset, the light levels were very low, though not actually dark enough to qualify as 'night'. So a useful real world data point - nothing too artificial here. Here is the scene:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
There's not a lot in this one, though the extra edge enhancement in the P30 Pro rendition does make the fence wire too prominent - at this distance you should basically see through the fence, as in the 950's version. Both shots very good in challenging light though.The P30 Pro looks sharper and clearer, but loses a point for dulling down the external green of the hangar.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 10 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 9 pts
Test 9: Dead of night
Zero light around, the nearest street lamp 40 m away and shaded. Almost pitch black. A test of whether the phone cameras can ramp up exposure to get any useable details. Here is the scene as it was to my eyes:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Although the greenery is a bit of a mess on both and although you can read the road sign in the Lumia photo, the P30 Pro attempt is much brighter and clearer. And somewhat astonishing considering the circumstances. Oh, and the marks out of 10 here are for each phone camera trying at all.
Microsoft Lumia 950: 6 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 9 pts
Test 10: Party mock-up
My standard mock-up shot. How well will each phone camera work in poor indoor event lighting with moving people. Here is the scene:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 and Huawei P30 Pro on my own server, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
This being just about the hardest thing for any phone camera to get right, I'm not surprised that both the above crops show issues. The 950 XL image gets the colours spot on (the wall was indeed pale yellow), but the photo's not pin-sharp. Probably just as well for beautification purposes? While the P30 Pro loses a lot of colour (the wall is shown as white!) and my skin is oddly red, but it does get detail as sharp as one might hope for. Something Huawei can fix in updates?
Microsoft Lumia 950: 8 pts; Huawei P30 Pro: 8 pts
Verdict
For the record, the scores add up as:
- Huawei P30 Pro (2019): 94 pts
- Lumia 950 (2015): 78 pts
Another convincing win for the new Huawei P30 Pro, thanks to the 5x telephoto mainly, but also to the stabilised 40MP camera. And this is without considering the wide angle camera, which is also pretty good, though a test for another site for another day.
The Lumia 950 is a side-step from the classic Lumia 1020 and variously beats it or loses to it depending on what's being tested. The P30 Pro is effectively what the Lumia 1020 would have become with another half decade of development and, as such, is a clear step ahead of these classic Lumias overall.
Huawei does need to improve its colour handling, especially in challenging light conditions, but this is exactly what software updates are for and I'm confident things will improve further.
PS. Note that I haven't even touched on video capture yet. Plus I want to pitch the P30 Pro against other smartphone cameras, both here and on other outlets. Watch this space.