On paper, the Lumia, despite its 2015 heritage/age, should win out because of the presence of OIS, which will help a lot when light gets low. But I'm curious as to whether the 48MP sensor here will help with zoom. And I'm curious as to whether the ZEISS name on the Nokia 7.2's rear matters.
As before, I've deliberately thrown in some tricky shots 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!
Notes:
- I've also shot at the default output resolutions on each, leaving headroom for some lossless 'PureView' zoom into the sensors and also getting the advantages of oversampling and noise reduction.
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
A graveyard, shot in a brief (hazy) sunny moment in the late UK Autumn. Here is the scene, from the Lumia 950 XL:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
The main difference here is the artificial sharpening. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND why Nokia, with a giant 48MP sensor to play with and Quad Bayer to keep noise down, has to then apply amateur sharpening. As it is, the Lumia 950 is about as sharp as I'd like an image to get without it not being 'natural' anymore. The Nokia 7.2 follows the image processing example of the likes of Huawei and Samsung in dialling sharpness up to add more impact when viewed on a phone or PC screen perhaps, but the JPG image is so degraded that you can't really do much with it in terms of cropping or further twiddling.
Now, the good(ish) news is that the Nokia 7.2 can save RAW (though only 12MP, so after the Quad Bayer but before the sharpening for JPG) images if needed, and you can then edit these large files (ideally) on a desktop later, and this sidesteps the sharpening routines. But that's a subject for another day and way beyond what most people would attempt or appreciate.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Nokia 7.2: 8 pts
Test 2: Bright detail (zoomed)
With some - but not a lot - of sun, here's a clock tower with 2x zoom. The Lumia 950 XL will be using some PureView zoom into its 20MP sensor, and some digital zoom, while the Nokia 7.2 should in theory get lossless zoom from its 48MP sensor, but then there's the crude Quad Bayer colour system to work around. Here is the unzoomed scene, from the Lumia 950 XL:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
I have to say that I was disappointed by the Nokia 7.2's showing here. In fact, I still haven't found a SINGLE phone that uses the Sony 48MP sensor that manages to get 'smart cropping' zoom right. Given how poor the Lumia 950 XL is at zooming (relatively), the Nokia 7.2 should have easily won this test and... it easily lost. With exposure and detail issues that you can see above. Can this be fixed in software? Maybe. We'll have to wait and see, though the 7.2 has already been out for a couple of months, so I'm not holding my breath.
The Lumia does add a colour cast, as usual. So neither shot is remotely useable, in this case. Where my iPhone 11 Pro when I need it?(!)
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 7 pts; Nokia 7.2: 5 pts
Test 3: Overcast landscape
A plane at the aviation museum. Here is the scene, from the Lumia 950 XL:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Look closely and you can see texture on the plane's fuselage in the Lumia shot - this is washed out by the combined noise reduction and sharpening from the Nokia. I feel like bashing the Nokia product team's head against the wall and shouting "YOU DON'T NEED TO DO ANY OF THIS!!" What is the point in putting in a giant Quad Bayer sensor and then doing the same trite processing as if it were something tiny and much less capable?
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 10 pts; Nokia 7.2: 8 pts
Test 4: And now going wide...
The same scene, but this time allowing the Nokia to shoot with its wide angle lens (I've got to throw it a bone, I think):
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
So yes, having a wide angle lens is fun and - here with a very large subject - rather useful in getting more or less the whole thing in. So, let's call it five bonus points to the Nokia 7.2. I'm feeling generous!
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: n/a pts; Nokia 7.2: 5 pts
Test 5: Dim, dim, dim
Some remembrance wreaths in a dimly lit part of a church, with no direct lighting. This should be the first real test of the 48MP sensor's ability to collect light. Here is the scene, from the Lumia 950 XL:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Interestingly, both phone cameras opted for a 1/8s exposure - and yet the Lumia does SO much more with the gathered light. I really can't explain the difference in terms of physics. Lack of OIS wasn't an issue on the Nokia, since there's no motion blur here - it's simply bad software. For example, you could take the Nokia shot and 'adjust' it in an imaging editor (e.g. Photoshop) and end up with the Lumia result - but then why can't the software on the phone punch up colours and brightness automatically? Yet again, it's a question of waiting for updates from (the new HMD) Nokia - and they're typically not quick. If ever.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 10 pts; Nokia 7.2: 8 pts
Test 6: Night scene
A rather impressive industrial vehicle, lit only by a number of street lights. Loads of low light detail! Here is the scene, from the Lumia 950 XL:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
Detail is a little fuzzed out by the image processing on the Nokia, but it doesn't do badly here. There's no OIS, yet in all my tests, 1/8s was enough to produce a decent result. And is quick enough that as long as you stand still and brace the phone (as I did) then there should be no motion errors. The Lumia 950 XL does excellently, as usual, with PureView oversampling and great OIS (1/5s exposure) to make sure things are kept crisp.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Nokia 7.2: 8 pts
Test 7: Illuminated sign
A colourful Christmas advert, shot at about 2 metres. Here is the scene, from the Lumia 950 XL:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
The Nokia 7.2 isn't terrible here - the sharpening produces crisp results, which suits the text and textures. But ultimately the Lumia 950 XL camera brings out better dynamic range, exposure, colour, and so on. The image is simply... richer.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 9 pts; Nokia 7.2: 8 pts
Test 8: Challenging light extremes
Specifically tapping on the lit up sign to set exposure, I was curious to see how the two phone cameras did! Here is the scene, from the Lumia 950 XL:
You can grab the original photos from the Lumia 950 XL and Nokia 7.2, for your own analysis.
To look at the images in more detail here, here are fairly central 1:1 crops, from the Lumia 950 XL (top) and then Nokia 7.2 (bottom), just wait to make sure the page has fully loaded and then use your mouse or trackpad pointer to compare the images:
The first signs here of slight motion blur caused by the lack of OIS, with the Nokia 7.2 going for a 1/15s exposure. Again, anything with a camera that's being shouted about by a manufacturer needs to be stabilised. Even at this price point. My low light tests are only the tip of the iceberg though - real world tests indoors with family will see motion blur - and worse - even more, I think - especially as the auto-focus isn't that fast on the Nokia 7.2.
Your own eyes will deliver the most damning verdict though - the Lumia 950 XL delivers better exposure, higher dynamic range, super crisp detail even in this low light, all its usual strengths.
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL: 10 pts; Nokia 7.2: 7 pts
Verdict
For the record, the scores add up as:
- Lumia 950 (2015): 64 pts
- Nokia 7.2 (2019): 57 pts (including the bonus points for that wide-angle lens!)
So yes, even though I gave the Nokia five bonus points, it still lost by some margin to the venerable '20MP' Lumia. And this is something of a common factor with other phones that I've tried with this particular Sony 48MP sensor - the Quad Bayer system just doesn't live up to the claims and promises. The 'old Nokia' PureView system based on full Bayer sensors with sophisticated oversampling are streets ahead. In my opinion.
My overall verdict on the Nokia 7.2 hasn't changed much though - it's a cut-price pure Android phone with a camera that's OK, but no more. Maybe software updates will in fact save it? Who knows!