41mp
Latest
Visualized: the inside of Nokia Lumia 1020's six-element, 41-megapixel camera
Optical engineering is something that we take for granted these days, with almost every smartphone packing its very own camera for our convenience. But if you take a look at the delicate structure inside a mobile camera module, you may appreciate the technology more every time you snap a shot. Like this cut-out diagram of the Nokia Lumia 1020's camera, for instance: you can see how the six lens elements and other tiny parts are tightly packed together above the 41-megapixel sensor. The elements are actually a combination of five plastic lenses plus one glass lens, with the reason being a taller module would've been made if all the lenses were made of glass. And to enable optical image stabilization, ball bearings are used to counteract hand movement -- there's one near the bottom right corner of the above image. Luckily, the module is also designed to withstand normal drops, so neither the bearings nor lenses would fall out of place unless you try really hard. One more shot after the break to compare sensor sizes. Check out all the news from today's Nokia event at our hub!
Nokia Lumia 1020's Pro Camera app to hit 920, 925 and 928 (hands-on video)
One of Lumia 1020's main attractions is its Nokia Pro Camera app, which completes the phone's 41-megapixel camera with a bunch of handy features. In our video after the break, you can see Niina (not a typo) from Nokia demonstrating the manual focusing and lossless digital zooming. The latter actually works both ways: even if you've zoomed in before capture (and still get native 5-megapixel resolution), you can also zoom back out while browsing these photos, as the app captures both the zoomed-in 5-megapixel image as well as the full 38-megapixel image simultaneously. This way you can reframe the image and even focus on a different subject, as CEO Stephen Elop showed us in our earlier interview. But if you don't need this feature, you can simply set the app to capture just 5-megapixel images by default.
Nokia to stream its New York Lumia event, teases 41 million reasons to tune in
For anyone that won't be attending Nokia's incoming New York event, you won't have to sit in silence until the news breaks, because the entire event will be streamed from Nokia's own Conversations site. There's nothing going on at the link yet, but you can at least bookmark it for now and we'll be there in person to report on all the important announcements, presumably including a photo-loving, zoom-reinventing new Windows Phone.
Latest leak suggests Nokia EOS to pack 41MP camera, possible metallic variant also spotted (updated)
We gotta say, originally we weren't very confident in the above alleged spy shots of the rumored Nokia EOS smartphone, but after talking to the leakster from Sina Weibo, we think we got this figured out. First of all, there are two parts here: the paint-less camera cover plate that now says "41 MEGA PIXEL" -- the same camera resolution featured on the 808 PureView -- instead of "XX MEGA PIXEL," and a metallic chassis of the EOS phone. But the latter (pictured center and right) looks slightly different to the other leaks we've come across so far: the bump is significantly smaller, and the holes inside don't match the ones on the cover plate. If you look even closer, the pin hole for what seems to be a SIM slot at the top is now on the other side of the slot. Judging by his background and track record so far (he claims he also leaked the red EOS factory photos), we have reason to believe that this leakster does have a good source on the factory floor. Hence our two assumptions: either this chassis is an early engineering sample, or that this is a metallic variant of the plastic EOS. You know, like what the Lumia 925 is to the Lumia 920. We've been promised a few more photos in the coming days, and hopefully they'll unravel more mystery before Nokia lets the cat out of the bag next month. Update: The same leakster posted another photo today on Sina Weibo (login required), this time showing an earlier version of the camera cover painted in two colors: silver and black. Image embedded after the break.
Nokia 808 PureView review: the future of mobile imaging, wrapped in the smartphone past
More Info Nokia announces 808 PureView: Symbian Belle, 4-inch display, 41-megapixel camera! Nokia 808 PureView impressions, camera showdown with the iPhone 4S and HTC One S Nokia 808 PureView announced for US, available soon through Amazon at $699 The Nokia 808 PureView has a 41-megapixel camera sensor. But you knew that. The crystallization of five years of imaging R&D has landed, and the timing couldn't have been better for Nokia. Alongside uncomfortable financial reading, its move to Windows Phone hasn't exactly set the smartphone world alight just yet. It's seemingly established itself as the go-to WinPho choice for American customers thanks to some aggressive pricing, but with news that the next iteration of Windows Phone won't come to the Lumia 900, many will hold out for Nokia's next handset. Whatever that device will be, it's likely to bring the same PureView technology we've got here on the Nokia 808 PureView -- a Symbian-based handset whose software has seen better days. However, OS be damned, it still blew away attendees at this year's Mobile World Congress. Impressive stuff, given that it's the same show where HTC's admirable One series debuted. That huge sensor is paired with a new five-element Carl Zeiss lens and a refreshed flash with double the strength of the one on the Nokia N8 -- the existing cameraphone champ. But behind the technical bullet points, it's how Nokia maximizes the 41-megapixel sensor, oversampling with those pixels to create improved 5-, 8- , 3- and 2-megapixel images, reducing noise and improving low-light performance. However, when it comes to software, Symbian Belle (with Feature Pack 1 in tow) lags behind the likes of Android, iOS and Windows Phone in user experience and app provision. Similarly, the chunky handset flies in the opposite direction of the trend for slim smartphones. Is that camera module really all Nokia thinks (and hopes) it is? What's more, is Symbian relevant enough for such future-facing goodness? Let's find out.
Nokia confirms intent to bring unlocked 808 PureView handset to North America (update)
Nokia's major focal points within the US market may currently be its Lumia 900 and Windows Phone, but that doesn't mean it's planning to leave its other notable offerings outside of Uncle Sam's borders. Speaking with PC Mag, Nokia executive Chris Weber explained that the company aims to offer its current Belle-rocking, imaging-champ, the 41-megapixel 808 PureView, north of Mexico in the "next couple of months." That's rather unsurprising, considering it recently passed through the underground testing-chambers of the FCC. Unlike the Lumia, however, this mega-phone will only be sold unlocked, naturally sporting AT&T bands (possibly others, too. See the update below) for connectivity. While we're still eager to find out more detailed availability information, you can now rest assured that you'll soon be able to capture highly detailed photos of your freedom fries to post on Tumblr. Update: PC Mag's Sascha Segan wrote in the comments below to clarify this device's likely connectivity options: Weber said he was sure the phone would support AT&T. He didn't refer specifically to any frequency bands or say the phone wouldn't support any other carrier. I presume it's going to be the international model, so it'll be any carrier the international model supports.
