Nikon D800e Vs. Nokia Lumia 1020

I will be the first to admit that the choice of title is a bit absurd. The D800 sits near the top of DSLRs with astounding dynamic range, interchangeable lens, and a sensor that's nearly 15 times the size of the 1020. So why even consider comparing such different machines?

One word: Resolution

The Lumia 1020 sports a 41 mega pixel "Pureview" sensor and optical image stabilization (OIS). In 4:3 this gives a working resolution of 38 mpix, and at 16:9 a working resolution of 34 mpix. This puts it 2 mpix on either side of the D800’s very impressive 36 mpix sensor. These two cameras which are worlds apart share nearly identical pixel counts. 

While not all megapixels are created equal, we can’t help but wonder in a practical sense, how does a 36mpix image on a phone stack up when compared to the likes of a dedicated SLR of similar resolution?

But exactly what would be fair wasn't easy. The Nikon is a very versatile machine producing images no smart phone could match. To keep it as apples to apples as possible, the cameras should be taking the same image from the same place with the same view. The only lens that would match was an older 28-105mm Nikon Macro. 

I would venture out into the city, lens attached, phone in hand. No tripods, no live view, and no bursting. I would simply compose the shot with the Nikon and then do it all over with the Lumia. It wasn't an attempt to conclude that you could or should leave your SLR at home, but simply how much you would be missing by choosing your phone.



The Ferry Building


To start we have a pleasant indoor scene of the San Fransisco Ferry building. It's a cool market that resides in an old terminal, illuminated by a very impressive building length skylight. Such mixed lighting could easily provide tricky for a phone where as an SLR shouldn't have much trouble.

Lumia 1020: 27mm f2.2 1/310 sec ISO 100

Nikon D800: 28mm f4.0 1/100 sec ISO 100

I assume just like I am doing here, all images I would create would be shared on the web at web sizes. It does hide a lot of flaws in an image, but the resolution advantage isn't completely lost as larger source images should produce better scaled down images. You should judge the results for yourself on how the two stack up.

I wouldn't be satisfied if I saw a comparison of high resolution cameras that only looked at web sized versions. So we will look at 100% crops from both to compare fine detail. At the center of the image where the lens should be sharpest we see how these two cameras differ on a pixel level. The Nikon has much better color, noise, and dynamic range. The Nokia appears a bit over-processed, but not so much I would find the results unpleasing. It at least appears to be capturing a comparable amount of detail.

Moving a little away from the center the Nokia still stays sharp. Noise and processing are ever present, but for my own personal taste it stays acceptable. The Nikon didn't fare as well, but the blame probably rests on lens choice or focus. The detail is all still there, just without the noise or the crispness of the 1020.



Yerba Buena Gardens


Moving from indoors into the dark I decided to share an image looking out from Yerba Buena Park. Being a dark scene with a scattering of bright lights typically would provide difficult for previous camera phones I had used.

Lumia 1020: 27mm f2.2 1/4 sec ISO 2500

Nikon D800: 28mm  f4.0  1/40 sec ISO 3200

At the smaller sizes both shots look fine. I have a preference for the Nokia image, but only due the clouds in the sky. The Noise from the Nokia is more apparent, and a nasty flare in the lower right side distracts. But what this image doesn't show is just how easy it was to capture. The Nokia result was on a single try. The Nikon did so poor the first time I had to retry for a usable exposure, which still needed to be pushed two stops. A faster lens, or OIS would certainly have solved this.

The D800 has managed to maintain better highlight information (although this might be due to underexposure) along with contrast of the small details on the windows. The noise levels appear comparable which for a Higher ISO image pushed two stops is impressive on it's own. The Nokia is smearing details, but not so much that the image is indiscernible.

Moving to a darker portion of the image and Nikon really shows it's might. The Nokia is very muddy but most of the features of the roof can still be made out.



Fort Point


Stepping back into the light, we jump across the city to Fort point; specifically right underneath the Golden Gate. While cloaked in a shroud of fog and battered by strong bone chilling winds; the famous orange iron works rise out of the sea providing us with our next subject.

Lumia 1020: 27mm f2.2 1/400 sec ISO 100

Nikon D800: 28mm f8.0 1/250 sec ISO 100

Looking at the images, this is the closest comparison of the two cameras. I don't personally have a favorite between the two. But of course we want to dig a little deeper at take a look at the pixel level.

Near the center the Nokia 1020 is clearly sharper. Noise is visible but not in a distracting way, while bringing in the entire background and foreground into focus. The D800 is clean, but either due to missed focus or a soft lens the image at the pixel level disappoints.

Moving to the edge only makes things worse. The Nokia 1020 preserves sharp edges without any visible chroma.The Nikon is both less sharp, and has a little of a red/blue color shift happening.

Taking one more look at detail between the two again shows the Nokia 1020 isn't a slouch. Noise and compression artifacts in the Nokia image detract, but the amount of detail in the Iron works on the underside of the bridge still impresses.



Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial 


Finally for ending this comparison we made our way back to Yerba Buena Gardens but this time turning around to look at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.

Lumia 1020:  27mm f2.2  1/25 sec ISO 400

Nikon D800: 28mm f4.0 1/60 sec ISO 800

The Nikon has maintained the highlights along with more nuanced color. The couple in the middle was a nice detail I had not originally caught making the scene a little more interesting. The Nokia using a longer shutter speed thanks to OIS made the falling water more pleasant, and overall did well at capturing the scene.

Looking at the a 100% crop from the water it's obvious that the Nikon is sharper, with less noise, and compression artifacts. There is more detail in the shadows and the light is better handled.

Moving to the brighter part of the image the Nikon doesn't leave the Nokia as far behind. The difference in shutter speed has benefited the Nokia in the water, but the D800 appears sharper and with better rendition of the highlights.


Conclusion

It's always hard to come to any definitive conclusions when comparing vastly different cameras and this is no exception. It comes across that I've been overly generous to the Nokia in the comparison, but on the other hand I feel it has earned it. Could the Nikon beat the Nokia on every image? A definitive yes. The lens 28-105 appeared to fall short of the resolving power a 36 mpix sensor could muster. Choosing a better lens, choosing to use a tripod, choosing to use mirror lock up could easily have turned this into a Nikon shutout. This is to say nothing of the boundaries you can push the Nikon's astounding RAW files.

But I didn't bring a tripod, I didn't have the best 28mm lens, I used auto focus, and I didn't do anything that needed the benefits of RAW. I believe that is where the Nokia shines. It took the photos in the same wind, with the same photographer, of the same scene. It lent me all the controls I would want, and more then enough resolution to be satisfied.

There is something to be said about a camera that costs less then a typical quality lens, fits into a pocket, and can immediately share the photos. If I wanted to wander around the city with a 28mm lens, the Nokia would be a sufficient substitute for the Nikon.

Nokia did something special with the 1020. More then any other camera phone, they made the 1020 feel like something meant for a photographer. It's always there in your pocket. A nondescript phone packing a camera that under the right conditions holds up against a bigger SLR rival.

I went in thinking the Nikon would blow the 1020 away, but was pleasantly surprised to find otherwise. It's not an SLR replacement, nor tries to be. But when the camera you have on you is what matters, I now feel I'm making less of a compromise then I had before.


Addendum