Nokia Lumia 1020 fights Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra (WillItbeatNokia: Raw comparison)
Nokia might have not been the first to bring a camera on phones, but was in numerous cases among the first to break the limits of phonography several times. If we skip some great phones from the early Symbian era and fast forward to the ages of Nokia 808 PureView or Nokia Lumia 1020, we come to the top of the classic (smart)phone photography. We can surely say that manufacturers today still can’t reach that peak.
Well, we could say the smartphone industry did it, but by taking a different approach than Nokia, which used classical methods of light physics, good optics, and large sensors to achieve a great level of photography.
Many years have passed since Nokia announced the Lumia 1020, and it is always nice to see how the latest wonders of smartphone photography, such as the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra stand against the old legend. The best way to compare cameras of these phones is by checking RAW files and the WillItBeatNokia YouTube channel did just that. Sit back, relax in Tarrega’s Gran Vals and go full screen to notice the differences.
By checking all the listed photos in this video, you can clearly see that Nokia Lumia 1020 can create quality photos as well as Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.
When the light level goes down, then the computational photography shines, but since WillItBeatNokia uses tripods, low light photos are just as good on Lumia 1020.
So, the difference between classic and computational photography is still not visible. It seems to me that modern smartphones are maybe better for quick shots, while Lumia 1020 requires a bit of experience and a steady mind since it is a true photography tool even today.
Here is the final judgement by WillItBeatNokia:
