Hands On With the Nokia Lumia 1020


The Nokia Lumia 1020 doesn't feel like a camera when you hold it, which is a leg up over other camera-phone hybrids such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom. Nonetheless, its photo-taking ability is the clear emphasis, which is obvious from the lens-holding protrusion on the back and — to a lesser extent — the dedicated shutter button on the right side.

Nokia tried its hardest to keep the 1020 as thin as possible (protrusions notwithstanding), and it's significantly lighter than the company's previous flagship, the Lumia 920 — 5.6 ounces instead of 6.5. The screens are exactly the same at 4.5 inches, but the 1020 feels better in the hand, which is also probably why Nokia didn't incorporate wireless charging into the phone (although an accessory makes that possible).

Camera App(s)

The camera app is where all the action happens. In fact, it's so much action that Nokia actually has two camera apps. The first is the Pro Camera, which is the default app that launches when you hold down the dedicated shutter. The Pro has manual controls and generally works the same way as most phone cameras (touch to focus, pinch to zoom, etc.).

Then there's the Smart Camera app, which takes several photos of a subject in rapid succession to allow for some photographic trickery. With Smart Camera, you can use the multiple photos to pick the best shot, adjust facial expressions, add motion blur and other tricks. I question the wisdom of including two different camera apps, but I guess it keeps things simple.

Other phones perform similar trickery, so I spent most of my time trying out the Pro camera. Right off the bat, I have to credit Nokia with providing a way to zoom with one finger. You can also pinch, but I found it much more convenient to just slide my finger up the screen to zoom while my finger was on the shutter button.

The Lumia 1020 has manual controls that look completely ripped off from the Samsung Galaxy Camera — virtual dials that swoop in from the right side when you "pull" the shutter icon toward the middle of the screen. I have to admit, though, that Nokia's implementation is better: The icons are subtler so they don't overwhelm the image onscreen, respond fluidly to the touch and show the effect of adjustments in real time (such as blowing out the photo as you increase exposure). Very nice.

Taking photos is pretty straightforward, and I appreciated the ability to press the shutter button halfway down to focus, just like a DSLR. You can select the focus point simply by tapping the screen, and the button remembers — it returns to the default center position after a few seconds. The phone has 32GB onboard for storage.

Shooting and Zooming

I shot a few photos with the Lumia 1020 to see what the 41 megapixels could really reveal in a typical shot. (It can actually only take advantage of 38 of those megapixels, but whatever.) Zooming in on a pic of a crowded room, I could get a better focus on faces that were 10 or 20 feet away, but when I tried to get up close to faces further than that, they looked more like a Monet painting than a proper photograph.

So, yes, megapixels help to a point, but they're not magic. Indeed, Nokia only promises that the 1020's ultra-high-res photos only let you zoom to about 3x with decent clarity. That's still 3x more than pretty much all other phone cameras, of course.

A more practical feature is how the images implement the zoom. If you zoom in on your subject to take a photo, the entire (non-zoomed) photo still appears, letting you access it at any point and re-framing the photo afterward.

Excited to share those huge, high-res 1020 photos on Facebook? Not so fast — those pics are too big to share on social networks, and the phone won't let you share them directly to any service (apart from AT&T Locker; being an exclusive partner has its benefits). However, Nokia thought ahead, and the 1020 will simultaneously create a 5-megapixel version of your photo for sharing.

You can buy an $80 grip accessory, which also acts as a spare battery. The grip doesn't add a ton of weight, although it certainly makes the camera less pocketable. The larger shutter button feels great as well. If you intend to use the Lumia 1020 as your primary phone, the grip is a good investment for the extended battery life alone.

The Bottom Line

For anyone who prioritizes taking the best photos on a phone, the Lumia 1020 seems to have it all — even getting app partners on board, such as Path, giving you a place to share. I doubt this will inspire many iPhone or Android users to switch, especially since it's only on AT&T, but for mobile shutterbugs who really can't bring themselves to carry around a dedicated camera, the 1020 is worth a good, long look.

Images by Mashable, Meghan Uno.