Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia’s mobile cameras have addressed one of the key bugbears of mobile cameras — lowlight photography. The 1020 is in a league of its own — it’s not just the whopping 41MP shooter with state-of-the-art Carl Zeiss optics. The camera integrates almost seamlessly into the design blueprint while Nokia’s Pro Cam is a nifty add-on. You can tweak everything from saturation to white balance using on-screen sliding controls. A Xenon flash comes in handy for night-time photography while an expanded Windows Phone store gives you access to more apps than before.
iPhone 5S
The first generation iPhone debuted with a 2MP camera; a contrast to the capable 8MP sensor embedded in a Sapphire crystal lens cover. The 5S features quite a few enhancements over the iPhone 5, none more significant than the ‘True Tone’ Flash. This LED flash smoothens out harsh tones and inaccurate colour renditions caused by white-LED or Xenon flashes. Other handy tweaks include the ability to shoot ‘slow mo’ videos and a zippy burst mode that can snap 10 shots in a second. Take advantage of panorama apps; watch your 5S capture images using the in-built vibrator — completely hands-free!
Gionee E7
Never mind the tagline ‘Made for Shooting’, this device features one of the finest Android cams with a strong value-for-money proposition. The E7 reopens the megapixel debate with its claim of possessing the best camera resolution and pixel-size combination — 16 megapixel and 1.34 ìm pixel (The corresponding numbers for the iPhone 5S are 8MP and 1.5ìm pixel). The E7 features an intuitive interface with seven auto modes, nine filters and a handy meeting memo mode that converts images instantly to PDF files. Selfie addicts can take comfort from the 8MP front-facing camera.
Xperia Z1 compact
It’s almost impossible to come by a ‘sub 5-inch display’ Android smartphone with a killer camera these days. The Z1 compact is a welcome relief for those who still believe that 4.3 inches is the sweet spot for a smartphone. The Z1 comes with the same image-capture credentials of its older sibling (The Z1) — a 20.7 MP shooter that works best in manual mode. The device comes with a dedicated camera hot key complete with the half-press-to-focus feature. If you need to take your camera underwater or to capture the monsoons in Goa, the Z1 compact’s water-proof (up to one mt) form factor should do the trick.
Samsung Galaxy S5
Just like the iPhone, Samsung has the unenviable task of outdoing its flagship model year on year. While the S5’s most buzzed improvements are the heart rate and fingerprint scanners, the device also comes with an all-new camera experience. First of all, the Galaxy S5 goes a notch above the S4’s 13MP camera with a 16MP shooter. The device boasts of a 0.3 second autofocus, among the quickest for any smartphone. There’s also the ultra-cool Selective Focus feature that allows you to alter the focus of the image after you have clicked it.
