14 DAY TRIAL // The new Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL are both equipped with a rear-facing 20-megapixel camera with PureView technology, F1.9 Zeiss technology, a triple-LED flash and 4K video support, but since the two models aren’t yet on the market, little can be said about how they actually perform in real life.
Today, Microsoft published the very first official camera samples of the new Lumia handsets, while also disclosing a little bit more about the under-the-hood technologies supposed to improve photo and video quality no matter the conditions.
On paper, the camera definitely looks impressive and Microsoft says that all specs translate into an outstanding real life experience, especially because it has been working intensively on the image processing software, with the focus specifically on pixel, color and exposure algorithms.
No noise in perfect lighting conditions
Thanks to the mix of new hardware and software optimizations, the new camera provides natural and vivid colors, as well as fine details in optimal light conditions, the company guarantees.
As far as low light imaging is concerned, Microsoft says this is one of the reasons it implemented a high sensitivity sensor, the fifth-generation OIS and large aperture. What’s more, the new flash also helps a lot, without generating too much noise or affecting colors.
“More advanced photographers know how to manually adjust the ISO and exposure time for different situations. Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are making those decisions for you, by analyzing how you hold the camera and what is happening in the scene. With these phones, everybody can shoot like a pro,” Microsoft explains.
“And it gets even more exciting when you use Rich Capture mode. It uses two exposure times for the same image: short for the moving object and long for the static part of the image.”
The triple-LED flash (red, green, blue) was developed to automatically match the colors in the background, so it won’t affect the quality of the photo, as it usually happens on devices with a standard flash.
Obviously, it remains to be seen if the new cameras are just as advanced in real life as Microsoft claims they are, but we’ll have to wait a few more weeks until we get our hands of the new Lumias to see what they’re really up to.
