Search for the Nokia 808 PureView in your web browser and you’ll get over 11 million results. The headlines are packed with words like “revolutionary” and “unbelievable”. No surprise, then, that when the 41 megapixel marvel was launched at Mobile World Congress, it won the prestigious Best in Show award. But once you get beyond the accolades and gasps of wonder, what does the Nokia 808 PureView actually mean for everyday photographers like you and me? To find out, we asked Juha Alakarhu, Head of Imaging Technologies, the man who has spent five years developing the Nokia 808 PureView.
1. You’ll be hooked on quality
The Nokia 808 PureView is without doubt the best cameraphone ever made. This fact alone, Juha believes, will change the way we think of cameraphones. “Naturally, there is a huge step forward in overall image and video quality in the spontaneous everyday photos that you usually capture with mobile phones,” he says. “And once you’ve tried the Nokia 808 PureView, you won’t want to go back.”
2. You’ll take more low light pics.
Most us don’t bother taking pictures in low light. Why? Because they’ll either be too dark to see anything, or the flash with ruin the ambience. According to Juha, that’s all set to change. “The Nokia 808 PureView’s low light performance is so amazing that people can now really capture the natural atmosphere, so you’ll see lots more natural low light photos.” And if it’s really dark, users can make use of Nokia’s most powerful xenon flash ever.
3. You’ll zoom zoom zoom
Let’s be honest, most cameraphone zooms suck, so most of us don’t use them. With PureView technology, though, you can zoom, zoom and zoom some more. “The wonderful quality of zooming means people can take more images of far distance objects, or use the zooming for some other creative purpose,” says Juha. The zooming can be done also after capturing the image, which is called post capture zooming. “This is very exciting feature. When you zoom deep into the details, you may find stories that you were not even aware of when capturing the original photo”.
4. You’ll focus more on composition
Composition is key to great photos. The Nokia 808 PureView makes it easier than ever to get it right. “With closer distances, there will be visible “bokeh” or shallow depth of field,” says Juha. “This really helps the photographer to get a composition that supports the story and gives something extra, a professional look, to the photos.” In addition, the post capture zoom function of 808 PureView makes it easy to reframe the image later to improve the composition.
5. You’ll find more beauty in the detail
Zooming isn’t just about seeing fantastic far away things, it’s also about getting up close and personal. PureView technology means you’ll be able to see the world in all its detail. “Its amazing sharpness will get people interested in capturing the beauty of the world in a whole new way,” Juha believes. “For example, try zooming in on raindrops with and without the flash.” The possibilities are endless.
6. You’ll take photos of loads of new activities
How many times have you been doing sport or riding your bike and wanting to take great photos? A decent camera is normally too heavy to lug around. Not anymore. “There are many activities where you need amazing camera quality but it needs to be robust and small size. Say scuba diving (with some extra protective gear of course) or bird watching,” Juha says. “It will be interesting to see how people use this.”
7. You’ll capture more spontaneous moments
Life is full of fleeting moments you wish you had caught on camera, but by the time you’ve fiddled with the controls, the moment has gone forever. Juha believes we’re now better equipped than ever to change that. “Now that you can start the camera very quickly just by pushing the camera button, there will be more photos captured at exactly the right moment, when something exciting suddenly happens.”
8. You’ll act more like a pro
In the last decade or so we’ve seen amazing advances in camera phones. When it comes to editing your photos, though, it’s often not worth the hassle. Juha thinks the Nokia 808 PureView is so good, many more of us will find interesting new opportunities editing our shots like pros. For example, the PureView images display such great detail and shade that it is possible to find very interesting new looks by editing them. “You’ll also probably see professionals using 808 PureView as a backup camera or camcorder,” he says.
Juha paints a pretty incredible picture of what the future holds for everyday photographers like most of us. What do you look forward to the most? Let us know here or at @Nokia_Connects.