Nokia declared war on DSLRs with its Lumia smartphones several years ago, stating that smartphones would replace DSLRs. A couple of years ago, Nokia’s ad campaign showed off some amazing footage that looked like we might all eat our words when the Lumia 920 was launched. Then, we discovered Nokia was actually trying to pass off DSLR footage as coming from the Lumia 920.
Now, we have this latest commercial spot making fun of “massive DSLRs” and suggesting that a 41MP Nokia Lumia 1020 can get the same or better shot. However, Nokia gets a little carried away with the suggestion, which makes the entire ad a little silly.
In a couple segments of the ad, it shows photographers with a DSLR body (and a massive 400mm-ish telephoto lens attached) handing the combo off to a stranger to “grab a shot” of the photographer in front of a landmark. It’s just plain stupid.
Perhaps Nokia is playing off of the general public’s ignorance of what a DSLR camera is and lack of awareness of the fact that there are tiny DSLRs available.
Maybe Nokia doesn’t care to offend the audience (who they should be targeting) of pro and enthusiast photographers, who otherwise seem to be intrigued with the DNG capture available on the Lumia 1020.
Here’s the thing though – the Lumia 1020 and DSLRs can co-exist. Everything doesn’t have to be a war (in spite of Scott Kelby’s recent switch). Smartphones aren’t going to “replace” DSLRs. Nokia can make its goofy commercials all it wants (and use DSLR images when it needs “great” image quality); however, those of us who care about image quality when we take expensive vacations like the ones depicted in Nokia commercials are going to pack more than a smartphone and its teeny, tiny sensor.
All that said, if the Lumia 1020 was available on Verizon, I would have probably picked it up over the Note 3 just for the sake of the camera – and in spite of the lack of apps currently available on the Windows platform. I take a lot of photos with my phone because it is the camera that is always in my pocket. However, when I make a conscious decision to go take photos, I use a camera and lenses that are designed solely for capturing quality images.
Jared says
Completely agreed!
If I wanted 41 megapixels, I’d want it in nothing smaller than a full-frame 35mm sensor.
I have a Fuji X10 for convenience, and cell phone for even more convenience. But neither compare to the quality of my “grown-up camera”.
Once Canon , Nikon, and others start implementing better WiFi options for instant sharing, etc. we’ll see the pendulum swing back the other way.
Jim Felt says
AMEN. DUDE!
jd says
Pure trash!!!
Ashley Groome says
Shyt! Time to dump the old D800 and get a Lumia.
Yeah, right :-)
Tex says
As main camera? No way! As sidekick, maybe.
Darren says
Nokia is playing on the stupidity of the public.
Mathematically, the size of that sensor, which is larger than most cell phone sensors, would not benefit by any more than about 10 mp. 41 is not noticeable.
Second, Nokia, now a Microsoft company has to deal with the fact the camera has the windows 8 interface, which even Microsoft is panicking to replace more than a year earlier than planned. Windows 8.x is a disaster.
As someone else said, if I was going to shell out the thousands of dollars to go on an expensive vacation, I would be a fool to use a cel phone camera to record my trip.
I carry a Fuji X-M1 with a couple of lenses in my Man Bag. It is with me about 75% of the time I am out of the house. I shoot what matters and gets paid for with a D800 and a bag full of primes. Yep, my iPhone records the rest. Mostly, stuff that needs to be emailed right away, or when I can pull out the Fuji.
Nokia have, in my opinion taken a step back in credibility.
D
Mahen says
Stupid people are everywhere in this beautiful world and also at NOKIA….
Jan Karlsson says
Nokia….Say something that they’ve done well.
I’m not surprised, this clarifies just what many Nokia users said long time.
It is a company that can not think about what people want or how things should work.
Buy a Nokia and you get a big problem, so it would stand.
I have for many years been forced to use their junk phones on the job, and how any idiot can buy these is a mystery …. or probably bribed by sellers.
All their phones lack the logical thinking, and fortunately, people have now begun to understand what Nokia is not yet understand.
As we say at work.
Are you supposed to complicate something so, do a “Nokia”
Or
We were improving, but it became a “Nokia”, just to start over.