Sections
- Page 1 Microsoft Lumia 535 Review
- Page 2 Camera Review
- Page 3 Performance, Battery Life and Verdict Review
Microsoft Lumia 535 – Camera
Most cheap phones have very poor front cameras, or even none at all. The fact that the Lumia 535 has 5-megapixel cameras front and rear, with a 24mm wide-angle lens at the front, makes it interesting. We’re also relieved to find an LED flash and autofocus on the main camera, both of which the Lumia 530 lacked.
As ever there are actually two camera apps: the standard Windows Phone one and Lumia Camera – previously known as Nokia Camera. This is needlessly confusing, really, though Lumia Camera remains the better of the two.
Sadly, the Lumia 535 doesn’t benefit from some of the most interesting camera features of the Lumia Denim update, such as the HDR mode and Rich Capture, so the basic experience is much the same as before the update. It’s a decent experience, though. Recent updates have made the camera app much faster, and while it’s still not quite as quick as the best out there, it’s good for a phone this price.
Image quality is above average, though the recent Honor 3C raised our expectations somewhat thanks to its 8-megapixel sensor. In comparison the Lumia 535 takes decent photos in good light, but doesn’t capture as much detail. It also struggles with strong light sources, such as street lamps.
This is an OK shot, but all the faces are an anonymous blur (Click here for full-res)
The Lumia 535 handles this tricky shot quite well, though the foreground was brighter than depicted. An HDR mode would help here (Click here for full-res)
You’ll get some nice shots in good lighting, though the sharpness and detail off-centre isn’t great (Click here for full-res)
You can take some nice close-ups, too, though it took a couple of goes to get perfect focus on this flower (Click here for full-res)
The built-in LED flash does a decent job of lighting subjects in gloomy indoor portraits (Click here for full-res)
The front-facing camera on the Lumia 535 is better than most at this price. Its 5-megapixel resolution and wide-angle lens make it easier to fit your friends into shots – it’s easier to photobomb, too. Shots don’t have a huge amount of detail and we did have a few blurry ones, but overall it’s pretty good.
How we test phones
We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
