Good Cameraphone needed, for around 18-20k

[mikael_schiffer]

Gonna get scholarship of Rs18,000.... may sell my existing phones...so add 4k-5k but i dont want to stretch beyond Rs20k

However if i am to get a REALLY good option for slightly higher than Rs20k, then im ok with it.

Requirements and Preferences

1) No larger than 5 inch. Smaller the better. I am happy with 4.3" also
2) No Sailfish or Blackberry or etc etc.. Either Windows or Android
3) Dont really need speed. Even those fancy Galaxy Note and all Lag like hell...Snapdragon 800 900 10000 etc etc all lags eventually..So...what i will be doing with it --
.............a) Play simply online game like Castle Clash and Clash of Clans.
.............b) Slight surfing, Whatsapp, Facebook etc.
.............c) Enough RAM to multitask . Like if i minimize Chrome, open a game, and then switch to Chrome, i want the web page to remain the same (no refresh or page reloading)

Now camera is the no.1 preference
Been using camera phones since Sony Ericcson T68i days, and thats like more than 10 years ago. From ym experince i have learned that----
Compromises can be made in battery, performance, storage etc etc but when it comes to imaging there is no compromise. Either a picture is worth keeping or worth deleting.

Used several phones, and i must say iphone5 has so far been the most consistent. Even among friends when we all take pictures of stuffs,from our respective 8,13,16 and 20mpx phones.... its the iphone's 8mpxcamera pics that we eventually end up sharing.Be it inside the classroom, at night dancing in University fest,in a moving bus on a bumpy road, while we are taking a jump pic, or a group selfie... this iSHIT is REALLY worth the money...gotta admit it,sadly...

Now i cant expect that level of PHOTOGRAPHY Reliability on a Rs20k budget, so i need something close to it.
Dont want fancy picture modes or 1080p video that just clogs the phone memory.
Just want a camera phone that can take GOOD, USABLE, WORTH KEEPING pictures. In AS MANY SITUATIONS AS POSSIBLE. (Specially at night when we are like dancing and stuff)

 

[SaiyanGoku]

+1 to Xperia ZR (might be EOL) and Moto X (2013)

 

[ksundar]

How Lucky you are!

You must be a cam lover! S-T-R-E-C-H your budget,now you have a heavenly choice.......51K worth "NOKIA LUMIA 1020" with 41MP cam and 4.5" display for 27,900 only with 1yr Manufacturer Warranty,brand new item from Flipkart:

Error 500 Server Error

Enjoy!

 

[TechnoBOY]

+1 to Xperia ZR

 

[AndroidFan]

If camera is your main concern, then for 20k, you can get the Galaxy K Zoom which has a 20.7 MP camera... Really good camera phone... -- Samsung Galaxy K Zoom (Shimmery White): Buy Samsung Galaxy K Zoom (Shimmery White) Online at Low Price in India - Amazon.in

Samples -- *www.flickr.com/photos/samsungcamera/sets/72157644385910726/

For an overall performer, consider Huawei Honour 6. It is launching on Flipkart on 6th October for around 20k... It has a 13 MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, and a 5 MP front facing camera... The phone also has an Octa core processor with 3 GB RAM, a 5" 1080p IPS display and a microSD card slot for expansion... Camera is not its strong point though...

AnandTech | Gallery - Huawei Honor 6 Camera Samples - 15 Photos

 

[kkn13]

avoid samsung and huawei , get lumia 730 or xperia(note-clash of clans isnt available on lumia but it has age of empires castle siege which is a similiar game- i play both )
note that xperia z series has had reports of self cracking screens,overheating and might go EOL soon
though it is still a great buy for its camera

moto x has an older sony exmor sensor and is < than Xperia ZR and Lumia 730

as for iphone 5 avoid it because its home button and power button gets spoiled very fast,my aunts iphone has had 4 replaces before she decided to use asistive touch instead of exchanging again
i highly recommend the Lumia 730 and the Xperia ZR,from one photography enthusiast to another

 

[Ronnie012]

1. Lumia 730 to be launched soon. Priced around 15-16k.
2. Xperia ZR - Approx price Rs. 18k. Excellent VFM phone.
3. ASUS Zenfone 5 - priced at 10k.

Suggestion - Get the Asus Zenfone 5 for 9.9k and save that extra 8 k for something more valuable (say getting an external 2 TB HDD or repairing your HP Laptop! )

 

[kkn13]

zenfone 5 camera is just above average,not as good as lumia 730 or xperia ZR
i wouldnt get it over the 730 or the ZR
its a good phone for the price though

 

[seamon]

ZR doesn't have screen cracking issue. Xperia Z has it.

 

[Ronnie012]

zenfone 5 camera is just above average,not as good as lumia 730 or xperia ZR
i wouldnt get it over the 730 or the ZR
its a good phone for the price though

^True. Xperia ZR is the best buy in my opinion too. Actually I recommended Zf5 just to save money (as in the OP mentioned in another thread about his Laptop repairing problem )

 

[ZTR]

ZR doesn't have screen cracking issue. Xperia Z has it.

Z doesn't
Z1 above does

 

[kkn13]

ZR doesn't have screen cracking issue. Xperia Z has it.

im not very sure but people say the entire z series has it,i cannot vouch for this to be true/false

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^True. Xperia ZR is the best buy in my opinion too. Actually I recommended Zf5 just to save money (as in the OP mentioned in another thread about his Laptop repairing problem )

oh ok

 

[seamon]

im not very sure but people say the entire z series has it,i cannot vouch for this to be true/false

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oh ok

I can vouch for it. ZR screen doesn't crack.
You should see the kinds of sht I do to mine.

 

[kamikaz]

OPO /mi4. They have more than decent camera but might cost somewhere between 20 and 25k depending on what model they release here
But night time shots almost all phones give the same performance, from the reviews I have read there is no standout phone in the low light camera cateogry in the price point you have mentioned except perhaps zenphone who employs some pixel binning tech to produce nice low light photos but they will be low pixel photos, good for social media sites
Huawei honor 6 is another option but it's gpu is mediocre, here's a review

Huawei Honor 6 review: Mid-Range at its best! - Gizchina.com | Gizchina.com

The reviewer only has good things to say about camera, but I remember reading on anandtech it has issues with video recording check the same site for more info
You can also try to get lg g2 yeah it's overpriced here in India but in countries like dubai or us you can get g2 for 20-24k I think of all the choices you have this is the best,!
And for the sake of it how about redmi, I have seen some good pics taken with that phone

Now one more thing I would like to suggest is not to go for old phones just cause they have decent specs, you should also consider the software part also, android right now is getting smoother and faster, so if you buy an old phone with little chance for any updates you might end up regretting the decision as the improvements are remarkable you should aim for a phone with KitKat either from oem or through developer support

 

[mikael_schiffer]

Suggestion - Get the Asus Zenfone 5 for 9.9k and save that extra 8 k for something more valuable (say getting an external 2 TB HDD or repairing your HP Laptop! )

Haha, my laptop lol. its k, my parents already gave me the Rs10,500 for laptop repair. I aint touching it... However, its been 2 months, they say the parts havent arrived yet. Wth is wrong with AMD A8 Motherboards >_<

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1. Lumia 730 to be launched soon. Priced around 15-16k.

Dont you think its over priced? Just because its a "new" launch... The specs seems meh. The only stand out point seems to be the selfie cam which is just another run of the mill 5mpx with Wide Angle View.

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If camera is your main concern, then for 20k, you can get the Galaxy K Zoom which has a 20.7 MP camera... Really good camera phone... -- Samsung Galaxy K Zoom (Shimmery White): Buy Samsung Galaxy K Zoom (Shimmery White) Online at Low Price in India - Amazon.in

Samples -- *www.flickr.com/photos/samsungcamera/sets/72157644385910726/

For an overall performer, consider Huawei Honour 6. It is launching on Flipkart on 6th October for around 20k... It has a 13 MP autofocus camera with dual-LED flash, and a 5 MP front facing camera... The phone also has an Octa core processor with 3 GB RAM, a 5" 1080p IPS display and a microSD card slot for expansion... Camera is not its strong point though...

AnandTech | Gallery - Huawei Honor 6 Camera Samples - 15 Photos

Man i checked it out and the review is impresive- I quote - "Sharp images with vivid colors, amazingly fast shutter times and one of the most easy to use focuses for macro shots we’ve ever seen is exactly what this handset has to offer! Night and low-light performance quite remarkable as well. Acceptable noise levels and almost perfect close-ups at night using the LED flash will make this smart phone a delight for every mobile photography enthusiast. "

Almost has me convinced...

Anyways, what about the Lumia 925.
As for Clash of Clans and CastleClash ill play it in my tablet..

 

[kamikaz]

Even though I suggested honor 6 you may want to read more reviews as another reviews which I just read also mentions camera as its weak point, but to be fair they are comparing it tI flagship phones, at this price point the only real threat to honor is mi4 or oPO.. Here's the review
Huawei Honor 6 Review: Flagship Like Experience at an Affordable Price

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here is a user review and much more info to go alongside

HUAWEI Honor 6 Review, Unlock Bootloader and… | Android Development and Hacking | XDA Forums

 

[ithehappy]

Some nice suggestions here.

Only camera, Galaxy K Zoom.

Phone + Camera : Xperia ZR

Phone + Camera + a fluid ecosystem : L730

By the way ZF5's camera is average at best. I don't think it belongs to the level of the above phones. But still for a 10k phone that's more than acceptable.

 

[mikael_schiffer]

Even though I suggested honor 6 you may want to read more reviews as another reviews which I just read also mentions camera as its weak point,

I checked Anandtech's review and they bashed it left right and center.
AnandTech | Huawei Honor 6 Review
Am SOOOO confused!

I may be forced to play it safe and go for the Xperia ZR, which in available on a limited stock and is..ughh.. white version only >.<

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This Youtube reviewer from India has a really good opinion about this phone though...
*www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJor8i9gTOY

He says high end gaming is smooth and lagfree, and even shows it... while other reputed website reviews says the game lags on Asphalt 8 ....seriously man....buying cellphone is a bug headache..

 

[sandynator]

Phone + Camera + a fluid ecosystem : L730

By the way ZF5's camera is average at best. I don't think it belongs to the level of the above phones. But still for a 10k phone that's more than acceptable.

I vouch that....
Do consider lumias. Quality hardware & fluid Win 8.1 Lumia CYAN OS even my lumia 520 was butter smooth on multitasking.

But avoid Zenfone 5 if priority is camera.
My Xiaomi Redmi 1s takes much better pics that my bro's Zenfone5. Unnatural color rendition & getting dark patched on persons faces even in images taken in broad daylight. may be update may solve the issue but avoid Zenfone5.

MI 3 OR MI 4 could be considered too.

 

[Ronnie012]

Haha, my laptop lol. its k, my parents already gave me the Rs10,500 for laptop repair. I aint touching it... However, its been 2 months, they say the parts havent arrived yet. Wth is wrong with AMD A8 Motherboards >_<

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Dont you think its over priced? Just because its a "new" launch... The specs seems meh. The only stand out point seems to be the selfie cam which is just another run of the mill 5mpx with Wide Angle View.

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Man i checked it out and the review is impresive- I quote - "Sharp images with vivid colors, amazingly fast shutter times and one of the most easy to use focuses for macro shots we’ve ever seen is exactly what this handset has to offer! Night and low-light performance quite remarkable as well. Acceptable noise levels and almost perfect close-ups at night using the LED flash will make this smart phone a delight for every mobile photography enthusiast. "

Almost has me convinced...

Anyways, what about the Lumia 925.
As for Clash of Clans and CastleClash ill play it in my tablet..

If I were you, I'd just get the Xperia ZR = Safest buy. More choices = more confusions. Stick to Xperia Zr for the time being and lead an ""Aspirin Free" Life

Anyway, I feel Lumia 730 price is competitive. It would be overpriced had it been priced at 18k. The specs are good for a Windows phone.

Lumia 925, 1020 are the phones for camera lovers. Get them if you can!

Galaxy K Zoom has revolutionized the concept of camera and phones altogether. Great phone and greater camera.

But I'd say, stick to Xperia ZR for the time being, mainly because it's a tried and tested mobile.

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I vouch that....
Do consider lumias. Quality hardware & fluid Win 8.1 Lumia CYAN OS even my lumia 520 was butter smooth on multitasking.

But avoid Zenfone 5 if priority is camera.
My Xiaomi Redmi 1s takes much better pics that my bro's Zenfone5. Unnatural color rendition & getting dark patched on persons faces even in images taken in broad daylight. may be update may solve the issue but avoid Zenfone5.

MI 3 OR MI 4 could be considered too.

^I won't vouch that. Zenfone's camera is pretty good. Haven't experienced any dark patches on persons' faces even at low-light/night mode.