Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by personZ 4246 days ago
They are entirely different sensors, and share nothing at all in common. To start, the Nexus 5 has a 1/3.2" sensor, while the 5s has a 1/3.0" sensor (making evident from the start that in no universe are they "bordering on identical"). The iPhone has a f2.2 lens assembly. The Nexus has a f2.5 lens assembly. Empirically in both of those cases the iPhone has the superior option, not even getting into the specifics of tiering and segmentation.

The Nexus 5 has a camera sensor equivalent with the iPhone 5, on paper, but is handily and easily beaten by the 5s, and it shows.

2 comments

> They are entirely different sensors, and share nothing at all in common.

I wouldn't say that. The 5s uses the IMX145 and the Nexus 5 uses the IMX179. Both are Sony CMOS arrays.

The 1/3.0 size of the 5s array does enable larger individual photon 'buckets' for better light sensitivity but they're both closely related in terms of contemporary Sony technology.

The faster 5s lens is a key differentiator, I agree. But it is rather outclassed by the the Galaxy S5 and the Xperia Z2 / Z3. No serious Android-using photographer looks much beyond those for a smartphone.

You're right, I meant the 5, not the 5s. No reason to get so upset.