A few notes before you watch:
- The embed below is only at VGA width, I strongly, hugely suggest you start playback and then immediately click on the '360p' legend and change it to full '720p' and then click on the 'full-screen' option. Viewed at lower resolution, you're not going to notice many of the things I talk about! 8-)
- I've alternated audio capture between the two devices, as annotated on screen at the appropriate points, so that you can get a feel for audio capture as well.
- Note that my DIY 'two device' rig meant that the top phone (the N8) 'wobbled' a little at times. So any wobbling is my fault and not the N8's! Plus, the breeze didn't help...
- The last sequence is interesting, indoors, as as first glance the E7 footage is better. But look at dark areas on my top and you'll see all the digital noise. And this was in a reasonably well lit room. As the light goes down further, the N8 footage would look much better.
- Although I'm slightly critical in places, you should remember that video capture on even the E7 is streets ahead of 95% of other smartphones!
The N8's video credentials are well known and I use it to shoot my Phones Show, admittedly with the occasional help of CameraPro N8.
However, for ad-hoc video use, I think the E7 might even make the better device for shooting family and friends, out and about. The EDoF focus range, from 40cm to infinity, means that just about everything you film will automatically be crisp. A little 'processed' at times, to be sure, but always crisp and usable. Which isn't a bad asset in a smartphone that's definitely messaging and business-centric!
Steve Litchfield