The launch of the Nokia 808 PureView with its 41MP camera sensor (with a maximum output resolution of approximately 38MP) had sent out sensations over the technology industry across the globe. It had boasted of the sensor with the highest-resolution which is available in any mobile phone camera. It is an actual threat to all digital cameras that are available in the market.

Some of the Key features of the camera and its video specifications can be stated as below
38MP maximum resolution (in 4:3 aspect ratios - output size: 7728 x 5368 pixels)
1/1.2" CMOS sensor, pixel size: 1.4um
ISO 80-1600 (+ auto)
Five white balance presets (including auto)
Exposure compensation of +/-4EV in 0.3EV steps
Carl Zeiss F2.4 8.02mm lens (26mm, 16:9 | 28mm, 4:3 equiv)
Focus range of 15cm to Infinity (throughout the range of the zoom)
Construction – It has 5 elements, 1 group. All surfaces of the lens are spherical. It also has a high-index, low-dispersion glass mould lens. The mechanical shutter comes with a neutral density filter.
1080p HD video (up to 25Mb/s) with 4X 'lossless zoom'
Stereo recording with Nokia Rich Recording - rated up to 140db

The key features include the large CMOS sensor with a resolution of 41MP, which provides an output of 38MP. Nokia has come up with the designed the 808 Pureview with the specifications of a serious photographic tool. Apart from some pretty and impressive hardware, Nokia has introduced a host of photographic features which are quite user-friendly in this version of the camera including a manual control over the white balance, ISO and exposure. This is achieved through the availability of exposure compensation as well as bracketing). However, in terms of the levels of manual exposure control, the 808 does not come with PASM modes.

PureView (3/5/8MP)
It is a situation to put optical zoom option for mobile phone cameras. This is precisely the reason why manufacturers substitute it with digital zooms. However, cropping and upsizing the images by using the conventional digital zoom available results in compromising with the quality of the image. Instinctively all serious digital photographers tend to avoid the use of 'digital zoom' features for the same reason. However by handling the digital zoom in Nokia 808 Pureview, users will realize that it is far being conventional.

As Nokia has been quoted, 'pixel oversampling combines many pixels to create a single (super) pixel'. It implies that without the use of 'zoom', the camera's 3MP PureView output itself would be of critical image quality, followed by that of 5MP, 8MP, and 38MP respectively.
 
PureView 'Zoom'
The extent of zoom while using the Nokia 808 Pureview will depend on the output resolution mode that is being used. When shooting at full resolution users will not be able to use the zoom at all. Users will be stuck at the native 28mm focal length of the lens. Again, in the 3MP PureView mode users will be able to use a 3.6X 'zoom'. This would drop approximately to 3X in the 5MP mode, and around 2X in the 8MP mode.

Although 3.6X zoom is nothing to boast about, it is at least better than not being able to zoom at all. Or it is better than a conventional zoom that compromises with cropped versions of images.