We recently compared the Lava Agni 3 and the Realme P2 Pro in terms of camera performance and today we will pit the Lava handset against another popular choice in its price category – the Nothing Phone (2a).
We will assess the cameras of each device in various scenarios, concentrating on typical photography conditions such as daylight, ultrawide shots, portraits, selfies, and low-light images, both with and without night mode activated. To ensure a fair comparison, we will only consider photos taken using comparable lens setups, as some devices may not have dedicated ultrawide or telephoto lenses.
Our comparison will prioritise factors such as colour accuracy (how closely the colours match the actual scene), level of detail, sharpness, skin tones, and texture. By evaluating these aspects, we aim to offer an unbiased conclusion on which device provides the best camera performance within its price range.
Daylight
Unlike the camera comparison between Agni 3 and the P2 Pro, where the image quality difference between the two camera samples was quite apparent in the first look itself, this comparison was closer. While the Agni 3 produced a dull image, the Nothing Phone (2a) offered a slightly oversaturated result.
What swung this comparison in favour of the Nothing handset was the presence of details that were missing from the Agni 3 camera samples. In some of the darker areas, the Lava handset compromised on colours and details, which was not the case with the Phone (2a). However, I would say both handsets didn’t produce particularly impressive pictures, the Nothing Phone (2a) wins this round based on the level of detail present.
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Portrait
I described the comparison as “close” in daylight shots, but when it came to portrait camera samples, the difference between the shots was stark. The Nothing Phone (2a) reproduced skin tone better, offered better edge detection, and captured more details overall.
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Selfie
Much like the portrait mode, selfie shots also revealed that the Nothing Phone (2a) captures skin tones better than the Agni 3. In fact, not just skin tone, the Nothing handset again captured more facial details and produced a better image in comparison to the Agni 3.
The shot taken by Agni 3’s front camera looked washed out, and even when zooming in slightly, the image looked blurry. Needless to say, Nothing Phone (2a) wins this round.
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Low Light
After comparing the Agni 3 with the P2 Pro and now the Nothing Phone (2a), it is abundantly clear to me that the weakest point for this phone, as far as camera performance is concerned, is low-light scenarios. Whether you consider the dynamic range, details, colour accuracy, or even just do a plain eye test, you will clearly see that the Nothing handset takes a better image than the Agni 3.
While the Lava handset struggles with handling light sources, the Nothing Phone (2a) shines on these fronts.
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Low Light (night mode)
Sadly, Agni 3 doesn’t redeem itself in this department as well. With the night mode enabled, the phone still struggled with handling light sources, couldn’t capture details well enough, and couldn’t reproduce colours accurately.
On the other hand, the dynamic range, details, and overall image quality of the shot taken by Nothing Phone (2a) further improved with the night mode. In this comparison, the Nothing handset wins again.
Winner: Nothing Phone (2a)
Verdict
At this point, there is no doubt in our mind that the Nothing Phone (2a) offers better camera performance in comparison to the Lava Agni 3. Whether you consider regular daylight shots, portraits, selfies, or even low-light shots, the Nothing handset consistently delivered better results in most cases. If camera performance is among your top priorities, and if you’re confused between these two phones, you can consider the Nothing Phone (2a) to be a no-brainer.
