On the back, the Lava Bold N1 5G features a 13MP primary sensor that is accompanied by an LED flash module and an unnamed lens. Up front, there’s a 5MP selfie camera.
The Lava Bold N1 snaps photos with vibrant, eye-catching visuals, especially when it comes to reds and greens. While some may prefer such poppy tones, the phone at times goes overboard with the colours. Fortunately, the Bold N1 doesn’t overexpose the skies, and the HDR performance is fairly decent. The details in the images are average at best, as you can only expect so much from the sensor size it packs. Taking shots at 2x zoom levels further takes a hit on detail levels.
In low light or at night, the camera viewfinder often makes the image too bright. You’ll need to manually reduce the brightness to avoid washed-out colours. Also, since there’s no optical image stabilisation (OIS), you’ll have to hold the camera steady to avoid motion blur – a task that is harder than it sounds in dim environments.
The front camera delivers acceptable selfies in good lighting and performs adequately for video calls, which is perhaps its most important real-world use case at this price. Video recording tops out at 1080p at 30fps. While the camera system manages decent daylight shots and respectable portrait photos for casual users, overall image quality remains fairly average and is unlikely to be a major selling point of the device.
