Depending on your line of work, you may be able to replace your point and shoot digital camera with the phone you are using right now. When was the last time you actually printed a photo you'd taken? Do you really need 20 megapixel resolution? Nowdays with the internet and mostly everyone having email, print is a thing of the past. You can have all your pictures in digital format on your computer using something like iPhoto and share your memories via Flickr to everybody you want.
Of course this doesn't apply to the pro-sumer or hi-end DSRL crew, but we have seen excellent results coming from professional photographers using camera phones with professional grade lights and tripods. One more time, the old saying goes that the part that matters is the one behind the camera. You just don't buy a professional camera and become a professional photographer, the same goes for buying Adobe CS5 and calling yourself a designer.
With that in mind, we are checking the new smart phones in the market to see what they have inside, camera wise.
The camera features a 5-megapixel back-illuminated sensor with 5X digital zoom. Tap to focus and macro lens for great close-ups. You'll take better photos in low light. And the LED flash works with both photos and videos. A second, front-facing camera allows video chats with other iPhone 4 owners over Wi-Fi. Now it adds native HDR photography (this is a popular photographic technique that combines three exposures to create a single image with a greater amount of detail in the highlights and shadows)
The 8-megapixel camera is one of the Incredible's more attractive features. It has autofocus and dual LED flashes. Unlike other phone cameras, you have a fair amount of control over settings. It will record video, but only in standard definition.
There's an 8-megapixel camera on the rear with dual LED flashes. A front-facing camera can be used for video calls. The rear camera records 720p video at 25 frames per second. You may notice some choppiness in your videos. A micro HDMI port connects the Evo to your television.
720p video recording at a cool 30fps is on offer, along with a 5 megapixel imager on the back and a 1.3 megapixel one on the front. Both picture and video processing are done rapidly, in part thanks to the latest Android version 2.1.
Just to tell you how important and convenient is to have one device that, kind of does it all, see this chart from Flickr, in which you can see the penetration of the iPhone as a camera:
(Thanks Sean Meyers for supplying the first 2 photos on the HTC Evo 4G)
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Comments (16)
Though, if you have any interest whatsoever in things like color accuracy, dynamic range, depth of field, low light abilities, etc, you'll need a real camera. Even the cheapest point and shoots will outperform a cell phone in all of these areas.
the droid and samsung pics are pretty bad.
Actually, cheap point and shoots don't outperform nowadays. Especially in color accuracy. That's because cheap point and shoots are loaded up with crappy superhigh pixel counts instead of quality sensors. Yes, a cameraphone can't replace your DSLR, but fit a D700 in your pocket. The best camera is the one you have with you.
Hi pixel densities are definitely a problem in cheap cameras, but since even the smallest sensor in a cheap camera is 1/2.3" (much larger than that in any phone) the phones still can't compete. Furthermore, actual glass optics with room to bend the light as necessary, rather than a cheap plastic lens, makes a difference too.
I found that if you are used to carrying a DSLR around everyday, it's not much of an issue. Since I got one a few years ago, I stopped taking pics with my cell phone. It's a questions of getting used to the weight and size.
That aside there is a range of options between DSLR and cheap Point and shoot. You don't have to go full on DSLR to be able to take photos that will blow away your phones.
I just don't think most people care, since their cellphones take pictures and have features that even a decent old school film point and shoot couldn't dream of.
In the post, you mention the Droid Incredible (DInc) can't do 720p video, but the recent Android update to Froyo (2.2) enables this. It's a fairly recent change, so it's understandable that you'd still have this spec at the old value.
To verify, I took some awesome footage of a drunk guy dancing at a bar just this weekend. It's very high def.
I have to go back the Sony Ericsson C series after these past few months of sloppy iPhone photos. The controls for exposure, color balance, flash, panorama and frame-by-frame for animations make me want just a camera with a phone. My C905 is just what needed, but now I will upgrade to a 12mp Idou: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_satio_%28idou%29-2683.php
when I finally splurged and got myself a DSLR, I actually DID become a better photographer. I use my iphone to take "pics" of random stuff that I wanna upload to facebook or just remember at a later time. For "photos" I use my real camera.
I have the HTC Droid Incredible. I love the camera. I usually just pass on bringing my P&S or dSLR and use the phone's camera/camcorder when out OR in the house. It takes great quality pictures. I have an app called Vignette available with a free demo that has MANY cool effects to photograph with. Love it.
Although for "real" photography I still use a high-end point and shoot or my DSLR, I've really been enjoying the iphone 4 camera, and if you want to take the funkiness of phone cameras to a new level, apps like "Hipstamatic" are soooo much fun! They give the look of an old polaroid or Holga shot, and look very artsty.
I enjoy my iPhone for snapshots...
...but when I need a really great photograph, I point out the scene to my DSLR-toting Cousin and get the pix from him.
I'm still waiting for Nikon to give me a phone option with my camera....
I've never seen a camera phone that takes decent pictures.
There's nothing worse than taking an awesome photo... on a crappy camera.
alot of my family members use their camera phones like if its their only camera. when in fact they all own their own point & shoot digital cameras. and then they don't even know how to get the photos off their phone.
even an uncle of mine shoots family photos on a camcorder and thinks they are great when really looking at them on a monitor(and not the small camcorder screen) they are pretty much the equivalent of a BAD webcam photo. and these are family trip photos mind you!