View Full Version : Cameraphones - do we really need 'em?
Shiranai
18-04-2005, 09:07
...or is it just some kind of hysteria because everyone has one?
I had cameraphones for the last 2 years. Your first camphone is really great, you take a lot of pictures and videos 'till the battery is empty. But after a certain time you start thinking that the photos actually have a really bad quality and therefore are quite useless, especially for printing. And with my second camphone I took a lot less pictures.
How about you? What do you think is the big hype about cameraphones?
Any individual who uses a cameraphone and expects to get quality prints is going to be sadly dissapointed! Even the cheapest digicam(£50) slaughters the best cameraphone in allmost ALL areas!! I can never understand the fixation some members have regarding camphone picture taking abilities :eyes: because IMO they are all crap in absolute terms. :D :p
I forgot my camera a few times the last few weeks since I owned SE Z800i... Camera phones are useful if you forget your decent camera...
I think the quality of cameraphones is getting to the point where the possibility of replacing your digital camera is starting to become reality. OK, for pro's and techies that really want high quality at high resolution, maybe not, but for everyone else...
I don't have a digital camera, we have one for the 'family', but I don't have one personally, and therefore don't really take too many photos, because the K700i camera isn't good enough (for me).
When I get the K750i though, that's going to change. I've even bought a bluetooth printer that can print 4'x6' photo quality prints. :p
It just makes me laugh when i read reviews of mobiles. If it dosnt have a 1MP cam, they complain, if it does have a 1MP cam, they complain the qualitys not good!
There not crap in all circumstances, if i take a pic outside on my D500 its good enough to print in A5 or smaller. Ye sure if you want big photos then its useless.
I'm keeping my trusy Cybershot for a while yet though, Its a 4 year old 3MP version, cost a fortune back then!!
klankymen
18-04-2005, 16:13
i dont think cell phone cam pics are good enough to print or anything, but i think theyre a nice extra to have.
they do serve a purpose i guess, and quality of pics are getting good enough to put on your computer.
like, not good enough to use as a desktop background or anything, but good enough to look at on a computer screen (at least in a lower size)
also theyre good for spur of the moment pics...
Silent-interlude
18-04-2005, 19:30
I use to think exactly the same way.. "A camera in a phone?.. WAT?" I never use to get it.. my first cam phone was a P910i half a grand phone and a crappy cam on the back.. go figure, so I never took any pictures with it.
Now I have a samsung D500 which ok, it's no Digital Camera but it's amazing quality anyway!.. I don't think I'll ever settle for a camphone now with less than 1.3 Mega pixels.
My point is, now I have a phone that has a camera that's actually worthy of being a Camera, I love it! and I take pictures on-the-fly whenever I find something I like, they are great for spur of the moments things.. and like others have said, you'd be crazy to use them for photo prints, not until 3.0 Mega pixels or more.. but to post/store on the internet they are more than adequate.
Exciting700
18-04-2005, 20:41
I think phones like the Samsung D500, E730, Mitsubishi M900, S700i, E720 and P730 all have great cams and the P730, E720 and the E730 can record videos at MPEG4 formats:up:
Smartphones like the 6630 and 6680 also have great cams and video recording facilities.
This type of phones have the TRUE intergrated digital camera, not just a fun point and shoot camera. When you activate the camera, you can see truly crystal clear images on your viewfinder, not just blurry blubs. When you press the shutter button, the image will not just blur out and look like paintings, but will still remain sharp and be stored up as proper photos.
I'm keep thinking that the camera on my M900 is too good to be there.
Need them? No.
An ok back-up? Well sort of.
Sometimes it is a good sub when you forget your better camara
P730!? P730's camera is lousy if I remember correctly.
There were some Nokia people in Chester (town near me) and they were taking pictures of people in the street and printing them out, and actually the quality was amazing!! They looked great! ;) now wth even better cams!! So if you have a good printer and photo paper, then why not print them out!! Thats what a camera is used for!! Even tho a cam/phone is initally a phone!! I get that, but why spend money on both, when your going to be carrying a phone around anyway!! ;)
Exciting700
18-04-2005, 21:05
Memzee,
Don't forget the stellar MPEG4 video recorder on P730...;)
xc,
Just the fun of it, but I tell you, nowdays phone cameras are getting better and better, so one fine day, we are going to be getting digital camera quality images!:)
liamss
Such a good point:up::up::up: :cool:
Don't forget the stellar MPEG4 video recorder on P730...
So what? :insane: The quality was poor.. it was like they were T610 photos blown up to 1.0 MP resolution (I think that's the resolution anyway)..
Exciting700
18-04-2005, 21:37
So what? The quality was poor.. it was like they were T610 photos blown up to 1.0 MP resolution (I think that's the resolution anyway)..
I'm talking about the video quality on the P730, not the still image function;)
I think phones like the Samsung D500, E730, Mitsubishi M900, S700i, E720 and P730 all have great cams
You included P730 in that list, and I'm disputing that fact. Just because it can record in a particular format, doesn't make it a good camera.. so again.. so what?
I don't think there's much of a difference in compression between 3gp and MPEG4.
tricky05
18-04-2005, 21:51
at the moment printing is just about acceptable, i just snap a pic and savour the moment on my phone or PC. Maybe next year cameraphones will have moved on and decent quality printing will be reality. But will cameraphones ever cath up to digital cameras ? ? ? ?
I don't think they will catch up anytime soon! if ever!
tricky05, I dobut it, both keeping getting better!!" But i just leave the pics on the compter or phone!! Ive printed out once! I just send them around by email instead of printing them out! as most of my pics are of people in school anway!!
But i think digi cams prob will be replaced by cam/phones in like 15years tho!! ;)
Catch up in terms of what?
Resolution?
I doubt it. When cameraphone resolution increases, digital camera resolution increases too. I don't see one increasing at a faster rate than the other at the moment.
Quality?
Possibly. Cameraphones need to be able to zoom optically, and have decent focus without really having too many mechanical parts. This is where membrane bound liquid lenses come in.
Exciting700
18-04-2005, 21:57
You included P730 in that list, and I'm disputing that fact. Just because it can record in a particular format, doesn't make it a good camera.. so again.. so what?
I don't think there's much of a difference in compression between 3gp and MPEG4.
You definitely didn't understand my post, well, I would explain it for the final time.
I'm not here to play around understand?.
I think phones like the Samsung D500, E730, Mitsubishi M900, S700i, E720 and P730 all have great cams and the P730, E720 and the E730 can record videos at MPEG4 formats
Phones with great cam simply means in my understanding as having great video or still imaging qualities. If the phone can capture decent shots and capture a great video, the camera on it is great, not a toy!!
The P730 can capture great video "Ask Eldar yourself"
So is the E720.
If the cam is not great, how can they capture great videos???
Still imaging not too good, but the videos are great and that is the compromise full stop.
Then your understanding.. or your expression at least is wrong.
having great video or still imaging qualities
Why or and not and? Surely a 'great camera', as you put it, has to do both equally well?
If the phone can capture decent shots and capture a great video, the camera on it is great, not a toy!!
Right.. if the phone can take good photos and good videos too, then it's a good camera. If it only does one or the other well, then it's not "great".
Still imaging not too good, but the videos are great and that is the compromise full stop.
I find that comment very patronising, and funny at the same time. If something is "great" then it shouldn't have to make compromises.
Exciting700
18-04-2005, 22:09
A great camera can have great still shooting abilities and video abilities.
A great camera can have great still shooting abilities and decent video recordings.
A great camera can have decent shooting abilities and great video recording abilities.
My M900 has great still shooting abilities and decent video recording abilities.
The P730 have decent shooting abilities and great video recording abilities.
Maybe you should understand by now and I've said enough unless you might want more...words
Quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality. That can be seen from your posting habits in the past. ;) You can say it as many times as you want.
If a car had good acceleration, and was fast, but hopeless at steering would it be a great car? No.
If Mohammed Ali had great offense, but poor defense would he be great? No.
I can't be bothered to argue with you anyway, it's like talking to a brick wall.
Exciting700
18-04-2005, 22:16
Quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality. That can be seen from your posting habits in the past. You can say it as many times as you want.
If a car had good acceleration, and was fast, but hopeless at steering would it be a great car? No.
I can't be bothered to argue with you anyway, it's like talking to a brick wall.
I can see that you are the type of people who whould say that the cam on the S700i suck since the S700i have a great cam but a decent video quality.
You would also say that the camera on the D500 suck since the camera on the D500 is good at still image capture but not too good at recording videos.
Well well well Mister high expectations.
Maybe you need God to make you a camera phone...
iron_mike010, :lol: Exactly my thoughts, but i thought, "better not get the chihuahua yapping cause then there´ll be no end to it" - again. :)
OK.. you've had your say.. now do you want to hear what I have to say? It doesn't matter anyway, because I'm going to say it.. ;)
You are too easily pleased. That's why you have a new 'must have phone' every other day.
Too many greats, and great becomes distinctly 'average'.
I didn't ever talk about the D500 or S700i, I said that the P730 camera.. going by Eldar's reviews about 6 months ago, maybe more, was lousy.
http://www.mobile-review.com/review/image/samsung/p730/photo/Photo019.jpg
You can say as much as you want, but that is not the result of a great camera.
The camera?s quality in Samsung P730 is equal to the current products from Nokia, Motorola, but is worse than Sharp GX30 (the best model in terms of the camera?s quality at today?s market).
The GX30 has a great camera. The P730 doesn't. "Full stop".
Exciting700
18-04-2005, 22:29
What I still have to finished is that, according to your theory, you said that a great camera MUST have a great video recordings AND still image capture.
Well, so what do you have to say to those people out there who said that the camera on the M900, S700i, D500 and E730 are great???
Since all of them above are having great still image captures BUT decent video recording abilities???
So people with those phones can't say that their phones are having a great cam???
Or people outside can't say that the cams on those phones are great either???
Well, the K750i is having a great still capture ability but only decent video recording abilities.
A picture paints a thousand words, and that picture above (like MOST cameraphone pics) is poor to say the least!!
Superphone
19-04-2005, 09:58
A picture paints a thousand words, and that picture above (like MOST cameraphone pics) is poor to say the least!!
MOST is the word, now most phones are catching up to the right standers, most of the newer camera phone are already great viewing on a computer screen, it's really a pleasure
Exciting700
22-04-2005, 17:11
mweb6161,
So I guess the superior video recording ability in the P730 is regarded as poor.....
Really, people are just different, well, let it be, I have my own believe...
My opinion is: YES we do need Cameraphones, but only for catching the moment. You don't have your DigiCam with you all the time (at least most of us ;) ) so there are moments that are worthy documenting for life & for these moments a phone camera is more than enough.
For special events you know that will happen you bring your DigiCam extra with you cause no matter how good your Camera in your phone is, a digital Camera will allways be better & these pictures will be much more important than be taken by a phone Camera.
(is this a flashback or did I have this opinion in a simillar thread?)
P.S. just checked, no flashback, it was the Phone imaging thread ;)
mweb6161,
So I guess the superior video recording ability in the P730 is regarded as poor.....
Really, people are just different, well, let it be, I have my own believe...
but compared to even the most inexpensive mini dv cams, again cameraphones do a very poor job!! :)
Exciting700
22-04-2005, 17:41
mweb6161,
I understand:)
georgiebest
13-05-2005, 13:00
no, they are shit. i dont ever use mine, and when i do, it stays on my phone forgotten for ages, then is never put onto my computer because the quality is so rubbish.
No real need unless you are a f'riday night on the tiles' amatuer snapper!
I take my pictures with the Digital Rebel - best picture for the price right now.
I can't take the camera inside some festivals/concerts, but still want to have a visual memory... answer = camera phone :beer:
I don't carry it around all the time, so when i see a professor of mine with some TP stuck to his pants... answer = camera phone :beer:
My camera can't take video, but a lot of funny $hit happens, which i'd like to have on video --> need a video recording tool that's in my pocket... answer E720 or something like that. :super:
agreed?
i appologize for the pushy stile here; just trying to get my point across. I don't have a camera phone yet, but i'm getting one very soon, and i hope the handiness lives up to my expectations.
peace easy
Exciting700
02-06-2005, 12:31
The best for me today is having a very good camera and phone all in a neat and compact pakage:up: Other features are welcome:cool:
For someone who owns a prosumer DSLR (Canon EOS 20D) I don't want to lug it around with me all the time, it's just impractical.
Therefore the cameraphone is essential for all those shots where I don't have my proper camera with me, and when extra discretion is required. My 20D with 70-200 f/2.8L lens is pretty hard to miss.
Funny how mweb6161 and ThreeX now both own a K750i. :p
Funny how mweb6161 and ThreeX now both own a K750i. :p
I sold my K750i to mowbli and got a p900 and a new S700i as replacements, this very day :beer:
mweb6161, Oh.. why?
The cam on the K750i is great, agreed, but i have seen almost as good shots come from the S700i. the s700i is now been sold at giveaway prices, and im a smartphone guy at heart!! so p900 was easy choice, both items i procured for £235 TOGETHER. :beer:
iron_mike010
02-06-2005, 19:30
nice choice(the s700 that is) mweb6161:)
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