Smartphone Cameras

[DJKeefy]

Cameras on some smartphone are getting really good these days, well I would say they provide most people with all they will ever need.

Photo below taken with my Samsung Galaxy S4 at 9.6 megapixels in HDR mode, the camera can shoot photos at 13 megapixes though.

Stood at the East bank and pointing towards the West Bank. (it's been compressed by 10% to reduce the file size a bit), (you might have to wait a minute for it to load if you have a slow connection)



Download it and zoom in (better than the zoom on here)

It's not the best I have taken (and i'm a bit shaky with my hand) but it shows that smartphone camera are improving big time, the distance from where I was stood to the chimney on the right of the photo is a good distance away.


Along a Canal in Luxor taken at 13 megapixels (might take a minute to load)



BTW - These photos are taken without altering many of the settings on the smartphone to improve the photo.

It can also shoot 1080p@30fps HD video.

7.9 mm thick and weighing only 130g it fits into a pocket great

[Horus]

These are really nice pictures Keefy and there is no denying that your phone camera takes cracking images and you did the right thing in shooting them at less than the maximum pixel setting. The HDR also helps a lot because it is increasing the dynamic range which makes it more vibrant and pleasing to the eye. I would agree that for lots of people especially holidaymakers and casual snappers they are great and easy to carry and to use, however a keen photographer would put forward some very good reasons as to why they would not use one themselves.

Without sounding elitist or being a camera snob in any way the main difference would be that a keen photographer would want a lot more control over how they took the shot, all point and shoot cameras and camera phones have a high degree of 'Auto' functions that operate when an image is taken. This is great in most cases as it takes the guess work out of it and usually produces a good image, but clever as these presets are they can never compete with an experienced eye that can set up a camera to compensate for the prevailing light conditions or focus and sharpness of the image being taken. Other features such as long exposures, adding different filters or very long zoom ranges cannot be achieved by phone cameras and where they can as in the case of long zoom ranges it is often digital and not optical, Having said all that they are a great thing and the technology has come on leaps and bounds and often includes the latest improvements on standard cameras such as the HDR & EXR features.

[Grandad]

You make your point Keefy and nobody can deny the quality from such a small device. Personally I am back to my old gripe that I NEED an eye level live viewfinder and to me anything with only a screen is useless in bright light.

That said, I did the ctrl + thing lots of times and there is no question about the quality of your camera phone....but you DO happen to have the best available.

[DJKeefy]

You can control the exposure manualy, it also as a mega range of filters to give a similar effect to lense filters. you also have level grid and other kind of grids to line up your photo.etc

Grandad is right, the screens are difficult to see in bright sunshine

Horus it does have a built in zoom, but can not match anything near zoom lens on professional cameras.

[Kiya]

They uploaded with me instantly, have to say these are great photos from your phone

I wouldn't know where to start with mine although it has the camera it's a very basic phone

[Horus]

Oh I'm not knocking them Keefy, in fact I reckon they are really good especially if you are mega rich like you and have the latest most super duper phone
What I meant was that they employ all the latest tecnology that conventional camers have, but they have to do it selectively and you usually have limited control over using that particular feature. Take for example a Polarising filter, you may be able to mimic one with software, but it is not the same thing as using a real filter or a Star filter that will change the sparkle from light sources or sunlight on water into artistic spangles of light in an image. This spangling or polarising effect can be altered by rotating the filter to get the best result, but a software preset is just applying a standard effect to the image similar to the HDR effect, which if done manually can have limitless variations and range from being very subtle to being really garish.

I am also with Grandad on the lack of a viewfinder, my latest little point & shoot Nikon that I take on walks with me is doing my head in, using the LCD screen is a pain in bright light.

[Grandad]

Digressing, as we tend to on here, we went to Bluewater today (we go about once a month, only 40 minutes away but makes a change).
Currys PC World have just opened after a refurbish of the store and it is very impressive. Gone is all the stock cluttering the store and this is replaced with individual product based counters with all the latest products of that genre displayed on the counter and available to handle and try. All very impressive.

There are two points here to my post. Firstly I couldn't resist seeking out Keefys all singing all dancing Samsung mobile. No disputing it is a brilliant piece of kit (although I managed to lock it and had to call for assitance to get it going again ) I have marked it with a red * on this picture along with all the other 4G smart phones.


BTW Keefy, HAVE YOU ACTUALLY GOT 4G IN EGYPT

The second reason apart from telling you about PCW's super store, was to check out my own phone camera that I hardly ever use. It is a Nokia X3-02 3G about 2 or 3 years old. The camera is reputedly 5Mp and here is another of the front of the store.


I think these pics illustrate how phone cameras have come on in recent years. End of comment

[LovelyLadyLux]

Pretty neato photos there Keefy. If your hand was shaking it sure doesn't show. Am thinking we'd all agree we love to see lots more photos of your area on here too!

Amazing what how technology has evolved and nowadays phones do most everything! Am surprised they haven't also built GPS into them too (and am sure a brand somewhere does carry that feature).

I still have a 10 yr old clamshell phone and 'til it absolutely dies I'm happy with it.

I think IF I did have a camera phone I'd have a similar difficulty of holding it out there steady to get a shot. I'm like Grandad in that I like to use the view finder and 'see' the photo that way. I can't seem to see it as well when I'm holding a camera out at arms length and then have to contend with sun coming onto the screen too.

Speaking of having a camera up to your eye - I remember as a child my Papa who had (I think if memory serves) a big box camera - Brownie. He he used to hold it down around his chest and look down into it when setting up a picture.

[Grandad]

Here we go....into cameras and things LLL, you will find that most smart phones and tablets have GPS built in but don't bother to mention it now. You may remember recently we discussed how there will be a note on Facebook saying exactly where you are and you have done nothing to put that note there. Keefy explained that if you don't switch the feature off it will follow you via its GPS tracker.

The box camera that you refer to had a prismatic viewfinder in the corner of the box with two windows one for portrait style pictures and one for landscape. You would hold the camera at waist level and probably shield the small screen with one hand to improve the view of the image. They were single speed shutter, normally 1/25 second and fixed focal length.

Here is a box camera image of my mum and dad and me with my younger brother in 1940.....just for a laugh. Note the off centre image, a common parallax problem with box cameras.


@Horus, I forgot to mention, I spent several minutes in PCW handling a Fuji X100S. Toal retro and a 1930's Leica in all respects apart from the name on the front. I love it but at nearly a thousand pounds it will have to stay in the shop

[Horus]

Isn't it funny Grandad, we all had those Hitler haircuts as kids until they became unpopular for some reason.
Regarding the Fuji retro camera, they really do look the business, but as you say they will have to stay in the shop for now, I'm still up for getting the X-S1 though.

[Kiya]

Awe that's a lovely family photo but you & your brother look scared a bit, did you not see a camera before this

[LovelyLadyLux]

One of my most vivid memories as a child was getting my photo taken and having to STAND THERE for what seemed like a LONG time.

I also remember when flying bulbs - aka the flash came in on cameras. Dodged a couple of those AND if memory serves I believe I recall when you could purchase 1 bulb that turned somehow and you were able to get 4 flashes out of it.

[Horus]

They were called 'flash cubes' LLL and they rotated after each shot.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Ahhh yes - flash cubes.

Even the plain flash bulbs used to look pretty neat after they flashed.

[Horus]

Great fun as a kid finding an un-used or a dud one and setting it off with a battery.

[bigken]

I do like my smartphones and looking at DK's photos you can't knock the quality for a phone, but have a look on Sony's latest offering to the world off Smartphones/cameras,

The Sony Z1 with LENS


Whats Next ?

[Horus]

The only thing wrong with that BK is the question "is it a phone with a camera?" or "is it a camera with a phone on it?"
I often wonder abour the terminology used to describe these devices 'Smart Phone' when you consider that the simplest bit of technology employed in them is to make a mobile call and the real technology is to connect to the internet, use GPS satelites and take very detailed photographs, all of which require a higher level of technology that just making a phone call, then 'smart device' or something similar would seem to be a better name.

[Grandad]

I really cannot see the logic in that system. Smartphones, particularly Samsung and Nokia 1020, have cameras capable of producing very good images. The smartphone is an all embracing device for all your communication, internet, telephone and picture taking. I think they have reached a very high and comprehensive standard.

The option of 2 lenses that link to the smartphone via wi-fi even though they can be attached, is in my mind a retrograde and unnecessary step too far. Although they can be used off the phone they do not have a screen so you need your phone to view what the camera is seeing. And at around £170 and £360 the lenses are not a cheap option.

If you don't want to get into more sophisticated photography, stay with your smartphone; if you do, then get a separate proper digital camera.

[LovelyLadyLux]

WOW - phones getting smart and cameras getting involved - wow wow wow.......talk about mixed marriages! Twice as much technology means the product should be twice as good but does that also mean I have to get twice as smart to be able to operate all of this?

I KNOW how to open my old clamshell phone and push buttons to make a call however I'm not sure I could figure out a camera too let alone a camera with lens!

I think I'm going to stick with my old phone that I know how to operate and will continue working on figuring out my camera too Not too sure "I" can advance as rapidly as technology.

Sure looks interesting BK! Do you have one? Hope this means we're going to get more photos on here

[Horus]

I agree about the photo's and hope that BK posts a few more regardless of what he uses.
As were only talking about cameras in general being incorporated into smart phones I'm with Grandad on this one. It does seem a ridiculous concept that you would have a ridiculously expensive lens that is wi-fi connected to a phone, but I can understand where it comes from.

Many users of camera phones fall into a totally separate group of picture takers, they seem to enjoy snapping just about anything and posting it on Facebook and similar sites, it has become a way of adding additional information to their chat so someone says “I am having lunch in this new sushi bar” then adds a picture of their food, or “ Hello Mary do you like this new dress I am about to buy?” then attach a picture of said dress.

Whereas most photographers will only take their cameras out for a purpose and if they are serious they have lenses and filters that will cover all eventualities while out and about. The biggest difference is image quality and that is not hard to compare and although these phones can produce some excellent images they never will be able to rival a dedicated camera. The reason being that they only have sensors the size of grain of rice and a lens the size of the end of a drinking straw, now compare that to the average lens diameter of 58mm and upwards and a sensor the size of a postage stamp and you have your answer and that answer is detail. The very fact that phone manufacturers are making these detachable lenses demonstrates the original design fault of the phone camera over a standard camera.