Camera phones to support HD by 2012

[vodacom3g]

So first we need to get bigger screens on cellphones or perhaps some kind of head mounted displays or better yet, built in miniature video projectors - now that would be pretty cool

Not that far away. I've got a (very) small projector that connects to mobile phones and project a decent picture about A3 size. Bigger in a dark room.

It's not much bigger than say a HTC TyTN but there's already talk of integrating it into the mobile phone.

A parallel step is work to integrate a laser keyboard in the phone as well. Currently these are about twice the size of a BIC lighter.

So you'll be able to put the pone upright in front of you and it'll project a QWERTY keyboard in front of you on the table and the display on some kind of screen (wall, sheet of paper, etc.)

So today you carry 3 small bits of kit to do your mobile computing (keyboard, phone, projector), but as history always shows, these will be one at some point.

 

[redarrow]

Not that far away. I've got a (very) small projector that connects to mobile phones and project a decent picture about A3 size. Bigger in a dark room.

Sounds cool

A parallel step is work to integrate a laser keyboard in the phone as well. Currently these are about twice the size of a BIC lighter.

Yea, that's also a definite must if cellphones are to become more like mini computers.. - either that or a perfectly flawless voice recognition system.

The only problem of course would be the need for a decent bit of clean white wall to use the thing.. that is until it goes Star Wars and someone figures out how to project an image into mid air..

 

[kevinswan007]

yea, the problem with a cellphone camera will always be the lens size. its fine for close shots in a well lit area, but for scenery shots, you always get the pin hole effect.

 

[Rouxenator]

I'd rather have Leica. They make better lenses than Zeiss .

They don't fit in phones.

Look, expencive lenses and sensor have alreayd been done and their are lots of them out there - go out and buy them, lug them around and get mugged (this is SA).

Phones with quality sensors and decent lenses are rare and improving all the time, plus they do not cost as much as some pieces of glass. Sure they get mugged to but if you are smart you can hide them much easier and end up not looking like a tourist.

Nope... It translates into something like a canon 5d mk ii with decent glass

And thats only good for pictures ? No calls, bluetooth, games ?

 

[bwana]

Phones with quality sensors and decent lenses are rare and improving all the time, plus they do not cost as much as some pieces of glass. Sure they get mugged to but if you are smart you can hide them much easier and end up not looking like a tourist.

Not 'rare' - the word you're looking for is non-existent. The sensor and glass in an average point and shoot exceeds that of a cellphone camera and the P&S is just as concealable.

 

[Rouxenator]

Not 'rare' - the word you're looking for is non-existent. The sensor and glass in an average point and shoot exceeds that of a cellphone camera and the P&S is just as concealable.

Yes well, we know you prefer to think that their has not been made a phone called the Nokia N82 so I can understand why you say non-existent.

The thing is, phones ARE getting better at imaging (not talking about your phone) and just as phones killed off watches (exept for fashion freaks) they are starting to eat into other teritories aswell. PDAs, music players, point and shoot cameras, these are things you find average people not needing anymore because their phones does it for them.

Obviously there are people with think wads of cash to burn on SLRs, HD video cameras, 500GB iPods, microscopic IXUSes, gold plated karimore bags (to carry it all around) and 3 hours in the gym each day to carry all these gadgets around. But on the other end there are those that are happy that they now have a phone that can do all this even if it is only 80% as good as the dedicated devices.

 

[bwana]

Yes well, we know you prefer to think that their has not been made a phone called the Nokia N82 so I can understand why you say non-existent.

As a photographer I would embrace any phone that had glass and sensors that rivalled those found in today's P&S cameras. I'm not prepared to sacrifice image quality for a single device that does a lot of things just not so well.

Obviously there are people with think wads of cash to burn on SLRs, HD video cameras, 500GB iPods, microscopic IXUSes, gold plated karimore bags (to carry it all around) and 3 hours in the gym each day to carry all these gadgets around. But on the other end there are those that are happy that they now have a phone that can do all this even if it is only 80% as good as the dedicated devices.

But it's that 20% (though I believe that is a lowball number) that differentiates the outstanding from the mediocre.

 

[Rouxenator]

As a photographer I would embrace any phone that had glass and sensors that rivalled those found in today's P&S cameras. I'm not prepared to sacrifice image quality for a single device that does a lot of things just not so well. But it's that 20% (though I believe that is a lowball number) that differentiates the outstanding from the mediocre.

In the case of pictures most people will think a good picture is a good picture - does not matter if it was shot with a motorola or hasselblad. If it was the right time, right light and a good shot people will think it is a good picture.

People that owns SLRs know if a picture is good or not without having to see it - they can determine if a picture looks like crap by simply asking "Did you take it with an SLR ?".

 

[bwana]

In the case of pictures most people will think a good picture is a good picture - does not matter if it was shot with a motorola or hasselblad. If it was the right time, right light and a good shot people will think it is a good picture.

Yes they will - but composition is only one part of a photograph. I also rarely strive for 'good'.

 

[Rouxenator]

Yes they will - but composition is only one part of a photograph. I also rarely strive for 'good'.

Then a thread about camera phones is the last place you should be in.

Have a look at these 3 links. These are shots taken with a sub R1000 phone that does some of the worst compression I have seen on pictures you take. Still when printed as normal sized photos they look pretty good. That is all your average Joe really wants.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nokia5000/2871919849/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nokia5000/2872739410/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nokia5000/2872735676/

What the article is saying that in a few years time we will have phones that can take pictures with 10 times more megapixels than the ones on those links. Perhaps even with some optical zoom. It will also take videos that are good enough for most. (Do you know how many people watch Clipz?)

I cannot understand why this article attracted so many SLR owners (unless it is my bee/fly theory at work).

 

[bwana]

Then a thread about camera phones is the last place you should be in.

I think if you look back and actually read my post I said I'll embrace a camera phone if and when they're good enough.

Have a look at these 3 links. These are shots taken with a sub R1000 phone that does some of the worst compression I have seen on pictures you take. Still when printed as normal sized photos they look pretty good. That is all your average Joe really wants.

Again - I'm not striving for the same thing as the average joe.

What the article is saying that in a few years time we will have phones that can take pictures with 10 times more megapixels than the ones on those links.

As has also been mentioned - there's more to producing images than a high megapixel count.

I cannot understand why this article attracted so many SLR owners (unless it is my bee/fly theory at work).

I own dslrs, compact cameras, and my cellphone has a built in camera. How does that fit in with you theory?

 

[Rouxenator]

I'm not striving for the same thing as the average joe...I own dslrs, compact cameras, and my cellphone has a built in camera. How does that fit in with you theory?

You don't fit my theory silly cause you're special

 

[UglyKidJoe]

The best there is in terms of camera phones to this day are the Samsung
i8510 and the Nokia N96. Oh, and the SE C905.

All of these phones will produce photos that are mediocre at best (and that is only in ideal light ), and are useful only if convenience is paramount and quality doesn't really matter.

The photo's produced by the HTC's and iPhones are hardly worth e-mailing, nevermind printing. If you want to take pictures, don't even bother with these.

So no matter how many megapixels they squeeze into phones, they are still not cameras. Currently the phone/camera mix is a huge compromise.

It all depends on the application you need it for, but a 20megapixel monster with a plastic lens seems like a bit of a marketing gimmick imo.

 

[Rouxenator]

The N82 has a xenon flash so under low light conditions is really kicks the crap out of LED flashes.