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Nokia N8

Lars

Active member
Interesting hardware on Nokia's latest:

12 MP sensor, Nokia says it's large, some math based on focal length and angle of coverage estimates sensor size as 1/1.9". Zeiss-designed fixed-focal length lens. 720p30 video supported, and HDMI out.

First sample images do suggest that the N9 can match image quality of compact cameras, at least in well-lit conditions (admittedly not much of a challenge). A few full-res samples from a prerelease N8 here: http://blog.rightmobilephone.co.uk/nokia-n8-sample-images/

Reverse USB mode is nifty, allows to connect an USB card reader or a camera to use the phone to upload images.
 

Lili

New member
Working in the telecom industry, I find this of interest.
12mp is too much though, even on a larger sensor, IMHO.
Would far rather see decent hi ISO, say 6mp on 1/1.6" like the Fuji f31.
Then we would be talking Street Camera.
BTW just got my HTC Hd2, 5mp on a tiny sensor, quite good in decent light it looks.
 

Lars

Active member
Release is set to Q3 2010, so it's going to be several months before we see this one in stores. By that time I'm sure there will be similar alternatives from a photography standpoint. Sonyericsson is pushing the envelope as well, and Samsung has the know-how in camera hardware.

What I'm waiting for is the moment when phone makers go beyond seeing the camera function as a selling point, to seeing the phone as a true camera on its own. Lili's comments above re 12 megapixels emphasizes this. We're close now than ever, but more competition in the camera aspect is needed - the focus now is so much on mobile devices as software platforms.
 

Terry

New member
I don't know much about what is going on with Nokia phones these days and how much software is on the phones. I think one of the keys to success on the iPhone camera is the integration of the camera into the software platform and the apps available on the phone to actually process and do something with the files like edit and email/text or upload to different social sites. So, to me it is the integration of hardware and software that will make it fly. 12mp are big files to fling around. I've currently got more than 600 shots sitting on the "camera roll" of my iPhone.
 

Lars

Active member
Terry, most photographers do seem to agree that 12 megapixels is approximately a reasonable image size for a pocket camera. Perhaps 10 or 8 would be a more suitable number but once you go below that image files get a bit small for more demanding use. Including a setting for image size reduction is then a small effort, and binning is no rocket science so we'll se higher ISOs at lower resolutions.

This is a bit off-topic, but Apple isn't even trying to make a camera for photographers - it's not a selling point for them. So far the included imaging device has been crap. The real reason why 600 images at 12 Mpx would be a problem is that Apple doesn't build a card reader into their devices - a must have for a camera.

BTW as a moderator perhaps you should put some more though behind your posts. This thread started about Nokia hardware - you post that you know more or less nothing about Nokia (did you even look at the imaging samples and the specs for the N8?) but that your Apple device is great, and that what is arguably Apple's weakest point - small resolution of the imaging sensor - is actually an advantage. Some people might see your post as trolling.
 
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Terry

New member
Lars,
I did read the link and look at the samples before I posted. They looked quite good. The point that I attempted to make which obviously got lost was not at all saying that Apple had a good camera. It is a crappy camera. But when you look around, there is a lot of software to use the camera in many different ways. For instance on blipfoto where I do a picture a day there is an app for directly going from your iPhone to the software. My point was simply not about touting the iPhone. It was that building in a way to make the photos useable directly from the device makes a big difference for the user experience which in turn will sell a lot more phones.

Also more info here:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/nokia-n8-goes-official-12-megapixels-symbian-3-shipping-in-q3/

p.s. If I wanted to move the 600 images off the iPhone a simple synch would allow me take them off in an instant.
 
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Lars

Active member
Terry,
Yes sure but I'm still confounded over how it makes sense in a discussion about Nokia camera hardware to promote your Apple device because of its software? It's not just you, this seems to happen frequently and it's frankly getting very tiring for those of us who are trying to discuss other matters.

So... I would kindly ask Apple evangelists to please stay on the subject and keep the Apple comments to Apple-related threads. I hope I phrased myself properly.
Lars
 

sizifo

New member
These still look extremely smeared & processed to me, even if they're better than what other phones offer.

I suspect that getting the sensor in the phone is only half the challenge. Controlling the noise from all the crammed electronic components is I think the major reason why they need to crank up the processing.

Here's an article on the N8 from the excellent spanish website quesabesde http://www.quesabesde.com/noticias/opinion-nokia-n8-moviles,1_6320 .

Unfortunately it concludes with exactly the thought that Terry was trying to convey :)(as far as my bad spanish allows me to conclude).
 

Terry

New member
Terry,
Yes sure but I'm still confounded over how it makes sense in a discussion about Nokia camera hardware to promote your Apple device because of its software? It's not just you, this seems to happen frequently and it's frankly getting very tiring for those of us who are trying to discuss other matters.

So... I would kindly ask Apple evangelists to please stay on the subject and keep the Apple comments to Apple-related threads. I hope I phrased myself properly.
Lars
Lars,
As far as I'm concerned I was having a discussion about a platform for Apps to extend the usefulness of camera specs. It was not about one company or one platform. It doesn't matter if it is symbian, android, windows 7, or apple. The only point I was making is that camera specs might be great but the extention of a good platform to do something with the images is an important consideration. For instance the N8 has the capability to upload pictures directly to Facebook. While from a pure photographers standpoint that might be horrifying and useless, it will please many others and that feature alone will sell more N8's.
 

ecsh

New member
Not bad pics for a cameraphone. I do believe 12mp is perhaps crowding the sensor though.
 

Rawfa

Active member
Nokia reps said in a recent statement that they intend to make cell phones that can display the picture quality of DSLRs. This is a clear indicator that they have set their plan in motion. I'm not sure if people in this thread know that this sensor is almost as big as the LX3's or the S90's with a fixed 28mm f2.8 carl zeiss (I guess it would be a bit much to ask for raw). Depending on the N8's price this could be really cool. I don't take my compact everywhere everyday, but I DO take my cell phone everywhere everyday.
 
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