The iPhone camera is lagging behind

[The-Real-Deal82]

I think what this thread has determined is, that some users base a large portion of their mobile choice on the quality of the camera. For others, its not a feature that is primary or counts as a negative. If someone were to say to me, my phone is better than your iPhone because it has a much better camera, I would say 'so what?'. Camera quality is nice to have, but many other features come before it in the importance scale for some of us.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Well, everything is relative. iPhones indeed have definitely worse IQ than the 808 (or even the 1020). This is a fact. It's always preferable to shoot with a camera with better IQ to achieve (technically) better quality. This is why pro photog's take mostly FF's to weddings and not P&S cameras.

Well, if I paid $1,000 for someone to shoot my wedding and they brought in a point and shoot, I'd fire them on the spot.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Well, if I paid $1,000 for someone to shoot my wedding and they brought in a point and shoot, I'd fire them on the spot.

Yup, it's exactly because of the image quality why photog's need to lug around those "archaic", big, large FF cameras and not shoot with much smaller ones (not even micro 4/3 ones, which have still way larger sensors than P&S cameras).

Generally (assuming the same effort going into designing the camera as a whole), the larger the sensor / optics, the better image quality. This is one of the reason why the two high-Megapixel Nokias deliver considerably better IQ than any iPhones.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Well, if I paid $1,000 for someone to shoot my wedding and they brought in a point and shoot, I'd fire them on the spot.

A $1000 in the UK would only get you a tog with a point and shoot in today's market. A good wedding tog charges at least £1500. I think we paid £2700 for our package. If they had turned up with a compact, I think they would be chased off too

 

[Technarchy]

I think what this thread has determined is, that some users base a large portion of their mobile choice on the quality of the camera. For others, its not a feature that is primary or counts as a negative. If someone were to say to me, my phone is better than your iPhone because it has a much better camera, I would say 'so what?'. Camera quality is nice to have, but many other features come before it in the importance scale for some of us.

"So what" and "who cares" seems to be the overwhelming response to this notion of iPhone cameras "lagging" because iPhones are not just cameras.

Smartphones are not just cameras, but a myriad of solutions that travel in your pocket.

If one were sit here and attempt to list all the ways a Nokia is lagging compared to an iPhone, the list would be quite extensive, but hey, at least the 1020 has a nice camera...

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Well, everything is relative. iPhones indeed have definitely worse IQ than the 808 (or even the 1020).

DPR on the iPhone 5: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/6867454450/quick-review-apple-iphone-5-camera/5

The iPhone 5 is a fine mobile device, with an excellent camera.

The 808 is not a fine mobile device. It's hideous and runs obselete Symbian.

 

[Menneisyys2]

DPR on the iPhone 5: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/6867454450/quick-review-apple-iphone-5-camera/5

It's just a quick preview without much quantitive info. The final review is at http://connect.dpreview.com/post/1343713337/apple-iphone-5-review

Even after those reviews, DPReview often emphasizes (even in their newer articles) the 808 was, at the time of writing, the best camera available. For example, the S4 review: ( http://connect.dpreview.com/post/0586582857/samsung-galaxy-s4-camera-review?page=8 )

"With a DxOMark Mobile score of 75 the Samsung Galaxy S4 is ranked number two in the DxO smartphone rankings, between Nokia's 808 and the Apple iPhone 5."

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The 808 is not a fine mobile device. It's hideous and runs obselete Symbian.

Well, there still are areas where the "hideous" 808 and the "obselete" Symbian is much better than any iOS-based device. Not only camera stuff, but also call / voice recording.

- can you record phone calls on the iPhone without jailbreaking and without having to go thru an external server, only allowing for recording outgoing calls? (See my "muted" version of the only available call recorder, only for the iPhone 5, at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1566350/ if interested.)

- can you use your iPhone as a stereo(!) dictaphone / audio recorder? (See http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/reviews/item/17295_Audio_Recorder_Pro.php )

 

[Technarchy]

It's just a quick preview without much quantitive info. The final review is at http://connect.dpreview.com/post/1343713337/apple-iphone-5-review

Even after those reviews, DPReview often emphasizes (even in their newer articles) the 808 was, at the time of writing, the best camera available. For example, the S4 review: ( http://connect.dpreview.com/post/0586582857/samsung-galaxy-s4-camera-review?page=8 )

"With a DxOMark Mobile score of 75 the Samsung Galaxy S4 is ranked number two in the DxO smartphone rankings, between Nokia's 808 and the Apple iPhone 5."

Both the GS4 and iPhone 5 rape the 808 as actual smart phones...which is what they are. The 808 is an irrelevant.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Both the GS4 and iPhone 5 rape the 808 as actual smart phones...which is what they are. The 808 is an irrelevant.

It is indeed irrelevant for 99,9% of users - I haven't debated this q. Of course I know iPhone is good enough for people only interested in quick shots or a pretty good inbuilt panorama mode.

It's just that there are users (some 400-500 thousands of them) for whom image quality and/or voice/call recording is of paramount importance. Those are the people that have purchased the 808.

 

[Jessica Lares]

It's just that there are users (some 400-500 thousands of them) for whom image quality and/or voice/call recording is of paramount importance. Those are the people that have purchased the 808.

The only ones who bought it are ones who have that kind of money to dump on a phone off-contract. And honestly, looking through Flickr, there are some who take great shots with the camera, and there are others who are not any different to the very standard daily blogging stuff you see on Instagram. The quality is better, the composition is not.

 

[Menneisyys2]

A shameless plug:

Speaking of iPhone cameras, I've just published my latest article & roundup & tutorial (The Exposure Compensation and Bracketing Bible):

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1621351/

 

[Markyboy81]

The only ones who bought it are ones who have that kind of money to dump on a phone off-contract. And honestly, looking through Flickr, there are some who take great shots with the camera, and there are others who are not any different to the very standard daily blogging stuff you see on Instagram. The quality is better, the composition is not.

The quality is only noticeably better if you zoom in and start pixel peeping. That's not to take anything away from the 808 as it is an amazing piece of engineering, however I'd go as far to say that 'most' people including myself, wouldn't really tell the difference when viewing pictures on a 1080p screen or similar.

 

[RoboWarriorSr]

Like teens are all going to ditch their ios device just so they can have a superior camera running windows 8 without Instagram. Yeah not going to happen.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Like teens are all going to ditch their ios device just so they can have a superior camera running windows 8 without Instagram. Yeah not going to happen.

Well, the 1020 isn't for them but for people that want a camera of extreme quality. Typically, they aren't typical teens.

 

[ChrisTX]

For the record, each new iPhone seems to set the standard as far as quality of camera, and picture taking. I don't expect this to change with the 5S either.

 

[watchthisspace]

Give the iPhone camera some image stabilisation and Apple will have another winner in the camera department. The iPhone 5's camera takes some great, balanced photo's, but that falls apart in low light situations.

I, for, one, would almost buy a 1020 in a heartbeat, if it had a faster SoC to process those mammoth images.

 

[RoboWarriorSr]

Well, the 1020 isn't for them but for people that want a camera of extreme quality. Typically, they aren't typical teens.

That was my point forgot to put /s.

 

[2298754]

If the Lumia was so superior, why has it already gotten a pricecut at Amazon.com.

 

[Menneisyys2]

If the Lumia was so superior, why has it already gotten a pricecut at Amazon.com.

Because it was highly overpriced at start.

 

[ChrisTX]

Because it was highly overpriced at start.

And because they actually want to sell a few of these. No ones buying them to begin with, and certainly not at full retail.

 

[adder7712]

A $1000 in the UK would only get you a tog with a point and shoot in today's market. A good wedding tog charges at least £1500. I think we paid £2700 for our package. If they had turned up with a compact, I think they would be chased off too

What if he showed up with one of these?

Not exactly a P&S.

 

[b166er]

My two cents...

Every Android camera I've used has been crap.

The iPhone cameras have been pretty damn good.

Nokia blows them all out of the water (at least the 920 and up).

That being said, I'm using android at the moment, but I knew I was going to have to settle for a camera I wasn't thrilled with. The camera is a pretty big factor for me when I'm buying a phone, but I had to get away from WP8 for now.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

What if he showed up with one of these?

Not exactly a P&S.

Looks like a very capable camera and a good bridge between a point and shoot and a DSLR. I can't see how it would be suitable for the more professional job though. By the time you attach a flashgun which is probably bigger than this camera and a variety of lenses with their adaptor, I would imagine it would be difficult to handle. Lets face it, it's not designed for that type of usage. It also requires the user to use its LCD screen on the back as the main option in order to set up and compose the photograph. A nice sunny day would be a problem, let alone a photographers preference for using the viewfinder (this camera has a very small one on the side) also restricts this particular type of camera.

This is all my opinion and I don't doubt this is a very good camera indeed, but it serves an enthusiast market rather than replacing a more capable DSLR.

 

[cleanup]

I think since the iPhone 4, iPhones have had some pretty damn good cameras. Really only bested by the Nokias and a couple of Samsungs (ie. the S4).

I do believe the S4 currently has the best all-around camera on a smartphone. Not because it has a relatively high megapixel count, but more because it's sharp, has vivid colors, and the minimum focusing distance is absurdly small, which lets you really shrink the depth of field in macro shots to a point where you'd think it was taken by a dedicated camera with a fast lens.

 

[coldmack]

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It's hard to say that when the iPhone camera is on you damn near 24/7. There are lots of chances and moments to capture pics that would be lost otherwise.

That's why I had a Canon S90 with my all the time, and have a Sony RX100 in order now that the price has gone down along with an eye-fi card, cause I can't depend on my iPhone or HTC One X camera to save my life, specially at night.

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And for record millions of users, that camera is the iPhone camera. Or the GS3/4. Pictures from these phones haven't suddenly gotten worse because the Lumia 1020 is out, you know.

Well technically you can argue it would, as the 1020 could change peoples perceptions on what could/should/would be acceptable for a camera phone. I know the N92x series sort of has. One of my friends sadly has one and now people want to use his phone to take pictures(when Im not around) because the IS really does help at night, from the facebook pictures I have seen. And because of that they get the perception their iPhone and Galaxy devices image quality has gone down a bit, specially for night shots.

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Looks like a very capable camera and a good bridge between a point and shoot and a DSLR. I can't see how it would be suitable for the more professional job though. By the time you attach a flashgun which is probably bigger than this camera and a variety of lenses with their adaptor, I would imagine it would be difficult to handle. Lets face it, it's not designed for that type of usage. It also requires the user to use its LCD screen on the back as the main option in order to set up and compose the photograph. A nice sunny day would be a problem, let alone a photographers preference for using the viewfinder (this camera has a very small one on the side) also restricts this particular type of camera.

This is all my opinion and I don't doubt this is a very good camera indeed, but it serves an enthusiast market rather than replacing a more capable DSLR.

If you look/read carefully it has high resolution OLED viewfinder, that offers 100% coverage, which would make it pretty on par with an OVF. In fact just because it has 100% coverage still makes it pretty on par with OVF as size isn't too much of a concern. I have used it in store and it's one of the best EVFs on the market and some Pros prefer EVF over OVF.

 

[Virginaustralia]

It is not lagging, it has way better optics and technologies than other cameras which just have more megapixels, which doesnt make a better photo. anything above 10 megapixels is fine im sure the 5S will have that or more but they add more stuff to the camera not the camera app