The smart-phone has a camera. A whopping 5 megapixel one.
Being a photographer, I guess I’m critical when it comes to photographing. I can tell you that this “camera” is a piece of crap. The previous phone (HTC) had a 2 or 3 mp camera and that was even crappier, and I assumed that the camera technology since the first version of that HTC -I’ve had it for about 1,5 years before it turned retard on me – would’ve been improved since than, but no. The quality is still crap. The amount of pictures I shot with the HTC you can count on the fingers of 2 hands. I predict that it won’t be much more with this phone. I’ve considered getting the Nokia N8, one of the reasons was because it has a 12 mp camera, but I can’t say anything about the quality of it (decided against getting it anyway after some good advise from a friend).
But anyway… I think it will take still a very long time (if at all) before phones will have cameras with acceptable quality. They are just too flimsy, you can’t do any decent manual settings and I’m even having trouble shooting an in-focus image, because the phone is so thin and wobbly and you can’t really hold it firmly to make pictures.
For a quick snap-shot it’ll have to do, though, even if it’s got “camera” shake, a shitload of noise (@ ISO400, how sad is that?) and very flat colors (funny values in phone for taking this picture, too!):
Samsung Galaxy S, ISO400, 1/17 sec @ f/2.6, focal length 3,5mm (<- ?)
But a cute picture as a result. :c) Although I thought the iPhone has a good camera? At least the pictures I’ve seen have been good.