Just saw this blog entry on Wired.
8MP Camphone Spells Doom For Stand-Alone Digicams

Interesting premise, but I don't see myself getting rid of my DSLR, much less my point and shoot!

 

Even the folks at Gear Factor didn't buy their own tag line:

"We doubt this handset will really offer such compelling photo quality that users will immediately cease buying digicams this year, particularly since it lacks an optical zoom, but it's hard not to see this as a step in that direction."

 

Just what the world needs camera phone images with 8,000,000 pixels.

Maybe they could spend some time working on improving the signal strength and the reception of the phone part of the phone.

 

That is the funiest thing I've read in weeks!

Thanks for the chuckle, Dave.

 

Just read his post. Nearly spit out my beer, 'cause I agree!

 

so they can charge for each pixel of each photo you send to friends over you airtime! When you add the lens it needs to take advantage of the CCD, it will be useless as a phone, and if you don't, it's useless as a camera!

Matt

 

Why does nobody think about the other part of the equation? You can have a gazillion pixels, but if the optics suck, what's the point? My 2MP Canon PowerShot S200 (point-n-shoot) takes better pictures than many other higher-resolution cameras I've seen. Sure, you can't blow them up to the size of a desk (well, maybe a very small one), but you wouldn't *want* to with these phone pics!

Blech.

I was fairly excited to get my RAZR with camera phone, but the quality abso-friggin-lutely *sucks*. I can't imagine it being an actual selling point, unless off-color, grainy, fuzzy, blurred pictures are your thing.

 

Glad you guys enjoyed that.

I like my devices separate. Give me a good phone and a good camera, but don't mash two substandard products together and ask me to pay a premium for that claptrap.

The whole camera phone thing is a big negative for me anyway. I had to really search pretty hard last time I got a phone for one that didn't have a camera. Cameras (including camera phones) aren't permitted in the buildings where I work.

 

I went through the same thing last time I got new phones. The sales moron kept telling me about all the features that I couldn't care less about. I just want to make a phone call. I don't want to:

1. shoot a movie (I am not a director)
2. take pictures (I have a camera for that)
3. text message anyone (that's what email is for)
4. play games (I have a computer for that)
5. invade a 3rd world country (I am pretty sure this thing has that capability, just have to read the manual)

I swear, if I wasn't afraid to pull over in some of the neighborhoods, I would still cary a pocket full of dimes and use pay phones.