Camera Labs

I was out walking my dogs today at Beaudry Provincial Park; my D7000's battery was dead so I was restricted from taking any shots. However, when the lighting was right, a great photo op of the river presented itself, but all I had on me was my mobile. But after seeing shots and videos such as DigitalRev's Pro Photographer, Cheap Camera series, I was inspired to try a few pictures with the phone. Much to my surprise, the quality was actually pretty usable, and relatively sharp overall, at least for a phone (and there was fortunately no absurd fake shutter sound, as Popo ranted about a while back).

The camera itself is an autofocus 8 megapixel shooter with dual LED flash, and an f/2.2 "Carl Zeiss" lens. Now obviously this isn't going to be a lens of the same quality as your DSLR's Carl Zeiss lens, but it still is quite good.

Do any of you use the cameras on your mobile phones? I've never really used mine in the past, but I've never realized their potential quality. I could see myself using this when I don't have a DSLR on me, camera phones could seriously give point and shoots a run for their money.


No post processing aside from an exposure correction using an in-phone app.

So what's your thought on using camera phones as actual, and to a degree, serious, cameras? Post your samples and opinions here!

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

In the past Ive said (maybee too) many times that Id prefer not to take a photo instead of taking one with a mobile phone. A mobile phone doesnt take photos, just pictures. Therefore Ive bought a ****load of cameras for every use (small ones like the Canon G series to a 350D) so I can everytime have a camera with me for quality photos.
Also I dont like both the quality and not be able to tweak the settings (ISO on the lowest and other settings), missing a RAW mode and looking like a ''look at me I shoot with a mobile phone!'' while I have some quite expensive equipment, so that's why... Ive got to say though, the quality of some phones is not as unusable as some years ago, and after having seen some pictures of my upcoming Galaxy Gio I might use a phone when I dont have anything else left. But, luckily, I have almost always a camera with me. Be it in the pocket or be it in my backpack.

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Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies

I used to think that my iPhone 3GS camera was awesome. Now, not so much after seeing what my friend's 4S can do... That said, I'm not a snob when it comes to using my phone to take photos... in fact, in a lot of cases I'd rather snap with my phone than lug an SLR around. I'd never buy another P&S camera because it's just yet another "something" to carry around, but with my phone at least I always have it on me and it's multi-purpose.

People who use the iPad or tablets with cameras to do photography make me giggle though just at the form factor...

All below taken with my iPhone 3GS with some slight editing in either Snapseed or Lightroom.

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Canon EOS 5D MkII | Canon EOS 7D | Canon Digital Rebel XSi | EF 35mm f/1.4L | EF 50mm f/1.8 II | EF 85mm f/1.8 | EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM | EF 135mm f/2L | EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS | 580EX II | LumoPro LP-120

My Flickr

I have to admit that I've had downright contemptuous and snobbish views towards cameraphones (except for the Nokia Pureview 808), particularly when the manufacturer boasts about the lens or when people go on about the number of megapixels. My view was based on the lack of manual control, poor AWB or the flash overwhelming the subject. However, after watching the same DigitalRev series, I looked at cheap cameras and cameraphones much more favourably.

I still seldom use my cameraphone but I was pretty happy with the result of this shot I did of the Battersea Power Station in April last year (no PP).

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Bodies: Canon EOS 550D w/ Magic Lantern
Lenses: Tokina AT-X 116 Pro DX f/2.8, Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Accessories: YongNuo Speedlite YN-468 Flash, Neewer Macro LED Ring Light, Meike Battery Grip, YongNuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Trigger & Receiver YongNuo WR-128 Wireless Remote Control

I hate those very very very overcooked results of phones and the cheaper cameras which settings you cant change.
Call me an idiot, but Id prefer a natural looking photo!

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Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies

Now I start to annoy people repeating it: I have no mobile phone. I don't have a compact camera either (OK, but I'd love a waterproof compact or a Powershot G1X).

Ahhh... well... OK... yeah, I still have my rather defective Sanyo J2 compact from 2003, which is quite OK for macro shots ( https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4 ... directlink ). 3.2MP.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

I was pleasantly surprised by the images I could get with a Casio GZone Type V, and a Casio Boulder, but I e-mailed or texted very few of them, so almost none survived the demise of the phones. One of those few is publically viewable on flickr. The image is unremarkable, shot before I knew anything about composition or exposure, but is personally memorable.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rexgig0/55 ... hotostream

I have tended to ignore the camera feature of my more recent mobile phones. I have a love-hate relationship with mobile devices, but as I have no land line phone, and my job requires me to have a phone, the one I have is mobile, a Casio Brigade, but it is quite cumbersome to get it into camera mode.

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Canon 7D/5D/40D/1D2N; Nikon F6, FM3A, & Coolpix A; Canon 40mm Pancake, 135L, 50L, 35L, pre-II 50mm 1.8, 100mm 2.8L Macro, 10-22mm EF-S, 28-135 EF, 400mm 5.6L; Nikkor 50mm 1.2 AI-S, 50mm 1.4G, 50mm 1.8D, 16mm 2.8D Fisheye, 180mm 2.8D, 100-300mm 5.6 AI-S; Tokina 17mm & 100mm 2.8 Macro

$#*%!!!

My phone got wet after a water bottle spilled in my bag, and then short circuit. I hope that the rice and silicon gels help...

In the meantime I have an older webOS phone, but the camera is rubbish.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

i pretty much never take a photo with my phone.

this is the only time we did. Its an iphone 4s taken through the eyepiece of a theodolite and a big piece of green glass at the recent transit of venus.


venus-sun by robbon44, on Flickr

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Canon 550D, Canon EFS 17-85 IS USM, Canon EF 75-300 IS USM, Canon EFS 10-22mm USM, Canon EF35mm F2.

Got some of the gear but really still no idea...

I shot this while I was out in the country this weekend. This is essentially the scene that you'll see throughout all of southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

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-Evan

Gear: 7 Nikon Nikkor AI-S and AF-S lenses, SB-700 flash, Nikon D7000, Nikon FM, variety of accessories

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs."
- Ansel Adams

The lady is 'admiring' my pictures here (iPhone 4):



A little color street photography (iPhone 4):



Working on a team assignment well over a year ago (iPhone 4):



No cliché Instagram filters on this one, which I guess is a good thing (iPhone 3G):



- Bjorn

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Street and documentary photographer | Google+ | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Leica M9-P (my article on Camera Labs) | Leica D-Lux 5 | 50mm Summilux