OT: Camera Phone Thoughts?

[bobomoon]

1. I saw a thread here on the forum pointing to a dynamite photoblog done entirely with a camera phone and I was really impressed.

2. Yesterday there was a NYTimes article on camera phones and the resurgence of self portraiture.

3. I lost my cell phone last month (actually, not having it for 4 weeks has been refreshing) and I've been offered an upgrade because it's the end of my contract. Usually, I just go for the freebie.

4. I'm fond of early, less than 1MP cameras--or rather the pics I took with my Polaroid .8mp cam.

5. Does anyone here have a camera phone? Which one should I get? I want to be down.

[yossarian]

New meth lab in town?

[bobomoon]

New meth lab in town?

"I'd feel kind of weird taping up my windows with black carboard though. Might make the neighbors suspicious and think its a meth lab."

--from fellow rrf member Brians in reference to turning his apartment into a Camera Obscura.

[yossarian]

I think Monte Zucker is going to have a cameraphone workshop at PMA.

[George S.]

I understand Samsung has or very shortly will have out an 8MP camera phone.

[JoeFriday]

I've seen some pretty nice shots on flickr done with cameraphones... check out this Sony Ericsson K750i shot

http://www.flickr.com/photos/verdurin/103211535/in/photostream/

it's a 2 megapixel camera with built-in bluetooth, MP3 player and FM radio.. oh, and it can make calls, too

http://msn-cnet.com.com/Sony_Ericsson_K750i/4505-6454_7-31313351.html?tag=topprods

[jan normandale]

this is definitely on the fringe... you all need counseling.

That's just my opinion ;- )

[amateriat]

I've gone back and forth about cameraphones. At the beginning I thought they would be the death of photography as we know it (i.e. probably not for the better). Then I had another thought: since I really have liitle use for digicams other than for the proverbial quick n' dirty stuff, why not a phone with 2-4MP, a halfway-decent zoom, some degree of close-up capability, a modicum of "creative control", and even a built-in flash, however lame for anything greater than a foot or so away? They're not replacing my regular shootin' iron, and they don't take up space in my bag. And, since it's tied in with my phone/PDA/pocket Wurlitzer/GPS/sideburn trimmer, I'll have a silly-happy-snap machine on my person almost all the time. And, the next tiime I'm doing a group shot and someone asks "Dude, think you can speed it up with something digital?", I can put down my Hexar, pull the phone off my belt, set up, shoot, and say "There's your digital. Would you like it in your Inbox now?", and go right back to working with my Hexar.

- Barrett ("Fast enough for you?")

[ClaremontPhoto]

I usually go with the latest Nokia but that Sony Ericsson 750i looks good.

Perhaps it is best to get whatever phone Bluetooths properly with your computer.

[Twigs]

Also check out the sony ericcson w900i. I've used my friend's w900i and it's kinda neat. Well the first thing I noticed was the terrbile shutter lag. But after a little getting used to, it's actually a pretty decent camera - bright LCD, selectable spot metering, macro focusing, and I'm especially impressed with the AE lock when the shutter release is half-pressed.

[Jacob]

This thread made me take a closer look at my Sony Ericsson k750i. I haven't had time to explore its capabilities although I bought it because of its camera. As others I thought it would do as a not to good digi p&s so I could go on sniffing celluloid when I want real photos...

I found "high quality" and "b&w" modes that made the thing quite fun to use. The prints from my old Epson 1200 come out really nice. Main problems are shutter lag and camera shake. It is NOT an M2!

Still, I am positively surprised.
/Jacob

[PeterL]

The k750i seems to be quite good, indeed. I've seen plenty of shots at full resolution, and I'm impressed. The reason I didn't buy one was the shutter lag. An additional irritation is the mini-memorystick as the only storage medium. Once they come out with a cameraphone with minimal shutter lag, I'll buy one when my current GSM gets destroyed (2 phones ago) or stolen (previous phone).

Peter.

[DougK]

I needed to replace my old phone (I think I dropped it too many times) and bought an unlocked Motorola SLVR L6 which happens to have a 640x480 still/video camera on it. Good for silly snapshots when I'm bored out of my mind at work. The quality isn't all that bad, actually, and might be a lot of fun for a photo of the day/week project.

[gitarzan]

I take a lot of pictures of bathroom floors and car interior closeups with my cell phone cam. One cool thing is they are so wide, I've taken picture of my dentals fillings before. Best of all they make a great instant notepad for snapping written info.

I place mine, however, in the realm of toy camera photography. Sometimes it's fun to see what comes out.

Another thing, some if not most, phone cams capture a larger image than you see on the screen, making framing a guess work/luck issue.

[ch1]

Aw c'mon...you guys are funnin' here, I can tell.

After all, Maxwell Smart "invented' the shoe phone and ii's been a technological tranjectory since then.

My combination digiphotophonelaptopblackberryIpodmp3playerwhatcha maycallit has full 120 mp focusing capabilities via a HDplasmoid lens made by Holga can run rings around your crappy Leicas, Canons and Nikons! :p

[jan normandale]

I'm in, cell phone cameras are the way of the future. Don't even doubt it. Refuse today, cave tomorrow.

[tedwhite]

If I knew what 'bluetooth' is I might get sweaty palms. I'm gonna take my Rolleiflex out to the garden and calm down.

[Pherdinand]

As technology evolves and cell phones become multifunctional, it's getting more and more difficult to actually CALL someone.

[Pherdinand]

Bluetooth was a viking not-so-gentle-man who painted one of his teeth blue, just to scare off enemy and to look even less gentle than he was. But don't worry Ted, he's dead now.
Actually i have found it an above-average-quality name for a communication device. Of course it is not as descriptive as "mobile phone", or "memory stick" but it sounds cooler.

[Andy K]

My phone has a camera. It is useful for ebay listings, but 99.9% of the time it is just a phone to me. I have a Panasonic VS6 (http://www.panasonic.co.uk/mobile-phones/vs6/index.htm).
I think the evolution of the phone camera will make obsolete the digital P&S.

[sf]

I hate cellphones. Mine must radiate like a plutonium bar because it makes my head warm, gives me a funky headache, and has the ability to switch electronic devices in my room on and off at will. And it sings freaky little songs to me through my speakers in what would otherwise be pleasant silence.

A cellphone with special powers - like a camera - will never find its way into my pocket.

[Pherdinand]

About freaky little songs through the speakers induced by cell phones:
There's a funky little "industrial" style song from Einsturzende Neubauten (just use copy paste, if you google them) called Missed telephone calls or such, which has the basic rythm made up of these induced trattaram-tarattarattaramm-s.

[Sparrow]

It’s all becoming clear now…digital……blue tooth……….machines talking to each other!!.................so what’s Skynet and who’s John Connor then?