IPhone 4S against all other iPhone models (low light shooting)

Post by pavel_lishin » Tue, Nov 08, 2011, 1:23 AM UTC

roc wrote: post #5

bprater wrote: post #4

I think we've finally came to the place where consumer-grade digital cameras will quickly begin to fade out. The images and video coming from the 4S are mind-blowing -- I'm still dumbfounded such a small lens array can produce such clear photos. (Check Vimeo's iPhone video channel.) The only thing my 4S lacks that my point-and-shoot has is an optical zoom. Beyond that, the phone's ecosystem of photo apps plus the abi…

As for still shooting, you may want to take an inventory of the places that people use their point-and-shoots. In my surveying, they're almost only used in places where macro, low-light, flash, speed (image stabilization) and zoom performance are very important: birthdays, landmarks, weddings, kids events, zoos. And those are features where the known solutions just do not fit into the physical constraints of smartpho…

Post by pavel_lishin » Tue, Nov 08, 2011, 1:25 AM UTC

alastairpat wrote: post #15

sehugg wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing smartphone cameras still don't do for me is minimize the time between wanting to take a shot and taking a shot. This is one area I think consumer cameras could also be improved. Ideally I'd like one button for pictures, one for video -- mash it down, the camera powers on and figures out what to do as fast as possible.

Compact cameras are still terrible in that regard; you can only get that 'off to photo taken in 0.3 seconds' with SLRs today. It's thus not really a valid argument for compact digital cameras still having relevance.

Post by wtvanhest » Tue, Nov 08, 2011, 1:36 AM UTC

suivix wrote: post #19

newhouseb wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not true, as per the scientific method you only want to test typically along one dimension (in this case sensor quality). If the cameras are subject a random motion which causes blur greater than the blur caused by low-light conditions then the results are meaningless as the random motion is independent of the variable being tested.

I disagree because you want to test photographs from a human holding it, not a tripod holding it. Perhaps you could take dozens of shots with each phone and compare.

Post by jayfuerstenberg » Tue, Nov 08, 2011, 1:40 AM UTC

sehugg wrote: post #11

bprater wrote: post #4

I think we've finally came to the place where consumer-grade digital cameras will quickly begin to fade out. The images and video coming from the 4S are mind-blowing -- I'm still dumbfounded such a small lens array can produce such clear photos. (Check Vimeo's iPhone video channel.) The only thing my 4S lacks that my point-and-shoot has is an optical zoom. Beyond that, the phone's ecosystem of photo apps plus the abi…

One thing smartphone cameras still don't do for me is minimize the time between wanting to take a shot and taking a shot. This is one area I think consumer cameras could also be improved. Ideally I'd like one button for pictures, one for video -- mash it down, the camera powers on and figures out what to do as fast as possible.

Post by ghshephard » Tue, Nov 08, 2011, 2:34 AM UTC

jtreminio wrote: post #28

pavel_lishin wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine that your customer is drunk. Digital cameras win hands down. Slam the power button, slam the photo button, and you have at least a blurry blackmail-worthy shot of your friend dancing with a hobo. With a mobile phone, by the time I get the app up and running, the hobo is gone and my friend is left with nothing but hobo sweat.

On my Galaxy II, whenever I want to have the camera functionality ready, I open the camera app and press the power button. The screen turns off, and I simply need to wake the phone back on to be immediately ready to take a blackmail picture. This is even quicker with the "NoLock" app that disables the lock screen.