An Associated Press reporter, Bruce Meyerson, reviews the new two megapixel slider-type Samsung MM-A800 camera phone from Sprint PCS and finds the handset takes some good photos but still no substitute for a good digital camera.
Also, the MM-A800 has one frustrating feature of defaulting to a pre-set parameter that Meyerson hated -- and I don't blame him. Meyerson wanted to take all his photos at the highest resolution, but when the handset is opened and the keypad available, the resolution defaults to one-half megapixel -- without any way to permanently override the default.
So you can set the MM-A800 to two megapixels but every time you slide it open you have to remember to to change the resolution back from one-half megapixel. That stinks.
Features versus problem
A Samsung representative says the default is a "feature." Meyerson reports, "The assumption, an executive explained, is that when the phone is
slid open, the user is planning to share the photo rather than print
it, and thus needs the keypad to type in an e-mail address or phone
number to which it will be sent.
"A high-resolution photo is overkill
for that type of viewing, of course, as it takes longer to transmit
over the cellular network -- possibly at an added cost to the sender. Fair enough, but no reason to handcuff the user."
Meyerson wanted to print his photos. Indeed, the article is about how he took the handset to takes photos of his newborn baby, although he also took a trusty film camera.
Quality of images
Here's what he says about the quality of the MM-A800's photos: "The camera-phone shots from the hospital and afterwards provided more
than a few album-worthy pictures, but even those printed with blurs,
blares of light and muddy contrasts.
"None came out as sharp or vivid as
images taken by the film camera or the full-blown digital camera I used
when my first child was born. The A800's image quality was, of
course, far superior to prints from photos taken with the
low-resolution 'VGA' cameras built into so many phones, as well as the
1-megapixel models that are becoming more common.
"For comparison, I printed a series of identical shots from a Sanyo phone with a 1.3 megapixel camera, all abysmal."
Don't rely on a camera phone!
When I know I'm going to want to take the best photos I can possibly get, I take a film SLR and/or a digital camera. Nothing (that I own) comes close to the quality of my 20-year-old (older, I think) Olympus OM-4T SLR with its collection of telephoto and wide angle lenses (and spectacular Fuji Velvia 50 film for landscapes).
My four megapixel Canon PowerShot S45 (yes, I really want to upgrade to seven or eight megapixels because I regularly crop my photos) does a fine job in many situations.
That said, I love having a camera (i.e., camera phone) with me all the time. There are many times when having a camera in my phone -- a 1.3 megapixel or even a VGA -- has been useful for both business and personal purposes. The camera phone photos and videos of the London terrorist bombings are but one
(albeit sad) illustration of the value of having a camera with you all the time.
Good features but...
Meyerson doesn't trash the Samsung camera phone. He notes, "The Samsung phone introduces some other nice touches to phone
photography: autofocus; a digital zoom function in 10 increments; a
sliding lens cap to prevent smudges; a choice of USB port or removable
storage card to transfer pictures to a computer or compatible printer;
and a big color screen that makes viewing pictures and Web content more
pleasurable."
However, he says that all those features are somewhat beside the point. "Since the digital photos taken by lower-end camera phones are already
adequate for e-mail attachments and phone-to-phone picture messaging,
the main advantage of a 2-megapixel camera phone -- one that costs $500
before rebates or $350 with a two-year Sprint contract -- has to be the
ability to print out pictures as you might with any digital camera."
Printing results
He tested the MM-800 by printing a variety of photos. Meyerson writes, "I used three different online services to print my photos from the A800
just to make sure the image quality was a reflection of the camera.
"The
truest images were captured outdoors. Many of the indoor photos
suffered from motion blur, a sign the photo sensor needs a real flash
rather than the lamp installed on most camera phones.
"Flashes freeze
motion, yielding sharp pictures. Here, instead of illuminating the
entire picture with a dispersed burst of light, a visible spotlight
often ringed the subject, casting a glare."
Better quality to come
Despite the shortcomings -- including a long start-up, he says, "this experiment was hardly a disaster.
"Clearly,
the time has not yet come for non-photo buffs like myself to rely
exclusively on a cell phone camera. But the Samsung A800 shows that's
where we're heading sooner than later.
"At nearly 2 inches
thick, the A800 is a tad bulkier than I'd prefer for a cell phone. Nevertheless, I relished the opportunity to leave my camera home
altogether, and frequently did so, knowing I had my phone to capture
unexpected photo opportunities.
"Let the photo enthusiasts
carry around as many devices as they like. This point-and-shoot amateur
looks forward to the day when all you need is one."
