Who wants the Sony Idou? Not me.

newsguy 0 295 Views

Has the world gone mad? Sony is getting set to launch a cellphone with, wait for it, no less than a 12.1 megapixel camera built in. To put that in to some perspective, I take photographs for publication as part of my day to day working life as a jobbing journalist. The digital camera I use has 8 megapixels which really are plenty thanks very much. Indeed, most photographers will tell you that the headline megapixel count is not as important as the quality of the lens and numerous other bits and bobs. And while Sony has something of a decent track record in the field of producing good quality camera-phones, I doubt the lens in the Idou will be anywhere near as good as the average purpose built digital camera.

Let's face it, what do most people use a camera-phone for? OK, making telephone calls and sending text messages are probably number one and two, but even when we get to the photography bit the kind of images are likely to be more a case of opportunistic snapshots than considered portraits and set pieces. That is the whole point of a point and shoot camera in the pocket, a truly portable device, and it has a lot of merit as such. But, and it is a big but, for doing that impulse snap shooting stuff you simply do not need 12,1 megapixels do you?

Well, I certainly do not at any rate. So, do you need the Idou?

Dani AI

Generated

Both sides make good points. is right that a big megapixel number is mostly a headline — lens quality, sensor size and processing determine usable image quality far more than pixel count. is also right that phones are becoming pocket video rigs and that drives real-world value. brings the needed caution: promised specs and real performance (especially for video) can differ a lot.

Why more megapixels can be a downgrade: on a tiny phone sensor cramming more pixels makes each photosite smaller, which raises noise, reduces dynamic range and hurts low-light shots. The lens has to resolve those pixels; if it cannot, the extra pixels only bloat file size. Image processing (compression, sharpening, noise reduction) then determines the final look as much as the sensor itself.

Video quality is a different animal. Good video needs fast sensor readout, steady stabilization, sustained encoder bitrate and decent audio capture. A phone optimized for a high still resolution may still produce mediocre video if the encoder, stabilization or audio are weak. So a spec sheet that touts megapixels says little about handheld video usefulness for citizen journalism or vlogging.

Quick buyer/test checklist:

  • Shoot sample stills in bright and dim light and view them at 100% on a PC for noise and detail.
  • Test moving subjects to judge autofocus and shutter lag.
  • Record short clips to check frame stability, dropped frames and microphone quality.
  • Note default JPEG compression and file sizes; see if manual controls or RAW output are available.
  • Check burst speed, buffer clearing and battery drain during heavy camera use.

If you need publication-grade images, stick with a compact or interchangeable-lens camera. For social sharing and spontaneous video, prioritize sensor size, stabilization and real-world video tests over headline megapixels.

Member Avatar for Techwriter10
Techwriter10 42 Practically a Posting Shark

I'm thinking it's more about video than stills, and you will be able to take amazing high-quality video with this camera. And I do believe that people will be using cell phones for much more than make calls and sending text messages (although that's obviously Job 1).

I have an iPhone and I use my phone for all sorts of tasks besides calling and texting and I used a Nokia N95 last summer for a few weeks with a 5.1 megapixel lens and video capability and it was great fun for videoblogging. I think the phone cameras are just beginning to catch up with the idea of having a video camera in your pocket and I see it driving all kinds of new social media and citizen journalism.

Ron Miller

Member Avatar for mazurkwicz
mazurkwicz 0 Newbie Poster

Hi Ron
Do you actually know something nobody else knows? i.e. the Idou video capabilities. Sony Ericcson makes excellent camera-phones and music phones, but video capabilities of all of them is veeery poor. I currently have SE XPeria X1 whcih was promissed to have VGA 30fps video, so in theory matching the N95 (which I had before Xperia), but as we all know, Xperia's video is just radicolous... It cannot be even compared to much older N95. Sony Ericsson hasn't made a single hone with good video capabilities (even when they intended to), so I am just wondering whether theyre going to change this. You aid the video is going to be amazing. well, I wouldn't expect it to be at Omnia HD level, but at least to much the granny N95...
Peter

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