[Spridgets] Megapixels digital cameras, phones and NO LBC

[bjshov8 at tx.rr.com]

It is very hard to compare camera statistics from one type of camera to another.  There is no substitute for sensor size and lens size.

I have an old Nikon D70 with 6MP sensor.  It will very easily beat the pants off of any currently available small camera with 12MP or 14MP sensor.  I have a small Canon 7MP camera, barely bigger than some cellphones, and though it is very much inferior to the old Nikon D70, it is very much better than any cellphone that you can buy anywhere.

Basically a cellphone camera cannot begin to take the place of a real camera, there just isn't enough room in the phone for a sufficient lens and sensor, and I suspect that cellphone manufacturers don't take much design time in making the camera work, they can barely get the rest of the phone to work.  Just look at the recent antenna issue with the iphone4.

Nevertheless I've seen some photos from the new iphone that almost looked like they were satisfactory for crude snapshots, so camera phones have improved.  I think the newest android phones have pretty good cameras too.  I remember a few years ago I was shopping for new phones.  I went to the local ATT store and while waiting for someone to help me I played with the phones they had on display.  I took some photos with some of those older camera phones.  I was standing less than 10 feet from the employees sitting at desks, and in the resulting photos you couldn't tell if I was taking a photo of a human or something else, so those phones were really bad.

The original poster stated the interest in macro photography.  The cheapest Canon or Nikon DSLR would work fine for this with bodies available new for $450US or less.  Used ones are available for less than that.  My old D70 still works great but is worth less than $200 on the used market.  Also very good macro lenses are available for under $300US.  So you don't have to spend a lot for a top notch digital macro system.

> Ok that was interesting, especially the web link.  So if the lens and  
> gubbins inside the Nokia X6 is decent it might give the Canon a run for its  
> money even though the Canon does have a higher MP count.  I guess I do need  
> sample pictures.  So anyone have a Nokia X6 they can use to send me some  
> photos from?