What to shoot with new phone camera!

<p>I had to replace my main mobile phone. The last two mobiles had some sort of a camera although they were both of first generation. The one I am about to receive is a phone from last year. It is a Sony-Ericsson X10 mini-pro and sports a 5 MP digital. From the reviews I have read it appears to be a good enough camera as far as mobiles go albeit, total automation by phone software.<br>

I had not intended to buy another digital camera. I shoot more film. What little digital I shoot are done through a very old Canon S30 and a five year old DSLR, Sony Alpha A100. Still, I want to use this phone camera and work out some sort of niche that would fit in perfectly well within my photographic hobby. It is not going to replace my 120 folders that I use more than anything else at present. It won't replace the Bessa R and black and whites I love shooting from time to time. It won't replace the OM4 and Velvia 50 combination that I expose once in a while each month either. But I want to find something similar for this phone that I would be carrying more often.<br>

I could snap pictures from nights out clubbing or being with friends. Yet I have never found those pictures terribly interesting other than when my 1956 Zeiss Nettar added to the enjoyment of St Patrick's day celebration earlier this year.<br>

What do other amateur shooters use their phone camera for?</p>

<p>I sometimes use mine to document a shooting location, light/sun direction, and related details so that I've got some visual things to help me plan for when the real equipment comes out.</p>

<p>At least we know that *you* won't be like all the kids who hold their camera phone about a foot in front of their neck, point it upwards to get a good view of the underside of their nose & the ceiling, make strange, grimacing facial expressions and have both hands in the photo at odd angles trying to make fake gang symbols. ;-)</p>

<p>On a serious note, when I use my little phone camera, most likely the reason for doing so is simply because "it was there when I needed it". For example, when recently out shopping for a new bed for our guest room, I used it to photograph each bed of interest in the showroom, as well as the sign showing pricing and other details. I've used it to photograph ferry and train schedules when I wasn't sure if the schedule would be easy to find on-line or I want to have the schedule with me and easy to access. I've also used it to convince my wife that I really am caught in heavy traffic ;-) , etc.. Unfortunately, I can't say that I use my little cell phone camera for any serious photographic tasks.</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>I'm pretty disappointed by my cell phone cam but I have found a great use for it. I use mine for taking notes more than making photographs. I didn't want to write my tire specs down so I just took a picture of the text on the tire. I was in a store and took some pics of the model numbers and prices to comparison shop. It's quicker than writing.</p>

<p>You can find many examples on the internet of professional or otherwise advanced photographers finding creative uses for these cameras... none of which have anything to do with the pursuit of image quality that we associate with our DSLRs. Iphoneography is a good search term to start with, even if you don't have an iphone.</p>

<p>As David Burnett of Al Gore Holga picture fame said,<br>

"You try to do something different"</p>

<p>I've only had a smartphone for a short time myself. Typically, in Canada, you get hopelessly out of date until your 3 year contract ends before you can reasonably get a current phone, and my time to upgrade just happens to have come last week. Mine's an Xperia Arc - free with the contract Now I should be current for a couple of months.</p>

<p>I'm not that interested in Hipstamatic or Instagram type pictures for my own use (although I do like to look at them), but I can envisage using the camera in situations where I would not use any other because I either would not have it with me, or it would just be too awkward or obvious to use under the circumstances.</p>

<p>I took the attached picture one-handed while walking my dog the other day. Why? Just because I could... mostly as a test of what the camera can do. It's straight from the camera, and it actually holds up quite well when seen full-sized. I guess I would need to install an app to make the picture look bad. Of course, the light wasn't too challenging, but it's like any other tool. You use it within its limitations if you want the best results.</p><div></div>

<p>Here's another example. This time, it's still straight from the camera without any apps, but I added some fringing around the edges using the GIMP.</p><div></div>

<p>What to shoot? Anything and everything. I recently bought a Blackberry Curve (my first phone with a camera), but I find it hard to hold steady sometimes. When steady and with sufficient light it doesn't do too badly.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks for the responses. I think I might have to carve out my own niche. However, that suggestion of using the camera to take photographic notes seem a good one!</p>

<p>Mike, what car are you driving?</p>

Starvy, it is a 1986 Chevy Celebrity.

<p>Starvy, I always felt a cell phone would be the perfect street photography camera. You would walk around ostensibly having a conversation with someone, while actually snapping photos to your side. If my cell phone camera weren't so cheesy, I'd give it a try myself.</p>

<p>I doubt you'll have much success doing night photography with a small sensor camera. Even my little G11 struggles in low light.</p>

<p>Sarah,<br>

Since I posted I found out how useless the camera really is unless the conditions are ideal. I was at a work's do and had decided not to carry a camera other than the phone. What was a wonderful evening has been captured in perfect blur!<br>

I do intend to do a little bit of street photography with it at some point but so far it has served another purpose - to take pictures of things I bake to be posted directly to my facebook page! So no real photography being carried out as yet sadly.</p>

It helps a lot to know the phone camera's

limitations. With my DroidX, color, sharpness and

low light are not a problem. But motion blur and

shutter lag are, big time. In low (er) light I set the

shutter for a 2 sec delay since passing the button

is so awkward. If I can believe the exif data, the

lens is 38 mm equiv., f2.8. I built a tripod adapter,

too, is helpful sometimes.

<p>Apologies if I seem to be butting in guys but has anyone got a decent tip for droid based photo app.....and yes I'm not talking about serious work obviously.</p>