Hey All,

This is a question for the more "electronic" savvy, with the camera in the iPhone being only 2mp, i got to thinking the other day about what option there would be to get a better result.

it occurred to me that the factory who produces the camera that's in the iPhone, probably produces higher mega-px cameras also.

My question is this, would it be at all possible, for someone to replace the camera that is in the iPhone3G, with a better camera, and would this work on the phone?

Thoughts?

I understand this would void warranty ect.

Did you buy a phone with camera capabilities, or a camera with phone capabilities?

That is the simple fact that I can state.. The camera is ample to be honest. No doubt Apple will include a better camera on the next revision of the iPhone, but I as many as other folk would rather get a proper camera for proper photography

The iPhone is a convergence device, so its meant to be all things besides just a phone. The camera in my opinion is a really big disappointment. In this day and age I dont want to be carrying around a whole bunch of things with me, I like the idea of an 'all in one'.

Obviously if you are really into photography you get really good camera, but for general happy snaps, or that odd photo opportunity that comes up, having a decent camera on you is a huge bonus. The camera on the iPhone is actually pretty good in outdoor and good lighting conditions, but indoors and bad lighting its crap. If Apple can address these issues (as from some of the recent job ads for optical engineers from apple suggests), then it will just make it all so much better.

If I want really really really good photos Ill get me a really good camera, but for general stuff, a better camera on the iPhone would be a bonus. Its kinda stupid having such an awesome ground breaking device be let down by a very low spec camera and no video recording capability.

Ill be in line for the next update with a 5megapixel camera, but for now im content with what i have in the current iPhone, but yeah mallo i hear you mate, I really was disappointed when they announced the 3G iPhone with the same ole camera.

I completely get that its a phone, with a camera, but the fact is, if i can carry one thing that does 4 things well (phone, camera, ipod, web), I'm going to prefer that, over carrying a separate item for each of those tasks.

The iPhone does all of these well, except the camera, granted, it does a decent job in good lighting, and as long as you dont move it around at all while taking the photo. But if it was possible to mod it myself, to get a better result i'd be all up for it.

as already stated by walexx, i'll be first in line for the next update with 5mp as an option, an a flash i hope.

My phone i upgraded from, was the SE K850i, the camera in that was 5mp, has a good flash and took nice snaps, it really did void needing to carry a digital camera as it did everything i needed day to day, when i needed better, then i'd take my SLR, but no one wants to be luggin around that kinda gear day to day.

peace

How do you think you will gain by having more photosites on your phone cameras sensor? "Megapixels" aren't everything.

How about Apple fit a canon 24-70 2.8L lens to the next version of the iphone, THEN you will get a better image quality, more "megapixels" wont. Though the phone will be slightly less pocketable

a 5mp sensor will give a worse picture than the 2mp in the current phone. It will just be a little larger size wise, much larger filesize and noisier.

A 'better' camera does not mean having more megapixels. All that's going to do is increase your res. It's all the other factors that make the iPhone camera only so-so, which is the same with pretty much all cameras incorporated into mobile phones. I'm totally in the camp that thinks if you want a decent camera, just take a decent camera with you. Hell, tiny little happy snap pocket cameras are cheap as chips now days, and they're even becoming better than the average happy-snapper really needs.

You'll also be saving precious iPhone battery life.

Even if you managed to 'upgrade' the camera on the iPhone, you have to realise that it's integrated into the OS. So you're still going to get the problem where movement causes a blurry photo, etc.

If you want the same quality pics as with the K850, then just keep using the K850. From your posts, the camera seems more important to you than the actual phone anyway.

Edit: Beaten by Azenis re: megapixels. Gotta get in quick! :P

You are all so quick to assassinate.

I have no idea about the specifics, my question was:

would it be possible, to mod the iPhone to have a better camera/lens in it, so you could produce better quality photos than is currently possible

Given the size of its sensor and lens, id be swapping to a 1mp sensor to get rid of the noise and as for the lens well an upgrade to a decent lens will make it too big and heavy etc.

Just buy a proper camera.

It will be cheaper and better.

Hey, I wonder if I could mod my 30D so it had a phone in it? That would be really cool. Then I wouldnt have to carry around two things

Ahwell, i shall look forward to the next update, hopefully with a much nicer camera.

I already have a "proper camera", which takes much nicer photo's than any phone on the market. But i dont always need that sort of quality "day to day", so something in-between the current iPhone technology, and a low end digital camera would be nice to have built into the iPhone.

I'd say: Not a chance.

The issue will be the hardware (which you might be able to replace) and the software. The iPhone's software will likely make a lot of assumptions about the camera.

Cheers Marc,

that was what i thought would be the biggest issue, the software/drivers.

it's all in the lens, shove a better camera in the iphone and it still has to take a pic through the same under-lit conditions due to the shitty aperture of the tiny fixed lens.

It's a gimic, and always has been (camera phones). I use mine to take on the spot snaps (not for planned photography) and to mess around with "comic touch" (so cool)

Ars Technica wrote a good article about the iPhone's camera, defending Apple's decision on the specifications.

It is what it is and it works well enough.

Some of the Sony Ericsson phones do take nice(ish) shots though.