Garemlin
Developer Relations
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2009
- Messages
- 2,478
- Reaction score
- 375
- Location
- Delaware
- Current Phone Model
- LG G3 (VZW), Nexus 7 v2
I don't think it's a crappy sensor, IMHO. A sensor manufacturer would likely not spend all the time, energy and effort on all the research and development for a 21mp sensor at this stage of the technological advancements and have it be a low quality. The manufacturer is going to be competing for the buy with other sensor manufacturers and will be looking to sell potentially hundreds of millions of sensors. Putting out an inferior quality sensor with an inflated pixel count would likely be passed up for a lower pixel count that was a higher quality at the same price point.
Everyone has heard that pixel count doesn't automatically translate into good images. There are some 8mp sensors that can take amazing shots but they can only be enlarged so much before the graininess begins to overshadow the subject.
I do believe that a great picture is first about light (aperture or f-number) then about refraction (lenses), then the sensor, and then about post processing, where each sets the maximum best you'll get out of the ones after it. That's not to say that post processing can't make even a moderately good image look better but it can only do so much before its positive impact is offset by distortion of color or contrast and loss of definition.
I also believe that we can expect improvements in the speed and quality of images with the sensor in the Turbo, with future updates.
C'mon Fox. They have to cut corners somewhere. You can go out and buy a 16mp point and shoot camera for $50. I can guarantee my 10 year old Fuji Finepix 3.2mp with a high quality CMOS censor will take a better picture than any of those. You can blow up a 3mp image to a photo quality 8x10 if it was taken with a camera with a good quality sensor. Realistically who is going to be taking pics with their phone that they would print and blow up any bigger than maybe a 3x5 or 4x6. Yeah maybe a few but it isn't the majority. Most people are taking pics with their phone to post to FB, e-mail to grandma, or maybe print out for a photo album. Not to print out an 16x20 family portrait to hang on the wall in the living room.
Point is, as I have said in the past, phone manufactures need to concentrate more on putting in quality sensors at a lower MP rate than worry about using a high MP count as a selling point. They know that the majority of consumers see that number and automatically assume that it will take a better picture than an 8mp.
Marketing 101 at it's best.