Tag: Apple iPhone 4S

iPhone 4 Tops Flickr Camera Stats

The iPhone 4 shoots to the top of Flickr's camera ratings

Data from Flickr confirms what we’ve been saying for a long time: The camera people are most likely to use is the one they’re most likely to have with them. No surprise then that the number one camera on Flickr is the Apple iPhone 4.

Coming along in second place is the entry level Nikon D90. Priced at around $1,200 with the 18-105mm kit lens, Nikon seems to have found the sweet spot between price and performance.

The next three in the top 5 all belong to Canon. It’s no surprise to find the EOS 5D MK II in the list, although the Rebel T2i in the fourth spot is kind of a surprise. Perhaps it shouldn’t be such a surprise for the T2i to be on the list when I consider that among my friends who are professional wedding photographers, one uses the T2i as his main camera and two use it as their backup body.

Anyone who owns a Canon EOS 7D would not be surprised to find it in the top 5. It is one of the most reliable pieces of photographic equipment I’ve ever used.

One should take statistics on Flickr with a grain of salt. While they are reflective of the relative popularity of certain cameras, not all cameras record the camera type in the meta data, which is particularly true of smartphones, and those tend to be under-represented in the data.

Another factor to consider is that statistics on Flickr evolve slowly and are backward facing. So many of the hot new camera models may not be reflected in the statistics for some time to come.

In the point-and-shoot category, Canon owns all of the top five slots. The wildly successful S95 leads the parade, with the G12 coming in second.

Another factor to consider is that Flickr represents a sub-section of photographers actively sharing their photos. Not all photographers are equally active in social media sharing and many of the old timers are skeptical of using photo sharing services.

It is good to check on the statistics from time to time, just to watch the parade of technology. Judging by the stats, for many of you your new camera is also the device you use to make phone calls.

Will The New iPhone 4s Kill The Point And Shoot Camera?

iPhone 4S
Apple's iPhone 4S boasts impressive camera features - by Apple

Apple affectionados were disappointed that the new iPhone announced last week was the iPhone 4S and not the much anticipated iPhone 5, but the upgrade to the iPhone 4 included some interesting changes to the internal camera.

The improved camera in the iPhone 4S has an 8-megapixel sensor, up from the 5-megapixel in the 4, along with an improved f/2.4 aperture lens for better low-light performance. The lens also has an advanced hybrid infrared filter promising more accurate color rendition.

Backing up the camera is the new A5 chip and iOS 5, and Apple brags that the image processing is just as good as those found in bigger DSLRs. Unlikely, though it does give the iPhone 4S features like tap focus and from-the-screen focus control. Apple also claims virtually zero shutter lag and the camera app accessible right from the lock screen.

We’ll wait to see more pictures before commenting on their boasts about the comparison to DSLRs, but the sample photos on Apple’s UK site are impressive.

The iPhone also borrowed face detection capability from digital cameras which detects whether you’re shooting a portrait or group shot and can automatically balance exposure for up to 10 faces.

Like the 4, the 4S also has the LED flash, which kicks in automatically in low light situations.

Despite Apple’s boast on the image quality, the iPhone 4S is not going to threaten DSLR shooters, but it may impact sales of compact cameras. As cell phone cameras improve, there is less incentive to carry a point-and-shoot. The more often those stay at home, the less likely consumers will be to replace them.