Camera Shoot-out: Nikon D40 Vs Sony Ericsson K850 Options

[Mizzle]

Ever wondered how a mobile phone camera performs compared to a d-SLR camera? Well, I have, and today I decided to put it to the test.

I found a Sony Ericsson K850 Cyber-shot branded camera phone and have compared it to my entry-level d-SLR camera, Nikon D40. It turned out to be an extensive comparison with a total of 12 pictures from each camera. Apart from that, this shoot-out will also teach you a bit about the camera and sensors in detail and why you should go for a d-SLR camera rather than a mobile phone camera (well, it should be obvious!).

Ready? Set. Shoot-out!

From the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog:
http://blog.se-nse.net/2008/04/13/camera-s...-ericsson-k850/.

[93bh]

Haha! I have Nikon D40x.

Can you do the comparison between Sony Cybershot T100 and k850?
Sony Cybershot T100 is a best digital camera according to Cnet.com. It is in the forth place but the rating is 8.2 out of 10.
It's really hard to find in my area, so I'll get Sony Cybershot T70 (only one that I found).

I order it for free. I'm not theif!

This post has been edited by 93bh: 2008-04-13 23:47

[Step666]

Ever wondered how a mobile phone camera performs compared to a d-SLR camera? Well, I have, and today I decided to put it to the test.

I also wonder if a Trabant could match a Ferrari 360 Modena round the Nürburgring.

If this is true, and the difference is that huge, then how come the mobile phone manufacturers keep saying that the phones’ cameras are on par with regular consumer cameras?

Because it's true.
Yes, the sensor is tiny and noisy as hell but so are the sensors in the vast majority of standard digital cameras.

For example, the Casio Exilim EX-Z9 digital camera has a 1/2.5" sensor (5.76x4.29mm) that has 8 megapixels (3264x2448).
That's a whopping 7,990,272 pixels crammed into a tiny 24.7104mm² or, if my maths isn't too bad, around 330,000 pixels/mm² (323,356.6433 to be precise) - makes the K850's pixel density look positively brilliant.


Actually, getting onto the pixel density figures, I just can't get your maths to add up.
The K850 is 2592x1944 pixels on a 5.22x3.91mm sensor, or 5,038,848 in 20.4102mm² - that should be 246,878.9134 pixels/mm², not 118,532.
Also, the D40 is 3008x2000 pixels on a 23.7x15.5mm sensor, or 6,016,000 in 367.35mm² - that's 16,376.75241 pixels/mm².

Still, even then, the K850 still holds up well against or test subject (the EX-Z9).

[NoTnERb]

when will the results be?hehe

[Mizzle]

93bh,

The D40x sensor is the same size as the D40 one, yet it packs an extra four mega pixels Read the article, and you'll know the D40 is the best!

[Snowiffic]

MANY thanks for this Mizzle!


It made some things clear for me..

[photographer]

Funny test tho I knew everything stated I use a D40x too and a powershot A620 ^^

[Mizzle]

Great to know


Step666,

d'oh! Obvious miscalculations, will get that fixed ASAP! Thanks for letting me know I've got no idea how I got to those results, though.... Oh, and Step, just because the sensor size is almost the same, doesn't mean that the phones are on par with the quality produced by d-SLR's or alike


Almost forgot! The large sensor on the d-SLR cameras also make the picture ideal for enlargement!

In the pictures below, I've used the exact same enlargement methods. Which one comes out best?

[helmchen]

That comparison is not fair. You can't make a phonecall with the D40

[Mizzle]

No, but I can photograph people making phone calls

[weirdwilli]

Can you photograph the noise?
Well....... give me a crappy camera and i'll have a go
Badoom boom, chh

[NoTnERb]

I really got angry when gsmarena.com held a 5 megapixel shootout and the k850 came out last, of course that review was only based on pictures, so people had to choose what picture was best and they didn't know what model they were voting, and in the end k850i ended up last, I couldn't believe it, man! but now, i know that k850i shouldn't have been the last one, it should have been the first! hahaha

[Step666]

Oh, and Step, just because the sensor size is almost the same, doesn't mean that the phones are on par with the quality produced by d-SLR's or alike

I wasn't comparing the K850 to a D-SLR, nor did I say that image quality was based on sensor size alone.
But your statement that the claims of phone manufacturers are false based purely on the fact that the pixel density of the sensors used clearly isn't correct. And the claims aren't that the camera-phones are as good as D-SLRs, just that they're as good as proper cameras (which clearly is wrong but the sensors are on a par).

The difference in image quality comes down to two factors, firstly the considerably superior image processors in the dedicated cameras and secondly the quality of the lenses.

Almost forgot! The large sensor on the d-SLR cameras also make the picture ideal for enlargement!

You mean the image has less noise?



@NoTnERb: if it should've been first, it would've been.
Blind tests are the fairest way of comparing things.

[jordanwarez]

k850 is pretty good