The Phoblographer

Photography: Think Simpler

No, You Will Not Be Able to Shoot a Wedding on a Cell Phone

with 15 comments

Wired has this very interesting article on the creation of a new sensor using Quantum (vs silicon) that will allow for better light sensitivity. Created by InVisage Technologies, Quantum dot-based sensors won’t be more expensive than traditional CMOS-based sensors, which is nice to know. They should be out next year. In the headline, the author is saying in the headline that the sensor will promise wedding photos from your cameraphone.

As a wedding photographer, I’m disgusted. Is a CMOS sensor in a cameraphone better than the one in my Canon 5D Mk II? Additionally, sure they may have lots of light sensitivity, but just wait till every other DSLR manufacturer catches up. NOTHING will replace good lenses and years and years of honing your craft in photography. I’d love to see the looks on programmers’ faces when they have to create the algorithms for keeping the noise levels down.

Related posts:

  1. Recommended Reading- Digital Wedding Photography Secrets
  2. Beginner's Tips for Shooting a Wedding
  3. What's in The Bag?: James Cheng
  4. Recommended Equipment for Shooting Weddings and Portraits
  5. Quick Tips For Shooting Events

Written by Chris Gampat

March 22nd, 2010 at 8:05 am

Posted in Cameras

Tagged with , , , , ,

«
»
  • todd

    yes, technology will destroy your business, too. If aunt martha has the good angle and gets the right moment, her blackberry will capture great pictures, and clients will slowly start to wonder why they pay you.

    • http://thephoblographer.wordpress.com Chris Gampat

      Aunt Martha is not likely to be able to do such a thing at all. As cell phone tech gets better so too will DSLR tech.

      When your cellphone can make cinema quality HD video, sound the alarms. Or when your cellphone can shoot near noise-free at ISO 3200, let me know.

  • MDLSoft

    First, I want to apologize about my english.
    Maybe in a near future, the sensor of the camera of a mobile phone will be better than any actual PRO DSLR, including Canon 5D Mk II and Nikon D3s. The unique and most important advantage of a DSLR sensor over any other is the sensitivity, and actually it’s inherent to size of the sensor. With this new technology maybe is possible to do a small sensor, like a phone camera with the same sensitivity or more than a D3s sensor. This means that a 8 Mpix phone camera could make a clear and noise free pictures with a wide range of light.
    Obiously, this technology implemented in DSLRs sensors will give a lot better images with less light, maybe a noise free in ISO 112000.
    I think that these technologies don’t change the concept of photograpy, the lenses stay there and this make a big differences, but ideally, the best sensor sould be the smaller one with the most sensitivity (actually this is opposite) to get more focal lengt.
    With this new technology is possible a tendence to reduce the size of DSLRs, a u 4/3 quantum sensor should give a lot better quality with less noise than actual full size sensors. A compact camera like Panasonic LX3 or Canon G11 with a better optic and a quantum sensor could have better image quality or similar than a actual Nikon D3s. But all are supositions, first quantum film have to demostrate the quality that they announces.

    • http://thephoblographer.wordpress.com Chris Gampat

      Okay, but keep in mind that you’re comparing that new sensor (to be released perhaps next year) to the old sensor (a 5D Mk II). By that time, DSLRs will use the same technology and image quality will get even better, so they won’t be able to keep up. Show your clients images from an old camera and images from a brand new camera and they will almost always want the new one. A G11 with better optics would be too large for anyone to take seriously. Think of depth of field, wireless strobes, noise processing algorithms, the processors needed to keep up with this sensor’s high sensitivity, etc.

      The only way I see this working is by putting Leica glass on a cellphone. Tell me who will buy that.

      • MDLSoft

        Obiously, a photo camera isn’t only a sensor, but I think that is the most important part, and then, the lens.
        When I sayd a G11 with better optics, I refer a better quality and maybe a wider range but not necesary larger, to avoid chromatic aberrations. I’m sure that if this technology really works, a compact camera like G11, or ZS7(TZ10) with this sensor will produce pictures with similar quality to actual Pro DSLRs, and cellphones could produce quality as actual high end compact cameras, perfect for small prints. You dont need a Leica glass in the phone to get an awesome picture, but sure not in all conditions, no zoom no variable depth of field, etc.
        I think quantum film could be a very good advance for digital photography, SNR could be seriously improved, with this in mind, sure that the noise processing is a lot lighter,faster process, les power required, better quality…

      • CDM

        I wonder if these could be paired with something like liquid lens, which promise high quality AND image stabilisation in small packages good for cameraphones. I bet that if such new systems are to have a great future, a number of such alternative projects will have to come together to create a good product.

  • Caliman

    My Friend,

    You may be a photographer; but, you are ignorant about what you are talking about. Let me help clarify a few things.

    Loosely put, Invisage makes the “sensor.” This sensor is currently aimed at the mobile market. Nothing says that Canon can’t adopt and adapt. They may also choose to use the same technology for their cameras down the line.

    The blurd you made regarding lenses is correct; but, pointless and unrelated. Invisage does not make “Camera Phones” it makes the “sensor technology.” Camera manufactures take that and decide what form factor, and how to do X, Y, Z, …etc.

    Make no mistake, this is a HUGE leap forward. In it’s first phase you should see a huge performance in mobile phone cams and webcams. Down the line … who know.

    P.S. Right now, I hope that apple is listening. The iPhone Camera blows when it doesn’t suck. I LOVE my iPhone but the camera on it …. :P

  • It’s a joke!

    Ummm, this is Wired we’re talking about. It’s a catchy title. All the author is saying is that quality in cell phone pictures is about to take a huge leap forward. You’re taking the title way too seriously.

  • http://www.johnwphotography.com John W Photo

    BLAH – I will challenge any camera phone to go up against me with my Nikon D3s to shoot a wedding. Sure, I don’t doubt someone could really creative with a camera phone, and potentially snag a few GREAT shots during a wedding. But the low light situations most wedding photographers face are brutal, and a few good cameras are able to make top notch images in tough situations. I don’t see a camera phone being one of them.

  • http://www.echenique.com Carlos Echenique

    I too, am a pro photographer and a photography teacher and I am excited about what this technology means to a working photog should it bubble up to the DSLR market and above. Medium Format Digital is currently lagging behind DSLR’s in terms of ISO sensitivity and noise. This would bring new life and hopefully lower costs in that segment where camera backs cost as much as a car.

    You can have the greatest lens/sensor combination on the earth and still take badly composed shots. If i give my 12 yr old a $50K tennis racket and set her against Venus Williams with my old Prince racket guess who’s going to win the match?

  • Pingback: Olympus and Panasonic rumors » Blog Archive » a little bit of everything…(and Panasonic G2 tested in Dubai

  • Mark

    Are we all ignoring this fact:

    Grandma will take 1000 photos to get one lucky shot. Grandma will not be able to fill a wedding album with great shots.

    Forget lenses, forget sensors, forget depth of field. What about lighting? It all comes down to the photons hitting the sensor. If the photons hitting the first piece of glass suck, the picture will suck on ANY camera, at any price.

    When comparing cameras (that are made in the same year,) Pro gear will always trump point and shoots. Point and shoots will also trump cellphone cameras. That won’t change.

  • Ara Zakarian

    I am interested in engaging with other photographers who specialize in wedding photography. Of course I work on other types of projects but my forte is weddings. I can be reached via my Contact Us page on my website

  • Pingback: Why You All Need To Calm Down About Phones Killing Cameras at The Phoblographer

  • Pingback: Latest sensor developments | Photo Rumors