Point and Shoot Digitals - their days are numbered

cnocbui

It's been on the cards for a while but I suspect Samsung's announcement of new 8MP and 12MP back-lit sensors is going to see cameras in phones jump in quality and that it will effect sales of low end cameras dramatically.

Does anyone else think there are too many models of low-end digicams? There seem to be hundreds of the things.

http://www.samsunghub.com/2011/02/10/samsung-develops-8-and-12mp-imaging-sensor-with-backside-illumination-bsi/

The 12 megapixel imager (S5K3L1) on the other hand also boasts the BSI tech for better low-light photos but adds an optional RGB-white color filter array to reduce noise and make the image up to 30 percent brighter. This optional filter works in tandem with an additional logic chip that converts the RGB-white pattern to RGB Bayer. The image sensor also features an on-chip pixel correction feature that corrects image distortion by compensating color and luminance response variations.
On the video front, the imager is capable of recording full 1080p HD video at 60fps, 720p at 90fps and VGA resolution images at 120fps.
The 8 megapixel and 12 megapixel sensor will go into mass production in second and third quarter respectively but will be showcased at the Mobile World Congress next week.

The Snipe

Consisder cost? And some people don't like using their mobile phones as a camera on a night out, they prefer using a normal camera, which is what most people use P&S's for.

jpb1974

I'm not sure it matters all that much to be honest.

A point and shoot or a mobile phone with a really good camera.. it's much of a muchness if you ask me... except that you can also make phone calls on one of them and you can't on the other.

5uspect

At least a P&S camera has a bit more approaching a lens than most phones.
Why not just put the phones in decent cameras?

jpb1974

Why not just put the phones in decent cameras?

MP3 player and Internet browser too!

cnocbui

5uspect wrote: »

At least a P&S camera has a bit more approaching a lens than most phones.
Why not just put the phones in decent cameras?

What, like this?

youcancallmeal

Its about time somebody did it properly. Give it a couple of years and I reckon there will be a few good options and some healthy competition. I can see collaborations between the likes HTC and Canon. Can't imagine the battery would be too good on any of these devices though?

Kintarō Hattori

As an electronics retailer I don't think their days are numbered and I'll tell you why:

Point and Shoots tend to be fairly quick on the draw with new features. HD video recording, better quality optics, panorama modes, face recognition and so on. They were all on the P&S first before mobile phones. Also a significant portion of people like to have a seperate camera for their holidays, partys and so on. While a relatively decent camera phone doesn't cost a whole lot people look on it as if they are buying a phone first with a camera tagged on so they don't see it as good value. They like the idea of a seperate camera.

Also a lot of people tend to hold onto their phone for a long time and from the date they bought their phone to the time they buy a new one a lot of advances will have come into being on the humble P&S.

No doubt the smartphone is progressing very nicely and the cameras built into phones are getting better with more and more features but its advancement doesn't mean the end of the humble point and shoot. Two different sectors of the market and they'll exist alongside each other for quite some time to come.

Promac

It's easy to get a decent P&S for under 200 quid and it doesn't come with a contract.

Going to oxygen/electric picnic/anywhere you wouldn't want to bring your SLR? Compact in the jeans pocket - phone on standby to save batteries.

FoxT

I think that the phone will probably kill off the low end P&S at least, because the phone allows you to send/share the photos immediately. This is a huge advantage.

For photo enthusiasts though, I think that mid to high-end P&S's will be around for a good while yet - will possibly see the emergence of P&S's with a SIM capability not sure if they exist yet?

Promac

Sony-Ericsson do a few phones that are basically a cybershot with a phone built in.