With the N900’s 5mp camera do we really need 2 devices?

Taken with Nokia's N900

The answer is based upon what you need the camera for in the first place and what it is you are looking to achieve with your shots. If you are looking to take formal wedding pictures then a phone’s camera is not enough. But if your desire is to take impromptu images of Aunt Mary and Uncle John dancing on tables at the wedding reception, then time is critical and you won’t want to be rushing to get your camera or you’ll lose your shot!

Photo opportunities present themselves at the most inopportune times and it isn’t realistic to carry both a phone and camera all of the time. Even when we find ourselves heading out for a weekend trip to the museum, beach  or amusement park do we really want to bring both? Should we if we can find the right device to do both? You say that cameras in phones lack the quality we want so you’re forced to bring both? Not any more thanks to the addition of the 5 mega pixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics found in phones like the N82, N97, X6, and others. But this article isn’t about those, it’s about the N900. 

For the purpose of this article I compared shots I have taken with the N900 to those taken with my Nikon D50 (6mp) as to compare against my 10mp D200 wouldn’t be fair.

What does the N900 give us that allows us to leave the bulky camera at home? Aside from the Carl Zeiss optics, three words sum it up. Easy, choice & settings. Most people taking photos use the automatic settings for their cameras and they take wonderful images. The N900 images included in this article were taken with auto settings to show how good images can be without the need to master the camera’s settings.

For me, an avid amateur photographer, I want the ability to adjust my settings for light levels and exposure length. Using the settings within the N900’s camera I can adjust the exposure, white balance and ISO (shutter speed) to make needed adjustments for low light situations or  fast moving objects. I really love the ability to choose between high res 5mp or a lower res 3.5mp for wider screen shots. And I can do things that my D50 or D200 can’t like editing the images right from the phone, adding tags to my images, and sharing them almost instantly through Ovi Share, Facebook or flickr.

Do I need to carry a phone and a camera? I see no reason why given the quality of the shots I get with the N900.

Here are some comparisons of shots taken with the N900 and the Nikon D50, as well as comparisons between the N900’s 5mp and 3.5mp settings. As you can see the N900 shoots as well as the Nikon, though advanced settings for things like Depth of Field cannot be achieved as there are no aperture settings (maybe someday?).

To see more of my N900 photos as well as photos from the N97, & E71 please view my Photos Page here

Nokia N900 & Nikon D50

Nokia N900 & Nikon D50

Nokia N900 & Nikon D50

N900 5mp & N900 3.5mp

N900 5mp & N900 3.5mp