The camera is so disappointing

[#1]

Why is the camera on the X10 being advertised as so good? It's clumsy, slow and awkward to use. No flash and pictures can be very difficult to take with blurring happening more times than not. One of the main reasons I choose the X10 over other devices was the promise of a brilliant camera.

Sony Ericsson, can you give us any information on future updates to the camera, eg wil we ever get the flash that you promised in a 'future update' and will you ever increase the screen colours? HD video recording is a great start (I'm yet to try it out as the update isn't available to me yet), but please bring the camera up to the quality I've experienced with previous SE devices

[#2]

Camera is VERY disappointing.  And if you are relying on geotagging - be careful.  My X10 tagged a photograph of a railway station in Northern Ireland as being in the North Sea! 

[#3]

Not sure what exactly you find inferior to previous SE models (or other phone makes), I find the camera good:

(Click on images to see large size)

I have used several generations of Son Ericsson camera phones - since the Z600 (clamshell brother of the historic T610) - through S700 - W900 - k850 - C905 and now X10. I can testify the progress in cameras has been consistent and the X10 is no exception.

Ironically, with a new phone the first few photos give you some discomfort and the perception that it's "not as good as the older model" - very familiar feel (but very wrong!). As soon as you find your way around the settings and new features and get used to the new camera, you realise there is improvement and you learn how tomake the most of it. Even though by mere pixel count the X10 is supposedly identical to the C905, there are subtle differences in favour of the X10 - e.g., it has noticeably better noise handling, better exposures and a wider dynamic range within the 8-bit depth of the JPEG format.

Last but not least, for good results you need to remember the limitations of phone cameras (tiny sensor, tiny lens with fixed focal length, lens protector glass that diffuses withdust and fingerprints, lightweight body that shakes with your hand, breath and pulse). And knowingly work within and around those limitations, instead of setting undue expectations for profesional results while shooting carelessly like a clueless non-photographer.

Are you sure you are doing everything right - and still get poor rsults?

[Rocco1]

The camera is great on my phone. Have you even tried to take a picture with it. I took this picture with my phone last week!

[#5]

That's because the geotagging is already set up to handle post-global warming.

(Just kidding; being stupid)

[#6]

@Rocco1 - good capture! And even that can be improved: if you exposed for the sky (point the camera upwards and watch the sky 'darken' on your screen, half-press the shutter for the little square in the center to turn green - then, without letting your finger off the shutter in half-press mode, bring the lens down to compose and capture what you wanted to capture) - then you would get 2 benefits:

1. Sharper picture (the X10 can do a lot better) by bigger depth of field and faster shutter speed beating camera shake.

2. NIce sky with colour and clouds (as in my examples), rather than the washed-out (overexposed) you have now.

Exposing for the lighter areas, you will inevitably see the shadows too dark, nearly back - but you will be surprised how much info is kept in the JPEG and shadow detail can easily be brought out in your editing program (Photoshop, Gimp, Picassa on the PC - or Photoshop Mobile, PicSay, Photoenhancer - on the X10). Some editing (touching up) always helps bring the best form your phone shots.

Best of luck!

M.

[#7]

Are you guys comparing the camera on the phone to a normal digital camera? Or are you just being noobs?

[pratha]

I feel like the colours are bit washed out. Other than that, it seems pretty decent picture. (Except low light photography)

[#9]

Aha!   I just knew SONY would be so brilliant as to future-proof their products like that. Just a pity they can't make them work in the present.  ROTFL

[#10]

(1)  there is no such article as a "normal" digital camera.

(2) what is a "noob"? (apart possibly from a SONY customer service representative)

(3) any comparisons i have made are with other and better mobile phone cameras.