Do we really need 5 cameras?

[pkcable]

Folks,

Ok I get that we want to be able to take good pictures with our cell phones. Many folks don't even carry or have a regular cameras anymore, they just use their phones. My question is, do we really need 5 cameras on the back of a phone? Or will 1, 2 or 3 cameras do? Does the law of dimensioning returns come in to play here? Google can do SO much with 1 camera on the Pixel phones, why can't others? I CAN see the benefit of a 2nd or possibly a 3rd camera, BUT do we really need the 4th (rumored Note 10 spec), or 5th (Nokia 9 Pure View) cameras?

What do you all think?

 

[RaRa85]

I know what you're saying but in Nokia's case, we have never seen a camera setup in terms of number and use this way before. You can technically call it a 60mp phone because all 5 12mp sensors shoot at once except presumably in the monochrome mode which would only use the three black and white sensors. I really believe this moves mobile photography further than just AI alone because the information you're getting from this technology is really there and not just years of machine learning based. And Google's method of computational photography is not an easy feat or other manufacturers would have been able to do it by now with one sensor. But this technology that HMD is using in the Nokia 9 Pureview has never been seen on a smartphone before ever. In that respect it's true innovation and using it in the way they do in partnership with Lyt, we can truly simulate wide and narrow depths of field in a way we just haven't before. I was disappointed when they said that all the sensors were 12mp with no telephoto and no wide angle but when they explained and demonstrated what they were doing, I was blown away. Just take a look at the samples on GSM Arena's site https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_9_pureview_hands_on-review-1895p4.php or go over to Nokia's site https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_int/nokia-9-pureview/ and see for yourself. No other phone on the market can do what this phone can do and that's from a technically factual standpoint. We're really seeing something unique here and I'm excited about it.

 

[RaRa85]

But even Google at least needs an ultrawide lens on the back to give it some diversity cause it's just more fun for the consumer. I use my wide angle on the V30 all the time.

 

[Rukbat]

Do we really need 5 cameras? Until they figure out how to make a 10:1 optical zoom lens that doesn't keep increasing the f-stop as you zoom in, 10 cameras wouldn't be overkill. You can do monochrome in software (just desaturate), but to go from near fisheye to deep telephoto in one lens in a phone? I'm 76, so I don't think I'll live to see it.

 

[RaRa85]

Do we really need 5 cameras? Until they figure out how to make a 10:1 optical zoom lens that doesn't keep increasing the f-stop as you zoom in, 10 cameras wouldn't be overkill. You can do monochrome in software (just desaturate), but to go from near fisheye to deep telephoto in one lens in a phone? I'm 76, so I don't think I'll live to see it.

Don't doubt how fast technology moves but I'm not sure any OEM will try for what you're looking for in a smartphone anyway. You never know though.

 

[B. Diddy]

Coming soon, the Nokia 15!



Relentless genocidal AI not included on the Nokia 15 Lite, so maybe go for that model.

 

[Morty2264]

The back of the phone kind of makes me think of a UFO. It's cool but a little odd. Then again, my Honor 8 had a dual camera setup and that turned out great; so I don't want to rule out the kind of camera experience that five cameras can give to users.

 

[pkcable]

The back of the phone kind of makes me think of a UFO. It's cool but a little odd. Then again, my Honor 8 had a dual camera setup and that turned out great; so I don't want to rule out the kind of camera experience that five cameras can give to users.

I actually kind of like the look of it also, but it just seems to me like this whole thing is getting a little crazy with adding lens. Look at how well Google does with just 1! lol

 

[chanchan05]

Google is essentially doing the same thing with 1 camera as Nokia is doing with 5, but 5 cameras in theory would work better.
Google takes multiple pictures sequentially with one camera then uses AI to interlace them together to get the best picture possible. What Nokia is doing is taking multiple photos AT THE SAME TIME using multiple cameras and interlacing them together. In theory multiple photos at the same time is better for interlacing than multiple photos taken sequentially. The only differentiating factors would be the quality of the cameras themselves and the software.
The 5 cameras on the Nokia Pureview is not the same, and should never be compared to the triple, double, or even upcoming possible quadruple cameras from Huawei and Samsung and Apple and whoever else. Apple and other Androids use each cameras separate from each other for different effects (wide angle, telephoto, etc), while Nokia uses the cameras at the same time for one single image.
You can think of it this way. If this was a first person shooter game, Samsung/Huawei decided to gear up with a pistol, an semi-automatic, and a long range rife. One different gun for different situations. Nokia said F it and brought a huge gatling gun instead of bringing 3 different guns and will just shoot everybody with it.

 

[RaRa85]

Google is essentially doing the same thing with 1 camera as Nokia is doing with 5, but 5 cameras in theory would work better.
Google takes multiple pictures sequentially with one camera then uses AI to interlace them together to get the best picture possible. What Nokia is doing is taking multiple photos AT THE SAME TIME using multiple cameras and interlacing them together. In theory multiple photos at the same time is better for interlacing than multiple photos taken sequentially. The only differentiating factors would be the quality of the cameras themselves and the software.
The 5 cameras on the Nokia Pureview is not the same, and should never be compared to the triple, double, or even upcoming possible quadruple cameras from Huawei and Samsung and Apple and whoever else. Apple and other Androids use each cameras separate from each other for different effects (wide angle, telephoto, etc), while Nokia uses the cameras at the same time for one single image.
You can think of it this way. If this was a first person shooter game, Samsung/Huawei decided to gear up with a pistol, an semi-automatic, and a long range rife. One different gun for different situations. Nokia said F it and brought a huge gatling gun instead of bringing 3 different guns and will just shoot everybody with it.

Very true. The only thing Google can't possibly do it any other phone for that matter is create the depth layers that the Nokia 9 can and it really shows with the depth effect. You can see a discernable difference in the way it separates the foreground and background. Also the bokeh mode from what I've seen so far is nearly perfect with subject detection.
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/exclusive-look-at-first-photos-from-the-nokia-9-pureview/

 

[RaRa85]

I actually kind of like the look of it also, but it just seems to me like this whole thing is getting a little crazy with adding lens. Look at how well Google does with just 1! lol

Yes true but Nokia goes a step further by including the depth layers that can't be compensated with by AI. The five lenses aren't just for dynamic range alone and that will be something reviewers will have to look at separately instead of treating this camera system like all the others. Check out the link above for some samples of that feature which we'll see more of as more reviewers get their hands on the phone. This a system that we've never seen before rather it will live up to it's claims or not. I'm going to Best Buy this week to test the phone out myself.

 

[Morty2264]

I actually kind of like the look of it also, but it just seems to me like this whole thing is getting a little crazy with adding lens. Look at how well Google does with just 1! lol

This is true. Quantity doesn't necessarily equal quality!

 

[editguy]

What I like about the samples I have seen are that the photos look more natural; like you would see them with the naked eye. More like what you would get from a DSLR. I know many people like the oversaturated look that you get from iPhone and Galaxy, but I don't. And with the pics from the Nokia 9 I could always add that in post if I wanted it for some reason.

 

[Eggmundo]

Guys can the 9 Pureview take wide angle shots?

 

[RaRa85]

Guys can the 9 Pureview take wide angle shots?

Only panoramas as it does not have an ultrawide lens.

 

[RaRa85]

This is what 5 cameras gets you. Also if you aren't a Patreon subscriber for Juan's channel I would say give it a shot even if only for a limited time. This is the kind of quality that will separate the Nokia 9 from all the other phones this year.

 

[Eggmundo]

Dope.