Mobile Cameras

[drauk]

Ever wondered what kind of quality you get from photos taken with a camera on a mobile 'phone? Probably not, but if you have then check out these pictures, which show some examples. If only it wasn't legally necessary to butcher the phone so that it wasn't a phone any longer then it would even be possible to e-mail them to your land-bound friends whilst still in the air.

It was a nice evening today:
http://www.photos.dsc.net/flying/18dec02/settingsun.jpg

This one shows that the camera struggles with the white balance when above the cloudbase. The cameras do support variable white balance, but it didn't help much here. It also shows that it is difficult not to show all the scratches in the windscreen when you can't focus manually:
http://www.photos.dsc.net/flying/18dec02/abovetheclouds.jpg

Stratford Upon Avon. Ignore the reflection of the IPaq - it was nothing to do with taking the pictures:
http://www.photos.dsc.net/flying/18dec02/stratforduponavon.jpg

[knobbygb]

Great idea. To be honest, not great quality if you're used to a 'real' comera, but at least you got pictures! Well worth having. Would anyone really know if you (or a passenger) happened to use the phone to email the piccies? As long as you're not driving on instruments, would it really be a risk?

I left my camera at home Wednesday :mad: That sunset was indeed beautiful - and I watched the moon rise out the other side of the aircraft too - it was nearly as orange as the sun! My first P1 time and now I know why I learnt to fly. Magic.

[Taildragger55]

For the navigationally challenged such as myself...

I could take a few piccies out the window, send them to some friends and ask ""Where the hell am I?""

[marklar]

What phone where the photos taken with?

[BRL]

Don't know what phone is being used here but I have just got a Nokia 7650 and the results are the same. Its great taking a picture and e-mailing it immediatley to someone. Don't know anyone with another picture phone so I havn't done any of that yet, I have only e-mailed pictures taken at work etc. Excellent fun, go buy one now they are great......!!

[Barney_Gumble]

BRL,

I have a Nokia 3650, but haven't set it up for photo sending yet. I'll see if I can set it up then PM the number to you. Good for PPRuNe bashes...to catch the evidence so to speak.

Regards

Barney

[BRL]

Your right Barney. At the last bash we had in London, Grim Reaper14 had one and sent me(e-mailed) a load of pictures taken there and then. I just knew I had to have one then..... :)
With a 7650 select message, multimedia not e-mail or short message and attach the picture then send. So easy.
Anyway, can't wait for the summer... ;)

[Skylark4]

How long does it take to send a picture?
Just curious, I havent even worked out how to text yet.

Mike W

[Barney_Gumble]

Hi Skylark4,

I have just configured my mobile phone and it took about ten 10 seconds to send and receive a text message and about 20 seconds to send and receive a picture from one phone to another sitting on the table in front of me. Most of the time is taken in processing inside the mobile DSP s/w.

The service providers (Vodafone) in my case are starting to charge for this picture sending or MMS service from 1st February at a rate of 36p per picture as opposed to between 6p -12p per text msg, so it is more expensive and some may say why bother, but it could be fun at PPRuNe bashes or if away from family etc to take some snaps and send them or download them to a PC.

The idea of text messages (or SMS) is quite good and I have found that a great deal of people use it, certainly I keep in touch with fellow PPRuNe Chatters using text messages, unfortunately Mrs Gumble sends me shopping lists by SMS also which is a pain :D :D :D

It keeps the cost down and does stop the intrusive element of mobile phone usage that some folk object to.

Interestingly enough the concept was never designed for user to user message transmission. In the early days of GSM it was written into the specification for service providers to send alerts to their users, but since user to user and inter-service provider barriers were removed it seems to have taken off remarkably.

One other thing I thought about when reading the thread above was that on Nokia products the camera will only operate if the product is turned on and a SIM card installed which means the product would be in a cellular mode and therefore updating every now using the GSM transmission infrastructure so therefore shouldn't be used in flight me thinks! Best idea is to make sure that the GSM ( or TDMA, CDMA, WCDMA, AMPS, TACS etc etc) RF module is definately disabled before using them in flight or you may find yourself a little off navigational track!!

Regards

Barney

P.S. I can help you if you want to know how to send a text using a Nokia mobile phone, since I know these products quite well. I will send you a PM if you want some more info.

[BRL]

A quick word of caution though before you all run off and buy one tommorow is that you can only send pictures network to network, i.e Orange to Orange. Barney sent me a picture this morning as he is on Vodaphone but it didn't work. I got a text with a URL on it that i have to go to to look at the picture.(Still great though.. :) )

[Skylark4]

Barney G.,
Thanks for that. That was exactly what I wanted to know. What I can`t understand though is how it can be so fast when it takes ages to download a picture on the net when I always thought that data transmission rates on a mobile phone were very low.
Thanks for the offer of a tutorial. No need actually. I can do it really but dont. My phone is there for me to make calls on and my wife is about the only person who knows the number. That DOES include me, I have to look it up in my Filofax.

Mike W

[Barney_Gumble]

Hi Mike,

The MMS system uses GPRS (packet switching data system) and the data rates are higher than that for normal 9.6K GSM Phase II system.

Regards

Barney