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Apple iPad 2 Camera Review - iPad 2 rearcam test

Piggie said:
Thanks for correcting me.

So Apple saying 720p HD quality, means nothing basically.
They could say this and it could still technically be the worse quality ever?
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ya basically it's just marketing. I think a software update might help a little bit, but post processing makes a difference. Going straight from cam to youtube is gonna look worse then processing it first.
 
RadicalxEdward said:
ya basically it's just marketing. I think a software update might help a little bit, but post processing makes a difference. Going straight from cam to youtube is gonna look worse then processing it first.
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The iPod Touch video I linked to in my last post looked reasonable for a low cost device. I believe in the video they say that it's a direct upload.

I would not expect any "processing" would add any detail, the raw footage to YouTube 720p format, I would have thought would of given you the cleanest quality of video to show people?
 
A thought just crossed my mind............... The Motorola Xoom.

That's supposed to also do 720p video on the rear camera.

Did a quick search and found this, for a dimply lit room, it appears quite good.
Actually a lot of fine detail when he holds the device quite steady.

Again, considering it's indoors with little light.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VBBR-GNO1o

Oh dear Apple, why did you fit such a crappy camera to an otherwise high end device 🙁
 
Piggie said:
The iPod Touch video I linked to in my last post looked reasonable for a low cost device. I believe in the video they say that it's a direct upload.

I would not expect any "processing" would add any detail, the raw footage to YouTube 720p format, I would have thought would of given you the cleanest quality of video to show people?
Click to expand...

processing will remove things like the interlacing.
 
Piggie said:
A thought just crossed my mind............... The Motorola Xoom.

That's supposed to also do 720p video on the rear camera.

Did a quick search and found this, for a dimply lit room, it appears quite good.
Actually a lot of fine detail when he holds the device quite steady.

Again, considering it's indoors with little light.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VBBR-GNO1o

Oh dear Apple, why did you fit such a crappy camera to an otherwise high end device 🙁
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xoom definitely looks better, BUT definitely not enough to make up for it's other shortcomings for my uses.
 
From my experience shooting vids outside looks fine. It's 720p-ish. But as soon as I walk in my house, with all windows and shades open and plenty of sunlight coming in. The quality turns into crap. I mean crap! The picture quality becomes horribly "noisy" and "grainy." again, the room is well lit from direct sunlight. The sensors they used with the cam are terrible for anything indoors. I'm not expecting top notch but I'm just saying, if it's there and u have it. U would like it work without having to go outside to record a decent video.
 
I thought it looked pretty good, not sure what you guys are expecting from a tablet. The cameras are for face time and fun little apps, not to make full length films.
 
Complaints are warranted

When Apple has products like the iPhone and iPod Touch that came out months ago with better quality video, iPad2 owners have every right to complain about the video quality. They're not, for the most part, stupid; they realize it's not pro video. They're just responding to what Apple has shown is possible. Apple has a reputation for being cutting edge in so many ways that consumers, understandably, build up an expectation that they won't be short-changed. For the small difference of a few dollars in extra cost of a better video cam in the iPad2, I'd say cCOMPLAIN LOUDLY that Apple has let you down - and wait for iPad3!
 
Don't get me wrong the vid quality isn't a deal breaker for me or for most people I would assume. It works with FaceTime and qurky little apps just fine. But 720p recording is 720p recording. It's suppose to do just that. And it does, if ur outside. Lol
 
luxborealis said:
When Apple has products like the iPhone and iPod Touch that came out months ago with better quality video, iPad2 owners have every right to complain about the video quality. They're not, for the most part, stupid; they realize it's not pro video. They're just responding to what Apple has shown is possible. Apple has a reputation for being cutting edge in so many ways that consumers, understandably, build up an expectation that they won't be short-changed. For the small difference of a few dollars in extra cost of a better video cam in the iPad2, I'd say cCOMPLAIN LOUDLY that Apple has let you down - and wait for iPad3!
Click to expand...

The stupid this is, Apple knew this was going to be talked about as a poor/weak point of the device.

Heck, I even posted months ago, when the 1st supposed case prototype was shown that if they fit a poor camera it will get talked about in a negative way in almost every single review.

I knew that, Apple knew that. And yet they still went ahead and did it, knowing full well, the Camera would be a negative point that would be talked about all year.

I can only assume it's been done deliberately and solely so they can make a big deal about upgrading it for iPad3
 
If you find yourself running around with a 10" tablet to take pictures with, you are more of a nob than you look doing it.
 
Piggie said:
The stupid this is, Apple knew this was going to be talked about as a poor/weak point of the device.
...
I can only assume it's been done deliberately and solely so they can make a big deal about upgrading it for iPad3
Click to expand...

It's a combination of things, the biggest being that Apple is a greedy company very sensitive about their margin and especially given that the iPad is a fairly low margin product, they are being even more stingy.

If you're Apple and want to hit that $500 price point, you have several options:

Use cheaper processor(using slower CPU and GPU with smaller die size)
Make screen cheaper (TN instead of IPS)
RAM amount
Put crappier camera
Use cheaper material and crappier build quality.

Then they consider the consequences of these actions. They cannot put everything: if they do they cannot make enough $$$ from it. Thus they have to decide where to cut cost. They decided to keep the screen IPS and use the best GPU possible but sacrificed the RAM amount and used the same crappy cameras from the iPod Touch.

Now if you're Motorola, you went with different route. They went with a chip that was probably easier to get, and picked a noticably cheaper-quality screen than the iPad. However Motorola decided to spend more money on RAM and cameras. If I'm Motorola I'm also tempted to put even more expensive custom made chip and a better quality screen, but those take time and money.

It's not some devious plan for the next year's improvement. Apple will gladly give you all those since other companies are all coming up with new stuff all the time. However the problem is these new stuff is often expensive. It's all matter of compromises within the price constraint and Apple simply decided to make compromises in RAM and cameras instead of other areas.

Also I wonder if the new thickness was the other constraint here. The iPhone 4 camera probably would've have fit in. Still I'd loved at least an AF-enabled camera. 🙁
 
RadicalxEdward said:
The iPad should have cams more similar to the recent macbook cams. just as small, much better. Even if it just shared cams with the iphone itd be better. I HIGHLY doubt there's a big price difference between the iphone's cams and the itouch's cams.
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And the cheapest MacBook is $999... 2x the price of an iPad. Not a good comparison.
 
RadicalxEdward said:
...I HIGHLY doubt there's a big price difference between the iphone's cams and the itouch's cams....
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...even a $1 difference in cost would cost :apple: millions of $$'s when they sell millions of devices = they care about the "bottom line", just look at their bank account cash reserves😱
 
Demosthenes X said:
And the cheapest MacBook is $999... 2x the price of an iPad. Not a good comparison.
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$829, that's less than a $200 difference. and a macbook (even the cheapest) is much more powerful. so it's not the big of a difference.

I also understand that $1 difference adds up, but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing. apple has huge margins on their products (often near 50%) so they could do it if they wanted to.
 
I was expecting the rear camera to be at least 3MP and hopefully have an LED flash, so I could use it to scan documents at a decent resolutions. Now I would need to carry either a portable scanner or an additional camera.
I wasn't planning on using it to take my vacation photos. For that I already have a nice digital camera with optical zoom, and with the camera kit, I can easily transfer my photos to the iPad.

If my camera falls by accident in the Grand Canyon, It wouldn't hurt me as if my iPad was the one falling instead. Or even worse, me loosing my balance for trying to hold the iPad steady with two hands while trying to snap a photo.

In other words, as long as I can videoconference, the current cameras are good enough for me. There must have been a very good reason for using the current ones. Maybe the iPad 3 will have better cameras; I'll just wait. I'm already planning to buy the iPad 3.
 
It would have been nice to have the same cameras that are in the iPhone 4 but I can always use my iPhone to take pictures and video. I didn't buy the iPad for the cameras and I still would have bought it even if it didn't have them.
 
RadicalxEdward said:
processing will remove things like the interlacing.
Click to expand...

There's no interlacing in 720p footage. Hence the "P" for progressive in 720p.



And until someone does an actual test with all of these devices in the same conditions and shooting something like a resolution chart, you won't know just how good or bad the ipad camera is.
 
handsome pete said:
There's no interlacing in 720p footage. Hence the "P" for progressive in 720p.



And until someone does an actual test with all of these devices in the same conditions and shooting something like a resolution chart, you won't know just how good or bad the ipad camera is.
Click to expand...

watch the video the guy was complaining about and tell me what you'd call that effect.
 
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