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You want the better Front OR Back facing camera?

Which camera quality to improve?

  • Better Front Facing camera

    Votes: 80 72.1%

  • Better Back Facing camera

    Votes: 31 27.9%
  • Total voters
    111
S

Shanpdx

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Sep 24, 2008
2,534
346
Blazer town!
One thing i am disappointed with the new iPad is the Front facing camera (aka Facetime camera) VGA resolution.

I think it works well for FaceTime but not for skype, remember not everyone owns the iDevice or Mac for FaceTime chat.

I for one, take a better front camera than the back camera (for iPad)

How often you are going to take picture than do a Facetime/Skype?

Vote your opinion, please ...
 
I would have preferred at least a Facetime HD cam from the MBP's in the front. I was a bit disappointed as well since I use my 4s for pictures (great cam) and don't plan on using the iPad's rear camera. I wanted a nicer front b/c I plan to use Facetime/skype to chat with my family on occasion. Oh well, as long as the mic is good.
 
In the year I've had an iPad 2, I can honestly tell you that I've never used the back camera. I've skyped/facetimed dozens of times, and I've dicked around on photobooth plenty too, it's really, really disappointing that they didn't do anything to upgrade the front camera.

I wonder if the front camera will look even worse now that the resolution is doubled...
 
The tiny lens opening in front may be what's limiting the camera. There's probably only so much you can get from a lens the size of a pinhead.
 
Advil said:
In the year I've had an iPad 2, I can honestly tell you that I've never used the back camera. I've skyped/facetimed dozens of times, and I've dicked around on photobooth plenty too, it's really, really disappointing that they didn't do anything to upgrade the front camera.

I wonder if the front camera will look even worse now that the resolution is doubled...
Click to expand...

i am with you, my feelings are the same. I think apple dropped the ball here, they should have given the importance to front than the back camera.

Let us see for more votes.
 
Apple's so particular about what the iPad is used for. They don't include full Siri, weather or calc apps. Yet they update the back camera and not the front.

Though for now, I do think the back camera needed to be updated. It was absolute crap before, whereas the front is still...useable.
 
Why is there no option for both in your poll? I would have liked a FaceTime HD camera on the front, and an iSight 8mp on the back like in the iPhone 4S.

----------
maclook said:
Apple's so particular about what the iPad is used for. They don't include full Siri, weather or calc apps. Yet they update the back camera and not the front.

Though for now, I do think the back camera needed to be updated. It was absolute crap before, whereas the front is still...useable.
Click to expand...

And they don't include voice memos which is very bizarre since they advertise the iPad as an educational device. Well, wouldn't you expect people to record lectures?
 
I'd be thrilled to buy an iPad with no cameras. It's a like holding up a clipboard to take a picture. Rather odd. Certainly not something I'll ever do.
 
JohnDoe98 said:
Why is there no option for both in your poll? I would have liked a FaceTime HD camera on the front, and an iSight 8mp on the back like in the iPhone 4S.
Click to expand...


what i was trying to find out, which is more important the front or the back ;)

yeah, we had take it both though :D
 
Last edited:
This was a bit of a tough choice at first, but I realized that I'm always with my iPhone. If I ever need to take a picture of something, I'd rather use my iPhone just because an iPad would feel cumbersome (sadly, I do not use my DSLR as often anymore at social events with friends LOL).

And I cannot think of a situation where I would not have my iPhone but have an iPad...this is all speculation of course, my iPad hasn't arrived and I haven't owned one before. But this is just thinking off the top of my head.
 
I think the iPad's strengths lie in its videochatting capabilities more than its picture taking abilities, so I would have much rather have had an HD front facing camera like the ones they put in macbook pro's
 
I voted for the back facing camera. I understand the concern that people do not use facetime exclusively, but I guess we have to wait and see the quality of the video link while using skype etc.. I am glad they upgraded the back facing camera so to speak! The edition of 1080P videos with stabilization is a plus in my book too! Although, an 8MP+ camera would have been better, because there is more space inside the iPad skeleton.

Also, can one record video with the front facing camera?
 
100Teraflops said:
I voted for the back facing camera. I understand the concern that people do not use facetime exclusively, but I guess we have to wait and see the quality of the video link while using skype etc.. I am glad they upgraded the back facing camera so to speak! The edition of 1080P videos with stabilization is a plus in my book too! Although, an 8MP+ camera would have been better, because there is more space inside the iPad skeleton.

Also, can one record video with the front facing camera?
Click to expand...

Actually we are concerned about the FaceTime/Skype quality which is going to be same as iPad2 because there is NO improvement made to the front facing camera.
 
Like a lot of people, I have an iPhone 4S so I will never/hardly ever use the iPads rear camera. Then again, I probably won't use the front facing camera much either. I would still rather have a better front facing camera though.
 
Don't really care. It's too awkward to use for taking photos, and I'm not one of the 3 people who use Facetime. They could eliminate them completely, as far as I'm concerned.
 
This is a major disappointment. My gf and I FaceTime almost everyday, and my end looks great because she has a FaceTime HD cam on her MBP. She always says her image quality is crap because of the low end iPad 2 front camera. I was really looking forward to this upgrade.
 
To me, the front camera seems more important than the rear camera.

But, Apple is focusing on the resolution of the screen in this upgrade, and they can show that better off with the upgrade difference in the back than in the front.
 
If I had to choose one to have the really nice camera (1080p video, whatever illumination, autofocus, video stabalization, etc.) I'd want it to be the back one.

Sure I wont use it often but that level of camera is more useful on the back than front.

The front one doesn't need to be great, but it really did need SOME upgrade. Just to whatever the next standard resolution is for 4:3, or 720p otherwise would have been fine. No stablization, autofocus etc. needed.
 
Just like the palm tablet, no back camera just a front camera is the way to go... A hd front facing camera of course!
 
Macman45 said:
Guess I'm in the minority, I prefer the better rear facing camera....I never really use the iPad for photos though.. Might be interesting to try it out when it comes.
Click to expand...

I think more people use their iPad for video chatting than for taking pictures with the rear camera. That's why I wish the front camera was HD.
 
I had really hoped that the camera was upgraded when I saw that the iSight camera had been upgraded. Having an iSight previously, I would've thought it was that. But, of course reading more into the specs that wasn't the case. Anyway, I don't understand why no upgraded and no addition of a flash. Camera improvements with HD recording and lens but still no flash.
 
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