How Many Cameras Are Too Many on a Smartphone?

pennypincher98 on 12/10/2018 - 07:28
Last edited 12/10/2018 - 13:32

So I was scrolling through my feed this morning and saw a Galaxy A9 sporting 4 rear cameras!

Nokia is supposedly working on a phone with 5 rear cameras…

I really think this question needs to be asked, before we have cameras running down an entire side of the phone lol.

I'm not talking about selfie/front cameras, that can be another discussion. Or there should be no discussion as there only needs to be one.

So I'll put the question to the community - how many cameras do you want/need?

Personally I think one is enough. The Pixel lineup has one of, if not the best smartphone cameras around so surely all these extra cameras aren't necessary.

Interested to hear your opinion though, especially if it deviates from mine!

Update: Poll is taking into account the maximum amount of rear facing cameras, not including selfie/front cameras

Poll Options

  • 22
    One camera
  • 1
    Two cameras
  • 10
    Three cameras
  • 1
    Four cameras
  • 4
    Five cameras
  • 13
    As many as I can get!
  • 2
    I don't need cameras I've got eneloops
Mobile

Comments

  • CyberMurning on 12/10/2018 - 08:28

    until no more screen area to touch

    • holdenmg on 12/10/2018 - 08:41

      Lose the phone from the design and add more cameras.

      oh wait…

  • dust on 12/10/2018 - 09:02

    Depends on how they implement it. It's like the megapixel race of the 90s, they'll soon work out the sweet spot between functionality/quality and practicality.

    • Diji1 on 12/10/2018 - 10:48

      they'll soon work out the sweet spot between functionality/quality and practicality

      What's that got to do with high numbers that sell devices to naive users?

  • tdrive on 12/10/2018 - 09:13

    Would be happy with 2 front and 3 back

  • lupiter on 12/10/2018 - 09:27
    +3

    Until they work out how to put a zoom lens inside 3mm of glass more prime lenses is good.

  • HighAndDry on 12/10/2018 - 09:29
    +1

    Pixel 3 has the best camera in the business, and it has 3: one rear, two front facing. So I'm gonna go with 3.

    • splishy on 16/10/2018 - 21:34

      Agreed, Google has been doing wonders under their Pixel line due to their AI learning! Only one is needed for a smartphone!

  • Broke-Ken on 12/10/2018 - 09:33
    +2

    Why doesn't the poll have 16? ;)

    Looks like they borrowed the idea from the Light L16 camera https://light.co/camera

    The concept is that optical zoom is too big and expensive for mobile cameras, since sensors are getting so cheap, why not use multiple sensors paired with different fixed lenses with different focal lengthens.

    • aragornelessar on 12/10/2018 - 10:47
      +1

      First time I saw that camera, I felt like puking! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypophobia

    • carlJack on 12/10/2018 - 11:13

      Yes..I think its a great idea. Keeps the cameras compact and you dont need to lug around bulky DSLR and fiddle with the lenses every 5 mins.

    • Sage on 12/10/2018 - 11:38

      I don't know if they were inspired by the Light L16. The iPhone 7 has an extra lens with a wider angle and other phones have since added another.
      It's a natural progression of one-upping the competition.

  • waterbottled on 12/10/2018 - 09:40

    doesn't matter the number of cameras on a phone as long as the phone takes good pictures.

  • elgrande on 12/10/2018 - 09:40
    +3

    Studies suggest 13 cameras is the most that a person can use at any one time.

  • pegaxs on 12/10/2018 - 09:43
    +1

    I think that the whole back of the phone should be covered in cameras. /s

    On the back, one camera I can understand, two I can get my head around, but more than that, it just seems like phone manufacturers are getting stale and trying to add things to one up the competition.

  • scrimshaw on 12/10/2018 - 10:15

    I wonder what sacrifices Samsung / Nokia would have to make to fit that many camera parts into the phone.

    Space for is already a premium when you consider that smartphones have to be thin in order to be attractive to buyers, and thick bezels are not in style either.

    It's probably not going to be a fast device — Snapdragon 660 or similar with a smaller battery. Maybe no headphone jack either.

    edit, the specs are out.

    Doesn't sound like a bad phone, although the screen is only Full HD but is large at 6.3 inches.

    6.3” Full HD+ Super AMOLED, 1080×2220

    Rear: quad camera
    – Main Camera : 24MP AF, F1.7
    – Telephoto : 2X optical zoom, 10MP AF, F2.4
    – Ultra Wide : 120°, 8MP, F2.4
    – Depth : 5MP, F2.2Front: 24MP, F2.0

    Octa Core (2.2GHz Quad + 1.8GHz Quad)
    6GB RAM to 8GB RAM, 128GB
    3,800mAh (typical)

    • dcep on 12/10/2018 - 11:26

      wonder how that 5x lens nokia fairs against a single big ass sensor nokia 808

  • carlJack on 12/10/2018 - 11:15
    +1

    As many as they can fit. Ideally I would prefer 10mm to 1000mm.

  • Sage on 12/10/2018 - 11:31

    Voted before reading. They're really going beyond 4 lenses to 5 and 6? (counting the front facing camera)
    That's pretty crazy.
    But I think the back of the phone should keep getting more utilities added. For a while it was just a blank surface, now we have a fingerprint sensor, NFC, and multiple camera lenses. I only own a phone with 1 lens on the back but I'm envious of the phones that have 2.

    Looking at the link in the post, I think the Galaxy A9 looks fun!
    I see having multiple lenses the same as having camera modes on the phone.
    I don't even know what a "depth camera" is, and the article doesn't explain it. But it be neat to see what types of photos one can take with these options.

  • eug on 12/10/2018 - 11:56

    It depends on what kind of photos you take, and what kind of quality you need.

    The Pixels have 1 good camera at the back but it's a fixed wide angle lens so if you need to zoom, the image quality will be terrible compared to e.g. an S9 Plus or Note 8/9 with 2 lenses. At the same resolution, digital zoom will not beat optical zoom. And no, you can't always just move closer to the subject. :)

    For optimal picture quality, the more the merrier - that is why serious enthusiasts will almost always have several lenses to go with their DSLRs or mirrorless cameras.

    However if you only take wide angle shots, the additional cameras wouldn't be very useful. 1 would be enough, like on the Pixels.

    The 4th camera on the A9 is more of a depth sensor rather than a camera per se, so I wouldn't count it as a camera.

  • Godric on 12/10/2018 - 15:22

    I'd be fine with 1 rear camera only and Full front display

  • N1NJ4W4RR10R on 15/10/2018 - 19:18

    IMO, as many as they can fit (useful cameras I should say, not just for marketing) without impairing other areas of the phone.

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