An Android camera is ideally a
point-and-shoot that uses the processing power and intelligence of a
smartphone. Cameras have been intelligent for a couple of years now, providing
users a host of editing and other features. They have been connected too, with
Samsung coming out with Wi-Fi cameras last year. But to meld the two (except
that the camera cannot be used for making calls) is an example of convergence.
But does this “joint venture” actually improve your user experience?
Nikon Coolpix S800c
Price: $382
Specs:
Android 2.3.3; 16MP 1/2.3 inch CMOS; Expeed image processor; f/3.2-5.8,1/4000
sec shutter speed, ISO 3200; 1920x1080p/30fps;SD card; USB, HDMI, Wi-Fi,
Bluetooth; 1.7GB memory.
Nikon
Coolpix S800c
The first Android camera to hit the Indian
market, the Nikon Coolpix S800c has a solid build. In fact, it reminded us of
the Nokia 808 Pureview, though it is not as slim. It looks like a point and shoot
camera from all sides except the operative end, where it resembles an Android
phone with three keys for Menu, Home and Back below the large touchscreen. This
camera runs Android 2.3.3 and anyone who has used an Android phone will have no
trouble using it.
But what benefits does this convergence
bring? Well, to start with, you will not have to bother about what card or how
much storage you have in your camera. For if the 1.7GB internal memory is not
enough, you can set the camera to sync all your photos and videos to Picasa or
Dropbox or any other cloud service available on Android. In fact, we started
testing the device without even realizing that there was no memory card in it.
Connected to the Wi-Fi, the Gallery had synced to Picasa photos before we even
realized it was doing so.
And then you have access to all the apps.
This means, you can use this device to do anything you would with a smartphone,
except for making a call. Yes, you can browse the web, watch YouTube videos and
even listen to songs on Internet radio, provided you have a good Wi-Fi
connection at the place you want to use this device. Clicking a photo becomes
just one of the many functions of this device, for you can also edit the
photos, share them on social networking sites, good around with fun photo apps
and even do a Skype chat. Just imagine all the things you can do with its
wonderful 16MP camera when it is paired with the thousands of photos apps out
there. But, please, limit yourself to photo apps and don't start playing Angry
Birds on the device.
The camera itself is quite good. Along with
the 16MP CMOS sensor it has a NIKKOR lens with 1 Ox zoom. The results are what
you would expect with a decent point and shoot and there is the added advantage
of its being able to click a picture by just touching the 3.5-inch OLED screen.
The auto focus is very fast, though the zoom is a bit too loud. However, there
are not many tweaks you can do on the camera itself, except for the modes and
some special effects. The camera has no full manual mode either. But then that
is where the Android OS and its Google Play Store will come in handy.
Samsung Galaxy Camera
Price: $563
Specs: 16MP BSI-CMOS sensor; Android 4.1;
l.4GHz quad-core processor; f/2.8,1/2000 sec shutter speed; ISO 3200; Full HD
I920xl080p/ 30fps; micro SD card, HDMI, USB, 3G, Wi-Fi, AllShare, Bluetooth;
GPS; 8GB internal memory.
Samsung
Galaxy Camera
A smartphone that clicks good pictures
instead of making calls that is the Samsung Galaxy Camera in a nutshell. With
an Android operating system, this camera lets you edit the pictures that you
have shot using a host of internal apps as well as those you can download from
the Google Play store. It also lets you share the pictures instantaneously. To
facilitate sharing, the camera has a SIM card slot along with Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth.
The Galaxy Camera is different from regular
point and shoots in more ways than one. For instance, it has an amazing
4.7-inch super clear touch display, the likes of which you have not seen in
cameras before. Of course, you have the Android OS. But then Nikon has one too.
But what Nikon doesn't have is the SIM card slot, which makes this one a
connected camera wherever you are, not just in your home or living room.
The camera in this device is akin to a
mid-level point-and-shoot, with a number of settings and modes, which in this
case are accessed and controlled using the very responsive touchscreen. You can
also use voice to control the camera, but we were not very successful with
that. But then that is a function you will seldom use in real life. The camera
interface when you are using the expert mode is very easy to use and one of the
best we have seen so far. The results are good, especially when viewed on the
vivid camera display. But blow the picture up and you will see that the details
are not so great at least, not what you would expect from a 16MP camera.
Still, this camera isn't meant to click
pictures that you would later use on a hoarding. Ifs meant to take pictures
that you would want to upload to Facebook or Instagram promptly. In this, there
is no beating this Galaxy. There are many who would love to own a camera that
completely eliminates the save-to-PC, edit, send process. But so what, you
might counter, you can do the same in a top-end smartphone? That is where the
21 x zoom comes into play. There is no camera which can do that at the moment.
There is the entire Android app ecosystem
to play around with too. And you can download apps wherever you are, save files
to Dropbox as you click and also have the rest of your Picasa and Facebook
photos on the device in case you need to check them. The Cortex-A9 quad core
processor on the camera is good enough even for video editing. We created a
one-minute clip, compressed and mailed it in five minutes. Well, that is where
this camera is going to score above the others.
So, which is the better bet?
The S800c definitely has quality optics
though it lacks the zoom and even basic settings that the Galaxy Camera gives
the user. While the Samsung camera is much easier to use and has loads of
settings, the S800c produces a more satisfying final picture. However, the
Galaxy Camera is the better overall device: it has a newer version of Android
and is more useful with a SIM slot that helps it stay online all the time.
