| 12-02-2009 08:53 AM |
| slitchfield |
Thanks for the kind words. I'm planning a summary article in the near future and we are considering repackaging things in PDF or similar form. Just got to find the time..... 8-)
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| 11-02-2009 12:37 AM |
| skagen |
Congrats - this has been a FANTASTIC series....
Having now read the whole series, I just want to say to Steve that this is fantastic series of articles - well thought out and well executed. It is really top notch journalism in the world of gadgets, which really is rare.
Most people in this field basically spend time writing thinly disguised ads, rather than trying to truly help buyers or investigate or asses things deeply. As a result there are really only two mobile phone sites that I actually consider worthy of my time when it comes to making decisons about how I spend my cash and what I spend it on - AAS is one of them. I dont agree with everything you say, but your integrity and insight are clear.
Anyway, if there is such a thing as a Pulitzer in techie or internet journalism, you should get it for this series!!!
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| 28-11-2008 02:56 PM |
| edy_3dz |
I have a n95 8gb for 1 year, and the lens isn't scratched.
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| 19-09-2008 06:08 AM |
| tnkgrl |
Quote:
Originally Posted by slitchfield
@tnkgrl: How did you do the polishing? A step by step would help the rest of us!!
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I tried different polishes - automotive paint polish, sliver polish, brass polish, vinyl polish. Automotive paint polish worked well. I suspect glass polish would work best, but I didn't have any.
I just applied a small drop of polish to a clean, soft, lint-free cloth (chamois) and rubbed the lens in a circular motion until all the scratches were gone.
I then used household window cleaner on another chamois to remove excess polish and clean the lens.
That's it 
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| 12-09-2008 02:53 PM |
| Unregistered |
Panavision
Well interesting thread, I too have scratches on my N-95 8g, and wished that the folks over in Carl Zeiss Ville had left the version that was on the N-95.
Professional photographers throwing the lens cap away ! RUBBISH ! any Pro usually has a case, either soft or hard type, and stores the lenses in that WITH CAPS ON, they are also professional ! which in my world means that they have assistants.. So they don't get a lens handed to them with a cap..and they don't wait..just like they have someone to move and tweak the lighting.
..The protective coatings on lenses are there for a reason, when they get damaged it can be a problem, most of the time many of you are shooting in Daylight I suspect, try shooting an interior with multiple light sources ie; practical lights ! these are the times when you have a challenge a direct light source is not always possible, so many times set's for example have complex lights added to and environment and additional things such as practical lights, as I said this is when a lens gets pushed to the limit.
Nice reading, and any protection is welcome as far as I See ! 
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| 12-09-2008 12:50 PM |
| ashu |
cover uncover
This article will soothe a lot of nerves. However, I still find it strange to have an expensive cam phone without a cover. A cover definitely reduces the risk of dust simmering in your cam lens.
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| 12-09-2008 10:15 AM |
| genXhippie |
I second that suggestion by Steve. Please do share, thanks.
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| 12-09-2008 08:21 AM |
| slitchfield |
@tnkgrl: How did you do the polishing? A step by step would help the rest of us!!
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| 12-09-2008 04:51 AM |
| Unregistered |
@Steve
well there u have it, if what u said:
Scratches on the camera glass only really affect the picture when you're shooting INTO light. And, as your mum probably taught you, you should usually have the light behind you when taking photos, so as to light your subject optimally.
then why be so scared of having a phone like N95 8gb without the camera lens cover?
u're just gonna keep repeating it to N96, then N85, and N79?
p.s by the way it's my dad who taught me to have the light behind me when taking photos, not my mum =)
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| 11-09-2008 09:57 PM |
| tnkgrl |
Steve, I don't agree with your accessment.
I absolutely see a difference in my shots... Scratches degrade the picture quality by adding sun flares, blurring macro shots and generally adding a haze to the pictures!
I have successfully polished the lens to remove the scratches on my Nokia N95-3.
Nokia should really put lens covers on all its high-end camera phones. Period.
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| 11-09-2008 07:14 PM |
| slitchfield |
@all: Thanks for all the feedback. Maybe my '99.9%' stat was a bit over-enthusiastic. Would you accept 90%?
As stated in the article, I wasn't advising that phones should come unprotected, but rather that those with exposed camera glass shouldn't panic too much....
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| 11-09-2008 05:03 PM |
| Unregistered |
GREAT ARTICLE... thanks!
...that being said....
I have to strongly DISAGREE with your conclusion. I will say that a single large scratch would be better than having that "purplish anti-reflective coating" rubbed off after 6 months. Here's why: There is a horrible HAZE that is added to pictures with Nokia N-Series cameras with exposed lens. Its not that the overall QUALITY, per se, is affected.... its the HAZE thats added. Even DUST won't do a thing to the quality (so long as that anti-reflective coating isn't rubbed off. The coating is what makes the camera "work".
I have quite a few before and after shots of my N95-3's camera. I now use an N82 and haven't had a single problem yet. I would attest that to the fact that its NEVER been touched with an oily human finger. Its got dust and debris in there but nothing has gone in there that would rub off the coating. I just take compressed air and blow it in there every month or so, works great.
DONT LET PEOPLE TELL YOU EXPOSED LENSES ARE OKAY!! LA RESISTANCE!!
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| 11-09-2008 11:36 AM |
| bartmanekul |
I think lens covers are a must for a phone. look at the N85, that looks solid enough, doesnt protrude badly and protects the lens. I do echo the post about '99.9%'. I think its going to make much more of a difference than that, even if most people dont notice it.
Whats the point putting incresingly better cameras into phones otherwise? Lets all stick with 3.2mp and a normal LED flash.
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| 11-09-2008 11:21 AM |
| Unregistered |
If you were to buy a camera of the same quality and sophistication as the one found in an N95, you would expect to pay about £20 to £25. These are not good cameras, they do not prodcue quality image detail, scratched or otherwise.
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| 11-09-2008 07:06 AM |
| Unregistered |
I've had a similar experience, albeit with a dedicated video camera rather than a smartphone. Both my camera and my E90 suffered water-damage, after a water-bottle leaked in my sports-bag. Luckily both recovered, after drying out for a week.
However, what I did notice was that the lens of my Sony video camera had a "stain" on it, which you could see under certain light conditions. While this has had no obvious effect on the picture/video quality, I did take it back to the shop where my wife bought it; the guy there said it would cost at least €100 just to get it looked at, and that he was not surprised that the mark on the lens did not have a negative effect on the image quality.
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