Motorola A1000 – capabilities of the megapixel camera

Today smartphone A1000 is the only UIQ-device equipped with a 1.2 megapixel camera. Unfortunately, Motorola cannot provide high quality of the integrated matrixes yet and as a result the photos are not very interesting and lose to the ones taken with the cameras of other manufacturers. Straight comparison with Sony Ericsson S700 showed the photos taken with Motorola A1000 distinguish in higher noise level. We won't speak about the camera on the front surface of the device since its quality is very low; it serves only for video calls though taking photos is also possible.

The highest picture resolution is 1280x960 pixels and three types of compression quality are available. The device supports such resolutions as 640x480, 320x240, and 160x120 pixels. There is a digital zoom working only with low resolution (that is 2x for VGA and 4x for 320x240). Using zoom is not well-taken but only if you wish to see something very close on the screen. White balance may be set automatically or for use in the sun, at home, in the office.

The best quality of photos is achieved outdoors in a sunny weather, when shooting that's better not to move the device for about a second, that is a shooting delay. Otherwise the picture will merge.

• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 243 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 225 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 213 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 252 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 298 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 227 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 236 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 226 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 187 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 173 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 243 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 234 KB
• Photo sample in the street, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 258 KB

Indoors photos are not as qualitative in the majority of cases.

• Indoors photos, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 184 KB
• Indoors photos, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 189 KB
• Indoors photos, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 209 KB
• Indoors photos, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 357 KB

If somebody moves in the room when the picture is taken the result will be out of interest since the photo will be blurry and using the camera for a snap shot is impossible.

• Indoors photos, движение, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 149 KB

Digital zoom:

Three photos with the resolution of 320x240 pixels – the first, the second, the third

Two photos with the resolution of 640x480 pixels – the first, the second

The number of noises is high in the night mode and that is quite clear.

• Photo taken at night, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 147 KB
• Photo taken at night, 640x480 pixels, JPEG, Best, 65 KB
• Photo taken at night, 640x480 pixels, JPEG, Best, 85 KB

If shooting in a short distance (up to 20 cm) the taken photos are greatly smeared.

• Close distance shooting, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 173 KB
• Close distance shooting, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 158 KB
• Close distance shooting, 1280x960 pixels, JPEG, Best, 193 KB

Here is a comparison with Sony Ericsson S700 camera, the same conditions, and automatic settings in both cases. In a sunnier weather S700's win would be more noticeable.

• - Sony Ericsson S700, Motorola A1000
• - Sony Ericsson S700, Motorola A1000
• - Sony Ericsson S700, Motorola A1000
• - Sony Ericsson S700, Motorola A1000
• - Sony Ericsson S700, Motorola A1000

Besides taking photos you may record video (12 seconds and 60 seconds maximum, mpeg4). When shooting you see a clear picture on the screen but after saving some artifacts appear, video quality is low. Sound is recorded well in short distances or when it's very loud. But in a distance of one meter the microphone is not enough (normal speech).

• Video sample, mpeg 4, 574 KB
• Video sample, mpeg 4, 578 KB

Conclusion

Unfortunately, the quality of the camera in A1000 is low and it's inferior to many cameras that GSM-devices are equipped with. You should remember that this camera was developed long before such devices appeared mass and evidently that tells upon the picture quality. In some kind it is an intermediate solution. That's possible to take photos with an acceptable quality only out of doors in a sunny day but all the rest modes including recording video are lower than average. If you choose a device reasoning from its camera then Motorola A1000 won't suit you, the camera is average here and not more.

Review Motorola A1000

Eldar Murtazin (eldar@mobile-review.com)
Translated by Maria Mitina (maria.mitina@mobile-review.com)

Published — 24 January 2005

Have something to add?! Write us... eldar@mobile-review.com

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