N8 reaching new horizons
When Nokia sent us a bunch of marketing aimed at highlighting the quality of the camera in its N8 smartphone, we told them we couldn't see much journalistic interest in covering a marketing campaign. But when they pointed out they'd persuaded aerial photographer Jason Hawkes to get involved, we thought it was worth a closer look.
By getting him to capture some of Britian's most famous landscapes using the N8's 12-megapixel camera, Nokia has attempted to prove the capabilities of the camera phone, a detailed review of which we ran earlier.
Commenting about the campaign, Jason Hawkes said: "I don't always have my camera equipment with me but I always have my mobile and the N8 has a 12-megapixel camera with truly amazing image quality. By its very nature, aerial photography is very difficult to do, so we're pushing the limits of this camera as far as we can go."
We had a quick chat with Jason Hawkes to find out how advanced camera phones compare to stand-alone cameras for taking photographs of professional standards.
Mobile-device.biz: Why did Nokia choose to depict aerial photography?
Jason Hawkes: I think because it's a very dynamic way of shooting and is technically very challenging.
md: How do you generally choose a camera to shoot aerial photographs? Which camera do you use generally?
JH: I've tested pretty much every make of camera over the years and settled with Nikon. I use the Nikon D3 / D3S / D3X. My favourite lenses are the 14-24mm and the 70 - 200mm. I chose them because they are built beautifully, incredibly fast to use, and the layout feels natural to me.
md: When it comes to aerial photography, what are the key features in a camera that ensures good footage?
JH: The most key feature would have to be to get a fast shutter speed, without that you can't even begin.
md: How powerful was Nokia's N8 during this assignment? How would you rank it?
JH: It's obviously much more difficult to work with being a phone when compared to Pro equipment that costs around £5000 just for a body. The results though are amazing.
md: As an aerial photographer, can you pick one top feature in N8's camera and tell me why?
JH: Again it would have to be the fast shutter speed. Without that you'd be well and truly stuck.
md: What are the pros and cons of taking photos with a phone, compared to a dedicated camera?
JH: I'm not going to be throwing out my pro kit anytime soon. However, if I was a photo journalist, the idea of being able to shoot a good clear image that you are confident could easily be blown up to a DPS and then be able to send that right over to your news desk on the same device would be very appealing.
md: Finally, are camera phones just as good for taking photos as cameras?
JH: I'm not sure, having said that I remember discussing the pros and cons of digital at the very start when most people were still using film. I hated the idea of digital at the time but would not dream of using anything else now.
So while camera phones are clearly not going to usurp proper equipment for pros, the point Nokia is trying to make through this campaign is that the N8's camera may surprise users with the quality of its photos. And considering all the challenges Nokia faces convincing users to choose Symbian over other smartphone platforms, it's no surprise to see it focusing on the hardware.
Here are some of Hawkes' photos taken with the N8.
