After getting my Google Nexus One phone, I immediately wanted to try doing some street photography with it. A smart phone, like the Google Nexus One, is in my opinion not much of a street photography camera. Don’t get me wrong. You can still get nice pictures with it, it’s just that it is a pain in the ass to use. Since I always have it with me though I will continue to take pictures with it and keep posting the images here. But first, a little more about what I think about the Google phone as a street photography camera.
First the quick pro’s and con’s:
Pros:
+ Great colours (for a mobile camera, the colours are surprisingly vivid.)
+ Nice wide angle (let’s you get in close on your subject)
+ The camera phone is always with you in your pocket
+ Discrete and thus does not attract a lot of attention
Cons:
- Shutter button is on the screen and not as a separate button (makes it hard to get the camera to fire exactly when you need it too).
- Slow (once you have pressed the shutter, it is slow to take the picture)
- Short battery life (the screen steals heaps of battery)
- No focus selection and no exposure lock!
In short the Google Nexus One is not much of a street photography camera. Using the Google Nexus One is a little like building a house with a rock instead of a hammer. Sure you will eventually get the nails hammered into the wood, but by using a hammer instead of a rock, the results will be more accurate and more fun.
