DxOMark: today’s mobile phone image quality surpasses that of 2007 compact digital cameras
DxOMark will start measuring the camera image quality for cellphones, smartphones and digital tablets. The first test scored will be published in the next few weeks. DxOMark included also a interesting statistics in their press release: "Mobile image quality is now superior to that of 5-year-old compact cameras":
Press release:
October 9, 2012 - DxOMark, the website of reference for camera and lens image quality measurements, announces the launch of new measurements dedicated to camera image quality data for cellphones, smartphones, and digital tablets.
Drawing on DxO Labs' expertise in measuring the image quality of conventional cameras and lenses, DxO Mark Mobile aims to help consumers analyze and compare the still and video performance of mobile devices by freely providing them with its industrial-quality scientific measurements.
Mobile image quality is now superior to that of 5-year-old compact cameras
Mobile phone cameras have become a key feature for a large number of consumers: in 2011, more than one quarter of all photos were taken with a mobile phone. This trend has accelerated in 2012 - which may end up being the year when mobile photography surpasses traditional amateur compact camera photography.
Mobile phone image quality has also made considerable progress - for example, the image quality of the Nokia 808 PureView, in first place in the DxOMark Mobile rankings for still photos, is superior to that of a
5-year-old compact camera. And as for video, the best mobile tested in this category, the Samsung Galaxy SIII, outperforms the Canon Powershot 100."Of the dozen mobile devices that we have already tested, some have already attained a significant level of image quality," said Frédéric Guichard, Chief Scientific Officer for DxO Labs. "However, the increase in sensor resolution and the miniaturization of pixels has introduced new problems well-known to photographers, such as digital noise. Our detailed test results will allow consumers to analyze all of the intrinsic qualities of mobile cameras."
Innovative, standards-compliant DxOMark Mobile measurement technology
DxOMark experts have developed innovative testing protocols based on both objective and perceptual measurements. DxOMark Mobile measures many attributes of mobile camera image quality such as color, exposure, texture, noise, and autofocus, in both still photo and video modes. In all, DxOMark Mobile analyzes 14 attributes, assigning each one a score between 1 and 100. An overall DxOMark score lets users rank and make comparisons between camera-equipped mobile devices, as well as between mobile cameras and compact cameras.
"In addition to measurements made in the laboratory under perfectly-controlled environmental and lighting conditions, we also conduct perceptual analyses of shots taken in the field," commented Guichard. "We reproduce the everyday conditions that people commonly encounter when using these devices so as to reliably analyze and report on their image quality."
DxOMark Mobile's fully-reproducible testing protocols conform to international standards established by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA), the lnternational Imaging Industry Association (I3A), and the Camera Phone Image Quality (CPIQ) working group.
"With its continuously-enriched database, DxOMark Mobile aims to become the reference source for information about mobile camera image quality, and to develop partnerships with many players in the mobile photography market," said Jérôme Ménière, CEO of DxO Labs.
The first reviews based on DxOMark Mobile measurements will be published in the next few weeks.