[pythons]

In todays Market a smartphone without a decent camera is like a car missing the front door windows - it may look great and be fun but as soon as it starts raining you know why it should have had those windows.

RIM will absolutely respond to it's remaining customers, I'm sure of that. When the professional reviews come out on this phone they are going to get slaughtered on this issue - a business phone that can't conduct business but loads facebook and twitter faster than anything else on the market????

Whoa those are a total train wreck. My Curve 3G does about the same job.

Indeed and if I'm not wrong the curve 3G is equiped with "a 2mp camera". To be totally honest my old curve 8330 produces shots not unlike that!

[anon(4021844)]

It pains me to say this but yup, I am quite disappointed that 9900 doesn't have AF.

In addition to making phone calls, emailing and texting, I use my 9780 to take pics of documents, drafts, sketches, etc. I also don't have a dedicated camera so yup, I use my 9780 to take snapshots of things, scenes, pets etc that interest me.

I also hope that RIM will come up with a revised model with AF camera.

[pythons]

It pains me to say this but yup, I am quite disappointed that 9900 doesn't have AF.

In addition to making phone calls, emailing and texting, I use my 9780 to take pics of documents, drafts, sketches, etc. I also don't have a dedicated camera so yup, I use my 9780 to take snapshots of things, scenes, pets etc that interest me.

I also hope that RIM will come up with a revised model with AF camera.

That's all it would take for RIM to do for me to purchase one - either that or Voodo some sort of software fix so that it could at least read text as well as you CAN with a 1st generation BB Storm.

[technology-fanboy]

so that it could at least read text as well you can with a 1st generation BB Storm.

Ouch! Sad but true, us comparing it to ancient phones

[pythons]

Ouch! Sad but true, us comparing it to ancient phones

Only problem being that the 'ancient phones' ( older blackberry's ) had excellent cameras in them. Like the following.

[technology-fanboy]

Only problem being that the 'ancient phones' ( older blackberry's ) had excellent cameras in them. Like the following.

Man that ancient camera's phone quality is a different world of precision!!

[technology-fanboy]

The reason I named this thread: "Just wished it came close..." is in other words sayin' that I am getting this phone, not tryin' to bash the phone and its owners, but it is gonna be a big disappointment from one part, and my joy over having the latest flagship phone with upgraded hardware has been spoiled. I am getting it, but hope someone @ RIM, someone from their staff here would be decent enough to at least tell us loyal supporters, why on earth did RIM decide to mess it up after they had it easily? Everyone was wishing since the days of the 9000 to have a 9000 form factor with upgraded guts! Well that's what we got, only they forgot the cams @ home......

[pythons]

Man that ancient camera's phone quality is a different world of precision!!

With the job I do I absolutely have to have this level of camera and given ( as you say ) it's considered ancient in tech years I would have never imagined that RIM would place a significantly inferior system in of all things, their hyped up, "Flagship"???

Can you imagine the images the upcoming curve Berry's will produce when the "Flagship" device produces what it does???

I can say this, that the biggest complaint I heard from the other managers I work with who jumped on the iphone boat early was the rotten pics it took - this continued with iphone up to the 3gS and finally Apple got it figured out!

RIM had ALREADY figured that part of a smart phone out - I know because I would be asked to shoot a pic of such and such then email to them so they could forward it to the person who needed it.

Those were the good old days of the Berry!

[technology-fanboy]

With the job I do I absolutely have to have this level of camera and given ( as you say ) it's considered ancient in tech years I would have never imagined that RIM would place a significantly inferior system in of all things, their hyped up, "Flagship"???

Can you imagine the images the upcoming curve Berry's will produce when the "Flagship" device produces what it does???

I can say this, that the biggest complaint I heard from the other managers I work with who jumped on the iphone boat early was the rotten pics it took - this continued with iphone up to the 3gS and finally Apple got it figured out!

RIM had ALREADY figured that part of a smart phone out - I know because I would be asked to shoot a pic of such and such then email to them so they could forward it to the person who needed it.

Those were the good old days of the Berry!

Well not that you mentioned it, we BB users never asked for an upgrade, all we wanted was a better camera or a camera on par with the 9780 / 9800.

I did not even look at the Camera specs properly when they released them for the 9900. I was overwhelmed by the 1.2 GHz. processor speed and 768 MB of App memory. I saw 5 MP and that's it, I couldn't even imagine they would put something so bad. What now, tryin' to test new technology on their poor loyal fans and on a flagship phone that costs an arm and a leg?


And you know what's worse man? I have a feeling, that I will get this phone on day one when it's released where I live...and 1 or 2 months later, RIM will announce an upgraded version of it with an AF camera and then I would be bangin' my head against the wall!

[pythons]

The reason I named this thread: "Just wished it came close..." is in other words sayin' that I am getting this phone, not tryin' to bash the phone and its owners, but it is gonna be a big disappointment from one part, and my joy over having the latest flagship phone with upgraded hardware has been spoiled. I am getting it, but hope someone @ RIM, someone from their staff here would be decent enough to at least tell us loyal supporters, why on earth did RIM decide to mess it up after they had it easily? Everyone was wishing since the days of the 9000 to have a 9000 form factor with upgraded guts! Well that's what we got, only they forgot the cams @ home......

Amen Brother! Hope is not all lost however, it's possible RIM can produce a software fix so that the 9900 & 9930 can take ALMOST as good of a picture as the 9700 or 9650 models of yester-YEARS.

If they can do that I would get one mainly because I love ( and know ) the BB U.I. and would do my small part to keep the company going.

[BBOttawa]

You know what pythons, I disagreed with you in a previous thread over this, but after using it for two days the camera is ****e for any close ups. This really does suck. And I agree, anyone who needs that feature should definitely not buy a 9900...very sad, just a bit thicker of a phone but with a better camera would have rocked. I love everything else about this phone, but what it could have been...you really have to wonder about the decision makers at RIM, hopefully the QNX guys now taking control will be more savvy.

I still love the phone, as close up pictures are not important to me at all, but I can't believe they thought no one would care, that's what bothers me! Just indicative of poor decision making at the top levels. Get the Torch 9810 if you want a very good camera is the solution, or another phone. Or if you don't care about it (I don't) enjoy the awesomeness that is the Gretzky 9900

[southlander]

Soooooo... this thing will take 720p movies that that really suck? What is the point of that feature?

Video looks good -- at least the ones posted on the blog by CrackBerry Kevin. Up close pics with the camera though... not so much.

[pythons]

You know what pythons, I disagreed with you in a previous thread over this, but after using it for two days the camera is ****e for any close ups. This really does suck. And I agree, anyone who needs that feature should definitely not buy a 9900...very sad, just a bit thicker of a phone but with a better camera would have rocked. I love everything else about this phone, but what it could have been...you really have to wonder about the decision makers at RIM, hopefully the QNX guys now taking control will be more savvy.

I still love the phone, as close up pictures are not important to me at all, but I can't believe they thought no one would care, that's what bothers me! Just indicative of poor decision making at the top levels. Get the Torch 9810 if you want a very good camera is the solution, or another phone. Or if you don't care about it (I don't) enjoy the awesomeness that is the Gretzky 9900

LOL, you are all good with me BBOttawa, I happen to have one of those jobs which requires I either have a decent camera in my phone or pack around a camera and worry about batteries for it. If I don't take a picture within a small window of time it costs the company I work for money big time - I think the most I saved in one day due to my blackberry was just under 6k.

You got that right with QNX!

[chiefbroski]

I take pictures of text when I'm too lazy to type it. Happens all the time, especially when you just have a touchscreen. I'm going with the 9850 anyway...autofocus goodness.

[DukeL]

Video looks good -- at least the ones posted on the blog by CrackBerry Kevin. Up close pics with the camera though... not so much.

Cant agree, its not only close up pics that suck. Pics suck reguardless of whether youre object is 1, 5 or 20 feet away. The camera is just subpar and as far as the video recording goes my 3GS from 2 years ago takes better video than this. All the shaky and wavy distortion going on it is also horrible.

[JenFromMars]

I understand that many people are disappointed about the camera, but what I'm wondering is: Why now? Everything about the camera was said in Kevin's video in May.



(They talk about the camera being the same "all-focus" camera that the Playbook has at about 11 minutes in.)

While reading this thread this picture came into my head..



^
The camera is not such a big deal for me, so I'll probably be happy with the 9900 when I can finally get my hands on it, but I guess that's how you guys feel about it right now. Hope there will be some way to solve this problem for the ones who need the close-ups.

I feel for you. I know what it's like to be excited for something and then get disappointed. When I was a kid my Mom once bought me a globe for Christmas..

[anon(4021844)]

When I was a kid my Mom once bought me a globe for Christmas..

Ah.. You must be very good in Geography then.

[pythons]

I understand that many people are disappointed about the camera, but what I'm wondering is: Why now? Everything about the camera was said in Kevin's video in May.



(They talk about the camera being the same "all-focus" camera that the Playbook has at about 11 minutes in.)

While reading this thread this picture came into my head..



^
The camera is not such a big deal for me, so I'll probably be happy with the 9900 when I can finally get my hands on it, but I guess that's how you guys feel about it right now. Hope there will be some way to solve this problem for the ones who need the close-ups.

I feel for you. I know what it's like to be excited for something and then get disappointed. When I was a kid my Mom once bought me a globe for Christmas..

It would be one thing if the issue was that the 99xx was a goofy color YET practical for business...
...It's a totally different animal when the phone is NOT practical for business.
...Yet the name ( Bold ) is the UNDISPUTED historical epitome of "business".

This "new" bizarre manufacturing concept of RIM would be like the 2013 Ford F-250 super duty Truck.....
...Being introduced as A Toyota Prius.
...As in a person showing you a Toyota Prius yet saying here is the F250 Super Duty!

And when all the construction folks who used and knew the F250 as a vehicle to get the job done started swearing....
...A few folks who never did any work with the F250 but liked it told all the construction guys.
...If YOU don't like it why don't YOU just go buy a "Truck"?

Perhaps I was incorrect with my previous analogy of RIM being a cuckold husband to the business community....
...And instead the EDOF camera in the Bold Flagship is RIM's way of serving Divorce papers to what little it had left of a wife IN the business community?

The whole thing is so odd it has to be something along these lines.

[technology-fanboy]

Can an OS update enhance the camera guys or not?

[manjazz123]

I mean... Who is really taking pictures of books? Jesus I usually take pictures of people or... dogs or... God I dunno a tree

but text from a book?

People will find anything to complain about.

I take pictures of text all the time. Different people, different needs. DUH

[Phill_UK]

Can an OS update enhance the camera guys or not?

Not... software can't enhance subpar hardware

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Scout_313]

It would be one thing if the issue was that the 99xx was a goofy color YET practical for business...
...It's a totally different animal when the phone is NOT practical for business.
...Yet the name ( Bold ) is the UNDISPUTED historical epitome of "business".

This "new" bizarre manufacturing concept of RIM would be like the 2013 Ford F-250 super duty Truck.....
...Being introduced as A Toyota Prius.
...As in a person showing you a Toyota Prius yet saying here is the F250 Super Duty!

And when all the construction folks who used and knew the F250 as a vehicle to get the job done started swearing....
...A few folks who never did any work with the F250 but liked it told all the construction guys.
...If YOU don't like it why don't YOU just go buy a "Truck"?

Perhaps I was incorrect with my previous analogy of RIM being a cuckold husband to the business community....
...And instead the EDOF camera in the Bold Flagship is RIM's way of serving Divorce papers to what little it had left of a wife IN the business community?

The whole thing is so odd it has to be something along these lines.

What I really don't understand is how you can say the lack of a great camera is the kiss of death for RIM's presence in the business sector. Forget e-mail or messaging, but focus on the camera? Utter nonsense if you ask me (which I know you didn't).

PS Your posting style with all of the unnecessary periods sometimes makes it difficult to follow your logic. Complete and well-formed sentences would be a much better approach.

[pythons]

What I really don't understand is how you can say the lack of a great camera is the kiss of death for RIM's presence in the business sector. Forget e-mail or messaging, but focus on the camera? Utter nonsense if you ask me (which I know you didn't).

PS Your posting style with all of the unnecessary periods sometimes makes it difficult to follow your logic. Complete and well-formed sentences would be a much better approach.

A) Because it's the "Flagship" and unless an alien meaning has been poured into that word it still means, as far as products go, the best foot the company has to put forward.

In reality is the Torch the flagship of RIM? Aside from the form factor difference between the Bold and Torch what is the one quality piece of hardware MISSING from the flagship?

B) The "Bold" name was the epitome of business and EVERY Patriarchal Bold smartphone that came with a camera is light years ahead of what RIM just defecated out as the 99xx. This defaults into RIM not even being able to compete with itself. Forget Apple and Droid

C) Utter nonsense is classified as being when the best apologetic that can be offered as to why there isn't a quality camera in RIM's flagship IS because RIM was forced to choose between functionality OR style.

If a company has to choose an either / or between having it's product being in "style" OR having it functional it's time to call a spade a spade. Even the very best of boxers due to age have to finally admit they can't compete and step down - so to even the best of race car drivers eventually get their drivers certs taken away by the authorities.

The last professional review posted here exposed the camera for what it is ( absolute junk ) and given that more people use / need a decent camera in their work smartphone than don't as evidenced by the actual posts from current and past bold users - I would say the minority of Bold users are the ones who don't care about having a functional camera.

The scanns and pictures of text ( or any detail for that matter ) are not usable at all. It's not that those types of pictures are below average or anything like that - they are NOT usable, period.

Am I mad, yes I'm boiling mad.


And yes to your affirmation of RIMS email push system. I have no doubt that it's the best the world has to offer and why I've heard talk of RIM allowing others to jump on it's wagen. If that alone isn't enough tea leaves to read I don't know what would be.

I am one who wants to see RIM keep producing smartphones - it's the reason I'm still using one. I however do NOT want to see them continue to produce smartphones like the bold 99xx! This will be a blood bath for them as certainly as night follows the day. A good part of it will indeed be the lack of a functional camera for business related pictures.

[JoJoCal19]

I didn't think it would be that big deal but the crackberry shots really changed my mind. I have a 9 month old daughter and it is great to whip out my phone and take a pciture of her. I can't see myself paying a premium price for the 9930 with the garbage it produces.

this is a classic example of marketing driving the boat. To make the 9930 the thinnest blackberry ever, I guess RIM couldn't squeeze a decent camera in. Poor design and poor execution with one goal in my mind...must advertise as thinnest bold ever. Too bad the Core market for this phone would really care about a few more millimeters in depth to accomodate at least a passing phone. I am passing on this phone. Right now I am on the 9000 and will buy an ipohone for the weekends and personal time

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Exactly. I have a 10 month old and my iPhone 4 has negated the need to always carry my point & shoot, DSLR or hi-def camcorder, in most instances. Now we do keep the T2i sitting on the coffee table along with the hi-def camcorder but mostly my wife and I grab our iPhone 4 and snap amazing photos or videos. Only if the lighting is questionable or we want to get the absolutely best shot do we grab for the others. For this reason alone the camera is a deal breaker. And I really wanted this phone too Now I hear that the next iPhone is supposed to have an even better camera.

[pythons]

Exactly. I have a 10 month old and my iPhone 4 has negated the need to always carry my point & shoot, DSLR or hi-def camcorder, in most instances. Now we do keep the T2i sitting on the coffee table along with the hi-def camcorder but mostly my wife and I grab our iPhone 4 and snap amazing photos or videos. Only if the lighting is questionable or we want to get the absolutely best shot do we grab for the others. For this reason alone the camera is a deal breaker. And I really wanted this phone too Now I hear that the next iPhone is supposed to have an even better camera.

Well, most companies that make tech products for the consumer market insure that the newer products which supercede their older products have improved hardware / features. I only know of one case where the Mfg decreased both the hardware and functionality of their device and it aint Apple or Droid.