“Cell phone camera quality” used to be the standard phrase for sub-standard photography. And even now, the nay-sayers complain about the iPhone’s camera: it’s only 2Mp, there’s no zoom and no flash.
But for me, it’s just another reason to love my iPhone. I don’t need the highest quality glass and controls; that’s what my DSLR is for. I need a camera that I can take with me wherever I go, and I always have my iPhone.
I used to carry my Canon G9 with me, and I still do every once in a while. But it’s no where near as slim as my iPhone, and I can’t just slip my G9 into my jeans pocket.
But how’s the image quality?
First, I would say that any image taken with the iPhone is vastly superior to no image at all. And if you don’t have a camera with you, you’re going to miss the image.
That being said, I’m very happy with the quality of the images from the iPhone. This image was taken on the balcony of my cruise ship stateroom, when my DSLR was fogged from being in a cold room.
Of course, an experienced photographer can take a good photo with any camera, just as most anyone can take a bad photo with the most advanced camera.
If you need inspiration or examples, there are several Flickr groups devoted to iPhone photography. To see some of the best imagery from the iPhone’s camera, though, check out the iPhone Photography Awards 2008 Winners.