Good cell phone for photographers

[midnight_rider]

I am looking for a new cell phone that can access the internet so I can show my galleries to people with ease. I have a way to show people my photos on my GPS and MP3 player but it is a lot of hassle to resize the images for that as well. We all know that our galleries are forever changing and I think it would be very easy to just pull up smugmug or such and show them from their. It stays updated and I only have to update one thing. i use the AT&T network so please do not recommend any phone that is not on that network.

Does anyone else use their cell phone to show their photos to people?

Thanks.

[Tsmith]

Although I don't have one but have seen the iPhone and must say it works great for viewing my Pbase Galleries.

[midnight_rider]

Sorry I forgot to mention that I am an electrician so I am constantly crawling in and out of tight spots ( attics, crawlspaces and machinery) so a touch screen phone will not last long for me. Just ask my IPOD. Figured that it would be nice to have music while I work. I will never get that 400 bucks back.

If I could use a touch screen that would be the front runner for me. thanks

[CameraMan741]

ummm....im not sure if at&t has it, but i had a palm centro.

it is touch screen, but you can use buttons, the touch screen is just a bonus feature. the screen resolution is pretty good, and its internet is quite fast.

the buttons are kinda small though.


EDIT: AT&T does have it available. just check out a picture of one to see if the touch screen will be a problem....

http://www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/palmcentro/images/PalmCentro.jpg

[Tsmith]

Get the protective jacket for it.

[ed rader]

Sorry I forgot to mention that I am an electrician so I am constantly crawling in and out of tight spots ( attics, crawlspaces and machinery) so a touch screen phone will not last long for me. Just ask my IPOD. Figured that it would be nice to have music while I work. I will never get that 400 bucks back.

If I could use a touch screen that would be the front runner for me. thanks


i'm an electrician too and my cell phone stays in the truck :D.

ed rader

[midnight_rider]

i'm an electrician too and my cell phone stays in the truck :D.

ed rader

Cool I knew I was not the only one here:D
I would really like to leave mine in the truck but we seem to have a problem round here with vehicles getting broken in to.

[bps]

You may have ruled it out, but the iPhone is the definitive choice. I can't say enough good things about this phone. Yes, it's the best phone to show pictures on. But it's also an incredible device that continues to amaze me, even after 2 months of ownership. The iPhone makes other phones seem barbaric by comparison.

It's a pretty solid device, but with a tough job like yours, the problem can easily be solved with a solid case. (there are literally hundreds of cases for the iPhone, so be sure to shop around before ruling out this amazing device)

Bryan

[Vascilli]

Cool I knew I was not the only one here:D
I would really like to leave mine in the truck but we seem to have a problem round here with vehicles getting broken in to.
Pelican case?

[speedypalomino]

I am also an electrician and have carried the at&t 8525 for a couple years, it's camera is pretty nice with even a macro mode and a flash, and a bunch of other modes I've never used, it makes little movies, and crops... pretty amazing phone.... The new version is called the "tilt" it has windows mobile ,,,, 7? maybe...
hope this helps brother!!!

Hmmm,,, SHOWING pictures.... LOL... I shoulda read closer.... It has a nice screen also!!!

[Jim G]

I bought my iPhone 3G purely for its photo-showing capabilities, pretty much. A phone's a phone, I text, call and check my emails but the screen is great for showing off a portfolio.

[kristan]

My fiance has the Tilt. IMO, the screen resolution is terrible!

[Eaton Photos]

I am looking for a new cell phone that can access the internet so I can show my galleries to people with ease. I have a way to show people my photos on my GPS and MP3 player but it is a lot of hassle to resize the images for that as well. We all know that our galleries are forever changing and I think it would be very easy to just pull up smugmug or such and show them from their. It stays updated and I only have to update one thing. i use the AT&T network so please do not recommend any phone that is not on that network.

Does anyone else use their cell phone to show their photos to people?

Thanks.

The Centro & Treo are both excellent options. And as has been recommended, the iPhone can work, if you have a good case on it.

i'm an electrician too and my cell phone stays in the truck :D.

ed rader

Ed,

You work??? I always see you online on the boards here & on FM. :D :D I would never have guessed, that you have a REAL job... :)

[bdohockey]

+1 for the iPhone. What exactly happened to your iPod?

I've dropped my iPhone a couple times and nothing has happened to it. There are a lot of cases to help with that. Personally I have the inCase Slider.

[ed rader]

The Centro & Treo are both excellent options. And as has been recommended, the iPhone can work, if you have a good case on it.



Ed,

You work??? I always see you online on the boards here & on FM. :D :D I would never have guessed, that you have a REAL job... :)


not much and thank God the economy is catching up with my work ethic :D.

BTW, my wife is waiting for the new blackberry so she can show pics.

ed rader

[chalib_alex]

Iphone 3G :)

[Lars Finkelstein]

The iPhone is great for showing photos etc.

[ben_r_]

iPhone has got to be the best I have seen for doing all those things combined (surfing net, displaying pictures, phone). The only thing it lacks is better battery life and an external memory card slot.

[Jim G]

iPhone has got to be the best I have seen for doing all those things combined (surfing net, displaying pictures, phone). The only thing it lacks is better battery life and an external memory card slot.

The battery life is a little dodgy... mine's needed a charge every one to two days, definitely daily if I'm using it heavily. Something my previous mobile phones have definitely not required.

[_aravena]

Siemen's has an awesome rugged shock proof phone. Get away from the crap "must buy" phone market and go with a GSM unlocked phone. And touch screen, gag me. Amazes me how since the dawn of screens we've done everything to prevent smears, smudges, and marks of the sort but now it's all we want to do. :rolleyes:

FYI, I don't have to resize my photos for my MP3.

[midnight_rider]

Okay i see a lot of recommendations for the I Phone. I know it is a great phone and that it is very capable. Perhaps this will give some perspective as to why it will not cut it for me. Allow me to introduce you all to my 6 month old LG CU500. Believe it or not it stays in a case. It is not a sealed case, for those of you who know Klein it is one of theirs. It just has the strap that comes over the phone and velcroes to the front. Here http://www.kleintools.com/05_PRODUCTS/5715SMT-Phone-Holder/whatsnew/Whatsnew_Pop-Up.jpg

[midnight_rider]

Oh and lets not forget the duck tape.:D

[snails]

If any phone you own is going to end up looking like that, I don't think any phone is going to be presentable at some later time. If I were in your situation, I'd buy an iPod touch (iTunes does the resizing for you), and leave it in a protective case (pelican) in your tool box. That way it's not left in the car and it's not crawling through ducts with you.

[adawar]

BlackBerry Curve or wait a bit, the Bold will be out shortly.

[_aravena]

Siemens M81 is shockproof...there's another but I can't find it. I almost got one, very awesome with great reviews from outdoor people that have dropped it repeatedly and it still works great.

[bps]

Wow. Now that's some serious abuse! I agree with snails' post above. You're better off with an iPod Touch for showing off pictures and a cheap throw-away phone to keep on-person.

Bryan

[scotteisenphotography]

i love my iPhone 3G for everything you want to do.

[midnight_rider]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I may put some thought into getting two phones. One for work and one for pleasure. Although to be honest I pick up a few customers at work by being able to show them my photos. Constantly changing the sims card may get a little old but if it keeps my good phone looking new then it may be worth it.

[Familiaphoto]

Another vote for the iPod Touch. I get a phone through work and cannot justify getting a personal phone. I use Elements to arrange some collections that then sync with the iPod Touch, works out very well and they show nicely as iTunes resizes them. Might be worth some consideration.

[Vascilli]

Satellite phone. :D

[funhouse69]

I waited for the iPhone 3G to come out before I jumped on the bandwagon and I am thrilled that I did. I say give one a try at the very least I don't think you will be disappointed. I show off a lot of pics on it and it does so much more!!!

[midnight_rider]

Anyone have any thoughts on the blackjack 2 ?

[Maddog12]

I know it may not work given your tough environment, but the new iPhone 3g is great. I synced full resolution photos of my portfolio to my phone. With two touches on the screen I am showing photos which look pretty good on the iPhones large/wide screen.

Around my area the internet works pretty good so I could go to my website if I needed.

I also have my price sheets and other info saved on my phone as a pdf document.

I use smugmug and I just downloaded a free app "SmugShot" where I can go right to my smugmug galleries and even download pictures that are on my phone directly to a folder at smugmug. Haven't had much time to play around with this app, but it works good so far.

Plus, calendar, ipod, email and contacts feature are very nice.

iPhone 3g....best money I have spent in a while. Well getting that grip for my xti was money well spent too.

[bps]

Not trying to turn this into a iPhone 3G thread, but I absolutely love mine. It's a revolutionary device. Absolutely the best money I've spent in a long time...

[snails]

Anyone have any thoughts on the blackjack 2 ?

The Blackjack not going to hold up any better than the phone you currently have.

If you are looking to make a presentation to a potential customer on a portable device, the cell phone that goes to work with you, and gets beat up like you've shown us, is probably is not going to say the same thing as a nice clean device you keep somewhere safe.

I mentioned the iPod Touch before because it would not require a second phone contract, costs less, and can be left somewhere safer without depriving you of the ability to use your phone.

[blonde]

The Blackjack not going to hold up any better than the phone you currently have.

If you are looking to make a presentation to a potential customer on a portable device, the cell phone that goes to work with you, and gets beat up like you've shown us, is probably is not going to say the same thing as a nice clean device you keep somewhere safe.

I mentioned the iPod Touch before because it would not require a second phone contract, costs less, and can be left somewhere safer without depriving you of the ability to use your phone.

i agree with this. if i had to chose a phone that i can present my work to customers, i would not use one that looked all beat up. to me, that is like showing up with a torn up portfolio to a job interview. instead, i would keep the beat up phone that you have and add a second device like the ipod touch or any other good quality media player. you can leave the second device in your car or bag and only take it out when you need to.

[Maddog12]

It sure is nice to have it "all in one". After a while of having two devices you will wish you had it all in one.

I looked at doing the cell phone/seperate pda combination and even looked into the Palm Treo and Centreno.

The iPhone does everything the Treo does plus a lot more. Got around 70 photos, 1500 songs, numerous apps, two email accounts, several other documents and still have around 9GB of the 16GB available.

[ayman86]

The iPhone makes other phones seem barbaric by comparison.

i guess you are right. :p
http://i35.tinypic.com/2s98607.jpg

[Maddog12]

^ Classic...well done!

[ANGUS]

i guess you are right. :p

Hrmm i got an love my iPhone, only problem is battery life, But why would you want to change memory card with an 8gb or 16gb built in drive? Also who needs MMS when you can email that picture?

[ayman86]

i didnt make it, just thought i would put it in here for kicks. just a joke, so dont take it seriously. lol

but on the topic for memory cards, i agree with this
"an expandable slot would close the price gap between models that only differ in storage. Currently, a 16GB microSD can be nabbed for ~$60 and prices will only go down over time. Of course, offering an expansion slot would discourage people from buying the more expensive models."

[thebishopp]

Iphone. If you are worried about it getting damaged check out the super tough cases at www.otterbox.com

I have the original cases they made for the iphone and they work great.

[midnight_rider]

i guess you are right. :p

LOL that is nice.

[midnight_rider]

Thanks all, I ordered a blackberry pearl for right now. I really want to see what Iphone comes out with since other companies are begining to put some pressure on them. If the BB stands up good then i may jump on the next model that comes out.
Iphone. If you are worried about it getting damaged check out the super tough cases at www.otterbox.com (http://www.otterbox.com)

I have the original cases they made for the iphone and they work great.

Cool cases, they look very durable. I am choosing between this and a pelican right now.

[blonde]

It sure is nice to have it "all in one". After a while of having two devices you will wish you had it all in one.

I looked at doing the cell phone/seperate pda combination and even looked into the Palm Treo and Centreno.

The iPhone does everything the Treo does plus a lot more. Got around 70 photos, 1500 songs, numerous apps, two email accounts, several other documents and still have around 9GB of the 16GB available.

no argument here. i went from a BB and Ipod to my iPhone and there is no going back now. i know that it is corny as hell but i can honestly say that the iPhone changed the way i do things. now i have all my work emails, personal files, images, music, calender, contacts and fun apps all in one place and i find that i can do so much more.

[bps]

i guess you are right. :p

Now that is hilarious!
:lol:

Bryan

[shannyD]

the blackberry curve is pretty good.. easy to handle for the most part ) i hated it for the first three days) but it displays well,,, surfs the net well, and texting is super easy if your a text person.

i had the black jak too.. and it was alright. that was way easier to navigate through, and had better stock ring tones.

[Familiaphoto]

I don't have a blackberry curve, but my wife does. I did a little experiement and put some of my pics on it and then compared it to hte same pics on my iPod Touch. While the pics looked OK on the curve they just popped on my iPod Touch. It might have to do with the size of the screen, but there seemed to be a vibrancy to the iPod Touch that the Curve lacked.

Just my opion. Get the iPhone 3G and get a great case for it. You won't be sorry.

[RRitch]

Sorry I forgot to mention that I am an electrician so I am constantly crawling in and out of tight spots ( attics, crawlspaces and machinery) so a touch screen phone will not last long for me. Just ask my IPOD. Figured that it would be nice to have music while I work. I will never get that 400 bucks back.

If I could use a touch screen that would be the front runner for me. thanks

I would look at getting the I-Phone for the photo viewing capabilities. There is even an app that will allow you to link to Flickr albums. As for the protection, I can highly recommend the otterbox cases. I have them on both of my blackberrys and they are great.

http://www.otterbox.com/iphone-cases/iphone-defender-case/

[zagiace]

I actually booked a job showing my portfolio on my iPhone.

[midnight_rider]

I took back the blackberry in less than a week and got the Iphone. I also uploaded smugshot and a few other apps. I just hope it survives. I am installing the Invisible Shield by Zagg. I hope it is as tough as it looks on the website.

[Maddog12]

I hope it survives because I think you will truely love the device.

I love my iPhone.

My daughter loves my iphone too.....because when I got the iphone she got my ipod nano.

[heldGaze]

The iPhone has a critical design flaw that lessens its value compared to every other device on the market and that is the lack of removable battery. How many people would buy a camera that lacked the ability for you to swap in a fresh battery?

I would recommend the Nokia N95 as I think it is the perfect device for photographers. Naturally, like almost every other phone on the planet besides those hyped by Apple, it has a removable battery, and it's battery life is superior to the iPhone to begin with. It's got a fantastic OS & browser that already has tons of applications available on the net. But what really sets the N95 apart from all the other devices mentioned in this thread is the CAMERA! It's a 5MP camera with a Carl Zeiss lens, AF, flash and it shoots video at DVD quality (though not widescreen, at a 4:3 aspect ratio I believe). The two things it is missing that would make it a complete P&S are optical zoom (a big missing feature for a P&S) and a tripod mount. The gallery feature is easy to use, and since it is SIM unlocked it is perfect for people who travel Europe/America/Asia. I had an iPhone, hated it, replaced it with the Nokia N95 and have been happier ever since. I will say, the iPhone has a better screen and maybe browsing sites on it is easier, but when it comes to being a photographer no Apple device can compete with the Nokia N95. Also, the N95 is a UMS device so you can just drag & drop music, images and videos without the use of additional software, just a file manager since the phone shows up as a regular drive in your computer. Whereas if you do decide on an iPhone you *will* have to live in Jobs's world. That means installing iTunes even if you don't use it for anything other than managing your phone.

[midnight_rider]

The iPhone has a critical design flaw that lessens its value compared to every other device on the market and that is the lack of removable battery. How many people would buy a camera that lacked the ability for you to swap in a fresh battery?

I would recommend the Nokia N95 as I think it is the perfect device for photographers. Naturally, like almost every other phone on the planet besides those hyped by Apple, it has a removable battery, and it's battery life is superior to the iPhone to begin with. It's got a fantastic OS & browser that already has tons of applications available on the net. But what really sets the N95 apart from all the other devices mentioned in this thread is the CAMERA! It's a 5MP camera with a Carl Zeiss lens, AF, flash and it shoots video at DVD quality (though not widescreen, at a 4:3 aspect ratio I believe). The two things it is missing that would make it a complete P&S are optical zoom (a big missing feature for a P&S) and a tripod mount. The gallery feature is easy to use, and since it is SIM unlocked it is perfect for people who travel Europe/America/Asia. I had an iPhone, hated it, replaced it with the Nokia N95 and have been happier ever since. I will say, the iPhone has a better screen and maybe browsing sites on it is easier, but when it comes to being a photographer no Apple device can compete with the Nokia N95. Also, the N95 is a UMS device so you can just drag & drop music, images and videos without the use of additional software, just a file manager since the phone shows up as a regular drive in your computer. Whereas if you do decide on an iPhone you *will* have to live in Jobs's world. That means installing iTunes even if you don't use it for anything other than managing your phone.


Welcome to the forum. Thanks but I have already purchased an Iphone. From what I can tell the Iphone browses the internet faster and truer than any other phone out there. I am not sold on the touch screen yet but for what I wanted it is perfect. The screen is a big deal for me and the camera is not. I just wanted something to pull up my online galleries to show people during the day. And the battery is replacable, you just need a soldering iron:)

[Familiaphoto]

I agree the battery is a weak point of the iPhone, but with all the other pluses of the device it is still the best out there in my opinion. If I didn't get a phone through work and had a personal phone, the iPhone is what I would have.

[zagiace]

the battery, screen and hard drive are all non-replaceable parts in my iPod. I have replaced each of them though.
For all of its flaws, its an incredible machine. Ask anyone who owns run and you are likely to get the same response.