Mobile Photography:
A Newfound Favorite
'A quick look at a newfound favorite, a vintage mobile camera ...'My favorite camera phone, since the last quarter of 2018, right through 2019, still going strong in 2020, or until it faces a major malfunction, is the vintage circa 2011 candy-bar feature phone, the Nokia Asha 300. Weighing in at 85 grams, the Asha 300 is the smallest, slimmest, and lightest feature phone I have used and is completely capable of capturing great images even with its 5MP camera.
I started to use the phone again after taking it out of storage, where it has been for more than a couple of years (five to be exact), as a temporary replacement to a newly purchased smartphone which I was not very happy with.Images from the newly acquired consumer-grade phone, though decent, were rather soft, lacks depth, and appears flat, not much to shout about.
I had the Asha 300 hooked it up to the charger, it looks to be working fine, took it outside to grab a few test shots, and Walla! what a surprise. In bright daylight, the images were simply exhilarating, sharp and clear, finely detailed, and the colors crisp.Basic MOBILE PHOTOGRAPHY Tips to Make Your Photos Stand Out
Do you struggle with frustration and feelings of inadequacy surrounding your photography skills or Instagram feed? Have you bought into the lie that you need a fancy DSLR camera in order to take good photos? Do you have a dream of sharing a story, service, or product with the world, but you lack confidence in your photography or Instagram skills?
The New Experience
That was the eye-opener. Just to make sure that I was on the right track, I took the camera out again for an evening shoot. Again, the images were fantastic, and after a batch of night shots later, I realized that I could have more fun with this camera than I ever had before.
Nokia Asha 300, Evening Groove
Using it purely as a camera, the Nokia Asha 300 has to be the smallest and the slimmest fixed-focus point-and-shoot that I have used so far. It is only 113mm x 50mm x 13mm thick, weighs 85 grams, slips anywhere you want to place it.
Nokia Asha 300, Noise, Speed and All
The phone is fitted only with a 5MP rear-facing camera with an F2.8 wide-angle (presumably with a focal length of 28mm) lens, and no flash support.
Nokia Asha 300, Morning Walk
The Nokia is capable of recording images at a maximum resolution of 2592x1999 pixels, and with the built-in memory bank, the camera can record up to 112 JPEG images.
Nokia Asha 300, City Edge
Not all are sweet and dandy, though. With a 2.4 inch screen that you can hardly see in bright light, shooting is more of an arm forward hipster style point-and-shoot. Images take ages to save, literally giving you enough time to take another sip of the coffee, and chimping is something you wouldn't want to do with.
Nokia Asha 300, Night Scene
On the plus side, the fixed-focus F2.8 lens has just the right angle of view to bring in a scene without perceived distortion, it is wide enough to be considered as a street shooter's delight.
Nokia Asha 300, It's Raining Again
The availability of a USB port and easy Windows connectivity makes image transfer for post-processing and print sharpening makes for a seamless workflow.
Looking Forward
Unlike my other series on Analog Diary and Digital Moments, where I used different cameras, lenses, or a combination of different cameras with different lenses, the series on Mobile Photography will be based on different assignments done with the same camera. The reason is purely economic, I just couldn't see myself acquiring a new smartphone every three weeks or so just so I can do these short reviews.The fun and creative, however, is definitely there, and doing the assignments at different locations, time of day, with a varied subject matter, do keep your juice flowing. Set yourself regular assignments, even the lowest end camera you can find, and see how much more you are enjoying your photography and how much your skill improves.
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