Camera phones are so common today it is hard to imagine that they are a relatively new phenomenon. In June of 1997, French engineer Philippe Kahn who pioneered the camera phone, transmitted an image of his newborn daughter taken by a camera integrated into his cell phone. This landmark event led to the wider release of camera-equipped cell phones within the next few years. look at an image of one of the earliest camera phones of circa 1999:

Although this phone looks relatively simple by today's standards, it was cutting edge at the time. Compare the size of the camera aperture to that of current phones. This aperture is clearly significantly larger. Also consider the thickness of the phone. Today's thinner phones drive extremely low-profile camera designs.

The image quality from cell phone cameras has markedly improved over the years. In the beginning, they provided images that were adequate to "tell a story" but lacked the resolution and crispness of a dedicated digital camera. This lab focuses on understanding the limitations of our cell phone cameras.

Lab Procedure

Use your cell phone camera to take images in the following conditions and scenarios:

Low light

Very close to the subject/object

Take an image of a computer monitor or TV screen

Take a close-up picture of a glossy-surfaced object that isn't a reflector like a mirror.

Take a picture of a multi-colored object.

Download an example of each image and insert each one in your lab report. In each case, comment on the camera's ability to reproduce the scene. Compare the camera image with your perception of the scene. Comment on any imperfections or limitations that you see. Discuss the inherent design limitations of cell phone cameras from an optical perspective. Based on your observations, what improvements would you suggest to the camera designers?

Take detailed notes as you perform the experiment and fill out the sections below. Please include detailed descriptions of your experimental methods and observations.