PSP camera review: "Worse than most camera phones"
by Kyle Orland 
{ Dec 19th 2006 at 1:25PM }
It's been rumored and spotted and dated and now that it's out in Japan, it seems it's a little less than impressive. We're speaking, of course, of the PSP camera attachment, which import-focused site GameBrink declares is "worse than most camera phones on the market today."Indeed, the 5000 yen ($42), 1.3-megapixel phone seems a little behind the times when standard camera phones that come free with many wireless plans sport at least two megapixels. The attachment will only look more obsolete as eight-megapixel phones eventually penetrate the mass market. What's more, the camera's video function limits you to 15 second clips, regardless of how much capacity you have on your MemoryStick, negating one of the attachment's potential benefits.
With no launch details announced yet for America, it's still unclear whether the device will even see the light of day outside gadget-obsessed Japan. Judging by this review, though, that suddenly doesn't seem like such an awful prospect.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andy @ Dec 19th 2006 1:28PM
Nintenstiq
mrselfish @ Dec 19th 2006 1:32PM
Cue the crybabies saying "This site attacks everything Sony does blawhawhadeepthroatwaahhsob..."
Seer S @ Dec 19th 2006 1:33PM
Stop perpetuating the megapixel myth. Its just wrong. The psp camera may be bad, Im not disputing or claiming that, but its megapixel rating alone doesn't make it so.
John @ Dec 19th 2006 1:36PM
thats a bit crap lol!
why would i ever want a camera on my psp anyways?
its like using ur psp for an mp3 player, pointless!
if the we sd memory sticks get bigger and cheaper (eg 32GB memory sticks) then the psp will make a good mp4 player, and mega drive/snes emulator
also the web browsers pretty nifty
beyond that its a bit crap lol!
:)
Michael Lee @ Dec 19th 2006 1:47PM
But... but.. you can sleep with guys and leave behind pictures you took with it!
Richard Mitchell @ Dec 19th 2006 1:51PM
15 seconds? Sony has *got* to get off the DRM kick. It's bad for their customers. You just know they put the 15 second limit on video so that people wouldn't try to bootleg movies with it.
Seriously, Sony is as bad as the Hollywood studios were when video tape was first introduced. You'd think a major technology company would be more in tune with the YouTube generation.
Patrick @ Dec 19th 2006 2:00PM
@6 I'm sure that the 15 second cap has nothing to do with people bootlegging movies. There's already tons of better ways to get movies on your PSP. My guess is the RAM inside the PSP limits how much video it can process/compress at once.
Anubikai @ Dec 19th 2006 2:05PM
I have no animosity towards Sony/Sony PSP but sheesh....
Just slowly murder your own product....death by smothering seems nice...very...very...slowly....till....sweet, sweet death...
crono141 @ Dec 19th 2006 2:08PM
The megapixel myth only applies to 3 or greater cameras, since your average hand held film camera has what amounts to a 3 megapixel resolution.
Ringworm @ Dec 19th 2006 2:11PM
Samsung is the official HDTV of the NFL. That alone should put Sony to shame.
Evan @ Dec 19th 2006 2:19PM
The lenses on camera phones cannot resolve an image at 2 megapixels. And packing more pixels onto a CMOS sensor reduces its sensitivity, so the quality can actually go down as the "resolution" is increased.
A VGA-resolution CCD with a C-mount lens will capture vastly superior images (in terms of colour, signal-to-noise, and focus) compared to a 2 megapixel CMOS camera phone sensor and plastic-ass lens. As #3 said, you cannot judge a camera by its pixel count.
outletpro @ Dec 19th 2006 7:58PM
The camera can take more than 15 seconds of video if you currently have the new firmware update (3.02). You can just use the feature that is located in the XMB under the photo section. The camera isn't all that bad. It is more of a novilty though. I'm digging mine.
Abhinav @ Dec 19th 2006 10:02PM
*sigh* Ew. I was hoping for atleast 3.2 but it is true you cannot judge a camera by it's pixel count. That being said, many low pixel cameras tend to be poor and i am disappointed with this accessory.
DeShaun @ Dec 19th 2006 2:38PM
Definitely will agree with the above poster. Lenses DO matter. Now, while I will certainly agree that this lens does appear to be well..crappy, I think that the 1.3mp is appropriate. It would be useless to have anything higher. Larger resolution images are wasted if those images have no detail.
Andy, that comment is the most idiotic thing I've read here, but probably not the most idiotic thing you've said in your life. Keep trying, you'll break your old record.
I would hope that saying "worse than most camera phones" is based on actual USE, and not on speculation of number of pixels. Ever see those "budget" cameras that are 6mp, but have this stationary, tiny lens? Ever see the pictures those things take? Ever wonder why they're so cheap? Yeah.
What would be nice is a price tag on the thing. In all honesty, I think the camera should be bundled with the psp at the current price. You get a camera in your cell phone that costs just as much *shrug*
Ocho @ Dec 19th 2006 2:54PM
I kind of like the idea if you could use the camera to do video chats over WiFi or something like that. Or you could have some game based on taking pictures -- It might actually get some people out of the house.
lordroba @ Dec 19th 2006 3:27PM
man, some of you people are mindless cows. Maybe you guys should read other news sources other than Joystiq or Gamebrink for a change. I'm pretty sure it's been confirmed that you can record videos as long as you want provided you have the space on your memory stick and version 3.0+
BTS.WRKNG @ Dec 19th 2006 3:31PM
Talk about your pieces of Zune.
LordMinogue @ Dec 19th 2006 5:39PM
I know that a digital camera is superior to a camera phone, but I'm getting a camera phone so that I actually have the camera when I want to take pictures.
I don't want to have stuffed cargo pants of electronics. Keeping track of an increasing array of gizmos is difficult. I want it to be "Wallet, Keys, Phone...Lets go!"
Keith Sheehan @ Dec 19th 2006 6:03PM
Where's the GPS device? The PSP would make an excellent GPS display, even if I had to buy the maps separately.
cheese @ Dec 19th 2006 7:23PM
@#10, yeah and EA is the official videogame maker of NFL football... if you don't get the point, nevermind.
Darren Tilley @ Dec 19th 2006 7:50PM
The 15 second limit is actually completely incorrect.
The limit only applies when you are using the software on the UMD that comes with the camera.
The new firmware (3.0) allows you to access the camera without any additional software, and removes this limit. You can record anything up to full PSP screen resolution video limited only by your card's capacity.
Darren Tilley @ Dec 19th 2006 7:56PM
Forgot to provide link:
http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/psp/current/photo/c_available.html
Keil Joy @ Dec 20th 2006 5:34PM
oh well.. i WAS going to buy it.
hartleyshc @ Dec 20th 2006 12:03AM
Just to set the record straight, you can only record 15 second clips with included software. BUT using the camera function in firmware 3.00+ you can record as long as you want.
Also 1.3mp camera phones are still pretty standard in the US. (at least these free phones they were talking about) $50 for a 1.3mp isn't that bad of a deal. Not to mention the psp screen is a much better view finder than the camera on my phone, or even my 6mp camera.
PurpleSfinx @ Dec 20th 2006 1:39AM
I want games for it like that Gizmondo game where you held it near, say, your desk, then put little buildings down on your desk in the game. If you moved your Gizmondo around, the picture of your desk would (obviously) move around, and so would the little buildings and army\whatever on it.
It's hard to explain... Look at the video on YouTube, search for Gizmondo.
Anyway, if Sony bring out a game like that, I'm sold.
Superdotman @ Dec 21st 2006 1:39AM
If someone makes a homebrew app allowing for easy recording and uploading to YouTube, this thing could become pretty useful. Other than that, only a really good EyeToy game will get it to sell.
Pet @ Dec 20th 2006 4:25AM
I don't understand what the fuss is about. It's not meant to be a replacement for your camera. Think Eye Toy and you'd be closer.
anthony @ Dec 23rd 2006 7:23PM
well you know when you look at a the new phones there mpix are beter but they have a smaller screen so if they have the screen of the psp the pics might not be that bad and also how knows psp could up grade it so it has more pix before it comes over here but how knows what the might do sony is never good with there first product for at least 6 months or after xmas
Andrew @ Dec 28th 2006 10:57PM
what an idiot who wrote this. The psp update 3.03 has the camera mode on it so y r they questioning whether it will come out in north america. it is certain.
virtuoso @ Mar 18th 2007 1:26AM
ok... for all that are oblivious and have come to this page for info, listen up. the camera is better then the $50 Kodak share cameras at walmart, and has a better resolution for videos then verizons v-cast... but still lacks the ability to woo a person who uses a purpose appointed digital camera with a high pixel count. it is worth the $43 price tag that sony has put on it, its only a little bigger then a "AA" battery and it will shoot longer then 15 secs with the 3. upgraded firmware, and depending on the size of your card for the length of video, it is handy. instead of uploading photos and videos to your stick via pc/mac, you can now directly capture the moment to your PSP... it does have a mic, though it is mono it still does the job... i dont see it at all being a novelty item since it does serve a gradifying purpose, forgive my critisizm, but novelty items are defined as items that "look pretty". yeah... this camera makes your PSP look that much more important and "pretty" but it actually does work to a satisfying perspective... in conclusion to all said.. I OWN ONE...