The digital Minox A

[tjwspm]

... of today is the Palm Phone. Every smartphone has a camera, but only a few are as small as a Minox A. I've been taking photos for four years now with a really small digital device. It is from 2018 and is called Palm PVG100. The size (volume) and weight correspond almost exactly to my Minox A, so the comparison is justified. Of course, 70 years of technical progress is evident in all other categories. Further comparisons are therefore pointless.

Things get more interesting when compared to other digital cameras. Now I am of the opinion that technical features in photography are generally overrated, but this little thing produces amazingly good image quality.

Read my assessment here after 4 years of use and look at the photos taken with this camera here:

Palm Phone PVG 100 Camera

Transforming everyday moments into masterpieces with a tiny camera phone.

moments-of-now.com

​

 

[tjwspm]

Update: Added Tripod.

 

[tjwspm]

Update: Added a section on how to trigger without shaking when using the tripod.

Palm Phone PVG 100 Camera

Transforming everyday moments into masterpieces with a tiny camera phone.

moments-of-now.com

 

[tjwspm]

Update of update:
The method of using an additional app for blur-free images with a tripod has proven to be less than ideal, as the app can only take 8-megapixel photos and therefore does not make full use of the phone's capabilities.
I have since found out how to easily connect a remote shutter release to the phone:

Palm Phone PVG 100 Camera

Transforming everyday moments into masterpieces with a tiny camera phone.

moments-of-now.com

 

[tjwspm]

3. Update: Even better is a wireless remote shutter release:

Palm Phone PVG 100 Camera

Transforming everyday moments into masterpieces with a tiny camera phone.

moments-of-now.com

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

Interesting idea and nice photos. I played with my old iPhone 3G a few months ago and was amazed at how small it is compared to my current iPhone 13 Pro.

I checked out your website and I'm really impressed with your Minox photos.

 

[MFstooges]

I love old phones and their simplicity. I dislike the new ones with 3-4-5 lens on the back trying to please everyone and their needs. There were few companies who developed zoom lens with prism but they are not so popular due to lack of marketing. I feel this is the way to go.
Anyway your flower picture, do you think it should be taken with 2 exposure settings and stacked in image editor to save the highlights?

 

[tjwspm]

Anyway your flower picture, do you think it should be taken with 2 exposure settings and stacked in image editor to save the highlights?

Yes, definitely. However, by the time I had made these adjustments and taken the necessary photos, the bee would have flown away long ago...

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

I'm curious if you're actually using the Palm as a phone or just a camera? I would think an Android phone from 2018 would be long outside of support and security updates. Can you use the Palm without a sim card and just use wifi for connectivity?

It's been a couple of years since I had an Android device. I just checked out the Play store and I was kind of surprised how few camera apps are left. But perhaps I was missing something; I was just browsing with Firefox and maybe the actual Play Store app still has many more apps than I could see.

 

[tjwspm]

I'm curious if you're actually using the Palm as a phone or just a camera? I would think an Android phone from 2018 would be long outside of support and security updates. Can you use the Palm without a sim card and just use wifi for connectivity?

Yes, I assume that I could use the Palm phone without a SIM card with WiFi. However, I haven't tried it yet. But if I turn on airplane mode and then just activate WiFi, I am connected.

I have to admit that I use the Palm Phone as my only smartphone. I also use it to make phone calls and often listen to audiobooks using the Audible app. In addition I have 93 other apps installed. What I don't do with it is home banking. I only use the internet browser when I'm out and about and have no other alternative. The display is very small for that. I only use GPS navigation for short periods of time because the battery runs out quickly in this mode.

I have tried several camera apps, but always returned to the original camera app that came with the device.
Although this app also offers some manual setting options, practically all of the photos I show in the post on my webpage were taken in fully automatic mode.

Photos like this one from my last winter vacation would never have been taken without the Palm Phone because I didn't have a camera with me:


I like this photo that looks like it was taken on the moon

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

Thanks for the response. That is a cool photo!

I'd love to be in a position where I could get by with a minimalist phone such as the Palm. I unfortunately often have work emails I need to respond to on my phone, and I find the larger screen of my iPhone 13 Pro helps a lot with that. (The big screen is nice for composing photos on too.)

 

[tjwspm]

Today a video appeared on YouTube that is a plea for 12 megapixels. With good arguments, in my opinion:

 

[Yashica]

I am perfectly fine with 12/13 MP via 35mm Sensor ("FF"). With APS-C/DX, i shoot from 6 to 16 MP, and have had a few of my best pictures with "only" 6 MP, that's 3000x2000 Pixels.

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

@tjwspm — What tripod is that you are using?

 

[tjwspm]

@tjwspm — What tripod is that you are using?

The tripod shown in my article is the JOBY GorillaPod Micro 250 in combination with the Joby GripTight ONE. The former is apparently no longer available individually. Instead, both are now offered together as GripTight™ ONE Micro Stand.

Palm Phone PVG 100 Camera

Transforming everyday moments into masterpieces with a tiny camera phone.

moments-of-now.com

See also

Mamiya 16 - Tripod + Cable Release for long exposures

The Mamiya 16 has a tripod mount as well as a thread for a cable release on the shutter release button. I bought a cable release from amazon but unfortunately screwing the cable into the release button (top right on this image...

www.photrio.com

With Minox cameras I usually use a string tripod:

Triggering a Minox

More shots are ruined by camera shake than by any other shooting error. This essay combines triggering of a Minox with experience from sport shooting.

moments-of-now.com

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

The tripod shown in my article is the JOBY GorillaPod Micro 250 in combination with the Joby GripTight ONE. The former is apparently no longer available individually. Instead, both are now offered together as GripTight™ ONE Micro Stand.

Palm Phone PVG 100 Camera

Transforming everyday moments into masterpieces with a tiny camera phone.

moments-of-now.com

See also

Mamiya 16 - Tripod + Cable Release for long exposures

The Mamiya 16 has a tripod mount as well as a thread for a cable release on the shutter release button. I bought a cable release from amazon but unfortunately screwing the cable into the release button (top right on this image...

www.photrio.com

With Minox cameras I usually use a string tripod:

Triggering a Minox

More shots are ruined by camera shake than by any other shooting error. This essay combines triggering of a Minox with experience from sport shooting.

moments-of-now.com

Thanks!