Quick question: How many times have you seen someone using a tablet to capture video or take pictures? The odds are likely that most people will say “never,” but with the introduction of Apple’s new iPad, I think that answer is about to change for three reasons. The new iPad’s combination of a large, high-resolution screen, excellent camera sensor and updated editing software could change the way we think about creating video content with tablets.
For the past two years, people have suggested that taking video with a tablet simply looks stupid. That makes sense to a point. But to some, having a conversation with your phone about today’s weather looks stupid too. And holding up an iPad for a FaceTime chat isn’t the sexiest-looking activity either. Yet we’re still doing both. Why? Because these are both effective solutions. At some point, what used to “look stupid” can become the norm if it works well.
Strange looks aside, I think the new iPad will become a far more useful tool for video and pictures than people yet realize. Sure, our smartphones are superb for capturing images and sharing them as well; that’s why the No. 1 camera used on Flickr is a phone. Handhelds are generally always with us, making it easy to capture the moment. But editing can be a chore on the small screen and its limited number of pixels.
That changes with a 9.7-inch screen with 2048 x 1536 resolution. Think about it: You have an portable editing palette with 50 percent more resolution than even the best HDTVs currently available. Add in the updated iMovie software — and the new iPhoto app for still shots — and the editing process is favored on a tablet over a smartphone. Both software titles also work on Apple’s iPhone, where I’m sure they’ll be used as well, but if given a choice, I’d rather edit on the larger, higher-resolution display. I’d also prefer to show that content off on the iPad over a smartphone as well.
The other factor here is the camera sensor itself. Few tablet makers have invested the effort and cost to integrate a rear camera that’s worth relying on. The new iPad re-uses the sensor from its iPhone 4, which is very capable in all lighting situations.
If you have an iPhone 4, you know how much of an improvement that sensor was over the iPad 3GS camera. Besides the boost to 5 megapixels and support for HD recording, the camera has five optical element layers and a back-illuminated sensor. Even though the iPhone 4S improves upon this, the top camera used for Flickr is still the iPhone 4.
Whether it looks stupid or not, the new iPad has all of the tools to morph the tablet into a stellar video content creation tool. If Apple didn’t think so, I can’t see why it would have boosted the camera sensor and created richer editing tools for this very purpose.
Image courtesy of Flickr user, atmtx
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