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Everybody knows already how good the new iPod Touch is but being ordinary people that we are, there’s always something left to complain about. In the Touch 4G’s case, it’s the crummy 0.7 megapixel rear camera.Apple didn’t openly say 0.7 megapixel on their website. Instead, they just stated “still photos (960 x 720) with back camera”. To get the effective megapixel count, just multiply 960 by 720 and you get 691,200 or roughly 0.7 million. Do also note that it can’t take 16:9 widescreen photos (only 4:3) with that maximum resolution.

But my first digital camera has 2 megapixels!

Yeah you’re wondering why your old trusty Canon Powershot has 2 megapixels yet Apple can’t even go 1mp. You’re thinking 0.7mp devices should not be introduced in 2010.

Apple doesn’t want the iPod Touch to be your main camera. The still photos feature is there mainly for mobile uploads to your favorite social networking sites. It’s not made to take photos that you would want to print.

But the iPhone 4 has 5 megapixels!

Before you compare the iPod Touch’s camera to the iPhone 4′s, you should be reminded that the iPhone 4’s camera also has 3x zoom and auto-focus. Not the iPod Touch. Apple says that it’s a size and not a cost issue. They have to make the Touch thicker in order to accommodate a camera similar to the iPhone 4’s.

But how can it take HD videos with a 0.7 mp camera?

The iPod Touch can take 720p HD videos (1280 x 720). As long as a camera can do 720 pixel on the short end, it can do HD video provided that the sensor permits it. You don’t need a huge megapixel count to do HD recording, you’ll ran out of space easily if you’ll use 10mp per frame on your video.

So how good is the camera on the iPod Touch 4G then?

Ahh, that’s the biggest question. If 0.7 megapixel is not that big of a deal, what kind of shots can you take with the iPod Touch? Fortunately, Engadget has some sample still photos taken with the new Touch. Here’s a sample that I resized to fit my blog:

It’s ok for blog posts such as this. And maybe for Facebook and Tumblr or what have you. Check out Engadget’s Gallery for the full size and more samples . You will notice the graininess in the photos. It’s not that great but for mobile uploads, it’s serviceable.

Conclusion

Apple positioned the iPod Touch not to be a portable camera but instead more of a portable HD video recording device (probably killing Flip). There’s a reason why the Apple website didn’t highlight the Touch’s rear camera that much. Or maybe Steve is holding off the 3mp and 5mp version of the Touch for the next two years? Hehehe.

Of course, is just one of the lesser features of the iPod Touch (coming from an old iPod Touch user). You buy the iPod Touch because you want a really portable device to connect to the net, read books, watch videos and to play games all under the big Apple ecosystem.

Oh do check out Engadget’s formal review of the iPod Touch 4G.

• How to distinguish an iPod Touch 2G from an iPod Touch 3G
• How to take screenshots within your iPod Touch
• My new toy, the iPod Touch 4G
• Moshi iGlaze touch G4 casing for iPod Touch 4G review

Filed under: iPod Touch and iPad, Think About It