Industry Group: Camera Phone Rating System Coming Soon

If you haven't heard of the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) yet, you will later this year. Especially if you're in the market for a smartphone equipped with a camera. I3A is working on a five-star rating system for mobile device cameras that goes beyond simply the number of megapixels.

Contrary to popular belief, the small size of image sensors in phone cameras means that higher megapixel numbers don't always equate to better picture quality. I3A has been working on new metrics for consumers within their Camera Phone Image Quality (CPIQ) initiative.

The measurement and testing of several different objective criteria such as geometric accuracy, chromatic aberration, and color uniformity will be combined with subjective assessments to come up with a rating for the camera in question. Although the final rating will be from one to five stars, CNET reports that more detailed information on the camera's performance will also be made available.

A ratings matrix will indicate how the camera performs under different shooting conditions, and how well the images are suited for display or printing at different sizes. The ratings system has already been formally validated; I3A plans to detail the procedure at their annual conference June 22-23 in San Jose. The next step will be to convince mobile camera manufacturers to adopt the standard and publish ratings for their products for consumers.

Even if some manufacturers choose not to test their components, third-party companies and reviewers are expected to fill in the gaps when comparing devices. I3A hopes the implementation of new standards to evaluate smartphone imaging technology will reduce confusion for consumers, cellular carriers, vendors and device manufacturers. After its formal publication in June, I3A plans to add video to the rating system in 2012.

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