Nokia exec: SLRs soon obsolete, replaced with mobiles

A Nokia executive has claimed that cameras on mobile devices will soon replace traditional digital cameras, and even make SLR and professional cameras obsolete.

According to Reuters, Anssi Vanjoki, the executive vice president at Nokia, said that mobile phone cameras will replace conventional cameras. "They will in the very near future revolutionise the market for system cameras," he said. Vanjoki then pointed to a professional SLR camera used by a photographer nearby and said "there will be no need to carry around those heavy lenses."

HD video recording on mobile phones was another feature that Vanjoki touted, with the technology set to appear on Nokia's phones over the next year. Other manufacturers with phones currently on the market with HD video capabilities include Samsung's HD Icon and Sony Ericsson's Vivaz, both recording at 720p.

Over recent years there has been a marked trend for using mobile phone cameras in lieu of traditional photographic equipment. The continued convergence of mobile phones and cameras provides a convenient tool for photographers looking to capture quick, anecdotal images, but Vanjoki suggests this could completely revolutionise the photographic paradigm.

To fulfil such a bold claim, Nokia would have to come up with a phone that provides the same flexibility as the SLR system — that is, interchangeable lenses, full manual exposure controls, and large image sensors.

What do you think? Will camera phones replace SLR cameras, or just compact cameras for casual shooters? Vote in our poll above.