Palm Phone PVG 100 Camera

A camera for minimalists which fits in a jeans coin pocket.

Picture quality

The special feature of the Palm Phone is its small size. So I always have it with me and with it a camera. Half of the photos I like best from last year were taken with this camera. Moments of now are irretrievably over if you don’t take the photo at that moment. According to the motto “The best camera is the one you have with you”, this camera is simply unbeatable. And it takes really good pictures:

Aachen, Germany, 2022, Palm PVG100

More pictures at the end of this page…

The Palm Phone’s camera easily rivals the Leica III in terms of image quality. Our tests prove this.

The Leica III was a popular camera among famous photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and Alfred Eisenstaedt for capturing iconic images. Its compact size and quiet shutter allowed them to work discreetly and capture candid moments with ease. The high-quality lenses and precise focusing mechanism of the Leica III also contributed to the sharpness and clarity of their photographs. Overall, the Leica III played a significant role in helping these photographers create timeless and world-renowned images. Eisenstaedt once said that because of its size, people often perceived the Leica as a small non-aggressive camera, which allowed him to take many spontaneous photos.

The size

About the size of a credit card. The volume of the Palm Phone is 36 cm3, exactly the same as that of the Minox A. The weight is even slightly lower (63 g, Minox A 70 g).

Dimensions: 96.6 x 50.6 x 7.4 mm 
Weight: 62.5 grams.

I use a case not only to protect the smartphone, but also to make it easier to grip. Of course this makes it a little bigger:

Palm PVG100 Case

The camera

The camera on the Palm PVG100 is straightforward and efficient, perfect for those who prefer a minimalist approach to photography.

  • 4000 x 3000 pixel, 12 megapixel
  • Aperture f 2.0
  • Focal length 4.4 mm ( corresponds to 31 mm in full frame)
  • Field of vision: horizontal 60°, vertical 45°
  • Sensor area 18.8 mm2, size of pixel 1.3 µm
  • JPG Format
  • minimum focusing distance 50 mm
  • Manual settings for
       ISO 100 … 1200
       shutter speed 1/4 … 1/8000 s
       exposure -2 … +2
       color temperature 2000 K … 8500 K
       distance 50 mm … infinity.
  • Video
       HD 720p
      

In the color menu there is the option to switch the display to black and white. This way you can check whether the motif is suitable for it. This is what the interface of the included camera app looks like:

User interface of the Palm Phone’s standard photo app

Tripod

For really sharp shots, a tripod is of course advantageous. But a tripod only makes sense here if it is not bigger or heavier than the camera itself. That’s why I use this one:

JOBY tripod

Without the case, the Palm Phone is actually too narrow to clamp. This is another reason why the case is practical. And I use the XCamera app because it offers a timer which is necessary in order to trigger without blurring.

The special thing about this tripod is that it can be folded up. Then it is indeed smaller than the smartphone:

When folded, the tripod measures 85 x 33 x 18 mm and weighs 46 g.
It can clamp smartphones with a width of 56 to 91 mm.

Unfolding and clamping the phone is extremely fast. It takes me 7 seconds in total.

The phone

A phone for minimalists. The Palm Phone is significantly smaller and lighter than most other smartphones. It has a rugged housing and can withstand shocks, drops and water. It is IP68 certified, meaning it is waterproof and dustproof, making it ideal for outdoor use. The 3.3 inch HD display has a similar size as the iPhone 3 but a much higher resolution of 445 ppi (1280 x 720 pixel).

Of course, only a very small battery fits into such a small cell phone. With moderate phone calls, it’s enough for me for a day. But with Google Maps and GPS switched on, it’s only enough for a few hours. But usually I have Life Mode (similar to airplane mode) activated and decide for myself when I want to communicate. Then I can take a lot of photos with it and still have 50% at the end of the day.

Pictures taken with the Palm Phone

Aachen, Germany, 2023, Palm PVG100
Camperduin, The Netherlands, 2023, Palm PVG100
Bergen aan Zee, The Netherlands, 2023, Palm PVG100
Den Helder, The Netherlands, 2023, Palm PVG100
Kitzbühel, Austria, 2024, Palm PVG100
Palm PVG100 minimum focusing distance 50 mm
Detail
Palm PVG100 distance set to infinity