I bought a phone with a terrible camera – and it made me a better photographer

In a world when some people think nothing of dropping more than a grand on a phone, it's amazing what you buy for less than the cost of a takeaway meal. I recently reviewed the Nokia 225 4G: a modern take on the dumbphone with a price tag of less than $50 in the US, which also happens to include a camera.

Before you get too excited, though, note that this is a very low-res camera, offering just 0.3MP, so you're never going to take professional-grade shots. But actually, I've found that's kind of a good thing. Bear with me, and I'll explain.

Yes, at first glance, the low resolution of this phone's image sensor feels more like a joke than a feature. But once I got over the initial shock, something unexpected happened. I started using it and, more surprisingly, I started liking it.

This tiny – and let's say it, terrible – camera pushed me to fundamentally rethink how I take photos.

Seduced by software

Just think about it. With a modern smartphone, you just have to raise it to eye level, turn on the camera app, and whatever you're pointing at, you pretty much have an attractive image already.

In fact, I've often seen people taking iPhone photos and done a double-take – because what's on their screen looks brighter, more colorful and more attractive than what I could see with my actual eyes.

Even if that isn't the case, the software is now so good that it's tempting not even to worry about composition, lighting… anything really. I'll crop it later, you think. Or I'll press a button and some AI tool will magically improve it.

It's similar to how some young movie directors sometimes say (and I have this on good authority; no names mentioned), "That shot doesn't look great in camera but we'll just fix it in post." That kind of thinking is awful, it's lazy, but we all, I suspect, occasionally succumb to it, at some level.

Getting back to basics

If any of this is ringing true with you, then here's my suggestion: get one of the best dumbphones and reacquaint yourself with the raw art of taking a picture – without any help from tech.

Because when you’re forced to work with extreme constraints – no autofocus, no zoom, no filters, barely any pixels – you stop trying to get the perfect shot and start asking more interesting questions. Such as, how do I compose something that tells a story with barely any detail?

In my case, with my cheap and cheerful Nokia, I started focusing more on light, shadow and shape. I played with silhouettes. I embraced blur. Not because I wanted to, but because I had to. The results weren’t always technically good, but they often had more 'feeling' than the perfectly exposed shots I take with my big fancy smartphone.

Feeling liberated

This is the magic of limitations: they break your habits. We’re so used to convenience that it’s easy to forget creativity thrives under pressure.

So yes, a dumbphone limits you, but it also liberates you, by forcing you into new ways of seeing. I found myself framing moments more deliberately; shooting with intention rather than snapping a hundred shots and picking the best.

In short, the Nokia 225 4G’s camera isn’t impressive, but it is inspiring – if you let it be. No, you won’t be shooting your next photo exhibition on this thing (unless you’re trying to make a point). But it will change how you think about photography. And in an age of infinite megapixels and AI-enhanced perfection, that’s more valuable than it might seem.

Plus, don't forget that you're getting an actual working phone into the bargain!

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For similarly priced dumbphones, also check out my Nokia 110 4G review and Nokia 6310 review.