iPad 2 rear camera test - 2nd Street

The banner feature for the iPad 2 is the addition of two cameras, both able to record video or snap photos. The camera on the back (demonstrated in this gallery) is located in the upper-right corner where it isn't likely to be covered by your hand (in portrait orientation, at least).

There's no camera flash on the iPad 2, however, and its camera sensor is a far cry from the one used in the iPhone 4. Just like the fourth-generation iPod Touch, the iPad 2 takes photos that are essentially video stills.

In this gallery, CNET photographer James Martin takes the iPad 2's rear-facing camera out for a stroll to test photo quality.

Here's a view down 2nd Street near CNET's San Francisco office. The image is relatively crisp, but you you can see where the sensor and image compression quality hit their limit when you try to make out the text on street signs.