iPhone 4 most popular camera on Flickr [Updated]

[Update] TechCrunch's MG Siegler notes that the iPhone has likely dominated Flickr for a long time, as app-based photos aren't identified as being from an iPhone. In other words, all those shots from Instagram, Hipstamatic etc. aren't counted towards the iPhone's totals. Goodness.

The iPhone 4 is now the most popular camera on Flickr, with a caveat. More on that in a minute. The smartphone's 5-megapixel shooter has finally surpassed the Nikon D90 as the top camera on the photo hosting and sharing service. It's been a slow and steady rise for the iPhone 4 since its debut in June 2010. The cameraphone now sits above the powerhouse D90, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi and the EOS Rebel T1i.

Not surprisingly, the iPhone 4 also dominates in the cameraphone category with its closest competitor, the iPhone 3G, a distant second. The only non-Apple product in the top five cameraphones is the Android-powered HTC Evo 4G which sits at the bottom along with the iPod touch.

This isn't the first time an iPhone has topped the Flickr popularity chart. In 2008, the original model reached number one despite its 2-megapixel camera.

The caveat is in Flickr's fine print. Specifically, it notes that "camera phones are undercounted." Statistics reflect the service's ability to identify the camera used to take a photo of video. Flickr admits that it's successful "about 2/3 of the time." Still, Flickr receives over 4,800 images shot with iPhone 4s per day, accounting for about 9 million photos. The iPhone 3GS remains the overall champion, accounting for almost 36 million submissions.