Top camera phones
Cameraphones have quickly turned from a mostly useless novelty into a great way to capture memories on the spur of a moment. While aspiring photojournalists won't want to give up their standalone shooters just yet, the best of today's cameraphones are capable of capturing photographs suitable for 4 x 6 or even 5 x 7 prints - so long as you're careful about lighting conditions when you shoot.
State-of-the-art cameraphones now offer resolutions exceeding 8 megapixels, and full VGA-quality video capture at up to 120 frames per second for slow-motion playback of sports and other fast moving action. More important than pixel count, though, is the quality of the lens and the image it captures. Other cameraphone features to look for include auto-focus, a "true" flash (Xenon flashes tend to be the best), and even optical zoom, thanks to the new Samsung G800.
Coming Soon: SE C905, Nokia N96, SE Xperia X1, Motorola ZN5, LG Dare The N82 is the best cameraphone out there, at least for the moment -- cameraphones with better specs have been announced but haven't started shipping. With a 5MP Carl Zeiss camera with a Xenon flash and a full 30fps VGA video capture, you can snap printable stills and viewable movies. The N82 is also a full-blown Symbian smartphone with WiFi. LG's Viewty doesn't come in a US version, so you won't be able to get 3G data on it in the states. But you will be able to use its 5MP camera and 120fps video capture mode, which is great for recording sports and other fast motion and then playing it back in super slo-mo. Viewty also features a full touchscreen and robust multmedia player. Samsung's G800 features an optical zoom lens so you can get up to 3x closer to your subject without digital interpolation. This sliderphone has a 5MP camera with Xenon flash and video capture (QVGA). While the G800 is kind of chunky and hefty, its got a quality metal housing to protect that optical zoom lens. SE's current flagship Cyber-Shot phone is the thinnest of this lot, measuring a mere 11mm from front to back. The C902 features a unique sliding lens cover that actually extends the overall length of the phone when open, and also features a unique touch screen with light-up camera controls. Only problem is that SE just announced the C905, which bests the C902 with an 8MP camera - or will when it comes out. Nokia's N95 is the grandfather of the modern superphone. 5MP camera, VGA video capture, GPS, WiFi, 3G, 3.5mm headphone jack ... you name it, chances are the n95 does it. So why does it only rank fifth on this list? It's got an LED flash assist light, and not a true Xenon flash. In good light, though, the N95's photos are spectacular. This somewhat overlooked handset is still Verizon's premiere cameraphone. The A990 is a little bulky, but it doesn't suffer from the same mediocre imaging functionality that Samsung's Ultra Slim cameraphones do. Instead, the A990 is still the highest-res cameraphone officially supported by a US carrier, and it turns out photos worthy of that lofty status. While Ocean's 2MP camera isn't quite on par a few other handsets I considered for this final spot, it's more than adequate for digital picture sharing. It's Ocean's integrated software that gets it on the list - Helio makes it easy to upload your photos to an album, share them with friends, post them to your mySpace page, and even tag them with GPS information. WIth an Ocean and one of Helio's "All In" plans, you can share your life... Nokia's N-Series is stocked with powerhouse media phones, and each of these three models features a 3.2 MP Carl Zeiss lens that ranks up there with the best any other manufacturer has to offer. The N93 and its newer, sleeker sibling, the N93i, feature a unique multi-folding design and full VGA-quality video capture mode. The N73 packs that same quality camera into a traditional candybar shape that's a little easier on the pocket -... Sony's US-spec entry in its new CyberShot lineup features a 3.2 MP camera that's the N93's equal, with a true Xenon flash that yields the best low-light photos of any cameraphone. Combined with a big, bright, QVGA screen and excellent media player software, the K790a's camera makes it the best all-around multimedia phone currently on the market. With a 3.2 MP camera similar to the one found in the N93, the N73 is a Symbian OS smartphone with a serious penchant for photography. If you can live without the N93's stellar camcorder feature, the N73 gives you all the camera you can handle - plus a quad band phone with a great media player - in a candybar package that's easier to pocket than it's big brother. And the N73 is a few hundred dollars cheaper, to boot. |
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Latest Videos & ReviewsCheck out the latest cell phone videos and in-depth reviews from Noah and our other expert editors - LG DareWhat’s Good: Attractive, highly customizable UI with home screen shortcuts; Compact design with
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