Sanyo Katana Blue Review - Camera
Camera You can easily access the Katana's VGA camera using either the internal or external camera shortcut key. As a security measure to avoid accidentally turning on the camera, you have to hold down the external button for approximately 3 seconds to activate the camera. The external key allows you to shoot a photograph without opening the camera, which makes for painless self-portraits. Since the lense is flipped 180 degrees when the camera is open, images taken this way are upside down. I was surprised by this occurrence the first time I took a picture using this method, but it is easy to turn the picture right side up using the Rotate function.
The Katana is capable of taking photos in three sizes: a minimum resolution of 160 x 120 pixels, a medium resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, and a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. You can zoom up to eight steps at the middle resolution and up to twenty steps at the lowest resolution, but you can't zoom at the highest resolution, which is a bit of a disappointment.
The best features of this camera are the options. They aren't complex or cutting edge, but you can do some really fun stuff with photo manipulation, like adding stamps, frames, captions, or color overlays to your images. There are also several effects you can set before you take a picture, like selecting one of the picture modes (Normal, Beach/Snow, Scenery, Night/Dark, and Soft Focus) to change the appearance of your photo or choosing from the multi-shot options (Multiple Shots and Stitch Shot). Multiple Shots lets you take several shots in rapid succession, which is useful when you are photographing action shots. To get the effect of a panoramic or wide-angle shot, Stitch Shot allows you to structure a series of photographs by showing you part of the previous picture so you can line up your next shot to match. There are also a number of standard options that let you control things like brightness, white balance, shutter sound, and color effects.
While you can order 4 x 6 prints of your photos directly from your cell phone using the Prints by Mail function, the Katana doesn't really take print-quality photos. I suppose there are times when you just have to print a photo, like when your dad dresses up as a member of KISS for Halloween. Other than that, however, the images this camera takes are great for use on your phone or to send to friends' phones, but they aren't high enough quality for much more.
Next: Display & Audio »Fetch me more...Quickly jump to more information about related topics, cell phones, carriers or phone manufacturers mentioned in this In-Depth Review by using the links below. About our in-depth cell phone reviewsWe take great pride to ensure that the our reviews are thorough and accurate. In no way are our editors directed or influenced by any manufacturers, advertisers, or partners; we believe that honest, opinionated reviews -positive or negative - are the only way to maintain credibility and serve our users. Reviews by companyApple, BenQ, BlackBerry, Eten, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, o2, Palm, Pantech, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony EricssonSanyo's new phone, the Katana, is named after the beautifully and brilliantly crafted swords used by Japan's legendary Samurai warriors. While comparing the design and workmanship of this phone to that of a Japanese master swordsmith might be a bit of a stretch, there are some areas of similarity. Katana swords are not about excessive detailing; they are about perfecting the general form to improve the function. In these areas, Sanyo's Katana is... The Katana is a dual-band/tri-mode phone, which means that you get the combined coverage of dual-band and digital dual-band networks. For digital service, this phone operates on CDMA networks in the 800 MHz and 1900 MHz bands, so you can roam on other carriers' networks in addition to your Sprint PCS network coverage. For analog service, this phone operates in the 800 MHz band, which allows you the possibility of coverage in places without... The Katana's displays are two of its best assets. The external screen is a full 1.0" (90 x 64 pixels) in size. It is a 65,000-color TFT LCD display that provides a crisp and clear picture and allows you to quickly view signal strength, battery strength, date and time, a screensaver (if selected), picture caller id, Bluetooth connectivity, and more. The interior screen is more or less a bigger version of the external screen at 2.2" (240 x 320... This phone supports the SMS messaging protocol for sending basic text messages. It has the predictive (T9) text input option, as well as a personalized dictionary where you can save unique words (like names, places, or slang) you regularly use in text messages. I am thrilled by the time-saving, editable preset messages that come installed on the phone. Some of them I use as is, while others I edit to suit my messaging habits. With twenty preset... The Sanyo Katana is a smashing phone for those who want a lot of style but don't need a lot of excess features. All the basic functionality is there, and it's wrapped up in a pretty package at that. With its expansive messaging and Bluetooth capabilities and its crystal-clear voice quality, this phone does a great job of keeping you connected.
This phone is not designed for technophiles or people who organize their entire lives through their... IntroductionSanyo's new phone, the Katana, is named after the beautifully and brilliantly crafted swords used by Japan's legendary Samurai warriors. While comparing the design and workmanship of this phone to that of a Japanese master swordsmith might be a bit of a stretch, there are some areas of similarity. Katana swords are not about excessive detailing; they are about perfecting the general form to improve the function. In these areas,...
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4.3
