Tuesday February 19, 2008
Samsung G800, Nokia N82, SE K850i Cameras Compared
By Solovyov Ilya (smape.com)
The review is an updated comparative analysis of cameras integrated into the top-class products of the large manufacturers’ portfolios. We've already released this sort of articles spotlighting deathmatches between various 5 Mpix handsets, but now we’re going to review a few devices positioned as the best photo-oriented solutions on the market. The matter concerns Samsung G800, Nokia N82 and SonyEricsson K850i. It’s these cameraphones that are most often brought up for discussion, each being the key device for the manufacturer in the year 2008. Besides, they have much in common regarding their cameras.
Let's dwell on camera implementation features in these devices and begin with Samsung G800. The camera module utilized by G800 isn't something extraordinary, yet it puts the quality in the first place. It lacks dedicated controls such as a camera launch button or a mode switching slider found with K850i. There is no gallery button like with N82 either, but the available features are reasonably located and perfectly implemented. The camera button is middle-sized, both smooth and tight to push and very comfortable in general. The volume control rocker button is found nearby, also functioning as the zoom button. Its location is almost ideal, which contributes a lot to the high ergonomics of the G800 camera. In contrast to K850i the keypad doesn't feature any important camera function symbols placed on the keypad buttons - though that doesn't mean that the keys can't be used as shortcuts to those. For instance, the 1 key switches the shooting mode, the * key turns on the flashlight, etc. The thing we didn’t like in hardware implementation of the G800 camera is a protective cover. It sticks out above the surface for about 2 mm (the thickness is 18.5 at that spot) which is even more than with N95. The opening mechanism is too tight, and no finger rest is provided for - in some cases it's the sliding mechanism that opens instead of the cover, the situation is similar to the problem observed with the K770i model which suffers from a similar problem. The viewfinder of G800 beats the N82 model easily, let alone the K850i. The software algorithm used for transmitting the picture from camera to the screen is far above than just good, the powerful Quallcomm platform doing its best. Maybe Samsung lose a tiny bit of their authority by engaging a third party in supplying them with hardware, but this has a large positive effect on performance capabilities.
Hardware
Let's dwell on camera implementation features with these devices and begin with Samsung G800. The camera module utilized by G800 isn't something extraordinary, yet it has the quality in the first place. It lacks dedicated controls such as a camera launch button or a mode switching slider found with K850i. There is no gallery button like with N82 either, but the available features are reasonably located and perfectly implemented. The camera button is middle-sized, both smooth and tight to push and very comfortable in general. The volume control rocker button is found nearby, also functioning as the zoom button. Its location is almost ideal, which contributes a lot to the high ergonomics of the G800 camera. In contrast to K850i the keypad doesn't feature any important camera function symbols placed on the keypad buttons - though that doesn't mean that the keys can't be used as shortcuts to those. For instance, the 1 key switches the shooting mode, the * key turns on the flashlight, etc. The thing we didn’t like in hardware implementation of the G800 camera is a protective cover. It sticks out above the surface for about 2 mm (the thickness is 18.5 at that spot) which is even more than with N95. The opening mechanism is too tight, and no finger rest is provided for - in some cases it's the sliding mechanism that opens instead of the cover, the situation is similar to the problem observed with the K770i model which suffers from a similar problem. The viewfinder of G800 beats the N82 model easily, let alone the K850i. The software algorithm used for transmitting the picture from camera to the screen is far above than just good, the powerful Quallcomm platform doing its best. Maybe Samsung lose a tiny bit of their authority by engaging a third party in supplying them with hardware, but this has a large positive effect on performance capabilities.
SonyEricsson K850i hasn't got a protective cover; the lens is covered with a glass which should be wiped prior to every shooting session. The xenon flashlight location isn’t smart enough, you can easily block it with your hand, but instead there is a camera mode switch button – the handset employs a three-position slide button switching between Photo, Video and Gallery. A separate camera button is also available though it doesn’t make a big difference, more likely being the cost of the active protective cover lack.
In our opinion Nokia N82 enjoys the most successful protective cover implementation. Its design is most optimal - the lens guard doesn't stick out so it can't be possibly damaged by scratching against the resting surface of the phone (unlike with N95).
Software
All the three handsets are designed for horizontal shooting, so the camera uses landscape orientation. It’s quite easy to switch between camera modes, access the settings and effects via an interactive icon row at the bottom of the screen when you activate the viewfinder. In other words, you don’t need to open any context menus; everything is accessible in a few clicks right in the viewfinder mode.
Samsung G800 Camera Interface Screenshots:
Nokia N82 Camera Interface Screenshots:
SonyEricsson K850i Camera Interface Screenshots:
There’s no real difference in settings, Sony Ericsson having a slight advantage over Nokia thanks to an extended shooting mode list that features the overly advertised BestPic mode. There’s full support for direct blogging, but the N82 seems to be a win here since it also supports this through Wi-Fi – a noticeable benefit considering the size of images taken at a 5 Mpix resolution, let alone VGA videos.
N82 and K850i have quite functional, handy and, which is most important, nicely designed photo galleries – everybody will like them. Both models feature extended file filtering options and embedded motion detectors which provide for automatic aspect orientation switch depending on the way you hold your phone. This seemingly insignificant feature turns upside down the whole idea of the device and comes in handy. Samsung G800, in its turn, doesn’t offer such functionality, and the gallery opportunities are very modest. It looks a bit poor.
Detailed camera interface reviews of the three devices are available, so we won't be repeating the same things twice here:
Samsung G800 Review (Photos comparison : Nokia N95 / Sony Ericsson K850i
Samsung G800 / Nikon Coolpix S1)
Samsung G600 vs Nokia N95 vs Sony Ericsson K850i
Nokia N82 Review (Photos Comparison : Nokia N82 / Nokia N95 / Nokia E90 / Leica D-Lux 3)
Comparison
There is no need to commentn on the photos, the quality speaks for itself. Below we give the examples of shots taken at maximal resolution. The xenon flashlight implementation is of utmost interest, for Nokia and Samsung devices can boast of the element for the first time.
Samsung G800 / Nokia N82 / SE K850i
Nighttime outdoors shots
Examples of shooting indoors
macro shooting samples
At close-up shooting the Samsung G800 flashlight often gives a glare that is clearly visible on some pictures.
At daytime shooting K850i tends to unnatural color rendering and the contrast of its images on the whole leaves much to be desired.
Samsung G800 / Nokia N82 / SE K850i
Conclusion
So, the viewed photos give a perfectly clear idea of the camera potential of these top-class solutions in each manufacturer’s product range. In our subjective opinion Nokia N82 is a doubtless leader in all cases save zooming. Samsung G800 sometimes allows for getting materials comparable in quality to those of Nokia N82, nevertheless on the whole it’s inferior due to the weaker flashlight, not too natural color rendering and plenty of noise in photos. K850i ranks last among these photo-oriented flagships. In spite of more than modest results as compared to the other companies’ solutions, K850i is the best Sony Ericsson cameraphone at present.
One should mind that all three devices have various additional specifications which include pricing. K850i is the most affordable of the reviewed variants though its price differs from N82 and G800 just by a few dozen dollars. Don’t you find this situation interesting? For the N82 smartphone with the best camera, a Wi-Fi module, GPS, a TV-output, high ergonomics and the best sales package (2 Gb flash card) such extra price looks justified, and the price policy of Sony Ericsson seems to have gone wrong.
Samsung G800 is a niche solution, this status owing to its dimensions, rather limited functionality, but the handset is quite good as a cameraphone. The optical zoom makes it unique, as for this parameter G800 is beyond comparison. However the situations, when the opportunity to zoom in is more important than higher output quality of the picture, occur less often, so in the upshot Nokia N82 has the upper hand in the competition.
