Nokia N95 8GB camera samples

One of the highlight features of the multi-talented Nokia N95 8GB smartphone is its 5-megapixel camera. To optimise the quality of photographs, Nokia has equipped the N95 8GB with high-end Carl Zeiss optics and Tessar lens. The phone is capable of producing high quality images that can be printed out in standard 6x4 photo size or larger.

The N95 8GB's shooting ability is enhanced too by its autofocus system, macro shooting, and built in flash with red-eye reduction.

As well as the main camera on the back of the phone, this 3G phone has a front-facing camera for video calls above the display. The screen itself is a large 2.8-inch, 16 million-colour array, a bright and clear display that's a great platform for viewing images and video.

The Nokia N95 8GB's video shooting capabilities are also impressive; it can capture MPEG-4 video in VGA quality at 30 frames per second, delivering images that are among the best quality yet produced by a mobile phone.

Unlike the original N95, the N95 8GB doesn't have a sliding lens cover to protect and activate the camera. Instead, you can fire up the camera with a press of a quick access button on the side of the phone that doubles up as the camera capture button. The zoom (volume control) rocker button is on the same side, making for a comfortable control set-up when holding the camera in landscape mode.

The camera has plenty of setting control options, as well as decent fully automatic mode. Macro or portrait settings can be selected, as well as landscape for longer distance shots. There are also night shot and sports options, and you can also define your own all-in-one setting package. Flash settings for red-eye, on, off or auto are to hand too.

White balance can be adjusted from automatic to sunny, cloudy, incandescent or fluorescent, to suit varying lighting conditions, and settings can be individually increased or decreased for exposure, sharpness, contrast. ISO can be set manually to low, medium or high.

Other shooting controls include a timer option ( 2, 10 or 20 seconds ), plus a sequence mode that allows you to shoot in 6 shots bursts or time lapse shots either every 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes or 10 minutes. Colour effects can be imposed on shots too, and you can help frame shots by pulling up gridlines on the screen.

The N95 8GB's camera can capture still images at five resolution settings, ranging from VGA (640x480 pixels) up to 5-megapixels (2592x1944 pixels).

Results from the N95 can be impressive. The phone is able to reproduce fine quality images that are bright and rich in colour. The automatic exposure system adjusts quickly and efficiently to changing lighting environments and produces a consistently high standard for images. The image processing speed on the N95 8GB appears to be quicker too than on the original N95 in comparative tests.

Captured images are usually crisp, with no noticeable problem with camera shake. The autofocus system is responsive too, while macro mode allows you to get sharp and precise for close ups.

As usual with a cameraphone, indoors and low-light shots aren't as impresisve as brighter outdoor images. Some digital "smoothing" is noticeable on some shots in low light, and portraits ofpeople can appear more real than real with an almost airbrushed appearance.

Overall though, the camera is easy to use, and can produce some very likeable, impressively sharp and detailed shots.