Get more from the X820's built-in camera

Despite its wafer-thin design, the Samsung X820 comes with a top-quality, 2.0 megapixel digital camera. You can take some excellent shots using the automatic settings, but you can vastly improve your photos by exploring the many adjustable settings.

To enter the camera mode, unlock the keypad and press and hold the camera shortcut button on the right edge (alternatively you can select the Camera function for the Main Menu) (Figure 1). After a couple of seconds, you’ll see a real time feed from the camera lens on your phone screen which acts as a viewfinder (Figure 2).

There are a number of shortcuts available on the viewfinder mode. Here are some of the basic ones: zoom using Up and Down on the direction pad and adjust brightness by using Left and Right. 1 switches to video recording mode, 2 adjusts the image size and 3 adjusts the image quality.

There are two shutter release buttons: the ‘i’ button in the centre of the direction pad and the camera shortcut key on the right edge of the handset. I find the camera shortcut to be the most useful as it lets you keep the camera stable and won’t leave your fingers in the way of the lens. It is also easier to press than the tiny ‘i’ button.

To access the camera menu, press the left hand selection key. You will see a new ‘Options’ menu appear that you can navigate as normal.

The first item in the camera Options is marked ‘Record video’ (Figure 3). This will change from still shot mode into video mode. You can also use 1 on the numerical pad as a shortcut to video mode.

If you are taking action shots or trying to snap fast moving objects, it is a good idea to adjust the shot type. Highlight ‘Shooting mode’ (Figure 4) in the Options menu and press Select on the direction pad. You will see a list of three modes including Single shot, Multi shot and Mosaic shot. Single shot just takes a single image, where as Multi shot will take either six, nine or fifteen pics in one go so you can choose the best one. Mosaic shot lets you take two or more shots in a row, but saves them in one single image. There is a huge range of mosaic styles to choose from, so it’s a good idea to play around and get an idea of what they can do.

The third item in the Options list is ‘Effects’ (Figure 5). This allows you to apply various lens and filter effects to your photo before you take them. Although they can be fun, many of these effects can actually be added later using editing tools. If in doubt, remember that you can always turn a colour photograph into a black and white one, but you can’t turn a black and white photo back into colour!

‘Frames’ (Figure 6) are similar in that you can always apply them later, but if you do want to add an amusing frame around your photo, the X820 will overlay the frame on the viewfinder before you take the shot, which makes it easier to line subjects up more precisely. To apply a frame, highlight ‘Frames’ and press Select. Choose the frame you want then press View. If you’re happy with your choice, press Select.

The fifth option is ‘Timer’ (Figure 7), which lets you delay the timing of your shots to either three, five or ten seconds.

For more in depth adjustments, scroll down the Options menu until you highlight ‘Settings’ (Figure 8), then press Select. Within this menu, you can set the size and quality of your photos, the white balance and the ISO sensitivity settings.

If you want to transfer your pictures to a PC, or print them later, you’ll want to make sure that you are taking the highest quality photos possible. If however, you are only going to be using them as contact images, or sending them via MMS, you will be able to safely reduce the quality without any visible effect when viewed on a small phone screen (Figure 9).

Adjust the white balance to suit different lighting conditions. You can choose between Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, and Cloudy, which should suit most indoor and outdoor conditions. Increasing the ISO setting is a good idea when you are shooting in poorly lit areas as it makes the pictures mores sensitive to light (Figure 10).

You can also use this menu to disable those annoying shutter release, zoom and brightness sound effects.