5 is the magic number for camera phones these days. Of course it’s not all about the megapixel count, it’s about the lens, but still, 5 million pixels, that’s a lot innit!
Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG have all got adverts out at the moment proclaiming the brilliance of their camera phones and Samsung’s G800 campaign in particular persuades us to think of the G800 first as a camera and second as a phone.
So how good are they?
I decided to find out.
I don’t claim to be a photographer, I can hold a camera pretty still while simultaneously pressing the little button, but beyond that not a lot. There will be other reviews that will point out the merits of each camera phone in more technical detail, but hopefully the images below give you an idea of the kind of quality you can expect when you buy a 5 megapixel camera phone.
The phones used were the new LG Viewty, the Nokia N95, the Samsung G600, the Samsung G800 and the Sony Ericsson K850i. I’d have loved to get my hands on the new Nokia N82, but that will have to wait till the follow up!
The images have obviously been reduced in size, but you can click each image to see the quality of the photo as transferred from the phone to a PC.
Subject 1 – The Train
Subject 2 – The Tree
Subject 3 – The Fruit
Verdict: Much of a muchness? Maybe to my untrained eye, but a quick poll of the Dial-a-Phone office and its a toss-up between the LG Viewty and the Samsung G800. I should note however, that the Samsung G800 was a test model and the actual product is likely to be enhanced, so maybe that will give it the edge. Also the G800 has an impressive optical zoom, something no other camera phone in its class can offer.
Does anyone own one of the above and have something to add regarding the quality of the camera?
Would love to hear your thoughts!
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81 Comments
i have the c902 a fab phone camera very good wood buy it again very good phone i had the LG VIEWTY i did not get a long with it. but the very best phone i have ever had was
the sony k800i i still have that phone. the c902 and the k8ooi are very good for puting photos on your computer as well photos look good
I suspect the pictures of still life are all pretty much similar, but the main problem I have had before has been with live subjects and the speed of the shutter closing. My current sony phone is terrible – one slight move of the subject and the pic is totally blurred. For me, with 3 young kids, this is much more of an issue than the colours!
I think the natural colour show after capturing the whole images is by the smasung G800 model.
I went on this site to work out what phone to get next and all its done is confuse me even more. I think I will go for one of the last comments and settle for the SE 905 or SE902, they seem to be the best camera phone on the market at the moment!
if you want a phone whit a good flash you have to get the viewty, i bought it yesterday and has a good xenon flash and even a focus light!
however i think the g800 has a better camera due the 3X optic zome and nicer quality.
this phone also had a xenon flash i thought
Im really confused as to which phone i should buy now. From the photos i would have chosen the Viewty but having read the comments it appears its not good for indoor photos (nites out etc) so no good for me….got the G600 and its worse than useless. Anyone any ideas which phones best for flash photos plz?
I think that the best picture in all the condition is clicked by sony ericson k850i.
SWAPNIL
Obviously Nokia N95 is much Better.
However Samsung G600 Yeah is Fadey && Poor Quality
I have a G800, in daylight the pics a great but in the dark the camera is crap… try taking a photo of your mates when you’re in a club, the pics are dull and grey, thats if there is a pic at all. It’s all down to the flash… it just don’t work. If you want a good camera phone avoid this one.
Samsung G800 is clear winner. LG has horrible chromatic aeration (other phones too).
the only bad picture for Samsung is the indoor one; but this is due to bad focus, so I would consider this to be user error.
HELP!!! i’m not sure which phone to get for xmas! it’s between the samsung omnia, the SE c905, the SE c902, the LG viewty, or maybe the N95. there’s sooooooo many to choose from please add me on MSN mwoody92 (at) hotmail.co.uk or email me mwoody92 (at) gmail.com i really need an opinion! thanks
I have had the Viewty for a year now, it’s a good phone but the camera is poop, which is a shame because thats the reason i choose it in the first place, very disappointing. My wife has the Sony K850 which isn’t such a good phone but a great little camera, excellent for quick snaps and a very good flash, colours come out well too unlike the washed out, blurred results you get with the LG.
My husband has had a viewty for a while now, and it really isn’t that great. It takes a long time for the photo button to respond and the anti-shake doesn’t really work very well. The lens is supposed to be quite good, but there always seems to be a lot of noise in the photos, especially in dim or dark conditions–even if you use a flash. I’ve got an older shine, and even though it doesn’t have as many megapixels the photos usually come out better.
Viewty is the BEST ! ! !
thah what i see on all pics means thah the i-mobile 902 5mp beat all other phones and is cheap then others
K850i THE BEST!
as the pics show its between nokia and lg but due to price with nokia being double the price of the lg its not too obvious n95 will have more features so for pics and price the lg wins
k850i is the best in my view and then g800 other phones like rubbish although all phones have 5 mega pixels camera phone , i want to ask u why there is a big difference?????????
i think that the veiwtey(forgot how to spell it hehe) is awesome nd would recommend it to EVERY1!
i got an LG Viewty.
the image stabilizer doesnt work, you have not to shake the phone to make pictures.
sometimes the audio is missing in video files – but the video cam is gr8.
gr8 phone. would buy it ‘gain.
Samsung 600 coooool picture color true.
comparing 5 mega to all companies, samsung 600 picture great
i have the g600 and its rubbish, the camera is awful and the pictures are so fuzzy, i cant wait for my upgrade!
(:
xo
forget all the above and checkout the sony ericsson C905. will kick all the asses as it’s got a 8.1 megapixel camera
ok the n96 has NOT got a zenon flash trust me the n82 IS THE BEST CAMERA PHONE OUT THERE!!! ALSO THE NEW NOKIA TUBE WILL NOT GET A GOOD CAMERA REMEMBER NO ZENON FLASH NO GOOD IN THE DARK OR EVEN DUSK SONY C-902 IS THE ONLY PHONE I HAVE NOT TESTED YET
what about the f480 samsung tocco?????
i gt the k850i and well since i got the phones its been nothin but hassle and sending it back off for repair how ever the camera on the phone i think it amezing and im wel impressed with the zoom and quality howevery im shocked the lg has a good camera as well the only problem i think about the phone is the i phone look im not keen on the look of that phone as well as the brand it self but lg have put there own twist 2 it
if anyone who wants to buy a k850i just dont b shocked when it breaks
anyway, im waiting for the N96 to come out in august, it’ll kick all other phones asses
all u people going ” i got the …. and its soo better” ur all just saying that because u cant accept the LG is far better than ur phones
the comparison shouldnot mentioned the brand name
Well thats some fake!! i’ve got n95 and i can tell u that it takes better pictures much better than LG’s Viewty like this phone but n95’s so much better than that the viewty i meen like the music player the sound the wifi and the nokia’s online servises like music store n-gage maps app and so on i think the n95 is the better one !
I own the sony ericsson k850i and its a fantastic phone…very easy to use, stylish. The photos you took (with all respect to you) dont do the camera justice…..the camera is amazing…approaching the quality of a decent 5mp camera….not quite there yet, but almost…if you wanted pin-sharp, 100% quality, blur free pics, you really should not expect that from a camera phone..you need a real camera, but all the same….the sony is getting close……i have read in a number of places that the samsung g800 cannot deliver with its optical zoon, anti shake anyway, so iam glad i went with the sony…i hope this review can be of help to someone who cannot decide…..i dont think you will be disappointed with the sony, as long as you dont expect digital SLR results from the camera.
“How can we say which is the best picture without seeing the original scene by our eyes?
Regards,
Ran”
ROFL…..LOL LOL
It’s a camera phone review NOT a review of the actual park, you muppet.
I have the G800 and like many other users have said “its photos are either slightly blurry or very very blurry” the optical zoom is worth nothing because the slightest movement results in a blur.
The autofocus and antishake don’t help the blur and i did a test against my OLD k750i and my dads N73 they show more detail (no joke), when you zoom in.
Now if the stabilizers would only work it may be an option but from my experience its a big flop as much as i wanted it to be good.
Oh yeah the phone looks good but the phone has a bad setup, that is there are no shortcuts and the functions take ages to access.
So yeah the only thing it had going for it was the camera and that flopped.
G800 definately took the best and most natural looking photo’s.
I have the LG Viewty that also takes good photo’s, but I’m a little disappointed that I did’nt wait for the G800 as I’m always taking photo’s.
I an after a good camera phone and so was intrigued by this photo comparison. Enlarging all of the photos it becomes quite obvious that the best pictures are taken by the sony ericsson. The pictures have the greater detail and depth and arguably the best colour rendition. I am deeply disturbed by the number of votes for the G800, which from these photos, is not in the same league as the Sony. The ones that come closest are the Nokia and LG.
I just bought the lt viewty and think it`s great. I used it to post this comment.
I think that sony ericsson K850i is much better then these mobiles
Looking at all the pictures above, it would be a toss-up between the Veiwty and the G800. Having a Veiwty myself, i feel the camera is great, but Id love to try the G800 camera for myslef to get the actual feel for it. Judging from the three pictures the G800 is better in the tree and the park picture. The Veiwty being better in the fruitbowl. The Veiwty is pretty impressive I would say but untill Ive tryed the G800 I cant judge in all honesty!!
N95 colour like a virtual pic. sonyericssion is well in fruit pic but LG viewty is go0d in subject 1 & 3 picz .samsung is normal but in subject 2 it’s greatl. N95 is bullshit.sonyericssion & LG is goog
LGviewty 80%
N95 50%
G800 75%
k850i 76%
Great Company,Great People…
Great Mobile,Great Model…
Thanks LG
Life’s Good
I just got the viewty and think it is a good fone. The pics are very good the mp3 is well presented and sounds good and the way the phone presents the menus it is the best LG has produced apart from the prada for a long while they certainly thought it out well. EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Although I do find Viewty’s pictures better in terms of colour, I have to agree that the level of noise is higher compared to the rest. However, I think it excelled in macro shots. Better than 850’s imo.
the Viewty pics are so grainy, i was after this phone because it was supposed to take brilliant pics, but my N95 outclasses it in that aspect and the Viewty has just come out! LG haven’t innovated with their product, is their R&D team run by monkeys?
I am using LG u990 and i think it gives the best quality just coz it has flash and red eye features.. u click a picture in the dark night with flash on and guess no one can say that it was clicked in the night. for sure it’s a day image, which i examined myself. so would suggest go for it.. i am not sure about battery but yes currently it’s been 3 weeks using it and it gives backup for 2-3 days. with normal listening, watching and calling features..
Thanks LG
keep it up
CHEERS!!!!
Hi Tommo,
Thanks for the comment.
If mean written by dialaphone’s staff when you say “staff registers” you are very wrong. No member of staff has been instructed or encouraged to write comments on this blog.
Kind regards,
Julian Hearn
Head of Online Marketing.
What a pile of rubbish, half of these comments are blatently staff registers, this is all publicity to shift the Viewty. sorry, should that have been in caps as per the other staff comments…
hey every one, why is the hype about lg viewty. in my opinion the nokia pics were more pleasant. anyways here is another site http://www.gsmarena.com
it is conducting the same test but they havnt specified the brand names with the photos.
there everyone is voting for the pics, which look very similar to the n95 pics over here.
viewty is nice indeed!! add that to large touchscreen, ability to record 120fps video, i think i know what i want for my next upgrade!
VIEWTY is awfully nice! The pics taken by VIEWTY is the most clarity, natural & has the great colour! It’s cool! And I believe that LG will continue to appreciate!
LG Viewty takes the good combination of color.
LG’s Viewty is really good as i expected……
The Viewty definatley has the best pic quality out of the handsets, producing clear colours and a clarity ratio second to none!! Awsome for a phone!
Comparing with others given, LG shows the Reality, others are like Paintings
Camera bright & sharpness is fine
Comparing with Others given, LG shows the reality, others are like paitings.
this will click in 5Maga pixel h/s sigment
regards
sai lokanadh
LG Viewty is excellent phone in the 5 MP range.
Viewty looks to rock the market and kill all other models
Colour and clarity for the pcitures taken by viewty is superb.
- best desing
- inovative touchpannel
- best camera
- easy to use
The best camera should give us the true colors
Retail price is a must to click to consumer mind and actually Nokia always never the best for camera, I think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!why people buy nokia…nokia, there any other intersting mobile nowaday
Samsung G800 picture quality is closer in which depthness of picture is good but too much brightness spoils the perception while viewing. However, Viewty picture is better among listed phones. But, depthness to be improved.
Best picture in LG Camera phone
LG is always the best in the camera section.
The name itself gives it’s impression
lg viewty is the best
the mobile features and aesthetics,battery backup,clarity in voice slimness i will consider while purchasing of mobile
good
Hi,
I feel viewty by LG phone is excellent where as with G600 it is worst compair to other s.
D.S.Joshi
LG viewty results excellent in terms of Voice fidelity, Camera response – picture quality , white balance & resolution and User friendly Menu structure.
LG Viewty It’s really cool..
NATURAL LOOK IN THE PICS. TAKEN BY Samsung G800
Hi
The Original colors can be seen with LG Viewty
Best Regards
Chandrasekhar
Please make result more sharp in picture
WOW…
Viewty!!!
WoW
VIEWTY is not only a 5 MP phone but can transform into a good quality video phone with 120 fps and various editing features and can have fun with this phone!!
Photos by Viewty seem most comfortable to eyes and provide natural and vivid color
in the picture test the nokia 95 gives the best colour and definition including the blue roof of the train,with the tree pics the g800 looks like the more natural photo, and finally with the fruit the lg veiwty and the sony ericson give the best definition with natural colours, in all cases you will have a phone that will take good quality photo;s, if you require good quality photo,s in all conditions then a 10mp camera may be your best bet
be lucky
eric
Hello,
How can we say which is the best picture without seeing the original scene by our eyes?
Regards,
Ran
I have the G600. I think the camera is brilliant for such a small phone. The sketch funtion is also one of the coolest camera features I have ever seen!
i have just got the viewty and i think it looks like the LG has took the best picture, all the others look a bit too over sharpened or a bit dark, definately g800 comes in second, bet i dont sound biased “i just got the viewty and it looks the best” but lookin at the pictures think it really is, all the others are good too of course but not the best