All-angle comparison of the 8MP phones

Camera:

If you want more detailed information on our camera evaluation criteria, as well as many pictures, please read our Cameraphones Comparison Q4 2008.

We hope you still keep in mind that one of the main functions of 8-megapixel phones is making quality pictures. For this purpose they have to perform well in daylight, to be equipped with a good flash for indoor photos and all this has to be backed by a convenient...

Interface:

The four devices offer a number of camera settings, some of which are quite useful and it would be rather off-putting if you had to ‘fight’ in order to get to them.  We believe that, although rather plain, Pixon’s interface is the most convenient to use. It has to be used as and example not only for all cameraphones, but also for the pocket cameras, since it’s very well arranged and provides quick access to all functions. Second comes C905, which is easy to use and the color pictures, designating the pre-loaded scenes, are a feast for the eye. INNOV8 has a monochrome and ugly, yet well arranged interface, which didn’t trouble us as that of Renoir. Our first encounter with it was rather cumbersome and confusing, since it takes quite a lot of scrolling to get to some of the options and you can easily get lost in the menu text.





The focusing and picture saving speed is also of essence and in this respect Pixon again comes first. Then come INNOV8, Renoir and C905. For more details please consult the table.

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
2.5	5	3	3.5

Outdoor pictures:

We won’t be giving you the usual lectures here, e.g. ‘what matters are the authentic colors, the level of detail, etc’. Instead, you can have a look at our cameraphone purchase guide  if you want to learn more about the main elements of quality pictures. Now here’s what we found out in a few words:


We liked the performance of INNOV8 the most as far as colors are concerned. The colors are not absolutely authentic (they tend to be more saturated), but they’re pleasure for the eyes. Renoir and Pixon share the second place, since the yellow color is predominant in their pictures. The problem with C905 arises from the ‘white filter’, which seems to cover all photos and spoils their quality.

As far as detail is concerned, all four phones provide almost equivalent results. Renoir is slightly standing out with the (excessive) sharpness of the pictures, which sometimes gives negative results. On the whole, however, the quality of the pictures is worse than that of a digital camera with the same resolution.

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
4	4	5	3

Indoors pictures:

Many interesting things happen indoors (especially in winter): parties, family gathering, tea ceremonies, etc. Unfortunately, the light indoors is usually insufficient and we have to use a flash. These are conditions that normal pocket cameras find hard to meet and that’s why we didn’t expect any amazing results from the 8-megapixel phones.


During our tests that were done at bright, medium and poor light at two different distances (2m/6.5feet and 4m/13feet), the only competitor that performed well was C905. It’s the only one with a flash that’s powerful enough to light distant objects. It might seem strange to you, but as far as this criterion is concerned, the best cameraphone from the previous 5-megapixel generation performed better than most of the new ones. N82 outperformed Pixon, INNOV8 and Renoir, which produce indistinguishable pictures at poor light.

Renoir	Pixon	INNOV8	C905
1	2	2	5