Unboxing the Sony Ericsson C905a

Another day, another unboxing :)

I was recently offered to test the second subsidized 8-megapixel cameraphone in the US, the Sony Ericsson C905a – the first being the Samsung T929 (Memoir), one of my favorite devices this year.

Of course, being slightly obsessed with mobile photography and rather fond of those quirky Nordic devices, I accepted!

Motorola Droid camera

I’ve been using the Motorola Droid for a week now, and while the device is quite impressive overall, the camera is a mess…

“But wait,” you protest, “those shots look fine.” Sure, the Droid can take pretty decent pictures (slide show). But I’m a camera buff, and do you know how much effort I put into these?

Pictures taken with the Nokia N900

The Nokia N900 camera is really quite good. In fact, even with pre-release firmware, it walks all over the competition!

It’s no surprise. The N900 comes from a long lineage of great 5 megapixel phones from Nokia, such as the N95 and the N82. It features Carl Zeiss optics (with auto-focus and macro), a dual LED flash, and a sliding lens cover – as such, it’s virtually identical to the N97 camera…

Nokia N86 8MP in pictures

My ninja pirates came through, and thanks to Molly & co at Nokia Blogger Relations, I have a Nokia N86 8MP (US Euro version) to play with :)

Here is a set of (somewhat dusty – oops) pictures of Nokia’s first 8 megapixel cameraphone for your viewing pleasure!

The set includes cameos by one of its rivals, the Samsung T929 (Memoir), and other devices…

Podcast: Talking with Matt #15

It’s time for another podcast (24 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week is full of goodness!

First, we discussed the Nokia N900, the Nokia X6, my Burning Man pictures (taken with the Samsung Memoir and the Nokia N97), the Nokia N97 mini, the Motorola CLIQ, and the HTC Hero (CDMA version)…

Then, check out my rant about the Nokia 7705 (Twist), and the (WiFi-less) Palm Pixi :)

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Cameraphones have come a long way

I’ve been back from my yearly time on the playa for a few days now, and as I’m looking at my pictures, one thing is becoming abundantly clear: cameraphones have come a long way.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m still impressed with the ongoing improvements. I took 150 pictures, 34 with the Nokia N97, and the remainder with my Samsung T929 (Memoir)…

While the N97’s Zeiss optics clearly reign superior, the Memoir’s sensor wins hands down, especially in low light. I even shot using the digital zoom with great results!

Speaking of Zeiss optics and top notch sensors, there’s a Nokia N86 review unit coming my way, which I’m definitely going to compare with the Samsung Memoir – so stay tuned :)

One last thing. Despite taking my iPhone 3GS on the trip, I ended not doing any videos. However, one of my coworkers made this awesome time-lapse video.

It’s playa time

Tomorrow I’m leaving for my yearly 10-day vacation in Black Rock City…

I’m going to miss Nokia World and the live reports on the super awesome Nokia N900, but it’s OK – I’ll be back just in time for Mobilize (my readers get a 15% discount).

If you’re also going to the desert, look for me at Center Camp Cafe, where I’ll be volunteering most evenings. If you’re not going, follow me on Twitter, where I’ll try posting when possible :)

Beyond satellite service, and the occasional flaky WiFi, there’s extremely minimal mobile service at Burning Man for the first time this year.

I’ll be using my Samsung Memoir & the Nokia N97 for pictures, and my iPhone 3GS for videos.

It’s playa time – catch you later!

Podcast: Talking with Matt #14

It’s time for another podcast (25 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week (episode 15 14) we discussed the Nokia N900, the Nokia N97 (which I accidentally drop), and the Nokia 6790 (Surge)!

Other topics include Matt’s clever hack, the Toshiba NB205, and a few other things, all while sitting outside of Farley’s

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Podcast: Talking with Matt #13

It’s time for another podcast (35 min) with Matthew Bennett:
- Audio version
- Video version

This week we discussed the Nokia N97, the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), and the Nokia E75!

Other topics include Matt’s adventures on the N97 24/7 Tour, plus a few other things, all while sitting outside of Cafe Flore…

Click here to subscribe to this podcast.

Samsung T929 (Memoir) camera

It’s been almost 6 months since I picked up the Samsung T929 (Memoir), the first subsidized 8 megapixel cameraphone in the US, and I’m overdue for a review :)

Over the years, I have tested a plethora of 5 megapixel devices – the i-mobile 902, the Nokia N95/N95-3/N95-4, the Sony Ericsson K850i, the Nokia N82, the Motorola ZN5 (ZINE), the Nokia N96, the Nokia N85, the Nokia N79, and more recently the Nokia N97…

There are now several 8 megapixel cameraphones available from Samsung (Pixon, Memoir, INNOV8, Omnia HD), LG (Renoir, Viewty Smart), Sony Ericsson (C905, W995), and Nokia (N86 8MP) – not to mention upcoming 12 megapixel units.

I’m getting a Nokia N86 8MP review unit soon, but so far I’ve only played with the Samsung i8510 (INNOV8), the Samsung i8910 (Omnia HD), and of course the Memoir.

For over 4 months I used it as my primary imaging device, and 1000+ pictures later, I have to say that the Memoir features the best camera I have ever enjoyed on any phone – and by a wide margin!