GLOBAL – Over the last year or so, we’ve been building the Conversations Almanac, as a homage to all of our favourite Nokia devices and services (take a look around if you haven’t visited already). Today we’re starting a new series to bring to light some of the devices from the Almanac, starting with ones that happen to be pretty good at taking pictures. Here’s our three (current) favourite picture perfect Nokias – let us know yours in the comments below.
Nokia N86 8MP
N86 8MP snapshot: 8-megapixel sensor / 28mm Carl Zeiss lens / Up to 20x digital zoom / Autofocus / Dual LED flash / 1/1000sec shutter speed / geotagging / 2.6in display
If you want excellent photos across the board, the massively versatile N86 8MP is what you’re looking for. To date, it remains Nokia’s only 8MP camera phone, but its happy-snapping credentials don’t stop there.
The N86 8MP has tucked into it the kind of features you normally only see on a full-blown camera, including adjustable optical aperture, exposure and white balance options.
Built-in geotagging means you can keep track of just where you took all those amazing snaps, and share those details with the world. The best Nokia camera phone to date? It’s hard to argue.
Nokia N97 Mini
N97 mini snapshot: 5-megapixel sensor / Carl Zeiss lens / Up to 14x digital zoom / Autofocus / Dual LED flash / geotagging / 3.2in display
When we say the N97 mini comes with Nokia’s “standard” 5-megapixel camera bits, we don’t mean it in any way negatively. The combination of a generous resolution and peerless optics work together to help it take some great pictures.
Once you’ve done with the snapping the N97 mini really comes into its own thanks to a 3.2-inch touchscreen that makes reviewing and editing your snaps a breeze, and the N97’s social media-friendly web connectivity.
The full-blown N97 may have an even bigger screen, but for our money the extra pocketability of the smaller N97 mini gives it the edge.
Nokia N82
N82 snapshot: 5-megapixel sensor / Carl Zeiss lens / Autofocus / Xenon flash / physical lens cover
The N82 is pretty long in the tooth now but it still remains a top-drawer camera phone. It’s nothing special to look at by today’s standards, but under the surface it’s full of surprises.
Genuine photo enthusiast features like autofocus (with assist lamp), custom white balancing and multiple exposure modes are all on board, and you get the simple – but often overlooked – bonus of a physical lens cover to protect those Carl Zeiss optics.
At the time of its release, the Xenon flash wasn’t the spec sheet given it is now, and if you can actually find one, the N82 represents a camera phone with plenty more to offer.