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The Best Camera Phones

mulberry by mulberry
Last updated: 02/12/2012

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Find the Best Camera Phone

When digital camera functions were added to our ever-present cell phones, the photographer in all of us came out. Suddenly it was easy and affordable to snap pictures of nearly anything at anytime and once an image was captured, we could share it almost instantaneously with anyone.

The first camera phones were acceptable for sharing photos online but lacked flash, autofocus, adequate resolution, good lenses, any manual controls, or a decent sensor to produce a reasonable printed image. Even experienced photographers had a hard time creating any photos worth saving using these camera enabled cell phones.

Things have improved however, and there are now camera phones on the market which can be used to create smaller prints (4x6 or 5x7) which are photo album and Flickr worthy. On this page we help you find the best camera phones out there today.

Here are some tips on what to look for when shopping for the best camera phones:

Look for a 5 megapixel, or better, camera phone with CCD sensor. A 3 megapixel camera phone is the absolute minimum for printing even small images. Some camera phones now offer a back illuminated sensor, which is often a good choice for better low light and indoor photos

Look for a quality lens. Some camera phones now offer top name lenses such as Carl Zeiss. Once you have a good lens you also need to be sure to protect it. If it doesn't have a retracting cover be sure to keep the camera phone in a case so that it doesn't get dirty or scratched.

Look for optical image stabilization (versus digital) to reduce blurriness.

Zoom is a good function but choose optical zoom over digital zoom when possible. (Digital zoom can reduce image quality in large prints.)

A camera phone with flash and autofocus is good, but manual controls allowing you to turn off the flash and to adjust exposure, white balance, and focus will allow you to get better images.

Look for an LCD screen that is easily viewable, inside and outdoors. This screen is critical when framing shots.

Choose a camera phone that you are comfortable holding, grasping. For a good shot, you need to have a firm hold on the equipment.

Xenon flash. A Xenon flash will produce a better looking low light shot than an LED flash. If the phone has LED flash, a dual LED flash is preferred. LED can also be used for video recording as it can stay on.

Shooting and Scene Modes. While manual controls are important, having a variety of shooting and scene modes can help you get the right exposure, focus, and so forth quickly and easily. Look for the ones that will be important to you. For instance, if you like getting close up shots of insects, the detail on flowers, and so forth, a macro mode is important. If you want to be able to take a couple of shots in quick succession, a burst mode or continuous shooting mode is critical.

Easy controls are also important. While a phone may offer the controls and settings you want, if you have to navigate through multiple screens to adjust settings every time, it may not be sufficient. You may miss the shot altogether in some instances. Touch-to-focus is an example of an easy control. It shouldn't require you to navigate through multiple screens to adjust, just tap the sceen and you are ready.

Other camera technologies have been added to modern camera phones. For instance, face detection helps assure you get the best focus and exposure on your subjects. Geotagging on the other hand, is emerging on these devices as well and is a convenience feature that many people prize. Be sure to consider which technologies will be most meaningful for you.

There are of course other things to consider such as connections (do you want to be able to connect to an HDTV to view your photos), video recording capabilities if desired, and so forth but the items above are the primary items to think about.

Camera Phone Tips for Better Pictures

Even the best camera phones won't produce good images if you don't use good technique. Here are some tips:

Don't use lower resolution settings. Quality printed images require higher resolution.

For clear, sharp images the camera must be held firmly. Using both hands and standing still for a second or two after the shot is recommended. There are even mini tripods that are made for cell phone cameras to get the best shots.

Fill the frame. Just as with any type of photography it is best to get close to your subject to keep the focus on them. Camera phones especially tend to be designed to get the best results in shots of nearby people and objects.

To avoid smudges and unwanted spots on your images, clean the lens with a lens pen if debris appears on it.

A flash is useful only within a several feet of your subject. Turn it off if the subject is out of flash range. However, there must be sufficient lighting, so open the blinds, turn on the lights, and so forth. It is best if the lighting comes from the side versus behind the subject.

Use night mode when in a low light situation to capture more of the available light.

Many of the rules for photography are the same with camera phones as they are with a simple point and shoot camera; find Beginning Photography Tips here.

Camera Phone Tripods

Find the Best Camera Phone Models

HTC Amaze

HTC Amaze 4G Android Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/14/2012)

The HTC Amaze is another one of the best camera phones on the market. It is offered by T-Mobile. It has an 8 megapixel back illuminated sensor giving pictures plenty of detail without too much noise in low light shots. It also boasts an f2.2 wide angle lens, dual LED flash, and technologies such as face and shake detection for better focus and less blurring. Users get a variety of shooting modes. Auto, night, action, macro, portrait and manual shooting modes can allow you to easily get the right exposure and focus while Sweep Panorama helps produce impressive ultrawide shots. With this device, shutter lag is a thing of the past and you can even capture up to 5 shots in rapid succession. It even records 1080HD video.

This phone features a 2 megapixel front facing camera for video chat, a 4.3" qHD multi-touch display, and operates on a 1.5GHz dual core processor with the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS. With 16GB of storage plus an expansion slot there is plenty of memory. Connectivity includes 4G speeds, Bluetooth 3.0, and Wireless-N Wi-FI. The built-in media player includes FM radio. Other features include built-in GPS and access to all Android apps.

A Review of the HTC Amaze

HTC Amaze 4G Review: by MobileTechReview | video info

218 ratings | 74,426 views

curated content from YouTube

iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4 S is considered by many to be one of the best camera phone models released in 2011.

It is available with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB internal memory and operates with iOS 5 and a dual core A5 chip. The phone features Siri Voice Assistance and offers iCloud content storage. Of course it also boasts an 8 megapixel camera with f/2.4 aperture lens, flash, touch focus, face detection, pinch to zoom, and on camera photo editing. It can also record 1080p video.

iPhone 4S review

iPhone 4S Review: by MobileTechReview | video info

571 ratings | 121,020 views

curated content from YouTube

Nokia N9

Nokia N9 16GB 3G Wifi GPS NFC GSM Unlocked MeeGo Touchscreen (Black)

Amazon Price: $465.00 (as of 02/14/2012)

Nokia has earned a reputation based on some of it's outstanding camera phones and the N9 is certainly among them. It features a bright 3.9" AMOLED capacitive touch screen with WVGA resolution, Wireless-N Wi-Fi, a 3.5mm headphone jack with Dolby Mobile sound enhancement and Dolby Headphone support, a MeeGo OS, 1GHz processor, WAP 2.0 browser, and more.

It also provides a front facing camera for video chat and an 8 megapixel camera on the back with a high quality Carl Zeiss F/2.2 lens and dual LED flash. It's a fast camera with no shutter lag and the ability to shoot photos one right after the other. It offers a variety of scene modes from macro (close ups) to night, sports, and more. Users can adjust white balance, exposure, flash (a red eye flash setting is included), light sensitivity, aspect ratio, and so forth. Face detection technology is included and users can geotag photos and even type in a "creator name" for images taken. This camera phone also has the ability to capture 720p HD video and includes editing software.

A Closer Look at the Nokia N9

Nokia N9 Review: by PhoneArena | video info

583 ratings | 143,626 views

curated content from YouTube

Nokia N8

Nokia N8 Unlocked GSM Touchscreen Phone Featuring GPS with Voice Navigation and 12 MP Camera--U.S. Version with Warranty (Gray)

Amazon Price: $332.22 (as of 02/14/2012)

The Nokia N8 is a step forward in the world of camera phones. It features a 12 megapixel sensor, Xenon flash, Carl Zeiss optics, and 720p video recording at 30fps. It can store up to 3 hours and 20 minutes of video without downloading. It also has 5.1 Dolby surround sound and a beautiful 3.5" 16:9 widescreen, multi-touch AMOLED display for enjoying your photos and videos. It has HDMI ports, Bluetooth 3.0 and high speed USB 2.0 connectivity.

Users get e-mail, ful web browsing, MMS and SMS messaging, e-mail support, and FM radio and music playter, Web TV, an Office document viewer, speed dialing, voice calling, a handsfree speaker phone, video calling support, and GPS.

Below is a review of the Nokia N8 and some photo/video samples taken with this camera phone.

HTC EVO 4G

HTC EVO 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/14/2012)

Another one of the best camera phones on the market is the HTC EVO 3G. It has a built in 8 megapixel camera with flash, auto-focus, face detection, geo-tagging, 720p (HD) video recording, and spot metering. Users can adjust exposure, color saturation, ISO, white balance and more. It features a slider zoom function, and touch focus.

It's an Android 2.1 phone as well with a Snapdragon processor. It offers a built-in a 4.3 inch display, speakerphone, voice dialing, voice conferencing capability, and GPS.

Users get text, picture, MMS, and instant messaging, voice memo recording, e-mail access, web browsing and more. If you're interested in shooting 3D images the HTC EVO 3D is also available.

HTC Sensation 4G

HTC Sensation 4G Android Phone (T-Mobile)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/14/2012)

The HTC Sensation runs with a dual core 1.2GHz processor and Android 2.3 operating system. It provides Wi-Fi mobile hotspot capabilities and offers Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity and on-board GPS. It features a 4.3" touchscreen, home screen access to social networking sites, a meda player and access to a library of millions of songs via HTC Listen, slacker radio, and preimium movies and TV shows through HTC Watch.

This is also one of the best camera phone models on the market. It has an 8 megapixel sensor, auto focus, dual LED flash, face detection, geo-tagging, and the ability to capture 1080 HD video at 30fps with stereo sound. Users can easily adjust shooting mode, exposure, saturation, sharpness, and add effects as well. There is also a front facing camera for video chat.

A Closer Look at the HTC Sensation 4G

HTC Sensation 4G Review: by MobileTechReview | video info

359 ratings | 98,539 views

curated content from YouTube

Samsung Galaxy SII

Samsung i9100 Galaxy S II Unlocked GSM Smartphone with 8 MP Camera, Android OS, 16 GB Internal Memory, Touchscreen, Wi-Fi, and GPS--No Warranty (Noble Black)

Amazon Price: $400.00 (as of 02/14/2012)

This phone features an 8 megapixel sensor, technologies such as face and smile detection, as well as image stabilization. It offers a a variety of scene and shooting modes and includes a macro setting as well. Users can adjust white balance, contrast, metering, and add after effects too. This camera can also capture 1080p video at 30 frames per second. It comes with a photo editor application.

But the Samsung Galaxy SII isn't just one of the best camera phones out there. It's ultra thin and light, fast, and powerful too. It runs with a dual core 1 GHz processor and Android 2.3 OS. It's a quadband phone with a stunning 4.3" Super AMOLED display. It's great for social networking, entertainment, and web browsing with Flash 10.1 support. It offers Wi-Fi, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity. It even has a 2 megapixel front facing camera for video chat.

A Closer Look at the Samsung Galaxy SII

Samsung Galaxy SII Review: by cravingtech | video info

3 ratings | 360 views

curated content from YouTube

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Unlocked Phone with Android OS, 8.1 MP Camera, QWERTY Keyboard and GPS - US Warranty - Sensuous Black

Amazon Price: $349.99 (as of 02/14/2012)

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 offers a built in speaker phone, voice conferencing capabilities, a WAP browser, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a 4" touch screen display. Users get e-mail, text, picture, and MMS messaging and more.

This camera phone offers an 8 megapixel sensor, auto focus, geo-tagging capabilities, smile detection, auto-focus, brightness adjustments, face detection, image stabilization, and a night mode.

Samsung Memoir

Samsung Memoir t929 8 MP Camera Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/14/2012)

The Samsung Memoir is a notable camera phone. It can capture 8 megapixel still images and has an auto focus lens as well as a Xenon flash to improve low light performance. It also gives you easy access to popular photo sharing sites.

This phone is compatible with the T-Mobile services and also features GPS navigation tools, Bluetooth stereo music streaming, multimedia messaging, a digital audio player, and FM radio. It has a 3" screen and full touch virtual QWERTY keypad. It has a microSD expansion slot that provides up to 16GB of storage. It comes with the handset, battery, charger, USB cable, wired stereo handsfree headset and a quick start guide.

Review of the Samsung Memoir

Samsung Memoir T929 8MP Cameraphone (T-Mobile) - Full Review: by phonedog | video info

163 ratings | 73,037 views

curated content from YouTube

Nokia N86

Nokia N86 Unlocked Phone with 8 MP Camera, Auto Focus, Flash and Carl Zeiss Optics--U.S. Version with Warranty (Indigo)

Amazon Price: $199.99 (as of 02/14/2012)

The Nokia N86 is an award winning camera phone.It's 8 megapixel built-in digital camera features a Carl Zeiss lens, autofocus, and dual LED flash. It has shorter latencies and variable aperture for super sharp photos in challenging bright and low light conditions as well as a fast mechanical shutter to ensure pictures with less motion blur. It also gives users more control with a 20x digital zoom, white balance controls, light sensitivity modes, and multiple scene modes including portrait, landscape, sport, and night. It also boasts built-in photo editing and GPS for geotagging your shots.

The main lens on the camera allows you to shoot DVD-like quality video at 30 frames per second and VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels). It features up to an 8x digital zoom, image stabilization, multiple recording file formats, video white balance modes, and a built-in video editor.

Of course, the N86 is a respectable internationally compatible smartphone with integrated Wi-Fi LAN (802.11b/g). It also features a built-in music player that supports MP3, WMA, AAC, eAAC, and eAAC+ files and has an FM radio with integrated stereo speakers as well as a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack.. Users also get e-mail support SMS and instant messaging. Calendar, clock, calculator, and voice recorder functions are included.

Click the image to learn more.

Nokia N86 Review

Nokia N86 8MP Review: by PhoneArena | video info

248 ratings | 281,905 views

curated content from YouTube

Sony Ericsson C905A

Sony Ericsson C905 (Copper Gold) Sim Free / Unlocked

Amazon Price: $204.99 (as of 02/14/2012)

The Sony Ericsson C905a is among the best camera phones available currently. It offers an 8.1 megapixel sensor, lens cover, auto focus, and Xenon flash. The 2.4" color display makes a great viewfinder. It features 16x digital zoom, image stabilization, a self timer, face detection technology, spot metering, and red eye reduction. Users get multiple scene modes to get the right exposure in trickier lighting situations. . This includes a macro mode for getting up close and infinite focus for better distant shots. This camera phone will also shoot video and allows you to geotag your photos.

The C905a is GSM quadband slider phone. It offers stereo Bluetooth, GPS, a web browser, FM radio as well as a calendar, clock and other typical organizational tools.

Sony Ericsson C905A Review

Sony Ericsson C905a for AT&T - part 1 of 2: by mobileburn | video info

86 ratings | 28,256 views

curated content from YouTube

HTC Incredible: A DROID Camera Phone

HTC DROID INCREDIBLE Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/14/2012)

Incredible is a camera phone from HTC. It offers Google Navigation, Google Android OS, and WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. It features a 480x800 high resolution AMOLED capacitive touchscreen and optical trackpad. It has a 1GHz processor, 8GB internal flash memory and a microSD card slot for expansion. This CDMA, EV-DO, Rev A 3G phone is fast.

Users also get a multi-window HTML browser that allows them to view full web pages and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This HTC phone features a built in 8 megapixel camera with autofocus, dual LED flash, zoom, as well as a video recorder that allows you to capture 800x480 or 640x480 video. The camera allows users to adjust settings such as ISO, white balance, and more.

What Do You Say?

Could a Camera Phone Be Your Only Camera?

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Sure, Why Have 2 Gadgets!

Nokiadualsimphones says:

Nokia N8 And Nokia Lumia 800 has best quality of camera. So, No need buy another camera.

Posted December 22, 2011

merjoem32 says:

Camera phone technology has really evolved. There are new camera phones with 12 megapixel shooters! The SE Satio and the Samsung Pixon12 are awesome camera phones with 12 MP cameras and loads of features.

Posted June 29, 2009

RentMyGarden says:

I have a 2006 Cingular LG Camera Phone. The photo quality is excellent! People are amazed when they view our photos taken with it. Especially, when they find out the photos were taken with a camera phone.

Posted June 17, 2008

Nope, Camera Phones Still Don't Cut It With Photo Quality.

calendarsblog says:

When it comes to flash and zoom, camera phones still can't compete with a real digital camera. However, I must say, they're coming closer and closer with every new camera phone that comes out.

Posted July 21, 2011

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