By Jasmine Osada

Nokia N86 8MP camera phone

» Price: $808 (without operator subsidy) » Available: from authorised dealers

With higher resolutions and better imaging technology, camera phones are getting better than ever and are all the rage.

For those wanting to take casual but camera-quality party pictures, high resolution camera phones like the Nokia N86 8MP offer users the convenience of an imaging-capable device.

At 8 megapixels, the N86 isn't the highest resolution camera phone out there. But unless you want to print your photos in sizes larger than A4, the resolution the N86 offers is more than enough. Looks-wise, the N86 isn't that much of a departure from its predecessor, the N85.

The glossy finish gives the phone a pretty defined and classy look, and successfully manages to avoid looking too plastic. A two-way slider, the phone allows users to access its various features and functions easily.

For its size, I didn't find it too heavy. Photos taken with this phone are clear and sharp, and the camera works surprisingly quickly.

Press the shutter button and the N86 takes a shot, versus the one or two second pause some other phones will take before an image is captured. At 8 megapixels, the N86 goes back into camera mode with the tap of a button.

This eliminates the need to wait for images to be processed and saved, meaning that you won't lose precious moments while waiting for the phone to be camera-ready again. Fitted with Carl Zeiss optics, the N86 features a wide-angle lens.

This is a good choice, as most people using their camera phones are likely to capture portraits of friends and other people shots, versus images of landscapes and such.

In camera mode, the Nokia offers users several scene modes (automatic, user defined, close-up, portrait, landscape, sport and night), as well as capture modes (still, sequence, self-timer, video and panorama).

While I would have liked more scene modes - kids, food and pets would have been good - I did find myself quite fascinated by the N86's panorama capture mode.

While it probably isn't the best camera to capture panoramic scenes with, the panorama mode was very easy to use and is definitely worth a try. The usual basic camera settings are there, such as flash, white balance and colour tone.

What I would really have liked to see is an exposure compensation setting, which will come in handy at places where the N86 is likely to be used, such as in restaurants and indoors places with low light.

With a dedicated camera button, taking pictures is easy, but tweaking camera setting might take a little getting used to.

As a phone, the N86 offers GPS features, convenient for those on the road. The feature also geo-tags your shots, so you will know where you snapped them.

Browsing the web was a tad tricky, since the N86 isn't a touch screen phone. I found the keys on this two-way slider not the most optimal for surfing, though it might again be a matter of getting used to.

The Verdict

If you're looking for a high resolution camera phone good enough to take print-quality pictures, this one will offer that plus a few useful camera features for better shots.