Gadget Wars: Mobile Cameras - K850i vs N82

When it comes to ease of use, I must admit both are quite easy to handle and hold. However, the K850i has an added advantage thanks to some shortcut keys on the keypad for activating a few features. Otherwise I’d be inclined to lean towards the Nokia. The touchscreen feature of the K850i may be a plus point while using the phone but it’s a bit uncomfortable while using the camera.

I also like the K850i’s convenient switch to toggle between video and camera mode and the gallery. The N82 just has a single key that would take you directly to the gallery. I prefer the switch; it makes it feel more like a camera than a mobile.

Camera Features
Let's begin with an option that's very relevant for the average user: white balance. In this instance, the N82 gives you a small preview that adjusts to each setting, whereas the K850i shows the image in the background while the Settings menu blocks the entire screen – which makes it a bit awkward.

Scene mode in the K850i has a small preview of the kind of environment that particular setting would be suited for. While this may be visually attractive, it once again occupies the whole display and looks a bit squashed. The absence of a proper Night mode is quite disappointing but there is a mode for taking images of documents. Prefect for a spy.

The N82 doesn’t have a preview for this mode but what I do like are the tips provided for each setting. These come in handy for a noob who wants to improve his mobile photography. Sadly the N82 doesn’t have a Panorama option, but the K850i does – and performs quite well. The K850i even offers some funny frames to spice up your images.

The K850i has a Timer function (10 seconds) so you can leave the camera and get into the picture. One wouldn't really need more than 10 seconds to get into the frame, but some options would be nice. The N82 in this sense is perfect as it offers delays of 2, 10, and 20 seconds.

The K850i has a BestPic feature that essentially takes multiple shots simultaneously, after which you can select the best of the lot. The good thing about this feature is that the camera is able to capture quite a few images in a very short time.

The Nokia N82 Burst mode is the same as BestPic, but Nokia has multiple settings for the same. You can take multiple images with different time settings, from 10 seconds to 10 minutes or even nonstop till you run out of memory. That'll leave you with an insane number of images to sort through, but you can't say you didn't have a choice!

With regard to effects both cameras have similar options for sepia, black and white, negative etc. But the N82 has a few additional handy features like Exposure Compensation Image Sharpness and an Image Contrast setting. While they may not be absolutely necessary, they do help you achieve those as-close-to-perfect images.