Camera
A good way to establish the flashiest new phone on the market is to integrate
the most state-of-the-art camera as possible into the design. The Dare certainly
puts its all into its camera, with a high-quality 3.2-megapixel Schneider
Kreuznach lens - the current maximum for high-end camera phones. And, of
course, options abound. In addition to high-end standards like a flash,
zoom, and auto focus, the phone features an Image Editor for true customization.
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The camera is accessed in one of two ways: through the menu screens or
by simply pressing the shutter button on the edge of the phone. Its 240
x 320 px screen makes for an expansive viewscreen for the camera. But, the
touch sensor causes some problems for the camera. The zoom and brightness
levels are controled by touch-sliders on the screen, which have the same
sensitivity problems as scroll menus elsewhere on the Dare.
Perhaps the problems with these sliders will diminish as users acclimates
to the touch mechanism.
One other potentially irritating factor is the shutter button - pressing
it all the way down does not take an image, but rather switches between
video and still camera modes. In order to take a photo, consumers must be
careful only to press the button down lightly. For heavy-handed photographers,
this may take some time to get used to.
 Options
abound on the Dare's camera, beginning with Color Effects and ending with
Scene Mode. The former include the old standbys Sepia and Black & White,
as well as Negative, and, for bathing photos with a splash of underwater
adventure, Aqua. The latter includes Normal, Portrait, Landscape, Night,
and, in order to capture the funnest of times, Sports and Beach. The ever-popular
Shutter Sound option lets users sit back, relax, and let someone else say
"Say Cheese!" or "Ready? 1, 2, 3!" Those with more subtle tastes may choose
a standard shutter sound or no sound at all.
Other, advanced options include ISO (Auto, 100, 200 and 400), Photometry
(Average and Spot), White Balance (Fluorescent, Sunny, Glow and Cloudy),
SmartPic, and Face Detection.
Resolutions range from 320 x 240 px to a hearty 2048 x 1536 px. Multi-Shot
and Shot Type (Panorama, Split and Frame) are also available for exciting
fashion shots and artistically captured vistas.
A Video Recorder and Image Editor are also available. The Video Recorder
offers similar options to the regular camera, and comes in three resolutions:
640 x 480 px, 320 x 240 px, and 176 x 144 px. The Image Editor allows users
to use a pen in various colors and shapes to "write" on photographs.
While it may take users awhile to get used to the camera's controls,
the camera itself is state-of-the-art, with a 3.2-megapixel lens and a whole
host of photo options.
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