Camera

Pressing the Camera Key (or turning and folding the screen around) activates the built-in 3.2-megapixel camera lens (5.15 mm focal length, 1:2.7 reproduction ratio). Designed for a horizontal layout, consumers will appreciate the feel of the A990, resembling a digital camera rather than the upright function of other camera phones.

Able to snap images up to 2046 x 1536 px, images are saved in JPG file format taking up around 450 KB each. However to save space, users can lower the resolution to 1600 x 1200 px, 1280 x 960 px, 1024 x 768 px, 800 x 600 px, 640 x 480 px, 320 x 240 px or Picture ID sizes.

Buttons along the top provide controls during Camera Mode. Zoom In and Out Keys along the top adjust the 4X Digital Zoom (10 Step), however this option is only available when resolution is set to 1024 x 768 px and lower. The Shutter Release is indented to let users know without having to their eyes away from the scene, and the Option Key activates the menu to select various filters and functions.

Common features bundled on the A990 include Flash (Off, Always On, Auto, and On This Shot), Self-Timer (Off, 2 Sec, 5 Sec, and 10 Sec), Quality (Fine, Normal, and Economy), Brightness (-4 to +4), White Balance (Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Tungsten, and Fluorescent), Color Effects (Normal, Black and White, Sepia, Negative, Emboss, and Sketch), and Autofocus.

And since the A990 is Verizon Wireless' flagship camera phone, advanced options normally found on standalone digital cameras are also included on the A990, such as Picture Mode (Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, and Night), Multi-Shot (Series Shot, Divided Shot, Auto, / Manual) and Metering (Average, Center, and Spot), and ISO (Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800).

As a versatile lens, Picture Modes provides optimal shooting settings for faces (Portrait), scenic views (Landscape), close-ups (Macro), and low light (Night).

Multi-Shot also has various shooting modes. Selecting Series Shot, users can ensure the right moment is captured during fast action scenes. With the press of a button, a series of 3, 5, or 10 photos is taken sequentially. Choosing Divided Shot, photos can be pieced together (4, 9, or 16 photos) for large sweeping panoramic views taken at 640 x 480 px resolution each.

ISO Settings are used to adjust the film speed, or in the case of the A990, the sensitivity of the transistors. Lower ISO settings require longer exposure times to record the available light but provide superior image quality. By contrast higher ISO speeds, sometimes necessary to capture action shots at lower lighting conditions, sacrifice image quality for speed.

Adjusting Metering selects the area to determine correct exposure. Average Metering uses light information coming from the entire scene, Center Metering views light from just the center, and Spot Metering only takes a tiny spot of the scene into account when calculating the exposure.

Also able to capture video in Camcorder Mode, the A990 records clips up to 15 seconds (Limit to FLIX Msg) or 10 minutes (Normal) at 320 x 240 px in resolution (15 frames per second). The video quality is actually quite decent and viewable. While not comparable to still photo quality, the A990 makes significant improvements over video recording capabilities from prior camera phones.

Taking videos and photos is one thing, but viewing and printing them is another. Fortunately the A990 includes a TV Out Port, allowing users to view their hard work on television monitors. Also including PictBridge software, transferring photos from the A990 to a printer without a PC or image-editing software is a breeze. As industry standards, PictBridge-compatible devices are made by many different companies, so finding a printer to offload photos shouldn't be a problem.

Compared to other handhelds on the market, the A990's 3.2-megapixel camera is as good as it gets, providing dazzling image quality with a bundle of advanced functions and filters. The usability is outstanding as well, offering a more natural horizontal layout conventional digital cameras adopt.

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