Camera
One thing Sony Ericsson does better than any other manufacturer is integrating
cameras into its phones. The W810i incorporates a 2.0-megapixel CMOS camera
so successfully that it's often difficult to determine if it's a phone with
imaging characteristics, or a camera with communication functionality.
Taking expertise from Sony's imaging division, the W810i utilizes a horizontal
orientation (rather than the more common vertical operation) so users feel
as if they're holding a Cybershot digital camera, with the screen becoming
the viewfinder.
High-resolution photos can be captured up to an impressive 1632 x 1224
px size with 24-bit color depth (8 per RGB channel) in 262K-colors. Progressing
past prior-generation camera phones, the W810i able to capture large images
that make for outstanding prints. Other size options include 640 x 480 px
and 160 x 120 px.
Near the lens on the back, a Photo Light is handy during low light conditions
(also doubling as a flashlight), and a mirror lets users see where the camera
is aiming to take self-portraits or group shots. The oddly placed Volume
Keys along the right side suddenly become apparent when the W810i is used
as a camera, doubling as the 4x zoom controller (located on top now rather
than the right when the W810i is turned horizontally for Camera Mode).
Additionally, a robust set of camera features allow users choose between
White Balance (Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Daylight, and Cloudy), Effects
(Negative, Solarize, Sepia, and Black and White), Picture Quality (Normal
and Fine), Picture Light, Auto Focus, Night Mode, Self-Timer, and Shutter
Sounds. Additionally, various Shoot Modes (Normal, Panorama, Frames, and
Burst 4) allow consumers to shoot up to four photos in rapid succession
(Burst 4), combines several shots into one wide picture (Panorama Mode),
or even shoot up close (Macro Mode).
 The
W810i's built-in 2.0-megapixel camera is state-of-the-art, with unmatched
usability and a bundle of effects and features. Although some noise and
slight blurring occurred when not held steady, it's difficult to find a
better camera phone with a high-resolution camera and user friendly features.
Encoded in .3GP codec (H.263 and AMR) format, consumers can also record
video clips at either QCIF (176 x 144 px) or Sub-QCIF (128 x 96 px) resolutions
at 10 frames per second. Bundled with Sony Ericsson's QuickShare software,
the W810i allows users to easily share and send pictures with just a few
simple clicks.
While the video quality isn't comparable to the still photo capture,
at 176 x 144 px resolution the W810i offers decent size for a camera phone,
but that isn't saying much. Regardless, taking the idea that imaging should
coexist with communication, the addition of software such as QuickShare,
PhotoDJ, and VideoDJ makes the W810i a tough package to beat.
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