??Mobile phone with Best Camera - 5 MP?? Very Confused... Please help

[brijeshtr]

Hi Friends,

I want to purchase a mobile in the range of 15 K that has the best camera ... (can stretch budget a bit)

Requirements--
a) It should have the best camera in the segment... at least 5 MP is needed...
when I say camera... I only mean Still Camera...
if there are 2 phones that have best still-camera and their Still cameras are of same quality, only then would I compare them for the video quality.. otherwise not
b) No Symbian at all... and wouldn't prefer Windows either but Windows can be considered if it offers best still-camera
c) Android preferred... I have no experience with Android but have heard a lot about it's features like responsive touch screen etc...
d) I am not an application-freak... I mean I wouldn't be downloading applications now and then and so I wouldn't select an Android just because it offers lakhs of apps. I will be content with even Samsung BADA OS... if it offers best camera and does offer an interface and user experience that is comparable to Android... as far as I know Bada offers plenty of apps that will be sufficient for me.

Based upon the above requirements, I have shortlisted 2 mobiles...
Samsung Galaxy Ace and Samsung Wave 2
...and I am really confused between the two.

As far as I understand from some reviews that I have read... Galaxy Ace offers best still camera in 5 MP and looks like Wave-2 comes very close...

I would select Galaxy-Ace if it can be decidedly said that it's still camera is better than that of Wave-2

but if difference in the quality of their STILL-cameras is only marginal... then I may opt for Wave-2 because Wave-2 can also record HD-videos @720p and offers a much better screen...

confused between the two... kindly help.

thank you very much.

Best Regards

[Sam]

if camera is top priority & budget around 15k, add 2k more & get Nokia C7. it is Symbian but Ace & the other 5Mp cam mobiles can't match Nokia C7's camera performance. but C7 got a fixed focus cam.

else the next option is Motorola Defy. though it got a 5Mp camera but then you get Android 2.2

[Sarath]

The C7 does not have a Carl Zeiss camera. Its 8MP though.

The best cameras in phones by far I have seen are:
Nokia: CarlZeiss: N8 (some new models I cant remember) older N86,96,85
Sony: Exmor R lens: Xperia Arc. Please check about the new xperia(s)
Apple: The best so far. The biggest sensor in any camera.

Also if I may, I would say get a still camera and get a phone seperately. You will meet both the requirements in 15k. Just my opinion.

I had a N85 which had an excellent camera (at that time). However owing to it being a phone; small sensor, limited battery life; limited controls; poor low lighting photography all started bothering me. I have an xperia arc now and battery life is the only problem plaguing me now. The flash eats up too much battery.

Android and WM7 are known to not carry good cameras.

Since you have ruled out Nokia and the sony, apple ones are out of your budget I really have no other options in my knowledge.

I have a C7 at home. I will let you know tomorrow how it performs if you are interested and if it has a Carl Zeiss lens.

P.s. ignore my misuse of semi colons up there. No mouse so limited editing capabilities too.

Edit: Exmor R sensor not lens.

[desiibond]

go with Motorola Defy. I think it's camera is better than Ace's and it has got very good developer support so you can put a gingerbread ROM on it in no time.

[brijeshtr]

Thanks Sam, Sarath, and desiibond.

Yes, N8 has got rave reviews as far as camera is concerned but being a Symbian it is out of my list and so is C7.

Defy was in my list earlier.. but it is out as reviews suggests it's got bad camera...
Motorola DEFY review: Drag and drop - GSMArena.com

Sarath: good suggestion of buying separate digiCam and mobile but dear my purpose of getting a good camera mobile is that I have to carry just one device instead of two and most of the photos I click are unplanned...

Xperia Arc and even X10 are out of budget.

Finally it boils down to Samsung Galaxy Ace and Samsung Wave-2

So guys please help me select one from these 2 that has got better Still-camera.

thanks!!