The Nokia C5 is the first of the brand new Nokia C Series devices to hit the stores here in the UK. This isn't a high-end smartphone but you will find it packing in the Symbian S60 3rd Edition OS. It also comes with a 3.2-Megapixel camera for taking snaps in almost all conditions. Find out how we got on with our Nokia C5 camera review.
The camera on the Nokia C5 is a 3.2-Megapixel CCD with single Flash. This means while you’ll be able to get images up to 2048 x 1536 pixels in size, but you won’t be able to get the best shots in low light conditions.
Features you'll find built into the Nokia C5 camera include Auto Exposure, Exposure Compensation, Extended Depth of Field, Flash, Full Screen Viewfinder, Red-Eye Reduction and even a Self Timer.
The camera on the Nokia C5 loads quickly and is very much the standard software used across all Symbian S60 3rd Edition devices. This means you’ll find a full screen viewfinder in place and the control menus appearing down the right-hand side of the screen. You can take images in either Portrait or Landscape mode but we have found ourselves shooting more in Landscape as the 2.2-inch screen for a Viewfinder can be a little tricky to get everything you want in there.
You can launch the Nokia C5 camera from the Homescreen but you won' find a dedicated Capture button on the device. Instead, you simply point at the subject of your photo and press the D-pad button once. This works well enough and means you can fire of repeated snaps with ease.
You can use the D-pad for zooming in and out of your subjects too. Alternatively, you will find there are dedicated controls on the side of the Nokia C5 – they also double as Volume controls for the Media Player.
When it comes to getting the most from the software on the Nokia C5 camera, you'll find the on-screen menu allows you to change most features quickly and easily, For instance, switching from Stills to Video mode, is simply a case of pulling up the menu by pushing the D-pad up and hitting the mode button.
Other Menu options include Scene, Panoramic, Flash, Self-timer and Sequence modes, as well as the ability to view the Photo Gallery. Each of these offer a host of settings but you will find that Nokia has also included handy guides alongside each setting to let you know how to get the most from the Nokia C5 camera.
When it comes to taking photos we're not the best photographer around so really missed the auto-focus function that you'll find on more high-end cameras. The Nokia C5 also lacks macro mode settings, so really getting up close on a subject isn't really possible.
The Nokia C5 camera is easy to use and as long as you're looking to take quick point-and-shoot snaps then you'll be happy. However, if having a decent camera is a must, then we 'd suggest taking a look at a more dedicated camera, such as the Nokia 6700 Slide, or even the Nokia N86 8MP, which comes with all the features that make taking photos so easy.
Check out our Nokia C5 Camera Review photo gallery:
