If you're like us, one of the things you're most eager to find out about the Nokia N9 is how its camera stacks up against the stunning Nokia N8's snapper. And now we've heard from the one man who has all the answers – Damian Dinning. Read on for the Nokia imaging guru's comments.

Nokia N8: Become a Camera Expert in 8 Minutes with Damian Dinning

For long-time Nokia photography fans, Damian Dinning certainly needs no introduction. He's the guiding hand steering Nokia's camera department, and we'd venture that very few people on the planet know much more about smartphone photography.

Safe to say, then, that it's a pretty big deal that Dinning has opened up about the Nokia N9's camera in some considerable detail over on Nokia Conversations. In a fascinating post, he shares not only the technical capabilities and notable innovations the Nokia N9's camera boasts – such as the f/2.2 aperture, the largest ever on a mobile device – but also shares some of the challenges in developing the camera, and the philosophies driving that development.

It's a long and involving read, and we certainly wouldn't want to water it down by trying to edit or paraphrase Dinning's thoughts. So instead, here are a few snippets to whet your appetite – for the full version, make your way over to Nokia Conversations.

On the Nokia N9 camera's size: “to achieve the design goal we knew the camera would have to be a certain set of dimensions. Those dimensions are equivalent to a massive 70% reduction in size compared to the module used in the Nokia N8!”

Describing some of the Nokia N9 camera's capabilities: “Super wide-angle optics – the widest in the industry”; “Full time continuous AF in BOTH video and stills plus face detection”; “Non-destructive editing of images – go back to the original image at any time. Undo or redo edits even months later.”

On supporting both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios: “...the only mobile device which genuinely gets more in the width of the picture than the industry norm 4:3, leaving you the flexibility to choose the best aspect ratio for the scene.”

On the f/2.2 aperture: “Super large f/2.2 aperture allowing approximately 75% more light to reach the image sensor. This is the largest aperture ever incorporated in to a mobile and larger than most digital cameras.”

And yes, Dinning even talks openly about how the Nokia N9's camera compares to the Nokia N8's class-leading 12-megapixel affair. It's a must-read for anyone interested in Nokia photography, not to mention those keen on seeing what future Nokia smartphones might bring to the table.