Nokia N86 8MP gets new firmware update for night picture taking

Nokia has just released a new firmware update of it's cameraphone flagship, the Nokia N86 8MP. As before, Nokia keep on being laconic on what's new but we got a hold on a brief changelog.

So, the Nokia N86 software version 11.043 promises better imaging results especially in video recording. Low light pictures are also improved. The same goes for the Browser, Share Online, and the Settings Wizard.

Nokia Maps 3.0 will be replaced by version 3.0.1 and the phone will offer better maps experience in landscape mode.

The replacements go on: Downloads! will now be replaced OVI Store. The OVI Store launcher will be preloaded and the actual client is available for download at OVI.

Along with the firmware update Nokia announced the upcoming exhibition of the photographer David Bailey. As you might have guessed, all the images will be taken AT NIGHT with the Nokia N86 8MP. The campaign called "Alive At Night" is part of the ongoing Nokia efforts to showcase the Nokia N86 8MP imaging prowess in the dark (even without a xenon flash).

The exhibition will take place in London with public viewing hours from 10am 27th August all through the night up until 5pm on 28th August.

For further details and a chance to become a subject in the night shots of the renowned photographer David Bailey and his Nokia N86 8MP you drop by the event microsite. They even have some N86 as giveaway prizes.

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Nokia N86 8MP photographs great under low light conditions & Finnish maker deems Xenon Flash UNNECESSARY!

It seems we aren't the only ones that feel sorry the Nokia N86 8MP lacks a xenon flash like its predecessor - the Nokia N82. So the Finnish company decided it had to do something to restore its latest flagship reputation and released a statement, boldly claiming that the handset doesn't need a xenon unit to make good low-light shots.

Of course we do agree with most of the points listed - the Nokia N86 8MP wider-angle lens and wider aperture make it easier to avoid camera shake in lowlight environments but the developers have also missed on some major points.

For one the wider-angle lens and the wider aperture aren't enough of a compensation for the light output difference between a xenon flash and a LED unit (be it 3rd generation or not). While flash photography has its flaws too (the harsher shadows and the overexposed parts of the reflective subjects in the frame spring to mind) our humble opinion is that cameraphones are far from ready to tackle low-light photography without a proper flash. Even dedicated point-and-shoot cameras produce highly noisy results in flash-less photography. And as much as we want to believe that the Nokia N86 8MP has somehow managed to bend the laws of physics, our eyes tell us otherwise.

In fact the N86 8MP did come pretty close to the Samsung Pixon12 image quality in the dark with the flash units on both devices turned off and that speaks well in favor of the progress Nokia are making. However once the xenon power kicks in, it becomes a really uneven battle as you can see from the samples below. So a step forward it might as well be, but the N86 8MP is far from the best in class at this stage.

Samsung M8910 Pixon12 • Nokia N86 8MP • 100% crops

Samsung M8910 Pixon12 • Sony Ericsson C905 • Nokia N86 8MP • 100% crops

Nokia have even gone as far as doing a low-light shootout between the N86 8MP and their oh-so-popular xenon-equipped N82. So yeah - when you are able to keep the device steady (as in "there's no way you are getting a nice shot hand-held"), the N86 can match the now retired 5 megapixel cameraphone. However if you don't have a support at your disposal, xenon light is the only thing that can give you shutter speeds that are quick enough for hand-held shooting.

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Nokia N86 8MP Arrives Celluloco.com on June 15, 2009 - Pre-Orders are Kicking Ass!

Today Nokia finally announced the start of the shipping of the highly awaited Nokia N86 8MP smartphone. Usually the model can be expected to actually hit the shelves within a week of such announcement so don't head for the store just yet.

The hotly anticipated Nokia N86 8MP is the first 8 megapixel cameraphone to sport a wide 28mm lens. There are also other camera goodies onboard such as a mechanical shutter and Carl Zeiss lens. The Nokia N86 8MP is also the first device with variable aperture F2.4/F3.2/F4.8. That means the device does better in low light situations thanks to the wider aperture of F2.4 and takes sharper shots in bright daylight thanks to the F4.8 aperture value.

The other goodies on board the Nokia N86 8MP include 8GB of internal memory, a microSDHC card slot, a 2.6-inch AMOLED screen, FM transmitter, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity, a 3.5mm audio jack and TV out. There's also quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA support for a truly worldwide voice and data roaming.

When it was officially announced back in February the Nokia N86 8MP had an estimated price of 375 euro, before taxes and subsidies. As usually though early adopters will have to part with slightly more than that as the lowest prices available for pre-orders online are along the lines of 425 euro (600 US dollars).

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