Grand 8 megapixel shootout: The latest and greatest

We bet you saw that coming. The shootout sequel is up the 8 megapixel notch. Starring Sony Ericsson C905, Samsung i8510 INNOV8, Samsung M8800 Pixon and LG KC910 Renoir, this dedicated article takes phone'n'shoot closer than ever before to point'n'shoot.

In the world of GSM phones there are hardly any handsets to pack more punch than our contenders here. The sophisticated imaging devices deliver on all fronts of multimedia, leaving little (if anything) to wish for. So, careful what you wish? Only if what you wish is a digicam.

The latest and greatest cameraphones are head-to-head and pure camera performance is the weapon of choice. There's plenty of ammo so we're in for one exciting shooting challenge.

Sony Ericsson C905 • Samsung i8510 INNOV8 • Samsung M8800 Pixon • LG KC910 Renoir

While we roll up our sleeves, just a few quick points so you can read our test right and hopefully… enjoy it.

Let's start with what shootouts are all about. There are several important factors to camera image quality and we structure our articles accordingly. Breaking down the image quality we look for resolved detail, dynamic range, color accuracy, internal image processing and lens quality.

But there's more to a camera than image quality. It's really important how the camera software handles exposure, auto focus, low light scenes, and close-ups.

Some extra goodies also get tested in our shootout such as the value-adding features (geotagging, smile detection, etc), flash performance and sheer shot-to-shot speed.

The stars of the show

And since we do more with a cameraphone than just take pictures, we also compare the video recording skills and image galleries of our contenders.

And finally, we should also note that our tests are conducted with all camera settings on auto (unless stated otherwise) with the highest available resolution and quality. We think it's how most users shoot with their phones.

That's about it! As you see there's a lot of ground to cover, so let's jump right in.