The UK Mobile Phone Blog

Sony Ericsson C905 Review: Picture Perfect Everytime

One of the perks here at Mobiles.co.uk is that I’m often lucky enough to get extended use of the latest and greatest in the mobile phone world. This weeks test drive is the 8.1 Megapixel maestro that is the Sony Ericsson C905 and here is my take on the phone that is taking the camera phone world by storm! With a list of features that would embarrass most stand alone digital cameras as well as that famous Cyber-shot branding; the Sony Ericsson C905 certainly talks a good talk, but is it more bark than bite? I’m not sure where I’m going with that dog analogy, so just read on to find out.

Taking a slide form factor (the first slider to bear the Cyber-shot brand), the Sony Ericsson C905 fits comfortably in your hand and has a nice weight which helps add to the impressive build quality. Made from high quality matt black plastic with a large metallic strip for the lens cover and also on both sides for the camera buttons and memory card slot, the C905 certainly looks and feels the part. On the front we find the sharp 2.4 inch TFT display which dominates the phone when it is closed. Beneath the screen we find the four way navigation key and in the centre of this the select button, two soft keys in the corners underneath the screen, call answer and end buttons and the cancel and shortcut buttons. All are on the big enough to find and use without having to take your eye off the screen. Above the screen we find the ear piece and also two more soft keys which are used when operating the camera. On the back we find the afore mentioned metallic strip which slides down to reveal the camera lens, doing so automatically opens the camera application. First impressions of the C905 are positive, the phone has a premium feel and design but above all, is very comfortable to use.

The most talked about feature of the C905 is undoubtedly the 8 Megapixel camera so let’s dive right in and check it out. With the Cybershot name, a Xenon flash and a host of features including autofocus an image stabiliser and red-eye reduction, the C905 is certainly well equipped for the job. But what about the actual image quality? Well, I can happily report that the camera lives up to the hype, producing some truly stunning images with amazing levels of clarity and detail. What’s more, the addition of the Xenon flash (as opposed to an led flash found in other camera phones) works wonders at illuminating even the darkest of scenes to deliver excellent pictures. The sample image below is in normal daylight conditions and the result is quite simply amazing with colours and textures true to life.

Sliding down the lens cover (another welcome addition which ensures the lens is clean and scratch free) automatically opens the camera and presents you with the view finder. Holding the phone in landscape orientation, along the top we find, from right to left, the capture button, a button for switching from still to video capture, a play button and lastly the zoom in/out keys. The camera interface is similar to that found on previous Sony Ericsson camera phones; the top soft key exits the camera whist the bottom opens the full options menu, each of the four way navigation keys are assigned a different shortcut for features such as flash, macro mode and timer, the top left soft key by the earpiece lets you change the shoot mode and the bottom left controls the scene settings (i.e. portrait, landscape and sport among others, All of this becomes second nature very quickly and after a couple of attempts, you’ll be navigating through the menus and customising the settings with ease! A quick note on the macro mode as i’ve just mentioned it, check out the sample image below and i’m sure you’ll agree that this is one of, maybe even the best ever found on a phone. The picture was taken just a few centremetres away from the subject and yet still remains in focus and incredibly sharp. A nice feature to show off. Video is also incorporated well, capturing at a maximum of 30 frames per second making the resulting clips fluid and natural with little distortion or interference. Clips can be recorded for as long as your memory will allow and then can be edited using Sony Ericsson’s popular VideoDJ tool.

Away from the camera, impressively the C905 features Wi-Fi connectivity alongside HSDPA mobile broadband, meaning web browsing at some truly impressive speeds is now a reality which sets the C905 as one of the first non-smart phones to support this. The web browser is capable of displaying most web sites without a hitch and does so with extra panache thanks to the excellent display. Another welcome addition is an internal GPS receiver with A-GPS support with Google maps and Way finder SatNav software which works great as a navigation tool. Google maps is best used for on foot navigation and route planning but the inclusion of Wayfinder (albeit for a limited trial period) is a great plus. Alongside this we find the usual suspects such as an MP3 player supporting a host of file formats and the popular TrackID feature and an FM radio, Bluetooth v2.0, TV output and a secondary camera for video calling.

From my hands-on with the C905, I’m was pleased to find that the C905 is much more than just a camera phone, it impresses in every department with features to rival the smartest of smartphones. The camera pushes the boundaries for what is possible in a camera phone, producing some world class images to rival the digital camera world and put itself firmly atop the camera phone pile. But thankfully Sony Ericsson have remembered to include some other high end features such as GPS and Wi-Fi to compliment the kind of features we come to expect in a new phone. And with three colours available from Mobiles.co.uk, it’s safe to say there’s a C905 to meet everyone’s tastes. Click here to view our available offers.