LG KT610 Review: Imaging
Thus far we’ve checked out the hardware, music, and gaming aspects of the LG KT610, but that’s not all there is to this handset. The LG KT610 sports a lowly 2 megapixel camera, without such niceties as autofocus or even a small LED flash. However, this seems to be the bog standard these days, at least in the U.S., with budget smartphones, so I wanted to take a look at how it works and performs.
Surprisingly, the camera can be activated with the phone closed or open, meaning that you can use the miniaturized external display as a viewfinder, should the moment hit you. There is a handy dedicated camera key available for this, and it works rather well. Even better, photos taken with this small viewfinder are taken with the full resolution, so you should line up the middle of your shot, and expect a bit above and below what you see to be captured.
You can also open the phone up to use the internal display, and again, there is a dedicated camera key. The lens on the back of the phone makes it slightly odd at first, but once I figured out how to hold the phone without blocking the camera, it felt very natural and was simple to use.
There are the typical camera options - you’re able to change the brightness, color tone, and that sort of thing. There is a night mode, as well as sequence mode, which can come in handy. Unlike the E90, the KT610 allows you to use the secondary front-facing camera to take self-portraits or videos, for sending via MMS or email.
Unfortunately, again, the latest version of Share Online is not supported on the LG KT610, seeing as how it’s a Nokia application and all. However, ShoZu works a charm, and the recent update allows you to select which channel on your Share on Ovi account you wish to upload to. Easy peasy, and video (up to 10MB) is supported, as well.
I’m also pleased to report that the design of the KT610 is such that you’re able to stand it on its own, unlike the latest imaging-centric handsets from Nokia, meaning you can use the built-in timer function. To use the timer, though, you have to stand the handset up on end, so that the internal display is active. This is because the external display is only slightly connected to the internal one, which offers more options, such as the timer.
Video mode is activated through the menu, and you’re offered the same resolution regardless of which camera you choose to use, which is a shame. There are no video editing tools built-in, which is also a shame.
So, as you can see, despite the lack of flash and mediocre 2 megapixel camera, the imaging experience with the LG KT610 is no worse than that of the E61i or 6270 or other non-Nseries S60 handset. The lack of flash does hamper it a bit, but it’s not unbearable unless you’re in a low-light situation.
I give the LG KT610 3 out of 5 stars for imaging, based on the quality of photos and flexibility with the two cameras. The lack of autofocus and flash is a downer, for sure. Keep in mind that it’s a 2 megapixel camera, and therefore should only be measured against other 2 megapixel cameras, at least in my opinion.
Below are some sample pics taken with the LG KT610 (click the image to see the original file):
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