Nokia N86 8MP & N82
low light comparison
July 2009
1

Background
Many regard the Nokia N82 as one of the best Definitions
devices available for low light mobile Lux is a measure for light level (illuminance)
photography. Following the introduction of the 0 lux – complete darkness
10 lux – roughly equivalent to a bar/pub
new Nokia N86 8MP, many have been intrigued
100 lux – average living room
to see how this newcomer compares against
200 lux – very dark overcast day
what many see as the benchmark.
Using one of Nokia’s imaging studios we created Firmware
this material as a means of comparing in a N82 FW – 30.019
controlled back to back comparison both with N86 8MP – 11.043 - [An updated FW version is currently
flash and without flash. in the works for future release which should provide a
further improvement in performance in low light
situations] ☺
Test conditions
Lighting monitored and controlled to +/- 1 lux using
Nokia developed bespoke lighting system
All settings automatic excluding the one example
where flash was manually cancelled to illustrate low
light situations where flash can not be used.
2

Key
100% crop to
show detail
Distance from scene 1m
Light level 200 Lux
Flash mode Auto
Full frame
image
Nokia N86 8MP – No flash required Nokia N82 – Flash fired automatically
4
3

1m
10 lux
NO Flash
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash cancelled manually. Nokia N82 – Flash cancelled manually.
This situation is to illustrate the benefits of the new sensor and new large aperture
[f/2.4] lens. Despite the flash being cancelled, as would be the case in a night
scene for example, the N86 8MP still provides a highly usable image. Please note:
It’s important to ensure the device is steady in such low light levels!
4

1m
200 Lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – No flash required Nokia N82 – Flash fired automatically
5

1m
100 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – No flash required Nokia N82 – Flash fired automatically
This illustrates that its possible to continue to shoot without needing flash in
lighting levels that are roughly half that of other devices. This allows more natural
recording of the moment.
6

1m
10 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired Nokia N82 – Flash fired
It’s worth noting that the new Dual LED flash, (70% more powerful than previous
generation Dual LED solutions) due to the wider 28mm lens of the N86 8MP, the
Dual LED’s need to emit around 30% more illumination to provide equal
illumination to that of the N82 when used from the same distance. This is because
the Dual LED’s are diffused to cover a ‘wider’ area than required for the N82.
7

2m
10 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired Nokia N82 – Flash fired
Despite the N82’s patented flash control system (developed to prevent washed out
areas) with objects at different distances it’s a forgone conclusion that close
objects will appear washed out, rendering a ‘harsher’ end result. However, some
may prefer the ‘brighter’ look provided with the N82 rather than what for some
may look more natural with the N86 8MP.
8

3m
10 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired Nokia N82 – Flash fired
At 3m, as the xenon flash approaches its limit it starts to become apparent that
there are higher levels of noise than the newer sensor equipped N86 8MP.
9

3.5m
10 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired Nokia N82 – Flash fired
10

1m
0 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired automatically Nokia N82 – Flash fired automatically
There was absolutely no illumination from any other source in this final sequence
of 4 images. It’s pure LED vs. Xenon.
As the illumination in this sequence is entirely from the LED/xenon sources both
could be considered ‘unnatural’ and are of course considerably brighter as a result
than you can see with the naked eye ☺
11

2m
0 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired automatically Nokia N82 – Flash fired automatically
12

3m
0 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired automatically Nokia N82 – Flash fired automatically
Similar story to the 10 lux sequence. At 3m, as the xenon flash approaches its limit
it starts to become apparent that the there are higher levels of noise than with the
N86 8MP.
13

3.5m
0 lux
Auto
Nokia N86 8MP – Flash fired automatically Nokia N82 – Flash fired automatically
14