By Damian Koh, CNET Asia
28/10/2009
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,62047512,00.htm

Until camera-phones with built-in Xenon flash came onto the scene, we had to live with crappy low-current LED lights. Times have changed and imaging technologies have evolved. Image sensors on camera-phones are now able to capture images at higher sensitivity (up to ISO 1,600) settings. That helps to a certain extent, but not without adding noise to the pictures when shooting in dim-light environments. On many occasions, we still need an assisting beam of light to illuminate our subjects. That's where a built-in Xenon or LED flash comes in handy.

One of the main advantages of using LED is that it doubles as a constant light source for video recording and generally gives a more even (or softer) illumination. And instead of just one, some manufacturers even stick a pair on their imaging handsets. On the other hand, while the Xenon flash has a stronger burst of light, it cannot be used for recording videos due to its technical composition.

So which type of flash is better? Below are a series of pictures taken using some of the current camera-phones. Camera settings are left at default factory settings with only forced flash enabled. We'll leave you to make your own judgment as to which is better.

Note: The pictures in this article were taken in a controlled Lab environment. You can click on the links to download the full-resolution images.

Phones with Xenon flash | Phones with LED flash

Phones with Xenon flash

Phones with Xenon flash | Phones with LED flash

Phones with LED flash