Comments on: Nokia N96 vs Nokia N85 Video Recording Battle

By: jooch

jooch — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 01:25:26 +0000

hey i have a problem with my n85.
when i record a video it looks laggi, i've recently updated to the new firm (20.175), the thing is that i changed the product code of my phone to be able to update it.
My phone is the NAM version n85-3
what can i do to solve this problem :S?

By: jooch

jooch — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 23:25:26 +0000

By: JCDenton

JCDenton — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:28:45 +0000

for me N96 is the best

By: annktrembley

annktrembley — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:55:40 +0000

I personally think the N96 is taking better video. The audio sounds way better it sounds a bit tinny on the n85. And fidelity 401k yeah what's up with the sky and white balance?or video, credit goes to n85, but audio i prefered n96, more clearer and louder,

By: james banks

james banks — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:12:22 +0000

oops the video mode got set to normal quality on n96 before running 1st tests, hence the 15fps. I re-did the tests (n96 now out 30 fps) and smoothness is fine on n96, however the n96 looks like totally washed out dude, and seems out of focus.

n95: data rate=2.95 mb/sec / frame rate=28.30fps
n96: data rate=4.10 mb/sec / frame rate=29.93 fps

so n96 in fact has a higher data rate so ’should’ be better quality but it just looks worse.

By: james banks

james banks — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:55:56 +0000

I just checked the 2 movies stats in quicktime and the n96 is only at 15fps! which is clearly why it is so unsmooth!

n95: data rate=2.21 mb/sec / frame rate=28.32fps
n96: data rate=1.60 mb/sec / frame rate=14.94 fps

both were taken simultaneously. If the maximum video spec of the n96 is 640×480@15fps vs 640×480@30fps of the n95 then it is clearly a lower spec’d phone. 15fps is useless IMHO.

By: james banks

james banks — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:47:42 +0000

I am here because having had a nokia n95 for nearly 2 years, I today received an n96 and immideatly noticed how much WORSE the video quality is, which is the main feature I stick with these phones as opposed to getting an iphone. I did my own comparisons holding both phones at once. On the n96 the colours look more washed out and the video is totally unsmooth. How there can be a 50/50 split with some people thinking the n96 is better is beyond me. I presume the n85 has the same video hard/software as an n95.

Without smooth video it is pointless to even look at any other aspects. N96 is going back less than 2 hours after opening. I have taken 500+ videos on N95 and rely on it as a sub for a video camera as it’s ‘good enough’. I am dumbfounded that in 2 years Nokia have suceeded in going backwards. Most people will not be aware of this as they are used to crappy video quality on a phone.

By: Q

Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:21:40 +0000

Nokia N96 and N85 are a big toss up, N96 isn’t that great and N85 is the HOTNESS!!!!! 85 is sleeker with the 5mpg cam, so N96 isn’t hitting on a whole lot. Who cares about 0.2 inches of screen size. I use 96 and I HATE IT!!!!

By: Mr.Z@kK

Mr.Z@kK — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:54:15 +0000

hi Mark!!
well N96 is much,much better than N85 I accept,,But N85 is lghter in weight,battery standby time is more than N96.I m using N85 i thnk thts Y i m lovin iT!!

By: sunny

sunny — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:13:45 +0000

n96 has frame skipping which ensure that the bitrate doesnt go beyond a specified value. it is crucial in videocalls. i can bet n96’s superior video quality in videocall. can any one on blog compare that. and let us know..

By: sunny

sunny — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:10:40 +0000

hello friend,

ofcourse n96 is better. i m using n96 and feel its great. n85 has btter screen but smaller. when u see video on n96 and n85 you ll feel how crucial are those 0.2 inches of screen.

nokia has done partiality by not introducing usb charging in n96… fault is nokia’s…

By: jp

jp — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:43:25 +0000

The N96 has much more detail and the picture seems more stable. N85 looks lower fidelity. I still prefer the N85s battery, fm transmiter and form factor :-S Seems they skimped on the N85s av components a bit though

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:51:26 +0000

Try to sync play the video guys, you can clearly see the n85 is more fluid. The white balance and stuff might need to be adjusted though.

As for the sound quality difference that just depends on how he was holding the cameras at that time. If anything he might’ve been closer to the n96, I’m not too sure…or it could just be that the n85 has crappier sound.

So I just guess it comes down to quality sound with reduced frames (n96) or higher frames and lowered sound quality (n85).

But the white balance and stuff is an issue too but that’s just personal preference to prefer more yellow at sunset or white.

But form factor and sexiness goes to the n85 IMO its just something that’ll easily slip into and out of your pocket.

By: Vauket

Vauket — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 14:50:04 +0000

You idiot, its not smooth because video stabilisation isnt on. you need to turn it on because its off for default. N96 way better.

By: Kiss

Kiss — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:23:16 +0000

I like the nokia N96 better, the colours and the audio are better

By: francisco

francisco — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:03:14 +0000

oh come on, i am all for the n85 but video quality of the n96 is just better, and the sound is just excellent.

N85 looks like lower resolution, blurry, worse colors, the only thing is that the n85 is a little more fluid

By: MD

MD — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:14:44 +0000

The best answer man

By: precious

precious — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:55:44 +0000

N85 is the BEST…

By: Edward

Edward — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:02:08 +0000

The n96 has video stabilisation. If you put it on it would be alot smoother.

By: Review’s HandPhone | Nokia N96 vs Nokia N85 Video Recording

Review’s HandPhone | Nokia N96 vs Nokia N85 Video Recording — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:02:28 +0000

[...] again Mark over at TheNokiaBlog has done a comparison test between the N96 and N85, this time with video recording during daylight [...]

By: CarlosCR

CarlosCR — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:17:55 +0000

Hello,

I also think that it seems like N85 has a higher frame rate than N96. But sensor on N96 seems superior because it has no blooming, unlike N85 which has a lot (look at the sky and how whiter pixels spread around to make the basket and the top of the trees overexposed). N96 audio also is better. It seems that N96 sensor has more potential if they fix the frame rate issue.

But none of them are very impressive

By: Zylam Marex

Zylam Marex — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:59:40 +0000

if you play both together in sync daam man the N85 is so smooth….i wanted N96 to be better but in like every way Nokia has messed up the N96…but i’m still gonna get it, the colors and audio on N96 are way better though but the N85 smoothness kinda over powers it all…..for some reason it feels like N85 has more frames?? both are ment to be 30….but i read in like a million places the current fw for N96 is 15 fms….

By: Centrino

Centrino — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:44:24 +0000

The N96 video is better, also the audio .

By: Nokia N85 review - released on Halloween

Nokia N85 review - released on Halloween — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:45:57 +0000

[...] the N85 are excellent. Full 30fps recording gives excellent playback – in fact, as you can see on TheNokiaBlog, it’s actually far better than the more expensive N96’s video [...]

By: davechico23

davechico23 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:44:57 +0000

n85 dude,, the best^_^

By: mr_faidhi

mr_faidhi — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:31:38 +0000

if we full screen the video, n96 looks clearer. damn, i want n85 to be the perfect phone.

By: jack

jack — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:08:55 +0000

hey mark i guess some are going with the n96 because of the colors in the video however i think you’re the only one who knows which one is more accurate depending on the time the video was taken. the n85 seems to be smoother and slightly better quality that’s why i’m going with n85

By: epvq30

epvq30 — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:59:47 +0000

i’m sorry to say, but i didn’t find either of the videos to be impressive at all.

i bet a cannon lens will out perform that carl zeiss

By: Nokia Daily News - 10/27/08 | Nokia Daily News

Nokia Daily News - 10/27/08 | Nokia Daily News — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:54:28 +0000

[...] The Nokia Blog – N85 vs N96 video battle [...]

By: brian

brian — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:49:36 +0000

hei mark pls make a video at night with the dual led on and night mode off with the n85.