One of the big selling features of the Nokia N86 8MP is the wide angle lens (28mm equivalent). What difference does this make in practice?

When I first heard of the specifications of the N86 I was convinced that the wide angle lens and 8MP combo would put the N86 streets ahead of previous Nseries devices. The capacious nature of this lens/chip setup makes the N86 the most flexible camera phone I’ve ever used.

Yes, I was expecting the N86 to be more than capable in many situations, but I had assumed that there would be considerable lens aberration at the edges of the frame. Thankfully, I need not have worried, it’s surprisingly solid, even in the corners.

I can assure you that going back to a more narrowly framed camera is quite a shock after being blessed by the wide angle of the N86. I could rant on for quite some time about the benefits, but perhaps it would be easier to show you rather than keep typing.

This Flickr set contains the full resolution versions of the each photo, but for a quick overview please check out the wide angle shots below.

Please let me know what you think of these photos in a comment below, do you think the wider angle makes a difference?

Next up, colour accuracy. It’s all rosy, kind of...