It doesn't have all of the focusing gadgetry found on rival 8-megapixel cameraphones, such as blink detection or smile shot, or the touch focus used on the Renoir, but it does have Sony Ericsson's very clever BestPic option. This enables you to take a burst of seven shots when you click the camera button, including shots buffered just before you press it as well as after, from which you can select the best image.

Sharp snapper

The 8.1-megapixel camera offers a step-up in shooting potential on this model. Images are sharp, clear and detailed, with good colour rendition and plenty of richness to shots.

Exposure is handled well, and there's an additional Smart contrast option to enhance levels in demanding lighting conditions. It's a cracking performance from a cameraphone.

The xenon flash ups the shooting performance in low-light and dark conditions, filling scenes with plenty of light without overpowering subjects, and offering good illumination over a larger range than most weedy cameraphone LED flashes.

Red-eye reduction is available too. It's a very welcome component of the C905's shooting armoury.

Smooth videos

A goodly selection of shooting adjustments can me made to the responsive auto metering system. Scene settings give you options for different environments or snapping requirements, plus there are white balance and exposure tweaking options.Typical mobile colour effects and frames can be added too.

Among the more detailed settings you can switch on an image stabiliser, and usefully, there's an Add Position option for geo-tagging pics with the aid of the A-GPS system – so you can view them superimposed over a map of where they were taken on the phone's Google Maps app, or on a suitable online service or desktop application.

Both images and video can be tweaked after shooting, and there's a fast blogging option as soon as you've captured shots. Video shooting is similar quality to the C902's – QVGA at 30 frames per second, so is smooth but not such great resolution as LG and Samsung's rival 8-megapixel devices. It looks OK in fullscreen mode on the phone, though.

Location finding

A-GPS is another standout feature that does a decent job on the C905. It's allied with the Google Maps application that's recently become a Sony Ericsson mid-tier staple feature, adding precise position finding to that very useful mapping, route finding and search application.

Google Maps is handy to get location-based info, but isn't a full Sat Nav set-up. Instead, Sony Ericsson includes Wayfinder Navigator 7 Sat Nav software pre-loaded – or at least a three-month trial version of the software.

Using over the air updating, you can get 2D and 3D route planning and turn-buy-turn guidance, including voice directions. It's another useful software addition, and is sophisticated for a feature phone. It's not, however, as function-laden and smooth an experience as some of the better smartphone Sat Nav memory card-based packages, or an in-car kit, relying on over-the-air updates of maps and info rather than having it pre-loaded.

The A-GPS system works effectively, though, and is fairly quick to get a positional fix when fired up. Another Sony Ericsson app, NearMe, is pre-loaded too for location-based local area information about entertainment, services and so on.

Music and video player

Although Sony Ericsson tends to keep the best elements of its Walkman music mobiles and Cyber-shot cameraphones apart, the C905 is capable of putting in a very acceptable tune playing performance.

Unfortunately, unlike on high-tier Walkman phones, the supplied earphones are pretty average. And as there's no standard 3.5mm headphone socket on the phone, or 3.5mm adapter with the in-box headset, you'll need to source an adapter yourself or use a spare Walkman set to get the best possible sound quality. Out of the box, audio quality does sound acceptable if not out of the ordinary, but with better earphones, the performance is distinctly improved.