Samsung Galaxy S7 camera shows smartphone photography has taken a long leap. During the testing we couldn’t believe our eyes viewing the picture on a laptop screen in awe – that couldn’t be taken by a phone!
Yet here we are to bathe you in the same disbelief by showing some of the most stunning shots the phone could take. And following it are the limitations that you might encounter during its camera use.
The app can be launched by double pressing the home button, within a second; and volume button can be used to click a picture/record video/zoom. Controls are simple and more tweaking in the auto mode can be done on the left side panel.
There are some unsaid gesture using which you can quickly control exposure and focus among other things-
Swipe up/down – control brightness of the photo
Swipe left – last shot/gallery
Swipe right – Modes list
Long press – AF/AE lock – camera locks the exposure and focus according to object in the locked area.
The camera interface comes pre-loaded with 9 different modes, apart from shooting videos and stills in the auto mode. This includes all the previous modes available on Galaxy S6 – the Panorama, video collage, Slow motion, Selective focus, live broadcast, Food and Pro mode. The two new interesting features added on the camera – the Hyperlapse and the virtual shot are quite cool. I will put the samples in a consolidated ‘Galaxy S7 Recordings’ video.
In the Pro mode, you can change light metering, shutter speed (10s-1/24000), white balance temperature up to 10000K and toggle between Multi and single AF.
But the good news is, unlike with a DSLR you will rarely need to use the Pro mode. Long exposure or center/point metering are few situations where you would require to switch. Starting with the puppy, let’s take a look at some of the shots taken in the auto mode. Notice the warm rendering of colors and a rich yet balanced color tone in the photo. Reminds me of the Nikon D750!
I make it a point to plan a tour whenever I need to critically review a smartphone (nor that I don’t review every device critically) that boasts a lot of potential on paper and warrants good money for that. And this time around, the arrival of review units coincided perfectly with my trek to the Himalayas. Do you find any clue of the mind numbing 20 hour journey to the road head of trek in the photos below?
Before you start conditioning your eyes to believe these are smartphone shots, here is another shot of the morning in the foothills of Himalayas. The two birds sitting on the tree branch are as sharp and well lit as snow-capped peaks. And this is all on Auto settings and Auto HDR in which the camera, rather precisely and in a split-second identifies what the settings need be.
How the Galaxy S7 camera strides ahead in realizing the scene and adapting accordingly is worth the upgrade. The shutter is lightning fast already, but 3 seconds before taking the photo the phone was in my pocket and I was saying goodbye to the baby in arms. 3 seconds later, I have an accurately exposed; blur free HDR shot that looks even on skin tone, dress color and sunlight. Amazing, isn’t it? This is the most frequently confronted situation a phone camera is used in.
There certainly are a few drawbacks to the camera, and most important relates to the Megapixel count of the sensor. On paper the rear camera has a 12MP sensor, but there is a condition to it. A 12MP shot would have a 4:3 aspect ratio; for in a regular 16:9 shot can only be 9MP.
Galaxy S7 has one hell of a smartphone camera and we are bound to come up with more stunning shots. So watch this space for more insights.
If you have some shots to share, send them to editorial@techmagnifier.com.
The post Samsung Galaxy S7 Camera Review – That couldn’t be taken by phone appeared first on photography.
