Samsung Galaxy Camera Review: Is an Android Camera Worth It?

Specifications

• 4.8-inch 720 x 1280 Super Clear LCD
• 1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos processor and 1 GB of RAM
• 8 GB of internal storage plus a microSD slot
• 16.3 MP camera with 21x optical zoom
• 3G quad-band (850, 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz)
• Android 4.1

In the box: the camera, a manual, a micro-USB cable, a charger and a white strap.

Design

The design is simple. A large lens dominates the front and the 4.8-inch display fills the back. A slight bump on the right side makes one-handed holding easier. The headphone jack, the micro-USB port under a flap and the strap loop are on the right edge. The speaker and a button that pops up the flash are on the left, while the top carries the power button, shutter and a zoom dial that doubles as volume. A tripod mount and a flap for the battery, microSD and micro SIM sit on the bottom.

It feels good in the hand, slightly heavy but not tiring, with a mix of plastic and metal. There is no viewfinder, so the screen is the only way to frame a shot.

Software and performance

The reviewer’s impression was that this is an Android device with a very good camera, not a camera with Android attached. It runs a lightly modified TouchWiz on Jelly Bean, with home screens, widgets, an app drawer and access to the usual apps. Differences include on-screen buttons, a camera shortcut at the bottom left and a landscape home screen.

The hardware is close to that of the reviewer’s Galaxy Note II, so similar speed was expected. Navigation was fluid, though some lag appeared when moving around or opening apps. The reviewer wondered if 1 GB of RAM against the Note II’s 2 GB was the cause, or software that updates could fix. Benchmarks landed just below top-tier devices.

Camera features

Samsung’s camera app is clean and easy to use. The settings gear changes picture and video quality and smart options such as voice shutter, and also enables slow-motion video. Filters include Vintage, Black and White, Autumn Brown, Negative, Nostalgia, Color Fade, Retro, Sunshine, Old Photo, Comic, Pastel Sketch, Gothic Noir and Impressionist.

Shooting modes

• Auto: automatic settings.
• Smart: presets including Beauty face, Best photo, Continuous shot, Best face, Landscape, Macro, Action freeze, Rich tone, Panorama, Waterfall, Silhouette, Sunset, Night, Fireworks and Light trace.
• Expert: five areas: P (Auto+), A (focus range), S (speed priority), M (manual) and Manual Camcorder.

The reviewer is not an expert photographer, but several more experienced people who tried the camera called the expert controls above average for a point-and-shoot, though not DSLR level. Pictures were clear with fairly accurate colour in varied light, and the flash lit a pitch-black room well.

Because it runs Android, any Google Play camera app can be installed. Many do not use the zoom properly and probably never will, but the choice is a plus.

Verdict

The main advantages over other compact cameras are the app choice and easy sharing: a couple of taps after a shot sends it to services such as Instagram, Facebook, Dropbox or Google Drive. For people who simply want occasional pictures, it has far more than needed. The $600 price seemed high against ordinary compacts, though it matched the cost of top-tier phone internals. The reviewer thought lower prices could bring Android cameras to the mainstream. The unit was loaned by Samsung.