We pitch the first dedicated
Android-powered camera against the leading Android smartphones to definitively
find out which device you should be using to get the best snaps
Cameras have been one of the major areas of
growth in Android smartphones over the last year or so. Many manufactures, like
Sony, are using their expertise in the imaging sector to create vastly superior
camera phones, while others like HTC are using the camera as one of the key
selling points of its entire range of devices. So it was no surprise when one
manufacturer decided to build a dedicated camera powered by the Android OS and
it was no surprise either that the manufacturer responsible was Korean giants
Samsung. With the Galaxy Camera, Samsung has combined the best parts of the
already impressive camera in the award-winning Galaxy S III – both hardware and
software with elements common in dedicated standalone cameras that still elude
smartphones chiefly, full optical zoom. But with the compact camera market
shrinking as people find they already have a more than capable shooter, is
there any need for the Galaxy Camera? Can Android really revitalize a product
category in decline? We pitch it square against three of the best Android
phones: the Sony Xperia T with its 13-megapixel sensor, the HTC One X+ complete
with a dedicated imaging chip for superfast performance, and the Nexus 4, with
some brand-new software features exclusive to Android 4.2. But which is the
best? Let’s find out.
Group
test Samsung Galaxy camera vs the rest
Samsung Galaxy Camera
The Galaxy Camera won’t replace a
DSLR but it does brilliantly to bridge the gap nicely
The Galaxy Camera has a sleek and
contemporary look and a large 4.8-inch HD touchscreen, which was highly
responsive. Additionally, alongside its 21x optical zoom, dedicated camera
button (with thumb zoom control) and pop-up Xenon flash, the Samsung Galaxy
Camera certainly emanates the feel of a high-quality, premium product. It is
quite weighty, but to combat this, and to improve handling reassurance, Samsung
has engineered an ergonomically shaped hand grip with a rubberized coating to
the right and supplied a lanyard in the box.
Samsung
Galaxy Camera
Booting up the Galaxy sends you straight to
the intuitive camera interface which was by far the most feature-packed in the
group.
The main controls are split into three
on-screen modes offering an Auto mode for simple point and-click shots or an
excellent Smart mode containing a series of preset camera modes. For advanced
users, you click on the Expert mode which features an on-screen mockup of a
camera lens, along with real-time previews and helpful descriptions of what
each mode does – you have full manual control.
Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Camera with
the same size sensor as used in smartphones, so images did inevitably get
noisier in lower light, but the inclusion of a pop-up Xenon flash did at least
ensure shots snapped in darker conditions were very sharp. The ability to zoom
gave the device an instant benefit over any phone, and the macro function was
excellent, letting us get up close to an object. We also liked the ability to
pause live video recordings and use the superb optical zoom during video takes.
Tap the home button and the lens retracts
and you’re in full Android mode. We liked the extra photo editing software
(including Instagram) and the ability to download additional apps from the
Google Play store. On-board storage was limited to 4GB and battery life does
drain quickly for heavy usage, but you can boost the storage up to 64GB via a
micro SD card and the battery can be hot-swapped on the fly.
Pause live video
With the video recording side of things,
you have a simple pause button during live recording, which was really useful.
It meant we could come back to the video at a later point – if we desired and
pick up where we left off
Samsung Galaxy S II battery
While we mentioned in the review, the
battery can be hot-swapped out. It actually uses a 1650mAh battery that is
found in the Samsung Galaxy S II. Thus you can buy additional batteries for as
low as $6 from eBay
Xenon flash
You can’t use the flash as a light source
for your video recording because it is a proper fill flash. But the Xenon
flash, when combined with photos for indoor use, did a great job
Optical zoom
The 21x optical zoom is accessed using a
small slider next to the dedicated camera button and it enables you to get
quite close to objects from a greater distance without impacting too much on quality
The
Galaxy Camera won’t replace a DSLR but it does brilliantly to bridge the gap
nicely
Samsung galaxy camera information
Price: $620
Website: www.samsung.com
Head to head
Picture quality
Indoor shots in low-light conditions were
similar to the Sony, but there were less traces of noise. However, its Xenon
flash produced excellent results. Color matching and accuracy was also good
outdoors, even in wintery conditions.
General performance
The dedicated camera button or touchscreen
focus alternative provided reassuring feel and it processed the majority of
shots quickly. Its interface is brilliant, providing intuitive controls and
helpful descriptions of each function.
Features
No front-facing camera, but it still has a
wealth of features, including voice control, social sharing options and
excellent optical zoom. Underneath you also have a great Android experience
with plenty of editing software and Google Play.
Battery life
If you tap into the Android experience
heavily you can expect regular charging at the end of the day. Unlike the other
products, the battery is removable and you can hot-swap this on the fly.
Verdict: 5 stars
Those who want to seamlessly back up, edit
and share without needing a computer will be blown away
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Technical
specs
§ Operating
system: Android OS, 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean)
§ Processor:
Quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A9
§ Memory:
1GB RAM, 8GB storage, micro SD and 50GB Dropbox
§ Dimensions:
70.8 x 128.7 x 19.1 mm
§ Weight:
300g
§ Display:
4.8” (306 ppi) Corning Gorilla Glass 2, 720 x 1,280 pixels
§ Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth V4.0, GPS (including tagging), HSDPA, 21 Mbps;
HSUPA, 5.76Mbps, micro HDMI port
§ Camera:
16.3-MP rear (Xenon flash), 21x optical zoom, 1080p full HD video with live
pause
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