Hands-on: Galaxy Camera 2 much better - NU.nl

Photo: Samsung

The original Galaxy Camera came out in January 2013, was one of the first Android camera and had a substantial price tag of 500 euros.

Furthermore, there were some problems. The battery life was disappointing, the picture quality was not comparable to cameras of a similar price and the speed was disappointing.

Galaxy Camera 2 has firstly a lower price of 429 euros, but the unit remains quite pricey. Moreover, Samsung, two of the three problems have been addressed and the design has been changed.

Design

Galaxy Camera 2 has a faux leather case that provides more grip and a luxurious appearance. The camera weighs less and has almost the same dimensions. It remains a major digital camera.

The device runs on Android 4.3 and the camera interface is unchanged. The shutter speed, ISO and exposure can be adjusted via the touch screen. That works fine, but a physical control through a rotating disc is slightly simpler.

The screen is the same 4.8-inch Super Clear LCD touch screen from the original camera. That screen is still satisfactory, has an excellent brightness and beautiful colors.

Quality

Galaxy Camera 2 also still has the same relatively small 1/2.3 BSI CMOS sensor with 16 megapixels. The first Galaxy camera with this lens could not compete with similarly priced cameras and unfortunately it remains so.

The low light performance is not optimal, and the dynamic range is more limited than other cameras in this price range.

See photos taken with the Galaxy Camera 2

New Features

Android continues to work fine and is recognizable to people. Share via Facebook or Instagram is simple and automatic backup via Drobox is convenient.

Samsung still has added several new modes. So it is easy to make because the camera detects when a face image is then automatically takes five pictures. Selfies Also making slow motion images in video works well and is a nice addition.

The camera also now has NFC which can be used with a smartphone.

shared with a touch pictures

speed and battery

to stop a new, faster chip in the camera and screwing the working memory, the Galaxy Camera 2 become noticeably faster. Apps launch faster, the photos are quickly written, and the whole system feels supple.

The battery now has 2000 mAh instead of 1650 mAh. Android 4.3 would also be different than Android 4.1. Economical On paper, that would be a big and necessary step forward. Extensive tests that need to be demonstrated in practice.

Preliminary conclusion

Samsung has two main points of the improved camera. The battery is more powerful and that will provide a longer battery life. The performances are also immediately felt better, which increases the ease of use. Finally, the housing is refined.

The photo quality is not improved. With an improved sensor, the Galaxy Camera 2 had been a hit. Now it is a big step forward, but still not the end. I’m very curious about the Galaxy Camera 3.

See photos and read the extensive hands-on

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