Samsung Galaxy Camera: Performance

Performance

As expected, the Galaxy Camera, was responsive from the moment the power button was enabled. If you start the camera from a totally powered down state, it took about 15 seconds for the camera to function. If the camera was started from the sleep mode, the response time was about 1.5 seconds. While this is not the fastest start up time for compact cameras, we have to remember that this is more similar to powering up a phone or tablet than a camera.

Shooting Performance

Continuous shooting speed test at 3 fps. Autofocus acquisition time was about .35 seconds. 

AF Acquisition (press-to-capture, no pre-focus)

Continuous Shooting (frames per second)

Autofocus was responsive under almost all shooting conditions. In fully lit situations this camera was a no-brainer. It focused quickly and steadily. The images were typical of other compact cameras. The auto assist light was extremely helpful when using the camera in low light situations. Using the camera with the zoom in low light circumstances was a bit more challenging. The camera was prone to blur, however this is not atypical of cameras that have aperture of f/5.9 when fully zoomed. Locking focus and keeping it steady at 21x zoom proved to be difficult also. Admittedly, I suffer from shaky hands and like to push the limits of ambient lighting.

The flash did well in a standard size room. It was able to render proper skin tones and did well with auto white balance. The only drawback was while using the flash, the camera did not give the playback for the flash image. In order to chimp the image I needed to view it from the gallery. Luckily the last image was displayed in a small thumbnail on the bottom left side of the screen. Playback was easy, yet it was awkward to view the image this way.

Battery life was difficult to gauge. Unlike traditional cameras that base this measurement on pictures taken, the Galaxy is much more similar to a tablet or smartphone. The battery does very well and lasts a long time when used in camera mode only. But when you factor in usage of apps, web surfing and downloading the Galaxy can be compared to the multitude of available smartphones.  

Video Quality
Video capture was easy and fun. The touchscreen houses the video "button" on the main camera function just under the camera shutter button and mode button. On the high end, the Galaxy offers a video resolution of 1920x1080 with 30 fps. The quality was good and the autofocus reacted quickly while recording. The camera delivered when it promises quite zoom. I was unable to hear any camera movement while recording in a silent room.

Image Quality
Image quality was good. Good, not great. But I want to step back for a minute and discuss the true purpose for this camera. If we strip away the Android OS and the quad-core processor and the apps and the web capability and the in-camera advanced editing, we end up with a rough equivalent of the Samsung WB850F. In fact, the Galaxy has the same lens and the same sensor as the WB850F. The Samsung 850 is a respectable camera for a point and shoot. One could easily extrapolate that the Galaxy would perform just as well as the WB850F and they would be correct. Overall the Samsung Galaxy delivers a decent performance for what is basically a point and shot camera. Most casual users will happy with the results. I would even argue that point and shoot enthusiasts will be more pleased due to the easy use of the manual options on this camera. The user interface of the camera is far more advanced than any other camera in its class. To be able to switch modes so effortlessly is difficult to measure. The only way to describe it is a photographic experience that is simple, natural, intuitive and fun.

But I digressed. The purpose of this camera is total connectivity. We start with a good image taken by the Galaxy Camera. Then we process the image through an almost limitless editing software included in the camera. Now, the image pops. We are proud of our photography skills and want to share our image with the world. With the swipe of a finger our image is quickly posted to one or more social media sites. Our friends like our image and make comments. "Awesome picture." "Great photo." "Wish I was there!"  

Great cameras are more than just a tool. They provide us an experience that makes us want to pick up the camera and use it. They are fun and interactive. They help us tell a story. 

Below is a sampling of the art filters available on the Samsung Galaxy Camera.

Sepia	Black and White
Negative	Old photo
Sunshine	Vintage

Retro	Faded Colour
Nostalgic	Comic
Pastel sketch	Gothic Noir

Below is our ISO testing. The color shift is obvious. Also, pixels degrade steadily as ISO gets higher.

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

Additional Sample Images