[PHOTOS] ISOCELL camera discussion - my review is up!

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BoneXDA

Senior Member
Oct 9, 2012
1,739
1,232
We discuss ISOCELL camera technology and new camera features, photos shared on the internet, and Your user photos and videos here.

Features of the Galaxy S5 ISOCELL camera unit:

15.87 MP (5312x2988) 16:9 aspect ratio Samsung BSI ISOCELL sensor
PDAF (phase detection auto focus) for fast auto focus
4k video recording, 1080p@60FPS
Live HDR phoro and video preview (Rich Tone available for video)
Software image stabilization
Selective focus
Drama mode


I got my hands on the S5 thx to the guys at XXL GSM, so here's my review:

Since smartphones took over compact cameras as the most popular tool for daily photography, each manufacturer is trying to create it's own camera tech. Sony put the metal wiring behind photo diodes to capture more photons (BSI), HTC introduced the large UltraPixels, and Nokia came up with the large sensor 41MP PureView tech with OIS. Samsung only slightly adjusted it's sensor size (1/2.6") and pixel count (16MP with 1.12um sensor pixels) for it's 5th Galaxy S phone, but with a new sensor manufacturing method, they are introducing higher dynamic range and better color reproduction, in what they call "3D-Backside Illuminated Pixel with Front-Side Deep-Trench Isolation (F-DTI) and Vertical Transfer Gate", or because they're physically isolating pixels to decrease light crosstalk, "ISOCELL". For faster focus they also added a phase detection auto-focus layer (PDAF) delivering ~0.3s focal speed, plus image processing capable of live HDR and HDR video recording. Add sensor-level digital zoom in video, meaning you don't zoom into the 1080p picture anymore but use all the 16MPs, and the S5s new 16:9 sensor delivers a much needed step-up in camera technology.

In good light conditions the S5 rivals any rival phone in snappiness, white balance, color gamut and focal accuracy, also offering healthy amounts of details for print quality images. HDR works seamlessly and sometimes you can't tell it was on, only you realize little to no detail is lost to clipping, it works darn fast too, albeit with some loss of details. Facing directly into sunlight, and dynamic range stays solid without lens issues, color errors or aberrations, and noise levels are kept at a minimal. Jpg compression is slightly above ideal as seen in the smallest details, on the other hand, speeds are excellent, tap-to-focus and tap-to-shot is almost instantaneous, and the app opens and finishes the first shot from cache in about 1.5s, 2,5s from a locked screen. The S5 can take about 7 shots per second in a photo burst (long tap on the photo icon).

Check my full size daylight album with EXIF info here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643999248563/

bazilika2normalljxo5.jpg

bazilika2hdr31lxa.jpg

bazilikahdr94zf0.jpg

portrehdr4xl1b.jpg

szechenyinormal21zbv.jpg

dunaellenfenyhdr5pxqq.jpg

dunahdr2gtap3.jpg

epulethdr54bgd.jpg

operaouthdr8fbsi.jpg


In lower light conditions, as most small sensor smartphones, the S5 is a mixed bag, but an improvement in color reproduction, focal accuracy and snappiness over the S4. Missing are the optical image stabilization (OIS) and longer than 1/17s exposure times (Camera Zoom FX can do 1/10). The Photography app ranges from ISO40 to the very soft ISO2000 shots with manual setup available between ISO100 and ISO800 (Zoom FX does ISO1600 too). In dark conditions, if LED flash not used, you can turn on image stabilization (former night mode) to battle noise, and a multi-exposure of about 3-4 seconds (hold the phone steady) compiles an improved low-light image. HDR works too (with more noise on the sides), and while movement requires stability turned off with higher ISO or flash, optionally Sport Mode, overall I like the accurate color reproduction, which is a problem for many rivals. My biggest criticism besides OIS is the lack of 1/5 1/2 1s and other longer exposure times and manual control for it, at ISO100 with a 1 second exposure the ISOCELL sensor could capture much more details, and since the Lumias have OIS, they are better than the S5 in this category.

Full-size low-light album here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643997683364/

bahiahdrmqkk3.jpg

bahianormal62kd2.jpg

ferencistabilityhdrevj5o.jpg

nostabhdrtok9q.jpg

sosperecnormalikjrd.jpg

sajt1hdrbaqn0.jpg

kalvinnostabnormal35kcm.jpg

lanchdrhzjgm.jpg


The S5 works well in macro mode too with tight DOF, full-size shots with EXIF here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643999323404/

viragnormal3r0jbj.jpg

andrassyfrontfocus1ujk0.jpg

bibenormal2iqj8z.jpg

bibenormal52cjhf.jpg

cafenormal0yxk3i.jpg

haranghdr5ejtx.jpg

viragmakro2hdrdgkn7.jpg


Besides setting up ISO, exposure, white balance, resolutions, timer, voice control etc. from the menu, there are Samsung's various camera MODEs. Selective Focus shoots multiple focal shots of the same subject, and you can later select the preferred focal point - foreground, background or both - algorithm is not perfect. In Shot and more the camera takes a series of images before a fixed background, and allows you to choose Best photo, Best face, Drama mode to record multiple phases of a movement on one image, delete unwanted stuff with Eraser and add motion blur via Panning shot. The Shot and more editing menu comes up after taking the shot, later you can access it from the Studio.

Beauty face lets you play around with skin tones and stuff, Virtual tour is like moving around in Street View: you turn and walk around taking several shots in a house for example, and later revisit it virtually moving around with arrows. Dual shot places both camera images on a single shot, Animated photo creates a gif, Sound and shoot allows you to add a voice comment to your shot and Sport mode uses high ISO and wide focus not to miss any fast movement, have this one on with kids around. There are two Panorama modes, regular 2D one with horizontal movement, and the Nexus-like Surround shot that does 3D photosphere, with some inconsistency. Trick for a good sphere is to hold the camera lens at the same spot and move the phone/yourself around it.

Full gallery here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157644000900844/


selective1rxes5.png

selective2rrfsw.png

drama2hfp1.png

panningshot_20140414_dgdrk.jpg

screenshot_2014-04-147sfh1.png

dualshot7of1x.jpg

oktogonpanoramanxckl.jpg

korfelvetels7dhu.png

korfelvetel2ntc4c.jpg



The Samsung Gallery is quite advanced app, you get several views of you single images, folders and multi-folders with previews, and Air View helps checking content without tapping on it, hovering over with your fingers. Studio gives you a whole lot of options for editing, besides Photoshop-like functions and manipulations, you can make photo montages, trim videos, render slideshows and edit Shot and more mode photos.

Video recording is a great joy on the S5. Sound is clear (though I made the mistake of covering one of the stereo mics due to hand stabilization), software stabilization is quite usable and HDR is good, as well as recording in 60fps for smooth motion, though these are limited to 1080p resolution maximum. There's fast motion up to 8x and slow motion recording down to 1/8 speed without sound, but the real gem is recording the the marvelous 3840x2160 or 4k resolution, which is 4 times the pixel count of 1080p. Eventually we'll get 4k TVs and monitors, heck, tablets and phones come out with 2k/4MP displays nowadays which is almost there, so why not record in 4k right now? Just check the frame captures I posted below to see the details and low level of mp4 compression, you could print some of these frames. The trade-off is the lack of HDR, stabilization and 60FPS at this resolution, and a 5 minute clip limit since each 60 seconds recorded at 47MBit/s takes up around 350MBs. Yeah... In lower light you obviously lose some of the gorgeous details and noise comes up, but it's still quite nice.



60FPS sample 1: https://app.box.com/s/l5fwiyo0rfsm1wj2q328
60FPS sample 2: https://app.box.com/s/o1vlbzgjcel1pslw9nkv


Single frames: (click)

http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00c0j9q.jpg
http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-142fjwg.jpg <--- 4x zoom!
http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-146ekni.jpg
http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00aek89.jpg
http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-1486j80.jpg
http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-14tjk0l.png
http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-14lokom.jpg
http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00kyj81.jpg

More frame captures here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157644093280315/


Conclusion

Overall the S5 camera is highly satisfying in this reviewer's option. I did not find a single case when white balance, saturation or exposure was off, operation is fast unless you have stability mode on in low-light, focus and dynamic range definitely improved, and you can choose among many video and photo options. Where's the biggest step forward? In consistency. Out of 10 shots you'll get good ones at a far better rate than before.

Obviously low light is the S5's weaker point, with less light you get softer images and need flash or high ISO to capture movement, but where you lose details to some rivals, you gain color accuracy, so Samsung's ISOCELL is getting there. Next stop should be OIS, but one thing they could do right now: allowing longer than 1/17s exposure times so we can set low ISO value and capture more dark details. Maybe the future Google camera API will open this option. Overall however, I think the shots speak for themselves: the S5 is a very capable shooter with some room for improvement, and you'll be able to pull many print-ready shots over your long usage. Just be aware: as good as the S5 battery is, things like 100% screen brightness and 4k recording kills the 2800mAh quite quickly, bring a spare battery or power bank.

Check the full gallery with EXIF info here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/



Tips and tricks

- Do multiple shots of the same subject, a good momentum or less handshake can later be selected out of the many
- HDR is one tap away, so do one with and without it, some shots look better with high contrast, others benefit from HDR
- In low light with movement, you have to use LED flash without stability, cause high ISO and longer shutter will not capture these moments with good detail
- In low light with stationary subject however, use stability, optionally LED, no HDR cause of noise. With enough lights you may try using ISO800 with darker results but more details. Much will depend on the amount of available light
- use voice commands to avoid tap-shake, hold the phone steady with two hands, optionally use a monopod
- try and use the photo Modes, some will do fancy images, others come handy like Sport mode to capture fast movement
- between Panorama and Surround Shot, I prefer the latter, cause it captures surroundings vertically too, so result won't be an overly wide image. The trick with photospheres is to not be close to the surrounding objects and have the camera lens in the absolute middle in space, and move the phone and yourself around that spot as the take the sphere images
- try alternative apps if they are better for you: CameraZoom FX, Focal, Google Camera etc. Camera Zoom FX allows 1/10 exposure and ISO1600 manually
- be aware not to cover the top and bottom microphones during video shoot. Best image quality comes from 4k, but image stabilization, 60FPS or HDR only works with 1080p, again best to test all these and later use the one best suited for you or the scene
- use AirView in Gallery, and try out Studio options for your recordings
- bring a power bank with longer photography tours cause a lot of camera usage and 100% brightness eats the battery quickly
 
Last edited:

BoneXDA

Senior Member
Oct 9, 2012
1,739
1,232
Let's analyze! The first two striking qualities of the ISOCELL samples are: 1) eye popping wide dynamic range with rich colors, and 2) relative high noise and softness of the picture. I guess that's the tradeoff here.

Saturation is quite high yet not unrealistic, it simply looks to capture a wide color range, especially impressive in the Angry Birds photo inside. White balance is spot on. As far as Rich Tone (HDR) shots goes, it's pretty impressive as well, look how much more detail is presented without overprocessing the image. On the other hand, noise and softness is always present on these shots, even at low ISO, PureView and Exmor technology seems well ahead in per pixel sharpness. More to come.
 
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BoneXDA

Senior Member
Oct 9, 2012
1,739
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men.. you are sure that it photo's from SGS5 ? ;)
Yup. :good:

BTW, it appears that selective focus takes 4 photos or at least renders 4 photos, as samples played around with that setting have ~16MB size instead of the regular 4. So I guess the file can be shared and focus changed afterwards, wouldn't mind Google+ and other services allowing you to choose focus after upload.
 

Pako7

Senior Member
Nov 16, 2008
413
341
Yup. :good:

BTW, it appears that selective focus takes 4 photos or at least renders 4 photos, as samples played around with that setting have ~16MB size instead of the regular 4. So I guess the file can be shared and focus changed afterwards, wouldn't mind Google+ and other services allowing you to choose focus after upload.

but why you delete all info? including EXIF.. It's not secret ;)
 

yahyoh

Senior Member
Nov 7, 2011
4,867
1,929
Amman
Again its not isocell ( probably they saving it for Note 4 or GS6 )

no new flash ( same old led flash )

indoors photos still look like oil paint -->> no OIS indoors and low light images will suck


overall i think it will be like most of Galaxy flagships : great images when there is enough light but when there is not the image will suck
 

Skander1998

Senior Member
May 23, 2012
1,619
607
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Doha
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Samsung Galaxy S7
Again its not isocell ( probably they saving it for Note 4 or GS6 )

no new flash ( same old led flash )

indoors photos still look like oil paint -->> no OIS indoors and low light images will suck


overall i think it will be like most of Galaxy flagships : great images when there is enough light but when there is not the image will suck

It is the 16MP ISOCELL sensor they developed.
 

Skander1998

Senior Member
May 23, 2012
1,619
607
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Doha
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Samsung Galaxy S7

BoneXDA

Senior Member
Oct 9, 2012
1,739
1,232
4k video sample in dim light:



why they didn't mention anything about it in the unpacking event ? even the official spec didnt say anything about isocell
all i can see some news writers bs :rolleyes:
Because Samsung never EVER goes technical about sensor tech, check their track record, they don't.

It is a vastly different sensor to the Exmors however, closer to Samsung own's Galaxy Cameras (softness of image, noise), but far superior in color balance and dynamic range, which is exactly what ISOCELL is all about. Add that announcers did show off new camera HW features and Android Authority claims ISOCELL was confirmed to them, so it's almost certainly that tech.

So where do you get your information that it isn't?
 

Pako7

Senior Member
Nov 16, 2008
413
341
All right, new stills from GSM Arena, normal vs. rich tone (HDR), direct linking so EXIF info should be included. Level of details don't justify 16MPs, but color reproduction and HDR quality is quite awesome!

Thanks, but I saw this "photo".. It's not include full EXIF (view software version - Adobe Photoshop Ligthroom :D)
 
Last edited:

Pako7

Senior Member
Nov 16, 2008
413
341
I'm not sure I understand you. :)
GSM Arena samples show EXIF info just fine.

ok..

ps.. View snapshots from gsmarena, I found that on MWC_devices used camera modules :

16 Mp
ISP - Qualcomm
Sensor manufacturer - Samsung LSI
Release date - January 2014
Manufacturer of the module - is not yet known
 
Last edited:

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  • 34
    We discuss ISOCELL camera technology and new camera features, photos shared on the internet, and Your user photos and videos here.

    Features of the Galaxy S5 ISOCELL camera unit:

    15.87 MP (5312x2988) 16:9 aspect ratio Samsung BSI ISOCELL sensor
    PDAF (phase detection auto focus) for fast auto focus
    4k video recording, 1080p@60FPS
    Live HDR phoro and video preview (Rich Tone available for video)
    Software image stabilization
    Selective focus
    Drama mode


    I got my hands on the S5 thx to the guys at XXL GSM, so here's my review:

    Since smartphones took over compact cameras as the most popular tool for daily photography, each manufacturer is trying to create it's own camera tech. Sony put the metal wiring behind photo diodes to capture more photons (BSI), HTC introduced the large UltraPixels, and Nokia came up with the large sensor 41MP PureView tech with OIS. Samsung only slightly adjusted it's sensor size (1/2.6") and pixel count (16MP with 1.12um sensor pixels) for it's 5th Galaxy S phone, but with a new sensor manufacturing method, they are introducing higher dynamic range and better color reproduction, in what they call "3D-Backside Illuminated Pixel with Front-Side Deep-Trench Isolation (F-DTI) and Vertical Transfer Gate", or because they're physically isolating pixels to decrease light crosstalk, "ISOCELL". For faster focus they also added a phase detection auto-focus layer (PDAF) delivering ~0.3s focal speed, plus image processing capable of live HDR and HDR video recording. Add sensor-level digital zoom in video, meaning you don't zoom into the 1080p picture anymore but use all the 16MPs, and the S5s new 16:9 sensor delivers a much needed step-up in camera technology.

    In good light conditions the S5 rivals any rival phone in snappiness, white balance, color gamut and focal accuracy, also offering healthy amounts of details for print quality images. HDR works seamlessly and sometimes you can't tell it was on, only you realize little to no detail is lost to clipping, it works darn fast too, albeit with some loss of details. Facing directly into sunlight, and dynamic range stays solid without lens issues, color errors or aberrations, and noise levels are kept at a minimal. Jpg compression is slightly above ideal as seen in the smallest details, on the other hand, speeds are excellent, tap-to-focus and tap-to-shot is almost instantaneous, and the app opens and finishes the first shot from cache in about 1.5s, 2,5s from a locked screen. The S5 can take about 7 shots per second in a photo burst (long tap on the photo icon).

    Check my full size daylight album with EXIF info here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643999248563/

    bazilika2normalljxo5.jpg

    bazilika2hdr31lxa.jpg

    bazilikahdr94zf0.jpg

    portrehdr4xl1b.jpg

    szechenyinormal21zbv.jpg

    dunaellenfenyhdr5pxqq.jpg

    dunahdr2gtap3.jpg

    epulethdr54bgd.jpg

    operaouthdr8fbsi.jpg


    In lower light conditions, as most small sensor smartphones, the S5 is a mixed bag, but an improvement in color reproduction, focal accuracy and snappiness over the S4. Missing are the optical image stabilization (OIS) and longer than 1/17s exposure times (Camera Zoom FX can do 1/10). The Photography app ranges from ISO40 to the very soft ISO2000 shots with manual setup available between ISO100 and ISO800 (Zoom FX does ISO1600 too). In dark conditions, if LED flash not used, you can turn on image stabilization (former night mode) to battle noise, and a multi-exposure of about 3-4 seconds (hold the phone steady) compiles an improved low-light image. HDR works too (with more noise on the sides), and while movement requires stability turned off with higher ISO or flash, optionally Sport Mode, overall I like the accurate color reproduction, which is a problem for many rivals. My biggest criticism besides OIS is the lack of 1/5 1/2 1s and other longer exposure times and manual control for it, at ISO100 with a 1 second exposure the ISOCELL sensor could capture much more details, and since the Lumias have OIS, they are better than the S5 in this category.

    Full-size low-light album here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643997683364/

    bahiahdrmqkk3.jpg

    bahianormal62kd2.jpg

    ferencistabilityhdrevj5o.jpg

    nostabhdrtok9q.jpg

    sosperecnormalikjrd.jpg

    sajt1hdrbaqn0.jpg

    kalvinnostabnormal35kcm.jpg

    lanchdrhzjgm.jpg


    The S5 works well in macro mode too with tight DOF, full-size shots with EXIF here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643999323404/

    viragnormal3r0jbj.jpg

    andrassyfrontfocus1ujk0.jpg

    bibenormal2iqj8z.jpg

    bibenormal52cjhf.jpg

    cafenormal0yxk3i.jpg

    haranghdr5ejtx.jpg

    viragmakro2hdrdgkn7.jpg


    Besides setting up ISO, exposure, white balance, resolutions, timer, voice control etc. from the menu, there are Samsung's various camera MODEs. Selective Focus shoots multiple focal shots of the same subject, and you can later select the preferred focal point - foreground, background or both - algorithm is not perfect. In Shot and more the camera takes a series of images before a fixed background, and allows you to choose Best photo, Best face, Drama mode to record multiple phases of a movement on one image, delete unwanted stuff with Eraser and add motion blur via Panning shot. The Shot and more editing menu comes up after taking the shot, later you can access it from the Studio.

    Beauty face lets you play around with skin tones and stuff, Virtual tour is like moving around in Street View: you turn and walk around taking several shots in a house for example, and later revisit it virtually moving around with arrows. Dual shot places both camera images on a single shot, Animated photo creates a gif, Sound and shoot allows you to add a voice comment to your shot and Sport mode uses high ISO and wide focus not to miss any fast movement, have this one on with kids around. There are two Panorama modes, regular 2D one with horizontal movement, and the Nexus-like Surround shot that does 3D photosphere, with some inconsistency. Trick for a good sphere is to hold the camera lens at the same spot and move the phone/yourself around it.

    Full gallery here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157644000900844/


    selective1rxes5.png

    selective2rrfsw.png

    drama2hfp1.png

    panningshot_20140414_dgdrk.jpg

    screenshot_2014-04-147sfh1.png

    dualshot7of1x.jpg

    oktogonpanoramanxckl.jpg

    korfelvetels7dhu.png

    korfelvetel2ntc4c.jpg



    The Samsung Gallery is quite advanced app, you get several views of you single images, folders and multi-folders with previews, and Air View helps checking content without tapping on it, hovering over with your fingers. Studio gives you a whole lot of options for editing, besides Photoshop-like functions and manipulations, you can make photo montages, trim videos, render slideshows and edit Shot and more mode photos.

    Video recording is a great joy on the S5. Sound is clear (though I made the mistake of covering one of the stereo mics due to hand stabilization), software stabilization is quite usable and HDR is good, as well as recording in 60fps for smooth motion, though these are limited to 1080p resolution maximum. There's fast motion up to 8x and slow motion recording down to 1/8 speed without sound, but the real gem is recording the the marvelous 3840x2160 or 4k resolution, which is 4 times the pixel count of 1080p. Eventually we'll get 4k TVs and monitors, heck, tablets and phones come out with 2k/4MP displays nowadays which is almost there, so why not record in 4k right now? Just check the frame captures I posted below to see the details and low level of mp4 compression, you could print some of these frames. The trade-off is the lack of HDR, stabilization and 60FPS at this resolution, and a 5 minute clip limit since each 60 seconds recorded at 47MBit/s takes up around 350MBs. Yeah... In lower light you obviously lose some of the gorgeous details and noise comes up, but it's still quite nice.



    60FPS sample 1: https://app.box.com/s/l5fwiyo0rfsm1wj2q328
    60FPS sample 2: https://app.box.com/s/o1vlbzgjcel1pslw9nkv


    Single frames: (click)

    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00c0j9q.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-142fjwg.jpg <--- 4x zoom!
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-146ekni.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00aek89.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-1486j80.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-14tjk0l.png
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-14lokom.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00kyj81.jpg

    More frame captures here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157644093280315/


    Conclusion

    Overall the S5 camera is highly satisfying in this reviewer's option. I did not find a single case when white balance, saturation or exposure was off, operation is fast unless you have stability mode on in low-light, focus and dynamic range definitely improved, and you can choose among many video and photo options. Where's the biggest step forward? In consistency. Out of 10 shots you'll get good ones at a far better rate than before.

    Obviously low light is the S5's weaker point, with less light you get softer images and need flash or high ISO to capture movement, but where you lose details to some rivals, you gain color accuracy, so Samsung's ISOCELL is getting there. Next stop should be OIS, but one thing they could do right now: allowing longer than 1/17s exposure times so we can set low ISO value and capture more dark details. Maybe the future Google camera API will open this option. Overall however, I think the shots speak for themselves: the S5 is a very capable shooter with some room for improvement, and you'll be able to pull many print-ready shots over your long usage. Just be aware: as good as the S5 battery is, things like 100% screen brightness and 4k recording kills the 2800mAh quite quickly, bring a spare battery or power bank.

    Check the full gallery with EXIF info here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/



    Tips and tricks

    - Do multiple shots of the same subject, a good momentum or less handshake can later be selected out of the many
    - HDR is one tap away, so do one with and without it, some shots look better with high contrast, others benefit from HDR
    - In low light with movement, you have to use LED flash without stability, cause high ISO and longer shutter will not capture these moments with good detail
    - In low light with stationary subject however, use stability, optionally LED, no HDR cause of noise. With enough lights you may try using ISO800 with darker results but more details. Much will depend on the amount of available light
    - use voice commands to avoid tap-shake, hold the phone steady with two hands, optionally use a monopod
    - try and use the photo Modes, some will do fancy images, others come handy like Sport mode to capture fast movement
    - between Panorama and Surround Shot, I prefer the latter, cause it captures surroundings vertically too, so result won't be an overly wide image. The trick with photospheres is to not be close to the surrounding objects and have the camera lens in the absolute middle in space, and move the phone and yourself around that spot as the take the sphere images
    - try alternative apps if they are better for you: CameraZoom FX, Focal, Google Camera etc. Camera Zoom FX allows 1/10 exposure and ISO1600 manually
    - be aware not to cover the top and bottom microphones during video shoot. Best image quality comes from 4k, but image stabilization, 60FPS or HDR only works with 1080p, again best to test all these and later use the one best suited for you or the scene
    - use AirView in Gallery, and try out Studio options for your recordings
    - bring a power bank with longer photography tours cause a lot of camera usage and 100% brightness eats the battery quickly
    16
    I got my hands on the S5 thx to the guys at XXL GSM, so here's my review:

    Since smartphones took over compact cameras as the most popular tool for daily photography, each manufacturer is trying to create it's own camera tech. Sony put the metal wiring behind photo diodes to capture more photons (BSI), HTC introduced the large UltraPixels, and Nokia came up with the large sensor 41MP PureView tech with OIS. Samsung only slightly adjusted it's sensor size (1/2.6") and pixel count (16MP with 1.12um sensor pixels) for it's 5th Galaxy S phone, but with a new sensor manufacturing method, they are introducing higher dynamic range and better color reproduction, in what they call "3D-Backside Illuminated Pixel with Front-Side Deep-Trench Isolation (F-DTI) and Vertical Transfer Gate", or because they're physically isolating pixels to decrease light crosstalk, "ISOCELL". For faster focus they also added a phase detection auto-focus layer (PDAF) delivering ~0.3s focal speed, plus image processing capable of live HDR and HDR video recording. Add sensor-level digital zoom in video, meaning you don't zoom into the 1080p picture anymore but use all the 16MPs, and the S5s new 16:9 sensor delivers a much needed step-up in camera technology.

    In good light conditions the S5 rivals any rival phone in snappiness, white balance, color gamut and focal accuracy, also offering healthy amounts of details for print quality images. HDR works seamlessly and sometimes you can't tell it was on, only you realize little to no detail is lost to clipping, it works darn fast too, albeit with some loss of details. Facing directly into sunlight, and dynamic range stays solid without lens issues, color errors or aberrations, and noise levels are kept at a minimal. Jpg compression is slightly above ideal as seen in the smallest details, on the other hand, speeds are excellent, tap-to-focus and tap-to-shot is almost instantaneous, and the app opens and finishes the first shot from cache in about 1.5s, 2,5s from a locked screen. The S5 can take about 7 shots per second in a photo burst (long tap on the photo icon).

    Check my full size daylight album with EXIF info here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643999248563/

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    In lower light conditions, as most small sensor smartphones, the S5 is a mixed bag, but an improvement in color reproduction, focal accuracy and snappiness over the S4. Missing are the optical image stabilization (OIS) and longer than 1/17s exposure times (Camera Zoom FX can do 1/10). The Photography app ranges from ISO40 to the very soft ISO2000 shots with manual setup available between ISO100 and ISO800 (Zoom FX does ISO1600 too). In dark conditions, if LED flash not used, you can turn on image stabilization (former night mode) to battle noise, and a multi-exposure of about 3-4 seconds (hold the phone steady) compiles an improved low-light image. HDR works too (with more noise on the sides), and while movement requires stability turned off with higher ISO or flash, optionally Sport Mode, overall I like the accurate color reproduction, which is a problem for many rivals. My biggest criticism besides OIS is the lack of 1/5 1/2 1s and other longer exposure times and manual control for it, at ISO100 with a 1 second exposure the ISOCELL sensor could capture much more details, and since the Lumias have OIS, they are better than the S5 in this category.

    Full-size low-light album here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643997683364/

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    The S5 works well in macro mode too with tight DOF, full-size shots with EXIF here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157643999323404/

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    Besides setting up ISO, exposure, white balance, resolutions, timer, voice control etc. from the menu, there are Samsung's various camera MODEs. Selective Focus shoots multiple focal shots of the same subject, and you can later select the preferred focal point - foreground, background or both - algorithm is not perfect. In Shot and more the camera takes a series of images before a fixed background, and allows you to choose Best photo, Best face, Drama mode to record multiple phases of a movement on one image, delete unwanted stuff with Eraser and add motion blur via Panning shot. The Shot and more editing menu comes up after taking the shot, later you can access it from the Studio.

    Beauty face lets you play around with skin tones and stuff, Virtual tour is like moving around in Street View: you turn and walk around taking several shots in a house for example, and later revisit it virtually moving around with arrows. Dual shot places both camera images on a single shot, Animated photo creates a gif, Sound and shoot allows you to add a voice comment to your shot and Sport mode uses high ISO and wide focus not to miss any fast movement, have this one on with kids around. There are two Panorama modes, regular 2D one with horizontal movement, and the Nexus-like Surround shot that does 3D photosphere, with some inconsistency. Trick for a good sphere is to hold the camera lens at the same spot and move the phone/yourself around it.

    Full gallery here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157644000900844/


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    The Samsung Gallery is quite advanced app, you get several views of you single images, folders and multi-folders with previews, and Air View helps checking content without tapping on it, hovering over with your fingers. Studio gives you a whole lot of options for editing, besides Photoshop-like functions and manipulations, you can make photo montages, trim videos, render slideshows and edit Shot and more mode photos.

    Video recording is a great joy on the S5. Sound is clear (though I made the mistake of covering one of the stereo mics due to hand stabilization), software stabilization is quite usable and HDR is good, as well as recording in 60fps for smooth motion, though these are limited to 1080p resolution maximum. There's fast motion up to 8x and slow motion recording down to 1/8 speed without sound, but the real gem is recording the the marvelous 3840x2160 or 4k resolution, which is 4 times the pixel count of 1080p. Eventually we'll get 4k TVs and monitors, heck, tablets and phones come out with 2k/4MP displays nowadays which is almost there, so why not record in 4k right now? Just check the frame captures I posted below to see the details and low level of mp4 compression, you could print some of these frames. The trade-off is the lack of HDR, stabilization and 60FPS at this resolution, and a 5 minute clip limit since each 60 seconds recorded at 47MBit/s takes up around 350MBs. Yeah... In lower light you obviously lose some of the gorgeous details and noise comes up, but it's still quite nice.



    60FPS sample 1: https://app.box.com/s/l5fwiyo0rfsm1wj2q328
    60FPS sample 2: https://app.box.com/s/o1vlbzgjcel1pslw9nkv


    Single frames: (click)

    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00c0j9q.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-142fjwg.jpg <--- 4x zoom!
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-146ekni.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-12-00aek89.jpg
    http://abload.de/img/vlcsnap-2014-04-17-1486j80.jpg
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    More frame captures here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/72157644093280315/

    Overall the S5 camera is highly satisfying in this reviewer's option. I did not find a single case when white balance, saturation or exposure was off, operation is fast unless you have stability mode on in low-light, focus and dynamic range definitely improved, and you can choose among many video and photo options. Where's the biggest step forward? In consistency. Out of 10 shots you'll get good ones at a far better rate than before.

    Obviously low light is the S5's weaker point, with less light you get softer images and need flash or high ISO to capture movement, but where you lose details to some rivals, you gain color accuracy, so Samsung's ISOCELL is getting there. Next stop should be OIS, but one thing they could do right now: allowing longer than 1/17s exposure times so we can set low ISO value and capture more dark details. Maybe the future Google camera API will open this option. Overall however, I think the shots speak for themselves: the S5 is a very capable shooter with some room for improvement, and you'll be able to pull many print-ready shots over your long usage. Just be aware: as good as the S5 battery is, things like 100% screen brightness and 4k recording kills the 2800mAh quite quickly, bring a spare battery or power bank.

    Check the full gallery with EXIF info here:
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/111873126@N06/sets/
    13
    A little camera review round-up....

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    Business Insider: Spectacular
    http://www.businessinsider.com.au/samsung-galaxy-s5-review-2014-4

    "The camera is spectacular, easily on par with the iPhone 5S camera and the Nokia Lumia 1020 camera, two of the best on the market. The camera shoots at 16 megapixels, but the real treat is something called live HDR, which lets you get a preview of what your photo will look like in HDR mode before you snap it. It results in some really nice photos, especially if lighting conditions aren’t very good."


    CNet: One of the best on a smartphone
    http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-galaxy-s5/

    "Images taken on automatic mode are characteristically colorful and clear, especially those taken in ample natural light. The camera's continuous autofocus is as eyeblink-quick as Samsung claims (0.3-second), which gives you a greater chance of nailing that action shot. Low light has been a weak point for Samsung in the past, and the Galaxy S5 seems to have indeed improved photos taken without a flash in dim environments. They weren't quite as blurry, grainy, or dark as you'd get on the Galaxy S4. Video captured in 1080p HD resolution is equally beautiful and smooth. Colors pop. Video of my favorite testing subject, a BMX-style trick rider practicing outside of San Francisco's Ferry Building, faithfully reproduced his movements and the scene -- and that's the crux of what you need from smartphone video."


    AndroidAuthority: Worty companion for a little extra
    http://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s5-review-365492/

    "ISOCELL seems to do the trick as far as quality is concerned, resulting in photos that feature great color saturation and good detail. Details are captured quite well, with a number of photos showing good sharpness even after zooming in, but this isn’t the case for every image. Lowering the overall lighting conditions will exacerbate the issue, which isn’t particularly surprising, but the camera does get some decent shots even in those less than ideal conditions. With a slew of features and settings at its disposal, the ISOCELL camera proves to be a worthy companion for anyone who wants to get a little bit extra out of their camera experience compared to other devices."


    AnandTech: HTC high pixel size wins low-light, Samsung more pixels wins daylight
    http://www.anandtech.com/show/7903/samsung-galaxy-s-5-review/2

    "The GS5's low light performance obviously pales in comparison to devices with larger pixels like the M8 and especially the iPhone 5s. There's an obvious tradeoff here. Samsung delivers clearly better spatial resolution (as seen from our ISO12233 test shots), while HTC on the other hand offers better low light performance. Apple finds itself in the middle of the two with the iPhone 5s. Moving to the opposite end of the spectrum, this daylight shot gives us an example of where the M8 clearly loses out to the GS5. You lose all details in the tree, and there's quite a bit of noise in the sky on the M8. The GS5 however delivers a substantially better shot. The GS5 has a very fast and usable HDR mode.The GS5's HDR captures do a good job of retaining detail in the shadows while bringing in detail in the highlights."


    Time.com: S5 aced where many flunk
    http://time.com/52944/galaxy-s5-review/

    "The news is much better when it comes to the phone’s 16-megapixel camera and its accompanying software.Some phones with cameras capable of superb image quality, such as Nokia’s Lumia Icon, still aren’t all that much fun to use: Laggy shutters and balky software gets in the way. I found the photos I took with the S5 to be a little on the soft side compared to the crispest ones I’ve seen from a smartphone, but very good overall. And the phone aced the photographic test that many competitors flunk: It let me take pictures I was happy with, as fast as I could snap them."


    PhoneArena: Life-like, excellent camera

    http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/Samsung-Galaxy-S5-Review_id3639/page/3#3-

    "The images produced by it have a wonderful detail level – everything looks exceptionally sharp and fine when viewing the images from a zoomed-out view. Viewing them in actual size reveals some areas where pixels kind of blend together, but why would you need to view 16 MP photos in actual size... Colors are more than realistic – neither too warm, nor too cold. The handset also seems to be doing a very good job with exposure – we noticed that it made the more preferable decision in some tricky situations, even if that meant cranking up the exposure in a very dark room, just so that we can actually see what's been there in that room, despite all the noise."


    Telegraph: Consistently excellent

    "The 16MP camera, for example, comes with an autofocus that is so fast you barely notice it happening. The days of missing the picture are almost over. High dynamic range makes the pictures look consistently excellent, too."


    The Inquirer: Impressive outdoors, grainy indoors
    http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/review/2338537/samsung-galaxy-s5-review/page/3

    "When used in decent lighting, we found that the Samsung Galaxy S5's rear-facing camera captures images full of detail with accurate colours. It's also one of the fastest smartphone cameras we have used, with the autofocus firing into action almost immediately. Video capture is impressive too, thanks to the Galaxy S5's ability to capture 4K footage, which produces smooth and crisp video. The 16MP camera did show signs of struggling indoors though, and while it still manages to outperform most smartphone cameras on the market, we did notice noise and graininess creeping into images."


    USA Today: Simpler, better
    http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/.../samsung-galaxy-s5-smartphone-review/7423579/

    "The 16-megapixel rear camera on the Galaxy S5 is excellent, especially on images captured with Samsung's real time HDR (High Dynamic Range) setting. The video (and audio) quality were also really good. (The front camera is 2-megapixels.) Auto-focusing is fast — about a third of the time compared with the Galaxy S4, Samsung claims. Overall, there are fewer shooting modes than before (though you can download more). Samsung has simplified the grid that represents the main camera-settings menu."


    GSM Arena: Excellent all-rounder, stunning video
    http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s5-review-1064p9.php

    "The Samsung Galaxy S5 camera is an excellent all-rounder. Photos taken in daylight have a commendable level of detail and, while processing comes on a bit strong, it shouldn't be visible unless you're viewing photos at 100%. For low-light shots, the Galaxy S5 finds a good middle-ground - it's not as good as the Nokia Lumia 1520, but produces perfectly usable shots. Videos shot with the Samsung Galaxy S5 offer stunning detail, especially if you shoot them at 2160p. Noise levels are low, color accuracy is good and there are few traces of aggressive post processing (unlike with the still camera)."
    8
    While the Sony has 20.7 megapixels, at that full resolution the aspect ratio is only 4:3, the S5 in comparison is 16:9 at its full resolution of 16mp.
    If you haven't used the Z1, the default mode is Auto in which the phone captures a 8MP image which is similar to what Nokia does with its Lumia 1020 where is takes a 40mp image and shrinks it to a smaller resolution while attempting to keep the detail in the image. If you want a full 20mp, you have to use manual mode. The problem is this doesn't work that well and in turn leads to very slow focusing and motion blur in images. Unless the Z2 does something differently, it will suffer the same fate as the Z1.

    I'm not sure if Sony is keeping the camera hardware 100% unchanged with the Z2 but I have read countless reports of issues with the lens on the Z1 leading to soft images. The Z1 has a good sensor but its the other parts that really ruin the camera experience with it.

    Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
    The Z2 sensor and lens is the same as the Z1's (potential softness at certain parts of the image), but they introduced a dual-ISP system for faster and more accurate processing, we'll have to wait any see. 8MP is about right as far as quality resolution goes, Z1 results are too overprocessed at full 20. Samsung appears to be not going for sharpness at all, which is sensible, although even at 8MP the Xperia Z2 will have more details, but likely less color accuracy and dynamic range. I'm yet to decide which one is better for my needs, although of course I know Lumias do both best.



    Taiwanese normal vs. Rich Tone (HDR) shots:
    Source, full size: http://iqmore.tw/mwc-2014-samsung-galaxy-s5-software

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    8
    This might seem dumb, but some of your shots are just incredible, and I'm curious how much effort you're having to go to (like those macro shots and that face shot of the older gentleman). Are you using just auto/defaults? Tap-to-shoot? Detect faces? I simply haven't been able to recreate the quality you're getting, even outdoor in bright sunlight (my son's baseball game for example). Got any general tips?
    A capable camera is half the fun, I've been blessed with some good conditions and scenes to deliver the good photo part. Because I was using the S5 for review purposes, I used the many camera options for these shots, but never had to bother with white balance, exposure compensation or otherwise some testing, ISO values, cause the SW did these pretty consistently. Of course I did try all modes, but generally I only switched between HDR and normal in daylight, and stability/no stability in low light. I did not use flash too often, although I didn't shoot many moving subjects in darkness, which is the weak point of mobile photography. I did tap to focus quite often cause of old habits, but never faces auto-focus problems. I do recommend tapping on preferred focal point in macro and close-ups (there's no separate mode for this).

    A few tips then:
    - Do multiple shots of the same subject, a good momentum or less handshake can later be selected out of the many
    - HDR is one tap away, so do one with and without it, some shots look better with high contrast, others benefit from HDR
    - In low light with movement, you have to use LED flash without stability, cause high ISO and longer shutter will not capture these moments with good detail
    - In low light with stationary subject however, use stability, optionally LED, no HDR cause of noise. With enough lights you may try using ISO800 with darker results but more details. Much will depend on the amount of available light
    - use voice commands to avoid tap-shake, hold the phone steady with two hands, optionally use a monopod
    - try and use the photo Modes, some will do fancy images, others come handy like Sport mode to capture fast movement
    - between Panorama and Surround Shot, I prefer the latter, cause it captures surroundings vertically too, so result won't be an overly wide image. The trick with photospheres is to not be close to the surrounding objects and have the camera lens in the absolute middle in space, and move the phone and yourself around that spot as the take the sphere images
    - try alternative apps if they are better for you: CameraZoom FX, Focal, Google Camera etc. Camera Zoom FX allows 1/10 exposure and ISO1600 manually
    - be aware not to cover the top and bottom microphones during video shoot. Best image quality comes from 4k, but image stabilization, 60FPS or HDR only works with 1080p, again best to test all these and later use the one best suited for you or the scene
    - use AirView in Gallery, and try out Studio options for your recordings
    - bring a power bank with longer photography tours cause a lot of camera usage and 100% brightness eats the battery quickly