[GUIDE][REVIEW]Samsung Galaxy S3 Camera Guide/Review

[farscope]

I have written this guide quite some time back during the first week of launch of this Galaxy S3 and forgotten to share this here in xda too. Hope this is able to help some newbie on using their S3 camera. Advance users probably will find my guide too basic.

I do welcome any feedbacks or comments if you found any mistakes or misleading information.



Disclaimer: This is not a professional review and all the findings and opinions are based on my own experience only.

Part 1: Hardware and Features

Part 2: User Interface

Part 3: Limitations

Part 4: Shooting Mode

Part 5: Scene Mode

Part 6: Summary and Conclusion

I'm aware for the new firmware I9300XXBLFB for the camera. Check the changelog

Some sample pictures you will find in the post.

 

[farscope]

Sample pictures

 

[sqlpro]

very nice review and good conclusion. well done. keep it up.

did you do any post processing at all on those pictures ? i notice less noise (compared to mine) even on high ISO ! i find lot of noise anything more ISO 200!

BTW my cam firmware ZDFE02.

 

[farscope]

nope, no PP was done. all straight out of camera..

probably have to do with the brightness of the object u r shooting i guess. indoors with ISO 200 still give quite an amount of noise too.

 

[farscope]

Camera Changelog for LFB/LF1 firmwares

blog updated with latest description for LFB/LG1 updates:

Camera Changelog for LFB/LG1 firmwares

 

[bala_gamer]

nice work @op

can you make some comparison of pictures @ poor lighting conditions?

 

[jgristy]

Great post. I know this camera isn't the best one you can get in a smartphone (probably still the iPhone 4S? Or the One X?), but it takes some really good shots, and knowing how to use it properly is all-important.

Thanks!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

 

[juliano_q]

I love this guide, really useful, thanks!

 

[farscope]

nice work @op

can you make some comparison of pictures @ poor lighting conditions?

what type of low light photos u looking for?

- low light indoor?
- low light outdoor?
- with flash or without flash?

i do have some poor lighting condition photos in the blog anyway. have a look.

or comparisons done by this forum member
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1771006

Great post. I know this camera isn't the best one you can get in a smartphone (probably still the iPhone 4S? Or the One X?), but it takes some really good shots, and knowing how to use it properly is all-important.

Thanks!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

yes, and no. the One X is not a better shooter when compared to S3. Reason bcz One X is not able to capture as much detail and sharpness as S3. The One X is only capable of getting a cleaner image during low light, thanks to its f2.0 lens. Other than that, S3 is a better shooter.

iPhone 4S on the other hand comes in neck in neck. it wins S3 in indoor shots, thanks to its f2.4 lens. But it's a no match for sharpness and details as well to the S3. the metering on 4S however seems better.

i will provide some links to let u have a look on the comparison shots.
http://www.gsmarena.com/pureview_blind_test-review-773.php
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_iii_vs_htc_one_x-review-759p5.php
http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/samsung-galaxy-s3-vs-iphone-4s-vs-htc-one-x-vs-xperia-s-camera-test-50008056/

I love this guide, really useful, thanks!

welcome.. just to help..

 

[B3311]

Thanks, really useful guide, especially for the point-and-hope-for-the-best user - i.e. me....

Should be stickied IMO.

 

[jgristy]

i will provide some links to let u have a look on the comparison shots.

welcome.. just to help..

Thanks for those links. Very informative. Reading all this information about my new camera phone, I find I don't have all the new effects under the wand button (even though I've downloaded all available updates), and I don't have the button which lets you take photos during video recording.

Why do you think this might be?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

 

[farscope]

Thanks for those links. Very informative. Reading all this information about my new camera phone, I find I don't have all the new effects under the wand button (even though I've downloaded all available updates), and I don't have the button which lets you take photos during video recording.

Why do you think this might be?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

probably yr country hasn't receive the updates yet.. just wait for it..

 

[rookverslaafde]

Thanks for the guide It whas very usefull

 

[demmo81]

Strangely when the update came the camera is getting worse not better , yes more options and modes but a lot of distortion .......

I'm talking about the LFB one....

 

[m00moo]

A small question for those who have moved over to an AOSP rom, does the camera take longer to snap a photo? I ask this because obviously the Samsung Rom was built for the zero shutter lag and I have seen demos of the speed in which it snaps photos. But in some videos I have seen CM9 on the S3, it seems when hitting the button it has a small delay where it stills tries to focus before it snaps.


thanks!
ps: getting my S3 on Monday and debating which rom to use as I probably would like to mess around with the new S3 roms.

 

[farscope]

A small question for those who have moved over to an AOSP rom, does the camera take longer to snap a photo? I ask this because obviously the Samsung Rom was built for the zero shutter lag and I have seen demos of the speed in which it snaps photos. But in some videos I have seen CM9 on the S3, it seems when hitting the button it has a small delay where it stills tries to focus before it snaps.


thanks!
ps: getting my S3 on Monday and debating which rom to use as I probably would like to mess around with the new S3 roms.

yes, the S3's camera is using touchwiz framework.. CM9 is not.. hence the slower performance..

Strangely when the update came the camera is getting worse not better , yes more options and modes but a lot of distortion .......

I'm talking about the LFB one....

distortion at the corners? hmm.. i will try to check on mine.. but as far as i'm concerned, distortion mainly due to lens..

 

[demmo81]

yes, the S3's camera is using touchwiz framework.. CM9 is not.. hence the slower performance..


distortion at the corners? hmm.. i will try to check on mine.. but as far as i'm concerned, distortion mainly due to lens..

its not only on the edges but i feel all the pics specially with low light...
anyway ill provide some samples later on today to explain ... Thanks

 

[farscope]

its not only on the edges but i feel all the pics specially with low light...
anyway ill provide some samples later on today to explain ... Thanks

awaiting yr samples then.. cz i dont see any significant difference in my pictures in terms of distortion..

 

[demmo81]

awaiting yr samples then.. cz i dont see any significant difference in my pictures in terms of distortion..

Here r some I just took in the office the camera is trying to increase the light as much as it can although the light conditions r normal but the pic is coming pixeled u know...

Also I noticed the camera is trying to get all the light in that's why its getting worse....

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

 

[farscope]

Here r some I just took in the office the camera is trying to increase the light as much as it can although the light conditions r normal but the pic is coming pixeled u know...

Also I noticed the camera is trying to get all the light in that's why its getting worse....

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

hmm.. i don't really get what u mean by distortion. my understanding of distortion is the lens distortion where u get straight lines becomes curvy like a barrel distortion for wide angle lens, or the fish eye effect for fish eye lens.

in your sample picture, i cant really get the distortion that u mean. did u mean the deviation away from normal exposures? if that's the case, then it is because most of the subjects in your picture are black/dark colours. Hence, the camera's metering is fooled, by thinking you are shooting in low light and hence increases the exposure. it happens to all camera, it's a weakness of digital metering.