Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G’s Photo Taking Abilities
December 27, 2021Samsung’s Z Flip3 5G played an important role this year in cementing the need for a folding phone. It solves the size issue of modern smartphones by fusing the retro appeal of flip phones with foldable screen technology. Though the Galaxy Z Fold3 was supposed to be the halo phone, the Flip3 has stolen the show with its combination of nostalgia, affordability and practicality.
TIME Magazine called it one of the best inventions of 2021, which is a commendable feat. That said, the Flip3 is more than just a foldable party piece. It’s a fully functional smartphone with far greater character than most of its rigid screen rivals combined. We’ve covered this phone’s features and advantages at great length in previous articles, here are a few of them:
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Samsung Galaxy Flip3 5G Review: Foldables Are The Future
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G Unboxing: What Do You Get In The Box?
In this particular piece we are going to focus on the Flip3’s cameras and the type of images that they can capture. First off, it’s one of a handful of phones that allow you the choice of using either the 10MP front camera or rear 12MP wide/ultra-wide-angle sensor for a selfie shot. Choosing the latter unlocks a handy feature – turning the CoverScreen into a preview window.
Rear Cameras
Unlike the S21+, the Flip3 makes do with two rear cameras: a 12MP ultra-wide (F2.2, FOV:123-degreees) or 12MP wide (F.18, FOV:78-degrees). They are placed adjacent to the 1.9-inch CoverScreen and shrouded with a deep black border that also envelopes the entire top section.
Both sensors are able to capture a good amount of detail and sharpness. The end result are pictures that have a warmer hue with a decent amount of contrast. The wide-angle lens’ F1.8 allows more light in for slightly better shots. But the difference is negligible in broad daylight. The ultra-wide offers a 123-degree field of view, which should be enough for group pictures.
Taking panoramic shots are also a little easier and less time consuming. But the results depend on your ability to position the camera accurately. Overall, the quality is good but not as good as the S21+, which happens to carry a similar price tag.
With the help of image stabilization, the Flip3 captures good quality videos. The saturation is on par with that of the photos it captures. It supports up to 4K resolution video recording which is almost as good as those taken with the S21+.
Subjects are faithfully kept in focus throughout shots, which is something you can’t say about mid-range to budget devices. Clever software works behind the scenes to make optimal use of the camera hardware and deliver the best results possible.
Selfie Camera
Embedded in the folding display via a hole punch is the 10MP selfie camera (F2.4, FOV:80-degrees). Pictures that it captures are decent at best but pale in comparison to the rear shooters. The results are fairly bright but is less detail and contrast. But it is good enough for posts on social media or for taking video calls.
But for the best results, make use of the rear cameras. They feel more stable and the clever post processing software works well to make minute adjustments where needed to “spruce up” the overall look. This can mean the difference in capturing a great moment with great depth or an overexposed ones devoid of the important details.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G has good photo taking abilities. But it’s more expensive siblings the S21+ and S21 Ultra take far better pictures, so if this is all that matters to you, then a rigid screen phone would be a better option. However, if you can appreciate the phone for the “Swiss army knife” that it is, the Flip3 is one of the best inventions of 2021.
