Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 Review | 108 Data compared

The DPReview evaluation highlights the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 as a highly capable Android smart device featuring a versatile 21x optical zoom (23-483mm equivalent) lens for seamless, direct-to-app sharing on a vibrant 4.8-inch touchscreen. Key strengths include 4.1 fps burst shooting, NFC capabilities, and a convenient video pause feature, making it a capable, connected, consumer-level point-and-shoot. However, the review cites significant drawbacks, including poor image quality stemming from aggressive noise reduction, heavy sharpening, and a soft lens prone to distortion at wide angles. Additional cons involve a fast-draining battery, the lack of auto-brightness in Android mode, and a slippery, cheap-feeling plastic body that produces only mono sound.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 is a minor, incremental update to its predecessor that blends the ecosystem of an Android device with a mid-range compact camera. Running on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean with a slightly upgraded quad-core 1.6GHz processor, it provides a smooth user experience for running photography apps, playing mobile games, and utilizing 50GB of free Dropbox storage. Its standout features include a massive, touch-sensitive 4.8-inch 720p TFT display, expanded "Smart" shooting presets like Selfie Alarm, and robust wireless sharing capabilities via Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth. Additionally, an improved 2000mAh battery extends the camera's life to roughly 400 shots per charge. However, the device falls short because its core imaging hardware—a 16.3MP CMOS sensor and a 21x optical zoom lens—remains completely unchanged from the original model. While the photo and 1080p video quality are acceptable by mid-range standards, they fail to justify the steep $533.64 (£400) price tag. The camera's large form factor makes it quite bulky, its screen is difficult to view in direct sunlight, and the textured plastic "leather-look" white finish is described as visually unappealing. Ultimately,...

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 serves as a versatile, connected travel camera featuring a 21x optical zoom lens and a large 4.8-inch HD touchscreen, allowing for intuitive navigation and instant photo sharing via Android functionality. It offers both simple automatic settings and full manual control, making it suitable for a wide range of users, alongside strong, crisp performance in general shooting scenarios. However, the review notes the camera struggles with poor-quality panorama results and a limited 10cm minimum focusing distance, hindering its macro photography capabilities. Although the image quality is solid for everyday use, the device commands a high price tag relative to its performance. ePHOTOzine

The Amateur Photographer review of the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 highlights a hybrid device combining an Android system with a stylish, textured design reminiscent of the Samsung NX300. Pros include a responsive touchscreen for intuitive navigation and the ability to produce vibrant, well-exposed images in bright, ideal lighting conditions. amateurphotographer.com Conversely, the review notes significant cons, specifically a slow user interface that hinders manual adjustments and makes it unsuitable for quick, tactical shooting. Furthermore, aggressive in-camera noise reduction smudges fine details, and the heavy reliance on touch controls over physical dials limits its appeal to enthusiasts, according to Amateur Photographer.

The What Digital Camera review of the Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 characterizes the device as a minor update, featuring a 1.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM that boosts performance and a 2000mAh battery that improves longevity. It praises the bright 4.8-inch touchscreen for easy navigation and the reliable auto mode which, combined with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, provides a strong social media-focused, "shoot-and-share" experience. However, the review cites the removal of 3G/LTE connectivity, which restricts sharing capability to Wi-Fi-only, as a significant drawback. It notes the camera retains the same 1/2.3-inch 16.3MP CMOS sensor as its predecessor, resulting in poor high-ISO performance and aggressive noise reduction that leads to smudged details, alongside an autofocus that struggles in low light.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 updates its predecessor by blending a dedicated compact zoom camera with the customisation and connectivity of the Android Jelly Bean operating system. It features a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor and a 21x optical zoom lens (23-483mm equivalent) with a respectable f/2.8 maximum aperture at the wide end, dropping to f/5.6 at full telephoto. Key performance upgrades over the original model include a faster processor and an improved battery life capable of delivering 400 shots per charge. However, Samsung chose to remove 3G connectivity from this iteration, relying purely on Wi-Fi for using Google Play store apps, email, web browsing, and syncing with the included 50GB Dropbox account+. A major highlight of the device is its massive, highly responsive 4.8-inch touchscreen LCD panel, which makes navigating the Android OS seamless. It also offers versatile shooting flexibility, giving users access to fully automatic modes, specialized scene selections like "Best Face," and semi-automatic or full manual controls. Despite these advantages, the camera suffers from notable drawbacks, including image softness at full zoom and a complete lack of raw format...

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 serves as an incremental update, blending a point-and-shoot camera with an Android interface, featuring a large 4.8-inch touchscreen for easy navigation and app usage. Its key strengths include a comfortable, lighter design with a faux-leather grip and excellent connectivity options like Wi-Fi and NFC for easy sharing. YouTube · Conversely, the device lacks a significant image quality upgrade, retaining the same 16-megapixel sensor and 21x zoom lens as its predecessor. It also suffers from a lack of physical controls, no viewfinder, and uses a 1/2.3-inch sensor that, at its price point, underperforms compared to similar compact system cameras.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 blends a standard digital camera with the Android operating system, presenting a stylish, Apple-like aesthetic with a faux-leather finish and an ergonomic handgrip. Its standout feature is a large touchscreen running the Android OS, providing user-friendly access to the Google Play Store and pre-installed apps like YouTube, Chrome, and Dropbox. Reviewers praised the camera's ability to seamlessly weave the capturing and editing processes together, especially when utilising specific colour filters like the "food" option to enhance bland photos. It excels at capturing vibrant, high-contrast, still images of close-up subjects, such as flowers or pets against clear backgrounds, and functions well as an engaging, experimental device. However, the device suffers from a "confused identity," packing unnecessary phone utilities like a contacts page despite lacking cellular calling capabilities. Performance-wise, its 16.3-megapixel count is disappointing for the price, causing the camera to struggle with fine details, high-contrast outdoor scenarios, and heavy zooming, which frequently results in blurry, unfocused images. Additionally, the steep £399 price tag is a major deterrence, given that contemporary smartphones offer superior camera components and...

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 is defined by its hybrid design, pairing a 21x optical zoom lens with an Android operating system to offer a 4.8-inch touchscreen and fast 4.1 fps shooting for instant social media sharing. Key advantages include its extensive connectivity, NFC, and specialized video features, making it an excellent, albeit consumer-level, tool for immediate image sharing. Conversely, the device suffers from sub-par image quality caused by aggressive noise reduction and a soft lens, housed in a bulky, slippery plastic body. Additional drawbacks include rapid battery drain, mono-only audio, and a lack of auto-brightness for the screen. DPReview

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 is an innovative point-and-shoot camera powered by Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, featuring a 21x-zoom wide-angle lens, a 16-megapixel backside-illuminated sensor, and a sharp 4.8-inch HD touch screen. Its core strengths lie in its smartphone-like capabilities, offering a powerful quad-core processor and dual-band Wi-Fi with NFC for effortless shoot-and-share experiences, remote control viewfinding, and automatic photo transfers. The Android integration allows users to run standard apps, stream media, and navigate an intuitive touch interface for manual camera settings and 28 distinct "Smart Modes," such as a Selfie Alarm. However, at an original price tag of $450, the camera struggles to justify its cost for users seeking superior photographic performance over high-end smartphones. Its photo quality exhibits visible noise and a lack of fine detail when cropped or enlarged, and standard shooting performance can feel average, taking 2.7 seconds to start up from standby and averaging a 1.1-second shot-to-shot time. Additionally, video recording picks up internal lens motor hums and finger movements on the shutter because of the poorly placed microphone, and the continuous burst mode fixes...

The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 is an Android Jellybean-powered point-and-shoot camera that refines its predecessor's formula by combining a dedicated 21x optical zoom lens with an intuitive, smartphone-like touchscreen experience. Equipped with a responsive 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor, a massive 4.8-inch display, 8GB of internal memory, and an impressive battery life capable of shooting roughly 400 photos per charge, this camera excels at on-the-go image sharing via Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity. It stands out as an incredibly user-friendly device for anyone familiar with mobile apps, offering a vibrant widescreen display that functions as a highly interactive camera interface and web browser. However, the camera falls short of being a major generational leap, as it retains the same 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor and compressed JPEG-only image format, which may disappoint serious photographers looking for premium image quality. The biggest drawback is Samsung's decision to omit a SIM card slot this time around, limiting its cellular connectivity options compared to the original model. Additionally, at a pricey launch point of £399, it is slightly larger than the previous version and sits in an awkward...