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There are still some negatives about this little cutie, the main one being that it’s still a point-and-shoot; hence, in low light it doesn’t preform very well for snapshots. Flash is very essential, but that’s fair to say about any point-and-shoot. The camera was able to take some very nice long-exposure images, and playing around with the aperture and shutter I was able to get some amazing crystal-clear macros with wonderful blurred out backgrounds; very much like my Canon PowerShot S95.
The camera has three buttons: the power, shutter and a pop out flash button. Everything else is touch and it’s pretty responsive. Simply choose the mode you would like to shoot with. If you select “expert” a virtual control menu pops up allowing you to control shutter, aperture, and white balance with just a quick slide. Other ‘Smart modes’ are included for capturing specific scenes in varied conditions. Simply put, loads of options and features to keep novices and enthusiasts happy.
The optics are pretty comparable to other high end advanced point-and-shoots. A 1/2.3″ BSI CMOS sensor just sizing-out one of my all-time favorite point-and-shoot cameras – the PowerShot S110. The lens is f = 4.1 ~ 86.1mm (35mm film equivalent: 23 ~ 483mm) you can achieve a good wide macro starting about 10cm away from the lens. With the 21x optical zoom you can get into the action without getting too close. It’s a 16.3MP camera; I still don’t know why these point-and-shoot cameras have such a large megapixel count when their sensors are so small.
Overall though, what I have seen is a very nice camera but with a pretty high price tag of $499.99 (which doesn’t factor in a monthly data plan fee). The Galaxy Camera is also a battery hog. The screen is beautiful don’t get me wrong; but added with actually taking photos this camera will lose its charge rapidly.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera almost feels like it should be mirrorless in conjunction with its superior sibling, the Samsung NX 200. While it was a blast to use, price plays a huge factor. For the money I would look into getting a mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera; but if a simple well-rounded camera that is as powerful as Samsung’s flagship smartphone is something you’re looking for, then the Galaxy Camera is definitely something to try out.