Samsung note 8 camera review. Now double

Dual cameras in smartphones, especially when it comes to top models price category are now widely used.

What do dual cameras give in smartphones?

A long time ago, in the days of LG Optimus 3D/3D Max and HTC EVO 3D, dual cameras were used for stereoscopic (3D) surround shooting, but in modern smartphones their purpose is different.

Second rear camera, as a rule, has a different focal length and, accordingly, provides a different angle of view when shooting photos and videos.

It is noteworthy that in some devices, the additional camera has a wider viewing angle (smaller equivalent focal length), such a solution can be seen, for example, in the LG G5, G6. And in others, an additional camera provides a narrower angle of view (larger equivalent focal length). This option is implemented in the iPhone 7 Plus/8 Plus.

How an exception can be cited Huawei smartphones where the cameras have the same focal length.

In addition to the changed viewing angle, the presence of two cameras allows developers to implement the trendy background blur effect at a very high level today. Often this is used in portrait photography. An image with blur begins, in a certain way, to resemble a picture that can be obtained on serious cameras with large matrices (mirrorless and SLR cameras).

If speak about samsung galaxy Note8, here, as in the iPhone 7 Plus / 8 Plus, the additional camera has an increased focal length (2X zoom is provided).

Camera Samsung Galaxy Note8

If we compare the shooting capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Note8 with other top Samsung smartphones that appeared this year (we are talking about the hit Galaxy S8 and S8 + in this case), then the difference between them mainly consists only in functions related to additional cameras oh Galaxy Note8.

Video modes (meaning a combination of resolution and shooting speed) in the Galaxy Note8 are good, but today the model is inferior to some competitors in these parameters.

The main benefit of an additional camera, which, by the way, is used for the first time in Samsung smartphones, is a better implementation of the background blur function.

If earlier Samsung smartphones could be reproached for the far from perfect work of this function, then there are practically no complaints about the Galaxy Note8. Given the growing popularity of this "chip", the revision turned out to be relevant.

As for the double optical zoom, which is obtained due to differences in the focal lengths of the lenses of the main and additional cameras, then you should not bet on this feature. The differences in viewing angles are not so significant.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is a direct competitor to the iPhone 8 Plus and of course many users who want to buy a powerful modern phablet with good photos and video capabilities asks the question - which smartphone to choose? Where is the best camera? In this article we have put together a comparison iPhone cameras 8 vs Galaxy Note 8, after seeing which, it will be easier for you to make a decision.

Fast passage:

Camera Specifications

Terminology explanation:

• Number of cameras- meaning the main cameras
• OIS- optical stabilization
• HQ video — maximum quality recorded video
• slow motion- the ability to record video with a high frame rate per second for slow motion effects (slowmo).

1. Which is better for photo?

Everything is actually very simple - the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 uses 2 sensors that have proven themselves very well in the Galaxy S7, S8. The camera has Dual Pixel technology, which actually means big size pixels on the matrix and, as a result, makes it possible to take pictures in the dark with very good quality and a minimum of noise.

Combined with apertures of 1.7 at minimum focal length and 2.4 at maximum focal length, the Galaxy Note 8 cameras are confidently leading in the dark. But in the sun, everything is far from so clear. In my opinion - software the iPhone 8 Plus is much more perfect and allows you to take artistic photos.

This is what puts the iPhone 8+ camera on par with the Note 8, despite the smaller aperture and lack of Dual Pixel. What is the portrait mode worth, which in the iPhone 7 Plus looked just great.

In the "eight" there were even more improvements in the software. That is, the verdict here is that the cameras are good and approximately equal, but the software capabilities are better for Apple smartphone. Why is that? See below a photo from the Galaxy Note 8 and its software blur mode to give the effect of depth of field.

Strong oversharp (click full size).

A good shot, but the processing algorithms miscalculated a bit.

The photo is good, but errors in the algorithm for calculating the depth of field are also visible here.

Photos in low light conditions

However, in poor lighting conditions, the Galaxy Note 8 camera shows best results in 90% of cases.

Galaxy Note 8

From year to year, many smartphones with high-quality cameras appear on the market. Flagships from Samsung are always among the first and allow you to get high-quality photos in various conditions, and this can be done as automatic mode, which even a child can cope with - pointed and removed, and choosing manual settings. The second, at first glance, is more difficult, but in fact, you can get photos that cannot be taken on other smartphones so easily and simply. I propose to understand in detail how to best take pictures on the Galaxy Note 8 so that your pictures are different for the better and your friends are amazed at your talents. But first, a few explanations of how the main camera on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 works.

Galaxy Note 8 Dual Lens Optical Zoom and Wide Angle

Unlike the previous Samsung models, the Note 8 is the first to use a dual rear camera layout. On the left is the main lens, on the right is the wide-angle lens. Both matrices are 12-megapixel, but the angle with which they look at the world is different, as well as the aperture, the first camera has f / 1.7, the second f / 2.4. Please note that both lenses are equipped with optical stabilization. To see how the frame looks like in each of the cameras, you can use the Live Focus option, then the phone will take two pictures at the same time, you can see them below.

But the most important thing is that both during the shooting and after, you can blur the background to get a beautiful, artistic photo. See what it looks like.

For the user, this means that you are not limited to one lens, as on most other smartphones, you can take several shots at the same time and only then choose the one that you like best. Switching to the second lens also gives you 2x optical zoom. That is, you get a picture without loss in quality, there is no picture crumbling due to noise. Look at examples of such photographs.

Of course, the main lens shoots better at night, since its aperture is higher (f / 1.7 vs. f / 2.4). But if you remember that a few years ago, all flagships had f/2.4 lenses, it turns out that the quality of even a second wide-angle lens is excellent and also expands your creative possibilities.

A huge number of people believe that the most important thing in a smartphone is not at all additional settings, which give flexibility and the ability to customize it for any person, and the characteristics originally set by the manufacturer. In the case of a camera, this is a use case - point and shoot. Everything is fine with this in the Galaxy Note 8, as traditionally for Samsung, all user groups have been taken care of here. You can double-click the power button on the case and the camera will instantly boot up in less than a second. What's next? And then you just take pictures at any time, since the matrix is ​​equipped with DualPixel technology, it instantly focuses on objects, and you can take pictures, knowing that you will get a high-quality, sharp picture. There is no need to hold the camera and catch the scene, freeze, hold your breath. Everything works great and so. However, look at a few shots taken in this way, on the go and without any preparation. I have most of these photos, because in life the scenes are not waiting for you, but you just need to see them.

Photography is not difficult, but some people believe that if they bought a SLR camera, it should take breathtaking pictures without their participation, agreeing only to press the shutter. It’s a pity, but this is not happening yet, and in order for the pictures to turn out interesting, you need to understand what you are photographing, and most importantly, how. I'll give you an example. A friend of mine is a restaurant critic and she often photographs food, which was once considered bad manners by many people, but is now ubiquitous. Photos of dishes in professional shooting are often processed in such a way as to highlight the central part, darken the plate a little. The shooting scenario in 99% of cases is the same. The Galaxy Note 8 has special mode, choosing which, you will get just such vivid pictures of food.

And then there's a sports mode to capture fast moving objects, the ability to create animated GIFs from photos, and even use the main camera for selfies - the phone itself detects that you're looking into it and takes a picture!

Choosing the right mode is easy, of course, if you want to get the most out of it, and not just a photo in automatic mode. Another clue, very often when shooting outdoors, the sun interferes with us. This is where the HDR mode comes to the rescue, when a final result is obtained from several shots, where the lighting difference is compensated, and you see a beautiful picture. HDR works automatically, but if desired, you can turn it on so that it always works. You can see which bright pictures for Instagram are obtained with this mode.

But if, when shooting on a bright sunny day, you will see a difference with previous flagships Samsung, but it will not be stunning, it is quite another matter at night. Now the camera processes night scenes better, selects light sources and corrects the picture depending on them. Here you need to understand the peculiarity of the camera, it tries to make the picture as bright as possible, which can lead to noise. Someone likes to see everything, someone, on the contrary, wants to achieve a beautiful twilight. For the second, I recommend making exposure compensation at minus one or even minus two, this will allow you to achieve this effect.

Please note that the Galaxy Note 8 takes beautiful, saturated colors in the evening and night, that is, they are not faded, as on many other devices. This is a merit not only of the matrix, but also of the lens lenses.

Galaxy Note 8 camera turned out not just universal, it allows you to take pictures in any conditions. I'll give you an example. About five years ago, I didn’t even take out my phone at night or in difficult shooting conditions, because I knew that the quality of the photos would upset me. Then I began to try to do it, but the number of good shots was not great - how lucky. But on the Galaxy Note 8, in difficult conditions, the camera gives out most of the pictures in good quality, that is, you spend less effort to get everything right.

And for those who are not afraid to learn a little more, there is a Pro mode. In it, you can not only adjust each of the parameters yourself (focus, white balance, shutter speed and color gamut), but also achieve the maximum possible result. It is thanks to the Pro mode that the Galaxy Note 8 can be called a full-fledged camera that gives room for creativity.

Many manufacturers do not give their users such opportunities, as this is a lot of development time, and only a few use it. I confess honestly that manual mode I photograph only in difficult conditions and do not do it every day. But when I need to do it, there is simply no alternative, I can only get such a shot here or on other flagships from Samsung equipped with Pro mode.

Haven't said anything yet about another feature, dynamic focus mode, where you can control background blur and also get two shots (wide angle and normal). This mode is interesting for shooting portraits, you highlight a person. The shooting distance in this mode is from 1.2 meters.

It would be useful to say that the macro mode is historically very well implemented in Samsung smartphones. It is exactly the same here, the minimum shooting distance is about 10 centimeters, the ability to use even a second camera and get pictures that are unlikely on other devices. For example, look at how a spider is photographed, I am sure that many people like such pictures.

And I can also say that my children love to take pictures on Galaxy camera Note 8, because there are various stickers and you can turn yourself into anyone.

They work with both the main and front cameras. It's fun, but it's great for hanging out with friends when you're not just getting another photo from somewhere, but trying to convey an emotion. Here, of course, the question is how ready you are to use such effects. But if you do not need them, then you can not touch them, no one forces you to do this.

Nothing is said at all about the front camera, although it is present here, it has a resolution of 8 megapixels, it supports a bunch of enhancements (face color, eye size, skin tone, and others), which girls really like. And, of course, those very effects and drawings over the face. A good front camera, but in the Galaxy Note 8 you can and should use the main camera for this, since the manufacturer has done everything so that you have such an opportunity.

The last thing worth mentioning is video recording. Of course, 4K is supported, the picture is clear and colorful, several microphones located on the case work very well. There is slow motion. Look at the video recording examples below.

Ten years ago, the camera in a mobile phone had only one advantage over a full-fledged camera: it was always with you. Today, the camera in the Galaxy Note 8 sets the standard, the level of quality that allows you to do without an additional camera, and this is very, very good level. For most people, this quality of images is not just enough, but enough for the eyes. Moreover, for most users who did not have flagships at their disposal, such a camera will become the best camera which they have. My experience proves that shooting with a smartphone in various conditions is easy and simple, and people like the resulting pictures. They constantly ask: “Are these photos taken on a smartphone?”. It's interesting that this question has been raised in recent years, but the progress in cameras is such that it remains relevant today, people can't believe that cameras have evolved so much. And if you choose a smartphone only by the camera, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would be an unequivocal recommendation on my part. However, there is something to praise it for in other areas, which we will talk about separately. And to wrap up the camera story, here are some more shots that give an idea of ​​what the Galaxy Note 8 can do.

So how does the Note 8 work in practice?

We have good news and bad news: don't worry - the smartphone easily lasts a whole day without recharging, but what can frustrate users is battery life (which was worse than the Galaxy S8+). And these are not unfounded statements, but results supported by practical research.

So, for a battery test, we installed Galaxy display Note 8 to a brightness level of 200 nits (which looks bright enough when using a smartphone indoors) and left in this mode until the battery was completely discharged. Then we checked the testing of other smartphones in a similar way, and here are the results we got:

Working hours

According to Phonearena.com test

As we can see, the Note 8 battery lasted 7 hours and 50 minutes (not the best, but a good indicator). This value is above average, but it is clearly not up to last year's "explosive" record holder - Note 7 and slightly behind the Galaxy S8 +.

Compared to other competitors, the battery of the iPhone 7 Plus lasted 15% longer than that of the Note 8. The OnePlus 5 withstood about the same time range, not much outliving the Note 8. flagship smartphones(Google Pixel, LG G6 and others) showed lower battery life.

Charging time

Another indicative point in the battery life of a smartphone is the time it takes to charge it. In addition, the Galaxy Note 8 supports fast charging Samsung and comes with a special charger. It delivers high charging power without a proprietary cable, using standard USB-C.

Charging time (minutes)

Interestingly, despite the smaller battery capacity, the Note 8 takes slightly longer to recharge than the Galaxy S8+. For a 100% battery charge, it took him 1 hour and 42 minutes. And this is a much better indicator than the iPhone 7 Plus, which does not support the fast charging function and takes 3 hours and 17 minutes to 100% charge the battery.

Wireless charger

Galaxy Note 8 also supports wireless charging. To do this, he needs a separate wireless charger (not included as standard with the smartphone). Samsung offers consumers a stylish wireless charger (also works with Qi-enabled devices) that charges a smartphone on a beautiful docking station.

Please note that the Note 8 wireless charging feature is WPC and PMA compliant, allowing you to use a third party charger.

The good news is that in the first month of Note 8 sales, a wireless charger (Charge Wireless Charging Convertible, model number EP-PG950TBEGUS) is included as a bonus (varies by region). For everyone else- device available in retail priced at $90.

Keep in mind that you can charge the Note 8 battery with the new wireless charger in half the time than with previous Samsung chargers. But, if you don't want to spend a lot of money on a new gadget, you can always find slightly outdated, but still perfectly compatible with Note 8 wireless charging device from Samsung.

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Results Galaxy test The Note 8 outperformed everyone in our test: it's on this moment the largest, most expensive (the price tag is 69,990 rubles) and the most best smartphone Samsung company. At the same time, its dimensions compared to the Galaxy S8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus can still be called moderate. The real "highlights" of the device are a wonderful, frameless display, as well as a camera with two lenses and 2x zoom. We liked the new functionality S Pen stylus. As for the size of the built-in memory, here Samsung could have been a little more generous due to the high cost of the device. It’s also a pity that by the start of sales, only Android 7 works on the device, and not new android 8 Oreo. Benefits Incredibly elegant yet waterproof design Very large QHD AMOLED display Dual-lens camera and big amount additional features New, practical S Pen features Disadvantages Despite the high cost, only 64 GB of internal memory is difficult to reach the fingerprint scanner Center of gravity is too shifted upwards Only available with Android 7, not Android 8 at launch Samsung testing Galaxy Note 8 Value for money Average Overall ranking 1 out of 119 Value for money: 50 Performance and handling (35%): 99.9 Features (25%): 100 Battery (15%): 87.1 Display (15%): 93.9 Camera (10%): 96.9 Test ResultsTest Methods Rate 97% Editorial Rating-User RatingYou have already rated After a disaster with Galaxy batteries Note 7 waiting from new Galaxy Note 8 are very large. To avoid new problems, Samsung has reduced the battery capacity by 200 mAh compared to the previous model, that is, the battery capacity is now 3300 mAh.

The story with the battery of the new Note 8 is all the more surprising that even the minimally “smaller” Galaxy S8 Plus offers 3500 mAh. The above changes are also reflected in our online battery test results: the Galaxy Note 8 achieves a good 9 hours and 54 minutes, but the Galaxy S8 Plus can last more than one hour longer. Thanks to the support of fast charging technology, the battery is fully replenished in 113 minutes - that's fast.

An elegant smartphone is undeniably high-performance. The Galaxy Note 8, like the S8 and S8 Plus, is equipped with an eight-core Exynos 8895 processor, whose clock speed reaches a maximum of 2.3 GHz. Despite this "sameness", the Galaxy Note 8 proved to be slightly faster in our performance tests. In particular, it loaded and displayed a rather resource-intensive test web page in a remarkable 5.4 seconds (both S8 models took approximately 8.5 seconds). However, in Note 8, unlike the Galaxy S8, 6 GB is installed. random access memory, not 4 GB. It's hard to say whether more memory provides better performance, but in any case it allows you to look to the future with confidence.

Note 8 color options Galaxy Note 8 case: elegant yet waterproof

Note 8 received supremely elegant appearance, which we liked immediately, as soon as we took the device in hand. Despite all its elegance, thanks to the conformity protective standard IP86, the case is also waterproof. In hand mobile phone lies well, but with its 162 mm is very long. Not only is it now not very convenient, if at all, it fits in a pants pocket, but there is also a certain overweight of the upper part if you hold the smartphone by lower part when typing.

Placed next to the dual camera, the fingerprint scanner has moved a lot to the top. You need to hold the device at least in the middle to reach the sensor with your finger. Since so many users hold their smartphones closer to the bottom, this can be somewhat inconvenient. We had to grope for the sensor before we could use it. However, you can do without this scanner by using face recognition systems or an iris scanner to unlock your smartphone. Everything worked reliably on the device we tested. Although some users have proven that the face recognition system can be fooled using a printed image, we have not been able to reproduce this trick.

The iris scanner is safer, and thanks to the infrared sensor, it works even in complete darkness, but when using it, you need to keep your face directly in front of the phone (at a distance of about 25 cm). If you use the face recognition system, you can keep yourself more at ease - it works even with a slight tilt of the head, loose hair, wearing headphones and even glasses - we have all tried it.

Display: frameless and QHD resolution

Display: boundless splendor

The main attention in the novelty attracts, of course, the so-called "Infinity"-display with ultra-wide (2960x1440 pixels) resolution and 6.3-inch diagonal. Fonts, symbols and images look extremely sharp on the display, with rich and vibrant colors typical of AMOLED technology. The screen displays about 150 percent color space standard RGB and in manual mode is able to reach a good maximum brightness of approximately 484 cd / m2. But even with automatic regulation, it switches to “turbo mode” of brightness when direct sunlight hits the corresponding sensor. In this case, with more than 700 cd / m2, the display starts to glow so brightly that there are no problems with reading the content at all.

Other models of the Galaxy family from Samsung operate in a similar way. Compared to the S8 and S8 Plus, however, we're aiming for a slightly lower checkered contrast ratio (hardly noticeable).

In short: a frameless large display visually gives a smartphone a lot and really pleases the eye. But such a large AMOLED panel has another advantage: you can use two applications at the same time with each other at once, for example, WhatsApp and Google Maps side by side. But the “Splitscreen” function does not work with every application.

Splitscreen on screen: practical, but limited by the number of apps that support it

Camera Note 8: two lenses and 2x zoom Samsung has also worked hard on the camera of its novelty. Note 8 was the first smartphone from this manufacturer with a dual camera, and with an optical image stabilizer for each lens. The main matrix works with a "fast" maximum aperture value of F1.7. In combination with the second matrix, you can smoothly blur the background so that the object located in the center of the image seems to move to the foreground. A similar function is already available in smartphones such as the iPhone 7 Plus or OnePlus 5, but not with such a fine gradation of blur intensity. During testing, everything worked very smoothly, our tester really "promoted" to the fore.

We also liked the 2x “optical” zoom with F2.4 aperture. Since both sensors work with lenses of different focal lengths, the tele-sensor allows you to shoot scenes at 2x magnification with very good quality. The results are convincing: compared to digital zoom pictures taken with a standard lens, the image quality is significantly higher. Who wants to take a picture of distant objects, he must touch the small symbol "2x" on the display. However, a “regular” lens, compared to one that enlarges images, allows you to get even more beautiful pictures.

When tested within the walls of our laboratory, photographs taken both in daylight and at dusk turned out to be convincing. In fact, their quality is at the same high level as in the Galaxy S8. The best quality in low light, however, is achieved by the HTC U11, which, in this regard, can be said to play in a league of its own.

Infinitely adjustable background blur: very smooth operation during the test

Improved S Pen: Smart stylus functions

What makes Galaxy Note a real Note? That's right, stylus. Thus, the Note 8 also has an "electronic pen" that you can completely hide in the case. It does, however, leave a somewhat plastic feeling, and its small activation button is not very convenient. Here we would like to see a better accessory.

Samsung has integrated new features that are partly familiar to us from Tablet Tab S. For example, one of these features is called "Screen off Memo". With it, you can take handwritten notes right on the lock screen, for example, make a shopping list or mark items already in the basket on it. In addition, such notes immediately catch your eye as soon as you pick up your smartphone. Another one interesting feature is a real-time translation. So, you can translate individual words and whole sentences over which you hold the tip of the S Pen. Although the feature is quite interesting, the translation quality of the sentences is not excellent. In addition, this small stylus must be held above the screen for more than one moment - the system could work faster.

Live translation: Note 8 translates entire phrases

Cost and accessories: only for the well-to-do

Note 8 is the most expensive mobile phone from Samsung: you will have to shell out about 70 thousand rubles. Such a price tag can make an impressive hole in the budget. Therefore, it can be considered reasonable to think that if the user is able to live without the S Pen and dual camera, then in the face of the Galaxy S8 Plus, he will be able to find an alternative that is not worse, but much more affordable. By the way, along with the regular version, Samsung also sells a model with Dual-SIM support.

Anyone who pre-orders before September 21st will receive a Samsung Dex docking station for free. Otherwise, you will have to pay extra for it later. Wherein we are talking about a device that is not an inductive charger, but that makes it possible to use the phone as a desktop computer. This approach makes sense primarily for games, for example, if you want to play at home on big screen. Working with office applications will also be much more convenient.

Golden case: fits the immodest price tag of almost 70 thousand rubles.

Specifications Note 8 Display: 6.3 inches, 2960 x 1440 pixels (QHD)

Dimensions, weight: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm, 195 grams

Display type: AMOLED, frameless

Processor: Exynos 8895 10nm octa-core 64bit 2.3GHz RAM: 6GB

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 test results Samsung Galaxy Note 8 specifications and test results Value for money 50 OS when testing Android 7.1.1 with Samsung Experience 8.1 UX Current OS Android 7.1.1 Is Android 8 OS update planned App Store Weight 195g Length x Width 163 x 75 mm; Thickness 8.8mm; Design reviewed excellent Reviewed performance reviewed very good Download speed: PDF 800 KB over WLAN 2.5 s Download speed: main chip.de over WLAN 0.4 s Download speed: chip.de test chart over WLAN 5.4 s Quality sound ( Speakerphone) good Processor Samsung Exynos 9 Octa 8895 Processor architecture CPU frequency 2.300 MHz Number of CPU cores 4+4 RAM 6.0 GB Battery: capacity 3.300 mAh Battery: easily removable - Battery: surfing time 9:54 h:min Battery : charging time 1:53 h:min Quick charge function yes charger and quick charge cable included Battery: discharge time / charge time 5.3 Wireless charging function yes WLAN 802.11 n, ac Voice over LTE LTE: frequencies 800, 1.800, 2.600 MHz LTE: Cat. 4 up to 150 Mbps LTE: Cat. 6 up to 300 Mbps LTE: Cat. 9 up to 450 Mbps LTE: Cat. 12 to 600 Mbps Screen: OLED type Screen: 6.3" diagonal Screen: Dimension in mm 71 x 144 mm; Screen: resolution 1.440 x 2.960 pixels Screen: dot density 521 ppi Screen: max. Brightness in dark room 483.5 cd/m² Screen: Checkerboard contrast ratio in bright room 42:1 Screen: Checkerboard contrast ratio in dark room 143:1 Camera: Resolution 12.2 megapixels Camera: Measured resolution 1,489 line pairs Camera: Expert evaluation of picture quality very good Camera: noise VN1 1.8 VN1 Camera: minimum focal length 4.3 mm; Camera: minimum shooting distance 6 cm; Camera: Auto focus shutter time 0.76 s Camera: Optical stabilizer yes Camera: Auto focus yes Camera: LED flash Video resolution 3.840 x 2.160 pixels Front-camera: Resolution 8.0 megapixels LED indicator yes (multicolor) Radio receiver - SIM type Nano-SIM Dual SIM- Protection against dust and moisture (certificate IP) IP68 Fingerprint scanner yes Available to the user Memory 53.1 GB Memory card slot Yes Connector USB Type-C-USB 3.1 Bluetooth 5 NFC yes Headphone output 3.5mm; HD Voice yes SAR 0.34 W/kg Firmware version when testing NMF26X. N950FXXU1AQH9 Test date 2017-09-11