Tag Archives: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Samsung Galaxy S7 Camera – Testing the dual pixel focus system at 70mph

March 16, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech NewsCamera, high speed, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Samsung claim the dual pixel focus system is super fast. In my tests this is certainly the case. So how does it do at 70mph.

The below shots are shot behind a windscreen too.

The new multi million pedestrian and cyclist bridge built over the M5 that cost far too much money and a bridge that isn’t used that often.

The road sign is in relative focus. So a few shots at very high speed that seem to work well. I did take several more of the same sections and they all were similar in focus.

The final shot was a typical sunny day. This is where the 12mp shows its weakness. A 16mp sensor from the Note 5 or similar would reveal more detail when cropped.

Just as an update in case you missed the fix from yesterday, but predominately my S7 Edge camera was failed yesterday and wouldn’t take any photos until I discovered the solution. If you get this error message it should be because you have Smart Stay optioned enabled. This can be found in the main settings app, under Display, Smart Stay. Toggle this off for the time being until Samsung releases a fix for the conflict. If you turned Smart Stay off, and are still getting problems can you please get in touch.

So I've tried everything. Can't get the camera back to life. #S7Edge disappointment. pic.twitter.com/GoW1K8gGNq

— Gavin Fabiani-Laymond (@gavinsgadgets) March 15, 2016

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Camera Shootout – All 7 Parts Plus My Final Verdict on the S7 Camera

March 16, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech News5 part review, camera shootout, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Below are links to all 8 parts of my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge camera review, comparison and shootout with the Apple iPhone 6S Plus.

Part 1 – Samsung S7 Edge vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus

Part 2 – Burst, Macro and Auto Mode Shots

Part 3 – Handling the Sun, Panoramic, Macro and Selective Focus

Part 4 – Random Camera Shots to Admire

Part 5 – Apple iPhone 6S Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Night and Low Light using the best apps on each platform

Part 6 – More Random Shots from the S7 Edge Camera

Part 7 – Shooting and Fast Focusing at 70mph

Part 7a – Handheld Night Shots

Next week will be a post on RAW quality along with my ultimate review including the audio quality. Due to the issues with the camera failing, my final views will be postponed until next week. This will allow me time to examine raw quality too.

Update – Shooting in RAW

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Handheld Night Shots

March 15, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech Newshand held night shots, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

After yesterday’s night shots, I got asked for some examples of the camera at night without the use of a tripod. So here we go.

I had to use the Pro mode to reproduce the actual level of darkness. See below.

So that’s how dark it really is. Now for auto mode. Makes the shot much lighter. See below.

And finally a hand held shot of the church to compare with yesterday’s post. This was shot in auto.

Again it was really much darker.

As a comparison below is handheld shot from default camera app on the iPhone 6S Plus.

Using pro mode here’s an arty shot of the sunset over dartmoor.

So do the handheld shots from the S7 change your view on its camera quality ?

Apple iPhone 6S Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Low Light & Night Camera Shootout – Be Surprised

March 14, 2016Android, Apple, Reviews, Tech NewsApple iPhone 6S plus, camera low light, Comparison, night shots, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

This is my final part of my camera shootout / comparisons with the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge camera. This is the part that surprised me the most. The photos were taken just before light disappeared and then at night. All shots were on a tripod.

For these tests I used the best apps on iOS to help the Apple iPhone 6S. Sadly not a single third party app on android works yet with the new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge camera.

iPhone 6S – ISO 200 1/4s – Default Camera App

Same shot but using LowLightMode+ on ProCamera+ for iOS which combines upto 64 exposures into 1.

ProCamera+ makes a huge difference, so now it’s time to try Nightcap Pro for iOS. See below. Nightcap Pro does a great job too.

Ok so now over to the Samsung Galaxy S7. First shot below is in auto. It chooses an ISO 1250 and a shutter of 1/10s. However, I imagine it’s done multiple exposures as the noise level seems low.

So now to using the Pro mode in the S7 Edge. Shot below is ISO 100 and a 2s exposure.

So same ISO 100 but now 4s in Pro Mode for the Samsung S7 Edge.

So let’s go back to the iPhone 6S Plus. It’s a lot darker now.

The default iPhone camera app picks ISO 160 and 1/4s exposure for the shot below. It’s really dark now and the default camera app shows it that way.

So next I tried ProCamera+ for the same shot. See below. And it does a much better job.

So it’s only fair to now try Nightcap Pro for iOS for the same shot again. This was a 22s exposure.

Ok so that was the iPhone. Now let’s switch back to the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. Below is auto mode. Now remember it was getting darker all the time so the S7 always had the short straw. In full auto it was too dark so I just used Pro Mode. Shots are in order of exposures at 100 ISO. First 1s, then 2s and finally 4s.

And now 2s. See below.

And finally 4s. See below.

Ok let’s try some light trails. First up iPhone 6S Plus using Nightcap Pro. Light trails cannot be done using the iOS default camera app.

And now let’s try with the Samsung Galaxy S7 using Pro Mode. See below.

Right let’s try a night shot with strew lamps. First up the iPhone 6S Plus. Using the default camera app, ISO 1,600 and a 1/4s exposure is selected. Shot below.

Let’s try ProCamera+. Shot below. As you can see it does a better job in its lowlight+ mode.

And finally on the iPhone I used Nightcap Pro. Shot below.

So let’s switch back to the S7 Edge. In auto mode it choose ISO 1,600 and 1/7s. Shot below.

I didn’t use Pro Mode as it started to rain so I had to abort. But I don’t like the yellow effect from the S7 auto shot. Also when zooming in the details were not as good as those from the iPhone.

So which phone is your winner and why?

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Fresh Photos just off the Camera Today – Updated with more shots

March 13, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech Newscamera shots, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

The photos below were just snapped with the S7 Edge a short while ago.

It really is a lovely day on Dartmoor today.

George and Fury zig zagging. Or something. Not sure really but they were both charging around.

And here is George with his tongue. Fury and Tiggy are playing in the background.

A lovely shot of Fury. She looks wet and muddy 🙂

This is the view at the moment. Stunning.

And lastly here’s Tiggy, also wet and muddy 🙂

And now for some macro shots just taken a few minutes ago.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Random Camera Shots – Part 4

March 12, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech Newscamera shots, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Below are just a few quick camera shots from the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I have been asked what sensor my S7 Edge has and it is the ISOCELL sensor. I am very happy with all these shots. It seems when sunlight has gone, the S7 Edge takes good quality photos.

Daffodil Macro

There were a few daffodils outside the pizza takeaway, so I took a quick shot.

Dartmoor Panoramic

I do like the stitched image of the panoramic shot. This is just before dusk, so the lighting was just starting to fade, with some fog appearing in the distance.

Cropped Image

I was driving along and saw this pony grazing by the road. I lowered my car window and took a quick snap. I then edited the shot to lose the road and focus on the pony. So long as the image is not too far away, there is plenty of detail for cropping. I was probably about 20 feet away from the pony.

Normal Random Shots

Another scenic shot of Dartmoor and then a bike that was also next to the pizza takeaway.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – 24 and 48 Hours – First Impressions

March 12, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech News24, 48 Hours, Review, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Below are my first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge after 24 and 48 hours.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – First Impressions after 24 Hours

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Impressions after 48 Hours

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Camera Shootout – Part 3

March 11, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech Newscamera shootout, part 3, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Welcome back to my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Camera Shootout Part 3. Scroll back to read Part 1 and Part 2.

In Part 3 I will be looking at some specific aspects of the camera. Firstly, how does the S7 Edge cope with sun flare and shooting directly in to the sun. I also added some shots from the Apple iPhone 6S Plus as a comparison. It is worth noting that you can record video with still photos and at the same time as snapping panoramic shots.

Sun Flare Shots

The first shot is from the iPhone 6S Plus and then from the S7 Edge. From my point of view the S7 Edge does a better job.

Another test. iPhone 6S Plus first then the S7 Edge.

Aiming at the Sun

Below is a shot from the S7 aiming directly at the sun itself. Rather impressive.

Selective Focus

This mode should not be ignored. You can create some really arty shots with this mode. Here the church cross becomes centre of attention with the background all blurred nicely.

Vertical and Horizontal Panoramas

Below are two panoramic shots from the S7 Edge.The speed of taking and saving these photos is super fast. Decent size outputs as well.

Close Up

And finally a close up shot of a headless tap.

Overall some good photos. Part 4 will be looking at low light and night shots. Long exposures in Pro mode will be used too to see what tricks can be pulled off by this phone. This will go live on Monday.

All I can say is the night and low light post on Monday is staggering and needs to be seen to be believed. For this post I did test the S7 Edge vs iPhone 6S Plus as well.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Day Two Impressions

March 11, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech NewsReviews, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Another 24 hours has whizzed along and my thoughts on the new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge have altered slightly.

I mentioned in my first impressions yesterday that I was having issues with the camera failing to open. Well since I swapped out the 200gb Sandisk Class 10 micro SD card for a 64gb Class 10 Sandisk micro SD card the problem has not arisen yet. However, in a conversation with Samsung Engineers, this is being widely reported as a problem and the solution is unknown currently. I was asked to return my phone for a replacement.

I have had more time with the camera and today posted some more shots. So far the camera has been fairly consistent but it does over saturate the shots, sometimes far too much. Last night I took a lot of photos in the dark and at dusk and did a comparison with the Apple iPhone 6S Plus. I need to pixel peep at these photos and by Monday I will have the 4th part of the Samsung S7 Edge comparison completed. The fourth part also used the Pro Mode with a tripod.

Battery life seems to be holding up well with at least five hours screen on time so far. The positives so far are the screen, the Gear VR experience, good audio quality via the headphone output and via bluetooth audio, the software tweaks made by Samsung and general usability. Overall everything works really well. The always on display is too bright and I have started to turn it off whilst watching TV. It is also poor for notifications as it only displays notifications from Samsung apps. So as a clock it works well.

This phone is a finger print magnet and I am keep having to wipe them off. It is also fairly slippery so a case is a must. Currently I am using a Samsung Official Clear Back cover case. I would rather have a leather back cover, but Samsung has not got these to market yet.

Another minor issue, but still something that happens, is unwanted screen taps, or activating the capacitive buttons by accident. There is just so little bezel.

I will be looking at the gaming options shortly and see if the phone really does stop notifications disturbing gameplay. I like the sound of the “game mode” and all the others aspects it provides.

I have owned nearly all the previous Samsung phones, but I do think so far based on my current usage that the S7 Edge is one of Samsung’s best. The flow between the gorgeous hardware and its software is so refined. However, it is about to face some really tough competition from a few new flagship releases so it will be interesting if it can still maintain its top ranking.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge – Camera Shootout – Part 2

March 10, 2016Android, Reviews, Tech Newscamera shootout, part 2, Review, Samsung Galaxy S7 edgeGavin Fabiani-Laymond

Yesterday, I published part 1 of my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge camera comparison which involved comparing the S7 Edge photos to those from the Apple iPhone 6S Plus.

So today I am going to look at shots taken on the S7 Edge and add some commentary. If you won’t to view the originals, click on the photo and select full size. Don’t forget to allow a bit of time for all the shots to appear.

Burst Shots

The two photos below are from a burst photo. Each vehicle was a separate burst. I actually ended up performing this test on 6 different cars but the results were identical. I wanted to see how many shots of the vehicle I could capture as a car drove passed in the frame of the S7 Edge. Worst case was 14 in focus shots of the vehicles up to 19. That’s right all the burst shots for each vehicle were in focus. As you can see it is not a bright day either. Really impressive.

Macro

The close up of the leaf is superb. Not much more to say other than if you recall yesterday was a day of strong winds so quick focusing was really needed!

Random Shots of St Michael’s Church, Meeth, Devon

Some random shots of the church. The colours are a little over saturated, except the gravestone was really that green!

Bull & Dragon Pub

The Bull & Dragon Pub is next door to the church literally. Here is the sign against a backdrop of awkward sky lighting. I like this photo.

Overall some good shots from the S7 Edge camera.

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