Samsung has announced its latest smartphone in its Note series – the Galaxy Note 8 just recently. It’s the first ever smartphone, Samsung has ever put on a dual-camera configuration. It’s the dual 12-megapixel rear camera we are talking about here.
Rumors even speculated the dual-camera setup for previous Galaxy S8 until it was announced with the standard camera module. Later the rumor mil shifted its gear and started about the same for Galaxy Note 8 as well. This time Samsung made them true and finally unveiled the Galaxy Note 8 with Dual 12-megapixel rear camera.
Manufacturers like Huawei and Apple have already jumped into the dual-camera bandwagon. Samsung, with Galaxy Note 8, has not gone something differently with the dual-camera configuration as it’s more like the Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus approach. The features, however, are more closer to the ones provided by Huawei.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 features two 12-megapixel cameras on the back. One has a 12MP Dual Pixel AF sensor with a wide-angle f/1.7 aperture lens and optical image stabilization. The other camera module has a standard 12MP sensor, a telephoto f/2.4 aperture lens, also with optical image stabilization.
This dual-camera module in Galaxy Note 8 supports 2x optical zoom (thanks to the telephoto lens) and up to 10x digital zoom. On the front there is an 8MP front-facing camera with autofocus capability and has a larger f/1.7 lens aperture.
Camera samples are after the break – skip to camera samples.
Live Focus
Samsung’s first dual camera on Galaxy Note 8 offers “Live Focus” feature, that allows you to adjust the background blur while you aim for a shot. In addition, if don’t like the final shot, the feature also offers to readjust the background blur even after you have taken a shot.
Well, that’s not something we haven’t seen already. Refocus capability has been there for quite a long since Nokia’s Lumia smartphones. With dual-camera configuration, Huawei first introduced the feature as bokeh mode in its Huawei P9 which has now been improved onward to feature as “aperture mode” in the later models including Mate 9 and Huawei P10.
Dual OIS – Optical Image Stabilization in both Cameras
Sure it’s something what’s needed to take steady still shots and to stabilize the shaky video footage. In addition, the OIS helps camera to perform much better in low-light conditions while using lower shutter speeds and reducing camera-shake problems. Featuring both the cameras in dual-cam configuration with the OIS is worth advertising.
Optical image stabilization is also there since the days of Nokia Lumia 920 from 2013. Those weren’t the days when dual-camera configuration came into power smartphones. But when they did, cameras weren’t featured with OIS. Recently Huawei added the optical stabilization in its Huawei P10 but only one camera of the duo featured it. Now that’s where Samsung had to note it down as both of the rear cameras in its Galaxy Note8 feature optical image stabilization.
Telephoto Lens
This is what Apple gave in the iPhone 7 Plus to support a fixed optical zoom capability, simply by adding a telephoto lens on top of one of the cameras. Galaxy Note8 features similar configuration with its dual 12-megapixel rear cameras. One of the camera feature a telephoto lens (2x zoom lens) that allows you to capture a photograph at 2x zoom level optically. The camera, however, offers additional 10x digital zoom.
Dual Capture
While you’re focused on taking a Live focus photo, Dual Capture photographs what’s happening outside the frame. Following shot is an example with the Dual Capture, taking 2x zoomed shot, the full wide shot was also shot.
Official Camera Samples of Galaxy Note 8
I believe you want to see the sample camera shots taken with Galaxy Note 8. Here they are and sure they are impressive. No wonder, companies show some really good shots to advertise for a camera. Some even do a little post-processing. But considering these images straight-out-of the Galaxy Note 8, are way ahead of the competition. These shots can easily beat any leading smartphone camera. Watch for your self and do let us know about your thoughts.
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