Samsung Galaxy S4 Camera Review

Years ago, people either bought an iPhone or “android." Verizon’s marketing power, those insane robot ads, and maybe that just-close-enough naming convention made the carrier's Android phones virtually synonymous with their operating system. The hardware is definitely the lowest point of the S4, it feels ridiculously cheap in hand, especially switching from the DNA. Though running an overclocked kernel and a custom rom, the phone is amazing. Nothing like being overclocked to 2.1 ghz and STILL get 15+ hours out of the phone with heavy use.

Considering the Active is built to support underwater shooting,Samsung has absolutely packed its camera full of new and existing features, and I'll admit that I had more fun testing them all out than I imagined I would. When it comes down to it, though, my smartphone photography needs are simple. I want to whip open the camera app and take a really good picture or video, fast.The camera may be the main reason you'd consider this phone over the original Galaxy S 4. While the Active does offer a unique Aqua mode for capturing stills underwater, it sports an 8MP camera with LED flash and 4X digital zoom, compared to 13 megapixels on the GS4's shooter. Regarding UI differences between this guy and the OG Galaxy S 4, well, there really aren't many. Both phones use a right-hand shortcut bar that includes toggles for flash, microphone and video mode. The GS4 does offer night-detection mode, which the Active lacks, while the latter includes a shortcut to the timer. Jump into the full settings menu on each device, though, and the only real discrepancy you'll notice is a video stabilization option for the original GS4.

We were at home rather than in some exotic locale while reviewing this phone, so instead of capturing sea turtles and tropical fish in their native habitats, we took this guy for a spin in an indoor pool (uninspired, we know). Samsung's included Aqua mode disables the Active's touchscreen and uses the volume rocker for the camera / video-record button. This mode only works for the rear-facing 8MP camera, though, so you'll still have to tap the display for underwater selfies. Our sample images looked reasonably clear, and colors appeared accurate. Keeping the camera steady while it's submerged can be tricky, though; some of our first shots and videos turned out a bit out of focus.

It's actually Samsung's experience with dedicated cameras that make shooting photos with the GS4 so nice. The company borrowed a lot of the GS4's camera software from the Galaxy Camera, a concept car of sorts that clearly informed its ability to build a great cameraphone. The interface is much improved over the S III, from the scrolling Mode dial to the one-press capture of either stills or video. It's also simple and fast, two things many cellphone cameras are not.