Amongst the list of upgrades that the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 received, one of them is the new camera array. The main sensor got a big upgrade to a 50MP sensor with a top-of-the-line autofocusing system and an OIS built-in.
Then, the telephoto camera also got a big upgrade from a very basic 2x telephoto to a 3x telephoto camera. That might not sound like much but the increment of an entire magnitude actually makes a tangible difference.
Let’s take a look at how the camera works. I have also used the Galaxy Z Fold4’s Flex Mode for the camera and placed the entire phone on the table so that it acts as a makeshift tripod. Because of the Galaxy Z Fold4’s unique ability to become a tripod, my biggest complaint about the Galaxy Z Fold3 was the camera sensor. We could do so much more with this form factor of a device – and I’m glad Samsung listened.
Let’s use this LEGO nutcracker as our subject of the day. As you can see, we placed it about 50cm away and we can take the shot pretty well. We can already see that the details are fantastic with that new 50MP sensor already. Best of all, we can even capture the image in 50MP mode so that we can crop it even further.
However, we do want to zoom sometimes as the entire view of field changes and creates a more classic “professional portrait” look. As you can see, the 3x zoom really brings the subject a lot closer even though I never moved the phone at all.
Since the Galaxy Z Fold4 has a native 3x optical zoom, the details are sharp and crisp.
I also have no idea what kind of sorcery Samsung did to the telephoto camera too. Usually, on previous Samsung phones, I tend to lock it into the exact optical zoom value. If the phone has a 2x or 3x or 5x optical zoom lens, I’ll use those values instead of anything else. On the Galaxy Z Fold4, for whatever reason, even if I zoom at 12x or something, the picture still looks good. Take a look at some of the shots I’ve taken too.
I also want to highlight that between all the 3 cameras, the white balance is excellently consistent.
Back to the Flex Mode for a moment – there are some integrations with the software and the camera viewfinder goes up to the top of the screen by default and the camera controls go to the side.
Then, the empty place becomes a camera roll. If we snap some shots, it shows up at the camera roll. In a way, it acts as a comparison view between what we’re going to shoot and what we shot previously.
Depending on the situation and how you want to view the images, you can swap the position between the camera roll and the viewfinder with just the tap of a button. I find myself using this mode more often as I want to frame the subject in a different way.
You can also use that fantastic 50MP rear-facing camera to take selfies too. Just tap on the button and the cover display becomes your viewfinder. It’s a bit difficult to be using it in handheld mode but it works. Or you can just place it on the table, then use the multitude of ways Samsung has to take a picture remotely – either through the hand gesture or by saying “cheese”.
Thing is – I really do enjoy taking pictures with the Galaxy Z Fold4. Yes, it is definitely not the company’s best when compared to the Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example. But that’s okay. In many ways, I do prefer taking pictures with the Galaxy Z Fold4 because of its Flex Mode. Plus, viewing pictures taken on a larger screen is definitely a huge boon over conventional slab phones.
And because of the phone’s thickness, taking videos with it is also more ergonomic since it’s easier to grip.
Take full advantage of the device
There are many more ways to use the device besides photography. As what we’ve shown in our previous video where we talk about the multitasking capabilities, the new integration with Android 12L brings the taskbar – and that improves productivity multiple folds (pun intended) compared to previous One UI versions.
Check out that video here:
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