Galaxy Note 4 Explained: Camera features

How about that camera on the Galaxy Note 4, right? It doesn’t matter if you like it objectively or subjectively. If you like to take photos with your smartphone (or a phablet), you will like the 16 MP(Megapixel) rear camera and Fast AF(Auto Focus) with Smart OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) of the Galaxy Note 4. And if that sounds good, then you will really like the camera features of the Galaxy Note 4 we are about to explain.

First, let’s start with the Selfie (or wefie) optimized features

It is obvious that Samsung wanted to address people’s need for a better front-facing camera on their mobile devices with the Galaxy Note 4. Samsung has not only increased the megapixel, but also significantly improved the angle of the front-facing camera to 90 degrees, from the previous 77.

“If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever.” Yes, this is what Ellen DeGeneres said when she posted, arguably, one of the most epic selfies at last year’s Academy Award. As her comment suggests,  one of the most frustrating things about taking a selfie for many people has been the limited angle you get with the front-facing camera.

Therefore, Samsung decided to develop the ‘Wide Selfie’ mode, which is basically the ‘Panorama mode for selfies’. With the 120 degrees of camera angle of the ‘wide selfie’ mode, you can take selfies as if you have a 1-meter-long arm. On a side note, the engineers of the feature told us they took thousands of selfies to know how the movement of wrists and arms affect selfies. (yikes!)

Wait, there are more Selfie features

Selfies aren’t always about just getting angles. You want the selfie to come out just as great as how you actually look and you want it to be easier to take. That is why the Galaxy Note 4 has the features listed below:

Beauty Face

An enhanced version of the one from Galaxy S5. It automatically recognizes your face, its features and outlines and enhances the image by smoothing and brightening your skin tone (and some other secret recipes). You can control the degree of brightness.

HRM Sensor

The front-facing camera of the Galaxy Note 4 lets you take selfies using your heart rate monitor sensor. So you don’t need to awkwardly force your finger back to the front of the screen. And check this out – you don’t need to press anything. All you have to do is gently place your finger on the sensor and take it off. So you’re less likely to shake the phone by having to press a physical button, so it’s less likely for you to end up with a blurry selfie. Yeah, we told you the engineers took thousands of pictures to check everything – their fingers had something to do with this idea 😉

▲Using HRM Sensor to take a selfie

Rear-Cam Selfie

It lets you take selfies more easily with the rear camera. The camera will automatically detect and focus on your face when you are taking a self-portrait.

▲Rear-Cam Selfie Mode

Engineer-recommended Rear Camera features

If you’re one of the people who just don’t care about a million camera modes and just want to point and shoot without having to worry about anything, that’s fine. The Galaxy Note 4 Camera features only the basic, frequently used functions on the screen and hides the rest.

But, there are actually many Noteworthy camera modes that might change your mind. It’s not just us at Samsung Tomorrow that recommend the camera features below; Samsung Tomorrow had a chat with the developers engineers of the Galaxy Note 4 camera of the Galaxy Note 4 also, and they highly recommend the following features. So feel free to try out every single feature to see how you can work with it.

Virtual Tour

You can create an interactive virtual tour of your surroundings, expecially good when you are traveling and want to capture more vivid memories.

Dual Camera

You can take pictures and record videos using the front and rear cameras at the same time, to create a picture-in-picture shot. You can switch between the front and rear camera to control which picture appears in the smaller shot. Therefore, it is recommended when someone in the group is taking a group portrait.

Sequence Shot (Downloadable feature)

It captures every movement of your subject. It is highly recommended for athletes, such as golfers, who want to improve their posture.

Oh yeah, there is also a feature called ‘food’, which makes photos of food look more delicious.

The tech behind the bang

Galaxy Note 4 has a monster 16MP image sensor on the rear camera, a 3.7MP one for the front. It also features an F1.9 lens, which is 60% brighter than the F2.4 lens on its predecessor. A nice combination for better pictures. So, what else makes this special? 

▲Galaxy Note 4 Camera – Basic Setting Layout

Advanced Digital Zoom

With the improved clarity and accuracy, Galaxy Note 4 has significantly improved the digital zoom function. You can zoom up to x8.

Smart OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer)

Smart Optical Image Stabilizer that counter-balances camera shake and automatically extends exposure time in dark settings. It significantly reduces dark and blurry pictures or shaky video.

Fast AF (Auto Focus)

Just like the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4 supports Fast AF. Fast auto-focus of the Galaxy Note 4 lets you capture moving objects by helping you focus on the object before it disappears or goes away. So you have better odds in capturing, say, a running cat rather than half a blurry furry leg.

▲Joshua Cho (left, Principal Engineer, Camera Development) and Changhyun Chun (Manager, Product Planning)

We will close out our segment of Galaxy Note 4 Explained: Camera by reminding you that you can also record video in UHD with the Galaxy Note 4. The advanced specifications and the features of the camera of the Galaxy Note 4 give you so much freedom in terms of the kind of photos you can take. Which one is your favorite feature of the camera of the Galaxy Note 4? Leave us a comment to let us know. Thanks!

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.