Samsung has once again set the standard for smartphone cameras in terms of both hardware and software with the Galaxy Note8 – the first smartphone with two 12MP rear cameras with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) on both the wide-angle and telephoto lenses.

With 2X optical and up to 10X digital zooming capabilities, images are crisp and clear, even when shot at far distances or in low lighting conditions. Furthermore, new Live Focus and Dual Capture features give users added creative control over their images.

The Dual Camera—What It Is and Why It Matters

Like its name suggests, a dual camera is made up of two separate cameras and their respective image sensors that work in a complimentary way to each other.

Generally, one camera functions more or less like a normal camera, capturing color images in the same way most typical smartphone cameras do. The second camera, meanwhile, aims to add elements that can’t be captured with the primary sensor. When a user takes a photo, the camera captures two separate images. It is the combination of both of these images that produces a clear, high-quality photograph with a greater depth of field.

Correspondingly, the dual camera of the Galaxy Note8 utilizes both the phone’s rear wide-angle lens and telephoto lens simultaneously to produce optimal results.

What’s Zoom Got to Do With It?

With 2X optical and 10X digital zooming capabilities, the dual camera of the Galaxy Note 8 is able to capture clear, high-quality close-up shots.

This is because its telephoto lens uses the optics of the camera, or the optical zoom, to make the subject appear closer without enlarging any portion of the in the way that a digital zoom does. In doing so, the optical zoom produces professional-looking images without losing quality, even if the subject is far away. So, for instance, if taking a picture of a band during a concert, a user can use the camera of the Galaxy Note8 to zoom in to see the details on the stage.

Photos That Stand Out From the Rest

In addition to its zooming capabilities, the dual camera, with its fast F1.7 wide-angle lens with Dual Pixel technology and F2.4 telephoto lens, quickly and accurately pinpoints the subject the user is focusing on, and thus is able to capture sharper and brighter shots even in low light environments.

Also, with dual OIS, users can get crisp, focused images in all lighting conditions, even when they’re shooting with an unsteady hand.

Additional new Galaxy Note8 camera features also give users creative license to produce unique photographs that stand out from the rest.

For example, with Live Focus, users can adjust the bokeh effect – the aesthetic quality of the blur produced in the out-of-focus parts of an image – to change the depth of field of a shot. Users can control the intensity of the overall blur effect and apply it before taking the image in preview mode, or after capturing the photo in the Gallery app.

While many users prefer to make their subjects stand out by blurring the scenery around them, sometimes the background is just as important, such as when photographing a loved one in front of a famous world landmark. In Dual Capture mode, both the phone’s rear wide-angle and telephoto lenses work simultaneously to capture two separate images. Users can then access both zoomed-in and wide-angle versions of the shot from the Gallery.

The Galaxy Note8 is also equipped with an industry-leading F1.7 8MP autofocus front-facing camera for sharp selfies and video chats. Its bright lens keeps details clear even in low light, while Smart Auto Focus tracks the faces in the shot.

Incorporating Samsung’s best-in-class dual camera, with dual OIS on both lenses, along with new Live Focus and Dual Capture features, the Galaxy Note8 is the ultimate device for taking photos that are crisp, clear and capture special moments in the way users want to remember them.