Buzz
Galaxy A5 2017 emerges as the most captivating model in this year's A-Series lineup. Despite its slightly smaller screen size and battery capacity compared to A7 2017, it boasts identical specifications and features to its larger sibling but comes with a much more affordable price tag.
1. In-depth review of Galaxy A5 2017 camera: Excellent daytime shots, significant HDR improvements
Galaxy A5 2017 is undoubtedly the highlight of this year's A-Series lineup. Despite its smaller screen size and battery capacity compared to A7 2017, it boasts identical specifications and features to its larger sibling but comes with a much more appealing price tag.
Impressive technical specifications
The camera is one of the most notable upgrades on the Galaxy A5 2017. It features a pair of 16MP front and rear cameras, both with an f/1.9 aperture, utilizing the same ISOCELL S5K3P8 image sensor. The main camera supports phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and has a slightly smaller focal length (27mm) than the previous generation, which allows for wider shots in tight spaces. The absence of optical image stabilization (OIS) technology seems to have little impact on the overall shooting experience and image quality.
New Photo Capture App
Galaxy A5 2017 comes with the new Grace UX interface replacing TouchWiz. Therefore, the photo capture app on Galaxy A5 2017 undergoes a complete transformation compared to older Samsung models. The new photo capture interface is designed to be sleek and intuitive by eliminating cluttered details. Below the screen, there are only photo capture, video recording, and photo gallery buttons, while the top edge removes many quick setting icons in favor of a settings button, flashlight toggle, and quick switch between two cameras.
When swiping from the right edge, color filters and beauty effects will appear, while swiping from the left edge will reveal shooting modes including Auto, Panorama, Hyperlapse, Night, HDR, Food, and Pro mode for customizing ISO, EV, and white balance. Additionally, users can download additional photo capture features if desired from the Galaxy Apps application.
To quickly activate the camera, users can double-press the home button, and this action also works in the photo capture interface, allowing users to switch between front and rear cameras rapidly. This is the advantage that helps users capture beautiful moments without wasting time booting up the camera.
Quality of Rear Camera Photos
Under adequate lighting conditions, the focus, capture, and saving speed of Galaxy A5 2017 are very fast. Photos taken in this environment have a wide dynamic range, high detail, vibrant color reproduction, and appear slightly more vivid than reality. Especially, thanks to the wide aperture, the device can blur backgrounds quite well when capturing close-ups.
The HDR photo quality of Galaxy A5 2017 has been greatly improved compared to the 2016 generation. The images are well-balanced in brightness, high in detail, with accurate colors and natural tones. However, Samsung still hasn't addressed the issue of slow photo saving when shooting HDR.
Low-light photo quality on Galaxy A5 2017 is decent, with good noise control, high detail, accurate reproduction of cool tones, but conversely, warm tones appear somewhat dull. The night mode feature proves useful in brightening images and improving details. In low-light environments, focus speed, capture, and photo saving on Galaxy A5 2017 are still quite fast. However, due to the removal of the optical image stabilization (OIS) system, photos are prone to blurring if the hand shakes.
Comparison of photos taken in auto mode and Night mode:
High-quality Selfie Camera
The selfie camera on Galaxy A5 2017 has been significantly upgraded with a 16MP resolution ISOCELL sensor and a large f/1.9 aperture, resulting in brighter photos. Samsung still maintains beauty features from the previous generation including skin smoothing, big eyes, slim face, and wide-angle selfies.
Furthermore, to meet the demand for selfies, the company has integrated the Retina Flash feature for the device, using light from the screen to enhance lighting when taking selfies at night. The photo quality from the front camera of A5 2017 is quite natural, with smooth skin, wide angle of view, and especially the ability to create a slight bokeh effect. However, when taking selfies in low light conditions, photos are prone to blurring and loss of focus, and face detection speed is slower than usual.
