Samsung Galaxy Note 9 - photo and video function test
Is Samsung Galaxy Note 9 really the best among smartphones with the best camera? I checked it.
In order to check the quality of photos from the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 , I took it with me to Israel on the occasion of the trip. On the spot I used mainly the local SIM card, so I needed a second device. I also had the opportunity to take pictures in various conditions: from rainy Jerusalem to the sunny Masada. It also did not take great views 12 km over Turkey on the way back. If you are interested in the full Samsung Galaxy Note 9 test, I invite you to Marcin Połowianiuk's material. In this text, I am primarily interested in the quality of the pictures and films I have taken, and I focused on that.
https://youtu.be/pf1JDhUxTAg
Samsung Galaxy Note 9: two stabilized cameras with a resolution of 12 Mpix, 4K films and variable aperture.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 inherited a photo module from the Galaxy S9 Plus . And that means it has two cameras: one with a wide-angle lens and the other with a tele.
Both rear cameras have a resolution of 12 Mpix and are optically stabilized. The first one offers a 1 / 2.55-inch matrix with AF dual-pixel PDAF technology, which works with a lens with a focal length of 4.3 mm and a variable aperture f / 1.5-2.4. In turn, the second camera has a 1 / 3.6-inch diagonal sensor with a 6mm lens with f / 2.4 aperture. In the back, next to the lenses, we will also find a LED for highlighting photos. In the front we have a slightly poorer, single camera with a resolution of 8 Mpix and brightness f / 1.7.
[caption id = "attachment_862072" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] Zoom x1 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862075" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] Zoom x2 [/ caption]
The camera in Samsung Galaxy Note 9 can record movies in UHD 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 px) at 60 frames per second. There is also a slow motion mode, in which we have a speed of 960 fps in HD or 240 fps at Full HD.
An important point of the Galaxy Note 9 is also the screen. Tested smartphone offers a huge, up to 6.4-inch display with a resolution of 2960 x 1440 px (Quad HD +) and a color depth of 16M.
The shooting function is activated in several ways. Always efficiently and quickly.
You can press the single button on the right twice, press once, and then unlock the screen straight away to the camera function or simply by tapping the photo application after unlocking. What is very important, each time the camera starts instantly. Apart in the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 it works efficiently and quickly. Delicate delay is noticeable, although it is acceptable.
[caption id = "attachment_861943" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 2.4, 1/50 s, ISO 400 [/ caption]
The smartphone works great with automatic focusing. The AF system based on the dual-pixel PDAF technology works precisely and usually focuses in a fraction of a second. In semi-dark conditions, when there is very little light, he can think for a moment, but it's rather the norm, also in many cameras with exchangeable optics.
The camera is the same as the S9 Plus, but the pictures come out a bit better.
Although Note 9 has a technically identical photographic module as Galaxy S9 Plus, the manufacturer has managed to improve the software. As a result, the photos are more pleasant to receive.
[caption id = "attachment_861946" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 2.4, 1/50 s, ISO 80 [/ caption]
Samsung has so far offered quite saturated, and even supersaturated colors. In Galaxy Note 9 you can not see it - the photos have nice, vivid but quite natural colors. They are not exaggerated and artificial.
[caption id = "attachment_861949" align = "alignnone" width = "3024"] f / 1.4, 1/50 s, ISO 64 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861958" align = "alignnone" width = "3024"] f / 2.4, 1/100 s, ISO 40 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861997" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] f / 2.4, 1/1250 s, ISO 50 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862039" align = "alignnone" width = "1440"] f / 2.4, 1/1250 s, ISO 50 [/ caption]
It's right to say something about a smartphone. The Galaxy Note 9 is more intelligent, from the older brother S9 Plus.
Note 9 has the most advanced AI system, which is intended to recognize the scenery and set up the camera in an intelligent way to make the photos as good as possible. In practice, it works well, although not perfectly. The Galaxy Note 9 usually sets contrast, white balance and exposure very well. The smartphone can also see when someone in the picture closes their eyes or the cage is moved and immediately warns about it. It works, although not always.
[caption id = "attachment_862186" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] The camera can not always see that the person in the picture has his eyes closed. [/ Caption]
The quality of photos is the highest shelf among smartphones.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 offers very good photo quality for a smartphone. This is the absolute head. You can also see that it is quite good at noise. Of course, the pictures on the higher sensitivities have clear artifacts resulting from the work of the dehumidifying algorithm, but they have quite a neutral charater. If someone cares about the highest image quality, it is worth turning on the JPEG + DNG option, and then we get clean, unprocessed photos. On them, it can be seen that clear noise appears in principle only at ISO 800.
[caption id = "attachment_862174" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] JPEG, the originals can be downloaded HERE [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862177" align = "alignnone" width = "2132"] JPEG - 100% frame crops [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862171" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] The DNG originals can be downloaded HERE [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862180" align = "alignnone" width = "2132"] DNG - 100% frame crops [/ caption]
What gives a variable aperture?
Using the basic camera at the back, you can change the aperture value from f / 2.4 to f / 1.5. By default, the smartphone uses f / 2.4, so that the photos should be more detailed and clear. In practice, I do not see any difference in this respect.
[caption id = "attachment_862420" align = "alignnone" width = "1124"] 100% clippings. [/ Caption]
A lower aperture also means a nicer background blur that looks really good in Note 9. You can clearly see the difference between f / 1.5 and f / 2.4. Bokeh, for a smartphone, is impressive.
[caption id = "attachment_861970" align = "alignnone" width = "3024"] f / 1.5, 1/50 s, ISO 250 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862435" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 1.5 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862438" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 2.4 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862414" align = "alignnone" width = "1542"] 100% clippings. [/ Caption]
The lower aperture value of the camera is used mainly when the lighting conditions are poor, eg in a dark room or at night. Then f / 1.5 makes a huge difference, making the matrix get much more light. The use of a lens with such a large aperture is a big plus that makes us able to take pictures of conditions that older smartphones can not handle completely. Of course, the camera then raises the sensitivity, so the noise increases, the color rendering is worse, and the algorithm degrades the details, but it does not look bad on the smartphone screen.
[caption id = "attachment_861973" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 1.5, 1/7 s, ISO 1250 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861976" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 1.5, 1/7 s, ISO 400 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861979" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 2.4, 1/17 s, ISO 320 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861982" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 1.5, 1/50 s, ISO 400 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861988" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 2.4, 1/35 s, ISO 320 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861991" align = "alignnone" width = "4032"] f / 1.5, 1/25 s, ISO 320 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862048" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] The same image parameters, different apertures: f / 2.4 on the left, f / 1.5 on the right. The right picture is clearly brighter. [/ Caption]
The Live Focus feature still needs to be amended.
In Live Focus mode, the user has the ability to control background blur, which the application adds at the post-production level. There is no great revolution here. When the main object has simple, well-separated shapes from the background, the background blur works correctly. Photographing more complex models, like. e.g. flowers, the algorithm is not doing well anymore and blurs fragments of the object. When making portraits, for example on the beach with a large background departure, the effects are satisfactory. Only we do not have such conditions. In most cases, Live Focus is not perfect, although I appreciate the ability to control background blur.
[caption id = "attachment_862195" align = "alignnone" width = "2400"] Live Focus: blur level 7, 4 and a regular photo from the left. You can see that in addition to blurring the background, the camera also sharpens the elements on the front frame. [/ Caption]
The front camera works well for selfie photos.
The 8-megapixel front camera is quite good for the front camera. The background blur mode is doing quite well.
[caption id = "attachment_862192" align = "alignnone" width = "2400"] A plain self-portrait on the left and blurred background on the right. [/ Caption]
[caption id = "attachment_861961" align = "alignnone" width = "2448"] A photo from the front camera [/ caption]
The smartphone offers a professional mode for supporters of manual settings. There were also RAW files.
PRO mode is a completely different story than any other. We have the ability to set all the parameters of shooting, i.e. ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, aperture (f / 2.4 or f / 1.5), AF area (multi-point, central, AF, white balance or light measurement (matrix, spot, center-weighted) .
[caption id = "attachment_862183" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] Photo application menu in PRO and auto mode. [/ Caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862402" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] In PRO mode you can also control the focus manually. The application also has the Focus Peaking function, which emphasizes sharp edges in green. [/ Caption]
The frame can be zoomed to x10, even at f / 1.5, which is only available in the main, wide-angle camera. This means that in PRO mode we can not use the second lens. It is a pity, however, a big restriction.
However, there were plenty of setting options. And there, first of all, it is important to be able to include photos in RAW format. In addition, the smartphone allows you to change the format and hence the resolution of photos, video quality, self-timer, HDR function or tracking objects and the whole mass of additional improvements.
[caption id = "attachment_862003" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] f / 2.4, 1/2000 s, ISO 50 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862012" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] f / 1.5, 1/50 s, ISO 200 [/ caption]
[caption id = "attachment_862021" align = "alignnone" width = "1440"] f / 2.4, 1/50 s, ISO 80 [/ caption]
The Note 9's photo application interface is clear and easy to use.
The application looks almost the same as in Samsung S9 and S9 Plus. At the top we have a mode bar: from the left Panorama, Pro, Live Focus, Automatic, Very slow motion, Emoji AR and Hyperlapse. There is a lot to choose from, and the modes are switched by gesture on the entire surface of the screen.
At the bottom, the trigger button dominates, and next to it, smaller buttons for recording movies and previewing taken photos.
Above them a set of small icons with additional buttons. In the automatic mode, which we use most often, you can control the flash, full screen mode, effect modes or turn on the front camera. A little too small is the button to switch the cameras (wide angle and zoom), but generally the photo application performs very well.
Stabilized 4K films are impressive.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 offers 4K 60K movies at a high level. A level that everyone should please everyone - of course taking an amendment that it is a smartphone. And on the condition that we record during the day, because the quality falls very much at night.
https://youtu.be/6X1iiAXU7u0
https://youtu.be/ZEk5_Ae4wlo
Stabilization also makes a good impression. Unfortunately, it is not available in UHD resolution 60 fps. It can not be used with the AF tracking function, in which the smartphone tracks the selected object (with UHD, QHD and Full HD 60 frames / s). Also in the subject of films is solid, but there is still something to work on.
https://youtu.be/wNezgR0hSIY
https://youtu.be/c8iinSZMpOQ
Summary: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is an excellent photo camera that should satisfy almost everyone.
Of course, the choice of a particular smartphone is determined by many factors, such as the quality of workmanship, battery, screen, speed and appearance. Photographic possibilities are somewhere at the top of this list. And in this regard, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is the absolute top.
[caption id = "attachment_862006" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] f / 2.4, 1/1250 s, ISO 50 [/ caption]
Above all, the smartphone offers fantastic photo quality for a smartphone. The change of the aperture makes a great impression, and thanks to f / 1.5 and an effective stabilization system, night photographs can come out unmoved and clear. Fans of more advanced photography will be happy with the possibility of full, manual settings and RAW format, although without the possibility of using a lens with a longer focal length. To top it all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has a great screen , where the pictures taken with it look fantastic, and the images are vivid.
All this could have been expected because Note 9 has the same photo module as the S9 Plus. Well, it still offers something more. Koreans also improved the software system, which better detects photographed scenes, and as a result, better adjusts the settings. He can also effectively warn against the possibility of moving the photo or indicate that someone has his eyes closed on the picture.
[caption id = "attachment_862063" align = "alignnone" width = "1920"] f / 2.4, 1/12000 s, ISO 50 [/ caption]
Samsung's smartphone devices often offered pictures saturated with colors, little natural. The new soft made the camera in the Galaxy Note 9 much better. Photographs taken with it are not so exaggerated, but natural, although contrasting and juicy.
I remember the time spent with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 very well. It is a solid, refined and trustworthy smartphone that offers the quality of photos from the absolute top of the smartofnów world. For me, it's number one in terms of photography.
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All sample photos can be downloaded in full resolution HERE .
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 - photo and video function test
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