Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series may technically be the South Korean tech giant’s most premium smartphone, but it’s become the Galaxy Z Flip series’ hit of late, thanks to its low price, sleek looks, and clamshell form factor that arguably has range. wider. mainstream appeal.
This clamshell form factor with fully articulated hinge also enhances the camera experience, essentially doubling as a tripod for the Z Flip 4’s cameras. Whether it’s hands-free selfies or time lapses, the Z Flip 4 is one of the most versatile camera phones out there. . It also helps that Samsung’s camera system is quite polished, with an easy-to-use user interface, fast shutter speed, and excellent software handling to help overcome not-so-sophisticated camera hardware. But like most modern flagship phones, there’s probably a lot to do with the cameras that can be overwhelming for a novice owner. If you fit this description, let us help you walkthrough this camera UI!
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a clamshell foldable device that combines the compact form factor of phones of yesteryear with the modern Android experience. It’s also powered by Qualcomm’s most powerful chipset and advanced foldable OLED technology.
Camera app overview
The main camera app on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is very similar to the camera app used on Samsung’s flagship phones — it’s a black background with white text and a circular shutter button — with the only UI difference being when the phone enters “flexible mode,” which is the device folded in Halfway through the L-shape. Once the device begins the folding process, the camera lens – which previously occupied 3/4 of the screen, shrinks to occupy only the top half of the screen, with the bottom half
It contains the camera shutter and other controls. The UI still shows the exact same information as before, it’s just that the viewfinder has shrunk and the control area has grown. The logic behind this is that the phone can be placed on a table, similar to a laptop, and the camera lens won’t be distorted by the point of the fold.
Samsung’s Camera app is quite traditional (unlike the Pixel’s more experimental camera app with different submenus and color schemes, or the almost feature-packed Vivo camera app) and behaves similarly to the iPhone’s Camera app, so for most readers, the Camera app won’t feel alien. The camera app is easy to use with one hand, as Samsung has placed all the essential controls at the bottom of the user interface. You can cycle through camera modes with horizontal swipes, and switch between either of the two main cameras (wide and telephoto) using the tiny toggle switches at the bottom of the viewfinder.
Countless shooting modes
Samsung does a good job of not cramming too many camera modes into the default pane, giving users just three primary modes — “Photo,” “Video,” and “Portrait” — with the rest grouped into a subsection under “More.” This is all customizable, you can take out some additional shooting modes from More and put them in the default pane if you like.
Let’s go through all the shooting modes. “Photo” is the default mode, and it’s basically a point-and-shoot mode. In this mode, you’re supposed to just point the camera at something, tap the shutter button, and get a powerful, lively shot ready for Instagram. Samsung’s autofocus is fast, and the software is smart enough to use HDR tricks to handle shooting against harsh backlighting. If you’re shooting in low light conditions, this mode will also automatically switch to Night Mode for you.
You can, if you choose, tap the viewfinder to lock focus or exposure, or even dial exposure compensation higher or lower. It’s nice to have these options, even in basic shooting mode. Samsung also offers a “Pro” shooting mode for more precise controls. More on this later.
To the left of “Photo” is “Portrait”, which takes portraits with artificial bokeh (blurred background) around a subject (if there is a photo in the frame). You can adjust the darkness by tapping the small circle button at the bottom right of the viewfinder.
To the right of “Photo” is “Video,” and that should be obvious. You can see the shutter button now has a red circle in the middle, where it has become the record button. Clicking on it starts recording. Unlike the iPhone’s camera app, which only lets you stop recording once you’ve started recording, Samsung gives us the option to pause recording (resumed within a reasonable amount of time). This can come in handy for those who like to shoot a series of clips to upload to social media as a single file.
The default video resolution is 1080/30fps, but the Flip 4 is capable of recording at up to 8k/30. However, the best option for most users is to shoot in 4k/30 for the best combination of high definition while still maintaining image stabilization. Excellent letter. The resolution can be adjusted at the top of the camera app if you’re shooting portrait videos, and if you’re shooting in the traditional widescreen landscape orientation, the button to cycle through the resolution is on the right-hand side.
If you go to the More tab, you will find all the additional shooting modes, including Pro, Pro Video, Single Take, Night, Food, Panorama, Super Slow-Mo, “Slow Motion,” “Hyperlapse,” “Portrait Video,” and “Director’s View.”
Two Pro modes are the aforementioned advanced versions of the photo and video shooting modes, which allow the user to adjust everything from ISO to shutter speed to focus points. Both modes are very similar, you get an electronic level (the horizontal white line in the middle of the frame) that lets you keep the horizon straight. You can show a histogram if you want to see the level of exposure, and there’s even focus peaking (green lines highlight the edges of the focus area).
One Take is Samsung’s attempt to use artificial intelligence to help you create content. All you see is the shutter button, and pressing it will start “recording” for 15 seconds. Within 15 seconds you’re supposed to move the camera, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will take a series of photos with the wide or wide lens, as well as videos. After 15 seconds, the phone will present you with a series of snapshots and short videos. The idea is that you don’t have to think — just tap the button, point the camera at an object, and Samsung’s machine learning AI will create a series of photos and videos for you. The problem is that Single Take doesn’t work very well, and most people would be better off taking photos and videos themselves.
“Night”, as you can imagine, is the night mode. This mode already works automatically in standard shooting mode, so it’s a little redundant here. The only benefit of jumping into this particular mode is that you can increase the exposure time. But Samsung’s automatic night mode works well 90% of the time.
Panorama is another long-running camera mode that has been around for over a decade. Samsung’s method is no different from the tried-and-true process of “pressing the shutter button, then flicking from left to right.”
There are two slow motion modes, “Super Slo-Mo” and “Slow Motion” only. To be honest, it was pointless for Samsung to split these into two modes, because they both do the same thing, just capture different frames per second. “Super” slow motion is captured at 960fps, while slow motion can achieve 240fps. The higher the frame rate, the slower the video will be without it looking choppy.
“Hyperlapse” is Samsung’s term for time-lapse videos, and this too is a straight forward relation of “press the shutter button to start recording.” Unlike some Google Pixel or Xiaomi camera apps, Samsung’s time-lapse videos don’t let you select the video recording speed.
Gestures in Flex mode
With the Galaxy Z Flip 4 being able to double as its own tripod, being able to remotely command the phone to take photos is important. On the Flip 4, you do this by holding up an open palm; Samsung’s software is smart enough to recognize it even in a low-light environment and will start a quick 2-3 countdown before taking the picture after detecting a palm.
If you want to learn more about all the different ways you can use Flex Mode, my colleague Adam Conway wrote a detailed walkthrough of Flex Mode last month.
Use the cover screen
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a smaller secondary screen on the outside that allows users to take photos or videos while the phone is still folded. This is mostly for taking selfies with the main camera rather than the 10MP selfie camera, so the controls are relatively simple.
You must first open the Camera app from the cover screen. This can be accessed by turning on the cover screen and then manually swiping to the camera app and tapping the icon, or double pressing the volume down button twice to quickly launch the camera app. Once you launch the app, you’ll see the compact viewfinder thanks to the rectangular screen. Despite the viewfinder’s widescreen format, captured images and videos appear in a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio. This means that when you take selfies, you just have to put your face in the central frame. Even if your forehead is cut into the viewfinder, that’s okay, the picture will include your entire head.
You can switch between photo, video, or portrait mode using the horizontal scroll. To take a photo or start recording a video, press the volume down button or tap the screen. If you choose the latter route, there’s a 1-2 second wait between tapping the screen and the camera actually taking the shot (there’s a visual cue that shows a countdown) — the idea being that it gives you just enough time to move the finger and hand out of the way.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 can be handy on the go
Because of its compact size and Flex mode, the Flip 4 is a very convenient on-the-go camera for those who want to take unassisted selfies or group photos. I’ve used it to capture B-rolls for videos over the years, too.
As mentioned, while the Flip 4’s image sensors are relatively modest compared to other Android devices, it’s one of the most versatile and user-friendly camera systems out there. After all, what other phone can sit on a tree like the one above? Imagine the creative shots you can get with a device that can sit on various supports, with an articulating hinge that can adjust shooting angles. And with new deals and swap offers popping up regularly, the Z Flip 4 is one of the best values in smartphones today, too.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a clamshell foldable device that combines the compact form factor of phones of yesteryear with the modern Android experience. It’s also powered by Qualcomm’s most powerful chipset and advanced foldable OLED technology.
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