Samsung is a trusted brand in the smartphone industry, well-known for its display and camera prowess. About half a decade ago, Samsung cameras weren’t as reliable as they are today, with colours often being over-saturated. However, in 2023, Samsung has proved itself in this area with a mix of good-quality lenses and fantastic AI algorithms for the post-processing of shots. The company generally has more hits than misses in the camera department across budget segments – be it its budget phones in the M or F series, its mid-range offerings in the A series, or its premium options in the S and Z series. You’ve got options ranging from ₹15K to nearly ₹1.5 lakhs.
The company also offers useful lenses, such as ultrawide and telephoto lenses, even in their mid-range options while several companies choose to go the depth or macro camera route that usually has limited uses. And while Samsung’s colour science still isn’t as accurate or true-to-life as say, Pixel phones, they’ve come a long way. If you are scouring the market for a fantastic camera phone from the house of Samsung, you have several options such as the premium Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, S22 Ultra, or S21 Ultra, the mid-range Samsung Galaxy A52, Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A54, and budget options such as the Samsung Galaxy M14, or Samsung Galaxy M13.
- 1.
The camera is possibly the biggest upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. You get a 200 MP ISOCELL HP2 main camera on the phone accompanied by a 12 MP ultra-wide lens, a 10 MP periscope telephoto camera, and another 10 MP telephoto shooter. The pictures clicked from this phone come out looking extremely sharp and detailed. Colours are vibrant and look aesthetic enough to post on social media with little to no editing. Low light photography is also impressive with Samsung’s Nightography technology.
- 2.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is no slouch when it comes to cameras either. The 108 MP primary camera clicks detailed shots with solid dynamic range. Portraits also come out looking natural enough with good edge detection. If you want better low-light photography, the S23 Ultra is the way to go, but for everything else, the S22 Ultra is almost as capable as its successor.
- 3.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 packs the same camera hardware as its predecessor, but they have been tuned further, which makes the performance slightly better. Photos look great in daylight with impressive dynamic range and detail. However, low-light performance could definitely be improved. This is still a flagship-grade camera that can take some stunning pictures, so if you’re not too nitpicky about the mediocre low-light photos, you can go for it.
- 4.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra was a huge camera upgrade over its predecessor that was plagued with camera issues. The photos are consistent across the board. Daytime pictures look detailed and sharp with good contrast. The telephoto lenses offer great versatility when it comes to zoom levels. So, even in 2023, this is one of the most versatile camera setups you can get in the market.
- 5.
Once again, the camera setup of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 remains unchanged; it is the same as its predecessor on paper. However, the photos that come out of this phone look like flagship-level in ideal lighting with brilliant dynamic range. Low light photography is decent, but not the best at this price.
- 6.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE sports a triple camera setup headlined by a 50 MP primary camera. It also has a 12 MP ultra-wide shooter and an 8 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. All three cameras throw up some good results in daytime with rich and accurate colours and solid dynamic range.
- 7.
The Samsung Galaxy A54 brings Nightography to the A-series of smartphones which elevates pictures taken in low light. Add to that OIS, and you’ve got a camera that’s very capable of clicking some impressive-looking low-light pictures. The 50 MP primary camera is very versatile – it can shoot great landscapes and portraits. It is one of the better cameras in this price range.
- 8.
The Samsung Galaxy F54 is equipped with triple lenses including a 108 MP primary shooter, an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2 MP macro lens. The phone comes with Samsung’s Nightography feature that allows users to capture astrolapses, incredible low light shots, and more. Pictures come out looking great in daylight. The contrast is high, but it works for social media. Overall, this is a solid camera setup for a mid-range phone that can provide creative individuals with a fair amount of freedom and versatility.
- 9.
The Samsung Galaxy A34’s triple camera setup impressed us during our testing period. The primary camera especially is great at clicking pictures in daytime with lots of detail and good dynamic range. Portrait images also look good, but the edge detection could use some work. In fact, the primary camera also clicks good low-light pictures with minimal noise levels.
- 10.
The Samsung Galaxy M14 features a decent triple camera setup. The main camera can sometimes crush details in shadows but not many would be bothered by that at its low price. Low light pictures could use some work because they often lack detail and have tons of noise.
