Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Camera Overview: Is It Good Enough for 2022?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE camera is pretty solid despite essentially using hardware from 2021, but is it actually any good? Let’s dive right into it, shall we?
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Camera Overview
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE has a triple camera setup that differs a bit from the base model Galaxy S21 smartphone. There’s also a difference camera hardware used for both the Exynos 2100 and the Snapdragon 888 variants. For reference, our unit is the Exynos 2100 variant so we will be focusing on that.
For our review unit, the main camera for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is a 12MP Samsung S5K2LD wide angle camera with a 26mm f/1.8 OIS lens. This means that it offers optical image stabilization and that this is the camera that will produce the best results in terms of colour and clarity. Until you’re zooming in far enough, the smartphone will primarily rely on this camera.
The ultrawide camera is a 12MP Samsung S5K3L6 sensor with a 15mm f/2.2 lens. It will kick in as soon as you zoom out to 0.9x, and it will go as wide as 0.5x. This will let you capture more in a single shot, but it will result in a bit of fisheye lens effect. It’s worth noting that it has fixed focus, so taking macro shots with this would be pretty difficult.
Lastly, the telephoto camera is an 8MP Hynix Hi847 sensor with a 76mm f/2.4 OIS lens. It has optical zoom up to 3x, and up to 30x Space Zoom. Together with optical image stabilization, it’s expected to help make zoomed shots easier to take. It’s also worth pointing out that the photos taken in this camera will be upscaled to 12MP.
As for the front-facing selfie camera, it uses the 32MP Sony IMX616 Quad Bayer sensor with a 25mm f/2.2 lens. The focus is fixed and, unlike other Quad Bayer sensors, this one saves photos at 8MP. Fun fact, it’s the same camera used on last year’s Galaxy S20 FE.
In case you didn’t know, all of the cameras support Night Mode but if you want a bit more control, you can make use of the Pro Mode in the native camera app if you want better control of what you’re shooting. There are also various different modes you can make use of, with their signature Single Take mode getting notable improvements in efficiency.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Camera Specifications
| Variant | Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 888 |
| Processor | Exynos 2100, 5nm 1 x Cortex-X1 @ 2.9GHz + 3 x Cortex-A78 @2.8GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 @ 2.2GHz |
Snapdragon 888, 5nm 1 x Kryo 680 @ 2.84GHz + 3 x Kryo 680 @ 2.42GHz + 4 x Kryo 680 @ 1.8GHz |
| Rear Camera | Samsung S5K2LD 12MP f/1.8 wide angle camera, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS Samsung S5K3L6 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera, 30x Space Zoom, PDAF, OIS Hynix Hi1336 12MP f/2.2 123˚ ultra-wide LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
Sony IMX555 12MP f/1.8 wide angle camera, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS Samsung S5K3L6 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera, 30x Space Zoom, PDAF, OIS Sony IMX258 12MP f/2.2 123˚ ultra-wide LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS |
| Selfie Camera | Sony IMX616 Quad-Bayer sensor 32MP f/2.2 wide-angle selfie cam, Dual Pixel PDAF | Sony IMX616 Quad-Bayer sensor 32MP f/2.2 wide-angle selfie cam, Dual Pixel PDAF |
Sample Shots
While we did highlight how pleased we were with the triple camera setup on the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, we figured it would be best to showcase more of what the camera is capable of. Generally speaking, the main camera is more than capable of taking excellent shots, with low-light shots looking pretty good with minimal noise if any.
The ultrawide and telephoto cameras also work great as it captures a good amount of detail and dynamic range. For the most part, you’d be pleased with it, and it’s only when you compare it to the main camera that you will notice a slight loss in colour. With that being said, it’s still more than usable, and you’re likely going to stick to the main camera unless you need to use the other two for specific use cases.
The selfie camera is capable of capturing solo selfies and group wefies, with ease for 4 to 5 people. It does have a bit of a skin softening effect so your face may appear cleaner than it actually is. Given the fixed focus nature of the camera, it’s best to not have the subjects too far apart from each other to ensure that everyone is in focus.
For most people regardless of their lifestyle, the camera on the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is more than adequate. If you’re looking for anything better than this, you might need to consider a professional camera instead but for social media uploads and quick photos for memories’ sake, you can’t go wrong with this, especially with its value-focused price starting from RM2,899.
If you want to see the full Samsung Galaxy S21 FE review, click right here.
I’ve had the S21 FE for a few weeks now and I have to say, the camera is impressive. The low-light shots I’ve taken have been noticeably better than my old S20. The 8K video recording feature has also been a lot of fun to play around with. Overall, I’m happy with the camera quality, but I do think it could be improved further with a few more software tweaks. Nice review, thanks for the detailed analysis!
Loved the in-depth analysis of the S21 FE’s camera capabilities! I was wondering if the 12MP primary sensor would be sufficient for my daily photography needs. Glad to know it can still deliver decent results, especially in well-lit conditions. One thing I’d like to see in future updates, though, is the implementation of a more advanced UI for the camera app