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.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Review – Camera UI

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

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.