Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: Improved almost-flagship is too little, too late | Expert Reviews

Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review: Cameras

One area that doesn’t appear to have had any special attention is the Galaxy S24 FE’s camera. We have what looks to be the same set-up as the Galaxy S23 FE, with a 50-megapixel (f/1.8) main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and an 8-megapixel 2x telephoto.

If Samsung was going to keep anything the same, though, this was the right call. We were reasonably impressed with the previous model’s photographic chops, and the Galaxy S24 FE puts in another nicely rounded showing. Indeed, that camera set-up is broadly the same as the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus, with only the telephoto camera being a slight downgrade.

When out and about snapping in daylight conditions, the Galaxy S24 FE turned out detailed shots rich in colour and contrast. Samsung’s punchy colour science is on display again, as is its pleasing skill for matching the general look and tone of shots across all three sensors. Night shots are solid, if not quite as crisp or natural-looking as the best in the business.

That 8-megapixel telephoto camera might be the lowest resolution snapper here, but with OIS assistance it turns out clear shots at its natural 3x focal length. It’s certainly preferable to the cropped hybrid zoom of most phones at this price.

Talking of which, the Galaxy S24 FE produces acceptable hybrid zoom shots at 2x and even 10x, though things get pointlessly fuzzy at 20x and 30x.

Another quietly solid performer is the Galaxy S24 FE’s 12-megapixel ultra-wide, which makes up for a general lack of detail by emulating the main sensor’s vibrant tone.

Rounding up the package is a familiar 10-megapixel front camera, which turns out acceptable selfies at both close-up and wider angles. It’s a little lacking in sharpness, and a fixed focus means that the subject doesn’t pop as much as it does with the Galaxy S24, but Samsung’s punched up image processing at least injects shots with warmth.

Samsung is a dab hand with video at this point, and the Galaxy S24 FE turns out sharp, locked-on and stable footage at up to 4K and 60fps or 8K/30fps.