There’s a new era of visual communication that offers instant sharing of top quality images either through 3G (you have to insert a working sim card) or Wi-Fi connectivity. Powered by Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), the new Samsung GALAXY Camera will be available in the Philippines starting December 1 and in other parts of the world in white and cobalt black colors.
I got to try the camera myself last Saturday when I joined other members of the media for a Pampanga trip dubbed as The Northern Exposure. We were asked to group ourselves into two and I teamed up with my friend Adrian.
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| raw and edited pics from the Samsung GALAXY Camera |
While having a filling breakfast at Everybody’s Café, everyone started tinkering with their cameras. I instantly became fascinated with the Paper Artist app because I got to immediately edit photos I took seconds ago! The app is said to have become popular on the GALAXY NOTE II due to its quick and unique photo edits feature.
We were served one of Pampanga’s delicacies – the adobong camaron (crickets). In fairness, the insects are crunchy and tasted okay although some of my table companions refused to take a bite :p Here’s a shot I took using the Samsung GALAXY’s macro feature. Cool, huh?
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| Macro shot edited using the Paper Artist app |
Next, we headed to Villa Borromeo where Atching Lilian demonstrated how they make cookies the old fashioned way. They have lots of flowers in the area and I had fun experimenting with the camera’s Paper Artist app, which I used to edit my shots.
I was totally fascinated when I found out that I can also "rub" an edited photo to "let the colors out" or sharpen images. This, above everything else, made me fall in love with the camera.
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| Edited using the Picture Artist - Epic tool |
Our next stop was the San Guillermo Parish Church. I always like visiting old churches. They have a solemnity that touches one’s soul and makes one want to stay longer in their cool interiors. Outside, I took a shot of the bell tower then edited it using the GALAXY cam’s Magic Pen tool. I was quite pleased with the unique outcome.
The GALAXY camera allows users to shoot, enjoy, edit, and share high quality images and video from anywhere, at any time, through a single device without the restrictions of a conventional camera. This we did during our trip as we uploaded photo upon photo to our Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts instantly.
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| My poinsettia pic transformed into a mosaic |
Lunchtime was spent at the Alviz Farm in Sta. Rita where we were served with a delicious home-cooked meal that we ate in an open patio beside a rice field. The airy house accepts meal reservations for a group of 10 or more, in case you want to visit them, too. They have pretty stained glass windows among other interesting displays.
Before leaving, I took a shot of the afternoon sun using Sunset mode in the Smart Pro app.
Replete with good food, we proceeded visiting the house of a Sansrival and Turones de Casuy maker where we got to try their house specialties. Yum!
We also dropped by a Barquillos maker’s house who allowed some of my companions to try their hand at making a barquillo each. Adrian gave it a try and successfully made one :)
For a late snack, we were treated with Pampanga’s version of Halo-halo which has a big chunk of pastillas in each cup. Dinner was at Mely's where we got to try sisig and chicken barbecue before heading back to Manila.
Coco Domingo, Samsung Mobile Head for Product Marketing, expressed, “The collaboration between Mobile and Digital Imaging Business Units allowed Samsung to create the first Connected Camera, a product I am extremely proud of.” He further shared that the GALAXY Camera marks the next stage of evolution in the history of the camera. “The GALAXY Camera brings together everything that is wonderful about photography on a dedicated camera, with the functionality and freedom of the leading smartphones.”
The GALAXY Camera boasts of a 21x super long optical zoom lens and a super-bright 16M BSI CMOS sensor. Its Smart Pro Mode technology offers a series of 15 default modes and settings that make professional-looking photography easy for anyone to achieve. I love the stunningly detailed images that make taking photographs using this camera really effortless.
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| Shot in macro and edited using the Picture Artist app |
Enjoy viewing and editing images on the 4.8” (121.2mm) HD Super Clear Touch Display. There’s a Photo Wizard which houses a set of 35 photo editing tools powered by the GALAXY Camera’s quad-core processor.
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| Using the Smart Pro mode's Silhouette feature |
As a mentioned earlier, this camera is powered by Android which means you get access to over 500,000 apps currently available on Google Play Store. The Android OS also provides full browsing support and the ability to customize the camera according to its user’s creative needs.
During my trial period with the camera, I noticed though that the battery drains faster than it would on a normal digicam or a smartphone. A full charge lasted me for half a day although maybe it’s because I was tinkering with it almost the whole time to discover its features.
Overall, I like the Samsung GALAXY Camera. It’s compact, it has powerful zoom lens, really cool apps for editing photos, friendly-user interface, and very responsive touchscreen display. Best of all, it enabled me to instantly upload my photos in my social networking sites using Wi-Fi or 3G.
1 comment:
If this phone would have the same functionality as the S3 (including descent camera & calling) and used the extra space it gets for being thicker for battery purposes. I'd buy this for sure. It is the perfect combination.
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