Cameras compared: Galaxy S7 edge vs Galaxy S8

The Galaxy S8 is no doubt an improvement over the Galaxy S7/S7 edge. It gets a fresh new design that enables a large display to be fitted on a smaller form factor. When it comes to the main camera, many were somewhat disappointed that the main camera remains virtually the same. It gets a 12MP dual-pixel camera with the same f/1.7 aperture.

Although the Galaxy S8 has the same camera as the S7/S7 edge on paper, they had made some tweaks to improve image quality. To ensure that you’ll get the best shot in any situation, they have introduced multi-frame image processing. According to Samsung, the Galaxy S8 will take 3 shots when you hit the shutter button and it will pick the clearest image and it will use the other two shots to reduce blur. Combining the 3 images, this process also helps to capture more details, especially in low light situations. Despite taking 3 shots, the whole process is done so quickly that it feels just as quick as a regular Galaxy S7/S7 edge.

Meanwhile, the front camera gets a major upgrade which should be good news for those who take lots of selfies. From a 5MP f/1.7 shooter, Samsung has fitted an improved 8MP f/1.7 shooter that now comes with auto focus.

So is the Galaxy S8 any better than the S7/S7 edge when it comes to photography? Continue on to the next page.

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As a whole, the Galaxy S8 definitely produces the better image. In low light conditions, auto white balance is generally more accurate, there is also significantly less luminance noise (second photo of Times Square, scene 2) in the S8’s photos and the images also look a tad sharper. The only anomaly here is the McDonald’s photo (scene 7) where the S8 blows the highlights out a little bit in the sign, however, the S8’s picture is definitely sharper (check out the sign on the left, the text is noticeably sharper).

In good lighting, the S8 also pulls ahead with much nicer contrast (for eg in scene 3 where the van’s tyres are black) while the S7 edge’s photos look washed out. Another example of the S8’s sharpness is in the text on the staircase (scene 4) where the S8 is a clear winner.

It looks like Samsung really did put in the work to improve the overall image processing of the Galaxy S8. Images look crisp with good contrast without looking too overprocessed. Noise performance is also greatly improved which will certainly delight low-light photographers.

What do you guys think of the S8’s pictures vs the S7 edge’s? Which do you like better? Let us know in the comments below.

Want to see how the Galaxy S8 stacks up to other flagship smartphones? Stay tuned for our epic camera comparison.