Samsung’s latest flip foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, has seemingly been received well across the world, where in India it got an overwhelming response during the pre-order stage as per the company, despite having a steep price tag of Rs 1,09,999. While the folding form factor still remains the device’s USP, can it be relied on for its optics as well? We’ll answer that for you in our Galaxy Z Flip 7 camera review.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 Camera Specifications
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 comes with a dual-camera setup on the back, same as the former models. It includes a 50-megapixel f/1.8 sensor with OIS and a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens. On the inside, it gets a 10-megapixel f/2.2 front-facing sensor. These specifications are exactly the same as the Flip 6, but does that mean they click identical photos? Not exactly.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 Camera Performance
The Z Flip 7 shoots similar shots as the Flip 6 in terms of detailing which is good, as these shots are highly sharp and don’t lose out on details even if you zoom in post shooting. The dynamic range in shots from the main sensor seems better than before and so does the overall colour science, where the photos have a much more natural colour tone. Exposure control seems good and the overall shot is definitely impressive to look at.
The ultra-wide angle photos, however, look quite the same as Flip 6’s except for the colour tone which is again, more natural than vivid, to match the tone of the shots from the main sensor. Despite maintaining accurate colours, ultra-wide shots lack the level of detail offered by the primary sensor. The edges show noticeable noise, and the overall images appear softer compared to those captured with the main lens—an unexpected compromise at this price point.
Portrait shots on the device impress with sharp detail and vibrant, well-balanced colours. The bokeh effect appears natural, and EDGE detection is handled with accuracy. Under artificial lighting, the camera captures ample detail with well-balanced colours and controlled exposure, resulting in pleasing images. Again, the colour tones are much superior than before.
Low-light shots introduce some noise, but colour accuracy remains largely intact. Turning on Night mode does help with the reduction of noise along with a slighly brighter photo. However, you’ll have to keep your hands quite steady as a slightest shake could result in a blurry shot.
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Selfies were a pain point for last year’s Flip 6 where the skin tones were warm and the colours were oversaturated. That’s majorly solved with the Flip 7 where the skin tones are much accurately captured, the colours are more lifelike, and the detailing is quite impressive, too. All of these improvements are noticeable in the comparison shot above.
As for zoomed in photos, you can’t expect a lot from the Flip 7 as it lacks a telephoto sensor sso the heavylifting is done by the primary camera. With that in mind, shots at 2x zoom look good with ample amount of detailing. At 4x, the shots begin to lose out on detail but are still usable. At 10x, which is the maximum range the device can zoom in, the shots begin to look highly soft and become a little unusable.
Aside from this, the camera App features a new UI over last year’s model as this was introduced later in One UI 7, which Flip 6 also got. The shutter lag is well contained except for when shooting in very dark conditions. Usual flip-exclusive features, like the ability to shoot with the rear cameras when the device is folded using the cover screen as viewfinder (which is useful for selfies), ability to hold the device as a camcorder and shoot with the rear cameras, FlexView, Cover screen preview when shooting from back cameras, etc., are all here.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 Camera Review: Verdict
The Flip 7 definitely shows improvement over last year’s Flip 6 in terms of cameras despite using the same hardware, which is likely due to improved software tuning for and a new ISP as well. While ultra-wide angle shots and the ones that are zoomed in still require improvement, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 camera setup proves to be a worthy one. That said, you could still look at other options in the market if you want superior cameras, including Samsung’s own Galaxy S24 Ultra from last year which is selling for Rs 79,999 right now on Amazon, as it is still a better phone to pick for optics which is given as it has more capable hardware.
