Features

SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 REVIEW: THE CAMERA THAT BEATS THE APPLE iPHONE6   

By EWAN SPENCE

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

As the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were launched at MWC last month, Samsung’s JK Shin promised that the camera would outperform the units currently winning critical acclaim on the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. It was a direct challenge from Seoul to Cupertino, and while the first hands-on pictures showed a lot of promise, judgement was reserved by many until the camera could be taken out in the real world to shoot some comparisons and have the results analysed.

And the conclusion? JK Shin was right, the camera on the Galaxy S6 (and the similarly equipped Galaxy S6 Edge) is not just a match for Apple’s iPhone shooter, but in almost every situation performs better.

What Has Samsung Changed?

It’s worth noting that the camera software and hardware on both the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge are similar – the main rearward facing camera (which I’m focusing on here) has a 16 megapixel resolution, and an f1.9 lens (the self camera has the same lens but just 5 megapixel resolution). This allows in more light than previous Galaxy handsets (up to 60% more, says Samsung), and that makes a huge difference to the images captured.

Boxer Freddie Roach (L) and Samsung Ambassador pose for a selfie using the new Samsung Galaxy S6 edge (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)

While the S6 family lacks a dedicated shutter button, you can open the camera with a double-tap on the home key, and the volume keys will pull double-duty and act as a shutter button when in the camera app. The camera app has been simplified from previous Galaxy efforts, with a clearer layout of the functions. The flash, timer, HDR mode, and filters are all available along the top of the screen, while the bottom of the screen allows you to switch to video mode, choose the front or rear camera to use, or to select the camera mode.

These modes include the ability to shoot video in slow motion or at high-speed, to take panoramic pics, to selectively focus areas of the picture, or Samsung’s ‘virtual shot’ mode – which is a cute trick to rotate around an object so you can rotate the image after the fact, but feels like an answer to a question nobody has asked.

There’s also a ‘pro’ mode which adds in another control strop for manual control of exposure, ISO speeds, white balance, focus, and color palettes. For this review I’ve left the Galaxy S6 in automatic mode, and the HDR imaging off – although the Auto HDR imaging mode is a nice touch, with the software deciding if HDR will make for a better reproduction or not.

WHAT YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT EASTER

 1.  Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, three days after His death. It is the oldest    Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year.

 

 2. The white lily, the symbol of resurrection, is the special Easter flower.

 

3. Easter is celebrated at different times by Western and Eastern Christians.  That is because the dates for Easter in Eastern Christianity are based on the Julian Calender.

4. The date of Passover is variable as it is dependent on the phases of the moon, and thus Easter is a movable feast.

5. The name Easter owes its origin from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess who symbolizes hare and egg.

6. The Easter bunny tradition made its way into the US in the 18th century. It is said to have originated in Europe where it was actually the Easter hare. Other Easter traditions include making Easter basket, wearing Easter bonnets and having Easter eggs hunt.

7. The exchange of eggs for Easter dates back to a springtime custom older than Easter in itself in which eggs where given as a symbol of rebirth in many cultures.

8. The traditional act of painting eggs is called Pysanka

9. 90 million chocolate bunnies, 91.4 billion eggs and 700 peeps are produced each year in the United States.

10. Christians consider Easter eggs to symbolize joy and celebration, new life and resurrection.

11. The UK's first chocolate egg was produced in 1873 by Fry's of Bristol.

12. In 2007, an egg covered in diamonds sold for almost 9million pounds. The egg is very special because, every hour, a cockerel made of jewels pop up from the top of the egg, flaps its wings four times, nods its head three times and makes a crowing noise!

13. In medieval times, a festival of 'egg-throwing' was held in church. A priest will throw a hard boiled egg to one of the choir boys, and then tossed from one choir boy to the next. When the clock struck 12, whoever held the egg was the winner, and got to keep the egg.

14. The White House hosts an Easter Egg Roll on the front lawn each year. This tradition was started by President Rutherford B.Hayes in 1878.

15. Half of the states in the United States have banned the practice of dyeing chicks for Easter. However, Florida recently overturned the 45-year year old law. of preventing the dyeing of animals.

16. After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday, 120 million pounds of candy are bought each year.

17. The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever was made in Italy in 2011. At 10.39 metres in height and  7,200 kg in weight, it was taller than a giraffe and heavier than an elephant.

18. 76% of people eat the ears on chocolate bunnies first.