From New York’s High Line to Orlando’s Kia Center, I took the $650 Galaxy S24 FE on trips and tested the camera in a variety of environments and scenarios. And while Samsung has hyped the fact that the new phone will have the same feature, Galaxy AI Its function is Galaxy S24 siblingmay be one of the biggest reasons to consider the S24 FE’s camera over cheaper phones like the $400 Galaxy A35 or Google’s $500 Pixel 8A.
The S24 FE comes with three rear lenses (wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle, and telephoto), but it doesn’t have the extreme 100x zoom found on the S24 FE. $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra And the high-end camera and processor found in the $800 Galaxy S24. Whether in a bright outdoor environment, a dimly lit bar, or under high-contrast concert lighting, the Galaxy S24 FE pretty much coped, delivering some really detailed shots and some flawless images.
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Here are a number of still images I took with the Galaxy S24 F4 that show just how versatile the camera is and how far it pushes its limits.
50 megapixel wide camera on Galaxy S24 FE
The main camera on the Galaxy S24 FE has a wide-angle lens with an f/1.8 aperture and a 50-megapixel sensor. This camera has optical image stabilization, which is especially useful in low-light situations when the camera’s shutter speed needs to be longer.
This photo was taken with the wide lens of the Galaxy S24 FE.
This photo taken from New York’s High Line shows what the phone can do in ideal lighting. Even though the sun is in the frame, the image still has good shadows (look at the street) and detail along the Manhattan islets in the background. You can also see the uneven pavement of the road and the small text on the bus sign on the right side of the photo.
This dinner photo was taken in a dimly lit environment using the Galaxy S24’s main camera.
On the other hand, this photo was taken in dim light at Heart of Gold in Astoria. I removed the table lighting, so it was even darker. There’s some neat detail in the photo, notice the water droplets on the beer glass and the bits of spice in my bowl of pasta. It’s not perfect. The right fork is almost black. However, despite being quite dim, the main focus of the photo remains.
You can see some details in this photo taken at the main camera at the Kia Center just before Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s Sweat Tour took the stage.
When I went to Orlando’s Kia Center to see Charli XCX and Troye Sivan perform, I snapped a photo of the arena with the lights down for opening act Shy Girl. I was at the back of the arena, and between that distance and the high-contrast mixed stage lighting, the S24 FE was fine. As a result, details in photos around the stage appeared soft, and movement on stage was reduced to a multicolored blur.
However, if you look closely at static parts of the image, such as the flag in the back or the “Sweat” logo at the front of the stage, you can actually identify it. People in the crowd can also be seen checking their phones and looking at the stage, preparing for the show. This is a difficult photo, especially in dark environments, but results in a photo that combines all the different light sources while minimizing image noise. It would be great if the S24 FE could capture more details of people throughout the arena, but for a phone in this price range, we’re happy to see as much as the camera can.
12MP ultra-wide camera on Galaxy S24 FE
Samsung’s 12-megapixel camera with an ultra-wide-angle lens is a step behind the Galaxy S24 FE’s main camera, but it’s no slouch. It doesn’t have the main camera’s built-in image stabilization or pixel binning, but it handled fairly well in bright environments.
Many details can be seen at an intersection just outside of Columbus Circle in New York, captured using the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE’s ultra-wide camera.
This photo was taken using an ultra-wide camera on a cloudy day at an intersection just outside of Columbus Circle in New York. Thanks to ideal lighting, the photo includes many details, such as the jet of steam coming from the vent on the left. Look closely at the subway entrance on the right. You can also see the signs and writing on it.
The distant background with Columbus Circle officials has some softer, but more fine detail. This includes Citibike riders, who have enough blue to tell they’re part of New York’s commuter bike program, but the text at that point is marred. However, when you zoom in, you can’t clearly see the Columbus Circle road sign on the right side of that intersection.
This same intersection just before Columbus Circle in New York was taken with the Galaxy S24 FE’s wide-angle camera.
For comparison, I took the same photo using a wide-angle lens. The left and right sides of the first intersection are less included in the frame, but the details of Columbus Circle just beyond are better and clearer. Further details and text on the Columbus Circle street sign can be seen in a small statue further back and a red sign to the left pointing to the underground market’s “20+” eateries. This image shows the tradeoff between wide and ultrawide. The former provides more detail, while the latter provides a wider field of view.
The croissant breakfast sandwich was photographed using the Galaxy S24 FE’s ultrawide camera.
I also wanted to test the ultra-wide camera in a more unusual way: use it to take a photo of a breakfast sandwich right in front of me. The result is a photo of the entire table, including sandwiches, water, coffee, and silverware. In the center of the image, the camera preserves the crispy color of the croissant. You can see the melted cheese in this sandwich, but you can also see that the egg and cheese have melted together and it’s hard to tell them apart.
You can see more of the texture of the mushroom, egg and cheese croissant captured with a wide-angle camera.
Moving to the wide-angle camera, you can see the melted Gruyère cheese on top of the eggs. With the ultra-wide camera, you blend in a little more. You can also clearly see the texture of the croissant, such as the reflection of light on the dough. You can also see the difference in the color of the grilled mushrooms.
Galaxy S24 FE’s 8-megapixel telephoto camera
We were very impressed with the 8-megapixel telephoto camera with optical image stabilization and 3x optical zoom. The Galaxy S24 FE has a starting price of $650, so it’s worth noting that it has more than twice as many telephoto cameras. However, in terms of image quality, telephoto cameras are a step down from the main camera.
The photo on the left is from the main camera, and the image on the right is from the S24 FE’s telephoto camera.
Here are two images of the S24 FE taken at the High Line. One shot was taken with the 50-megapixel main camera, and the other was taken with the 8-megapixel telephoto camera. Notice that there is the same flower in every shot. The dynamic range of the main camera images is impressive, as is the detail in the 3x zoom photos.
This photo taken with the S24 FE’s 8-megapixel telephoto camera shows Troye Sivan performing at the Kia Center.
Here’s another photo I took at the Kia Center, this time using the S24 FE’s telephoto camera. Troye Sivan asked the audience to turn on their cell phone flashlights, which unintentionally contributed to increasing the brightness of this telephoto image. He’s still far away, but you can make out the wrinkles in the bed-like platform he’s sitting on. This additional light is very helpful in improving stage visibility, but it washes out shadows (note the lighting above and the Kia car in the top left). But I like how all the flashlights in the audience were prioritized, and this was the clearest picture I’ve ever gotten as one of the show’s headline acts.
This close-up photo of Troye Sivan was taken using the Galaxy S24 FE’s 30x digital zoom.
I wanted to get as close as possible and take a photo, even if I had to use the digital zoom, which the Galaxy S24 FE is weak at. I took a deep breath, held my phone as still as possible, and pressed the zoom to 30x to take this photo of the singer on stage. It’s not flattering, but you can tell by his clothes and hair that he’s got a microphone and it’s a performance. This is more than enough, and on other phones I’ve used in this price range or cheaper, this would have appeared as a blob of light. Now it looks more like a painting than a block.
10-megapixel selfie camera on Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Rounding out the Galaxy S24’s cameras is a 10-megapixel selfie camera. In my review, I showed off an ideal selfie taken on a rooftop, but I also tested the 10-megapixel front-facing camera in more challenging environments, including CNET’s TV Lab.
This was shot in a very dark TV lab at the CNET offices with the front-facing camera using night mode.
For this photo, I closed the blackout curtains to let in only a small amount of light and combined it with my phone’s selfie flash. The result is a lot of image noise, but my slightly blurry photos are rendered clearly. This is probably due to a combination of the long shutter speed needed to collect more light and the camera shake when holding the phone. My hair blends into the dark background, but you can see patches of hair on my face and wrinkles in my shirt. Basically, near pitch-black environments are not suitable for taking selfies with your phone’s camera, but the Galaxy S24 FE can power up and take useful shots when needed.
This photo was taken using the front camera of a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE after Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s performance at the Kia Center.
To conclude this photo test, I’d like to share with you a selfie of me and my boyfriend Ryan at the end of a Charli XCX and Troye Sivan concert. The lighting was mixed and our faces were a little darker than in the backlit bright arena. As a result, the S24 FE had to correct and brighten both of us, but everything in the background looks brighter and washed out. The point of this photo still remains. Just a little yay moment after watching a great show.
