Why I hope to see this resurrected: The Samsung Galaxy Camera at 10

 The future of small cameras arrived ten years ago today. or so it appeared. At the IFA 2012 trade exhibition, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Camera to a bewildered audience that had come to see the Galaxy Note II. The Android-powered compact was odd, innovative, and regrettably fleeting. But I'd also like to see this idea replicated using modern camera technology.

To say that about a Frankensteinian concept that was so plainly of its time may seem odd. Before computational photography elevated our phones to fantastic, compact-killing heights, the Galaxy Camera was created. In order to create it, Samsung essentially took the Galaxy S III, took the phone out, and then added a small camera with a 16MP sensor and a 21x optical zoom.

The "Space Zoom" of a decade ago looked like the Samsung Galaxy Camera from 2012. (Samsung image credit)

Right now's camera phones have fully rendered all of it unnecessary. In any case, the Galaxy S22 Ultra sports four cameras, including a 30x-to-100x space zoom and a 10x optical zoom. Just taking a quick glance at the Galaxy Camera now demonstrates the remarkable strides made in mobile photography in just ten years.

However, I still find the idea behind Samsung's Android-based camera to be very intriguing. Its enormous 4.8-inch touchscreen still outperforms the majority of today's mirrorless cameras thanks to its respectable 306ppi pixel density. Additionally, for those who make photos and videos, having access to every social network and editing programme on their camera is still a pipe dream.

But recalling the Galaxy Camera also makes me daydream about the kind of portable trip camera that would be feasible with current Samsung technology.

initial adopter

The Samsung Galaxy Camera received unfavourable reviews back in 2012 for a very straightforward reason: it didn't produce especially strong images. especially for a camera that cost $499, £399, or $599 in Australia.

It was essentially a Samsung WB850F tiny camera with an Android Jellybean 4.1 phone in front of it, and point-and-shoot cameras weren't really competing at the time. The 16MP 1/2.3-inch sensor in the Galaxy Camera was smaller than those found in the majority of modern smartphones, and it only provided slow contrast-detect autofocus.

All of this meant that you couldn't truly increase the ISO on the Galaxy Camera past 1600 without your photos appearing to have been attacked with Photoshop's Smudge tool. This Android small was extremely limited by the available camera technology at the time because Night Modes were still a few years away.

But what it really nailed was a fresh approach to taking pictures. Although Android Jellybean may now resemble a school project, it was a reliable platform for many important apps, including Snapseed, Photoshop Express, Instagram, and EyeEm—most notably, Angry Birds.

The Galaxy Camera wasn't just a compact with stock Android attached to it. Samsung devoted a lot of attention into the camera interface because it produced genuine cameras back then, including some of the most cutting-edge models of the time, such the Samsung Dual.

A sophisticated "Expert" interface (above) allowed you access to features like aperture priority or exposure correction in addition to "Auto" and "Smart" settings, allowing you to rotate the rings with a flick of the finger. It was entertaining to use, and many of the people we showed it to, both photographers and non-photographers, told us they wanted one, according to the conclusion of our Samsung Galaxy Camera review at the time.

Unfortunately, it seems like not quite enough to really purchase one. With the release of the Galaxy Camera 2 and the mirrorless Galaxy NX, the Galaxy Camera concept struggled on for a few more years till Samsung abruptly quit the camera market in 2015.

It did so for excellent reasons, most likely due to some frantic scrawlings on its balance sheet from the finance department. However, even in this new era of computational photography, I can't help but wonder what Samsung could accomplish with the Galaxy Camera concept.

A fresh premium portable

My smartphone and mirrorless camera still get in the way of my photography on a lot of situations, such as when I'm out for a walk during a city break, at a live music event where the security treats "proper" cameras as concealed weapons, during family gatherings, etc.

The "premium" compact camera is still popular among photographers for this reason. Popular cameras like the Ricoh GR IIIx and Fujifilm X100V are perfectly suited for candid street photography and everyday snapping because they were designed for those purposes.

However, we now have the means to produce a next-generation compact, a genuine all-arounder that would advance our cellphones even further. The only issue is that Samsung is likely the only business that could pull it off.

One of the titans of computational photography would have to create the equivalent of the Galaxy Camera today. Except for the amazing resuscitation of the Apple QuickTake, it is very obvious that neither Google nor Apple have a flair for doing that. With the Sony Xperia Pro-I, Sony has demonstrated its commitment to the smartphone market. Samsung, you're now awake.

The Samsung NX Mini (above), which features 30x optical zoom and computational photography? It sounds nice in theory. (Samsung image credit)

What would the Samsung Galaxy Camera 3 look like in my dream world? It would be amazing to see a hybrid of the original design with the Samsung NX Mini (above). The ergonomics of smartphone shooting are one of my biggest complaints, so the former's compact but functional grip would be quite welcome.

For both still images and moving pictures, a screen that can tilt or fully articulate like the NX Mini would be essential. Along with having a USB-C port that could be used to immediately connect to microphones like the Rode Wireless Go II, this would allow it serve as a dual-purpose tiny vlogging camera that could easily defeat the Sony ZV-1. Perhaps in place of a flash, a pop-up viewfinder similar to the Canon G5 X Mark II would be a significant plus.

A large (but manageable) 5-inch touchscreen with 500dpi pixel density would be located on the back to provide a phone-like viewing, editing, and sharing experience. For manual controls, Samsung's new "Expert Raw" app, which can be found on devices like the Galaxy S22 Ultra, would be pre-installed. Installing customisable launchers like Nova, Minimalist, or possibly a new photo-focused alternative would also be a major benefit of an Android camera.

Mirrorless cameras of today would seem like utter dinosaurs compared to this level of interface customizability. The absence of phone calls, which was one of the primary complaints about the first Galaxy Camera, is something that I'd be extremely delighted to see Samsung keep. While I'm out taking pictures, receiving WhatsApp messages through Wi-Fi or a 4G data plan would be more than enough of a diversion.

But all of that would just be window dressing for some photographic abilities that, in my fanciful dreams, would elevate point-and-shoot photography to a whole new level.

a step in the procedure

Overcoming the limits of smartphone sensors and lenses has been the driving force behind the development of computational photography. But what those algorithms could accomplish when coupled with larger sensors and genuine optical zoom is something that hasn't yet been fully investigated (outside of, perhaps, the OM System OM-1). That is what a future Galaxy Camera would be able to do with current computing power.

With its latest sensors, Samsung has recently demonstrated a predilection for pursuing megapixel counts that will garner media attention. The Moto X30 Pro, which is available in China exclusively, has already received the new 200MP ISOCELL HP1 sensor that will reportedly be installed in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. However, I'd like the processing power of a Galaxy Camera remain more heavily weighted toward intelligent stacking (combining the best elements of several frames) than pixel-binning.

It might have a real optical zoom lens and a 20MP 1-inch or Four Thirds sensor. In exchange for portability and a bigger sensor, I'd be happy to give up some of the 21x zoom of the Galaxy Camera. The Sony RX100 VII, for instance, has a fantastic 24-200mm f/2.8-4.5 lens. Also, all that light might be utilised by a potent mobile processor like the Exynos 2200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to perform some amazing multi-frame raw processing and computational tricks.

On a specialised compact, the computational processing that is built into Samsung's phones might be much more potent. (Samsung image credit)

The periscope lenses on the newest smartphones are excellent, but I'm curious to see what super-resolution techniques might accomplish with a far better optical zoom lens. Additionally, subject-tracking autofocus, HDR video, low-light noise reduction, and specialised modes like astrophotography may be provided by Samsung's most recent AI algorithms.

To see what other modes are conceivable, all you have to do is have a look at the OM System OM-1. The OM-1 offers a specific "computational modes" section, which is unusual for a mirrorless camera, where you can find practical tips like Focus Stacking (useful for macro photography), High Res Shot mode, and Live ND (for long exposure effects). It would be quite amazing to get all of this and more in a portable camera with connectivity and menus similar to smartphones. Sadly, it's highly unlikely that it will.

Past its prime

No matter how excellent the next-generation Samsung Galaxy Camera is, the market simply isn't there for it. Nowadays, a relatively small percentage of consumers are willing to carry a separate camera in addition to their phone. Additionally, Samsung's image technology is now primarily targeted at devices like the S22 Ultra. However, it doesn't imply that others aren't making an effort to fill the void.

In September, the Alice Camera, a Micro Four Thirds camera that runs on your phone, will finally begin arriving. Although it's a bit more cumbersome than an all-in-one solution like the Galaxy Camera, the basic concept is the same, albeit with a stronger focus on vlogging.

As Liam Donovan, one of its co-founders, told me last year: "If you handed a mirrorless camera to a generation that has grown up with smartphones in their pockets, they wouldn't know what to do with it. We wanted to provide those people with a top-notch optical system so they could utilise it." I'm eager to see the outcome after it's all said and done.

The Yongnuo YN455 is possibly the closest thing to a contemporary Galaxy Camera, though (above). A Micro Four Thirds sensor, a 5-inch touchscreen, livestreaming capabilities, and 4G connectivity are all combined with Android OS in one device. However, it is only available in China and is missing the computational gimmicks that would really make a new Galaxy compact fly.

After ten years, the Galaxy Camera will continue to be an interesting artefact from a time when one of the major tech companies attempted to reinvent standalone cameras using smartphone technology. Samsung has now succeeded in doing that admirably with its Galaxy phones, but that doesn't lessen my desire for a follow-up to its intelligent tiny camera.