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Eurotripping with the Samsung Galaxy S7 (pictures pictures pictures!)

Real-world testing shows the highs -- and very few lows -- of Samsung's top phone camera.

Jessica Dolcourt
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Jessica Dolcourt
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1 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge as a real tourist traveling around London and Berlin. So I thought I'd share the photos I really took -- and would have taken no matter which phone I used.

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2 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Again and again, the S7 and S7 Edge (which have identical cameras) impressed me with their clarity and superfast auto-focus.

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3 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

CNET's Jonathan Garnham and Andrew Hoyle were superstars, filming and photographing the S7 and S7 Edge with skill and style -- so hats off to them.

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4 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

It isn't always fashionable, but I liked that both foreground and background remained in focus so we can see two London icons with clarity: the red photo booth and Big Ben.

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5 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

No special modes needed for this closeup shot of Jonathan doing his video thing.

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6 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Selfies were really bright, with or without flash. The 5-megapixel images were high quality overall, but I did think they sometimes made us appear plasticky.

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7 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

It was very windy and raining when I took this in a pretty English village. Like, flip-my-umbrella-inside-out windy. Yet this daffodil is in focus and you can even see the raindrops.

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8 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

I couldn't actually see the screen when I took this, so I was pleasantly surprised that the photo came out at all.

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9 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

What's a trip to London without a stop at a real English pub? And oh my gosh, this pie was gooood.

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10 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Cheesy cheers! Hello from CNET's London office.

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11 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

This building near London's "Silicon Roundabout" changes color. It's pretty.

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12 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

I shot these lanterns on a dark Soho street through the window of a really great beer bar.

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13 of 25 CNET

This is what happens when you ask a random person to take your photo at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate: a finger in the corner and iffy composition. But hey, that's just part of the experience.

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14 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
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15 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

We sampled local German liqueurs at a very dark hipster restaurant in an up-and-coming neighborhood.

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16 of 25 CNET

I know I look scary here, but people, I am about to CUSTOMIZE MY OWN CHOCOLATE BAR!

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17 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Murals usually photograph well anyhow, which is all the more reason to capture this one in Berlin's East Side Gallery.

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18 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Lightsaber lunge with angry panda. You had to be there.

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19 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

German-style cheesecake is made with quark, not cream cheese. The cafe stuck two forks into the side when serving.

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20 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Blinded by the light! We both had watery eyes after taking this photo with the S7's built-in flash.

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21 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Here's the camera flash on our cocktails in a very dark bar.

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22 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

And here it is again without flash.

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23 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Digital cameras don't do selective focus or the bokeh effect very well by default, but I thought this got the point across, in very, very dark circumstances at a 40th floor bar back in London.

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24 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

This Portuguese custard tart with raspberries was unbelievably good. I want another.

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25 of 25 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Sunset through the window at CNET's London office, which bathed everything it touched with an amber glow. Well done, Galaxy S7. Well done.

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