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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 camera test (pictures)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2's 8-megapixel camera may not push any boundaries in smartphone photography, but it takes some great shots.

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1 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 takes great shots

If you like this photo I took of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, there's more where that came from. In fact, I took it with another Galaxy Note 2's 8-megapixel camera.

All photos were taken on automatic mode. Unless stated, photos have been resized and/or cropped, but are otherwise untouched.

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2 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Flower

Bright sunlight helps this vivacious pink flower thrive through the Note 2's lens.

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3 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Color closeup

A sample of the full-resolution version of the pink flower shows that the Note 2's camera has photographic smartphone chops.

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4 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Same day, another bloom

Crisp edges and bursting color showcases these true-to-life petals just right.

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5 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Close-up view

Here's a segment of the same image, in its full-resolution.

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6 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

In living color

Everyone's moving around in this candid outdoor shot at a pop-up outdoor roller rink, and while the scene isn't as sharp or completely well-defined as it would be of a stationary object, the Note 2 did a good job nonetheless.

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7 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Indoors

CNET editor Antuan Goodwin mugs for the Note 2's camera in CNET's indoor cafe, in mixed indoor and outdoor lighting.

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8 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Taking a break

The whiteboard sign to CNET's indoor cafe, the Breakroom, looks a little more yellowed and dull than it does in real life.

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9 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Billiards, anyone?

I wasn't entirely pleased with this indoor photo of a shuffleboard table and the coffee bar behind it. The sign's edges were sharp and well-defined, but the foreground seemed a bit dark.

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10 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Feeling puckish

Though focused on the pucks and the board, this image didn't turn out entirely in focus.

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11 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Portraits

I wanted to see how well the Note 2 handled outdoor portraits. This photo, taken in the high noon sun, captured natural-looking colors and shadows.

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12 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Water in motion

The 8-megapixel Note 2 camera took to water, too. Droplets looked relatively distinct, and I love the way the water looks streaming down the outside of the fountain. Unfortunately, the camera didn't capture the prismatic rainbow between the two far-left streams.

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13 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Sculptures

There's a sun flare at the top right, and an overly aqua green within the sculpture, but if I had taken this photo of a friend while on vacation, I'd be pretty happy.

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14 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Ready for another flower?

The Note 2's Super AMOLED display errs on the side of oversaturation, but these petals' rich hues look just as vibrant on the computer or laptop screen.

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15 of 15 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Shadows and light

The bright bloom retains defined edges, shadows, light, and texture even in full-resolution.

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