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Shooting with the Samsung Galaxy S5's 16-megapixel camera (pictures)

We took the Galaxy S5's updated app and camera optics for a spin from the MWC show floor.

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 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Putting the Galaxy S5's camera to the test

The Samsung Galaxy S5 packs a 16-megapixel camera and some cool new software features within its native camera app. At Mobile World Congress, I spent a long time getting to know them both. And yes, I took this photo of the copper GS5 with another GS5.
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2 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

Galaxy Gear 2 and Gear Fit

All photos were taken in the GS5's automatic mode around Samsung's media lounge. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take the Galaxy S5 outside.
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3 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

The glamorous life of a mobile editor

This pretty much captures it perfectly.
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4 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

More gadgets!

The Samsung Gear Fit wristband and copper Galaxy S4 made the liveliest test subjects in a sterile conference room characterized by the warm yellow glow of artificial conference lighting.
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5 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Care for a beverage?

I especially liked the detail that the phone teased out of the water glass.
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6 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Cup of tea

Yet another press staple.
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7 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

The cropping advantage

A higher megapixel sensor means that close crops like this one here still look good (the original shot was at least twice as wide.)
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8 of 17 Sarah Tew/CNET

Front-facing goobers

CNET mobile editor Brian Bennett helps me ham it up for this shot on the Galaxy S5's 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The phone automatically applies the Beauty Face mode that airbrushes skin and often makes faces look better up close.
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9 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Selective Focus

This mode lets you choose to focus on the foreground, background, or focus evenly across the image. Here, I've focused on the cup of tea in Samsung PR representative Jessica Baker's hand. It takes longer to process the shot when you use this mode.
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10 of 17 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Keep editing

It's nice that you can continue to edit the focus after you've taken the photo.
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11 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Revamped camera settings menu

Click the settings to see icons that lay out the camera options. You can drag and drop individual icons onto the shortcut bar.
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12 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Camera modes

Samsung consolidates some of its camera modes into Shot & More, and adds Virtual Tour for a 360-degree view.
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13 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Using Shot & More

When you take a photo with Shot & More, the applicable mode options light up.
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14 of 17 Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Panning mode

The purpose of this action mode is to make the dramatic subject really stand out from a blurred background.
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15 of 17 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Control the blur

After taking the shot, you use editing tools to manipulate the blur effect.
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16 of 17 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Move to Knox

Samsung's Knox is a private profile; a setting in the drop-down menu lets you easily lock it up.
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17 of 17 Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

Cleaned-up look

Samsung's subtle changes in the look and feel of its TouchWiz interface permeate the camera layer, where icons get a refresh.

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