LG G3 Camera Review, Camera App & Photo Capture Samples

LG released its LG G2 last year which was a good device considering the time of its release and this year the company’s flagship model the LG G3 came with many new features and is definitely an upgrade over its predecessor. The important thing to note here is the Quad HD display that the LG G3 sports on its 5.5 inch screen giving a mammoth 538ppi pixel density. Look wise the G3 has a metallic finish and LG has retained its rear mounted volume rockers and power buttons and nothing can be seen towards the sides.

Powering this device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad core processor with clocking speeds of 2.46 GHz coupled with the same 2 GB RAM that we have seen in the LG G2. Moreover even the rear camera and the front camera are also same at 13 MP and 2.1 MP respectively but the flagship device comes with Dual LED flash support with many new camera features and laser auto focus being one of them. Let us see how the camera of the flagship device of LG stands out and learn more about it.

What is Laser Auto Focus and how does it work?

We know most of the Smart phones come with the OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) feature and so does the LG G3 but it has the OIS+ feature that includes stabilization on the Z-axis also, hence the name. The Laser Auto Focus is something new we going to see today on this flagship device. This Laser AF improves the focusing time of the primary camera that will take about 276ms (0.276 seconds) to focus, according to LG.

The AF module that is present on the back of the LG G3, just beside the camera (left side) will emit pulse of low intensity infrared light through collimating optics and waits for the ray to get refracted and reach back. These beams are coned shaped and are certified to safe for eyes, as most of the lasers cause problems to the vision of a person. Later the infrared pulse beam (ISP) will measure the focus depth by measuring the distance of the object from the lens by noting the travel time of each infrared pulse beam. This entire phenomenon will be completed in fraction of a second which is very fast. The precise distance pointer will establish exact focus and also tracks a moving object.

We have seen the Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 also have their focus time less than 0.3 seconds while the South Korean Giant uses its Phase Detection Auto Focus and HTC used its secondary camera that uses a secondary lens for depth information.

• Photo Samples in Normal Day Light
• Photo Samples in Artificial Light
• Photo Samples in Low Light
• Different Modes Available
• Conclusion

Photo Samples in Normal Day Light

In normal day light we have tested the camera of the LG G3 and thanks to the Laser Auto focus that is present in it which made the photo capturing fun and easy with its speedy shutter. Here in the Normal day light we tried to capture a bird flying and the camera did a good enough job and we also zoomed it for better estimation. Below are the photo samples of the same .

Natural color output.

The color output is pretty good, with the colors not looking artificial.

This photo on full resolution showed the scales of the chameleon pretty clearly, indicating how good the focusing is.

LG G3 outdoor zoomed

Rating – 4/5

Photo Samples in Artificial Light

We generally use artificial lights while we do not have enough natural light while capturing an image. So we captured some images in artificial lighting with the flash turned ON and few images with flash turned OFF and below are those samples.

Rating – 4/5

Photo Samples in Low Light with Flash

We tested out the camera of the LG G3 in complete darkness or you can also call it in low light condition and the images below show the quality of it. We have also added some zoomed samples also.

Complete darkness with flash on – Indoor 2

Complete darkness with flash on – Indoor 1

Complete darkness with flash on – Indoor

Complete darkness with flash on – Outdoor

Snap taken in complete darkness with flash on – Outdoor

Rating – 4/5

Different Modes Available

Like many flagship smart phones even the LG G3 has many modes available in its camera when go to the settings. Here is the list of setting that you can find.

Burst shot

Burst shot is a feature that we are able to see with many high end devices these days that will let you take multiple shots on a single click from which you can select the best one.

Gesture Shot

Gesture shot lets you to take selfies just with hang gesture. All you need to do is raise your hand until the font camera detects it and a box will appear and now close your fingers and make a fist and a selfies will be taken automatically.

Voice Shutter

Voice Shutter is another option that you can find in the camera settings where you will be finding an icon as shown in the screenshot below. After activating this mode, give voice commands like Cheese, Smile, Kimchi, LG etc to a snap to be clicked.

Magic Focus

Magic focus is where you can take a photo from the camera and choose which area to be focused. You can do the same by touch the screen area where the focus or defocus to be added.

Panorama

Panorama is an option that we will see in mid range devices also, so it is nothing new us. With panorama we can take continuous photos by moving the camera in one direction and all the images are stitched together to make sceneries.

Dual Camera

Dual camera option where both the front and rear camera works simultaneously to take image showing both the object that is being pictured as well as the person taking the picture. You have the option of taking images as well as videos.

Apart from these options you can also find the option of swiping on the screen to switch between front camera and rear camera and to take a photo or video you need to tap on the camera button.

Conclusion

After an in depth review of the camera and watching the image samples of the LG G3 we can conclude that the camera on the LG G3 is very good and is very much an improvement over the LG G2.

Final Rating – 4