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Samsung Galaxy S5 review

September 10, 2017
70
camera
This device has been tested in 2017. Please note that the score and contents below refer to an older Camera test protocol.

Released in April 2014, the Samsung Galaxy S5 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 high-end chipset and a 5.1″ Full-HD display, all encased in a dust- and water-resistant plastic body. In the camera module, a 16 Mp image sensor is coupled with a f/2.2 aperture lens that provides an equivalent focal length of 31mm. In video mode, the S5 is capable of recording 4K footage at 30 frames per second. Have a look at our detailed scores below to see how Samsung’s 2014 Android flagship performed in our DxOMark Mobile image quality test.

Key specifications:

  • 16 Mp 1/2.6″ sensor with 1.12µm pixels
  • f/2.2 aperture lens
  • 31mm equivalent focal length
  • PDAF
  • LED flash
  • 4K video at 30 fps
  • 2 Mp front camera with f/2.4 aperture lens

Test summary

In bright light, noise is well-controlled, but dynamic range is limited and some ringing is noticeable on hard edges.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 captures images with vivid and generally pleasant colors and low levels of noise in most situations. Dynamic range is limited, however, resulting in occasional highlight clipping, and we found the autofocus becoming quite unreliable when shooting at lower light levels. In video mode, the camera is capable of producing footage with good levels of detail and low noise, but image stabilization is not very efficient, and as with stills mode, the autofocus is a little unstable when the light gets dim.

In low light, such as in this 20 Lux sample shot, the S5 favors a clean image over detail and textures.
In high-contrast scenes, dynamic range is limited and subject motion can lead to ghosting artifacts.
70
camera
68
photo
75
video

Pros

  • Noise fairly well under control in most conditions
  • Vivid and pleasant colors in bright light and indoor conditions

 Pros

  • Fairly good detail in bright light and indoor conditions
  • Noise is fairly well-controlled in most testing conditions

Cons

  • Frequent autofocus failures indoors and in low light
  • Limited dynamic range
  • Bokeh effect does not always trigger
  • Loss of sharpness across the frame

Cons

  • Inefficient stabilization
  • Unstable autofocus in indoor conditions

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