A camera in need is a camera indeed’. Pardon for twisting the popular phrase. With Smartphone becoming a convenient pocket camera for most users on most occasion, the quality of Smartphone camera tops the priority list for many while settling for a new Smartphone.
I been playing around with Gionee Elife S5.5 Android Smartphone for a fortnight and engaged myself to good measure of photography with the phone camera.
The camera setup of the Elife S5.5 includes a 13-megapixel rear camera with Autofocus and LED flash and a 5-megapixel front camera with wide-angle lens.
There are five camera modes: Auto, Sports, Panorama, HDR and night. In practical sense, most of the consumers would not be bothered on changing modes but would stick to Auto and might be turning on/off the flash.
One can also fiddle with the ISO settings, EV and white balance and also choose the picture image size from the lowest of 4-megapixel to 13MP the max. Then there is also, Geo tagging, Face detection and Level meter.
The capture mode includes the normal mode, touch, smile and a V-sign. Yes, if you flash a V-sign while posing, it will capture the image.
There is also a self-timer with an option for 2seconds, 5seconds and 10 seconds.
Scenario: Good day light conditions.
What surprised me was the camera’s ability for the macro shots. Though there was no separate macro mode, the Elife S5.5 was capable of very good macro shots with good detailing. Check out some of the pictures below. On a decently good day light conditions, the camera is at its best while capturing images.
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My favourite picks. Check the up close picture of the fly and the insects below. The minute detailing is fascinating and a treat to observe and talks volumes about the camera abilities.
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The included HDR mode is not very dramatic but most Smartphones camera I have come across didn’t excite me either with their HDR mode barring the Lenovo Vibe Z, the only phone that surprised me in this department. The HDR mode in Elife S5.5 plays a bit with the contrasts and still manages to deliver a bit of drama into the picture, if not highly dramatic.
Elife S5.5 performs decently on low-light conditions. In fact it is notch better than most of the Smartphones I have come across. The noise level is visible in very unfavorable conditions but in moderate conditions it passes out above average compared to many of its peers.
Video Sample
Elife S5.5 is capable of fullHD video capture. Check out a sample below
To sum it up, the Gionee Elife S5.5 scores pretty well on the camera optics. I would not mind carrying it around if am not packing my DSLR and for quick, impromptu photography needs. Especially I love the minute details it throws up during up close shots and good performance in most lighting conditions.]]>
