Smartphone fine art photography? After two months with my Samsung Galaxy S 20, I have to admit it appears to be a real option. Though I am not sure, that all of my work qualifies as “fine art” I would say that in 2021, a state-of-the-art phone camera module is no longer severely limiting.

I’m writing this follow-up article to demonstrate what I’ve been able to capture with my new phone.

First, let me say that these images are not all intended to be jaw-droppers. Some of them were shot rather specifically to reveal the sensor’s abilities/limitations. Others were shot with somewhat higher aspirations Hopefully, they are somewhat pleasing.

In 2015, Samsung introduced a brand-new line of cameras called the NX series. It was Samsung’s first foray into a mirror list interchangeable lens camera, and it hit the market with a splash. It was beautifully constructed, extremely well-featured, and came with very fine newly designed lenses.

Most interestingly, it also featured a Samsung-manufactured, very high-quality 28-megapixel sensor. This was shockingly competitive with sensors made by the dominant manufacturer’s Sony and Canon. It was for a time, highly promoted. Samsung hired a number of very well-known photographers for this purpose. I shot with a loaner camera at a photo expo in Seattle and was very impressed.

Then suddenly, the Samsung NX series was no more. Apparently, Samsung decided that cameras “weren’t their bag” and they dropped the product line rather abruptly. It’s actually a shame because there was clear potential for this product.

Apparently, they didn’t forget how to make sensors. As you saw perhaps in the last article I wrote about the S20 weeks ago, despite the diminutive size and tiny pixels, it can produce very high-quality files. Given this, I decided to keep it in service.

For the most part, I shot it entirely in raw which is available in “pro” mode. Shot this way the camera produces a .dng file in a 4/3 format and a wide format JPEG. The latter is processed by the phone’s software. Very typically the results of the processing are fairly pleasing and pleasant to look at on the small screen. Details in the JPEG files are definitely smoothed out by the processing and don’t appear useful for anything beyond digital display.

In early March my wife and I spent a week in the Adirondacks. I brought my typical travel kit including my Fujifilm X100V and my XE3 with a variety of lenses. I never got them out of their bags. When skiing or snowshoeing, I would merely take my small Manfrotto tripod and the smartphone mount, and shot with the Samsung exclusively. I have been doing that ever since, in part with this article in mind.

I have to say that I didn’t really miss my Fujis. Part of this, however, is that I’ve been photographing the high peaks region in early March for so many years, it’s hard to find novel scenery. This was thus an interesting new challenge.

Once home, I continued with the exercise playing with the bleak, early spring scenery as our snow finally melted away.

This is a really good sensor. Many of these images you will note, were shot into the sun with prominent shadows. Better digital sensors have several qualities. One of them is dynamic range, which in part feeds into their true resolution.

Dynamic range describes the ability of the sensor to capture very bright scenes, and deep shadows, but still retain detail when the images are edited. Small pixel phone sensors have traditionally been terrible at this. This sensor handles it brilliantly, certainly as good as for instance my 2009 vintage Panasonic GH1, a much larger sensor interchangeable lens camera (also 12 megapixels).

Another attribute of a good sensor is tonality. This describes the subtle gradations shades of gray, and of color. Earlier technology recorded shades in discrete steps makes the image look more like a painting than a photograph, especially when viewed in detail. More sophisticated sensors have much more subtle gradations. I would say this Samsung sensor does surprisingly well in this regard.

I’ll offer one more thought. No one really talks about the lenses in these tiny camera modules, but in the case of this Samsung S20, there is little to criticize. There is some lens flare, and given the lack of any lens shading, but it is pretty well controlled. And if there other lens distortions that can be measured, they are well hidden in normal usage

At any rate, I think I’m done with this experiment. I’m going back to my more serious gear as the Spring season presents more photographic opportunities.

But it’s nice to know I’ll have the Samsung just in case.

As always, I’d Be honored if you’de share.

Header image: Wind and Snow( Samsung Galaxy S20 EW 5G)

With the introduction of the Fujifilm x100V, those of us with its predecessor, the F model, are faced with a dilemma. Are the improvements to the new camera, which was already a wonderful instrument for photography, so compelling to prompt an upgrade? And if so, what should be the timing, given the trade-in value of our current gear. As I tend to over-analyze things, I have been reading the reviews and trying to decide.

The “V” model indicates the fifth X 100 model in the series. Fujifilm finally (at least for me) finally divulged the code for the various random letters they have assigned to previous models. It turns out “S” stood for second, “T” for third, and “F” for fourth (did everyone else know this?). Now they have apparently decided to go for Roman numerals.

The new camera has several compelling upgrades. Most importantly to me would be a new lens. It is still 23 mm and f2.0 but redesigned to improve overall sharpness, particularly wide open. From the comparison images that I am seeing online, they appear to have succeeded. Happily, my investment in the lens converters for my previous cameras is not lost as they also work on the new lens.

There is apparently a new aluminum/magnesium body that by all accounts improve the aesthetics of the body. More importantly, there is now, weather sealing everywhere but at the lens, which requires the optional filter adapter and a filter to render the camera impervious to dust and water splashes. Bravo Fuji.

There is now a four, rather than three-stop neutral density filter built-in. This will make the camera even more versatile for moving water images.

As always there are changes in the optical viewfinder and increased resolution for the electronic viewfinder and the rear LCD which now can pivot up and down. This was cleverly accomplished without significantly changing the camera’s trim dimensions.

Autofocus is also said to be improved, which seems to happen with each new iteration. This is always welcome.

Probably least important to me is the new 26 megapixel Trans-X 4 sensor. Though there is a slight increase in resolution, I have not been able to detect in the available raw files, much improvement in image quality with this sensor. Things are no worse, however.

So far I have fallen for every new upgrade of the X 100. Will this be the same?

After some thought, have reached the following conclusion:

First off, this is my most commonly used camera. Since I tend to shoot more images with the X 100 family of cameras than anything else I own, an improved version is more compelling than for my other equipment (my Nikon 800E, which I rarely use, is two generations old)

I have not for instance upgraded my X Pro 2 because it functions beautifully for me, and the major improvement; namely the sensor and unusual tilting view screen are not that compelling to me. Plus if Fujifilm improves its lens lineup, this can always be applied to this interchangeable lens body.

With the X 100V, the lens improvement to me is its most compelling feature. Now I could just shoot my X E3 with the 23 mm F2 .0 lens this combination is probably optically superior yet, and is not a lot larger than the X100. But between you and me it’s not the same. For instance, the X E3 lacks the incredibly quiet leaf shutter found in the X 100 series which facilitates discrete candid photography.

As I use this camera for street and event shooting, the tilting screen will be an important improvement allowing me to more conveniently shoot from below the waist and overhead.

So it’s obvious I intend to move forward with this. I’m not sure whether to buy it once it is released or to wait, perhaps for a price drop. I’m pretty sure this is unlikely to happen in less than a year unless the camera’s sales disappoint. I’m pretty sure that won’t happen however given the number of used X 100F’s already appearing on eBay.

It appears that my current camera may be added to those listings.