We subjected the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G to our rigorous SBMARK camera test suite to measure its performance in terms of photo, video and zoom quality from an end-user perspective. This article explains how the device performed in a variety of tests and different common use cases and aims to highlight the most important results of our tests with an extract of the acquired data.

Overview

Key Camera Specifications:

  • Main: 12MP sensor, 1.4μm pixels, 27mm eq, f / 1.8 aperture lens, Dual Pixel AF, OIS
  • Ultra-wide: 12MP sensor, 1.12μm pixel, 14mm eq, f / 2.2 aperture lens
  • Video: 4K at 30/60 fps, 1080p at 30/60 fps

Pros

    • Precise exposure of the target
    • Beautiful colors and accurate white balance in bright light and indoors
    • Accurate autofocus and good details outside and inside
    • Effective video stabilization on static handheld scenes
    • Good exposure and precise autofocus in bright light and indoor video
    • Fairly neutral to slightly warm video white balance

versus

    • Highlights cropping and exposure instabilities
    • Image noise and artifacts, such as ringing, hue variations, and color quantization
    • Low level of detail with tele settings
    • High video noise levels
    • Aliasing, ringing and color quantization artifacts in the video
    • Unnatural rendering of details in video in low light conditions
    • Occasional frame shift effect in the video

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G competes in the Ultra Premium segment and is an unusual device in that it features a foldable display, which can be used as a camera mount in low-light situations or for taking selfies, but otherwise the camera in the same way as most non-foldable phones.

With its SBMARK camera score, the Z Flip3 5G occupies a mid-table position in our Ultra Premium ranking and in terms of camera performance it is a clear improvement over the original Z Flip. However, the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens means it can’t keep up with more conventional Ultra Premium devices in terms of zoom results.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G camera scores compared to Ultra-Premium

This chart compares the SBMARK photo, zoom and video scores between the tested device and the references. The average and maximum scores of the price segment are also indicated. The average and maximum scores for each price segment are calculated based on the SBMARK database of tested devices.

Test summary

About SBMARK Camera Tests: SBMARK camera assessments take place in labs and real-world situations using a wide variety of subjects. Scores are based on objective tests for which results are calculated directly by the measurement software on the settings of our laboratory and on perceptual tests in which a sophisticated set of metrics allows a group of image experts to compare aspects of quality image that require human judgment. Testing a smartphone involves a team of engineers and technicians for about a week. The quality of photo, zoom and video is evaluated separately and then combined into an overall score for comparing cameras from different devices. For more information on the SBMARK Camera protocol, click here. More details on the smartphone camera scores can be found here. The following section collects the key elements of SBMARK’s comprehensive testing and analysis. Comprehensive performance evaluations are available upon request. Contact us to find out how to receive a full report.

Photo

127

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

153

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

About SBMARK Camera Photo Tests

For scoring and analysis, SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate more than 2,600 test images in both controlled laboratory environments and natural outdoor, indoor and low-light scenes, using the camera’s default settings. The photographic protocol is designed to take into account the main use cases and is based on typical shooting scenarios, such as portraits, family photographs and landscapes. Assessment is done by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and making objective measurements on graphical images captured in the lab under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1,000+ lux and color temperatures from 2,300K to 6,500K.

When shooting still images, the Z Flip3 is able to achieve good image results that in some areas (e.g. color and exposure) are close to the more conventional Premium and Ultra Premium devices of Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series. Autofocus generally works accurately but has the same shutter lag in high contrast scenes we’ve seen on other Samsung devices. This means that in such situations there is a danger of missing the decisive moment.

Compared to the best-in-class, our testers also noticed a drop in texture / noise trade-off as the light gets dimmer. On the plus side, the depth of field is wider than for example on the Galaxy S21 Ultra, so subjects in the background will be made sharper.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G vs Ultra-Premium photo scores

Photo tests analyze image quality attributes such as exposure, color, texture, and noise under various lighting conditions. Autofocus performance and the presence of artifacts on all images acquired under controlled laboratory conditions and in real-life images are also evaluated. All of these attributes have a significant impact on the final quality of the images captured with the tested device and can help understand the main strengths and weaknesses of the camera.

Exposure

95

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

111

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Color

104

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

107

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Exposure and color are the key attributes for technically good images. For exposure, the main attribute evaluated is the brightness of the main subject in various use cases such as landscape, portrait or still life. Other factors evaluated are contrast and dynamic range, eg. the ability to make details visible in both light and dark areas of the image. Repeatability is also important, as it demonstrates the camera’s ability to deliver the same rendering when shooting multiple images of the same scene.
For color, the image quality attributes analyzed are skin tone rendering, white balance, color shading, and repeatability. For the rendering of color and skin tone, we penalize unnatural colors but respect the manufacturer’s choice of the chromatic signature.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G: Precise exposure of portraits to portraits, good retention of highlights, noise on the subject

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Snapdragon): very similar exposure and color rendering, low noise

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G: Similar overall picture quality

Autofocus

89

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

109

Asus smartphone for Snapdragon insiders

Asus smartphone for Snapdragon insiders

Autofocus tests focus on focus accuracy, focus repeatability, shutter lag and depth of field. The shutter lag is the difference between the time the user presses the capture button and the time the image is actually taken. It includes focus speed and the ability of the device to capture images at the right moment, what is called “zero shutter lag” capability. While shallow depth of field can be nice for a single-subject portrait or close-up, it can also be a problem in some specific conditions such as group portraits; Both situations are tested. Focus accuracy is also evaluated in all real-life images taken, from infinity to close-up objects and in low light to outdoor conditions.

Autofocus irregularity and speed: 1000Lux Δ4EV Daylight Handheld

This graph illustrates focus accuracy and speed as well as zero shutter lag capability, showing edge sharpness versus shutter speed measured on the AFHDR setting over a series of images. All photos were taken at 1000 Lux with the Daylight Highlighter, 500ms after blurring. In this scenario, the backlit panels in the scene are set to simulate a fairly high dynamic range: the luminance ratio between the brightest spot and an 18% reflective gray spot is 4, which we denote with an exposure value difference of 4 The edge sharpness is measured on the four edges of the Dead Leaves graph and the shutter speed is measured on the Universal Timer LED.

Structure

96

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

111

Xiaomi Mi 11

Xiaomi Mi 11

Texture tests analyze the level of detail and texture of subjects in images taken in the laboratory as well as in real-life scenarios. For natural shots, special attention is paid to the level of detail in the light and dark areas of the image. Objective measurements are performed on map images taken under various lighting conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The charts used are the proprietary SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.

SBMARK CHART (DMC) detail retention score versus lux levels for tripod and handheld conditions

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC detail retention score with the lux level, for two retention conditions. The DMC detail retention score is derived from an AI-based metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendering on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.

Noise

71

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

102

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Noise tests analyze various attributes of noise such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture on real-life images and graphical images taken in the laboratory. For natural images, special attention is paid to noise on faces, landscapes, but also on dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Noise on moving objects is also evaluated on natural images. Objective measurements are performed on graphical images taken under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and different types of dynamic range conditions. The graph used is the Dead Leaves graph and standardized measurement such as visual noise derived from ISO 15739.

Evolution of visual noise with lighting levels in handheld condition

This graph shows the evolution of the visual noise metric with the lux level under portable conditions. The visual noise metric is the average of the visual noise measurement across all patches of the Dead Leaves chart in the AFHDR setting. SBMARK visual noise measurement is derived from the ISO15739 standard.

Manufactured goods

70

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

77

Google Pixel 6

Google Pixel 6

Artifact evaluation examines lens shading, chromatic aberrations, geometric distortion, edge ring, halos, ghosting, quantization, unexpected color tone variations, among other types of possible unnatural effects on photos. The more severe and frequent the artifact, the greater the point deduction from the score. The main artifacts observed and the corresponding point loss are listed below.

Main penalties for photographic artifacts

Preview

67

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

80

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

The preview tests analyze the image quality of the camera app image preview, with particular attention to the difference between capture and preview, especially with regards to dynamic range and application of the bokeh effect. The smoothness of exposure, color and focus adaptation are also evaluated when zooming from the minimum to the maximum available zoom factor. The preview frame rate is measured using the Universal Timer LED.

Preview: exposure of the target quite precise on the subject (portrait) but some cropping in high contrast scenes

Capture: better highlight details than preview in high contrast scenes, similar target exposure on subjects

Enlarge

57

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

107

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Learn about SBMARK camera zoom tests

SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 400 test images in controlled laboratory environments and in outdoor, indoor and natural scenes in low light conditions, using default camera settings and zooming in at various zoom factors, from ultra wide angle at ultra-long range zoom. Assessment is done by visually inspecting images Cons a natural scene reference and making objective measurements of graphs captured in the lab under different conditions from 20 to 1000 lux and color temperatures from 2300K to 6500K.

In the Zoom category, the Galaxy Z Flip3 lags slightly behind the competition in the Ultra Premium segment. This is mainly due to the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens which results in a drop in detail when zooming into the distance. That said, at the other end of the zoom spectrum the ultra wide-angle camera does a decent job, delivering a very wide focal length and well-rounded overall image quality that’s on par with many devices in the segment.

Wide

47

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

58

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

These tests analyze the performance of the ultra-wide-angle camera at different focal lengths from 12mm to 20mm. All image quality attributes are evaluated, with particular attention to artifacts such as chromatic aberrations, lens softness and distortion. The images below are an excerpt of tested scenes.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G – ultra wide angle – very long focal length, some loss of detail

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Snapdragon): better details

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G: better details

Tele

65

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

140

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

All image quality attributes are evaluated at focal lengths from about 40mm to 300mm, with a focus on texture and detail. The score is derived from a series of objective measurements in the laboratory and from the perceptual analysis of real-life images.

SBMARK CHART (DMC) zoom score for detail retention versus lux levels for tripod and handheld conditions

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC detail retention zoom score with the lux level, for two retention conditions. The DMC detail retention score is derived from an AI-based metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendering on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.

SBMARK CHART (DMC) zoom score for detail retention versus lux lux levels for tripod and handheld conditions

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC detail retention zoom score with the lux level, for two retention conditions. The DMC detail retention score is derived from an AI-based metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendering on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.

SBMARK CHART (DMC) zoom score for detail retention versus lux levels for tripod and handheld conditions

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC detail retention zoom score with the lux level, for two retention conditions. The DMC detail retention score is derived from an AI-based metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendering on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.

video

101

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

119

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

About SBMARK Camera Video Tests

SBMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 2.5 hours of video in controlled laboratory environments and natural low-light scenes, indoor and outdoor, using the camera’s default settings. The assessment consists of visually inspecting natural videos taken under various conditions and carrying out objective measurements on graphical videos recorded in the laboratory under different conditions from 1 to 1000 lux and color temperatures from 2300 to 6500 K.

When recording video, the ZFlip 3 works well in bright light conditions, with performance similar to that of other Ultra Premium devices, such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra, in attributes such as exposure, color, texture and autofocus. However, in typical indoor conditions or in low light conditions, the image quality decreases and some noise is noticed even in bright light conditions.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G vs Ultra-Premium video scores

Video tests analyze the same image quality attributes as still images, such as exposure, color, texture, or noise, as well as temporal aspects such as speed, exposure uniformity and stability, white balance, and autofocus transitions.

Exposure

97

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

118

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Color

97

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

107

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Honor Magic4 Ultimate

Exposure tests evaluate the brightness of the main subject and the dynamic range, eg. the ability to make details visible in both light and dark areas of the image. The stability and temporal adaptation of exposure are also analyzed.
Image quality color analysis examines color rendition, skin tone rendition, white balance, color shading, white balance stability and adaptation when the light changes.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G: Accurate exposure and autofocus, beautiful colors, noise on the face

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Snapdragon): Noise is better controlled, higher frame rate

Structure

72

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

99

Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)

Oppo Reno6 Pro 5G (Snapdragon)

Consistency tests analyze the level of detail and texture of real-life videos, as well as graph videos recorded in the lab. Natural video recordings are evaluated visually, with particular attention to the level of detail in bright areas and dark areas. Objective measurements are performed on images of graphs taken under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The charts used are the SBMARK (DMC) chart and the Dead Leaves chart.

SBMARK CHART (DMC) detail retention video score versus lux levels

This graph shows the evolution of the DMC detail retention video score with the lux level in the video. The DMC detail retention score is derived from an AI-based metric trained to evaluate texture and detail rendering on a selection of crops from our SBMARK chart.

Noise

57

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

105

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

Noise tests analyze various noise attributes such as intensity, chromaticity, grain, texture, temporal aspects on real-life video recordings and graphing videos taken in the laboratory. Natural videos are evaluated visually, with a focus on noise in dark areas and high dynamic range conditions. Objective measurements are performed on card videos recorded under various conditions from 1 to 1000 lux. The graph used is the SBMARK visual noise graph.

Spatial evolution of visual noise with the level of illuminance

This graph shows the evolution of spatial visual noise with the level of lux. Spatial visual noise is measured on the visual noise graph in the video noise setting. SBMARK visual noise measurement is derived from the ISO15739 standard.

Time evolution of visual noise with the level of illuminance

This graph shows the evolution of temporal visual noise with the level of lux. Visual temporal noise is measured on the visual noise graph in the video noise setting.

Stabilization

97

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

103

Viva X70 Pro +

Viva X70 Pro +

The stabilization assessment verifies the device’s ability to stabilize footage using software or hardware technologies such as OIS, EIS, or any other means. The assessment examines residual motion, smoothness, yellow artifacts, and residual motion blur in walking and running use cases under various lighting conditions. The video below is an excerpt from one of the tested scenes.

Samsung Z Flip3 5G: Slight camera shake, some frame shift noticeable

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (Snapdragon): Some camera shake and a slight frame shift, smooth motion due to high frame rate

Manufactured goods

78

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G

94

Oppo Find X2 Pro

Oppo Find X2 Pro

Artifacts are evaluated with MTF and ring measurements on the SFR graph in the laboratory, as well as frame rate measurements using the Universal Timer LED. Natural videos are visually evaluated with special attention paid to artifacts such as aliasing, quantization, locking, and toning, among others. The more severe and frequent the artifact, the greater the point deduction from the score. The main artifacts and the corresponding point loss are listed below.

Main penalties for video artifacts

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Philip Owell

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