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LG G5 feature focus: camera

Being one of the many unique aspects of LG's latest flagship, we take a closer look at the unique setup of the LG G5 camera.
By
February 21, 2016

LG really upped their game in the camera department, with both of the company’s 2015 flagships, the LG G4 and V10, featuring fantastic cameras. Following the good showing last year, we were certainly excited to see what LG has in store for us with their 2016 flagship smartphone, and that excitement continues to grow after seeing the unique experience they are attempting to offer this time around.

LG G5: specs, features, price, and availability
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Without further ado, here’s a closer look at the distinctive camera setup of the LG G5!

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When looking at the LG G5 for the first time, what you will notice is the unique camera setup that is available with the device. This time around, the standard lens construction is coupled with a wide angle lens, with the latter allowing for a 135 degree field of view. If that concept sounds familiar, it’s because LG has used this arrangement before, with the LG V10 on its front camera.

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The new setup understandably makes for a radically different design when compared to what we’ve seen in the past from LG, but that doesn’t seem particularly surprising, given how “radically different” seems to be an underlying theme with LG’s latest flagship. In terms of specifications, the wide angle lens is of the 8 MP variety, while the other shooter is 16 MP. An important point to note here is that being able to go from wide angle to the regular, more narrow view, happens automatically and seamlessly, as you zoom in and out of a photo. The G5 comes with an 8 MP front-facing camera as well.

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One of the highlights of the camera experience available with the G5’s predecessors was a robust manual mode, and the great news is its return with the LG G5. If you’re looking to quickly launch the camera application, a double tap of the volume down button, that is now on the side, will do the trick. The camera interface will look very familiar for those who have spent some time with LG’s flagships from last year.

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Starting with the Simple mode, the UI changes into a basic point and shoot interface, with the only icons on the screen being the toggles to manually switch between the wide angle lens and standard lens. Taking a shot is as easy as tapping on the point of focus anywhere on the screen, and aided by the laser guided auto focus system, the camera captures the image quickly. When pinching to zoom, the camera setup automatically switches to the 16 MP standard lens automatically, after which taking a shot remains just as easy. Of course, you can also manually make the switch between the two depending on how you want to cater the shot.

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Auto mode is where the interface fills out a little more, with a slew of new modes and features now accessible. A lot of different modes are available in the menu, including one called Popout, that adds a nice stylistic element to the image, by adding things to the outer rim like lens blur and black and white. There is also a Multi view mode that allows you to use all three cameras, the two at the back and one up front, to create instant collages, which can be a fun feature to use. Other available modes include Panorama, a slow motion video capture mode, and also a time lapse mode.

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Moving onto the settings, you have the ability to change the aspect ratio and select what video recording resolution will be used, including recording in 4K. HDR mode is in the settings menu, but if you’re looking to take the guesswork out of it, HDR Auto is also available. A slew of filters are available to add some style to the shots, and other settings include activating Image Stabilization, that can be used on top of the OIS that is already available. Speaking of OIS, while taking some video when walking along the streets of Barcelona, the optical image stabilization seems to be doing a great job with keeping things steady.

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Finally, there is the Manual mode, where all the granular control can be found. All the options are seen along the bottom, and includes aspects like white balance, which can be adjusted using a Kelvin temperature scale, ISO, shutter speed, and more. What is nice the availability of a summary row of sorts up top, that lets you know exactly what level each of the settings are at.

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As you can see in the gallery below, we did take quite a few pictures with the LG G5 already, and you can be the judge of its quality. However, something to keep in mind is the fact that all the camera of the LG G5 at MWC is not final software. This images essentially serve as a preview of what is to come, but if the G4 and the V10 after it are any indication, we are very likely to have another great smartphone camera on our hands.

So there you have it for this closer look at the camera of the LG G5! Given that this isn’t final software, the quality of the images will likely be even better when the device is released. That said, we’ve already had a lot of fun with this camera, especially with the included wide angle lens, and the dual camera setup should be great to use. We can’t wait to put this camera through its paces, and pit it against the best that the Android world currently has to offer.

Stay tuned with Android Authority as we continue to bring you more great coverage from MWC 2016!