Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 camera: How much can a compact foldable do?

If you take a lot of selfies or group photos, the Galaxy Z Flip8 is worth considering. You can use the rear cameras while checking the shot on the cover screen, or partially unfold the phone and set it down so you can join the group.

When you’re filming yourself cooking or practising a dance, the folding design also means there’s no need to hold the phone or find a separate stand. The cover screen shows the preview while the rear cameras record.

The Galaxy Z Flip8 cameras at a glance:

For higher-quality selfies, you can use the Galaxy Z Flip8’s 50 MP main camera instead of its 10 MP front camera. Open the camera app on the FlexWindow cover screen while the phone is folded, and you can see yourself as you take the picture. When you need a higher-resolution selfie, you can select the 50 MP option.

When you want to fit more friends into a selfie or show more of the place you’re visiting, switch to the ultrawide camera. You can check the shot on the cover screen as you adjust the framing.

When the phone is open, the dedicated front camera remains available for selfies and video calls. Using the rear cameras for selfies is an additional choice, not something that requires changing how you normally use the phone.

Yes. Open the camera app on the cover screen while the Flip8 is folded. Then partially unfold it into Flex mode and set it on a flat surface, with the rear cameras and cover screen facing you. The preview and camera controls remain on the cover screen.

For a family photo, you can set up the shot and then join everyone else. Switch to the ultrawide when you need a wider view, and everyone can check their position before the photo is taken.

You don’t even need to walk back to the phone to press the shutter. Enable Show palm under Camera settings → Shooting methods, then raise your palm towards the camera to start the countdown.

Enable Voice commands in the same menu, then say “Smile” or “Cheese” when everyone is ready. These familiar Galaxy camera controls are particularly useful on a phone that can stand up by itself.

The setup works for recording yourself too. Put the partially folded Flip8 on a kitchen counter, for example, and the rear camera can film you while both hands are busy preparing food.

You can check the shot on the cover screen while you record. In Video mode, saying “Record video” with Voice commands enabled lets you start without reaching for the screen.

The main camera handles ordinary photos of people, food and places, with a choice of 12 MP or 50 MP capture. Samsung’s Camera Assistant app also adds a 24 MP option, giving you an intermediate setting for the main camera.

For a closer view, the Flip8 offers 2x optical quality zoom, using a crop from the main camera’s sensor. Photo mode goes up to 10x total zoom, while the .6x setting switches to the ultrawide. Portrait mode lets you adjust between 1x and 2x, so you can include more of someone’s surroundings or frame them more closely.

There are useful options for taking the picture and choosing the moment afterwards, too.

Motion Photo saves a short moving sequence alongside a photograph. It’s particularly useful for photos of children or pets, as getting them to look at the camera at the right moment isn’t always easy.

If your dog turns away just as you press the shutter, for example, you can open the result in Gallery and choose an earlier frame when it was still looking at the camera.

When shooting with the phone open, the Floating Shutter button gives you an extra shutter button that you can position where it’s comfortable to reach. Enable it under Camera settings → Shooting methods, then drag the button to your preferred spot on the screen.

Camera Assistant adds options for the cover-screen camera as well as ordinary shooting controls. One of them is Mirror view, which turns the cover-screen preview into a mirror-like view for checking your appearance.

Enable it under Camera Assistant → Mirror view. It’s useful for checking your hair before a selfie or having a quick look before heading out. Optional shortcuts let you open it from the lock-screen Camera shortcut or by double-pressing the Side button when that action is assigned to Camera.

FlipShot serves a different purpose. It replaces the usual cover-screen camera preview with a picture, animation or message. In a mirror selfie, that lets the phone itself show something you’ve chosen rather than another preview of the shot.

It can also be handy when taking photos of children. Put a picture of their favourite cartoon character or a funny face on the cover screen, and it might get them to look towards the phone and smile.

Open Camera settings → FlipShot to set it up. The first time, you’ll be prompted to install MultiStar from the Galaxy Store. Once installed, the FlipShot menu is available from Camera settings, and the feature works with both photos and videos.

Yes. The Galaxy Z Flip8 records 4K at 30 or 60 fps with both rear cameras and the front camera. The rear cameras also offer these formats when you’re shooting from the cover screen.

In standard Video mode, you can switch between the main and ultrawide cameras while recording, or switch between the rear and front cameras. So a single clip can show what you’re looking at and then your reaction, without stopping and starting another recording.

For hands-free videos where you’re moving around, Auto framing can adjust the zoom to help keep you in the picture. It starts framing when it detects someone, even before recording begins, and works at 4K or Full HD at 30 fps.

For handheld footage, Super Steady^[1] reduces camera shake. Its Horizontal Lock option also helps keep the frame level when the phone tilts in your hand, such as when you’re walking and filming. These stabilised modes use QHD or Full HD recording with the rear cameras.

There are options for editing afterwards as well. In Gallery, My FanCam^[2] can create a new clip that follows one person in a recording. You can select an aspect ratio and choose portrait or landscape independently of the original video, useful for making a vertical clip to share from something you filmed horizontally or vice versa.

Yes, and you can do it hands-free. Open Camera on the inner screen and select Dual recording from the quick controls. With the front camera and a rear camera selected, partially fold the Flip8 and set it down.

The cameras can now record what’s happening on opposite sides of the phone. Place it between you and a friend across a table, for example, with one camera pointed at each person to record the conversation without anyone holding the phone.

Dual recording saves Full HD video at 30 fps. You can choose a split-screen or picture-in-picture layout, then save one combined video or two separate files. Keeping the views separate gives you the option to decide how to combine them later.

Camera Assistant also lets you enable a dedicated Dual rec mode with additional camera-pairing choices. This includes recording with the main and ultrawide rear cameras together, rather than always pairing a rear camera with the front camera.

The Galaxy Z Flip8 combines an F1.8 main camera with Nightography^[3] processing to help retain colour and detail in low-light photos and videos. The ProVisual Engine also applies noise reduction during video recording automatically, which is useful when filming an evening gathering or an indoor event.

The folding design gives you another way to help with night photos. For a picture of the view after sunset, rest the partially folded phone on a steady surface. Keeping the camera still is useful when a longer exposure is needed.

Set a short camera timer before pressing the shutter. The delay gives the phone time to settle after you touch it, so you aren’t still moving it when the photo is captured.

For low-light video, Auto FPS is another available option. It adjusts the recording frame rate to help produce brighter footage when there is less light.

If you take a lot of selfies, group photos or videos of yourself, the Galaxy Z Flip8 is a good choice. Its main camera offers higher-quality rear-camera selfies, the ultrawide fits more people into the shot, and all three cameras record at up to 4K at 60 fps.

At a family get-together, you can set the phone down and raise your palm once you’ve joined the group to take the photo. In the kitchen, you can film yourself preparing food with both hands free. You can also put the phone between you and a friend to record a conversation with Dual recording.

For photos after dark, Nightography helps retain colour and detail, while the partially folded setup is useful for keeping the phone still during longer exposures.

^{[1] Super Steady results may vary depending on editing method and/or shooting conditions.}

^{[2] My FanCam feature requires a Samsung Account login. Availability may vary by video. Not supported if there is no subject to track. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.}

^{[3] Nightography: Results may vary depending on light condition, subject and/or shooting conditions.}