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Results: the Note 8's secondary camera is a controversial topic

by Preslav Kateliev / Aug 29, 2017, 9:40 AM

Results: the Note 8's secondary camera is a controversial topic

Dual cameras on smartphones are still a fairly new trend, but one that's picking up fast. And there are four different ways in which manufacturers implement the technology, but they can pretty much be summed up in two categories — "Does it bokeh or not?".

"Bokeh" refers to the portrait modes with artificial, DSLR-emulating background blur, which are all the craze this year. If the answer is "not", then the secondary camera is probably a wide-angle one, a-la LG.

When Samsung's Note 8 was rumored to come with a dual camera, we went wild with speculating which implementation Sammy would choose — a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens? Now, we know it's the latter one. Some fans are happy, some say they would've preferred the wide-angle solution. We thought we'd poll you and see if the audience is truly split down the middle.

Would you look at that? It sort of is!

Should Samsung have put a wide-angle secondary camera on the Note 8?

Yes, wide angle would've been much more useful!

54.22%

Nonsense, telephoto camera and portrait mode are awesome!

45.78%

Options

34 Comments

1. dnomadic

Posts: 379; Member since: Feb 20, 2015

Move on, no controversy here... Some prefer the extra reach, some prefer the extra wide shot... Not a controversy. I would that they offer three cameras, for the indecisive individual, who will then call for a fourth camera

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 9:45 AM 21

10. GreenMan

Posts: 2694; Member since: Nov 09, 2015

A telephoto lens is nothing but a useless gimmick, period. Come to think of it, Samsung is known for its gimmicks, after all. So no surprise there! People who voted for telephoto lens are nothing but blind, biased fanboys, and most of them heavily criticized Apple when it introduced the dual-camera iPhone 7 Plus, But now since their 'lord' has jumped into the bandwagon; they are dancing about it, praising it at the top of their lungs and badmouthing everyone who's against it! Bloody hypocrites! Tell me, would you take a camera that does nothing but blurs the background or would you prefer the one that takes wide angle shots? Gimmick vs. real usability, in other words! Oh well, G'Day!

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 11:04 AM 3

14. trojan_horse

Posts: 5868; Member since: May 06, 2016

"Tell me, would you take a camera that does nothing but blurs the background or would you prefer the one that takes wide angle shots?" It's simply a matter of preference. The 'reality' of the wide-angle lens might be important to you, but not for someone else, so a Telephoto lens is what another person som would want, especially those hard-core Instagram users. I personally find a Monochrome secondary camera to best fit my need. To each his own, no need to mad over it.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 11:17 AM 6

21. bobby84

Posts: 595; Member since: May 13, 2016

Note 8 now had the best display getting 1220 nit

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 2:54 PM 1

20. Klinton

Posts: 1408; Member since: Oct 24, 2016

The only reason Samsung put this setup is HUNTING FOR IBOYS. Samsung are not stupud, and know that , iboys are the most important customers. If they jump on the Samsung's train, Apple are done, and Samsung can stop invest so much in new tech. And think only about profit.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 2:54 PM 3

29. L0n3n1nja

Posts: 1521; Member since: Jul 12, 2016

If you understood how cameras work maybe you wouldn't look like a fool right now, the telephoto is far more useful than just creating a portrait.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 7:47 PM 1

17. SYSTEM_LORD

Posts: 1168; Member since: Oct 05, 2015

Sarcasm aside, I prefer the wide angle. If implemented in a non-cost saving manner would be very useful. I'm not a fan of the artificial and exagerated looking bokeh effect that these smart phones are producing.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 11:33 AM 0

2. Flash

Posts: 1972; Member since: May 19, 2017

Cameragate

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 9:46 AM 0

7. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

This exact same poll can be done with your beloved iPhone 7 Plus. I'd bet you wont say "Cameragate" there LOL. [Waiting for your trademark lame "you're a fake" reply with nothing to counter my claim]

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 10:38 AM 13

12. Flash

I don't have an iPhone 7. Guess you feel stupid right now. But what can I expect from a fake.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 11:07 AM 4

27. NoToFanboys

Mxy/Flash in a nutshell: "Android is crap malware ridden POS by Google the crap company, and Apple is perfect and they never make mistakes and I'll defend them everywhere. I don't have an iPhone and want the upcoming Google Pixel 2"

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 5:42 PM 4

34. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

He never said you had an iPhone

posted on Aug 31, 2017, 10:36 AM 0

25. darkkjedii

Posts: 30836; Member since: Feb 05, 2011

Owned him bro.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 4:46 PM 0

3. Achilis

Posts: 65; Member since: Oct 05, 2013

Phonearena is trying really hard to bring note 8 down. what a heading for a poll result which is almost even. lets wait and see, who will have the last laugh.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 9:51 AM 11

4. Plasticsh1t

Posts: 3092; Member since: Sep 01, 2014

PA is on a roll today.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 9:52 AM 1

6. cmdacos

Posts: 3890; Member since: Nov 01, 2016

Controversy is the wrong word for something that is a subjective. I chose wide angle even though I am buying Note 8 regardless. Reason being is Samsung could develop bokeh style blur in post processing that was pretty good so there is less value for me for the 2x lens.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 10:30 AM 1

9. Derekjeter

Posts: 1455; Member since: Oct 27, 2011

Even I can see that PA is really trying to upset the Samsung fanboys, lol. It’s not that their trying to turn people away from the Note 8, their just trying to get more traffic on the site. It’s a slow news day and will be till the iPhone 8 is announced. If PA post an article, and your offended, and come in here and drop 5 comments that will then trigger other 5 comments from some one else, Job well done PA. They don’t hate any phone or dislike it, they just know how trigger fanboys. Remember it’s a site, but also a business. They have to eat also.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 10:58 AM 1

15. slow00

Posts: 97; Member since: Mar 08, 2017

Clickbait articles are all over the internet and is understandable that in such a competitive enviroment with plethora of sites this is a smart strategy to generate traffic and bring in more revenue from ads..however there is a reason why The Verge is considered more credible than Phonearena and BGR the same as The Guardian to The Sun. in the end credibility is the key in keeping a loyal readers base and this sth that phonearena so called "writers" do fail to realise. "There is no cure being a member of the Apple Cult"

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 11:19 AM 0

16. truthbetold

Posts: 42; Member since: Oct 16, 2015

To double down on controversy, rename the article to "YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS THING IN AN ANONYMOUS POLL"

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 11:20 AM 1

19. avalon2105

Posts: 352; Member since: Jul 12, 2014

Best would be to put one extra large sensor with higher Mpix count instead of two small sensors with low Mpix count.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 2:06 PM 0

23. tedkord

Posts: 17135; Member since: Jun 17, 2009

As I said when the rumors came out, as far as I'm concerned they could just keep one camera on the back. No one has found a compelling reason for dual camera on the back of a phone. There are ways to use dual cameras to really improve your pictures, this isn't one of them.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 3:22 PM 1

26. darkkjedii

https://youtu.be/K1sx80W5q2c

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 5:34 PM 1

28. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

I can see chinese will make triple back camera next year.. Normal camera + telephoto + wide angle

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 7:23 PM 1

32. vincelongman

Posts: 5628; Member since: Feb 10, 2013

You are right! The Vivo X20 (Xplay 7) has 5 cameras 3 on the back and 2 on the fronthttp://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_x20_to_be_called_xplay_7_features_triple_rearcamera_and_onscreen_fingerprint_sensor-news-26527.php

posted on Aug 30, 2017, 2:29 AM 0

30. p51d007

Posts: 700; Member since: Nov 24, 2013

You hit the nail on the head with the phrase "dual cameras are trendy". THAT is it in a nutshell. First it was no bezels, then slim/sexy. Then fashionable colors. Now it's dual cameras. It's still putting lipstick on a pig, in hopes of getting people to part with their money, on MINOR upgrades to a phone, that is basically last years model, with a tiny improvement in speed (not needed), less bezels (not needed), smaller battery (NOT NEEDED), dual cameras (not needed, and a continuing higher price (DEFINITELY not needed). Manufacturers know that their customers, are in most ways, shallow, trendy chasing types, and are catering to that demand.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 7:57 PM 0

31. Macready

Posts: 1811; Member since: Dec 08, 2014

Both are nice options, but honestly, having such a fast panorama function built in, takes away half the usefulness of a wider angle lens, because it can deliver far greater resolution than any wide angle lens with less lens distortion to boot. The main benefit of such a lens would be the lack of stitching errors and faster operation (both leading to better results for faster objects). But the telephoto (or really "normal" FL or mid tele FL) focal lengths is where smartphone cameras lack the most, so anything added here, is more than welcome.

posted on Aug 29, 2017, 9:17 PM 0

33. TechieXP1969

The article is deceiving because the main camera on the Note 8 is a wide angled lens per confirmation from Samsung's website. PA and right now Paul K is a complete lying douchebag!