Samsung Galaxy A27 review

50MP main camera, downgraded ultrawide, nice selfies still

The Galaxy A26 straight up inherited the A25's camera setup, but the A27 now comes with a bit of a downgrade even - that's progress for you. That said, at this particular spot in the lineup, we're not exactly expecting camera greatness, so a 5MP ultrawide in place of the old 8MP one isn't that big of a deal, probably.

So, yes, the A27 downgrades the ultrawide and gets a 5MP GalaxyCore sensor in place of the 8MP Samsung imager on the A26 (and possibly on the A37). It's a tiny sensor and the lens has fixed focus, but that's all par for the course at this level.

The selfie camera is not same-same, but same-ish - the A27's 12MP GalaxyCore sensor replaces a 13MP Hynix unit on the A26, and this new module might be shared with the A37, but that model isn't as forthcoming about its hardware, and we're dealing with scraps of information to compare.

The main camera on the back is unchanged this generation, a trusty in-house JN1 50MP sensor at its heart. Higher-tier models use the 1/2.76" optical format for secondary or selfie cameras, but on the A27, it's the main camera material. The A37 does come with a significantly larger 1/1.56" main camera sensor.

The Galaxy A27 also has yet another camera, a dedicated 2MP 'macro' module - that too is a notch below the A36 and A37 (5MP there).

• Wide (main): 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1 (S5KJN1, 1/2.76", 0.64µm-1.28µm); 27mm, f/1.8, OIS, PDAF (8.5cm - ∞); 4K30/1080p60 video recording.
• Ultrawide: 5MP GalaxyCore GC05A3 (1/5.0", 1.12µm); 16mm, f/2.2, fixed focus; 1080p30.
• Macro: 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 (1/5.0", 1.75µm); 23mm, f/2.4, fixed focus; no video recording.
• Front camera: 12MP GalaxyCore GC12A2 (1/3.2", 1.12µm); 25mm, f/2.2, fixed focus; 1080p30.

Daylight photo quality

Main camera

We weren't thrilled with the A26's output, and the A27 isn't bringing any hardware improvements, so it's no surprise that the photos it captures with its main camera aren't exactly superb. Most notably, detail is on the soft side, particularly in indoor conditions (even slightly dimmer than ideal lighting), though well-lit outdoor scenes aren't pin-sharp either. Outdoor color reproduction is pretty great, with reliable auto white balance and pleasing saturation levels, while indoor scenes can be a little off in both respects, but nothing too problematic. Similarly, dynamic range and contrast are looking very good when shooting out in the sun, but indoor scenes can end up more washed out, or with blown highlights.

An inherent peculiarity is the relatively narrow field of view of the 27mm-equivalent focal length - it could be beneficial if that's your thing, but main cameras have been hovering around the 23-24mm mark and 27mm can feel a little limiting.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x)

Human subjects are rendered mostly fine - skin tones aren't bad, but the general imperfections in dynamic range and detail rendition remain visible in these scenarios as well. The Portrait mode's default blur level makes for a somewhat artificial look too.

Human subjects, main camera (1x): Photo mode • Portrait mode

The full-res mode comes with further limited dynamic range and not necessarily much of a detail benefit - we'd avoid it.

Daylight samples, main camera (1x), 50MP

2x zoom photos have pretty blotchy detail with thick sharpening halos - it's not a particularly good look if you examine them at 1:1, but for the bulk of casual low-res online sharing they'll be alright.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x)

There's no Portrait mode at anything but the native focal length, so at 2x you only get Photo mode shots of people. They're not great - with the right excuses, they can pass for acceptable.

Human subjects, main camera (2x): Photo mode

Ultrawide camera

We were moderately surprised to see the already fairly basic ultrawide get downgraded further from the A26 to the A27, but here we are, now at 5MP in resolution. That's obviously not a lot of detail and what detail there is, is not rendered particularly nicely. Dynamic range is okayish, colors are pretty great outdoors and a bit less so indoors.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)

Close-ups

The ultrawide can't really do close-up photos, but there's a dedicated 'macro' camera, plus you can also use the main camera for some close-up shooting thanks to its 8.5cm minimum focusing distance. Both approaches come with their own compromises, of course. The macro camera has all of 2MP, so it doesn't produce crazy detailed shots to begin with. Then its focus is fixed and it's pretty close, so you'll end up throwing a shadow on your subject more often than not.

Close-up samples, 'macro' camera

Then there's the main camera, which for 'macro' purposes you'll want to be shooting at 2x, where it's not particularly sharp. Even so, we reckon this is the better option, by a wide margin.

Close-up samples, main camera, 2x

Low-light photo quality

Main camera

Low-light photos from the main camera at 1x aren't particularly great in absolute terms, but they just might be decent for the class. Dynamic range is quite good, even if highlights can be a little harsh. The auto white balance isn't infallible, but it's never completely messed up, and saturation is good. Detail is on the soft side, with shadows being murky and noisy. Overall, it's usable stuff.

Low-light samples, main camera (1x)

Shooting in the dedicated Night mode can clean up a bit of noise in the lower midtones, but it's not universal, and it's not a dramatic improvement - we'd say the full auto mode is all you'll need.

Low-light samples, main camera (1x), Night mode

The 2x low-light photos are, well, not good - they're quite soft.

Low-light samples, main camera (2x)

Ultrawide camera

The ultrawide's low-light results aren't great either. There's an almost film-like quality to them with this grain structure throughout the frame. Things are pretty soft, as can be expected, and there's not a ton of detail. You could say that global properties are alright though - exposures are balanced, highlights are well contained, colors aren't desaturated and are pretty accurate.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera (0.5x)

Selfies

Selfies from the Galaxy A27 are quite good, possibly excellent for the class. They're nicely detailed, skin tones are vibrant and lifelike, dynamic range is great. Low-light results are reasonably okay too.

Selfie samples

Video quality

The Galaxy A27 can record video at up to 4K30 with its main camera, which can also do 1080p at up to 60fps. The ultrawide and the selfie camera max out at 1080p30. There's a Pro video mode for the main camera with exposure and white balance controls too. Stabilization is available at up to 1080p30 quality settings - so that 4K mode comes without EIS.

You can hit '> play' below and use the '>| next' button to advance through the playlist of all video samples, or you can watch the full playlist on YouTube.

Unstabilized 4K or stabilized 1080p, the A27's main camera footage is on the soft side, though 2x is quite good in its own context). Dynamic range and colors are quite excellent, though.

The ultrawide camera's clips are not very sharp either, plus they have a narrower dynamic range and more muted colors.

Video screengrabs, daylight: 0.5x • 1x (4K) • 1x (1080p) • 2x

In the dark, the main camera starts to struggle with dynamic range and renders highlights harshly, but it's still not too bad, plus it maintains a respectable level of sharpness in 4K (even if it's a little shaky). The stabilized 1080p footage is notably softer. The ultrawide low-light footage is pretty soft too.

Video screengrabs, low light: 0.5x • 1x (4K) • 1x (1080p) • 2x

For what it's worth, the A27's electronic stabilization is pretty solid. When shooting from a fixed position, you can count on nicely stable footage from the main camera (at both 1x and 2x) and the ultrawide, with smooth pans too. Walking shake does occasionally make it to the footage, yes, but even that is quite well controlled given the class of hardware.