LG G Flex 2 camera shootout

The LG G Flex 2 has a lot to offer beyond just its unique form factor, with specifications and features that will be at par with most upcoming flagships, along with a camera setup similar to that of the LG G3, including the availability of an improved laser autofocus system. The LG G3 featured one of the best camera experiences in the Android space in 2014, and understandably, the expectations are quite high when it comes to LG’s latest smartphone release. We find exactly how well this camera performs, in this LG G Flex 2 camera shootout!

When it comes to the camera modes available, there aren’t that many to begin with, but those that are, work very well. Starting with HDR, it does lighten up the dark areas quite a bit as you can see above, and adds some color saturation to the photos, but is not that pronounced. In the case of Panorama, it does stitch the photos together very nicely, though they did come out great because there were no moving objects in these photos. If that was the case, the stitching would have been more noticeable.

When it comes to outdoor shots, the color saturation is very nice, and when we look at the 100% crops, there is a good level of detail available, despite their being some smudging in the smoothness around those details. That said, the photos do look great, with the right amount of color reproduction, and not the high amount of saturation that we have seen from other competing flagship smartphone cameras.

Of course, one of the big camera features of the G3 that made its way over to the G Flex 2 is the laser-guided auto focus system, in an improved iteration that allows for faster focusing. It is a wonderful feature to have, but what has to be mentioned is the fact that because you have to pinpoint the focus point, you might have some trouble tracking your subject. If there is a small or thin object in your photos, you’ll face some problems keeping it in focus, especially when you’re trying to finely focus the shot.

The other benefit with this camera is OIS+, that helps with shooting videos as much as it does while taking photos. You’ll get much steadier shots, of course with a little bit of effort in steadying your hands, and it will compensate for any remaining shakiness in your photo or video. You can check out the video samples in the featured video above.

Unfortunately, we do start to see some differences when it comes to indoor shots. The amount of detail starts to reduce, as you lower the amount of light that is in your shot. When looking at the 100% crops, you’ll notice that while there is a good amount of detail in the contours of the object, some of it does get blurred it. The color saturation also goes down, especially when you have multiple exposures in one shot, such as when there is harsh lighting from only one side. This is definitely a letdown, and things will only get worse as the lighting conditions deteriorate.

The details get very fuzzy in low light, both in photos and videos, and there is a significant difference when comparing indoor and outdoor shots, in terms of the quality, and the only plus when it comes to indoor videos is OIS+, that helps a lot with the shakiness.

When it comes to camera interface and the shooting experience, everything is very minimalistic and easy to use. You just have to tap on the screen in order to get the laser-guided auto focus to work, and then you can take your shot right away. It is a very fast camera to use, and that is definitely something that users will appreciate.

When taking selfies, a useful feature available with the G Flex 2 is Gesture View, that allows you to take a look at your selfie right away by moving your hand downward in a very natural curved motion. It’s a nice feature to have, which also allows you to take a look at the capabilities of the front-facing camera, which is actually pretty standard.

You can check out all the photos taken with the LG G Flex 2, including the 100% crops, in the gallery below.

So there you have it – a look at the camera capabilities of the LG G Flex 2! It is an iteration that comes from the original G3 and brings with it all the hardware features of its flagship counterpart, like the laser-guided auto focus system and OIS+. Both features are what make this camera one of the easiest to use, and you are able to get some really good shots from it. Unfortunately, the quality can be somewhat uneven, when it comes to indoor shots and those in low-light conditions. That said, this camera is still one my favorites to use, mostly because of its ease of handling and speed.

Stay tuned with Android Authority, as we bring you the in-depth review of the LG Flex 2, which should be coming up very soon!