Samsung Galaxy A35 review

A new triple camera setup

The camera setup on the Galaxy A35 seems to be changed coming from the Galaxy A34, as the main camera is now 50MP instead of 48MP.

• Wide (main): 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL (S5K)GN8, f/1.8, 1/1.96", PDAF, OIS; 2160p@30fps
• Ultra wide angle: 8 MP GalaxyCore GC08A3, f/2.2, 123-degree, 1/4", 1.12µm, fixed focus; 1080p@30fps
• Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4, fixed focus.
• Front camera: 13 MP Samsung ISOCELL (S5K)3L6, f/2.2, 1/3.06", 1.12µm, fixed focus; 2160p@30fps

This main camera had us slightly perplexed since the phone reports it as being based on a Samsung ISOCESS S5KGN8 sensor, and we couldn't find any mention of this camera sensor model online. It appears to have a sensor size similar to the one on the A34.

Digging up info on the other two rear cameras of the Galaxy A35 wasn't particularly easy either. In fact, we still don't know exactly what sensor the macro uses.

At least the selfie cam is a well-documented ISOCELL (S5K)3L6 unit that can actually capture 4K@30fps video - a not particularly common feat in this price range.

The camera app is the same as you'd find on every Samsung phone these days. You only get Pro mode on the main camera, while night mode can be used across the main, ultrawide and selfie cams.

Daylight image quality

Main camera

The main camera on the Galaxy A35 captures binned photos in 12.5MP resolution by default. These offer pretty great quality overall. There is plenty of detail in the frame and very little artificial sharpening. In fact, Samsung's processing seems so "relaxed" that there are even very small hints of noise on things like uniform surfaces. It makes for a very natural look.

Colors aren't particularly oversaturated, either. They aren't exactly what we would call "true-to-life" and do have a little bit of extra "pop", but nothing striking. The overall mature processing is rounded out nicely by what we would call solid dynamic range and contrast.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 12.5MP main camera samples

The main camera handles people and faces quite competently as well. Skin texture and skin tone both look very natural. The only real complaint we have when shooting people is that the autofocus can sometimes miss the subject ever so slightly, resulting in softer faces. Make sure to snap a few shots to avoid that.

Photos shot in Portrait modeare decent, but nothing to phone home about. Subject detection and separation often trip up and aren't particularly precise.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 12.5MP main camera portrait samples

You can force the main camera to capture in its full 50MP resolution. While the results aren't massively different compared to the regular 12.5MP shots, we like the extra bit of fine detail in the shot. Also, dynamic range tends to be slightly better in these shots, particularly noticeable in areas like the sky.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 50MP main camera samples

The Galaxy A35 lacks a dedicated telephoto camera, but the main one still has plenty of resolution to pull off good 2x zoom shots. These photos are a bit softer than their 1x counterparts, but other than that, they have pretty much the same quality characteristics.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 12.5MP main camera 2x zoom samples

Ultrawide camera

The 8MP ultrawide camera isn't spectacular in any way but offers solid performance for its class. We are pleased with the amount of detail in the frame. Contrast and dynamic range are both good. The colors are quite well-matched to the main camera.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 8MP ultrawide camera samples

We do wish that there was autofocus on the ultrawide so it could double as a macro shooter.

Macro camera

On the plus side, the Galaxy A35 does have a dedicated 5MP macro camera. It certainly has its limitations, such as resolution and the fact that it is fixed-focus. However, the focal plane is pretty deep and forgiving.

We definitely like the overall quality of these shots. Again, they are nothing to phone home about but are certainly usable.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 5MP macro camera samples

Selfie camera

The 13MP selfie camera produces solid shots through and through. Depending on which one of the crop levels you choose, you will either end up with photos with just under 9MP resolution or photos with just under 13MP resolution. You get fixed focus here, but the focal plane will accommodate shooting at different distances.

Faces come out looking sharp and detailed. Skin tones are nice and natural. Perhaps with just a bit of extra saturation, but nothing excessive.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 13MP selfie camera samples

Low-light camera quality

The main camera captures solid but not impressive low-light photos. The detail is there, and you get a pretty wide dynamic range.

Both shadows and highlights are well-developed. Light sources, in particular, are not restored particularly strongly, creating a more natural look.

Colors in nighttime photos also look nice, with good saturation.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 12.5MP main camera low-light samples

The A35 has an automatic night mode, which does a pretty great job and triggers quite consistently on its own. There is a dedicated night mode as well, which tends to have slightly slower capture times on average and does a bit more image processing. Shots come out looking a bit more sharpened and contrasty. We can't necessarily say that we prefer one mode over the other.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 12.5MP main camera night mode samples

At 2x zoom, shots from the main camera look quite comparable in quality to their 1x counterparts.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 12.5MP main camera 2x zoom low-light samples

Shots from the ultrawide camera are very soft and noisy. The dynamic range is decent, and the light sources are relatively well-controlled for this type of camera.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 8MP ultrawide camera low-light samples

Enabling night mode on the ultrawide once again boosts contrast a bit but doesn't really do much else.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 8MP ultrawide camera night mode samples

Low-light selfies are decent but quite soft as well. There isn't much in the way of skin texture coming through. Night mode doesn't help in any obvious way, either.

Samsung Galaxy A35: 13MP selfie camera low-light samples

Video capture quality

The Galaxy A35 can capture video at up to 4K@30fps on its main camera. Interestingly, though, only at 1x zoom. 2x zoom video from the main camera is limited to 1080p. The ultrawide camera, expectedly, is also limited to FullHD capture. As a rather pleasant surprise, the selfie cam can also do 4K@30fps, which is not very common, especially on a more budget-friendly device.

By default, videos from the A35 get saved in a standard AVC/h.264 video stream with 48 kHz stereo audio inside an MP4 container. You can choose to do HEVC/h.265 instead and save on some space. At 4K, the bitrate is around 48 Mbps; at 1080p, you get about 17 Mbps.

4K video from the main camera is quite good, especially for the class. Detail could be better, but there is no shortage of it either. Colors are a bit too saturated for our taste, but they still look good. Dynamic range and contrast are both great. As we mentioned, 2x zoomed videos only get captured in 1080p and look pretty soft in comparison.

Video sample playlist

You can check out the playlist below, which includes multiple video samples.

FullHD footage from the ultrawide is very heavily sharpened and processed. It's way too aggressive, and we don't like the look.

On the plus side, selfie videos look pretty great, with lots of detail and well-defined facial features. Like on the other cameras, colors are also a bit oversaturated here. There is some noise, too, but nothing too severe.

You might notice that the footage from the selfie camera is pretty steady. The Galaxy A35 has a video stabilization toggle in camera settings that is enabled by default and works across all cameras at their full resolution. It does a very good job, too. Beyond that, there is Super steady mode, which takes footage from the ultrawide camera and is limited to 1080p resolution. It provides a bit more stabilization but nothing spectacular.

The main camera captures decent low-light videos but nothing spectacular. There is a good amount of detail and pretty low noise. Colors also look good, though a bit saturated. The dynamic range is fine, with some detail in the shadows, but the light sources are badly blown out. The ultrawide camera is very soft, with badly blown-out light sources and insufficient detail.