Samsung Galaxy M52 5G review

Two and a half cameras on the back, 32MP selfies

The Galaxy M52 5G is equipped with a triple camera setup that includes a 64MP main unit, a 12MP ultrawide one, and a 5MP 'macro' camera. So yes, gone is the M51's depth sensor, though you can still find one of those on the A52s 5G, if you're so inclined. We won't be missing it too much.

At first glance, the M52 5G's main camera looks to be the same as the one on the A52s 5G, but that's not really the case. The M52 uses the S5KGW3 sensor, a Samsung-made Tetrapixel unit with a 0.7µm pixel pitch and a 1/1.97" image format. The A series get 1/1.7" sensors with 0.8µm pixels, whether Samsung or Sony-sourced. So technically, the M's imager is somewhat lower-grade.

The M52 5G's primary module is also missing OIS, while the A52s 5G does have that box checked. Other than that, the numbers are the same - 26mm equivalent focal length and an f/1.8 aperture for both.

The ultrawides are conceptually the same between the two phones, even though our M52 5G review unit has a Sony IMX258, while the A52s 5G was using the Samsung S5K3L6 - these could probably vary from SKU to SKU on the same nominal model anyway. In any case, we're talking about a 1/3.06" sensor with 1.12µm pixels - 13 million of them, even though the phones capture 12MP images with them. The fixed focus lens has an f/2.2 aperture and covers a field of view of 123 degrees as per Samsung specs.

The selfie camera on the Galaxy M52 5G is straight up carried over from the M51 and is based on a Sony Quad Bayer sensor, the 32MP IMX616. It outputs 12MP images by default - Samsung's usual if slightly illogical numbers manipulation for its 32MP selfie cams. The A52s 5G gets either that same sensor or its Sony counterpart.

The camera app on the M52 is identical to what you'd get with any other OneUI 3.1 Samsung. The basics are as usual - swiping left and right will switch between available modes, and there's an option to re-arrange, add or remove some of the modes from the viewfinder. Vertical swipes in either direction will switch between front and rear cameras.

The familiar tree designation for zoom control is here too, and even though there's no telephoto on board, you do get a single tree for a 2x zoom level in addition to the native 1x, and ultrawide presets. You could zoom in with a pinch gesture too, and additional preset zoom levels are available at 4x, and 10x.

The viewfinder has the standard set of icons with the settings cog wheel located in the upper left corner of the screen. The usual stuff like grid lines, location data, etc., can be found in the menu.

There's a Pro mode too, and it's the full-featured variant with control over ISO (50-3200), shutter speed (1/6000s-10s), manual focus (with peaking), and white balance (by light temperature, with icons next to the number corresponding to a common light source). Metering mode and AF area options are available, too, as well as a set of picture controls for contrast, saturation, and whatnot. A live histogram, as usual, is nowhere to be found. Sadly, Pro mode is only available on the main camera.

Camera UI

Daylight image quality

Daylight photos out of the M52 5G's primary camera are very good for the class. Dynamic range is reasonably wide, if not quite spectacular in the highlights where high-end phones retain detail better. Colors are pleasingly vivid without crossing into oversaturation. Detail is excellent - sharp and crisp, while noise is very well controlled, better than what we saw on the M51.

Daylight samples, main camera

A few shots taken at the 2x zoom level reveal excessive sharpening with characteristic halos around contrasting edges. The images will do fine for casual sharing or viewing at fit to screen magnification, but 1:1 examination will disappoint you.

Daylight samples, main camera (2x)

That's not the case with full-res 64MP photos - these do tend to be very well detailed. The flipside to that extra definition is a notable increase in noise and a reduction in dynamic range.

Daylight samples, main camera, 64MP

The ultrawide camera also shows an improvement in noise handling over the previous generation, and it takes ever so slightly sharper shots too - great results for the class. Dynamic range is no match for the main cam's, but it's wide enough. Colors can be a little off, though we wouldn't say the faint warm cast on greenery is overly problematic.

Daylight samples, ultrawide camera

Low-light image quality

Low-light photos from the M52's main camera aren't half bad either. Dynamic range is very good while color saturation is well maintained, and there are no weird white balance issues. They're not the absolute sharpest of shots, and you could see a fair amount of noise if you look up close, but we wouldn't call either a dealbreaker, and there's still a good deal of detail captured.

Low-light samples, main camera

As was the case on the M51 and A52s, Night mode on the M52 5G comes with a slight crop and resulting 12MP resolution. Night mode improves sharpness and definition, particularly visible in the lower midtones, which also get a slight brightness boost. There's no notable improvement in dynamic range, but the regular photo mode shots were already hard to fault in that respect.

Low-light samples, main camera, Night mode

The 2x zoom level is about as usable at night as it is during the day, which is actually quite good. So long as you don't delve into pixel peeping, the shots will look nice.

Low-light samples, main camera (2x)

Night mode dials up the sharpening to 11, and doesn't necessarily make things look better. The crop is still present, and the resolution is 12MP again.

Low-light samples, main camera (2x), Night mode

The ultrawide doesn't ruin the positive impression and takes good photos. Noise is an integral part of those, but so is detail, and sharpness is bordering on impressive. Colors are a bit washed out in direct comparison with the main camera, though perfectly acceptable in isolation. Dynamic range is excellent for a midrange ultrawide.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera

There's no cropping in Night mode on the ultrawide camera, and it shoots in its native field of view and resolution. Dynamic range and detail improvements are hard to spot - it's just that good in Photo mode already. You do stand to gain a bit more clarity in darker greenery, and this seems like the only type of scene that actually benefits from Night mode on the ultrawide.

Low-light samples, ultrawide camera, Night mode

Once you're done with the real-world samples, head over to our Photo compare tool to see how the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G stacks up against the competition.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G against the Galaxy A52s 5G and the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G in our Photo compare tool

Close-ups

The 5MP 'macro' camera isn't exactly praiseworthy, but captures good images as this type of camera goes. Unlike some previous implementations we've seen with dull colors and limited dynamic range, this one's color saturation is on point, and dynamic range benefits from some HDR processing, so global properties are solid. On a pixel level, you get some fine detail to go with the fairly noticeable noise. The lack of autofocus means you must be relatively precise with subject distance, however, to land in the camera's focus sweet spot.

Macro mode samples

Portrait mode

Portrait mode works without issues on the M52 5G, even with the depth camera omitted on this model. Subject detection is generally very good, the blur has a reasonably natural quality, HDR works too.

Portrait mode samples

Selfies

Selfies on the M52 5G come from a 32MP front-facing camera that shoots at 12MP by default. Sharpness and detail are hard to fault in good light, and the noise isn't too bad. What's less appealing is the auto white balance which we found inconsistent, often producing less than likeable skin tones. Dynamic range is pretty good, though.

Selfie samples

HDR works in Portrait mode too, so you won't have to sacrifice dynamic range to get the blurry backgrounds. Subject detection is okay - it's not flawless but works well most of the time.

Selfie samples, Portrait mode

A full-res mode is also available if you're the type of person that enjoys 32MP selfies. If you manage to keep it shooting at base ISO, you stand to gain some detail in your pores, though even a minor drop in ambient light will make photos softer and about as detailed as the 12MP regular ones.

Selfie samples, 32MP

Video recording

The Galaxy M52 5G records video up to 4K with both its main camera and the ultrawide, but also with its selfie camera. The main camera on the back and the selfie unit can also record in FullHD at 60fps, but the ultrawide lacks this capability. In settings, you get a toggle to enable the h.265 encoding. Otherwise the less efficient h.264 codec is used by default. Stabilization is only available in 1080p at 30fs, but not at 60fps and not in 4K.

The main camera's 4K footage (40Mbps bit rate) is very good, offering low noise and plenty of detail, with fairly restrained processing. White balance is accurate, colors are vivid, dynamic range is nicely wide.

Footage captured at the 2x zoom level has the characteristic upscaled and oversharpened look, which you'll probably notice even from afar on a big screen.

The ultrawide camera captures excellent 4Kclips too. Noise is next to non-existent, and there's a ton of detail. Colors are likable, if a little warmer than on the main camera (as was the case in stills). Dynamic range is very good too.

Since there's no stabilization in 4K, it's a bad idea to shoot while walking or even just standing still and holding the phone in your hand - proper support is needed. The thing is, even 1080p at 30fps on the main camera doesn't look too stable, mostly because camera shake tends to cause focus hunting, thus making things annoyingly wobbly. The ultrawide with its fixed focus doesn't suffer from that.

Here's a glimpse of how the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G compares to rivals in our Video compare tool. Head over there for the complete picture.

Samsung Galaxy M52 5G against the Galaxy A52s 5G and the Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G in our Video compare tool