Samsung Galaxy S4 Review: 3 Days With The Smartphone's 13-Megapixel Camera [PHOTOS]

Among the many high-tech features on the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone, its 13-megapixel camera has to be one of the most impressive.

At a time when cameras on the most-advanced smartphones are still at 8 megapixels or less -- Samsung's Galaxy S4 rival the HTC One notably has a 4-megapixel camera, while the iPhone 5 shoots at 8-megapixels -- Samsung has truly stepped out of the box with its focus on photography in its latest Galaxy smartphone.

Smartphones make everyday people into amateur photographers, snapping pictures of nearly anything they find appealing. Most now turn to their camera phones as their go-to point-and-shoot camera for capturing their most important memories, as well as fleeting ones. With several modes of communication tethered to smartphones, including text, email and access to social media, users also favor smartphones for their easy sharing ability, which lets them quickly and easily show off their photo snapping prowess to the world.

In 2011, famed photographer Annie Leibovitz named the iPhone 4S the “snapshot camera of today.” At that time, many high-end smartphones were upgrading from 3- and-5-megapixel cameras to 8-megapixels. Since then, there hasn't been much development in camera-phone technology. However, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has stepped in to fill the gap. While many consider 7-to-8-megapixels sufficient for camera phones, the camera on the Samsung Galaxy S4 is on par with many digital camera phones, indicating that its images not only look good on screen but also should also print well.

The Samsung Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel auto-focus camera can snaps shots immediately with almost zero shutter lag. The Galaxy S4 includes a number of features and modes to help users create the best shots and also have fun while capturing memories, which include Dual Shot, Drama Shot, Sound & Shot, 360 Photo, Animated Photo, Eraser, Night, Best Photo, Best Face, Beauty Face, HDR (High Dynamic Range), Panorama and Sports.

Admittedly, I haven't tested out many of the special camera features, except for one image that I shot in Night mode; however, I will delve into the different camera features on the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone in future reviews.

The shots I took with the Galaxy S4 where fairly basic and in pull-out-your-phone-and-shoot situations, where I really didn't consider using any of the special features or modes. I honestly don’t expect to use most of these features, unless I explicitly think a certain feature would be good for a certain shot. Now considering, I plan to test the eraser feature for a number of pictures with pesky photo bombers.

I especially appreciate the clarity of photos and the lack of shutter lag. Once I pressed the camera button, my photo was taken, no wait. And if I was perfectly still, the photo came out crystal clear.

I did experience a little blurring in photos where I wasn't steady, but this was rare. I don’t expect all of my photos to come out well if they aren't properly focused. The camera does do a good job at focusing for the best possible shots. A number of my fumble shots still came out clear.

Are you curious as to how the Samsung Galaxy S4 takes photos? Check out my recent excursions with the 13-megapixel camera phone.

Thursday May 9

Friday May 10

Saturday May 11

What do you think of the camera quality of the Samsung Galaxy S4? Does the 13-megapixel camera intrigue you into buying one? Let us know in the comments section below.