Review: Samsung Droid Charge
Camera
Samsung usually doesn't disappoint with its camera software, and the Charge is another winner. I do have to ding it for the lack of a physical camera key, but the camera can be launched quickly via home screen shortcuts.
There are myriad controls running down both sides of the viewfinder window. On the left, users can switch to the front camera, select shooting mode (single, panorama, beauty, cartoon etc.), set the flash, the exposure, or dive into a fuller settings menu. All of these tools are stored in a drawer that can be closed or opened at any time.
On the right, the top-most control lets you access the camcorder, jump to the gallery, or depress the shutter button.
The main camera settings menu is extensive and lets advanced users adjust nearly every facet of the camera and picture-taking experience. Exposure, scene/setting, metering, ISO, and more can all be tweaked. With an 8 megapixel sensor to work with, Samsung stuffs it with plenty of power for the discerning photog.
The Charge has touch-to-focus, and will lock onto anything you want it to in the viewfinder. Focusing takes about a second, and then the image is captured immediately. You can set the review screen to last several seconds, or have it jump straight back to the camera.
The camcorder software behaves in exactly the same manner as the camera.
Gallery
Samsung defers to the stock Android 2.2 photo gallery. Images are stored in floating stacks based on date. The view of the gallery can also be switched to a more linear timeline view. Once you dive into the gallery or photo you want, you'll find more of the same stock Android performance.
The Charge offers literally *zero* editing capabilities. You can't even rotate or crop images. That flat-out sucks. There aren't any third-party apps on board to help with editing either. You'll have to find them in the Android Market. Lame sauce.
Samsung Droid Charge
