5 Ways to Use the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 AI Camera

AI and the S Pen make the Note 9 one of the best smartphone cameras

By
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Jerri Ledford
Writer, Editor, Fact Checker
  • Western Kentucky University
  • Gulf Coast Community College
Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994. Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others.
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Updated on September 6, 2021

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has one of the best smartphone camera setups on the market. Dual 12MP rear cameras and an 8MP selfie camera combined with artificial intelligence (AI) make the Note 9 the closest you can get to a professional-grade camera without having to carry a DSLR. Here are the top features of the Samsung Note 9 camera.

01
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Artificial Intelligence Means Better Scene Optimization

The camera settings, options, and on-screen location of the Scene Optimizer function on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 camera.

One of the most notable features of the Note 9 camera is the AI capabilities that allow for unique scene detection. When using either the front or rear-facing cameras with Scene Optimization, the camera automatically samples the subject and environment to determine the best settings for the picture. It adjusts the exposure, contrast, brightness, and white balance to help capture the best photos possible.

Scene Optimization has 20 modes, allowing the camera to accurately adjust color, temperature, white balance, and other settings so that you get the best picture possible every time. These modes include:

 Portrait  Flowers  Indoors Animals
 Landscape  Greenery  Trees Skies
 Mountains  Beaches  Sunrises Sunsets
Watersides (flowing water) Street Night Snow
Birds Waterfalls Text

Open the camera settings and select Scene Optimization to toggle it on or off. When you're taking pictures in auto mode, an icon appears in the middle at the bottom of the image indicating which type of scene the camera lens detected.

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Take Flawless Pictures With Flaw Detection

How to enable Flaw detection on the Galaxy Note 9 camera.

It's frustrating when you take a group photo only to realize that someone blinked or the image is a little blurry. With Flaw Detection turned on, you receive a notification if something is a little off. That way, you can retake the photo before you lose your perfect shot.

To enable Flaw Detection, open the camera settings and choose Flaw Detection in the Common section.

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Multiple Camera Modes for Action Shots

How to enable and use the camera modes on the Galaxy Note 9 camera.
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The Note 9 camera also includes some useful mode options, including:

  • Pro: Allows for manual adjustment of settings including ISO, f-stop, white balance, and more.
  • Slow-motion: Automatically captures video in slow-motion.
  • Hyper-lapse: Creates a time-lapse video of longer duration action scenes.
  • AR Emoji: Allows you to create an animated emoji from a selfie.

As with most Note 9 camera features, you can enable or disable these modes in the camera settings. Scroll to the Common section and select Edit camera modes, then choose Rear camera or Front camera and choose the mode you want to enable. You can also arrange the order in which the modes appear on your camera by dragging them up or down the screen.

Changing the camera mode will not disable the Scene Optimization feature.

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Super Slow-Mo Videos and GIFs

How to save a slow-mo video as a GIF on the Galaxy Note 9.

With the Super Slow-mo feature enabled, a highlighted box appears on the camera screen. When a subject moves into the box, a short clip of slow-motion video is captured. The full video clip is very short (about 14 seconds long), and the slow-mo part of the clip is only 2-4 seconds long, but you can turn these videos into GIFs that loop, swing, or play in reverse.

To adjust these settings, open the video in the gallery, select the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, then choose Details. You'll be prompted to save the photo as a GIF or an MP4 file.

You can capture still images from slow-motion videos. During playback, tap the screen to view the editing controls, then tap the image icon in the upper-left corner.

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S Pen Remote Shutter Release for Photos at a Distance

How to set up the S Pen as a remote camera shutter release on the Galaxy Note 9.

Thanks to Bluetooth, you can use the S Pen smart stylus to open the camera app and take pictures from a distance of up to 30-feet away. To enable and customize this feature:

  1. Go to the main phone Settings.
  2. Choose Advanced features > S Pen > S Pen Remote.
  3. In the S Pen Remote options, select Hold Down Pen Button To and choose Camera (if it isn't selected). You should be returned to the S Pen Remote options screen.
  4. Scroll to App Actions and select Single Press, then choose the action you'd like to perform when you press the S Pen button.
  5. Select Double Press and select the action you want to perform when you double press the S Pen button.
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