Samsung Galaxy A34 5G Camera Review


A photo along the bustling Jalan Bukit Bintang in downtown Kuala Lumpur shot with the normal camera mode to set the nighttime baseline
If you haven’t yet read my feature regarding the launch of the Samsung Galaxy A34 5G in Malaysia, you can do so here – https://timchew.net/2023/04/01/samsung-galaxy-a54-5g-and-a34-5g-now-available-for-pre-order-in-malaysia/
This feature only includes the photos taken with the phone during some events that I attended recently utilising various camera settings and modes. None of the photos have been altered or edited in any way.
Now I must remind you that the Galaxy A34 is in Samsung’s A range of smartphones). Yes, this model is the second highest spec offering in the A range (in the absence of a clearly defined mid-tier range, I personally regard the Galaxy A34 and A54 to be Samsung’s mid-tier offerings) but still a RM1,xxx (below RM2,000) range phone therefore don’t expect the performance of the cameras to be anything near the flagship S series (the Galaxy S23 Ultra has amazing cameras). If you’re serious about photography or gaming then get a Galaxy S series smartphone.
Shot along Jalan Bukit Bintang. Pretty crisp and clear during the daytime which is quite expected of most smartphones these days. But the real test of a camera is in low light conditions.
A photo along Jalan Bukit Bintang this time closer to Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and shot using the Night mode which I found to be a tad too bright therefore this was the only photo I shot using the Night mode. (Some post-editing to increase the contrast should easily fix this.)
Brought the phone along with me to the Malaysia Auto Show 2023. The halls were well lit and the camera focus was spot on.

Proton 40th anniversary celebration and launch of the Proton X90 by our right honorable Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
I was seated in the media section 6 rows from the stage

Shot this using 2x on normal mode closer to the stage during the photo op
Our right honorable Prime Minister in the driver’s seat checking out the latest model by Proton. Wished that I had the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s powerful tele cam to zoom in on our PM (hint hint Samsung Malaysia).
Hennessy X.O x Kim Jones event at Pavilion Bukit Jalil. The lighting was pretty good but I had to deal with strobe lights.

Using the Portrait mode
The Portrait mode allows you to apply various filters when you post-edit like this subject colour filter which helps your subject stand out 
This was another cool Portrait filter which is very useful when the background is very dirty like the Mortlach tasting that I attended

At the small park at The Stories of Taman Tunku
Enjoying a cold Guinness on a hot day. Shot using portrait mode.
Captured this photo using ambient light. 
Dinner at Graze, Hilton Kuala Lumpur 
Shot using 2x on normal mode
The colours are quite vibrant thanks to the AI. I had a video light with me to assist with additional lighting during the food shots as the restaurant had a dim and romantic ambiance.
Shot using 2x zoom on the normal mode
Shot using 2x zoom on the normal mode
I captured dinner photos during a recent social media content creation shoot at an Italian restaurant. Our principal photographer Andy Kho brought along his video lights so the lighting was adequate. Shot this on normal mode with 2x zoom. The AI recognized this as food and bumped up the colour vibrancy saving me the effort to post edit.

Overall I would say that the cameras on the Galaxy A34 5G are more than adequate for day to day use. With a little editing, you could probably make the photos look even better.