Get to know how to use and configure camera for your Galaxy Note 3. Taking photos and videos with various shooting modes, taking panoramic photos, applying filter effects, using dual camera mode, and configuring all aspects of your camera, are covered.
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Use this application to take photos or videos with Galaxy Note 3.
Use Gallery to view photos and videos taken with Galaxy Note 3’s camera. (see Gallery page).
Tap Camera on the Applications screen.
- The camera automatically shuts off when unused.
- Make sure that the lens is clean. Otherwise, the device may not work properly in some modes that require high resolutions.
Camera etiquette
- Do not take photos or videos of other people without their permission.
- Do not take photos or videos where legally prohibited.
- Do not take photos or videos in places where you may violate other people’s privacy.
Taking photos
Taking a photo
Tap the image on the preview screen where the camera should focus. When the subject is in focus, the focus frame turns green. Tap to take the photo.
- View more options.
- Switch to dual camera mode.
- Switch between the front and rear camera.
- Open Gallery to view photos and videos.
- Display current mode.
- Start taking a video.
- Change the shooting mode.
- Select among various effects that are available.
Shooting mode
Several photo effects are available.
Tap MODE, and then scroll up or down the screen at the right side of the screen.
- Auto: Use this to allow the camera to evaluate the surroundings and determine the ideal mode for the photo.
- Beauty face: Take a photo with lightened faces for gentler images.
- Best photo: Take a series of photos, and then save the best one.
- Best face: Use this to take multiple group shots at the same time and combine them to create the best possible image.
Tap to take multiple photos. To get the best shot, hold the camera steady and remain still while taking photos. When Gallery opens, tap the yellow frame on each face, and choose the best individual pose for the subject.
After choosing a pose for each individual, tap to merge the images into a single photo, and save it.
- Sound & shot: Use this to take a photo with sound.
Tap to take a photo. The device records a few seconds of audio after taking a photo.
While taking photos in this mode, sound is recorded by the internal microphone.
- Drama: Use this to take a series of photos and combine them to create an image that shows trails of the movement.
To get the best shot, follow these tips. The device may not take photos properly in other shooting conditions.
- – Hold the camera steady and remain still while taking photos.
- – Take photos of a subject that is moving in one direction.
- – Take photos with backgrounds that are free of moving objects.
- – Avoid taking photos of a subject and background with similar colours.
- – Avoid taking photos of a subject that is too close or too far away to fit within the viewfinder or that is too long such as a bus or a train.
- Animated photo: Use this to create animated photos from a video.
- Golf: Use this setting to take a radial image of a complete golf swing, combining several images together to make one composite view.
- Rich tone (HDR): Use this to take photos without losing details in bright and dark areas.
- Eraser: Use this to erase the movements of moving subjects in the background.
Tap to take a series of photos. The device erases traces of movement from a moving subject. To restore the original photo, tap , and then tap the highlighted area.
To get the best shot, follow these tips.
- – Hold the camera steady and remain still while taking photos.
- – When taking photos of an object and background with similar colours, the camera may not recognise all of the movement.
- – When taking photos of a subject that is moving very little or moving a great deal, the camera may not recognise all of the movements.
- – If there are multiple subjects moving in the background, the camera may not recognise all of the movement.
- Panorama: Take a photo composed of many photos strung together.
To get the best shot, follow these tips.
- – Move the camera slowly in one direction.
- – Keep the camera’s viewfinder within the guide frame.
- – Avoid taking photos of a subject in front of unrecognisable backgrounds, such as empty skies or plain walls.
- Surround shot: Use this to take a 360-degree panoramic photo.
- Sports: Use this setting for fast-moving subjects.
Panoramic photos
A panoramic photo is a wide landscape image consisting of multiple shots. Tap MODE → Panorama.
Tap and move the camera in one direction. When the blue frame aligns with the viewfinder, the camera automatically takes another shot in a panoramic sequence. To stop shooting, tap .
If the viewfinder is out of the direction, the device stops shooting.
Applying filter effects
Use the filter effects to take unique photos or videos.
Tap and select a filter effect. The available options vary by mode.
Taking videos
Taking a video
Tap to take a video. To pause recording, tap . To stop recording, tap . Press the Shutter button to take photos while taking a video.
While recording, use the following actions:
• To change the focus, tap where you want to focus. To focus on the centre of the screen, tap .
• To capture an image from the video while recording, tap .
Recording mode
Tap → to change the recording mode.
- Normal: Use this mode for normal quality.
- Limit for MMS: Use this mode to lower quality for sending via messages.
- Slow motion: Use this mode to take a video of a moving subject. Galaxy Note 3 will play the video in slow motion.
- Fast motion: Use this mode to take a video of a moving subject. Galaxy Note 3 will play the video in fast motion.
- Smooth motion: Use this mode to take a video of a moving subject. Galaxy Note 3 will play the video in high quality.
Zooming in and out
Use one of the following methods:
- Use the Volume button to zoom in or out.
- Spread two fingers apart on the screen to zoom in, and pinch to zoom out.
- The zoom in/out effect is available when using the zoom feature while shooting video.
Dual Camera mode
When you take a landscape photo with the rear camera, the photo or video captured by the front camera appears in an inset window, or vice versa.
Use this feature to take a beautiful landscape photo and a self-portrait simultaneously.
Tap to switch to dual camera mode. Tap to take a photo or tap to take a video.
- Tap to resize it or move the location.
- Select among various styles that are available.
- You can record videos in dual camera mode for up to 5 minutes in Full HD and up to 10 minutes in HD.
- While taking videos in this mode, sound is recorded by the internal microphone.
Tap → , and then select one of the following:
- Share shot: Send a photo directly to another device via Wi-Fi Direct or NFC.
- Buddy photo share: Set the device to recognise a person’s face that you have tagged in a photo and send it to that person.
- ChatON photo share: Send a photo to another device via ChatON.
- Remote viewfinder: Set a device to control the camera remotely.
Controlling the camera remotely
Set a device as a viewfinder to control the camera remotely.
Tap → → Remote viewfinder, and then connect the device and the camera using
Wi-Fi Direct or NFC. Tap to take a photo remotely using the device as a viewfinder.
Configuring settings for Camera
Tap → to configure settings for Camera. Not all of the following options are available in both still camera and video camera modes. The available options vary depending on the mode used.
- Photo size / Video size: Select a resolution. Use higher resolution for higher quality. But it takes up more memory.
- Burst shot: Take a series of photos of moving subjects.
- Tap to take pics: Tap the image on the preview screen to take photos.
- Face detection: Set the device to recognise people’s faces and help you take photos of them.
- Metering: Select a metering method. This determines how light values are calculated.
Centre-weighted measures background light in the centre of the scene. Spot measures the light value at a specific location. Matrix averages the entire scene.
- ISO: Select an ISO value. This controls camera light sensitivity. It is measured in film- camera equivalents. Low values are for stationary or brightly-lit objects. Higher values are for fast-moving or poorly-lit objects.
- Video stabilisation: Activate or deactivate anti-shake. Anti-shake helps focus when the camera is moving.
- Smart stabilisation: Set the device to automatically detect darker conditions and adjust the brightness of the photo without the flash.
- Save as: Set the device to delete the original photo when taking photos with rich tone mode.
- Audio zoom: Make louder the sound from the zoomed subject while recording.
- Location tag: Attach a GPS location tag to the photo. Activate this feature when taking photos to create albums in Story Album.
- To improve GPS signals, avoid shooting in locations where the signal may be obstructed, such as between buildings or in low-lying areas, or in poor weather conditions.
- Your location may appear on your photos when you upload them to the Internet. To avoid this, deactivate the GPS tag setting.
- Review: Briefly display photos taken.
- Volume key: Set the device to use the Volume button to control the shutter or zoom function.
- Timer: Use this for delayed-time shots.
- White balance: Select an appropriate white balance, so images have a true-to-life colour range. The settings are designed for specific lighting situations. These settings are similar to the heat range for white-balance exposure in professional cameras.
- Exposure value: Change the exposure value. This determines how much light the camera’s sensor receives. For low-light situations, use a higher exposure.
- Guidelines: Display viewfinder guides to help composition when selecting subjects.
- Flash: Activate or deactivate the flash.
- Voice control: Set the camera to take photos with voice commands.
- Contextual filename: Set the camera to display contextual tags. Activate this to use Tag Buddy in Gallery and Story Album.
- Save as flipped: Invert the image to create a mirror-image of the original scene.
- Storage: Select the memory location for storage.
- Reset: Reset the camera settings.
Shortcuts
Reorganise shortcuts for easy access to the camera’s various options. Tap → Edit quick settings.
Tap and hold an option and drag it to a slot at the top of the screen. The other icons can be moved within the list by tapping and dragging them.
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Any questions? let us know in the comment box below.
Don says
Thanks for the info.
Don says
My note 3 camera will not let me zoom in or out.Get message can’t zoom in or out in this mode. It is in Auto mode tried others same thing.
Simon says
If you are using the front camera, zoom is not available.
You can try some third party camera apps.
Anyway, you should seldom use zoom because galaxy note 3 camera only has digital zoom. The photo quality will not be good when zoom is used.
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Ram says
hi,
I am using main camera (13 MPix) on note 3, but still get the message “can’t zoom in or out in this mode” can you please explain in detail.
Simon says
What camera mode are you using? Some camera modes doesn’t support zoom.
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mario mwilafi says
My note 3 galaxy camera has stopped suddenly working no capturing of picture no taking video, there is no sensation when you want to among of those it makes me to be unhappy because of This situation please help me.
Simon says
Any error messages?
You can also try to reset the camera app in settings – application manager – all – camera, tap clear cache, tap clear data, then try again.
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sharon white says
All my pictures are up side down
I have a note 3. Help
Simon says
Settings–Application manager– All. Tap clear cache and tap clear data, and then try again.
You also try to make sure the shutter icon (camera icon) in the right side, not in the left side (although it is not an issue if you view photo on the phone itself).
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eli says
My note 3 doesn’t have the complete features for the camera. It doesnt have animated photo, panorama and others. What should i do?
Simon says
You can install it from Galaxy apps. But you must go from camera app. You may follow this guide (it is slightly different from Note 3) : https://allaboutgalaxynote.com/galaxy-note-4-how-to-guides/how-to-manage-and-download-galaxy-note-4-camera-modes/
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kristina elliott says
How to take my camera off landscape
Simon says
the camera should automatically switch between landscape and portrait modes depending on the how you hold the phone.
What’s the problem you got?
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Jeremy says
I need help. I can’t change my video mode to smooth motion. I only have two options for my video camera a.normal mode and b.limited for mms. Here is my email [email removed] if anyone knows how and why this is doing this or not letting me do this I should say please email and make it atten:note 3 video mode. Thanks to who ever is smart enough to figure this problem out.
Simon says
At you in easy mode? (settings – device – easy mode)
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AJA says
after an automated software update from samsung on my note 3 all the awesome features like camera/ animated pictures and world around pictures and a couple of camera settings are dark and can’t be used. Why are they there than? Does not make any common sense??. I am not in the easy mode setting. This really sucks and I am pretty pissed. How I get my features back? Back up my data and reset to factory settings?
aja says
ok, never mind, I was able to find the reset for the whole camera settings and everything appeared to be back. I did not even remember how many awesome features this camera has.
Simon says
Thank you for the update. Some effects and modes may require you to re-download.
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gracelito a. cristobal says
The setting icon is gone on screen how do i get back on it
Simon says
Ard you in essay mode? Check settings – device – easy mode. Back to normal mode.
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jazmin says
how do u Remove. Web it says unfortunally stop on ur media
Simon says
Would you please share more info, for example, when and how did you get the message?
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shekharbarua says
I have recently bought a Galaxy Note 3; however, I quite like the live camera filters (like blue point, green point, etc) that Note 2 provides. How do I get access to these Note 2 cool camera filters on my Note 3? Please advise.
Simon says
Do you mean the “effects”? In Note 3, you can tap the ^ (arrow up) button on the bottom to get it.
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Shekhar says
Firstly, it looks like you didn’t understand my question. Secondly, we may use two dofferent versions of Galaxy Note 3 as the arrow is on the side of the screen and not at the bottom.
My question was how do I get access to/download Galaxy Note 2 filters/effects on my Galaxy Note 3 camera as my Note 3 filters/effects are different from that of Note 2.
Thank you.
Simon says
Thanks for the clarification. The arrow will be in bottom in landscape mode.
As I know, you cannot access old effects. Although there is a download link after the last effect, but I did not get anything. The good news is there are many apps provide some interesting effects and options. I used to use Camera 360 (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vStudio.Android.Camera360), but haven’t tested it on Note 3.
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