Galaxy S24 FE Camera: Samsung's Claims Against the Reviews

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE’s 50MP main camera and 8MP 3x telephoto lens aren’t going to wow anyone in 2026. But if you can pick one up for less than its $650 launch price in the US, it’s still a compelling camera phone option, especially since Galaxy AI photo editing tools are included and Samsung has since released two other FE phones with the same rear camera setup.

Galaxy S24 FE camera specs

Samsung's claims against the reviews

As we don’t have an S24 FE on hand to test for this update, the comments about image quality here come from GSMArena’s review and their comparison against the Galaxy A56, and are set against Samsung’s claims at launch.

Optical-quality zoom from 2x

Samsung claims that optical-quality images can be captured using the 50MP main sensor at 2x magnification, as well as with the actual 3x telephoto camera. In its testing, GSMArena discovered that the 2x and 1x photos were very close, with the former being marginally softer and grainier. Still, the publication emphasised that it would opt for the 3x telephoto lens whenever possible. Interestingly, when pitted against the A56, the S24 FE emerged victorious at 2x.

In conclusion, the 2x zoom is suitable for casual photography and sharing on social media, while the 3x zoom is recommended for situations that demand higher levels of detail.

A flagship-grade main camera

GSMArena found the colour reproduction to be natural and images very detailed in good daylight conditions. Though wishing the dynamic range was a little wider, they concluded that photos can be described as flagship-level from a few years back.

GSMArena found that with the 50MP option images were a little more detailed and clean, although the file sizes are significantly larger, so it can be handy for static shots where cropping may be required.

Better low-light photos with AI processing

For better low-light pictures, Samsung says to thank the ProVisual Engine. While GSMArena found that images from the main camera were decent at night (albeit noisy), it recommends using the Night mode for the best results. Night mode takes longer to take a picture, but GSMArena found that it resulted in less noise on all of the cameras on the back. The Photo mode will automatically use the Night mode processing when shooting at night, but GSMArena found that using the dedicated Night mode resulted in cleaner images. The Night mode guide covers when the dedicated mode is worth the wait.

The full Galaxy AI editing suite

Galaxy AI image editing features such as Generative Edit and Portrait Studio shipped with Samsung’s Galaxy S24 FE. While Samsung’s support page for Canada says that Generative photo editing is available on the Galaxy S24 FE with One UI 8, Samsung’s US support page mentions that photos edited with Generative Edit will be resized (up to 12MP max) and bear a Galaxy AI watermark. Our Galaxy AI camera features guide shows what each tool does.

Pro controls, but no Expert RAW

GSMArena also found that Pro mode is available for all three cameras at the back, letting owners tinker with settings like shutter speed and ISO on the main and telephoto shooters. Meanwhile, while Expert RAW’s availability page on Samsung’s website only lists which series of phones are compatible, SamMobile reports that it can’t be installed on the S25 FE. S24 FE owners have also taken to Samsung’s community forum to ask about the app’s availability on their phones. The RAW vs JPEG guide explains what you give up.

What each camera does well

GSMArena noted clean and detailed 4K video with hardly any noise from the main camera. Super Steady uses the ultrawide camera and maxes out at QHD, so it’s best used when you’re on the go (walking or running). The Pro mode guide page describes how to use the exposure controls if you wish to set the exposure manually.

S24 FE vs the S26 FE and the A series

In August 2026, the Galaxy S26 FE was announced with a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide camera and 8MP 3x telephoto camera. Samsung followed up with two more FE phones that kept the same rear camera setup, and the S26 FE added One UI 9, an Exynos 2500, and a 12MP selfie camera, starting at $699 in the US. Overall, it’s a nice upgrade from the S24 FE with better software support duration and selfie camera, although the rear cameras aren’t vastly different.

In comparison with Samsung’s A series phones, the S24 FE’s big camera advantage is that telephoto lens. In its comparison between the Galaxy A56 and S24 FE, GSMArena found that the former was better for selfies and shots in low light, but the latter excelled in zoomed-in shots. If a 2x crop is enough for you, the Galaxy A57 still has merit, but if not, you might want to check out the telephoto lens guide before making a decision.

Is the S24 FE still a smart buy?

If you’re after a 3x telephoto zoom and want Galaxy AI to help with photo editing, this is still a good option to consider, as long as you can get it at a discount. Samsung promises seven years of updates for this device and since that count starts in 2024, there’s still plenty to look forward to.

If you end up paying close to what you’d spend on the S26 FE, though, it would be wiser to go for that phone instead, as it has a better selfie camera, a faster chipset and gets two extra years of support.