The Galaxy Z Flip4 may not be Samsung’s “best” smartphone when it comes to mobile photography, but it surprisingly offers two flexible cameras despite its compact form factor.

For those obsessed with a phone’s camera hardware, the Galaxy Z Flip4 has a set of 12MP rear cameras and an inner front camera:

• 12MP f/1.8 wide (main) with Dual Pixel AF + OIS
• 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with 123-degree FoV (Field of View)
• 10MP f/2.4 selfie with 80-degree FoV

Without any other segue, let’s hop along to our Binondo slash Intramuros (Manila) photowalk through the lenses of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4!

Wider is (sometimes) better

It’s best to start this feature with a view from the condo unit we stayed at.

Instead of using the regular wide lens, I opted to use the ultra-wide lens to show how massive the infrastructure is.

Unlike other phones, I was less afraid to take this type of shot with my hands extended outside the condo unit’s window all because I have this (third-party) case with a ring that felt secure in my fingers. It also helps that the Galaxy Z Flip4 is already pretty light.

After leaving our stuff behind, I told my friends that we should take an LRT ride towards our destination. In another instance, the ultra-wide lens was helpful in capturing a wider train perspective than usual.

But in the shots of the Rizal Park (or formerly Bagumbayan) and the National Museum of the Philippines above, I chose the wide lens since it can capture more light data inside the train. Plus, the views are less distorted.

Upon arriving at LRT-Central Station, me and my friends walked further until we reached the infamous Manila underpass. I tried taking a shot of this view that looked good in my eyes because of the harmony of natural light and shadows.

Unfortunately, Galaxy Z Flip4’s lack of telephoto lens kind of ruined the quality of this particular zoomed shot because of the unflattering amount of sharpness.

World’s oldest Chinatown

Instead of riding and waiting for that classic Philippine jeepney, we rode a tricycle. It was actually not part of the plan but because the bridge was too steep, the tricycle driver tried to slow down while steering his three-wheeled vehicle up. Thus, it gave me wonderful shots of the Chinatown gate with little to no motion blur.

24 years of existence, and it was actually my first time going beyond Binondo’s signature gate. 2017 was my first visit but it was just a brief moment of the car making a U-turn.

As we’re already talking about numbers, the Manila Chinatown is actually the oldest Chinatown in the world that was established as far as 1594. I’m not here give you any boring lectures on Philippine History — the images speak for themselves.

The gateway-like arch called “paifang” or “pailou” is a testament to Binondo’s overall architecture influenced by the Chinese.

Th infrastructure around Binondo look quite old compared to modern Manila and other cities in Southeast Asia.

Like the Binondo Church above (or its very mouthful name of Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, whichever you prefer). The sacred structure was built by the Dominicans in 1596. As a bonus, I tried post-processing that church shot — the warm tones make it livelier. But for this rest of the article, I’m just sticking to the unedited outputs made by the Galaxy Z Flip4.

In the particular shots above, I tried using ultra-wide and 2x zoom respectively. Samsung’s AI and HDR magic didn’t do much justice on the zoomed photo though.

And even if the Lunar New Year is already over, there are still plenty of Chinese paper lanterns around establishments, making for a lively Chinese spirit.

#CravingsSatisfied

I’ve been wanting to taste the specialty of Binondo cuisine as early as 2020 — but then the pandemic hit. Fast forward to 2022, we’re finally here!

From the Binondo Church, we first went to Chuan Kee — known for its xiao long baos and another record-holder in this article as the oldest fastfood place in the said town.

But because of the long queue (and our hungry souls), my friend then suggested that we should go further to Wai Ying Fastfood instead.

But before that, I took them some wide and ultra-wide photos as well as ultra-wide selfies with me in it.

Another time hop! After thirty minutes of lining up for the queue and another half waiting for our food, we finally dug in to these mouthwatering Filipino-Chinese cuisine that are delicious but not too expensive.

While they don’t serve a xiao long bao that I’ve been dying to have for so long, my favorites, luckily were available at order: Lemon Chicken, Lemon Coke, Hakaw, Japanese Siomai, and the Lava Pao that’s all worth dying for. And oh, I shouldn’t forget the Macau-famous Lord Stow’s Egg Tart too.

Hopia like it

It wouldn’t be a complete visit without passing by along a famous Chinese deli chain in Binondo: Eng Bee Tin— particularly the main branch in the heart of Binondo.

Just a fun fact: the head office was founded in the heart of Ongpin St. as far as 1912. That’s more than one century and one decade ago!

Famous for its hopia (or bean-filled mooncake), Eng Bee Tin has a wide range of flavors to choose from. While it’s not in the photos above, Custard Hopia was already my best pick even if it’s my first time eating it. There are the classics too like Mongo (Red Bean) and Ube, as well as Pork Floss, Ube Queso, Custard Buko, Ube Buko, Brownie, and so much more.

And as I already mentioned a chocolate-filled mooncake — the Triple Chocolate Lava Mooncake — that I badly wanted to try was out of the shelves.

This popular Binondo household brand offers more than just hopia / mooncake. There are even siopaos, cakes, condiments, sardines, and even cured meat.

Post Food Coma

After all that food talk, it’s now time to get back to the city center for some walk.

While the Galaxy Z Flip4 doesn’t have the best-in-class mobile camera, it was able to capture the cat above with less motion blur. Too bad it ruined the second shot of a cute chomky cat all because I zoomed in digitally.

And as you already notice, Binondo’s lamp posts are special because of its design. I suppose you won’t find such red and gold dragon-styled street ornaments anywhere else in the Philippines other than Binondo itself.

Binondo (temporarily) filled the void in me — missing Taiwan and Hong Kong ever since the pandemic hit. These tourists made the experience felt like I was in another East Asian country instead of my home turf.

Flip Nightography?

I mean why not? Samsung has been harping about its “Nightography” feature that made its debut in the Galaxy S22 lineup.

Disregarding all those ugly power lines, the Binondo Church looked better at night — more so with the help of Samsung’s “Nightography” magic through the wide camera sensor of the Galaxy Z Flip4.

And just for fun, I took portrait shots of my friends. I just love how clean Samsung processes the subject and background segmentation as well as the depth effect (or the imitation of a professional camera lens’ bokeh / Depth of Field).

And for the second time around, I was at the tricycle’s back seat. I’m fortunate enough that there were no pickpockets around when I captured these stills while the vehicle was in motion. The OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and AI algorithm of the Galaxy Z Flip4 surely helped in shooting these fast-paced shots even at night.

The bridge of solidarity

One (among the many) weird interest(s) I have is my utmost fascination of big bridges. Even though architecture and infrastructure are two different disciplines, I still love them both because at the end of the day, it’s all about being able to build out-of-the-ordinary structures that go beyond any normal person’s wildest imaginations.

Using Night Mode, I was able to achieve the shot of the newly-built bridge together with its light reflection across the Pasig River — or that crucial body of water that connects Laguna de Bay (a.k.a the biggest lake in the Philippines) as well as the disreputable Manila Bay.

Honestly, this part of Pasig River isn’t the most pleasing to the eyes — but I still captured them just for the sake of showing the power of the Galaxy Z Flip4 as well as the reality of the city.

One of the rarest moments where I captured a horizontal landscape shot in this article was the one above just to emphasize how it looks like in a panoramic-like view.

A little bit of bridge incline and several steps later, we’ve reached the part that shows the opening of the tied-arch bridge.

Just to emphasize how massive the structure is, I then used the ultra-wide lens of the Galaxy Z Flip4. Even if the wider lens isn’t as bright as how the regular 1x lens captures night shots (I mean f/2.2 aperture really isn’t sufficient), the abundant presence of lights in the bridge helped display the vital information behind the bridge’s development: the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge is a project aided by China.

This is also where I’m withholding my commentary about sociopolitical disputes between the two countries ^_^

The walled city within a city

After roaming around a Chinese-influenced city and walking across a Chinese-funded bridge, I then felt like I’ve gone further back in time as Intramuros showcases what the classic-day Manila looks like.

Back to the topic! Instead of the Chinese-style structures, you’ll see more Spanish-influenced architecture all over the place. Even the old Mercedes-Benz sedan and the kalesa made it all feel like I really went back in time.

Once again, Samsung’s Night Mode hits differently. I am more than satisfied with the night shots of the 1571-built Manila Cathedral Basilica as well as the fusion of greenery and light bulbs at Plaza Roma.

Two hits in a row: portraits of my friends at night all looked great and the cutouts looked satisfying enough for my liking — just like how it did in the group photo earlier.

A walled museum within the walled city

Several more walks towards the inner part of Intramuros, you’ll then reach the façade of Casa Manila.

Unlike Binondo, I’ve been to this place several times in my lifetime — most of which are for my old college projects.

The last one? Well that was already three years ago: a memorable street photography photowalk using a professional mirrorless camera under the scorching heat. But in 2022’s Intramuros photowalk, it felt nicer to actually walk around here when it’s night time.

Very dissimilar to modern Filipino streets, the colonial lifestyle was very evident when you walk around this area. And instead of smooth walls built through hollow blocks and cement, the building were instead made of stone and wood.

Different from the usual concrete (or asphalt) roads, roads here were made from pavement stones. But hey, at least the old and new street roads in the Philippines have one thing in common: they’re both rough when cars go through them 🤩

I’m just glad that despite coming into the third year of pandemic, establishments have already slowly opened their doors to the general public.

The Casa Manila is being shared by several establishments in the vicinity. From cold coffee drinks and teas to bars, you’d totally enjoy the center view of the museum.

Together with Samsung’s Nightography capabilities, I was relieved that the shots I took were not just post-worthy for socials, they’re also clear enough for me to make me remember how vivid the feeling was when I captured the images.

Small in size, but not in camera performance

As obvious as it sounds, I’m very impressed by how the cameras of the Galaxy Z Flip4 performed. Whether there’s an abundant source of light during the day or barely any presence of natural light at night, this wonderful compact foldable delivered good results.

Most users would think these aren’t enough for everyone’s mobile photography needs. But with the ultra-wide and regular wide lenses of the Galaxy Z Flip4, they are adequate for everyday photo-taking. And it’s not just for regular shots but also for low-light images too.

If you’re a big telephoto lens fanatic like I am, you might have to skip this phone. Regardless, even if there’s a lack of the “crucial” telephoto lens, the quality these cameras produce are sufficient for day-to-day use.

While I’m not expecting the addition of a telephoto zoom lens on the next-generation of the Galaxy Z Flip (all because it will compromise the battery capacity and phone’s overall dimensions), I still want to see what Samsung has to offer in the upcoming compact foldable in the years ahead.

SEE ALSO:

GadgetSnaps: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 in New York

Samsung’s Flip Phone Innovation Over The Years