Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 review

So who takes photos with a tablet? Some would say fools. We couldn't possibly comment.

Certainly, there'll always be someone you see on holiday who is using their iPad to shoot videos or photos. The majority of people reading this review wouldn't deign to do such a thing. But for those that would (there's always one), read on.

There are two snappers on the Galaxy Note 8.0 - a 5MP effort around the back and a 1.3MP snapper on the front. The front facing camera will probably get the most use, as it's essential for video chat.

The rear camera protrudes from the Note 8.0 a fair way. When you put the Note 8.0 down, it lands right on the camera lens. It seems an odd design decision and we imagine there will be a lot of scratched lenses reported to Samsung as a result.

Shooting modes are there in spades - from the normal single shot to panorama and even cartoon. There are also the modes you'll never use, yet seem to find their way onto every camera-phone and tablet out there, like Sepia and Negative.

And as was the case with the Galaxy S3, you can control an array of settings - from turning GPS tagging on, to choosing from a multitude of scene modes, to changing the ISO or white balance, or even taking a photo just by speaking to the Note 8.0.

There are loads of options here - perhaps too many given the limitations of the hardware.

That's because sadly, no amount of options can alter the fact that the photos just aren't very good. A 5MP sensor is a bit of a half-hearted effort for those who play the megapixel numbers game - and there is no flash here, which shows that Samsung isn't totally convinced of the camera's worth either.

There's not even an LED light. It seems clear that a decision was made to add a camera - and by coincidence, the camera software Samsung had in the cupboard was the one that they used in previous devices with loads of options.

Even in good light, we'd struggle to say that detail was captured well. Photos looked mediocre when viewed back on the Note 8.0 screen - although better on a larger screen.

Videos looked marginally better than we expected - that 5MP snapper manages to film 720p at 30fps, so it's by no means the worst. But as you can see from our samples, there's a lot better out there.

Of course, it's unlikely many people will be opting to use the camera as their main one. It certainly shouldn't be any buyer's sole reason for purchasing the Note 8.0.