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No tablets work as well as even an entry-level digital camera for snapping photos or taking videos, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 doesn't break this mould. If anything, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is just slightly better at taking photos and shooting video than the Galaxy Tab 10.1, only because it's a bit smaller, so you can get a tighter grip on the device, move it around easier and press a button to take photos.
Like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the bright screen works against you for capturing photos – there's too much screen glare outside to see the subject of a photo and frame the shot.
Worse yet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 actually only offers a stripped down assortment of effects (including a negative tone or sepia) without nearly as many options as the Apple iPad 2 has for photography apps such as Instagram.
The camera is a weak point for both the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1, and for many Android tablets. There just isn't a compelling reason to use the tablet for taking photos or videos unless you have no other options.
The final results were OK, but nothing so amazing that we plan to use the camera routinely.
John Brandon has covered gadgets and cars for the past 12 years having published over 12,000 articles and tested nearly 8,000 products. He's nothing if not prolific. Before starting his writing career, he led an Information Design practice at a large consumer electronics retailer in the US. His hobbies include deep sea exploration, complaining about the weather, and engineering a vast multiverse conspiracy.