This is a feature Xiaomi phones have that I sorely miss on Samsung phones. There are several good reasons to have a continuous lamp option in photo mode, in addition to the short flash.
Now you know why.
I wonder how long Samsung will need to implement this simple feature. In the early 2010s, people already started asking for a light on/off switch that could be used while recording a video, not just before it. It took Samsung over a decade to add this simple thing when it shouldn't have taken a single afternoon. In 2015, on the S6 running Android 5.0, the torch light accessed from the quick settings menu would actually stay on after you launched the camera, but it seems this was just accidental, because since the Android 6.0 update and the S7, launching the camera turns off the torch light.
It could be because EXIF does not support storing a "continuous light" parameter. I haven't found out whether it does, but if not, that could be a reason. EXIF supports custom fields anyway, which can be used for this.
[I hereby release this post into the public domain, CC0 1.0. Feel free to copy and paste this anywhere. You don't have to credit me.]
- Eye comfort: A sudden short bright flash in a dark environment could cause eye discomfort.
- Helps pointing the camera and focusing: If you are in a dark environment, a continuous light feature lets you point the camera and focus without depending on an external light source.
- Avoids disturbance: Unlike a sudden short flash, a continuous light lets you take pictures in a dim room without causing people from the other end of the room looking your way.
- Prevents epilepsy attacks: Some people suffer from epilepsy unfortunately. A continuous light feature would be more convenient for them.
- Illuminated burst shots: Although I rarely ever use burst mode, illuminating burst shots with no external light source is another possibility you get with a continuous light in photo mode.
Now you know why.
I wonder how long Samsung will need to implement this simple feature. In the early 2010s, people already started asking for a light on/off switch that could be used while recording a video, not just before it. It took Samsung over a decade to add this simple thing when it shouldn't have taken a single afternoon. In 2015, on the S6 running Android 5.0, the torch light accessed from the quick settings menu would actually stay on after you launched the camera, but it seems this was just accidental, because since the Android 6.0 update and the S7, launching the camera turns off the torch light.
It could be because EXIF does not support storing a "continuous light" parameter. I haven't found out whether it does, but if not, that could be a reason. EXIF supports custom fields anyway, which can be used for this.
[I hereby release this post into the public domain, CC0 1.0. Feel free to copy and paste this anywhere. You don't have to credit me.]
