Question Terrible camera quality - Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

I'm so disappointed in the photos from the telephoto lenses of this camera. Even at 1x, there is so much noise in every photo, even in outdoors on a sunny day everything looks like an oil painting. Did they give me a faulty device because I got a student discount (costed $1360 AUD 256GB) is this a common issue? Pretty disappointed with the camera of this "flagship" phone...
The photos are 1x, 1x cropped, 10x and 19x zoom.

I'm not seeing an issue.
The last one looks like cam shake and/or a bad AF lock.

The thing is even when holding still taking photos the post processing always oversharpens it and makes it noisy

Tristan17 said:
The thing is even when holding still taking photos the post processing always oversharpens it and makes it noisy
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Digital zoom sucks but look at the size of the optics. It's no L70-200 f/2.8 IS telephoto!
Shooting RAW will get rid of that... or at least you can with post editing.
Samsung doesn't have good photo editing tools, that pisses me.
My stupid S4 had a better photo editor than my 10+ which has none. WTF?
Maybe I'm missing something... probably not

That's fair but I wish they didn't oversharpen every photo, it would look much better like gcam does a way better job

Tristan17 said:
That's fair but I wish they didn't oversharpen every photo, it would look much better like gcam does a way better job
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That cam should be better than my 10+.
The 10+ does an excellent job, but digital zoom is not one of them.
Close the distance. Know the limitations of the camera; see the world as it does and your photos will improve immensely.
Even with pro equipment this is true.
Look at the stunning photos grabbed over a century plus ago with very limited technology.
A good camera helps but in the end it's more about who's shooting.

True thanks

Relax and enjoy it...
Try wide angle on a brick house or a picket fence and see how it does. Two of my favorite test subjects after people.
Don't enable vivid in screen mode if that's an option as it blows out colors.

Yeah I've got my screen set to amoled photo and I have gotten some good photos already thanks for the feedback

Tristan17 said:
View attachment 5429491
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Nice to see another Orient here...

Wow nice man it's a great watch haha

Yall old timers!
P. S. Just kiddin, the older ones look superb!

I totally agree with the OP, the S21U camera is definitely not a 2021 flagship camera. 10x zoom softens the image like crazy (everything becomes hazy & lacks of contrast) and the noise in all cameras is too much, especially in low light conditions.

blackhawk said:
Digital zoom sucks but look at the size of the optics. It's no L70-200 f/2.8 IS telephoto!
Shooting RAW will get rid of that... or at least you can with post editing.
Samsung doesn't have good photo editing tools, that pisses me.
My stupid S4 had a better photo editor than my 10+ which has none. WTF?
Maybe I'm missing something... probably not
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I recommend you try Snapseed app (free, owned by Google), have look on YouTube for videos on Snapseed and you'll see how good it is at editing photos

Snapseed is indeed a great editor!
And all of you guys who are hating on the ZOOM cameras of the phone, ya'll just don't understand how lenses and cameras work in general, that's why the s21U cams annoy you. Especially in low light... It is absolutely normal and it is still better than anything else at this size and functionality.
The fact that you have this kinda photo power in a phone in 2021 is in it self amazing.

In general I think that S21 Ultra have most versatile camera setup in market (at least at the moment when I've ordered phone), but sometimes I've had that feeling that details are not the best e.g. when zooming some photos. I guess it's exynos thing, because details are better on snapdragon versions.
BTW I'm happy to see so many Orient owners.

I did a video comparing the S20u vs S21u cameras and it's VERY subjective. Some of the shots on the S20u are better, some on the S21u are better, but all in all, they both don't compare to an actual camera, yet still blow away any other phone by comparison.
The biggest downfall I see is when people bash on the zoom lens, saying it's grainy.. and it's like.. yeah.. can any other phone out there even come close to a focal range this thing has? It's still a further reach zoom than anything else regardless of quality which is only improving between the S20u and S21u when it comes to zoom.
Which you can see that the image processing on the zoom lens out of the box on the S21u is worse than the S20u, but the clarity at further reach on the s21u pulls ahead over the s20u

babyboy3265 said:
Snapseed is indeed a great editor!
And all of you guys who are hating on the ZOOM cameras of the phone, ya'll just don't understand how lenses and cameras work in general, that's why the s21U cams annoy you. Especially in low light... It is absolutely normal and it is still better than anything else at this size and functionality.
The fact that you have this kinda photo power in a phone in 2021 is in it self amazing.
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Sorry, but I strongly disagree with you. I have been shooting with slrs and dslrs for decades, also owning numerous lenses, so I guess I know a bit about photography hardware. Yet again, I am not comparing apples to oranges, namely dslr quality with S21U quality, but instead comparing S21U quality with my 2020 p40 pro photos and believe me there is a HUGE gap over there. The p40 pro was a 2020 flagship and it's photo quality is miles ahead the S21U in various aspects, the most important being low light performance in all cameras, as well as zoom quality etc. Had the p40 pro not been a deal breaker due to no GMS (huawei USA ban etc), I would not change the device for the S21U. I did know though that there would of been a small downgrade in photo quality when I decided to switch to S21U, yet hoped for a good trade off with the 10x zoom instead of 5x, as well as a true uw lens, as compared to the merely uw on the p40 pro (18mm only), but we are talking about a huge difference over here in terms of quality,i mean, even my previous p20 pro which was a 2018 device was capturing much more detail in low light, yet still noise free.

thanito said:
Sorry, but I strongly disagree with you. I have been shooting with slrs and dslrs for decades, also owning numerous lenses, so I guess I know a bit about photography hardware. Yet again, I am not comparing apples to oranges, namely dslr quality with S21U quality, but instead comparing S21U quality with my 2020 p40 pro photos and believe me there is a HUGE gap over there. The p40 pro was a 2020 flagship and it's photo quality is miles ahead the S21U in various aspects, the most important being low light performance in all cameras, as well as zoom quality etc. Had the p40 pro not been a deal breaker due to no GMS (huawei USA ban etc), I would not change the device for the S21U. I did know though that there would of been a small downgrade in photo quality when I decided to switch to S21U, yet hoped for a good trade off with the 10x zoom instead of 5x, as well as a true uw lens, as compared to the merely uw on the p40 pro (18mm only), but we are talking about a huge difference over here in terms of quality,i mean, even my previous p20 pro which was a 2018 device was capturing much more detail in low light, yet still noise free.
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When I spoke of cameras and lenses, it is because I too have such tech and like photography.
And honestly, the Huawei just seems to have a different post-processing. Which amps up the "structure" a bit and makes things appeared deeper and more detailed. But that's just my 2 cents. Maybe I am wrong.

Related

HTC One Camera Quality

Hi,
I am considering buying HTC One but there is just one thing that makes me rethink my decision and that is the 4MP Camera. It's a stunning device but I am a bit skeptical considering the low megapixel count of 4 in HTC One. People who have already got the phone and also people who have researched on the imaging quality of "The One", please shed some light on the camera bit.
I know it is good for low light conditions but are the daylight photos good enough if not the best that GS4/ iPhone 5/ HTC One have to offer.
Thanks a lot!
Priyankac said:
Hi,
I am considering buying HTC One but there is just one thing that makes me rethink my decision and that is the 4MP Camera. It's a stunning device but I am a bit skeptical considering the low megapixel count of 4 in HTC One. People who have already got the phone and also people who have researched on the imaging quality of "The One", please shed some light on the camera bit.
I know it is good for low light conditions but are the daylight photos good enough if not the best that GS4/ iPhone 5/ HTC One have to offer.
Thanks a lot!
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Daylight images are good, but maybe not as "good" as the GS4 purely cos of less details from the lower MP sensor. HTC is probably one update away to perfecting their metering and auto-exposure, but it is still very good and don't forget really really fast
Megapixels are not a measure of image quality. Never has been, never will be. Higher MP just means bigger prints.
The size of the sensor determines image quality. The One camera takes better photos than my 8MP Nexus 4.
PcFish said:
Megapixels are not a measure of image quality. Never has been, never will be. Higher MP just means bigger prints.
The size of the sensor determines image quality. The One camera takes better photos than my 8MP Nexus 4.
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That's cos the Nexus 4 had a pretty meh sensor I'd say stock S4 camera app is about as good as modified HoX camera For low light, nothing really beats the One though
PcFish said:
Megapixels are not a measure of image quality. Never has been, never will be. Higher MP just means bigger prints.
The size of the sensor determines image quality. The One camera takes better photos than my 8MP Nexus 4.
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Yep, there's been an arms race, so to speak, with manufacturers trying to compete with one another over buzz words, "megapixels" being one of these. The Anandtech HTC One review by Brian Klug covers in excruciating detail the tradeoffs HTC made with the camera hardware vs. marketability
Priyankac said:
Hi,
I am considering buying HTC One but there is just one thing that makes me rethink my decision and that is the 4MP Camera. It's a stunning device but I am a bit skeptical considering the low megapixel count of 4 in HTC One. People who have already got the phone and also people who have researched on the imaging quality of "The One", please shed some light on the camera bit.
I know it is good for low light conditions but are the daylight photos good enough if not the best that GS4/ iPhone 5/ HTC One have to offer.
Thanks a lot!
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Click to collapse
To be fair and honest, I find the shutter speed to take long sometimes in natural and incandescent lighting indoors. I could be sitting at the dinner table and be underneath our ceiling fixture and the picture would be a little out of focus or take too long when the lighting is good. I'm assuming this can be fixed with software tweaks. It's almost as if the sensor takes in too much light sometimes, as I find myself having to turn on the flash manually in some indoor shots.
The positive side, the PHONE takes great pictures in outdoor lighting and even indoor with the right lighting or flash. The colors come out more natural and detailed than my wife's S3. Compared to my old Inspire, the One is 100x better.
Sent from my HTC One using xda premium
I've just been reading a thread on the S4 forum about the lag on the S4 camera. It can take superb landscape pictures in bright light but it struggles with moving images.
The One on the other hand is extremely fast which translates into, for the most part, images with no blurring. And of course low light pictures are far superior which is what everyone raves about.
It really depends what you want from a camera. I, like you, was worried that 4mp would be too much of a downgrade. I then started to think how I actually used my camera. I predominantly take pictures of my family and friends, kids playing in the park etc. I rarely ever view the pictures I've taken on a device that has a better resolution than 1080p and don't crop images often.
A 4mp camera is far higher resolution than 1080p.
As soon as I started snapping my kids, often indoors at dinner times with only fluorescent lighting, I was happy I plumped for the One. It really is astounding how fast it is, and the pictures look lovely on the phones 1080p display.
I would much rather have lower MP. pictures I can use than constantly having to delete blurry higher MP pictures.
Best thing to do? Check out both forums. They are a far more accurate representation of performance than reviews.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Currykiev said:
I've just been reading a thread on the S4 forum about the lag on the S4 camera. It can take superb landscape pictures in bright light but it struggles with moving images.
The One on the other hand is extremely fast which translates into, for the most part, images with no blurring. And of course low light pictures are far superior which is what everyone raves about.
It really depends what you want from a camera. I, like you, was worried that 4mp would be too much of a downgrade. I then started to think how I actually used my camera. I predominantly take pictures of my family and friends, kids playing in the park etc. I rarely ever view the pictures I've taken on a device that has a better resolution than 1080p and don't crop images often.
A 4mp camera is far higher resolution than 1080p.
As soon as I started snapping my kids, often indoors at dinner times with only fluorescent lighting, I was happy I plumped for the One. It really is astounding how fast it is, and the pictures look lovely on the phones 1080p display.
I would much rather have lower MP. pictures I can use than constantly having to delete blurry higher MP pictures.
Best thing to do? Check out both forums. They are a far more accurate representation of performance than reviews.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
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Thanks for your reply
Does cropping render the quality very low?
Something to add, is that if you take low light video (night clubs, bars, dimly lit rooms etc) the video framerate will fluctuate between 17 and 30fps, causing it to look choppy. That is the only thing I hate about the One at the moment. Choppy video in low light. The galaxy s4 (and my old s3) do not have this issue
Galactus said:
Something to add, is that if you take low light video (night clubs, bars, dimly lit rooms etc) the video framerate will fluctuate between 17 and 30fps, causing it to look choppy. That is the only thing I hate about the One at the moment. Choppy video in low light. The galaxy s4 (and my old s3) do not have this issue
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It's just different companies prioritizing different things. The One tries to get in enough light regardless of what it has to do, and that means fluctuating frame rates in low light video. The S3, S4 and Lumia do different things in where they force 30FPS, but in return you get much less light in, making the video darker. But the phone is still plenty new, and we can all hope that HTC would give us an option for what we want, shutter speed priority mode please
ArmedandDangerous said:
It's just different companies prioritizing different things. The One tries to get in enough light regardless of what it has to do, and that means fluctuating frame rates in low light video. The S3, S4 and Lumia do different things in where they force 30FPS, but in return you get much less light in, making the video darker. But the phone is still plenty new, and we can all hope that HTC would give us an option for what we want, shutter speed priority mode please
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Yeah, my issue is that they prioritized something that I'm not used to lol but yeah, hopefully that issue can be fixed
Speaking of the software, if they're gonna include Zoe and all that, I wish they'd provide a Highlight studio of sorts where you can choose the transitions/music/frames etc on the phone.
Currykiev said:
I've just been reading a thread on the S4 forum about the lag on the S4 camera. It can take superb landscape pictures in bright light but it struggles with moving images.
The One on the other hand is extremely fast which translates into, for the most part, images with no blurring. And of course low light pictures are far superior which is what everyone raves about.
It really depends what you want from a camera. I, like you, was worried that 4mp would be too much of a downgrade. I then started to think how I actually used my camera. I predominantly take pictures of my family and friends, kids playing in the park etc. I rarely ever view the pictures I've taken on a device that has a better resolution than 1080p and don't crop images often.
A 4mp camera is far higher resolution than 1080p.
As soon as I started snapping my kids, often indoors at dinner times with only fluorescent lighting, I was happy I plumped for the One. It really is astounding how fast it is, and the pictures look lovely on the phones 1080p display.
I would much rather have lower MP. pictures I can use than constantly having to delete blurry higher MP pictures.
Best thing to do? Check out both forums. They are a far more accurate representation of performance than reviews.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your reply.
Currently I have Galaxy S4 and I am thinking of returning it and going for HTC One. The camera is the only thing holding me back. I am super confused.
Could you please direct me to the two forums you have mentioned, being new I am unable to find them.
Thanks for the help.
Is it really 4 Mega pixels??
I thought it was 4 Ultra Pixels??
Surely that different?
"Ultra Pixel" is a marketing name for this sensor, it's still a 4MP device with bigger pixels to get more light and reach the f2.0 limit. Not more only bigger.
m.r.davies said:
Is it really 4 Mega pixels??
I thought it was 4 Ultra Pixels??
Surely that different?
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Click to collapse
It's 4 Megapixel in resolution, but the sensor has more than 4Megapixels. They extra pixels are used solely to capture light, and that's why it has very good low light capabilities
Here's the technical explanation of this ST Microelectronics CMOS Sensor:
The Camera
The HTC One bucks the trend. Based on the 1/3″ form factor of a camera module and today’s state-of-the-art 1.1 µm pixels, all the latest competitive phones sport 13 Mp resolution. HTC has gone with a larger 2.0 µm pixel (confirmed) and a 4 MP sensor. They are pitching the low light sensitivity as a key feature. The device is a back-illuminated sensor fabricated by STMicroelectronics with die marks 58698A. This is the first BI sensor we have seen from ST.The camera uses the IDG-2021 gyroscope by Invensense for motion stabilization. It is a dual-axis gyro with high resolution ADCs designed specifically for optical image stabilization.The secondary sensor is a 2 Mp, 1.4 µm sensor by OmniVision with die marks OV2A9BA. It is a nice secondary sensor that we have seen before in other phones.
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The moving video is fantastic with the optical gyro.always smooth videos.
And takes great night shots with longer exposure cause it's easy to get a steady photo.
Why does mine say pn071?
Sent from my HTC_PN071 using XDA Premium HD app
Personally I love the 4MP cam in the One. I came from a long line of iPhones and although they're not perfect, I realized that the most I was going to be doing was hold these images for viewing on my computer, sharing at times. Between the 13MP GS4 and the One I thought it was an easy decision to get the One. I just don't see a need for 13MP size picture files laying around in my computer taking up space.
Now I'm just a normal consumer from a photog perspective. I have a graphic arts background, but I rarely perform treatments or heavy manipulation on my own photos. Take some shots with the One demo at your local store. You'll be amazed at the clarity, especially when zoomed in.
So, i used this device for over a month and so far the camera works great to me, i compared it to other phones i got in touch like iPhone 4s, Note 2 and the S3, video recording is just great on HTC One, it just works better in my opinion, great clarity, good autofocus.
As for photos, it's great, all the photos on 100% zoom look bad, but the HTC One photos look modest at 100% zoom so i don't really think camera is a deal-breaker, it's a great camera the thing is HTC opted for a more revolutionary camera and so far i think they've done a pretty good job.

I just HAVE to ask!

It appears that to the vast majority of modern day uber mobiles that the camera is the most important factor?
I notice that some are actually going to change from the SGS8+ to the Note 8 'just' for the camera?
Cards on the table. I know next to zero regarding photography and very very seldom, if ever, use the camera on my mobile. I find the most attractive extra as sound production however...
Can some of you camera experts inform me how a pocket camera compares in quality of picture to the Note 8?
I would think, I don't know, that my Canon DSLR produces better photographs? How would my little pocket Sony camera compare?
Just how good is the quality of pictures produced by the Note 8 (also the SGS8+ that I own)? Is it just a matter of convenience or do these new mobiles produce truly 'good' photo's?
Thanks for your replies.
Ryland
The S8+ takes amazing pictures. I haven't bought a good real camera for about 6 or 7 years, but I am sure it still takes superior pictures to the best smartphone cameras. But it is bulky, easily broken (ex dropped it a week after I bought it and broke the lcd display on the back although you can still see through the cracks enough to use it) and a PITA to carry around. So I have little need personally for an actual camera. It was $850 to boot and I wish I had never bought it.
The Note 8 and it's dual rear cameras are a definite step up from the S8+. The S8+ has a GREAT camera, low light especially. But the dual shooters in the rear are very, very nice from all accounts on the Note 8. If I can actually get $425 for my Note 7 on trade in from Sammy for the Note 8 I will get the Note 8 and sell my S8+. Otherwise I will not take a 400 to 500 dollar beating to switch from my S8+ - which is a very nice phone - to the Note 8. I do miss the S Pen and a bit bigger screen is always nice. I am a tad concerned about going down in battery size - the S8+ has a 3500 mah battery and smaller display, the Note 8 has a 3300 mah battery and a bit larger display.
Anyway, IMO, the camera upgrade alone is not enough for me to switch. The trade in of $425 for my Note 7 would be enough IF I can actually get $425 from Samsung for my Note 7.
Dipends on what that "pocket camera" is, if it's an m4/3 like the Olympus OM-D or even the Canon EOS-M. i don't think Note 8 can compete with those cameras. But if it's like those small Sony "Point and Shoot" cameras, it does stand a chance of being at par if not beating the picture quality of what the Note 8 can produce.
The f1.7 lens is a huge plus because of it's lowlight capabilities and of course the bokeh effect (where the subject in front is focused and the background is somehow blurred). from what i've seen Note 8 also has an Optical Zoom which is waaaaay better than digital zoom IMO.
All in all i think it will be a great move even if you're coming from the S8+, aside from the camera, the S-Pen can offer a looooot of things that will be helpful for productivities (and picture editing too! haha)
I have Canon DSLR and it does have little better picture quality, but: I don't carry my DSLR with me unless I specifically plan to take a lot of pictures and I have my phone with me all the time. Also in good light, which is most of the time I take pictures, it's hard to tell difference. My S8 is as fast at focusing as my DSLR, S8 have higher FPS for action photos, takes better video in higher resolution (4k) than my DSLR. In other words I use S8 camera most of the time, even if I have my DSLR and use Canon only for specific type of shooting (night, portrait and zoom). Note 8 has the same cam as S8 plus x2 zoom, so better bokeh, but for portrait and telephoto DSLR it is still much better, for everything else I prefer phone, if only for it's size. In my case it's not the cam I'm upgrading from S8 to Note 8, since addition of x2 zoom won't improve capabilities over S8 that much, it's the pen and I suspect it's similar with many others.
Thank you all for your kind and informative replies. I appreciate your time.
One point. Whats a "Bokeh"?
Ryland
the camera is important but it just depends on what your gonna do with the pictures...most will just share on social or just look at them on there phone..i havent seen a bad picture since i had a nextel flip phone.
for me the s-pen is the main selling point and of course the size of the unit
I would say the camera features are not important to the "uber mobiles" as you describe but more like the last item that can truly be updated / differentiated on a device for maximum upsurge with minimum cost.
That's all vendors have left to try and create hype for the next flagship.
Quote:
One point. Whats a "Bokeh"?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh

Question How will the S21 Ultra camera stack up vs iPone 12 Pro Max / Pixel 5?

Last summer I purchased an Xperia 1 II which I really liked for a lot of reasons - the screen, form factor and feel were all great. Unfortunately, the camera was not up to much and really struggled in low light conditions as well as capturing moving objects. As a camera is one of the top priorities for me in a phone, I made the switch and got the Pixel 5. The camera on the Pixel is brilliant and I am happy enough with the phone for now but the small screen and medium-range specs are definitely a shame.
Having seen some brilliant reviews of the S21 Ultra, my interest has been piqued and I am considering pre-ordering. I am also conscious though that reviews often don't really give a thorough, in-depth review of camera capabilities in different everyday situations (often just focusing on headline specs and flashy new features). Having read the S20 Ultra forum, I noticed a lot of negativity around autofocus, images in low light conditions, images of moving subjects and video quality. This goes back a way but having previously had S6 & S7, I thought the cameras were OK but often a little unnatural/beautified.
Does the S21 Ultra appear to be rectifying these issues and will the camera/video quality be on a par with the likes of Pixel 5 & iPhone 12 Pro Max? For the price of the phone, I would really expect it to be very top end.
Tmel14 said:
...
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I know this is very rude of me, but I didn't read, too long of a message lol, and I'm so tired rn. But if you want good camera reviews, you can check DxOMark.
It's my reference for cameras.
Here's the S21 Article
I've read/watched a ton of reviews, many of which offered direct comparisons to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and a few also included the Pixel 5 (not as many, as it's not considered a top tier phone any more). They all seem to be very capable. If I were to try to average all the reviews and build a consensus, I appears they are very comparable in standard everyday shots. They trade blows here and there, but generally very similar. The iPhone still wins in portrait shots. It also seems to have a slight edge in video. Night shots are tougher to judge, some had the iPhone ahead, some the S21. The S21 was the CLEAR winner in macro and zoom, as well as features. It seemed they generally gave the overall win to the S21, because the categories where the S21 won it did so with greater margins than the iPhone, where it's wins were tighter. And also because the wider range of capabilities made it a more flexible camera. But if the extreme close and extreme far don't fall into your typical usage, the iPhone would probably come out ahead.
It's also probably worth mentioning that Apple is generally pretty polished, and the iPhone 12 has been out for a bit. It's not unusual for Samsung to be a bit rough at release, and take several updates to tweak things. The two phones probably aren't at equal levels of maturity. Being an S20U owner, I can confirm there were definitely some improvements over time. The S20U camera setup was a complete change from the previous generation, while the S21U is more of a refinement on that. So it may not have as much room for improvement as the S20 did. But there's probably a decent chance that it might close some gaps where the iPhone wins, and/or increase some leads where the iPhone loses.
The differencies are minimal. Really. It is like chicken soup vs tomato soup. I did buy S21 Ultra due to the pen. S21U has clearly better camera than P30Pro. But S21U vs i12pro/i13pro vs Pixel 5/6 ... c'mon. If you like to have the best possible photos buy Vivo x70Pro+
I have S21U and wife has Iphone 13PM. Both has pros and cons. From my day to day experience, this is what I found, comparing S21U and the iPhone:
iPhone pros:
- Very fast shutter speed on camera.
- Sharper video overall, especially for night videos.
- camera app very optimized. Everything feels so smooth.
- better camera focus for indoor photos.
iPhone cons:
- white balance is so bad. Every photos turn yellowish, white sometimes turn into blue.
- too much post photo processing, especially true in clouds. Normal cloudy days turn into storm looking clouds.
- over sharpening. Took a photo of wall calendar on the wall, everything else seems bit blurry but the numbers are sharp (not in a good way, like a Photoshop overshaperning).
- portrait photos not as capable as S21U. Hardly take a clear portrait photo of moving kids (1 clear shots out of 6 shots).
- lens flare. Haven't tried night shots yet with the main cam, but the selfie does has this issue.
- no zoom 10x. Once you have this, you will want them on your phone.
- very dimmed videos at night.
- stabilization not as good, very noticeable on 3x lens.
S21U Pros:
- very versatile camera system with 3x, 10x zoom lens.
- white balance most of the time is correct - true to life
- 108 MP shots are a great option to capture extra details
- top notch stabilization on videos and photos even for zoom lens
- portrait photos are better than the iPhone, capture less shaky photos for moving objects with a better blurring object identification.
S21u cons:
- slower shutter speed. Not very usable when taking moving objects indoor
- indoor focus sometimes off, need to click the screen to focus the object.
- camera app not as smooth as iPhone
- color sometimes can be not as true as real life
Those are what I have found so far on my daily basis.

Question Camera performance

Can someone comment on camera performance, specifically indoor shots with pets. How well does it pick up fur? I've just got the S21 and I'm sending it back because the camera software is pretty bad. Wondering if it's the same story with the Ultra or not?
I think it works really with, here`s my cat
It depends if they are moving or not plus what settings you have on. I'm happy coming from a S20+.
2003vstrom said:
I think it works really with, here`s my cat
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Thanks! This is the perfect example as to what I was looking for, even down to the colour of the cat! Unfortunately it confirms to me that while it is much better than the regular S21, its just not up to scratch.
Here's my cat (Pixel 4 vs S21). The Pixel does a much better job of not blurring the fur and retains a lot of the detail and more colour accuracy.

			
				
The main camera seems to be really good and sharp and has motion tracking to maintain focus on moving subjects. I dont have pets but don't think you should have a problem. However, I find the quality from the 10X zoom camera to be really bad. I dont know if it is just my unit or if others are experiencing these issues as well. The images are soft, lack detail and are over processed. See examples below. Not sure if this is due to low light or some other reason as its been quite cloudy in the UK these past few days. Let me know what you guys think. Can my unit be defective? Look at the processing on the robins tail in the 1st image its so grainy. Also the 3rd image lacks detail looks like the bird has been painted.
yeah I know my pics are lot better coming from the S20 ultra, with close up shots lol
eldrid said:
The main camera seems to be really good and sharp and has motion tracking to maintain focus on moving subjects. I dont have pets but don't think you should have a problem. However, I find the quality from the 10X zoom camera to be really bad. I dont know if it is just my unit or if others are experiencing these issues as well. The images are soft, lack detail and are over processed. See examples below. Not sure if this is due to low light or some other reason as its been quite cloudy in the UK these past few days. Let me know what you guys think. Can my unit be defective? Look at the processing on the robins tail in the 1st image its so grainy. Also the 3rd image lacks detail looks like the bird has been painted.
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yeah here is my moon pic at 30x zoomed that wasn't even on a tripod that was a steady hand, I know the pic looks way better on my phone then regular crappy computer screen. lol
2003vstrom said:
yeah here is my moon pic at 30x zoomed that wasn't even on a tripod that was a steady hand, I know the pic looks way better on my phone then regular crappy computer screen. lol
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Wow! that looks really good. Was that on your S20 Ultra? Or the s21 ultra.
eldrid said:
Wow! that looks really good. Was that on your S20 Ultra? Or the s21 ultra.
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on my s21 ultra, the s20 ultra I had the you could never get a nice image out of the zoom
I should get a new unit while I can then. I probably have a defective unit as my pictures from the 10x zoom camera are horrible.
Camera is no where near as good as touted. Which is a familiar story. Anything other than bright light the zooms are essentially pointless. Night mode helps, but unless your taking a pic of a still scene or a sleeping pet then it's going to look bad.
Funny thing is, you snap a pic and click the photo preview and it's snapped the shot instantly and is in focus, but then it's almost like the processor catches up and gives you the blurry pic. I don't get it.
3x zoom pic in good light attached. View attachment 5206487
Aneres11 said:
Camera is no where near as good as touted. Which is a familiar story. Anything other than bright light the zooms are essentially pointless. Night mode helps, but unless your taking a pic of a still scene or a sleeping pet then it's going to look bad.
Funny thing is, you snap a pic and click the photo preview and it's snapped the shot instantly and is in focus, but then it's almost like the processor catches up and gives you the blurry pic. I don't get it.
3x zoom pic in good light attached. View attachment 5206487
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This is what I feared and it's exactly the same as the regular S21. The hardware is capable enough, just the Samsung processing can be awful. You can see the difference when switching between gcam and the Samsung camera app. How have they managed to do such a bad job?
It's a shame because other than the camera I love everything else about the phone.
steslatt said:
This is what I feared and it's exactly the same as the regular S21. The hardware is capable enough, just the Samsung processing can be awful. You can see the difference when switching between gcam and the Samsung camera app. How have they managed to do such a bad job?
It's a shame because other than the camera I love everything else about the phone.
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Yeah. I have a 12 Pro currently and bought this thinking I could have similar still performance with the added benefits of the great zoom. But my P30 Pro from two years ago took better photos than this IMO.
Samsung do not know what to do with post processing. It's painful. And I'm sick of reviewers saying contrary. Every year it's the same thing. Cameras are bigged up, Samsung "finally get it right" and then normal users get them in hand and it's the same story.
I'll be returning to my 12 Pro.
Pets yes and no. I've only had the phone since Friday, so I have a lot more time shooting on my Pixel 4, but so far, I think the P4 was better for pets. Especially for those quick shots. Now I may get used to the ultra and learn to shoot with it better, because it does take some amazing shots, but for now, I'd give the Pixel the slight edge. It gave me more confidence anyways that I would get a good shot
So are the noisy over sharpened pics from the 10X zoom camera normal then? I am thinking of sending mine back. I got the phone only for the camera.
2003vstrom said:
yeah here is my moon pic at 30x zoomed that wasn't even on a tripod that was a steady hand, I know the pic looks way better on my phone then regular crappy computer screen. lol
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What camera settings are you using to achieve it. I've tried several times to take a moon shot and mine come out horrible... Maybe it's the bright lights of the city, don't really know.
mprunty said:
What camera settings are you using to achieve it. I've tried several times to take a moon shot and mine come out horrible... Maybe it's the bright lights of the city, don't really know.
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It was default mode and I just open the camera app and zoomed it to 30x and made sure I was very steady then took the pic, I didn`t mess with any settings and it could be the the city lights I was out were there is little light pollution.
Does anyone have any S21U portrait photos they can share with a comparison to either Pixel or iPhone 11/12 Pro Max?
I will be coming from a Pixel 5 and really hoping pet and portrait photos are of comparable quality.
Tmel14 said:
Does anyone have any S21U portrait photos they can share with a comparison to either Pixel or iPhone 11/12 Pro Max?
I will be coming from a Pixel 5 and really hoping pet and portrait photos are of comparable quality.
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Judging from what I've seen and the replies in here, pet pictures definitely won't be comparable. The processing is too soft and just makes the fur look too blurry.

Camera array question (Find X5)

Can anyone explain the camera array on the Find X5 please? I know it has two 50mp sensors, one for wide angle and a standard. It also supposedly has one 13mp 2x optical zoom, however if I zoom in, it is still using the standard 50mp lens until I zoom past 10x at which point the small lens below the two main lenses kicks in.. I’d have expected it to be at the specified 2x telephoto. (I tested this by covering each lens with a finger). Also, there’s a fourth lens/sensor next to the 13mp lens.. anyone know what that is? I can’t tell when I’m getting true optical zoom and when it’s hybrid or digital. Thanks!
ehello indeed really strange when I try to know on my X5 pro some sensor and on the time 2 no matter which one I hide with my finger I always see something on my screen!!! so basically if you plug a sensor with your fingers it switch to another sensor is really strange!!!! moreover for me the photo part is even worse since Android 13 because a lot of pictures now are blurry I really don't understand what this is about. if someone can also look for the zoom because it's really strange thank you
EAnd I'm not going to lie I bought it for that photo part is but then I'm really disappointed!!! It was sold by many websites as excellent in photos frankly apart from on The quality of the colors I am ok but on the rest we know we are laughed at. By the way "dxomark.com" Haven't even bothered to test it, it's very simple because it has exactly the same photo part as the X5 classic version. I bought the one believing that would be better than my xiaomi 11 pro Well I should have waited, sure I would be more careful in the future because buy a phone at 1200€ to have the same photo part has something ready with Oppo Find X3 pro me Stay in the throat.
JI spoke too fast, Dxomark Finally did their test, they gave it a score of 130, that seems a bit much to me, I would like to know which android version was the device

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