this is Samsung's most ambitious camera experience

The race to provide the best camera on a mobile phone is becoming increasingly sought after and Samsung boat with its latest extras. After a season with little progress in the industry, the Korean company has hit the table with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, a completely new version of the new S and one with a very ambitious camera from the company to the present.

More lenses, more adjustment, more zoom … Above all. Over the past year Samsung has done well in the photography category, but the competition is getting stronger and has been doing some stages such as zoom, something that has largely been resolved with the new S20 Ultra and its up to 100x digital zoom. We spent two weeks with the Galaxy S20 Ultra to see how this picture turned out with Samsung's new intelligence.

Galaxy S20 Ultra Camera Technology Data

Before you start seeing the results of the S20 Ultra camera, I think it's worth clarifying. Of course many of you already know that Spain, like many other countries, is in a state of shock due to the epidemic caused by Covid-19, better known as the coronavirus. I would like to add different types of pictures, but because the home order arrived when he had just received the cellphone, almost all the photos were imported (and are) from the inside. That said, let's take a look at how Samsung's strong bet to win the mobile photo throne works.

Camera app: an acquaintance, now with new options

Let's first take a moment to review the camera system. Samsung maintains a building we already know, but it adds additional features from the S20 Ultra camera features: zoom control. Above the carousel of shooting modes we have the classic zoom buttons: the first wide angle, the second wide lens and the third with a phone photo, this time up to 5x (though there is only optical zoom). up to 4 increases).

When we click one of these buttons, in addition to changing the lens, a new menu opens with it buttons for different zoom levels: 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 10x, 30x and 100x. This way we can choose with a simple touch. It is appreciated that they have integrated those buttons with various zoom steps because with all the focus points on providing easy navigation between options, but if we want to select a particular point there is simply a shift from left to right.

In the camera app we have several shooting modes that are accessible by walking to the sides, but when we go to the end, when we say & # 39; More & # 39 ;, we find other options available. Samsung lets you plan which modes will appear in the carousel and in which order, so we can tailor it to our tastes and those we use often. In the settings menu, there are a few more customization options such as an event optimizer or smart panoramic selfie, but it is scarce that HDR management is readily available. Also, in this case we can't choose to force it and the only way to do it is to leave it by default.

Primary lens

The Green S20 Ultra has three cameras (four to count the ToF), but there are some exceptions. As often happens on most mobile cameras, the main sensor is the one with the most adjustment, the most surface area and the lens with the largest ingredient, so it's also the most efficient and most sought after. Let's look at how it works.

Daytime photos

Say that the best results are achieved with a lot of light and a primary lens it's a no brainer, but that doesn't change the fact that it's true. Good work in terms of color display and dynamic range, though the HDR is somewhat aggressive in the photo on the left, when we had the sun in front and we had to collect a lot of detail throughout the wall, but the end result is not excessive in art. And we're talking about the details, it solves complexity and good composition, but when we take out the glass that extends the distance planes we see that it's a little lost.

The two earlier photos were taken automatically also in 12-megapixel mode, the default resolution. The 108 megapixel S20 Ultra & # 39; s main sensor comprises 9 pixels in one in my theory, offering images in rich detail.

With this in mind, one would expect shallow detail when using all pixels without mixing, but the fact is that in good light it meets the note. The rear lamp gives HDR a lot of work to do to get the information in your hand and it performs very well.

The 108 megapixels allow us to get really close when we take the magnifying glass and when the sharpness is really good (there is a slight blur but it is only achieved when magnified). The disadvantage of this mode is that the shooting is slow and the resulting image is not only great, it's great too. This image weighs 12MB, while the same shot is in 2 megapixel mode only 2MB. The 108 megapixel comes in handy when it aims to enhance the specific details of an image, which is the option the camera app gives us when magnifying the image (something like zooming in later). Personally I've never used it from time to time since, if I want to zoom in, I do it during shooting and not after, but it does really well.

When we take out the mounting glass in 12 megapixel mode, we still have a good definition even if it has a combination of very sophisticated and synthetic features like this case, as long as the lamp is kind, if not a bit, weak.

For example, this photo was taken indoors with lots of natural light. Details are good, but they are poorly marked and the hairstyles seem less defined. Particularly noteworthy is the eclipse achieved by the central sensor without the need to use the image mode we will discuss later.

Another example is the lack of light that affects detail. Here we were outside (although it was late afternoon, 19:00), as we approached to see how much sharpness had dropped. In those cases it is also very easy for the pictures to be blurred when we leave. In fact, few have been spared in the series for this reason.

Night photography / light input

We return to the 108-megapixel shooting mode, this time with a scene taken in-house with the input light, to see both the level of detail we can reach and the difference in size with the same 12-megapixel mode. As I mentioned before, this approach exists it is very interesting to be able to cut part of the image and how much file I still have. In addition, there is no significant decrease in the data except that it does not perform the xxel fusion mentioned. Of course, here is playing with some benefit because I used a tripod.

In this indoor environment I did not use the tripod and the cat kept moving, but eventually it stayed for a while and I was able to photograph it. I insist on this because, at low light, it is very easy to lose focus or have jitters. However, if we measure the drive and there is no movement in the image, very good results can be obtained. In this case, it is well resolved on all the front hair layers very well and the background hair is very natural (no, it's not a show mode).

At night the sound is readily apparent, but it is not as bad as it does not take off in the normal plane (it is visible in the sky) and helps the detail to look very marked. Nice white balance and strong range. We'll talk about night mode later, but it does quite well with standard shooting, although the loss of detail is obvious, especially when looking at the excess of the image.

Ultra angular

The wide angle has become a & # 39; must & # 39; on mobile cameras. Almost all have one and almost all have poorer quality than a larger sensor. Is that the case with the Galaxy S20 Ultra? Let's look at some examples to test that.

As we have seen with the main sensor, the angle is much brighter with natural light. The deformation is not swollen and reaches a reliable color palette. The dynamic range is wide, but it is less equal to standard lenses and in some complex situations such as the recommended right rear lamp one exception to the difference.

The interior with a lot of artificial light does not make much difference when dealing with the main sensor and both are almost the same size as the color display and color palette. Let's look at what happens when we grow up.

The angle does not go wrong when we do a magnifying glass test. The sound is easily seen in apartment buildings such as the wall. The grain information of the table is quite accurate, but it does not reach the level of the primary sensor.

Another examination of the details in-house, in this dim light. Ultra-wide is a little low too, but it's not such a big change. In this case, the difference between lenses is not excessive.

The contact lens

Now is the opportunity for a telephoto lens, where the S20 Ultra uses a periscope system enlarging the image without loss of quality. In the same way as the angle, it is necessary to see that there are many inconsistencies between it and the main lens.

There are some curious details about the telephoto lens treatment by Samsung and that, in time Optical zoom is fourfold, the direct zoom button takes up to 5 times. We're not talking about zoom in for a long time (only 4x vs 5x) and the result is good, but it's important to keep in mind because here we are drawing the hybrid zoom that Samsung is talking about.

A telephoto lens works best in color, sharpness and, although the focal length of the stimulus is not as wide as a standard lens, it is usually gives a more natural result than that of angular.

Here we compare a standard lens image (left) with a telephoto set at 4x. There is a connection both to the exhibition and to the representation of colors, but we see some changes, such as that front wall that is out of focus on the right image.

In this case, the extended information remains very similar or diminished in the two cases. Right at this point the result is poor, with strong water packs of the image where we had too much light.

When night falls, you may notice a slight sharpness on the phone's lens that when enlarged becomes more visible. These two guns are noisy, but logically you see more when you raise those four magnifications. Usually, the results are more consistent and balanced in the case of telephoto than in wide range.

Zoom in

We've already seen how they distribute the three lenses separately, but the closest we can go is beyond the single magnification of the phone number. What happens if we go up to 10 or 30 increases? And up to 100?

Up to 10x the quality usually holds up well and we get useful photos. However, if we want to keep the data up to date it is best to take a shoot in 108 megapixel mode and take the part.

Though Samsung advertises hybrid zoom up to 30x magnification, the fact is that it looks like digital zoom is more than anything else. This photo was taken during the day with several light and the sound and water pins are very visible.

If we go up to 100x magnificationThe result is a stain. In this picture it was daylight, but when the light fell it got worse, even though it looked unbelievable.

Selective focus

As it can't be otherwise, image mode is one of the options available on the S20 Ultra camera, or rather & # 39; Focus Selection & # 39; as Samsung calls it. That is: it works with people and objects or animals, it can be done with a large sensor or zoom, it provides different blurring effects and can be programmed over time.

Samsung's drawings are accurate in the sense that it does not give performance problems. For example, it tells us that it is at least a meter or a half and a half long, but in most cases it is not warlike and effective. The automatic effect can be somewhat colored due to the amount of blur, but to adjust it manually see more natural. On the cut, as usual, it blends a little in hair areas, but usually settles it well.

With low light and good results and good yields (although there are areas where the blurry "eats" part of the calculations), the bad thing is that the quality of the shot falls and there is no sharpness.

As I said, the focus on selection applies to things too, and very well, too. In fact, in these situations it often allows us to get closer than to people. Yes, the background effects ask us to have a face in the imageBut it is not a drama either because they tend to give very artificial results.

Night mode

Of course, the most popular night mode two years ago would be lacking. We don't need a tripod to use it, but we do the cell phone should be kept as active as possible while shooting, time to vary depending on the light bulb you have to save.

The effect depends a great deal on the nature of the event, but often what we find is pictures too many details and too much exposure. What follows is that the effect is somehow artificial, especially when there are light sources that appear supersaturated.

The most exciting thing is that night mode fworks with all lenses, from wide angle to telephoto, including a 10x hygroscopic zoom, its quality improves a lot in shipping overnight.

Video

We go to the video section and here's one of the unique features of the S20 Ultra camera that can record with 8K resolution. However, this option is unlimited as it comes out really bad in terms of stability and allows us to zoom in up to 6x.

In this first video you can see a comparison of how the terminal stabilizes at various resolutions. & # 39; superstable & # 39; it is available from the camera app, but only works in FullHD at 30 fps and does not allow zoom, we can only go from contrast to standard. The effect is very good at reducing quakes, but at the expense of low maintenance. At 4K at 60fps, the stability is pretty good when the light is bright, but at 8K the shakes are very noticeable.

To keep up with the performance of the 8K recording, along these lines I have collected several clips recorded with great resolution. The first being filmed indoors, the usual drop in quality is greatly appreciated, too stability is inevitable. To get the most out of this mode you better choose to shoot outside in bright light or use a tripod.

You can also see the zoom test, which only remembers letting the size 6 go up, and the night clip where that quality loss is best seen when it's light.

When it comes to zooming, there are different grades depending on the solution. When recording in FullHD we can take advantage of the angular lens and go up to 20x, but when we go up to 4K the angle is lost and it only allows us to go up to 10x. As I said before, in the case of the top 8K we have is a six-fold increase.

Zoom control is really free because it allows us to swap it both using the right and right hand buttons by sliding your finger. Of course, the passage from one lens to another is noteworthy, especially the jump between the angle and the standard lens.

Finally, two clips of the additional functions allowed by the S20 Ultra. The first is that 960 fps super slow, which is a way for you to take advantage of natural light from within gives a very bad effect. The second is a video with a blurry background, an option that also works much better in good light, not only because it holds the edges better to make the cut, but also because it makes the overall quality less attractive.

Selfie Camera

To finish, time to talk about the front camera. Here we find fewer options than the backdrop depending on the zoom, but various good alternatives including night mode and dynamic focus among others. With good light it achieves the best results, in color and in a wide range. Also, note that it carries autofocus, something we don't always have on the front camera.

When the light is scarce the quality drops dramatically and the images become soft. When it comes to zoom, what Samsung offers us is an angular path or a nearby shoot, but be careful because it is cutting in the first picture, so the effect is small. By the way, if we want it is also possible to take advantage of the large sensor adjustment, which in this case is 40 megapixels.

As I was saying, the image mode is also available on this selfie camera, although there are some minor effects when it comes to composing figures, especially in areas that do not match the hair. Also, being able to edit the amount of a blur helps hide this information.

Xataka view of Android

He said earlier that the competition for cell phone photography was getting stronger and that Samsung had been behind. The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the answer to an increasingly strong situation where zoom has become the most powerful weapon. Samsung went through everything and gave us up to 100x zoom, but after trying all these days, it became clear to me that The "100x zoom" claim looks fantastic only in the camera module.

Zoom works well on those four optical extensions and continues to provide us with up to 10x images, otherwise, quality loss is more than noticeable. However, we have a 108 megapixel mode that allows us to crop a portion of the image and to my knowledge it works very well. The bad thing is that when I want to zoom in, I do it when I take a picture and not afterwards, as I think almost everyone will do.

The quality of the primary lens remains up to the high end expectations, however nor does it represent a radical change in view of what we have seen in previous generations. The wide angle is the sensors that go from bad to worse in terms of quality, looking for a very large decrease especially when there is less light.

The S20 Ultra Camera is the most ambitious photographic bet that Samsung has made so far and is undoubtedly the most important bloom, for the Galaxy S family and for all types of portable ships. Anyway, either as a first step it is more than remarkable, it still has some jobs waiting to go up as the best camera on the market.