Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the crown jewel of Samsung’s flagship lineup, boasts a powerful new camera system. But does it offer genuine improvements over its predecessor, or is it just a megapixel showcase? We delve deep into the S24 Ultra’s cameras, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, and quirks, to help you decide if this smartphone lives up to the hype.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: New 5x Telephoto, 200MP Main Camera
- Evolution, not revolution: While the S24 Ultra retains the 200MP main sensor and ultrawide camera from the S23 Ultra, a key change is the 5x telephoto replacing the 10x zoom lens. This promises sharper 5x shots and similar quality at 10x zoom.
- 200MP main sensor: Impressive on paper, the 200MP sensor uses pixel binning for noise reduction, resulting in 12MP images. While detail is excellent, some prefer the more natural processing of the S24 and S24+.
- Ultrawide camera: Though not the best in class, it’s the only ultrawide with autofocus in Samsung’s lineup.
- Telephoto duo: The familiar 3x telephoto delivers solid results, while the new 5x telephoto shines with impressive detail and minimal noise at low ISOs.
- Close-up capabilities: Despite no dedicated macro lens, the 5x telephoto allows for stunning close-up shots at 9.9x magnification, even surpassing the quality of 10x zoom images.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Image Quality
- Daylight photos: The main camera captures excellent detailed photos with a more natural rendering compared to the S23 Ultra’s oversaturated output.
- Expert RAW: While offering 24MP JPEG capture, the results seem overly sharpened and pixelated, and the default DNG profile isn’t helpful.
- 50MP mode: This might be useful for extracting specific textures or distant text, but overall processing gives it an artificial look.
- 5x zoom: The new 5x telephoto impresses with sharp details, minimal noise, and good dynamic range. It delivers significantly better results than the S23 Ultra’s 3x telephoto zoomed to 5x.
- 10x zoom: Here, the S24 Ultra maintains similar image quality to the S23 Ultra, thanks to the new 5x telephoto and digital processing.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Quirks and Considerations
- Auto-switching: The camera app tends to switch to the next closest lens if the current one can’t focus due to proximity. This behavior lacks an immediate in-app toggle but can be disabled through Pro mode, Expert RAW, or a third-party app.
- 9.9x vs. 10x mystery: Interestingly, 9.9x magnification often yields better results than 10x zoom, likely due to how the 50MP sensor information is processed. We expect future software updates to address this anomaly.
Verdict:
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s camera system delivers incremental improvements over its predecessor. The 5x telephoto lens is a welcome addition, offering excellent 5x zoom quality and maintaining decent 10x shots. However, the 200MP main sensor doesn’t revolutionize image quality, and some processing choices remain questionable.
Overall, the S24 Ultra’s camera is powerful and versatile, but not a groundbreaking leap from the S23 Ultra. The decision ultimately depends on your priorities and whether the new features and potential software improvements sway you.
